Inside the palace!
At this moment, Lin Yi was checking the results of the Imperial Examination. In his hand was the list of the top ten candidates submitted by the Ministry of Rites, which recorded the examination content of the top ten candidates and their detailed information.
Each person's name was followed by a note from Net Net, who even traced their ancestors back eighteen generations and listed them directly.
[The first place winner is Huang Longsi in Qin Province. He is a well-rounded talent, known as the number one chess player in Shu Region, the poet saint of the South, a master painter, and also has a deep understanding of military affairs. He is a rare all-rounder.]
He came from the Huang Clan in Shu Region and was once known as one of the two outstanding talents in the South, along with Yang Yinglong of the Yang Clan.
My father was the former governor of Qin Province in Great Ning, who later surrendered to Great Liang and became an official Great Liang.
The second-ranked eccentric, Zhang Zizai, was skilled at understanding people's hearts, forming alliances, and manipulating people. He once single-handedly persuaded a group of pirates from the coastal area to join his crew.
His current identity is the lord of Langye Island, and he is considered a dangerous talent.
[Third place goes to Li Yuanlong of Dan Province, who is skilled in traditional Chinese ink painting and belongs to a collateral branch of the Li Clan.]
[Fourth place: Zhang Fengfan of Li Province, skilled in chess and business, is the son of the head of the long-established grain merchant Zhang Clan.]
[Fifth place: Lang Yuming from Xi Province, skilled in swordsmanship and chivalrous poetry. He once single-handedly killed five bandits with his sword and was a local powerful figure in Xi Province.]
Looking at the list, Lin Yi's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed excitedly, "Wow, the number one, Huang Longsi, is actually a well-rounded talent! This is interesting!"
It's quite interesting that he and Yang Yinglong were known as the "Two Heroes of the South".
Yang Yinglong was a great talent back then, but unfortunately he died in the chaos. I never expected that Huang Longsi would be related to him.
But thinking about it, it makes sense; Huang Longsi's abilities are indeed outstanding.
He was not only a man of remarkable literary talent, but also skilled in military affairs. He once assisted his father in defeating the chieftains of the south, which means he was a versatile individual.
His literary and martial talents destined him to become a versatile figure like Xun Yu, a rare find indeed.
If his overall abilities remain consistent, he will undoubtedly be promoted to a high-ranking position in the future, which is not an exaggeration. After all, talented people are always given preferential treatment, no matter where they are.
"Your Majesty, this man is the son of a former official of Great Ning. Could there be a problem?" Zhao Gao whispered a reminder, looking at the man's background.
This Huang Longsi is exceptionally capable, but his father is the Prefect of Qin Province in Great Ning, which makes him somewhat like a remnant of Great Ning's power.
"It's alright!"
Lin Yi glanced at Zhao Gao and said in a deep voice, "Our Great Liang embraces all rivers and Baichuan; we don't care about the son of a former official. As long as he has the ability, I dare to use him!"
This Huang Longsi is well-known; its father, a prefect, had already surrendered to Great Liang and hadn't been killed, so naturally he couldn't possibly harbor resentment towards Great Liang.
Besides, the law of the jungle is the way of nature. If he can't even see through this, he doesn't deserve to be number one.
To be honest, if Li Anlan's princes hadn't been so arrogant, the Great Liang wouldn't have bothered to let them go. It's just a pity they didn't know how to cherish the opportunity.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Gao immediately shut his mouth and dared not say another word.
The Emperor dislikes eunuchs causing trouble, so he tries to remain silent these days, only offering a reminder at crucial moments.
"By the way, what's up with this Zhang Zizai? How did he become the island owner?" Then there's Zhang Zizai; Lin Yi remembered this name vividly.
This guy used to be a bandit, how did he become the lord of Langye Island? Is his identity fake?
"Cough cough!"
Wang Yue coughed twice and said awkwardly, "Your Majesty, you may not know, Zhang Zizai is currently the lord of Langye Island. However, he used some tricks to become the lord."
"What methods?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yi was taken aback; this guy had pulled off something outrageous.
A bandit has somehow become the owner of an island at sea; this identity doesn't seem to fit at all.
Wang Yue explained, "After the fall of the Jackal Kingdom, this guy planned to surrender to the emperor. However, he felt that he wouldn't be given an important position as a bandit, so he secretly slipped away to the coastal area."
He claimed to be an envoy of the Great Liang, sent to quell the pirate forces in the seas. The pirate leader was already aware of the might of the Great Liang, so he was so frightened that he immediately surrendered to Zhang Zizai.
In the end, he simply inherited the position of island lord, so Zhang Zizai's previous identity was not that of a bandit, but rather the lord of Langye Island.
Subsequently, as the lord of Langye Island, he wholeheartedly submitted to the Great Liang...
puff!
Lin Yi couldn't help but spit out his tea, stunned by Zhang Zizai's outrageous actions. This guy truly lived up to his reputation as a dangerous talent; he was practically a con artist.
The poor pirate captain probably doesn't even know he's been tricked into becoming Zhang Zizai's stepping stone to advancement.
He said somewhat absurdly, "There are all sorts of birds in a big forest. It's one thing for someone to dare to lie, but to actually believe it? That's quite a character."
"Your Majesty, Zhang Zizai has impersonated an envoy of Great Liang. Should we punish Zhang Zizai?" Wang Yue asked solemnly.
Forehead!
Lin Yi shook his head and said in a deep voice, "It's not necessary to punish him. At least this guy has submitted to Great Liang. Although it seems a bit opportunistic, it's harmless. A warning will suffice."
Without a doubt, Zhang Zizai is a talented individual; in a chaotic era, he might even have become a powerful warlord.
His many talents were all suited for rebellion, making him a figure feared by rulers throughout history. However, for the Great Liang, he was somewhat insignificant.
Rather than breaking it, we should make use of its power.
Such people are the kind of people you can absolutely trust to get things done. As long as you are strong enough, you don't have to worry about them causing any trouble. On the contrary, they can make the Great Liang even stronger.
However, it's still necessary to warn him, otherwise he'll think he's arrogant and lose the necessary fear, which wouldn't be a good thing.
Geniuses are often extreme, so to avoid him becoming a future death row inmate, it's better to put pressure on him early on.
"Understood!"
Wang Yue understood immediately. The Emperor had taken a liking to this talent, and this kid was probably about to soar to great heights.
Lin Yi glanced at the rest of the article and, after randomly checking a few answers, found that the ranking was generally reasonable.
He circled only a few exceptional individuals with his pen.
He handed it to Zhao Gao and said in a deep voice, "This list is not a big problem. Give the special talents I circled to the Ministry of Personnel and send the list out directly."
Exceptional talents naturally require exceptional methods of utilization; they shouldn't be confined by their performance in the Imperial Examination.
If a few exceptional talents don't meet the required standards, they can only be promoted outside of the Imperial Examination. However, to ensure fairness, they still need further refinement.