"Son, you make a very valid point."
"It’s not wrong to say that," Ye Zi’an sighed, "but unfortunately, a person’s character is not easy to assess."
"But it’s not hard to evaluate either," Lele said. "I once read in the historical records of the Jiang Dynasty that there was an organization dedicated to secretly investigating all the behaviors of officials for the Emperor. It got to the point where if an official said ’the Emperor farted during the morning court’ at ho, the Emperor would hear about it the next day."
"What, are you thinking of suggesting the establishnt of such an organization?"
"Not exactly. I think we can take inspiration from that and form a small team to conduct background checks on everyone who passes the Advanced Scholar exam. To prevent bias in the investigation, we could organize different teams of people to conduct multiple rounds of undercover investigations. Those with good character could be placed in important positions, while those with poor character could be assigned to less important roles. Although it can’t completely eliminate bad officials, at least it can reduce their presence."
Ye Zi’an chuckled at these words.
"You really have a lot of ideas. After coming out for a while, your thinking has expanded even more," Ye Zi’an praised, "If we polish this thod a bit, it might be feasible. Once we’re back in the capital, I’ll discuss it with your uncle."
Yang Chuxia was also very pleased with her son’s abilities, "Son, you’re amazing. I’ll go to the kitchen to make sothing delicious for you as a reward."
Lele, however, looked at her a bit hesitantly, "Mom, although your cooking is excellent, I’d rather eat Dad’s. I heard his crystal dumplings are particularly delicious, but I haven’t had the chance to try them."
Ye Zi’an glanced at him, "Only your mom gets to enjoy my cooking skills."
"Dad, do you have to be so stingy? I’m your son!" Lele protested.
"That’s how it is. Hurry and make your move, stop dawdling."
Yang Chuxia laughed, "Son, it looks like your stomach will just have to endure the disappointnt."
~~~
On the other side, in Qingfeng Pavilion, a few won saw the person they wanted to et and didn’t stay in Liao City much longer. They left Liao City the next day.
Upon reaching Liao City, Madam Song went straight ho.
"Has the Old Master returned?"
"Yes, he’s in the study."
Upon hearing this, Madam Song hurried toward the study, her footsteps swift as the wind, not at all resembling a woman in her forties.
"Knock knock..."
"Co in!" Upon entering, Prefectural Magistrate Song was resting with his eyes closed in a chair.
"Old Master!" A familiar female voice called out, prompting Prefectural Magistrate Song to open his eyes. Seeing it was her, he quickly sat up, "Well, did you find out anything?"
"As expected, Ye Zi’an is not truly here for personal matters," Madam Song said. "His wife asked if anyone knew any secret routes to Great Qi, probably because they suspect sothing about Great Qi’s cavalry attack on Great Zhou last ti."
"Hmph, so what if they suspect? They’ll never find anything," Prefectural Magistrate Song said dismissively.
"Oh, I also heard that Ye Zi’an’s child is currently in Great Qi," Madam Song added. "Should you send a letter over there to check on the child’s whereabouts? If the child is indeed in Great Qi, perhaps we could capture them, and they might be useful in the future."
"Good idea," Prefectural Magistrate Song agreed. "Great Qi and Great Zhou are definitely going to clash again soon. Ye Zi’an and his wife have been searching for their son in Liao City, and if a battle breaks out while they’re here, using that child to open the city gates for us would be ideal."
"Then send the letter quickly," she urged.
The couple continued their conversation, unaware that their entire exchange was overheard by soone in the tree outside the window.
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