Whether as an emperor or as an individual, Liu Xie had no affection whatsoever for these great clans. Instead, he despised them from the bottom of his heart.
Chapter 30: The Imperial Examination System! Winning Over Guo Jia!
Before the imperial examination system emerged, the great clans were the greatest obstacle to a nation's growth and strength. They controlled the local regions and monopolized officialdom, all but severing the path to advancement for commoners and sons of humble families.
Moreover, they intermarried and maintained close ties, their influence as tangled as roots and branches. Even an emperor would struggle to shake these great aristocratic clans.
Thus, Liu Xie had no affection for these clans whatsoever.
If he truly gained power in the future, he would inevitably put these clans under the knife and carry out a thorough purge, inside and out.
The Great Han had grown far too rotten.
Guo Jia had not expected Liu Xie to possess such an iron-blooded side, actually intending to put those clans under the knife. Along with his surprise, he found the emperor somewhat naive.
"Your Majesty, you are still thinking far too simply."
"The great clans are connected by marriage and support one another from afar. Their outstanding descendants enter the Imperial Court, while even the lesser ones hold local offices."
"From top to bottom, the entire Great Han is full of their people. If Your Majesty truly purged them all, the court would cease to function."
Guo Jia shook his head and spoke with a bitter smile.
That was what made the clans so terrifying. Their influence ran too deep, clinging to the court until it could no longer function without them.
The simplest example was taxation.
Taxes were not paid directly to the court. They were collected locally, then remitted to the court together.
And in those local regions, if the clans refused to cooperate in paying and collecting taxes, just how much tax did anyone think could still be collected?
The mountains were high and the emperor far away. That was precisely the principle at work.
"I know. That is why force alone will not be enough to cut out these malignant tumors. In the end, we must rely on reform."
Of course Liu Xie understood everything Guo Jia had said.
While their enthusiasm for the conversation was still high, he began discussing his plans for reform with Guo Jia.
"Force can only serve as a deterrent and a guarantee that policies are carried out. To change all this at its roots, we must undertake sweeping reform."
"For instance, imperial examination entry."
Guo Jia raised his eyebrows. "Imperial examination entry?"
He did not understand what that meant.
"Let me explain it to you."
Liu Xie chuckled. At last, he had a chance to show off in front of this fellow!
"Imperial examination entry means selecting candidates through standardized examinations. The examinations would be divided into levels, and passing one would qualify a candidate for the next. Finally, the Son of Heaven would interview them in person."
After hearing this, Guo Jia looked disappointed.
He had thought Liu Xie possessed some extraordinary idea, but it turned out to be nothing more than adding examinations. Though that could improve the quality of the talent selected, the fundamental problem remained unresolved.
Yet Liu Xie soon overturned that assumption.
"Examinations divided into levels are merely the most basic rule of imperial examination entry. Its greatest feature is that anyone can sit the examinations regardless of birth-even commoners. Beyond that, officials would lose the right to recommend candidates directly. Even those born into distinguished families would have to pass the examinations and compete against candidates from across the realm if they wished to become officials!"
"Tell me, once the great aristocratic clans lose that advantage, how will they continue to control the Imperial Court? How long can their family power remain secure?"
A teasing smile appeared on Liu Xie's face.
That was the most fearsome aspect of the imperial examinations: regardless of birth, anyone who wanted to become an official had to take them!
Whether a prince or noble, a scion of a distinguished house, the son of one of the Three Excellencies or the descendant of a general, everyone had to pass the examinations before taking office!
"Fengxiao, what do you think?"
After explaining the concept of imperial examination entry, Liu Xie looked at Guo Jia with complete confidence, ready to savor the fellow's stunned expression.
But he discovered that Guo Jia merely stood motionless with his head lowered, showing not the slightest excitement or joy. Doubt stirred in his heart.
Why wasn't he reacting at all?
"This is it..."
Just as Liu Xie began to doubt himself, Guo Jia suddenly spoke.
He raised his head. At some point, tears had covered his clean, handsome face, and his eyes had turned completely red.
"This is the answer your servant has been seeking!"
Guo Jia choked out the words, his voice trembling.
This was the answer he had searched so desperately for all this time without ever finding it-a way forward for the sons of humble families throughout the realm!
And now that path lay right before him!
"Imperial examination entry, imperial examination entry!"
"What an extraordinary vision!"
"It can weaken the great clans' influence over the Imperial Court and the nation! It can select talent for the Imperial Court from across the realm! It can give the sons of humble families everywhere a chance to display their abilities!"
"A chance that countless scholars throughout the ages sought but could never obtain!"
"Hahaha! So this was the answer! The answer was this simple!"
Guo Jia sank to the floor, muttering to himself, crying and laughing without the slightest concern for decorum. He looked as though he had gone mad.
At that moment, he was utterly immersed in the joy of finding his answer.
He rejoiced for every scholar in the realm whose ambitions had languished unfulfilled!
Watching Guo Jia from the side, Liu Xie felt a little pity.
He could not feel exactly what Guo Jia felt, but he understood his emotions now: joy mingled with sorrow.
The joy came from finally finding the answer. The sorrow came from the fact that the answer was so simple, yet no one throughout the ages had thought of it.
As a result, countless impoverished scholars had spent their entire lives in frustration, unable even before death to display the ambitions and talents within their hearts. They could only die with regret.
Thus, Guo Jia rejoiced for the scholars who would come after him;
he grieved for those who had come before.
"Your Majesty, your servant has lost his composure."
Only after crying for a long time did Guo Jia stagger to his feet. Though the tear tracks on his face had yet to dry, his eyes shone with extraordinary brightness.
"Uh, it's fine if you want to cry a little longer. I won't tell anyone."
Feeling a little awkward, Liu Xie offered this stiff attempt at comfort.
But after saying it, he felt he would have been better off saying nothing.
Was that supposed to comfort someone?
Guo Jia paid it no mind. After taking a deep breath, he clasped his hands and said solemnly, "Your servant is willing to assist Your Majesty in destroying the treacherous villains and restoring the Han Dynasty!"
With that, Guo Jia knelt before Liu Xie and struck his forehead heavily against the floor.
The heavy sound of his kowtow echoed throughout the hall.
The move left Liu Xie utterly dumbfounded. They had been having a perfectly good conversation, so why had he suddenly dropped to his knees and begun kowtowing?
Wait... was he pledging his allegiance to me?
Liu Xie suddenly realized what was happening.
Guo Jia really seemed to have pledged his allegiance to him!
But why?
I hadn't even done anything!
Liu Xie carefully thought back over it. He had merely chatted nonsense with Guo Jia for a while, then given this ancient fellow with his limited horizons a basic explanation of the imperial examination system.
And that was enough for him to pledge allegiance?
Wasn't that far too hasty? You're Guo Jia!
"Do you mean that?"
Still finding it difficult to believe, Liu Xie asked tentatively.
This fellow wasn't trying to screw me over, was he?
Guo Jia said solemnly, "With Heaven as my witness and my ancestors above, I, Guo Jia, swear to assist Your Majesty in restoring the Han Dynasty and crushing the rebels. Only death shall end my service!"
"I ask only that, once Your Majesty regains power, you implement the imperial examination system and open a passage through the Dragon Gate for the scholars of humble families throughout the realm!"
His words rang with conviction, striking the floor with the force of metal and stone.
Chapter 31: We Are Comrades Now!
Originally, Guo Jia had had no intention of following Liu Xie.
For, just as Liu Xie had said, he was loyal neither to the Han Dynasty nor to any individual. He merely wanted to find somewhere he could fulfill his ambitions.
As for who that might be, it did not matter.
The present Liu Xie had no such ability. A puppet Son of Heaven, controlled by others and never knowing in the morning whether he would survive until evening, he could not even compare with the currently down-and-out Liu Bei. He was hardly a suitable person to serve.
Yet Guo Jia had seen something different in Liu Xie.
Something he could not see in Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, or the likes of Yuan Shu, Liu Bei, and Gongsun Zan.
That something was called hope.
Hope that the fate of scholars from humble families throughout the realm could change.
Even if he helped men like Yuan Shao conquer the realm, they would merely recreate another Han Dynasty. He could indeed fulfill his own ambitions, but...
What about everyone else?
What about those who studied tirelessly day after day, pouring out their hearts and blood in the hope of rising above the crowd, yet, lacking connections or family standing, could only remain pearls buried in dust?
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