Granted the same status as a Jinshi, he is not even worthy of being a dog?

After these words were spoken, the hall fell silent, and everyone looked at Zhao Jun with strange eyes.

My goodness, these days even special nominations are looked down upon. You know, if these few places fall outside every year, don’t you know how many people will grab them?

Not even a dog.

If the dogs in Bianliang City had the wisdom of humans and knew that the government was going to grant them special honors, they would probably all swarm in and break down the Donghua Gate.

"Jun."

Seeing his unhappy expression, Zhao Zhen coughed twice and said, "I've actually been wanting to ask this for a while now."

As he spoke, he gestured a bit, also raising his middle finger towards Zhao Jun, and asked in amazement, "I've seen you make this gesture many times. What does it mean? Does it have any special meaning?"

"It's a greeting."

Zhao Jun said calmly, "It's a unique greeting culture among us, the post-90s and post-00s generation. It's usually used when expressing opposition."

"I see."

Zhao Zhen raised his middle finger to Zhao Jun and said, "Then I would like to object to what you said. Being granted the same Jinshi background is still a Jinshi, and it doesn't mean anything. You can still become a general or a prime minister in the future. Why is that wrong?"

Zhao Jun swung back with a middle finger, saying, "Don't bully me because I don't understand. I'm a history student. Being a Tongjinshi (academic degree holder) has a low official status and slows down promotions. Zeng Guofan of the Qing Dynasty was quite self-conscious because of his Tongjinshi (academic degree holder). He would get angry when his colleagues mocked him with terms like "Ru Madam" or "Tongjinshi" (academic degree holder)."

"Haha, you just don't understand. In the Song Dynasty, being specially recommended is a great honor. Ordinary people can't get it even if they want it. Although there are some opinions in the officialdom, it's actually not much different from being an ordinary Jinshi."

Zhao Zhen smiled and continued to raise his middle finger. "Besides, since you didn't pass the imperial examination, you can only enter the government through imperial grants or family connections. However, your household registration records that both your parents are deceased. Unless you are transferred to a high-ranking official with the surname Zhao, you can't use family connections and will have to take the imperial examination."

"I'm well-educated, you can't fool me. It's a great honor, but it's also a great shame. I want to enter the government in the future. I don't know what status I'll be granted as a Jinshi. Then I'll be controlled by others in every way."

Zhao Jun used both hands to gesture this time. "Even if I'm from a family, it won't work. Don't think I don't know that in the Song Dynasty, people with a family background couldn't become high officials. Everyone here is a Jinshi, including Old Lu. Isn't it just an exam? Just let me pass, I want to be the top scholar!"

I want to be the top scorer?

Everyone looked at each other, and then everyone burst into laughter.

“Hahahahahahahahahaha.”

"Hahahahaha, Zhao Jun is so happy."

"Jun boy, are you kidding me?"

"Zhao Jun."

Yan Shu laughed until tears streamed down his face. "I know you're arrogant, but do you know how many top scorers there have been in the last ten years?"

"Ten?"

Zhao Jun asked tentatively.

"The imperial examinations in our dynasty are generally held every two years: the Autumn Examination in August of this year, the Provincial Examination in February of next year, and the Palace Examination in March. Sometimes they are held only once every three years, so in ten years, there are only four or five top scorers."

Yan Shu laughed and said, "And this number one scholar had to take the pre-examination exam with nearly 200,000 people, then the provincial exam with over 4,000 to 5,000 people, and finally the palace exam with over 100 people. With so many levels of selection, it's like only one in 200,000 can be chosen. If you don't study the classics, how can you possibly get the top spot?"

"yes."

Wang Zeng also laughed and said, "You don't know, even though this special nomination is only in the fifth place, it can still drive countless candidates crazy. You should know that the Great Song Dynasty only selects scholars once every two years, and each time only selects a little over a hundred people. Even if it is a special nomination, it is only one in ten thousand."

Although Zhao Jun despised the status of being a Jinshi, that was because he was standing from the perspective of later generations and felt that the status of being a Jinshi was too low and not worthy of him.

But from the perspective of people in the Song Dynasty, even if they were both Jinshi graduates, it would bring honor to the family.

The reason lies in the acceptance rate!

According to the "Song Huiyao Jigao", during the reign of Emperor Zhao Kuangyin in the early Song Dynasty, the number of people taking part in the provincial examinations each year reached more than 100,000. This number had reached 200,000 during the reign of Emperor Renzong, and 400,000 during the reign of Emperor Lizong of the Southern Song Dynasty.

Although many people took part in the provincial examination, the admission rate was shockingly low. For example, in the fifth year of Chongning during the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty, 180,000 people took part in the provincial examination, but only 2,334 passed, with an admission rate of 1.29.

Although the admission rate from Juren to Jinshi is slightly higher than that of the provincial examination, with more than a hundred people passing out of thousands, it is still rare and pitifully small.

Therefore, if we go by the admission rate, Renmin University’s admission rate is really nothing, and it is even lower than that of Tsinghua University and Peking University.

But Zhao Jun still looked disdainful and said, "The problem is that the status of a special nominee in the officialdom is really too low. It's not that I look down on special nominees, but since I want to do great things, shouldn't my starting point be higher?"

"With us here, are we still worried that your starting point is not high enough?"

Lu Yijian smiled.

Zhao Jun shook his head: "I don't think it's as simple as Mr. Lu thinks. The identity you arranged for me is that both my parents are orphaned, right?"

"yes."

"I am an ordinary Bianliang person without any parents and background. I failed the examinations many times, but was granted the same status as the Jinshi graduates. How low do you think my status in the officialdom is?"

"Forehead"

Everyone looked at each other. Since ancient times, those who entered the officialdom through family connections and those who were granted the same status as Jinshi were at the bottom of the contempt chain in the officialdom.

It would be fine if you have a background, but if you don’t, you are simply the lowest of the lowest.

If you work in official circles, you will indeed be looked down upon.

Zhao Jun continued, "And with the Emperor and the Prime Minister backing me up? Wouldn't rumors be flying all over Bianliang the next day? Would you believe it if rumors like, 'I'm the Emperor's illegitimate son,' were to get out there?"

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