Although he was ambitious, when he thought of the current lineup under the lord's tent, even Wei Ci could not help but gasp.
Why?
He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to get a place.
In his previous life, His Majesty had specially built the Golden Scale Pavilion to commend the meritorious officials.
Ten civil and military officials were to be selected.
At first, it was decided that they would take nine people each. This was because the number of people in the world started with one and ended with nine. The number ten was not auspicious.
However, His Majesty was stubborn and stubbornly insisted on choosing ten people, implying that everything was perfect. The other officials' objections were ineffective.
Not to mention others, Xu Ke, Feng Jin, and Sun Wen, the three of them died in a strange way in his previous life and had no fate with the Golden Scale Pavilion.
It was different now. As long as they could survive until the world was settled, would the Golden Scale Pavilion be without them?
The number of places on the list of civil officials had been reduced by three. Thinking about the strategists who had successively submitted to the lord in the previous life, Wei Ci could not help but feel nervous.
Why call it the Golden Scale Pavilion? Just call it the Investiture of the Gods.
Wei Ci sat at the bow of the boat, enjoying the golden sunlight and the fresh river breeze. He dug out the old almanac from the depths of his memory.
Since there were ranks, there would naturally be a first and a second.
But who would be the champion of civil and military affairs?
The officials argued until their faces turned red. The commoners and the aristocratic families were at a stalemate. Although His Majesty had taken advantage of the chaotic times to beat the aristocratic families to the point that they did not dare to show their faces, the establishment of the Jiang Dynasty was in urgent need of manpower. The aristocratic families were full of talents, and this was a good opportunity for them to take advantage of the situation.
The Civil and Martial Arts Ranking List of the Golden Scale Pavilion had become the stage for them to compete against each other.
The poor and the aristocratic families did not give way to each other, and the poor were slowly rising. If the second and third generation could stabilize their footsteps, sooner or later they would be able to enter the ranks of the noble families, and even become a new aristocratic family. Most of the important officials in the imperial court came from poor families, so the aristocratic families couldn't do anything to them.
They could only pinch their noses and take a step back to prevent both sides from suffering. After all, His Majesty was above their heads.
There were a total of ten spots in the Civil and Martial Roll. The two factions would split it equally. How about this?
After dividing the places, they began to fight for the first place in the Civil and Martial Roll.
Feng Jue would definitely be the first among the civil officials, right?
He had followed Her Majesty since she was still a bandit. Without Feng Jue's years of planning, Her Majesty's unification of the world would have been full of twists and turns.
Yang Tao was definitely the number one general, right?
His overall strength was very strong, and his prestige in the military was very high. It didn't seem wrong for him to take first place.
Wei Ci had no objections to being the top civil official candidate, but the candidate for the top military general was really a scam.
Did the aristocratic families think that the bonfire under Yang Tao's butt wasn't strong enough and wanted to add another match?
Yang Tao's identity was sensitive, and his martial arts were not top-notch. If he tried to compete for the number one general, he would be courting death.
The aristocratic families didn't care about this. They couldn't accept being suppressed by the poor.
The result?
His Majesty had been sitting calmly on the fishing platform, indifferently watching their war of words.
When the civil and military ranks were listed, the two sects were dumbfounded.
They had been arguing for so long, but His Majesty had not taken their words seriously at all?
The first civil official was not the popular candidate, Feng Jue. Instead, it was Qiguan Rang, who came from a humble background and kept a low profile. Feng Jue was the second.
This was something that even Wei Ci had not expected.
If he remembered correctly, he clearly remembered that His Majesty had placed Feng Jue's portrait first.
The number one general was Fu Wang, a fellow who was criticized by the outside world for having the ambition of a wolf. His birth was extremely low.
Sixty percent of the people from poor families were from poor families. It was an overwhelming victory.
However, the poor did not have the last laugh. In addition to the civil and military rolls, His Majesty had also set up the Heavenly Works Roll.
Unlike the aristocratic families or poor families that relied on their families to form a group or were about to form a group, the Heavenly Works Roll was only for individuals.
Regardless of man or woman, poor or young, as long as they could invent things that benefited the people, the national defense, and the country, they would contribute to the nation and benefit the world, they would all be on the roll. The country would come forward to promote their skills and would even give a portion of the profits to the individual.
Although it was only a portion, the profits were enough to make all the merchants in the world jealous.
The first bastard to be on the Heavenly Works Roll had even taken a spot on the Martial Roll. He could be said to be a real winner in life.
Wei Ci's trip to Nansheng this time was not only to persuade Yang Tao to form an alliance, but he also wanted to take that bastard away.
This person was none other than the treasure that Wei Ci had found in his previous life — Bai Ning.
He didn't believe that he wouldn't be able to coax that fellow to join An Cui's camp in his previous life. In this life, he wouldn't be able to do the same.
Wei Ci carefully checked his memory and found that there was nothing missing. Only then did he relax and lean against the bow to take a nap.
Perhaps it was because what he thought about during the day, Wei Ci kept muttering before he fell asleep. In his dreams, he also remembered the content that he had not dug out.
In his dreams, Wei Ci came to congratulate Bai Ning and congratulated him for making two rolls.
However, the other party twirled his white beard. There was no joy on his face. Instead, he looked depressed.
"Sigh, Zixiao. Among the visitors who came today, you are the only one who feels the most comfortable. It's just to congratulate you, nothing else. " The other party looked at the fish pond under the corridor and said gloomily, "I was born in a poor family. Naturally, I also want to compete with the aristocratic families in the court and fight for a way out for the vast number of scholars from poor families, but … but the person above us is really frightening. If it wasn't for His Majesty not allowing it, I really want to retire so that I don't have to be a rat in a bellows and be bullied by both sides …"
As a popular person, he had received olive branches from both factions. However, Bai Ning, who knew the inside story, did not want to get involved.
Hence, he was worried.
"What do you mean?"
The other party asked mysteriously, "How do you think I got on the Heavenly Craftsman Roll?"
Wei Ci said, "Naturally, it's because I offered the secret recipe for gunpowder and firearms, strengthened the national defense, and contributed to the country."
The other party chuckled and shook his head continuously.
"No, no, no. It's just because His Majesty likes me. Maybe it's because of you."
Wei Ci was about to ask in detail when Bai Ning said earnestly, "When the poor and the aristocratic families fight, both sides will suffer. No matter how they fight, can they escape from His Majesty's palm? To put it bluntly, even if His Majesty is a distinguished guest, as long as the royal bloodline is still there and the Heavenly Craftsman Roll is still there, both factions are just toys in the palm of the Emperor's hand. Zixiao, don't get involved! "
Wei Ci smiled bitterly, "I'm just a small figure. How can I get involved in the battle between the gods?"
He had completely lost hope after the "meteorite" that fell from the sky a while ago.
"Well, if you think so, I have nothing to say." Bai Ning seemed to think of something and said, "Previously, you supported the Wei family. The Wei family used the tiger's skin to flaunt their strength and offended many people intentionally or unintentionally. Now that the situation is tense, the aristocratic families don't dare to go too far. You took the opportunity to lie low, which can be considered a good strategy for self-protection. Heh, once the three rolls of civil, martial, and heavenly craftsman are out, the mad dogs that bit you previously stopped. "
Then, Bai Ning rambled on and on.
Wei Ci listened carelessly at that time, drinking cup after cup of sake into his stomach. He could not remember what Bai Ning said, but it was very clear in the dream.
Her Majesty can put whoever she wants on the Heavenly Crafts Ranking … She'll throw you a prescription and let you take advantage of it for free and put on a show with her … With a whoosh, you'll be able to enter the imperial court even though you're just a commoner. This speed is even faster than ascension. To put it bluntly, the aristocratic families and the poor fight back and forth for the sake of benefits. The accumulation of generations is not as good as the rewards from His Majesty. Sigh, the more I think about it, the more I feel that the water is too deep. It's better to go back to my hometown and continue to sell firecrackers. What's the use of fighting between the poor and aristocratic families, Zixiao, don't you think so? "
The aristocratic families referred to noble families that had been officials for generations.
In the era when the dissemination of books and education was difficult, they occupied a lot of resources. After generations of accumulation, they educated countless talents. The educated talents could also consolidate the family's interests, accumulate more resources, and make the entire interest group indestructible.
In the end, the success of the aristocratic families lay in their rich capital, which allowed them to stand higher than others.
If life was a competition, the poor were born at the starting point, while the aristocratic families were born at the halfway point or even the end.
But —
No matter how many resources the aristocratic families controlled, no matter how rich their heritage was, they were still limited by the development of the times.
While everyone fought with cold weapons and on horseback, His Majesty could take out the recipe for gunpowder and more and give it to any trusted confidant. A small recipe, coupled with His Majesty's secret support, could instantly give birth to another rising force, disrupting the rhythm of the poor and aristocratic families.
If they could not keep up with the pace of the times, regardless of whether they were aristocratic or poor, they would eventually be abandoned by the times.
It was like flying a kite. The person who controlled the reel was His Majesty. How high and how far the kite flew was all in her control.
Bai Ning always thought that His Majesty would go overboard, but it turned out that the people who went overboard were the aristocratic families and poor families. They were led by the nose and did not know it.
Wei Ci clearly realized that he was dreaming, and the content was a memory deep in his mind.
He remembered clearly that he visited Bai Ning that day, but he was depressed and unable to calm down.
He also wanted to enter the civil officials list, but it was a delusion.
When Bai Ning took out good wine to entertain him, Wei Ci drank a lot out of depression and did not understand what Bai Ning said.
But now he dreamed of it.
In the dream, he was muddle-headed, but he heard it clearly!
Like a sudden clap of thunder, the scattered clues gradually pieced together.
His Majesty —
Wei Ci was shocked and suddenly opened his eyes. The dazzling sunlight hurt his eyes.
He subconsciously turned his head to avoid it, and it took him a long time to adapt.
When he regained consciousness, Wei Ci realized that he was breaking out in a cold sweat. Everything in the dream became clearer.
He thought he understood His Majesty very well, understood the current lord very well, but when he thought back to the dream …
Wei Ci found it hard to believe that what he understood might only be the tip of the iceberg.
In the previous life, His Majesty had already started to plot. She was playing a very, very big game of chess, but he had no idea.
At the same time —
Jiang Pengji opened her eyes and withdrew her mental strength from the Yin and Yang jade pendant in time. She supported her chin with her left hand and twirled the brush with her right.
She muttered, "Bai Ning? Which little demon is this? "
Just as she was thinking, a messenger came from outside the tent. "Report — an urgent secret report from the frontlines!"
"Come in."
Jiang Pengji restrained her unnecessary thoughts. The messenger hurriedly entered the tent and handed over a sealed bamboo tube.
She casually pinched the bamboo tube and broke it, taking out the secret letter inside.
Wei Ci had gone to Nansheng on a business trip, but Xu Bei would not stop fighting because of this.
Regardless of whether it was Xu Bei or her, both sides were on the brink of life and death.
The two families did not erupt into a large-scale war, only small skirmishes. For example, when they attacked a small district, you retreated and I advanced, I retreated and you advanced.
"Gentle" was like flirting.
Jiang Pengji knew what Xu Bei was waiting for. He was waiting for Huang Song to send troops.
She was also waiting, waiting for Wei Ci's news, waiting for Huang Song to enter the fray.
If she did not press Huang Song and Xu Bei to the ground and rub against them, she would feel sorry for Zixiao's hard work these few days.
"Sigh, they've become thinner and darker …"
Staring at Huang Song's secret letter, Jiang Pengji sighed.
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