The next morning, as Deng Dengjie returned to the Duke's mansion refreshed, Fang Er and a group of young masters were already waiting.
As soon as Deng Dengjie saw Fang Er, he immediately performed a deep bow.
"Thank you, Your Grace, for fulfilling my wish. My life is complete."
Fang Er chuckled and helped him up. "No need for such formalities. It's just a small gift, not worth mentioning."
Deng Dengjie's eyes were filled with gratitude as he looked at Fang Er.
After last night, he had only one thought in his heart.
"With a charged toy at my waist, girls will fear me wherever I go!"
The helicopter was ready. After everyone boarded, it started up and headed towards Chang'an.
Fang Er also boarded the helicopter. He needed to go to Chang'an to thank the Emperor on behalf of Fang Xin.
Originally, this matter should have been handled by the whole family. However, Chai Yue was still in confinement. According to custom, a woman in confinement could not visit others.
Therefore, he had to represent the entire family himself.
There was only one helicopter, with limited seating capacity, so Old Ma Tou and the others were arranged to travel with the transport convoy.
By the time they returned to Fang Family Village, the sky was already growing dark.
Deng Dengjie and Changsun Chong returned to Chang'an together, while Fang Er stayed at the village for another night.
The next morning, he had Qi Sui bring a detachment of soldiers.
He took out some food and wine from his spatial storage as gifts of gratitude.
While these weren't strictly necessary, Fang Er wasn't going to see the Emperor with the mindset of a subject. He was visiting relatives.
After the imperial guards at Chengtian Gate announced his arrival, the trucks carrying the goods stopped outside the palace, and Fang Er entered the imperial palace alone.
It was currently the morning court, and all six ministers were present in the Liangji Hall, discussing state affairs with the Emperor.
When Eunuch Deng on the imperial steps saw Fang Er's figure, he quickly whispered to Li Shimin. After receiving permission, he loudly announced:
"Announce, Duke of Shenyang, Fang Anzhi, enter the hall!"
He strode into the hall and, upon reaching the imperial desk, cupped his hands in a bow to Li Shimin.
"Your subject, Fang Anzhi, pays his respects to Your Majesty."
"Your subject, on behalf of my wife and son, thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness."
"Rise." Li Shimin, seated behind the imperial desk, made a gesture of support with his hand.
After Fang Er found a place to stand, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Li Jing, and others came to congratulate him.
"Congratulations, Duke Fang, on the birth of your son."
Fang Er could only smile and thank them one by one.
This was a routine morning court, much like a class meeting or a morning briefing, not overly solemn.
"Kid, did you come back empty-handed?" Li Shimin's tone was laced with teasing.
Fang Er quickly replied with a chuckle, "How could that be? Am I that kind of person?"
"Although you are the Emperor, you are also Xin'er's great-uncle, so you should have a toast of congratulatory wine. Therefore, your subject has brought some fine wine that you haven't tasted before, and it's waiting outside the palace."
"Oh? Quickly bring it in!" Li Shimin's interest was piqued.
He had drunk plenty of Erguotou, Mendunlu, Taizi, and Dukang. Now that there was new, untasted wine, he couldn't help but anticipate it.
Eunuch Deng quickly instructed the palace attendants to retrieve Fang Er's gifts from outside the palace.
Little Bird Vodka, caviar, bread, chocolate, large hams, etc., all Russian specialties previously exchanged from the system.
These items were packed in wooden crates and carried into Liangji Hall by the palace attendants.
As the crates were opened, Li Shimin curiously walked out from behind the imperial desk and examined the contents.
The only items that could be called wine were the transparent glass bottles.
He casually picked up a bottle and asked Fang Er, "Is this it?"
Fang Er nodded. "Reporting to Your Majesty, it is. This wine is called Little Bird Vodka, a product from the Far West."
Upon hearing it was from the Far West, Li Shimin's interest grew even stronger. He skillfully unscrewed the cap, brought it to his nose, and immediately, a more intense alcoholic aroma, stronger than Mendunlu, wafted towards him, making him exclaim, "What a potent liquor!"
With that, he asked a eunuch to bring wine cups and offered them to Fang Xuanling and the others to taste.
The morning court had been in session for half an hour, and everyone was starting to feel hungry. So, Fang Er took out a few food items from the crates.
He closed one crate and placed the caviar, Leibao bread, and ham sausage on top.
A serious court discussion transformed into a buffet scene.
The springy roe, the soft bread, and the ham that was pure meat with every bite, all earned high praise from old Fang and the others.
After eating half a box of caviar, Li Shimin finished the Little Bird Vodka in his cup.
After savoring the taste, he smacked his lips and said, "This caviar is good, and the wine is also good. These good things should be tasted by all the people of Great Tang."
"It's just..."
"Your Majesty!" Du Ruhui quickly interrupted Li Shimin's contemplation.
As old comrades, he already knew what Li Shimin was about to say.
"Your Majesty, it cannot be. Even with the current territories, there is a significant shortage of officials. If we were to expand further, I fear that even the old officials would have to become county magistrates."
"Your Majesty, Duke Du speaks wisely. Not only is the Ministry of Personnel lacking in reserve officials, but the Ministry of Rites is also in the same predicament."
Dai Li, the Minister of Rites, chimed in while gnawing on a ham.
Li Shimin was frustrated. Can't these two let me dream a little? But what they said was also true. Currently, of the entire six ministries, the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites were in the direst straits.
All capable individuals in the Ministry of Personnel had been dispatched as local officials.
Even the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites had been sent to Nanyue to personally oversee the education of the mountain folk.
"It is easier to conquer a country than to defend it." This was the current state of the Great Tang.
"Your Majesty, your subject suggests holding the imperial examinations again," Du Ruhui said with a bow.
The imperial examinations were created by Emperor Yang of Sui to select talented individuals from the common scholars and balance the power of the aristocratic families. However, due to the strength of the aristocratic families, Yang only held four imperial examinations in his fourteen years of reign. In the Tang Dynasty, in the early years of Li Yuan's reign, to quickly recruit talent, they even held imperial examinations once a year. But these were infiltrated by aristocratic families in various ways, with limited success. Now, with the aristocratic families completely eliminated and a massive shortage of officials, it was time to unleash the powerful tool of the imperial examinations.
Li Shimin pondered for a moment and then nodded at Du Ruhui.
"Approved. Given the tight schedule, let's set it for two months from now."
He then turned to Fang Er. "Print my decree below the newspaper and use your transport team to distribute it throughout the realm."
"Furthermore, when scholars from various regions are traveling to the examinations, your transport team should also provide assistance so that they can arrive in the capital early and endure less hardship on the journey."
"Yes, your subject will relay the instructions upon returning." Fang Er readily accepted the task, as transporting a few people on a truck was a simple matter.
"Your Majesty, your subject suggests that the Craftsman Examination and the imperial examinations be held concurrently," added Du Yiyang, the Minister of Works.
The Craftsman Examination was something Li Shimin had established in Shenyang previously, with the aim of selecting skilled craftsmen to serve the country. During the period before and after the Lunar New Year, the Ministry of Works and the newspaper had already disseminated the news throughout the realm. Moreover, artisans had been coming to Chang'an from afar continuously. Similarly, due to the continuous arrival of artisans, one today and two tomorrow, the Ministry of Works had been unable to set a specific time to uniformly assess their skills.
"Approved."