I traveled back to the Qin Dynasty, and the First Emperor begged me to become his empress.

Chapter 436 Entrance Examination Questions

In the Princess's Residence in Xianyang City, Ying Wuyou, dressed in a light blue dress, sat quietly in her study, contemplating the most pressing matter at hand—the entrance examinations for the three academies: Daqin Academy, Daqin Women's Academy, and Daqin Medical College.

Ying Wuyou knew that the establishment of these three academies was crucial to the future of the Qin Dynasty. They would become cradles for cultivating talent and would determine the rise and fall of the Qin. The entrance examination was the first hurdle in selecting talent, and its importance was self-evident.

However, a thorny problem now confronted Ying Wuyou—she and Lü Zhi had disagreed on their ideas regarding the entrance examination. This gave Ying Wuyou a headache, because she knew that resolving this issue was crucial for the academy's smooth development.

Just as Ying Wuyou was deep in thought, a soft knock came from outside the door. "Miss, Cui'er requests an audience." It was the voice of the maid Cui'er.

Ying Wuyou snapped out of her daze and replied, "Come in."

Cui'er pushed open the door and entered, quickly walking up to Ying Wuyou and bowing, saying, "Miss, Zhang Wu requests an audience."

Upon hearing this, Ying Wuyou's heart stirred. Zhang Wu was the person she had previously sent to investigate Wang Jue, and now that he had come to see her, it must be because he had obtained the results of his investigation into Wang Jue.

Ying Wuyou smiled and said softly, "Let Zhang Wu in." Upon hearing this, Zhang Wu carefully pushed open the study door and slowly walked into the room.

Cui'er quickly left Ying Wuyou's study, closing the door behind her. Zhang Wu walked up to Ying Wuyou, bowed respectfully, straightened up, and said, "Princess, after some in-depth investigation, I have finally gained a more comprehensive understanding of Wang Jue."

Ying Wuyou nodded slightly, signaling Zhang Wu to continue. Zhang Wu cleared his throat and continued, "Although Wang Jue is Wang Wan's son, his personality is completely different from his father's. Wang Jue is gentle, friendly, and quite open-minded. According to my investigation, Wang Jue is very supportive of the new policies implemented by Your Highness, and has even praised them highly in private conversations with friends, believing that they have brought a force for reform to the Qin Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise and joy flashed in Ying Wuyou's eyes. She didn't know much about Wang Jue before, only that he was Wang Wan's son. Now, after hearing Zhang Wu's report, her impression of Wang Jue changed significantly.

"Hmm, I didn't expect Wang Jue to be such a person," Ying Wuyou said thoughtfully. "It seems that Father's way of employing people is indeed remarkable."

She couldn't help but think of another person—Li You. Li You was the son of Li Si. He was well-versed in law and was renowned for his fairness and impartiality during his time serving in local government.

Ying Wuyou inwardly sighed. The King of Qin had placed Wang Wan and Li Si, two veteran officials, in leisurely positions, while boldly appointing Wang Jue and Li You to important posts. Initially, Ying Wuyou had some doubts about this move, but now it seemed that the King of Qin was using a gentle and subtle method to allow the veteran officials to retire naturally, while simultaneously injecting fresh blood into the Qin court. This wisdom in personnel management was far beyond that of ordinary monarchs, and Ying Wuyou was deeply impressed by the King of Qin's strategy.

After seeing Zhang Wu off, Ying Wuyou began to recall the details of the academy's entrance exam. Just as she was deep in thought, a soft knock on the door interrupted her reverie. Ying Wuyou snapped out of her thoughts and said softly, "Come in."

The door opened, and Cui'er walked in, reporting to Ying Wuyou that Lü Zhi had come to see him. Ying Wuyou thought for a moment, then nodded and agreed, "Please let her in."

A moment later, Lü Zhi entered gracefully. She wore a light green dress, her figure was elegant, and her face was beautiful, giving her a fresh and refined air. When Ying Wuyou saw Lü Zhi, he smiled slightly and gestured for her to sit down on a chair nearby.

After Lü Zhi was seated, Ying Wuyou said, "The entrance exams for these three academies naturally require literacy as a basic requirement, but in addition, the examination of character is absolutely essential. After all, if the selected students are of bad character, they may bring unpredictable disasters when they enter the Qin court and wield power in the future."

After hearing this, Lü Zhi nodded slightly, indicating her agreement with Ying Wuyou's point of view. However, a hint of difficulty appeared on her face, and she said softly, "What the princess says is very true, but how can we test a person's character? The human heart is unpredictable, and it is probably difficult to see through a person's true nature with just a few tests."

Ying Wuyou pondered for a moment and said, "We can set up some scenario-based questions and answers in the exam, giving hypothetical scenarios such as court disputes and people's livelihood difficulties, and see how the candidates respond. We may be able to glean some insights from their answers."

Then, Ying Wuyou added, "Intelligence tests are also crucial. Some people may be literate, but their comprehension is poor, and they may have difficulty keeping up with the college's teaching pace after enrollment. We can set some logical reasoning and historical analysis questions to screen out truly intelligent and malleable talents."

Empress Lü Zhi seemed to be deep in thought, and then said, "Your Highness has considered everything carefully. However, this will likely greatly increase the difficulty of the exam, which might deter many people from participating."

Ying Wuyou's gaze was firm: "What the Great Qin needs are elites, pillars of the nation who can truly serve the country. Those who back down because of difficulties are not the kind of people we need."

The two engaged in an in-depth discussion, covering everything from the types of exam questions and the arrangements for invigilation to the admission criteria. Ying Wuyou knew that the first batch of students from these three academies would be the spark of hope for the future reform of the Great Qin Dynasty, and she had to be extremely cautious.

Time flies, and several days passed in the blink of an eye. During these days, Lü Zhi was busy setting questions. Finally, she finished setting all the questions and, with a little trepidation, embarked on her journey to the princess's residence, carrying the questions she had pondered for many days.

Upon entering the room, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, Lü Zhi eagerly took out several sheets of paper from her bosom and handed them to Ying Wuyou, saying, "These are the questions I have prepared; please take a look, Your Highness." Ying Wuyou smiled as he accepted the papers, unfolded them, and began to read them carefully.

The room was quiet, save for the sound of Ying Wuyou turning the pages. Lü Zhi stood to the side, quietly observing Ying Wuyou's expression, secretly speculating about his views on the questions.

Ying Wuyou's gaze slowly moved, and suddenly, her finger pointed to a question. "This 'Old Man Stealing Millet' scenario question," she read softly, as if pondering its deeper meaning, "if the examinee answers that they are imitating Shang Yang's 'those who do not report treachery will be executed by waist-cutting,' how do you think the judgment should be made?"

After a moment's thought, Lü Zhi replied, "According to the law, there is nothing wrong with this answer. After all, the laws of Shang Yang are the foundation of the Qin state, and have endured for generations."