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

Chapter 29 I'm awesome! And there are anti-Kong elites!
[No... why did it suddenly jump to the Crazy Channel?! ]

You stare at this group of croaking "magnetic field frogs" in amazement, feeling a sense of insanity that has intruded on the set...

[Then you learned from the helpless governor: This is the process of a normal person bearing divine power!]

[“In the illusion of your majesty’s divine power, any mortal will inevitably feel fear and terror. When this fear reaches the limit of their endurance, the mortal will become insane…”]

Simply put, it's "mental pollution." The stronger a person's mental will, the greater their tolerance for pollution. This is manifested by not feeling emotionally disturbed while in a hallucination, and being able to quickly break free and regain consciousness.

[On the other hand, if your mental will is not strong enough, then this pollution will corrode your mind, and you may even be frightened mad in the illusion, causing you to scream and shout wildly, shouting words like "loyalty" and "gratitude", and turning into a croaking magnetic frog...]

"This kind of thing happens every year in every province, but generally speaking, they gradually return to normal and officially master divine power... but there are occasional exceptions."

The Governor said quietly, "There are a very small number of people who can't recover after being frightened mad. They'll keep yelling and screaming, unable to take care of themselves... We naturally can't let these unfortunate souls out to harm the people, so we usually execute them directly and announce to the public that they died suddenly from surprise..."

[“The provincial examination is like this, and so are the metropolitan and palace examinations…”]

[Your heart trembles when you hear this...]

"But you don't have to be afraid."

He smiled at you with satisfaction, "Since you were able to break free from the illusion so quickly, it proves that your willpower is far superior to that of an ordinary person... With this talent, you will definitely be able to pass the Jinshi banquet. You have a promising future..."

【Um? 】

You can't help but wonder: How come he's talking about a prestigious Jinshi degree, like it's something he could easily pick up? He's a Jinshi degree holder...

[Shaking his head, if you really can't figure it out, then forget about it. Anyway, there will always be a way out when the time comes... Right now, the most important thing is to just watch this madman's madness unfold before your eyes. After all, it only comes once a year, so it's incredibly precious...]

【"loyalty!"】

"Your Majesty, we will always respect you!!!"

"Your Majesty is the pillar of support!"

【“…”】

Although the scene was chaotic for a while, fortunately no one went completely crazy this time, which made the governor breathe a sigh of relief.

After a while, everyone returned to their normal lives. If you didn't remember their embarrassing behavior just now, you would probably think nothing had happened...

[Thus, this Imperial Examination Banquet officially ends! ]

Soon, you will all be enrolled in the province's highest institution of learning, where you will specialize in studying the relevant knowledge of the "imperial examination" in preparation for the upcoming examination next year...

【…】

The joint examination is usually held in the capital in the second year after the provincial examination. Those who pass the examination are eligible to participate in the palace examination and obtain the highest title in the imperial examination: Jinshi!

[Jinshi is different from Juren. Although Juren can theoretically become officials, theory is theory and reality is reality... In the Ming Dynasty, there are at least two to three hundred Juren every year in the two capitals and thirteen provinces. If all of them were appointed as officials, how could there be so many vacant positions for them?]

Therefore, many successful candidates could not become officials. At most, they could only serve as "substitutes," and their entire lives could only be spent ruling the small plot of land in their hometown... Even if they were lucky enough to become officials, they would only be minor ones, and promotion would be extremely difficult...

This is like the situation in later generations where college graduates can't find jobs: too many people, too few positions, and every position filled. The extra people have to "find free employment." [Faced with employment pressure, college students generally choose to improve their academic qualifications by pursuing undergraduate studies, taking postgraduate entrance exams, or even doctoral exams to increase their job opportunities. Similarly, if a Juren (a successful candidate) wants to become an official, or even a high-ranking official, they can only continue to pursue the Jinshi (a jinshi) exam.]

If you're lucky enough to pass the imperial examination, you'll not only be directly appointed to an official position, but also have great prospects for promotion! Outstanding candidates like the top scorer will even be favored by the emperor...

[Thus, although the imperial examination did not force all candidates to take the exam, almost all of them would voluntarily participate to try their luck...]

The content of the Imperial Examination is generally quite advanced... but it's not that advanced for you. After all, you've all studied for many years and already know what you need to know. At most, you'll need to quickly adapt to the exam's focus in the year before, and then take the exam directly.

[These focuses used to be on the Four Books and Five Classics, as well as poetry and prose... but now they are different!]

"Everyone, remember, whether you are accepted into the Imperial and Palace Examinations is not based on your profound understanding of the Four Books and Five Classics, nor on whether you can write famous poems like Li Bai and Du Fu, nor on how well you write eight-legged essays. They only have one requirement for admission!"

In the classroom, the senior teacher of the provincial school solemnly tells you: "That is..."

【"loyalty!"】

His expression suddenly became heated: "As Ming officials and your Majesty's lackeys, loyalty is our most important duty!"

What is an official?

“Some would say that officials are the people’s kind yet stern parents, the rulers of the world, and the protectors of the Ming Dynasty’s prosperity… But I want to tell you, all of this is wrong!”

"Officials are nothing more than the running dogs of His Majesty the Divine Emperor! They were, they are, and they will be in the future!"

"Officials don't need to worry about whether the court's orders are reasonable. They only need to faithfully carry them out. We do whatever His Majesty says. If His Majesty tells us to go east, we must not go west. Loyalty is paramount..."

The old teacher's remarks shocked the students in the audience. Most of them had anticipated this and were not surprised. Only a few young, newly-minted scholars cautiously offered their opinions.

“Teacher, why do you say something different from what is written in the sage’s book? I saw Mencius said: The people are the most important, the country is second, and the monarch is the least important…”

"That's the evil book of Confucius and Mencius!"

The instructor glared and shouted, "What do you mean by 'the people are more important than the emperor!' Your Majesty is the most important and precious!"

"What are Confucius and Mencius? Confucius is the mother of all who feed him! He is from Lu, yet he traveled all over the world to aid the enemy. He has no loyalty to the emperor at all..."

[Everyone:...]

[I'm awesome! I'm an anti-Confucian elite!]

"Anyway, remember this: the teachings of Confucius and Mencius are nothing but evil teachings. As long as they conflict with Your Majesty, they are all heresy!"

"The two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Great Ming Dynasty are all shouldered by Your Majesty alone! Your Majesty works tirelessly day and night to prolong the Ming Dynasty's prosperity. This is the greatest merit! The greatest sage!"

"There are only two suns in the sky. In my heart, there is only one sun, Your Majesty!"

【"loyalty!"】

……

(End of this chapter)