The Emperor and Empress sat facing each other in distress, so troubled that they forgot to reply to Pan Yun.
Pan Yun ended up sitting before the table, staring at the talisman book for ages without any response. In the end, she went to sleep.
The Emperor and Empress, meanwhile, racked their brains all night and slept poorly. In the end, the Emperor went to court with dark circles beneath his eyes.
When Yu Qian and the other Grand Secretariat ministers saw the Emperor nodding off during morning court, they were all deeply displeased.
When they convened in the imperial study to discuss affairs, Yu Qian held himself back for a while, but ultimately could not resist advising the Emperor to cherish his health and take the late Emperor as a warning, not to indulge in pleasure.
The Emperor looked somewhat wronged and muttered, "I haven't indulged in pleasure either~~"
Cao Nai could not help asking, "Does His Majesty have some troubling matter?"
The Emperor immediately raised the question that he and the Empress had pondered all night without finding an answer to.
The moment they heard that the Emperor was worrying over state affairs, the ministers' expressions instantly changed from clouds to sunshine, and they were delighted.
Never mind what specific matter he was considering—as long as it concerned state affairs, they were happy.
Just as the ministers were rejoicing, Yu Qian pondered aloud, "It is not as though there is no solution. We can simply give the officials examinations."
The ministers' smiles froze. "Examinations?"
"Precisely," Yu Qian said gravely. "Different departments and official ranks should take different examinations. After this, we may use this method to assess officials. Those who fail should be demoted or dismissed. Every five or ten years, they must be examined once, to determine