The officials erupted in fury! Absolutely not! Gu Yan lashed out at Xu Qingxiao, only for...

News from the imperial court.

It spread throughout the Great Wei Capital almost in an instant.

The common people began discussing it in every possible way.

"Let merchants become officials? Isn't that the greatest joke under heaven? Impossible!"

"Exactly. These merchants devour people without even spitting out the bones. If they become officials, we common folk will suffer even more."

"Absolutely not. Merchants becoming officials is simply unacceptable. We must never agree."

"And priority admission to all the major academies? What about the children of poor people like us?"

"Exactly. Priority admission to the major academies is unacceptable on its own."

"I wonder who came up with this rotten idea."

"Probably the Ministry of Revenue?"

"Lord Xu has full responsibility. Doesn't that mean Lord Xu proposed it?"

"To think Lord Xu actually colluded with the merchants!"

As the common people discussed it, their first reaction was refusal-absolute refusal. They already hated merchants. Giving those merchants official posts on top of that would naturally upset everyone.

Thus, they opposed it vehemently, even investigating who had come up with this rotten idea.

Some people secretly claimed Xu Qingxiao was promoting it, steering the discussion in every direction to get the common people to curse him.

But the moment those words were spoken, the common people came to their senses.

"You're spouting fucking bullshit! Lord Xu couldn't possibly be promoting this."

"Exactly. How could Lord Xu have introduced it? Those merchants are the people Lord Xu hates most."

"Right, right. Lord Xu absolutely couldn't have done this."

The common people simply refused to believe Xu Qingxiao had promoted it.

But a moment later, notices were posted, confirming that Xu Qingxiao was in charge.

"See? I told you it was Xu Qingxiao."

"Right. It's Xu Qingxiao."

"To think he actually colluded with the merchants."