He tricked his amnesiac partner into becoming crippled.

Chapter 244 The Marquis Has No Clever Heart 21

The imperial examination system was a highly coveted position, and the four princes had previously selected their own factions directly through the examination.

Now, that's not possible.

Because Wen Yan is too cunning.

She wanted to tell the emperor everything that others kept to themselves.

Giving gifts? That's not a thing; that's called donating to the country.

Those who bribe her today can be listed and sent to the emperor tomorrow, under the guise of enriching the national treasury.

The emperor was satisfied.

Wen Yan was satisfied.

The ministers were speechless.

With the emperor's trust and Liang Jinglan's close protection, it would be difficult for Wen Yan to get into trouble.

Except for one point, Wen Yan thinks about this year's imperial examination questions.

This is like dropping cold water into hot oil, and it exploded in the pan.

The old scoundrels disagreed, pulling off their hats and shouting, "If the Emperor agrees to your proposal, this old minister will smash his head against a pillar and die, begging our ancestors to redress this injustice!"

"Yes, Wen Yan is only in her early twenties, young and ambitious. No matter how capable she is, her knowledge is not as extensive as ours. We would rather die than suffer such humiliation as to let her set questions for us!"

These old men, with their white beards and proud strides, are known for their unyielding spirit and sharp tongues.

Wen Yan raised an eyebrow and readily agreed.

The old minister, who had wanted to ramble on a few more times, fell silent.

What would be good?

Are we giving up?

Seeing that everyone was silent, the emperor asked, "Since Minister Wen is not participating in setting the questions, which learned scholar would like to set them?"

The ancients were reserved and modest; how could he shamelessly boast about his own knowledge?

Except for the husband who has been completely brainwashed by Wen Yan.

He held the tablet high, his eyes gleaming, as if afraid the emperor wouldn't see it.

Coincidentally, the emperor glanced into the scholar's expectant eyes: "Does my dear minister have a recommendation?"

The gentleman took a few steps forward: "Exactly."

"Whom do you recommend, my dear minister?"

"I recommend myself. In terms of experience, I have studied for ten years and traveled to various prefectures and counties, witnessing the suffering of displaced people and the accumulated problems of taxation. In terms of knowledge, I am well-versed in astronomy and astrology, can identify the mineral veins of the nine provinces, and am familiar with the Thirteen Chapters of Military Strategy. I have also deduced Seventy-Six Strategies for the Defense of the Western Frontier. In conclusion, I dare to say that I am capable of this task."

The old minister who was howling the loudest was stunned: ...Brother, when did you become so shameless?

The key is that the emperor falls for this.

He nodded, extremely satisfied: "I like straightforward people. What do you all think?"

Wen Yan spoke first: "I have no objection."

Several ministers glanced around a few times and then spoke.

The ministers who had been wailing the loudest at the beginning fell silent, and as soon as they opened their mouths, the court adjourned.

If you wish to meet the Emperor, you may.

As soon as the door to the imperial study was opened, the prime minister looked up, the scholar looked at him, and Wen Yan sipped his tea...

Those who didn't know better would think they had infiltrated the enemy's camp.

After being given a few perfunctory words, he could only sheepishly return to report. The Third Prince was so angry that he overturned several tea sets.

"Get out! All of you, get out of here!"

-

The imperial examinations were held as scheduled, with the number of candidates being three times that of previous years. More than half of them had no family background, and the influx of fresh blood into the court pleased the emperor.

With a wave of his hand, he sent those who were to be sent elsewhere to be sent elsewhere, and those who were to be sent to the Hanlin Academy to be sent to the Hanlin Academy.

It's worth mentioning that Wen Yan was also sent abroad, but not by the emperor's designation; she requested it herself.

The emperor looked at the place she had chosen for her posting—

Shaliu County? Which poor village is that?

So he frowned, just about to advise her to reconsider, when the ministers below became so excited they couldn't stand up straight. They all raised their scepters above their heads, their eyes overflowing with joy that almost drowned the emperor.

“Your Majesty, Vice Minister Wen wants to do practical things for the people. He is an example and a role model for newly appointed officials. We cannot stop him. Otherwise, if everyone stays in the capital, who will go to the remote areas?”

The ministers who offered their advice spoke frankly and openly, but secretly they were overjoyed.

Sand willow, sand willow, wonderful!

In the coastal areas and saline-alkali lands, thieves would leave in tears.

The reason is simple: we're too poor.

Shaliu County is located in a remote area on the east coast. Pirates roam the seas, making it impossible for ordinary families to make a living by fishing at sea. They can only catch small fish and shrimp or farm.

But since this area is by the sea, seafood simply can't be sold, and farmers are in an even worse situation, as their crops don't grow well no matter how carefully they take care of them.

No one in his family had ever held an official position. Even powerful local gentry couldn't rise to prominence here, so there was nothing to exploit or oppress.

Poor, very poor.

Tragic, extremely tragic.

After Wen Yan arrived here, they didn't even need to tamper with his political achievements; he was guaranteed not to be transferred back to Beijing for ten years.

Liang Jinglan was extremely anxious. He was standing some distance away from Wen Yan when he turned back to look at her. His brows furrowed with worry, and he moved his lips, silently uttering a single "no".

Wen Yan was slightly taken aback. She quickly looked around and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that no one was paying attention to Liang Jinglan.

She suspected she was slightly tipsy. Why was Liang Jinglan pouting at her out of the blue?

Wen Yan glared at him quickly, telling him to stop acting cute.

In Liang Jinglan's eyes, it just looked like Wen Yan was throwing a tantrum and was unhappy. He was at a loss, glancing at Wen Yan with his puppy-dog eyes, but she ignored him. Having no other option, he spoke to the Emperor:

"Your Majesty, I humbly request to be sent to Shaliu County together with Vice Minister Wen."