Peasant Woman's Decreed Life as a Wife

Chapter 2458: Chapter 2455: Opposition

“When the court releases its documents, you all can buy them to read. The official newspaper will also have some basic content, which means there will be more and more scholars in the future, so you must work even harder.”

Chu Fu and Chu Yunhuai understood the reminder in his words and nodded solemnly, “We understand, Third Uncle.”

“However, there’s no need to be afraid. Everyone has their strengths. Choose what you like, and you won’t feel tired while studying, just like when you study the Four Books and Five Classics. There will always be subjects you are good at and others you aren’t.”

“Don’t be fearful, for being able to learn so much is your good fortune. Although the competition is tougher and the difficulty higher, it also means there are opportunities.”

“Difficulty is not to be feared, as effort can overcome it. But if there are no opportunities, how can aspirations be realized?” Chu Heng spoke slowly, neither fast nor slow, in a gentle voice that captivated even the boys and girls aged eleven or twelve.

“In the past, when we bought books in the bookstore, we not only had to consider the price, but many good books were monopolized by noble families and were not visible, making it difficult for children of non-official families to stand out.”

“Now, with the imperial court’s open attitude, the era of noble families controlling books is over. For you, it means more knowledge to learn and the best time to enrich your own insights.”

Chu Fu and Chu Yunhuai couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement, their eyes brightening.

Although Chu Yunhuai was young, he was mature for his age. At this moment, he could remain calm, and he had a clear goal in mind. He wanted to join the Ministry of Punishment.

“Third Uncle,” Chu Yunhuai looked at Chu Heng and asked, “You are right, I already know what I want to do.”

“I want to join the Ministry of Punishment.” Chu Yunhuai decisively expressed his pursuit, “I wonder, if I pass the imperial examination, will I be able to join the Capital’s Ministry of Justice through an assessment?”

“If you enjoy criminal justice and want to join the Ministry of Punishment, your thinking is correct. However, the exams for the Ministry of Punishment will be more difficult than those for yamen in Prefecture City outside the Capital or County City. But, precisely because of the reforms, your performance records will be clearer. So, as long as you have true ability, even if you can’t get into the Ministry initially and are sent elsewhere, you’ll eventually be able to return. Moreover, officers in the Ministry are assessed every three years. The scores are ranked across all of Great Chu. By then, officers sent elsewhere can be reassigned back if their scores surpass those in the Capital’s Ministry, and those with lower scores will be sent out. It’s all about ability.”

Chu Yunhuai was somewhat pleased but cautiously asked, “Third Uncle, does this mean that transfers of officials will become very frequent in the future? If so, most officials in the court might not be happy, right?”

After all, many officials from noble families are in their current positions not because of merit but because of their status. This can influence things, and they certainly won’t be happy if they are sent out due to lack of ability. They might resort to tricks like altering scores, claiming credits, or buying exam questions.

Chu Heng noticed the insight in his words and was surprised at how mature Chu Yunhuai’s thinking was, not naively believing the current reforms were all positive.

“You’re right, most officials will not be happy, and it’s not just those from noble families.” Chu Heng did not hide these things from them but instead explained the intrigues of the official circles one by one.