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They all understood. The sheer audacity and scale of these reforms bore the unmistakable imprint of Lie Fan. The fact that he was allowing a theatrical debate to play out in court, rather than simply issuing an edict, was a masterstroke of political theater. He was not being a tyrant, he was being a strategist, allowing his opponents to reveal themselves before the net was closed.
After the ministers finished, a long silence filled the hall, broken only by the distant sound of a student reciting a text. The six elders looked at one another, a silent conversation passing between them through slight nods and knowing looks.
Lu Zhi spoke first, his voice solemn. "Then it is as we thought. This bears the Emperor's mark. He has chosen not to impose by decree, but to let the tide shift naturally, to let the weeds reveal themselves before the harvest. It is a masterful hand indeed."
Sima Hui meanwhile let out a serne smile. "A system that rewards the worthy, rather than the well born… it is the dream of every true teacher. To see a student flourish based on their own merit is our greatest reward. This examination… it institutionalizes that dream."
Pang Degong, the recluse, added in his gravelly voice, "The old way is rotten. It rewards flattery and connections over virtue and ability. It stifles true talent. What you describe, while not without its risks, is a purer path."
Huang Chengyan, the astrologer, smiled faintly. "The stars have long hinted at a great shift in the order of things. This… this feels like the beginning of that shift. An empire built on intellect rather than bloodline."
Zhuge Xuan and Cai Yong both voiced their agreement, one with sharp conviction, the other with calm assurance.
One by one, they gave their assent. They agreed to publicly support the reforms. Their endorsement would send a shockwave through the scholarly community.
Any educated man who continued to oppose the changes would now be doing so not just against the court, but against the very pillars of knowledge and virtue they claimed to revere. It would be intellectual suicide.
Jia Xu allowed himself a rare, satisfied smile. "Then the education circle stands with us. Those who oppose will find themselves isolated. Without the blessing of the Six Pillars, their cries lose weight."
Zhuge Liang inclined his head. "His Majesty shall be most pleased when he hears of this."
Chen Qun folded his hands together. "The court may still rage with debate, but now the scholars, the academies, the teachers of the realm, will know where their elders stand. The path is cleared. Reform will not be stopped."
After that the four of them stood up, bowed deeply in thanks, and took their leave, the six elders remained in the hall. The air was thick with the significance of the decision.
Lu Zhi finally let out a long breath. "He plays the game better than any of us ever could," he said, a note of awe in his voice. "He lets his enemies think they are winning, all while securing the support of the only voices that truly matter in the long run."
Cai Yong nodded, a proud, almost paternal smile on his face. "He is not just building an empire. He is building a legacy. And he is ensuring that legacy is managed by the best minds of a generation, not just the best connected."
Back in the Harem Palace, Lie Fan, now pleasantly full of pastries and tea, laughed at a story Diao Chan was telling about a mishap in the kitchens. He was utterly unaware of the precise conversation that had just concluded miles away. But he didn't need to be. He had set the players on the board, understood their natures, and trusted in the inevitable outcome.
The frogs in the pot continued to swim, the water warmed by the fires of well acted debate fanned by Jia Xu and Chen Qun that lead their sides. And now, the six great cypress trees of the academic world had agreed to provide the shade under which a new, meritocratic forest would grow.
The next morning broke with the golden light of dawn washing over Xiapi, illuminating the tiled roofs of temples and the sprawling courtyards of the Imperial Academy. Word began to spread like wildfire before the city had fully awoken, the Six State Teachers had issued a joint proclamation.
Messengers carried the scrolls to the court, to the academies, to the marketplaces where scholars debated over tea. The announcement was formal, concise, but its implications shook the realm: the Six Pillars of Education, the revered Lu Zhi, Cai Yong, Zhuge Xuan, Sima Hui, Pang Degong, and Huang Chengyan, had declared their support for the Nine Rank System and the Imperial Examination.
The news did not arrive on a thunderclap, but rather spread like a change in the air pressure, a subtle but profound alteration that every official and scholar in Xiapi felt in their bones.
It was carried on the hushed, urgent whispers of servants, in the frantic rustling of silk robes as officials hurried to confer, and in the stunned silence that fell over the conservative factions' usual meeting places.
The statement from the Hengyuan Academy was a model of classical erudition and unassailable logic. The Six Pillars declared that, after meticulous review and deep contemplation of the proposed Nine Rank System and Imperial Examination, they had found the reforms to be not only sound but morally imperative. They had weighed the proposals against the core tenets of tradition and Confucian teaching, and found them to be in perfect alignment.
"Is the foundation of our wisdom not to treat others with benevolence and respect?" the statement read. "These reforms are the very embodiment of that principle. They seek to rescue the common people from the suffering inflicted by officials who have twisted their power through corruption and nepotism, acts that are the true betrayal of tradition and Confucian virtue."
The effect on the education circle was seismic. For these venerable masters, who had remained largely above the political fray since receiving their imperial appointments, to speak with such unified, forceful support was unprecedented.
Younger, idealistic teachers and students in academies across the domain felt a surge of vindication. Their quiet hopes for a system based on talent rather than birth were now championed by the most respected voices in the land.
But for the old guard, the aristocrats and entrenched officials who had built their power on networks of patronage, the announcement was a catastrophe. Those who had personally lobbied the Six Pillars felt a particular, bitter sting of betrayal.
They had gone to the Academy with respectful arguments, pleading for caution, for a lengthy review process that would stretch for years, effectively killing the reforms through delay. They had believed their scholarly status and connections would sway the elders.
Now, they saw their efforts had been not just in vain, but perhaps even counterproductive. Some, in their fury, whispered that this was the state teachers' revenge for the old guard's opposition to the earlier education reforms, a final, elegant checkmate in a long simmering intellectual war.
The most bitter among them muttered in private gatherings. "This is punishment. The Six Pillars have long memories. They never forgave us for our opposition before, and now they wield their authority to crush us once and for all."
But such whispers rang hollow in the face of the reality, the elders' reasoning was sound, their words resonant. To oppose them openly now was to appear not just against reform, but against Confucius himself. It was intellectual suicide.
The political theater within the Hall of Heavenly Ministers entered its next, carefully orchestrated act. The following day, as the Deliberation Committee reconvened, the dynamic had visibly changed.
The "acted" opposition, led by Xun You, now began to express agreement with the reformist arguments put forth by Chen Qun and Zhuge Liang. The shift was subtle at first, a nod of agreement here, a concession there, but it grew more pronounced.
Then, in a masterstroke, Mi Zhu and Liu Ye, who had been vocal in their "cautious" stance, publicly announced they had been persuaded. They praised the thoroughness of the proposals and the compelling arguments of their colleagues, declaring their support for the reforms.
To the watching conservative officials, it was as if the ground was crumbling beneath their feet. The division they had relied upon was vanishing before their eyes. The opposition they had counted on to shield them was folding into the reformist camp. Despair began to curdle into panic. The comfortable, warm water in the pot was suddenly feeling dangerously hot.
This panic culminated the next day. As the committee members took their seats, the heavy doors of the hall were thrust open. A group of a dozen or so low and mid ranking officials, their faces flushed with a mixture of fear and defiance, barged into the chamber.
They were men whose influence depended entirely on the old system, men who had placed their cousins and nephews in positions of power, who had accepted "gifts" from hopeful families. Their futures were directly threatened.
The chamber fell silent. All eyes turned to the intruders. It was Pang Tong, the Director of the Censorate, who broke the silence. His role as the arbiter of fairness was perfect for this moment. He did not shout, his voice was laced with a cold, disdainful calm that was far more effective.
"What is the meaning of this interruption?" Pang Tong inquired, his gaze sweeping over the group like a shard of ice. "This is a closed session of the Imperial Deliberation Committee, appointed by His Majesty himself to weigh a matter of grave importance. Do you believe it is appropriate, befitting of your rank as officials of the court, to barge in here like a pack of unruly petitioners? Have you forgotten all decorum?"
The lead official, a man named Minister Deng, paled under the rebuke but stood his ground. He bowed deeply, his hands trembling. "Director Pang Tong, we humbly apologize for this breach of protocol! But we have been left with no choice! We have sought audiences with the Three Excellencies and the Ministers, we have submitted petitions... our voices have been ignored! The future of the dynasty is at stake, and we must be heard!"
This was the moment Jia Xu had been waiting for. He rose slowly, his expression one of mild, almost bored, inquiry. "Ignored, Minister Deng?" Jia Xu's voice was soft, but it carried to every corner of the hall.
"Let us be precise. This committee was appointed by Your Majesty himself to listen to reasoned debate. We have heard many voices. We have heard criticisms designed to obstruct, to delay, to preserve the corrupt status quo. And we have heard criticisms designed to refine, to improve, to strengthen these proposals for the good of the empire."
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Name: Lie Fan
Title: Founding Emperor Of Hengyuan Dynasty
Age: 35 (202 AD)
Level: 16
Next Level: 462,000
Renown: 2325
Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)
SP: 1,121,700
ATTRIBUTE POINTS
STR: 966 (+20)
VIT: 623 (+20)
AGI: 623 (+10)
INT: 667
CHR: 98
WIS: 549
WILL: 432
ATR Points: 0