The examinations for appointment as officials were attended by a much larger number of participants than originally planned.
Scholars are deployed as examiners at the venue. There is no guarantee that there will be no cheaters.
The format of the examination itself is similar to the one that has already been held in King''s Landing. The number of participants was literally an order of magnitude larger than before, so the number of venues had to be increased.
On the day of the exam, I was with Kerala and Raviara inspecting the exam sites.
There was a young man with a pen on his nose in distress.
"You are all struggling, aren''t you?
Raviara said, as if he were talking to someone else.
"By the way, here''s the problem. Can you solve it, Raviara?"
Laviala''s face immediately turned grim.
"Not at all, I don''t know. ......"
"You''re lucky you''re my oldest vassal. It would have been very difficult for you to serve me now."
Even so, Raviara would have shown off her archery skills and tried to serve there.
"Who understands this kind of thing, Kerala?"
Raviara asked with a sigh. Kerala looked indifferent and accepted the question paper from Raviara.
"I think I can answer about 70% of the questions, although some of them are a little hazy.
Seventy percent is probably an honest estimate, since Kerala is not trying to make herself look big.
"This is 70% ....... After all, you have a different head ......"
Laviala was crestfallen.
"This would make Mr. Arsrod gasp at me. ......"
"Don''t worry, I''m not giving up on you. Some of the SS guys can''t even spell. The right man for the job."
"That''s right. And you''re a smart girl, Raviara. I''m just good at it because I''ve had this kind of education for a long time.
For a vassal in a position so close to the royal family, culture is a must. If a man who is too crude serves beside the king, the king''s dignity itself will be questioned.
"I am somewhat comforted. But how many people can solve such a difficult problem? I don''t think a thousand or two thousand people can do this."
"We don''t need 2,000 new officials, so it''s okay. If we can select fifty people, that''s good for the first round.
When a government official is completely uneducated, it often causes conflicts with those who are ruled. In the first place, it is easier to manage the business if one has basic knowledge.
That''s right. Besides, the merchant class is getting wealthier these days, and more and more of them study not only economics but also the classics. Many of them send their children to college.
"Talking to Kerala, she is very quick and helpful."
That''s right. I will pick out those who are capable from among those who have been distant from the officials and place them under my command. Technically, they are under the king.
"It takes more than just warriors to run a country. There must be a bureaucratic class. The first step is to create that bureaucratic layer. Otherwise, we will be in trouble when it comes time to build the country.
Only at the word "nation-building" did he raise his voice slightly.
One day I will build a country led by me.
In fact, I have no future but to go that far. At least, there is no future for House Nayvle.
In the past, those who have gained hegemony halfway have been assassinated or defeated by rebels and fallen. This is because they became too powerful and were therefore seen as enemies.
On the other hand, the current dynasties have lasted for a long time even though they have to rely on the power of warlords and feudal lords. This is because their first kings worked tirelessly until they had clearly established their kingdoms.
If I stay as regent, I will be defeated one day by someone who tries to overthrow me. I''ll be fine in my blindness, but I don''t know if I''ll be able to hold on in the second generation.
--That''s the right decision. Even in the world where there was a High King, there was a rebellion in the next generation. The change of a king creates a gap. When Qin Shi Huangdi died, the country could no longer function. The Heike might have been able to fight a little more if Kiyomori had lived another ten years.
As usual, I don''t understand a word you say, but I understand what you mean.
My children are still young, but I want them to follow in my footsteps.
"Mr. Arsrod, you are looking particularly distant today.
Raviara pointed this out to me.
"It''s as if you are thinking about the future decades in advance.
"That''s exactly the kind of future I was thinking about."
Laviala said, "Wow. ......" and then said, "It''s hard to be a regent, isn''t it?
Even if I wasn''t a regent, I would have thought about it.
Real or imaginary, every lord thinks about it at least once.
He wants to create his own state.
Now that I have this chance, I will make the most of it.
I will make the most of it.
The test results came out in about two days.
The number of those who got 70% correct was thirty-eight out of about eight hundred and fifty.
This is about the right number. From there, the second test was an interview.
I, the regent, saw all of them. I also called in Kerala and the finance bureaucrat Fanelia, among others. I asked them to cover things I didn''t know.
"What do you think should be done to make the country wealthy? I won''t punish you for what you say, so answer me however you like."
I deliberately asked abstract questions.
The economy should be enlarged.
We should develop the land and increase farmland.
We should end the war as soon as possible and reduce the cost of war.
The opinions were quite varied. Apart from the validity, I decided to let through those who could clearly express their opinions.
One of them expressed the following opinion.
"If you use the weapons I have made, you will win the war. Hunting will be more convenient."
He was a middle-aged man with a beard and big eyes.