Bi Shi'an looked at Zhang Qixian and said: "Brother Shi Liang, the whole country is celebrating this imperial examination. With your talent and learning, it should not be difficult for you to become a Jinshi. Why don't you participate together?"
The most difficult part of this imperial examination is the first-class, first-class, second-class, third-class, second-class and third-class students, the number of which depends on the actual situation.
Jinshi and Dibi are not only talented and knowledgeable, but also lucky.
But it is indeed not difficult for someone of Zhang Qixian's level to become a Jinshi.
Of course only during this period.
Zhang Qixian smiled and said: "I won't join in the fun anymore. You have to think carefully about the future."
Yang Pudao: "Brother Rensou still doesn't know Shi Liang? He probably still wants to get into military glory!"
Zhang Qixian raised his hands, shook all the fat on his body, and said: "With my body, if I don't fight for a title, I will always feel sorry for myself."
Luo Youdu indeed improved the status of civil servants and gave scholars great respect and welfare.
At the same time, Luo Youdu did not prefer one to the military ministers or warriors.
In order to encourage civil and military enterprising spirit, Luo Youdu promulgated a rule that no one without military merit could be granted a title.
Even if you are the prime minister who is inferior to one person and superior to ten thousand people, you are not allowed to enjoy the title of nobility without military merit.
After all, military generals do suffer a bit compared to civilian officials.
Governing the world and stabilizing the people's livelihood cannot be separated from civil servants for a moment, and military generals will eventually rest. Even if they were as warlike as Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, they would not dare to fight again until the end of the war, despite the legacy of the two generations of sages in Wen and Jing Dynasties.
Not to mention other...
Therefore, the welfare benefits of military generals are slightly better than those of civilian officials.
Of course, if a civil servant has the courage to work on the front line and achieves impressive military exploits, he can also enjoy the treatment of a knighthood.
The civil servants of this era were not overly elevated. They had the experience of being stepped on by military commanders, and they did not try to feel like they were superior to military commanders.
This can restore equal relations, and the civil servants who have endured hardship are already very satisfied.
Scholars like Zhang Qixian who are willing to write and join the army are not prejudiced and despised, but are instead praised.
Bi Shi'an joked: "Why don't Brother Shi Liang take the martial arts exam?"
Zhang Qixian had a grimace on his face. His fat body was so intimidating to Shan Ke. If he went to compete with real warriors, what was the difference between that and asking for a beating?
Bi Shi'an did not try to persuade him, but just said: "In this prosperous age, your Majesty attaches great importance to education. In less than ten years, miraculous results will be achieved. The imperial examination will only become more and more difficult in the future, so you must seize these opportunities."
Zhang Qixian raised his glass in toast and said: "I understand, I will think about it carefully."
While the group was chatting and laughing, they saw an official coming up quickly from downstairs. His eyes swept upstairs and fell on Li Congde and Master Mani. A trace of joy flashed in his eyes, and he strode forward to bow: "Your Highness, Master,
Your Majesty summoned you two in the afternoon, and Xue Shangshu specially asked me to tell you to prepare for the meeting."
Li Congde and Master Mani did not dare to neglect, and left in a hurry with the officials.
As soon as they left, there was a lot of chatter around them, everyone guessing the identities of Li Congde and Master Mani.
Yang Pu said: "Looking at their appearance, with blond hair and blue eyes, they should be Persians."
Zhang Qixian was the most knowledgeable and said: "They come from the west and are also called Your Highness. Because they are the sons of King Li Shengtian of Khotan..."
The West now respects the Central Plains as the main body, but the Xizhou Uighurs and Ganzhou Uighurs canonize Khans, and the Cao family of the rebel army is not eligible to receive royal titles.
The only person who was named king was Li Shengtian, King of Khotan, the hero of the Western Regions.
Zhang Qixian guessed correctly: Li Congde was the son of Li Shengtian and the crown prince of Khotan.
As for the Manichae, Hulasd was one of the Treasure Tree Kings in Manichaeism and had a very high status in Manichaeism.
The two of them were summoned by Luo Youdu and did not dare to neglect. They hurried back to the Sifang Pavilion to bathe and be baptized, put on their formal clothes and wait for the interview.
Li Congde whispered to Hurasd in Tocharian: "In this interview with the Holy Spirit, you must not talk nonsense about Western things. You know how powerful the Central Plains is all the way. Do you really want to let the Central Plains interfere with Western affairs?"
, it’s not good for you or me.”
Hurasd said devoutly: "Your Majesty took us in. We are only here to preach, and we don't dare to have any thoughts."
Li Congde solemnly said: "This is the best." He paused and added, "My father will definitely support your Manichaeism and let the saint return to the Kara Khanate."
Hulasd humbly expressed his understanding to Li Congde.
Under the leadership of officials from the Ministry of Rites, the two people left the Sifang Pavilion and walked all the way to the palace.
Li Congde and Hurasd looked at the common people, scholars, and martial artists coming and going on the street, with indescribable shock in their eyes.
Hurasd couldn't help but said: "There is a saying in the Central Plains that is to sit in a well and look at the sky. Scholars from the food country are like frogs at the bottom of the well."
The prosperity of the Tang Dynasty had a strong collision with Western culture.
Westerners have always known that there is a powerful and mysterious country in the far east.
There was a scholar from the Dashi Kingdom who wanted to visit the mysterious country in the East. He came to the Khotan Kingdom in the Western Regions and sighed with emotion when he looked at the traces left by the Central Plains in the past.
When I came to the ancient city of Shandan built by the Uighurs in Ganzhou, I was astonished. I thought I was in the legendary capital of the East, and I used extremely gorgeous words to praise the magic of the East.
Hurasd likes to read, and happened to have read the books of the great food country scholar.
This time when he came east, he realized that what the scholars of the Great Shi Kingdom wrote was all nonsense, and they worshiped the capital of a small subsidiary country in the Central Plains as Chang'an.
The most ridiculous thing in the world.
Li Congde's eyes were gloomy, and his resentment was mixed with uneasiness.
Khotan has always claimed to be a descendant of the Tang Dynasty. The Central Plains was in chaos and the Western Regions had long been separated from the control of the Central Plains.
Yuchi Poba, the king of Khotan, was well aware of the influence of the Tang Dynasty. He claimed to be a descendant of the Tang Dynasty, and took the Tang Dynasty's surname Li as his surname. He gave himself the name Li Shengtian. In his correspondence, he regarded himself as the emperor of Khotan and Han.
So much so that people in the West who don’t know much about the East regard Khotan as the Tang Dynasty of the past.
Although Li Shengtian was very humble towards the Central Plains and constantly sent envoys to express his congratulations and attachment, his intention was not to give the Central Plains an excuse for the Western Expedition.
After all, the Western Regions have been an integral part of the Central Plains since ancient times.
Li Congde was very dissatisfied with Li Shengtian's humility.
Their national strength is strong, and their territory reaches Congling in the southwest, which is three thousand miles away from the Brahmins. It borders Tubo in the south, and it reaches Shule in the west for more than two thousand miles. Why is it that such a big country in the Western Regions is so humble towards the Central Plains?
Until I visited the Central Plains this time, what I saw along the way was the enthusiasm of warriors to join the army and make contributions; I saw the literati, talking eloquently and commenting on current affairs; I saw the dazzling array of goods on the streets, and the whole rice fields...
The warriors are good at martial arts and brave, the literati are high-spirited, the businessmen are always smiling, and the people live and work in peace and contentment...
How could Khotan be a rival to such a country?
Li Congde felt that he was the Yelang Kingdom in the Central Plains story, full of arrogance.
He did not dare to have any thoughts, all he could think about was humbly kneeling at the feet of Luo Youdu, the emperor of the Central Plains, and convincing him to agree to conquer the Kara Khanate.