Three Kingdoms: Prince of the Great Wei, Prime Minister Cao

Chapter 19: Presenting the Imperial Examination System Again – The Man Behind Wei Wu Gets Bewildered!

Cao Cao gazed at the “Mengde’s New Book” displayed on the long case, then looked at his son Cao Ju standing below…

With a more mellowed mindset, he suddenly felt. His son in front of him wasn’t as rascally and rebellious as he thought!

He was rather fair and refined in appearance. However, Cao Cao didn’t show this directly, nor did he directly praise Cao Ju. If he did that, what face would he have after calling Cao Ju a “rebellious child” and “rascal” moments ago?

How could Cao Cao hold his head up in front of his sons in the future?

Where would his authority as a father be?

Hence, Cao Cao, who had realized the significance of what Cao Ju had presented, hadn’t spoken yet because he was contemplating how to gracefully step down from his previous stance.

In the room, seeing that Cao Cao remained silent, Cao Ju interpreted it as his father not yet grasping the crucial point of “Mengde’s New Book.”

He stepped forward and further explained, “Reporting to Father!”

“The ‘Mengde’s New Book’ before you is just a cover. The weapon to solve the problem of aristocratic families lies within the book.”

“It’s not the content of the book.”

“Rather, it’s the craftsmanship used to create this book.”

“There are two aspects to this craftsmanship…”

“First, the paper used for this book, which I have carefully improved.”

“The production cost is lower than the current Cai Hou paper and Zuo Bo paper, yet the quality surpasses them.”

“Secondly, it’s the typography you see in the book.”

“Different font sizes are uniform and orderly, with the same strokes and bends appearing as if copied.”

“All of this relies on the technique of movable-type printing.”

“With this technique in hand…Assuming an adequate supply of paper, if you were to command the construction of a sufficiently large printing workshop, it wouldn’t be impossible to print thousands of copies within a single day.”

After outlining a bright future for both major techniques, Cao Ju suddenly bowed slightly to Cao Cao.

“So that Father knows.”

“The workshop I’ve built in private, which encompasses these two techniques, is located in a valley named Taogu to the east of Ye City.”

“You can send someone to collect the craftsmen from the workshop and receive the techniques whenever you wish.”

Cao Ju never considered keeping the improved papermaking technique and movable-type printing for himself. Certainly, utilizing these two advancements could bring him substantial wealth. However, no amount of wealth could compare to presenting these advancements to Cao Cao to gain a place in his emperor’s… er, his father’s heart!

At the head of the room,

Cao Cao looked at his son Cao Ju with great satisfaction. He was truly considerate. Before he could say anything, Cao Ju had proactively offered the control of the workshops he had established. This made Cao Cao contemplate.

Was his voice a bit too loud when he was talking to Cao Ju earlier? Should he compensate this “thoughtful” eighth son of his a bit more in other aspects in the future?

Just as a sense of guilt towards Cao Ju was brewing in Cao Cao’s heart, Cao Ju spoke up again.

“Father, these two techniques might weaken the power of the aristocratic families.”

“However, they only address the symptoms, not the root cause!”

“If we truly want to uproot the foundations of these aristocratic families…”

Cao Ju’s eyes gleamed, radiating determination.

“Then our efforts are not yet sufficient.”

“I have another ‘measure’ that can completely bury the aristocratic families.”

As he spoke, what Cao Ju was about to suggest next was clear.

The Imperial Examination System.

As a time traveler, how could Cao Ju overlook the Imperial Examination System, this powerful tool for dealing with aristocratic families?

To put it bluntly, Chen Qun’s introduction of the Nine-Rank System to Cao Pi led to the imperial court releasing the tiger of the aristocratic families. The examination system, born in the Sui and Tang dynasties, persisted until 1907, completely eradicating aristocratic family influence and was like a massive broom that swept away the tiger after the Sui and Tang.

Not only did it sweep away the influence, it even skinned the tiger, soaked the skin in medicinal wine, and used it to invigorate the imperial court’s vitality.

Under the framework of the examination system, talents emerged in abundance, surpassing the “local recommendations” of the Zhou period, the “selection by observation” and “appointment and selection” of the Han period, the “Nine-Rank System” of Cao Wei, Jin, Northern Dynasties, and the “Nine-Rank System” of Northern Qi.

It can be said that there were many more talents brought forth. Even in the future, during the Flower Plucking Era after the abolition of the examination system,

As a variant of the imperial examination system that continued in the form of the “gaokao” (national college entrance examination) in later times, it still played an indispensable and irreplaceable role.

If not for the foresight of the succeeding ruler after the founding emperor, Emperor Taizong, who ordered the revival of the gaokao, countless students graduating from schools would not have joined the tide of reforms and openness.

Perhaps the great revival of the Flowering Nation still had a long way to go. At the head of the room, Cao Cao, who hadn’t yet recovered from the joy of hearing about movable-type printing and the improved papermaking technique from Cao Ju, was taken by surprise when he heard that Cao Ju had more means to deal with the aristocratic families.

“What?”

“My son, you have more means to deal with the aristocratic families?”

Cao Cao was utterly dumbfounded!