nashuaworldcup Chapter 448 King Qin Agrees to Crown Prince Ji of Wei Participating in the Entrance Examination of t
Chapter 448 King Qin Agrees to Crown Prince Ji of Wei Participating in the Entrance Examination of t
Five days later, the Wei envoy arrived again at the Xianyang Palace, his face grave. The King of Qin unfolded the letter, took it, and slowly began to read. The letter was tactful, initially expressing respect for Qin, but the more he read, the uglier his expression became. After a long silence, he threw the letter on the table and sneered, "The King of Wei certainly knows how to bargain. He doesn't want Crown Prince Ji to serve Qin for ten years, yet he's unwilling to relinquish his monopoly on salt and iron in Henan. He's only willing to offer a portion of the salt mines and a three-year mining right. He even wants Crown Prince Ji to return to Wei to visit his family once a year—it's utterly absurd!"
The envoy knelt down with a thud and kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty, please forgive us, but these requests are the greatest sincerity that our Wei Kingdom can offer."
The King of Qin did not look at the Wei envoy, but turned to Feng Quji and said, "It seems that the King of Wei is indeed as you said, Feng Aiqing, unwilling to give in easily, and has proposed such a compromise."
Feng Quji cupped his hands and said, “Your Majesty, although the conditions proposed by the Wei Kingdom have been somewhat accommodating, they are still not sincere enough. The three-year salt mining rights will have limited impact on the economy of our Great Qin, and the Crown Prince’s annual return to his hometown is too unpredictable and may pose a risk of leaks.”
Meng Tian stepped forward, his voice booming: "I agree with the Prime Minister's statement. Such conditions are hardly satisfactory to our Great Qin. We should reject them directly, station troops on the border of Wei, put some pressure on them, and see if they dare to continue to be so perfunctory."
Ying Wuyou frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Father, why not extend the salt mine mining rights to five years, but Crown Prince Wei must remain in the Great Qin for five years."
The King of Qin nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to the Wei envoy and said coldly, "Go back and tell the King of Wei that his sincerity is far from enough. My Great Qin cannot be dismissed with a few empty words. Reconsider according to the conditions I have proposed; otherwise, there is no need to talk."
The Wei envoy said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, I understand."
The King of Qin waved his hand, signaling him to leave. The Wei envoy bowed and withdrew from the hall.
Time flies, and several days passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, the envoy from Wei once again stepped into the Zhangtai Palace, requesting an audience with the King of Qin.
The King of Qin sat upright on his throne, gazing majestically at the Wei envoy below. After bowing respectfully, the envoy spoke, "Your Majesty, after careful consideration, Your Majesty has decided to grant the salt and iron rights in the Hexi region for a period of three years. At the same time, Crown Prince Ji may remain in Qin for up to five years."
Upon hearing this, the King of Qin pondered to himself. The salt and iron resources of the Hexi region were crucial to Qin, and Crown Prince Ji, as the heir to Wei, had been staying in Qin for five years, essentially acting as a hostage. In this way, Qin could both gain the benefits of salt and iron and restrain Wei, achieving two goals at once.
After some deliberation, the King of Qin finally made up his mind and slowly said, "Very well, I agree to the King of Wei's conditions." His voice was deep and powerful, revealing an unwavering determination.
Thus, the negotiations between the Qin and Wei states finally reached an agreement.
The next morning at court, the King of Qin, with his sharp eyes, surveyed the assembled officials and slowly announced, "Issue my decree that Crown Prince Ji of Wei is permitted to come to Qin to participate in the entrance examination of the Great Qin Academy."
These words caused a slight commotion in the court, but quickly returned to calm. The King of Qin continued, "However, this matter must not be taken lightly. Meng Tian, I order you to select elite men to secretly monitor the Crown Prince of Wei's every move; there must be no slackening."
"Jiayang, please keep a close eye on things at the academy. Arrange for reliable people to monitor Prince Wei's words and actions there, ensuring he can study normally while preventing him from taking advantage of any opportunities."
The two accepted the order.
The streets of Xianyang were bustling with people. Prince Ji of Wei had finally arrived in Xianyang. Dressed in a simple robe, he curiously surveyed this unfamiliar yet vibrant city. Accompanied only by a personal guard, the two strolled leisurely through Xianyang.
"Your Highness, are we really going to take the exam at the Great Qin Academy?" the guard asked in a low voice, a hint of worry in his eyes.
Prince Ji of Wei smiled slightly, his eyes gleaming with determination: "Of course. This is an excellent opportunity for us to understand the Qin state. Only by delving into it can we know the true reasons for Qin's strength and find a way to save Wei."
On the sixth day of the tenth lunar month, as dawn broke, golden sunlight gently bathed the buildings and pavilions of Daqin Academy, Daqin Women's Academy, and Daqin Medical College. These three institutions, which embody the future hopes of Daqin, welcomed their momentously important entrance examinations today.
In front of the Daqin Academy, candidates had already formed a long queue. Poor students dressed in coarse linen clothes stood side by side with noblemen dressed in fine clothes. They were filled with a thirst for knowledge, aspirations for the future, and the courage to leave their hometowns. Their expressions were full of tension and anticipation.
Ying Wuyou, dressed in a simple yet elegant long dress with a fitted waist and a jade pendant symbolizing her royal status, stood gracefully on the examination platform. Lü Zhi, in a simple long dress with her hair neatly tied back, stood quietly beside Ying Wuyou, her eyes filled with intelligence and gentleness. A gentle breeze stirred, ruffling their hair and fluttering the hems of the robes of the examinees below.
"Princess, I wish this examination will go smoothly, and that true talents will be selected for Great Qin," Lü Zhi said softly, her voice carrying a hint of expectation. She knew the importance of this examination to Great Qin, and she understood the effort Ying Wuyou had put into it.
Ying Wuyou nodded slightly, her gaze fixed firmly on the distance, as if she could see the Great Qin Dynasty heading towards a prosperous future with the help of these students: "It will definitely happen." Her words were resounding.
As the melodious and solemn bells rang out over the academy, the examinations officially began. Guided by their teachers, the candidates entered the examination hall in an orderly fashion.
Inside the examination hall, the atmosphere was tense and oppressive, so quiet that only the soft scratching of brushes on bamboo slips could be heard. Students from all over Qin and other vassal states were present; some frowned, biting their pens as they pondered deeply; others focused intently, writing furiously, seemingly wanting to pour all their knowledge onto the bamboo slips, vying for the limited places to enter the examination hall.
The exam covered a wide range of topics, including not only basic classics to test candidates' knowledge, but also many ingenious questions. Among them, the questions testing moral character used everyday dilemmas as a backdrop to examine candidates' moral principles and values. For example: "If you found a sum of money at the market, and no one around knew, but a family member was sick and urgently needed medical treatment, what would you do?"
The questions regarding court infighting and the plight of the people are even more daring. "Now that the Qin Dynasty is undergoing reforms to strengthen itself, there is constant power struggle between the old and new factions in the court. If you were an official, how would you balance these forces and promote the implementation of the new policies?"
“Some counties are suffering from severe drought, and the people have no harvest. The government’s granaries have limited reserves. What good solutions do you have to relieve the people from their dire straits?”