Zhen family, main hall.

When Zhen Yi came in from outside, Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong had been waiting for a long time.

The two men did not act arrogantly. They stood up and bowed, "Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong greets Master Zhen."

Zhen Yi waved his hand: "You two are distinguished guests, rare guests."

"Since I came to Luoyang, I have heard of your names many times, but it is rare to see you. I wanted to find a time to treat you two to a banquet in the past two days, but I didn't expect you to come to my door."

Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong bowed again: "Master Zhen is too polite."

"You are the lord's elder. Logically, we should have come to visit you a long time ago, but we were afraid of gossip, so we have not come yet. Please forgive us, Master Zhen."

Zhen Yi laughed and said, "Too much gossip? What does that mean? What kind of gossip could there be?"

Pang Tong asked: "How did the Han Empire fall?"

“It was nothing more than three forces fighting for power and eventually falling apart.”

"Relatives, eunuchs, and aristocratic families."

"Among them, the eunuchs mainly rely on the power of the emperor. The master is wise and powerful, and does not need these people to act as sharp blades in his hands. Therefore, this force will never make any waves in the master's reign."

"The lord is now also rectifying the aristocratic families. The implementation of the imperial examination system can completely solve this problem."

"The only ones who can pose a threat are my relatives by marriage."

"Among the relatives by marriage, the only one with the most influence is the Zhen family."

"Plus, the Zhen family is already related to the Lord, which further strengthens the Zhen family's prestige."

"If we take the initiative to come to the door and let the head of the Zhen family become more prominent, it will not be good for the Zhen family at all, but only bad."

"After much thought, we decided not to come and visit."

These words were both an explanation and an analysis. Zhen Yi, who had been trying to make things difficult, now had a thoughtful look in his eyes, as if he was considering Pang Tong's words.

After a long while, Zhen Yi stared at Pang Tong: "You mean I should thank you?"

"Thank you for not coming?"

Pang Tong shook his head: "This is not necessary, it's just a reminder that sometimes the people who lift up the Zhen family are the ones who should be paid the most attention."

"Master Zhen is a smart man. He should be able to figure out the key."

Zhen Yi frowned and said coldly: "You said that the imperial examination system is aimed at the aristocratic families."

"My Zhen family is the leader of the aristocratic families. You mean to target my Zhen family."

"The chaos caused by the relatives of the emperor also refers to my Zhen family. Do you think my Zhen family deserves to perish?"

Pang Tong was stunned. He obviously didn't expect that Zhen Yi still didn't listen to him even though he said it so clearly. Is power so tempting? Can it make people fearless and not afraid of death?
Zhuge Liang patted Pang Tong on the shoulder and said seriously, "You'll have to ask Master Zhen."

Zhen Yi looked at Zhuge Liang: "What do you mean?"

Zhuge Liang said: "Anyone who threatens the imperial power will sooner or later bring about his own destruction."

"No matter if you are the leader of an aristocratic family or a relative of the emperor, as long as you cross the red line drawn by the lord, you will be annihilated."

"Since ancient times, many people have been exterminated because of this."

"Whether it is glory or the coming of death, everything is in the hands of the owner of the house."

"We came here today because we know that Master Zhen has been deceived and cannot see the road ahead clearly, so we specifically reminded him."

Zhen Yi looked at Zhuge Liang coldly: "The imperial examination system was invented by you, and you want to exterminate the aristocratic families."

"But let me ask you a question. Most of those poor children can't even read. Most of them are greedy and lustful. Can they shoulder the heavy responsibility of the empire?"

"Is it right for you to bet the future of the empire on these poor children?"

Zhuge Liang shook his head: "Master Zhen's understanding of this is somewhat biased."

"The chances for children from poor families are still less than those of us from wealthy families."

"We have had famous teachers to guide us since we were young, and we have had plenty of time to study, but most of the children from poor families need to devote most of their energy just to have a bite to eat."

"If, despite having all the advantages, the children of noble families and officials are still no match for these children from humble backgrounds, then it proves that either the children from noble families are too useless, or there is an extraordinary genius among the children from humble backgrounds."

"No matter which possibility it is, these talents are of great use to the empire and the entire nation. There were many such people buried among the people before, but with the imperial examination system, although we cannot select them one by one, at least we can reduce the loss of these talents."

"As long as there is fresh blood in the court, there will be no Yuan family with 'three dukes in four generations', and there will be no ministers who oppress their masters."

Zhen Yi stared at Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong with sharp eyes: "If you follow your ideas, your sons and grandsons will be civilians or officials in the future. Everything is uncertain."

"Do you feel willing?"

"You are still young, and the lord has such confidence in you. Your future prospects are limitless."

"You hold high positions, but you cannot guarantee the safety of your own sons, right?"

Although this question was asked to Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong, wasn't it also asked for the Zhen family? For those generals and officials?

If even the next generation could not be guaranteed, Zhen Yi could imagine how many people would oppose the imperial examination system in secret, after all, it involved their own rights and interests.

Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong looked at each other, knowing that Zhen Yi was beginning to consider their words, and a hint of determination flashed in their eyes: "Master Zhen, I have a question for you."

"How long do you think the Lord can rule?"

(End of this chapter)