Simulates history, but Chongzhen is the Divine Emperor at the beginning

Chapter 213: Eighteen Years of Military Expedition

Why do people need to study?

Everyone in the future will have their own answer to this question. Some will answer, "To make more money!", others will answer, "To stand out!", and still others will answer, "To fulfill my parents' expectations!"...

[But in feudal society, the answer to this question has always been two very clear words: the imperial examination!]

"Books contain golden houses, books contain beautiful women!" This is a famous saying left by Emperor Zhenzong. Therefore, in the Song Dynasty, which valued civil service over military service, the imperial examination was the embodiment of all people's pursuits and dreams.

As long as one does well in the imperial examination, everyone's dreams can come true. Successful candidates can become officials, earn money, become famous, and even have beautiful wives and concubines...

[This isn't an exam, this is Dragon Ball! This is Aladdin's lamp!]

Therefore, the entire Song Dynasty was shrouded in a strong atmosphere of pursuing the imperial examination. Everyone wanted to realize their own and their family's dreams through this "Avenue of Stars"...

Therefore, as the imperial examination drew closer, other students could not help but work overtime to fill in the gaps, fearing that they would fail due to a moment of slacking off!

[Only you, you continue to wield your spear and staff calmly as usual, training your body and martial arts according to the professional methods taught by your father...]

After years of practice, even though you've only just turned eighteen, you've developed a sturdy figure, strong muscles, and a height of over eight feet. Anyone who sees you will exclaim, "What a man!"

[It's no exaggeration to say that you could easily knock down a dozen untrained ordinary people with your bare hands.]

If you wield a sword and spear, and don armor, you'll be a deadly reaper on the battlefield. I wouldn't dare claim to be capable of "taking a general's head amidst a vast army," but at least you'll be a vanguard capable of charging into battle. As long as you survive a few more rounds on the battlefield, you'll undoubtedly be a super soldier!

[The only flaw is your appearance... It's not that you're ugly, quite the opposite. You have thick eyebrows and big eyes, a typical knight-errant look.]

[The only problem is that your face seems a bit too simple and honest, coupled with your naturally slow reaction time and your "innocent" gaze... well, I can only say that you "have a kind of wild beauty"...]

[Of course, unlike a certain illiterate person, you also have a kind of wild beauty, but your level of knowledge is not behind others at all! ]

[Besides the fact that you're truly diligent in your studies, the biggest reason is your father's excellent teaching. Under his meticulous care and guidance, your body and mind have been fully developed, making you a truly talented and skilled player!]

[However, compared to your exceptional martial arts, while your cultural skills are certainly not weak, they are definitely not very strong either. At least, you have little confidence in the imperial examinations.]

[In fact, the Prime Minister had also proactively mentioned this: Although taking the exam for someone else isn't a good idea, this is, after all, an imperial examination that determines your future... So if necessary, the Prime Minister wouldn't be incapable of using his invisible hand to help you take the exam...]

If it were someone else, they would have probably taken this tempting offer, since there's no risk at all, so why not?

[Yet you rejected it without hesitation: Life and death are determined by fate, wealth and honor are determined by heaven, if you can do it, it's done, if you can't do it, it's not done...If a person is always sneaky and deceitful, then even if he can hide his tracks forever, his mind will still be flawed and he will never be perfect.]

As an upright and honest person, you really don't want to go against your own conscience. Besides, there are many other paths to success in the world, and that's not the only path to success. Why would you want to leave a flaw in your heart for this?

【Furthermore, no matter what the result of the exam is, you are willing to accept it and never regret it! 】

[So, under your father's gratified gaze, you continued your unwavering pursuit of both civil and martial arts...]

【…】

[So, time quickly arrived at the day of the imperial examination...]

The Song Dynasty's imperial examination system was different from that of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It lacked systematic preliminary examinations such as the "County Examination" and "Prefectural Examination," nor did it have preliminary titles such as "Tongsheng" and "Xiucai." Instead, students could directly take the "State Examination" to obtain the title of "Juren."

[Of course, although it was a direct examination for the title of Juren, not everyone could take it. Candidates had to pass the selective examinations sponsored by the county and prefecture before they could qualify to take the imperial examination.]

[So you and your classmates took the selection exam in nearby Xiangyang...]

[As a result, you naturally passed these rounds of selective examinations, which finally put your parents' hearts at ease. They said with relief: "It seems that Red Boy really didn't neglect his studies!"]

[It seems that passing the imperial examination is not impossible...]

[But unlike your parents' optimism, as someone who has personally experienced the exam, you can clearly feel the difficulty, so you are mentally prepared for your own test results...] [Sure enough!]

[After you took the state exam carrying your parents' hopes, your family's hopes were shattered...]

[On the day the results were announced, your parents looked everywhere but couldn't find your name on the list. They were completely devastated!]

[You, failed the exam...]

[However, unlike your parents' disappointment, you had anticipated your failure, so it didn't cause much of a psychological shock.]

[Plus, you didn't consider the imperial examination your only hope, so you weren't affected at all by your failure. Despite the slight disappointment, you continued to practice swordplay...]

[When you return home, your distraught parents see you still practicing martial arts. They are furious. Your father immediately scolds you, "Practice, practice, practice! Still practicing! You've been delayed by this practice, and that's why you failed the exam!"]

"What's the point of practicing these things?! From today on, you don't need to practice anymore! Just keep studying..."

Seeing this, the mother beside him was also disappointed, but she still cared about him, so she reluctantly comforted her husband, "Dad, don't worry... Red Boy is only eighteen, and this is his first time taking the imperial examination. It's normal for him to fail!"

"I think Red Boy has some literary talent. Those kids from other families are always talking about being literary, but in the end they didn't even qualify for the state exam. At least our Red Boy took the state exam!"

She encouraged him, "Red Boy is still young. Wait a few years and take the exam again. He will definitely pass!"

[Under his mother's persuasive words and emotional appeal, his shattered father finally calmed down... Come to think of it, apart from those geniuses who are like Wenquxing incarnate, who else can pass the imperial examination right away? Red Boy may not be as good as Wenquxing, but he is much better than others!]

[As long as I resume my studies for one more year, I will definitely be able to…]

"Dad, Mom!"

[Just when the two of them had gradually calmed down, you suddenly spoke.]

“I don’t want to take the test anymore!”

[The parents were immediately stunned: "You're not taking the exam anymore? Then what are you going to do?"]

"I'm going to join the army! I'm going to join the army!"

Under the astonished gaze of your parents, you, now taller than them, raised your head, leaning on the spear you had just finished dancing with, taking a deep breath, and then looking at them with determined eyes!

[It was only then that they realized that you had already grown up...]

[At eighteen years old, you are a promising young man. You are already qualified to control your own future! ]

【…】

[Ultimately, your parents couldn't persuade you. After several attempts to persuade you to no avail, they had no choice but to agree to your request to join the army, even though they were extremely reluctant...]

[So, in the 203rd year of Shaoxing, you, filled with great ambition, signed up for the Xiangyang garrison nearby. After passing a series of assessments, you successfully joined the Xiangyang garrison, becoming an ordinary member of the hundreds of thousands of river defense troops!]

【This is a small step for you, but a big step in your life experience! 】

You believe that you can still make a career even without the imperial examination. This is the ambition of young people!

[What further strengthens your belief is that the commander of the Xiangyang army is trustworthy enough!]

[Because his surname is Yue, his given name is Fei, and his courtesy name is Pengju!]

……

(End of this chapter)