Map of the Kingdom's Warfare.

Summary

In the side hall of the Ziwei Palace's Wencheng Hall, Emperor Yang Guang convened a meeting due to significant disagreements among high-ranking officials regarding the poor performance of noble families' children in the spring imperial examination. The Emperor proposed increasing the number of accepted candidates from around one hundred to two thousand to address a shortage of local officials, which sparked debate among the officials. Many believed this was an attempt to appease noble families, while others, like Pei Ju, doubted the Emperor's intentions, knowing his stubbornness. When Yang Guang arrived, he expressed confusion over the examination results, noting that only thirty percent of the top candidates were from noble families. He attributed this to noble families' dissatisfaction with his rule and their reluctance to send their children to serve. Su Wei attempted to justify the situation, citing the dangers of travel, but Yang Guang decided to admit two thousand scholars and reclaim control over local official appointments from noble families, a move that could lead to increased chaos in the realm.

Full content