Double penetration: This Three Kingdoms has dragon energy

Chapter 176 All the heroes of the world are now in my grasp!

As autumn deepens, I stroll through Qingzhou University, where many people have already gathered.

Most of them are students who are about to take the college entrance examination.

Ji Qiu opened Qingzhou University to them ahead of schedule.

Firstly, it allows them to familiarize themselves with the examination venue, demonstrating fairness.

Secondly, it also serves to show them the situation at Qingzhou University, thus indirectly promoting the university.

This Qingzhou University can almost represent the highest level of Ji Qiu's forces. It fully integrates the architectural systems of modern times and the Three Kingdoms of Dragon Qi. Just taking it out on its own is enough to awe everyone.

However, this openness is also time-limited.

The area will be cleared out starting this afternoon.

Because the official college entrance examination will be held in two days.

It's always necessary to close the exam rooms for a period of time beforehand for inspection, because if the exam rooms are opened early, it's hard to guarantee that some candidates won't make arrangements in advance.

This situation is difficult to prevent even in modern society, let alone in the world of Dragon Kingdom.

The world of Dragon Qi Three Kingdoms has many secret techniques, all of which are independently developed and passed down by families, and kept secret.

Not to mention late autumn, even the once-powerful Han Dynasty was unaware of this.

After touring Qingzhou University and making sure there were no problems, Ji Qiu left the university.

I went to the National College Entrance Examination Office of the Ministry of Education.

The Ministry of Education building is located in the northwest corner of Beihai New City and is an unremarkable building on the outside.

However, upon closer inspection, one can discover runes drawn with a mixture of ambergris and cinnabar in the cracks of the walls, which ripple with pale gold on a full moon night. The ancient "Dragon Hidden Stone" embedded in the lintel senses the knowledge of visitors through its natural dragon head patterns.

The main structure of this building adopts the timber frame construction style of the Three Kingdoms period, while the pillars are made of the heartwood of a thousand-year-old Chinese juniper soaked in tung oil.

During thunderstorms, the wood grain reflects golden dragon scales, and the roof tiles, made of dragon eye sand mixed with clay, reveal dragon scale patterns after rain. The black jade dragon heads on the eaves seem to be breathing in and out literary energy.

The lotus pond in the front courtyard seems ordinary, but the bottom of the pond is made of obsidian to spell out the "Hetu Luoshu". The nine stars correspond to nine white alum stone dragons buried in the silt. The moss in the cracks of the broken stele by the pond naturally grows into dragon patterns, which is in line with the philosophy of "hidden dragon should not be used" in learning.

The main hall, "Chongwen Pavilion," has a simple exterior, but the interior is paved with a single piece of dragon blood stone, with red patterns forming a map of the Three Kingdoms. The capital city is inlaid with a dragon eye bead polished with dragon eye crystals, which projects ancient books at night.

The books on the twelve rows of elm wood bookshelves were bound with dragon-ribbed thread, and the pages smelled of ambergris.

The ceiling of the hall is woven with thirty-six dragon tendons to create a dragon belly pattern. In the center, dragon brain jade drips and condenses as students engage in insightful debates. Drinking this dew is said to enlighten the mind and reveal one's true nature.

The hidden door on the east side leads to the underground "Dragon Abyss Secret Pavilion". The dragon scale lamps embedded in the walls are made of dragon slough horn and contain fluorescent microorganisms. In the deep secret room, the nine-dragon inkstone on the long table of the dragon spine is carved from ambergris fossil. When water is poured in, the lineage of the nine academies will appear, resonating with the dragon energy of the Thousand Mile Academy.

As night falls, the rammed earth wall emits a golden light, which is the gathering of literary energy from the dragon tendons network. When a learned person walks by, the dragon-shaped runes on the wall will light up, like a giant dragon wagging its tail.

On the first day of each month, the dragon blood stone floor of the main hall resonates with the ancient texts due to the dragon's energy, but only those who are devoted to their studies can witness it.

This Ministry of Education building, with rammed earth as its skin and dragon-like spirit as its bones, embodies wisdom in every brick and piece of wood. Like a dragon lurking in the abyss, it fully demonstrates what it means to be understated yet luxurious and profound!

Passing through a moon gate on the east side of the main hall of the Ministry of Education, inscribed with the seal script characters "Wenxin Diaolong," one arrives at a secluded courtyard surrounded by green bamboo.

This is the newly established National College Entrance Examination Office by the Ministry of Education.

The seemingly ordinary courtyard house with its blue tiles and white walls actually conceals a dragon-shaped variant with five ridges and six beasts on its roof ridge.

The dragon-shaped ornaments at both ends of the main ridge are transformed into a half-dragon, half-book shape, with the dragon's tail curled up with bamboo slips, and its mouth open to spit out wind chimes shaped like ink droplets. When the wind blows, the tinkling sound is surprisingly in harmony with the rhythm of the Book of Songs.

Inside the main hall, the "Examination Hall," thirty-six black-painted pillars stand around the perimeter, their surfaces carved with stories of sages from the pre-Qin period.

Confucius was lecturing at the Apricot Altar, with seventy-two disciples standing by his side.

There is also the story of Lao Tzu riding a green ox out of Hangu Pass, leaving behind the five thousand words of the Tao Te Ching.

There's also Mozi's concept of "universal love and non-aggression," where he demonstrates city defense techniques while holding a wooden kite.

Furthermore, Han Feizi sat upright, the four characters "The law does not favor the noble" shining brightly on the bamboo slips.

These reliefs, driven by the dragon's energy, will display different expressions depending on the angle of sunlight.

In the morning light, the sages seem to be teaching in hushed tones; at noon, they seem to be conversing with the students across the distance; and under the setting sun, they transform into flowing written symbols, depicting the magnificent scene of a hundred schools of thought contending.

The west-side reading room is not lit by ordinary lights; it is illuminated entirely by twelve "dragon eye beads" embedded in the roof, which change color with the day and night.

It appears amber during the day and turns bluish-green at night; the soft light reveals the subtle flow of literary talent on the paper.

The examiners' chairs were designed in the shape of a "Hu bed" but covered with dragon skin. The back of the chair was carved with a "carp leaping over the dragon gate" pattern. When they reviewed a masterpiece, the carp in the pattern would glow with golden light.

The most magical thing is the grading table, which is a huge "dragon crystal". When the candidates' papers are laid on it, the dragon energy will transform the words into concrete images: those who write about military strategy can see the clash of swords and the thunder of horses, those who write poetry can see the falling petals, and those whose writing is not logical will see a chaotic fog. It truly realizes the art of judging talent by "the writing reflects the person and the characters appear in the form of a dragon".

Ji Qiu entered the main hall and saw that many examiners from the Ministry of Education were having a heated discussion about this year's college entrance examination.

Because this was the first college entrance examination, Ji Qiu attached great importance to it and sent out the highest-level examiner team.

The Minister of Administration, Chang Chao, served as the chief examiner, while the Minister of Education, Jeong Hyun, and the Deputy Minister of Publicity, Kong Jung, served as the two deputy examiners.

Below him were ten ordinary examiners, all of whom were outstanding individuals with excellent character and learning.

When the examiners saw Ji Qiu enter, they all stopped arguing and bowed to him, saying, "Greetings, my lord."

"You're all having a heated debate. What are you discussing?" Ji Qiu asked with a smile.

Zhang Zhao replied, "My colleagues are currently discussing who will be the top scorer in this year's college entrance examination."

"So, what kind of talents did you all see?" Ji Qiu asked with great interest.

Zhang Zhaodao said: "Vice Minister Kong thinks highly of Chen Qun's articles and believes that he has the talent of a top scholar."

Minister Zheng believes that Bu Zhi's talent, wisdom, and courage are all top-notch, and his future prospects are limitless!

"Does Zibu have anyone he's interested in?" Ji Qiu asked.

Zhang Zhao said, "In my opinion, Zhang Hong's abilities rank among the top of all the candidates."

"Yes, they are all top choices!" Ji Qiu nodded approvingly.

All three were historically renowned figures.

Chen Qun was from Yingchuan and was seventeen years old at the time.

He devoted himself to the study of laws and etiquette from a young age and has profound insights into the way to govern a country.

In the second year of the Chuping era in history, he participated in the revision of village rules and regulations in his hometown, and was known for his "fairness and impartiality," and his management skills began to attract attention.

He later served the Cao Wei regime and established the "Nine-Rank System," which had a profound impact on the selection of officials during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties.

He also advocated governing the country with propriety, which explains why he was favored by Kong Rong.

Bu Zhi was from Huaiyin, Linhuai, and was seventeen years old at the time.

He suffered hardship in his early years, making a living by growing melons, but he persisted in studying and harbored lofty ambitions.

In the second year of the Chuping era in history, he traveled in Jiangdong, befriended famous scholars, and was known for his "calmness and resourcefulness". He often expressed unique insights into the current situation.

He later served the Eastern Wu, rising to the position of Prime Minister, where he demonstrated outstanding performance in both local governance and foreign affairs.

This is a man of exceptional talent, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and most importantly, proficient in practical matters. No wonder Zheng Xuan took a liking to him.

However, Ji Qiu's strongest impression of him was his cousin, Bu Lianshi. She was Sun Quan's favorite concubine, and she was extremely beautiful!

Zhang Hong was from Guangling and was nineteen years old at the time.

He was well-versed in literature, calendar systems, and divination, making him a typical "literati scholar."

In the second year of the Chuping era in history, he fled south to Jiangdong to escape the war. He became famous for his "Proclamation Against Dong Zhuo", which was sharp in writing and logically rigorous, demonstrating his outstanding literary talent.

Later, he assisted Sun Ce and Sun Quan, and participated in the formulation of the internal and foreign policies of Eastern Wu.

Historically, when discussing early strategists in Jiangdong, the two Zhangs are usually mentioned.

These two "Zhang" actually refer to Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong.

It is clear that these two are very compatible.

Zhang Hong is indeed still highly regarded by Zhang Zhao.

All three came from humble backgrounds and deviated from the fixed life trajectory of history, coming to Qingzhou to seek refuge with Ji Qiu.

In fact, it wasn't just them; there were many other talented individuals who made history in this year's college entrance examination.

People like Xu Shu, Deng Ai, Lü Meng, Ling Tong, and Jiang Qin, who came from humble backgrounds and were destined to become famous ministers and generals, were mostly sixteen or seventeen years old at this time, a period when they were just beginning to show their talents.

Now they have all rushed to Qingzhou to seek refuge with Ji Qiu.

This fully demonstrates Ji Qiu's current status in the hearts of poor students across the country.

This also serves as a combined effect of the autumn release of the list of those who are chosen based solely on their talents and the promotion of those who are promoted to the top tier of feudal lords!

Seeing so many talented people flocking to his side, Ji Qiu felt a sense of realization arose in his heart, much like that of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin: "All the heroes of the world are now under my control!"

However, the downside is that these talents cannot be used directly.

As Ji Qiu's power gradually grows and establishes a modern industrial system, those old-style talents belonging to the Dragon Qi Three Kingdoms world are not only being eliminated, but are also gradually being marginalized.

To gain a foothold within Ji Qiu's faction, one must constantly learn new knowledge and master new skills in order to adapt to the ever-growing needs of the faction.

Even the early talents already within Ji Qiu's faction were like this, and the new talents who joined later were even more so.

Therefore, these talents must be reformed before they can be reused.

Fortunately, they are all around sixteen or seventeen years old, which is the age when they are most capable of learning and reforming.

At the same time, they are exceptionally talented, and even without much educational resources, they can grow into the world's most outstanding talents.

Now that Ji Qiu has provided ample educational resources, they will surely be able to grow up better and become the backbone of Ji Qiu's power in the future!
Two days later, the first National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao) began.

Five days later, the first National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) concluded.

Ten days later, the college entrance examination results were released.

To the surprise of all the examiners, the first place winner was neither Chen Qun, nor Bu Zhi, nor Zhang Hong.

It was Xu Shu!

The reason is simple: this year's college entrance examination consists of five parts.

There is one exam for each of the five disciplines: administration, military, industry, agriculture, and medicine.

Then the scores are calculated together.

Provided that the overall score meets the admission standard, the college to which the candidate will study will be determined based on the candidate's scores in each subject.

Xu Shu did not have the highest score in any single subject, but he had the highest overall score.

Simply put, he's not a specialist, he's a polymath!

This aligns with his historical background; he was a man of both literary and military talent, with expertise in all kinds of crafts, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to get along with Zhuge Liang.

Ji Qiu was delighted with this, thinking that this person was naturally suited to be a local, people-friendly official.

The so-called local officials who are close to the people are those who actually hold military and political power in the local area, such as county magistrates, prefects, and governors.

For this type of official, you don't need to be an expert in any one area, but you need to have a thorough understanding of all aspects.

At least you won't be fooled.

Ji Qiu personally presented Xu Shu with a certificate recognizing him as the first-place winner in the first college entrance examination at the commendation ceremony, and then placed him in the Academy of Administration.

The five colleges are nominally equal, but in reality, the College of Administration is the most prestigious.

Even military academies are slightly inferior.

There's no way around it; in a society where officialdom is paramount, officials have always been the most noble figures.

Currently, we are in a stage of vying for supremacy, and in principle, military power should take precedence, with the military supposed to have an advantage over the civil officials.

However, the situation of Ji Qiu's forces is different, because Ji Qiu has the modern world as its rear base, which allows it to fully manage its internal development even during times of war.

Even during times of war, the military was still heavily suppressed by the civilian system.

Within Ji Qiu's faction, the situation of governing the military through civil administration remained unchanged.

This will also be the long-term national policy that the Jiqiu faction adheres to in the future.

The college entrance examination is now over.

Those students admitted to Qingzhou University began their two-year study life at Qingzhou University.

Students who fail the college entrance examination can choose to return to high school to repeat the year or study at home so that they can take the exam again the following year.

However, whether it's repeating a year or taking the exam again the following year, a relatively high tuition fee must be paid, which is not something that low-income families can afford.

Ji Qiu is not a staunch supporter of the idea that university is the ultimate goal, although from a personal perspective, spending more time to get into university is a worthwhile thing.

However, from the perspective of nations and powers, everyone has different learning aptitudes and different strengths.

Forcibly confining everyone to the single-plank bridge of the college entrance examination is both a waste of resources and meaningless.

Why not just let them do what they're supposed to do this morning?

There's a saying that's rather cruel, but it's the truth.

Someone always has to do those low-level jobs...

Of course, while he thought this way, he wouldn't actually do it.

Public opinion must always be taken into consideration.

Therefore, this window of opportunity for repeating a year and taking the college entrance examination again was left open.

However, a relatively high fee is required, which is essentially a way of limiting the number of participants.

The vast majority of those who fail the college entrance exam still have to return to society and choose to work directly.

At least at this stage, it's not difficult for them to find a good job.

Because currently, a high school diploma is still quite useful!

(End of this chapter)