In the evening, when Sima Yi was riding in a carriage back home, he was thinking about something. Although there are four candidates for the Chang'an general, among Man Chong, Cao Tai, Zhu Gai and Qian Zhao, according to the emperor's new style, he would most likely prefer the general with the surname Cao. The trend of the Xiahou and Cao clans leading the troops is probably not going to change in a short time... "Father, why are you so worried?" Sima Yi was thinking as he walked into the mansion gate. Sima Shi in the courtyard saw him and started asking questions. Sima Yi looked up at his eldest son and said, "It's just a trivial matter in the court. By the way, Ziyuan, come with me to the study. Your father has something to ask you." "I understand, son." Sima Shi replied. After a while, Sima Yi sat behind the desk, and Sima Shi slowly closed the door of the study. Sima Shi asked, "Father, you went out hunting with the emperor a few days ago. Did you rest well?" Sima Yi replied: "How can we rest when we are still marching?"
"It took half a day to go there and half a day to return, with one day each for hunting and drinking in between. It can be considered a hurried trip." Sima Shi asked curiously, "Did father go hunting too?" Sima Yi smiled and said, "I shot a deer for my father. The rest of the prey was caught by the accompanying knights." "There are three teams in total: your majesty's team, the general's team, and my father's team. My father got the least prey, and was punished to drink more wine at night." Sima Shi's eyes were full of envy. Being able to lead a hunting team with His Majesty was still an unattainable height for a young man of twenty. "Why, Ziyuan also wants to go hunting?" Sima Yi asked. "My son has none." Sima Shi explained, "With my archery skills and without the help of soldiers to drive the prey, I'm afraid it will be difficult to hunt wild animals." "Moreover, the area around Luoyang is your Majesty's hunting ground. How can ordinary people get in?" Sima Yi sighed inwardly. Not only the hunting grounds near Luoyang belong to your majesty, but isn't it the same in other states and counties? A single word can decide life or death; a single word can determine prosperity or decline. In the past year since you ascended the throne, Your Majesty's authority has become increasingly greater, and sometimes I even feel scared. Sima Yi looked at Sima Shi and said, "Let's not talk about the affairs of the court. You were married just three days ago and your father went out to accompany the emperor. Are you getting along well with Hui'er?" Sima Shi was a little embarrassed: "We get along very well. This... this, please don't worry about it, father." Sima Yi glanced at his son with a slight smile and said, "It is the most basic thing to treat each other with respect. The most important thing is to give birth to an heir as soon as possible. Now that you have this kind of kinship, you can also visit Taichu and the general's family more often." Sima Shi nodded: "My son has been spending more and more time with Taichu in recent months. We often discuss classics, comment on people, and make friends with scholars." Sima Yi thought of something: "Oh, right, Ziyuan mentioned the Imperial College Student before, right?" "I heard from the North Palace today that His Majesty has roughly decided on the matter of the Imperial Academy Scholar." Sima Shi's eyes lit up: "Can a Taixue Lang be directly appointed as an official?" "Don't be impatient, wait for me to finish speaking slowly." Sima Yi glared at Sima Shi with a smile.
"According to your majesty, students who graduate from the Imperial College can choose between joining the military or entering politics." "If you join the army, you can serve as a Gongcao or Yuanshi under the command of the two thousand stone officials." "If you want to go into politics, you can go to each county and serve as a county official." "It's better to be recommended as a filial and honest person!" Sima Shi said directly: "If you want to be an official in the county, just ask someone to recommend you. Why do you need to go to the Imperial College?" "According to the old saying, the sons of noble families were first recommended to serve as officials in the county, then selected as filial and honest officials when the time was right, and then served as officials in Luoyang." "After serving as a palace official for a few years, he was selected to serve in various government offices in Luozhong, or sent to other prefectures and counties to serve as a county magistrate or county chief." Sima Shi looked at Sima Yi in confusion: "Father, what is the purpose of this system? Your Majesty specially selected people from various states and counties to enter the Imperial College, but the scholars who graduated from the Imperial College are not even as good as the filial and honest ones!" Seeing Sima Yi's strange look, Sima Shi hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Father, is there any other plan behind this?" Sima Yi sighed softly, "As a child of an aristocratic family, life is a bit too smooth. If I want to be an official, I can be one. After I am crowned, I can be a county official. It is only a matter of time before I become a filial and honest official." "How many people have such a family background?" Sima Shi interrupted with a hint of dissatisfaction: "The students in the Imperial College are almost all from noble families or wealthy families. How can there be any common people?" Sima Yi shook his head: "Your Majesty said so, perhaps Your Majesty has some other ideas." "In July, which is next month, the first batch of students will graduate from the Imperial College. According to what Your Majesty said, one-fifth of the students will graduate every year." "After the assessment, you can become a 300-dan Taixue Lang. Although 300-dan is a lower position in the counties or the army, it is not a low rank." Sima Shi asked in confusion: "One-fifth of the number, doesn't that mean only 100 people can graduate? What about the remaining 400 people?" Sima Yi replied: "After three years of study, if one still cannot pass the examination within three years, then he will leave the Imperial College. Your Majesty calls this situation 'completion of study'." "Ziyuan, let me ask you what you think. Do you want to be a student at the Imperial Academy?" "If you don't want to, I will ask His Majesty to grant you a position of Sanqi, and then find someone to recruit you as an official. Last month, I just recruited Gao Rou's son to the Sikong Mansion." At this time, Sima Shi thought of those people he had been socializing with all day. Xiahou Xuan was a Palace Attendant with a salary of 400 stones. Zhuge Dan, whom he had met several times, was the Minister of Personnel. He Yan was a Scholar of Chongwenguan with a salary of 1,000 stones. If I go to the Imperial Academy to gain experience... I have the family background to do so, so why should I work so hard? Sima Shi cupped his hands and said, "Father, I don't want to be a student at the Imperial Academy. It doesn't look like there is much future for me. I'd better follow the normal way to become an official." Sima Yi nodded, and after a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, "Do you know that the general's son Cao Shuang has gone to Youzhou to join the army?" Thinking of Cao Shuang's smiling fat face, Sima Shi suddenly felt a little uncomfortable, and then said: "How can the son of a military commander not dare to join the army?" "Father, my son does not want to join the army." Sima Yi nodded and said, "Well, I know what Ziyuan is thinking. When you graduate from the Imperial College, I will make some arrangements for you." "Ziyuan, what does Zishang think? Last time he said he wanted to enter the Imperial College. His talent is not as good as yours, but he can hone his qualifications by becoming a student at the Imperial College." Sima Shi smiled and said, "Father, didn't you decide not to let me go to the Imperial College? Let's wait until he can graduate." …… The next afternoon, at He Yan's home.
Today He Yan entertained guests at home, and Sima Shi and Xiahou Xuan came together. Although today is not a holiday for the Imperial College, for these two people who are of Class A and come from noble families, taking a few more days off is not a big deal. Dr. Gaotang, who was strict in management, went to Chongwen Temple. Dr. Zheng only focused on teaching and was very open-minded about these daily trivial matters and didn't care at all. Then who can stop these children from noble families from socializing? He Yan smiled widely, leaning against the door frame to greet everyone: "Taichu and Ziyuan came together, please come in and take a seat first. There are many guests in the mansion today, I will be there later." Xiahou Xuan bowed and said, "Thank you, Uncle Ping, for the invitation." Sima Shi also returned the greeting and said, "Then Taichu and I will go in together." As soon as he entered the hall and sat down, Sima Shi saw that Bi Gui, Deng Yang, Li Sheng and Ding Mi had already taken their seats. After a few brief greetings, there was some noise in the yard. Sima Shi asked Xiahou Xuan beside him: "Taichu, who is here again?" Bi Gui was sitting on the left of Sima Shi. After hearing this, he said, "Zi Yuan may not know. It should be that Zhuge Gong has come to rest." Among He Yan's four friends in Chongwen Temple, Bi Gui was the one who was most compatible with Sima Shi's temper. Sima Shi therefore inquired, "I heard that Zhuge Gongxiu became a doctor in the Ministry of Personnel? What about Yuan Gongran?" Bi Gui smiled and replied, "Yuan Gongran became a Langzhong of the Ministry of Examination. They are all under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Guards, but he has changed his position." A moment later, Zhuge Dan walked in with a smile, and with him came a few unfamiliar people. He Yan is also a well-known figure, and he will take care of everyone in such occasions. He Yan, who was wearing a green robe and a jade hairpin in his hair today, began to introduce himself after everyone had taken their seats. "I don't need to introduce Zhuge Gongxiu, right?" He Yan said with a smile, "The man next to him is Yuan Kan, the son of the Imperial Censor Yuan Gong of Chen County, Yuan Gongran." Yuan Kan bowed to everyone and greeted them, and then He Yan introduced them. "This is Xu Xu, the officer in charge of the Ministry of Personnel's selection office. The person next to him is Cui Zan and Cui Pingfang from Boling. They will leave for Puyang County tomorrow to serve as county magistrates." Cui Zan greeted everyone present and said with a smile: "Thank you, Brother Pingshu, for your recommendation. I was able to be the county magistrate of a large county this time, and I have to thank Brother Gongxiu for his efforts!" Zhuge Dan sat at the table with a bit of pride, waved his hand and said, "It's just a small matter, why does Fang Fang need to thank me in public?" Yuan Kan, who was standing by, also said jokingly, "This kind of big thing is of course a small matter to you, Zhuge Gongxiu. Before, he was the county magistrate in Xingyang, and within two months after returning to Luoyang, he took away my position as the doctor of the Ministry of Personnel!" Zhuge Dan squinted at Yuan Kan and said with a smile: "Oh, you are openly blaming me." It was Yuan Kan's handwriting. Yuan Kan and Zhuge Dan were very close, and he was not willing to lag behind in words: "How can you take away someone else's good job and not let others say anything?" He Yan interjected, "The Ministry of Personnel is a high-ranking official, and the Examination Official is even more important. From my point of view, the public is getting benefits, and the public rest is getting face!" (End of this chapter)