Chapter 171: Chaos in Xiaocheng (Part 11) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Qi Shan sneered and added, "Are you trying to say that the one who died was just an insignificant, lowly ant? So you feel at ease assuming that 'Qi Shan' should be just as indifferent as you are? Just an ant, anyway, it will be forgotten in a few years..."

The prefect, pressed for answers, was rendered speechless. After a long pause, he stammered, "Whether you believe me or not, I didn't mean to harm anyone. I just..."

What is he?

He just wanted to secure a future.

Who participated in that special test for this reason?

Talk of serving the country, benefiting the people, and bringing peace to the land… these empty words are just empty rhetoric to deceive others and glorify oneself. Admit it, who enters officialdom without the desire to bring glory to their ancestors and achieve wealth and status?

Is there anything wrong with him working hard for his future?

Who doesn't rack their brains and work hard for their future?

Even if he did kill someone, was that his original intention?

At most, it would be, "I didn't kill Bo Ren, but Bo Ren died because of me!"

He could confidently utter these words to anyone else, proving he was right! Others mocked him as a petty person, and he laughed at them for never amounting to anything. This so-called "mockery" was nothing more than the self-consolation of an incompetent loser. Why bother taking the words of such a loser to heart?

But facing Qi Shan, whose murderous aura was almost sticky, he dared to say that Qi Shan would dare to make his head roll!

Even if he didn't say it, Qi Shan could tell.

His anger surged: "Eight years—eight years have passed, and you still think you're right? If you're not wrong, then does Qishan, who just turned thirty, deserve to die? He did good deeds all his life, never did evil to anyone, and what did you get in return for his pure heart?"

That person is only sixteen years old.

The scroll depicting a wonderful life has just been unfurled!

The prefect remained silent.

His silence infuriated Qi Shan, who couldn't help but punch him twice more in the face, wishing she could smash the prefect's brain into mincemeat.

"You are unkind to the people, disloyal to the ruler, and unjust to your friends. I really don't know how you have the nerve to be shameless. You haven't been mortified to death yet!"

Chen Tang's "100,000 Whys" has a unique focus.

"Is the special test...the imperial examination?"

Qi Shan now looked like a volcano about to erupt, a bomb on the verge of exploding. After he had finished hitting him, Shen Tang asked in a low voice.

The prefect's teeth were loosened from the beating.

He licked his gums and spat out a mouthful of bloody foam, in which lay half a tooth, showing that Qi Shan had truly not held back.

"Hehe—Tan Lezheng, is this your student?"

The prefect recovered.

Perhaps sensing his precarious situation and the high probability that he wouldn't see the sun rise tomorrow, the prefect's muscles relaxed, and he laboriously rolled over, using the cave wall for leverage to half-sit up. He sneered, "Young master, how come you don't even know this?"

Their eyes practically screamed, "You must be from some remote mountain forest."

Shen Tang exclaimed, "Tan Lezheng is Yuan Liang's real name?"

This word sounds quite nice.

Qi Shan suffered a momentary heart attack, but quickly recovered.

"The name Tan Lezheng has long been abandoned. Now only 'Qi Yuanliang' is used. Young Master Shen, remember not to call him by the wrong name." Qi Shan was quite stubborn about this, and glared at the prefect with murderous intent. "Under normal circumstances, Xin Kingdom holds a civil service examination once every three years..."

Each prefecture and county had a Chief Official in charge of the assessment and selection of suitable talents within its jurisdiction. Those who passed this stage would gather in the capital with their recommendation documents, where the Chief Official would conduct further evaluations and tests. The test results determined whether they could enter officialdom.

There are normal situations, and there are also special situations.

If the court is short of personnel, but it is not yet time for the triennial selection, an additional examination will be held as appropriate, which is called a special examination.

Speaking of the "special examination," it is worth mentioning that this selection method has a special rule—in order to be "fair and just" and to discover talents as much as possible, candidates come from two main sources: one is recommended by the state's magistrate, and the other is recommended by the state's famous scholars.

The recommendation process by the state's magistrate was an "official" channel, and any qualified scholar could participate. The only drawback was that the first requirement was quite strict, and only four hundred people could be recommended at a time.

The prominent figures of this prefecture belong to the "common people," and in theory, they are selected "only based on talent." They place more emphasis on ability, and can be more lenient in terms of literary talent and family background. This group also has one hundred slots.

Those who secure one of these one hundred spots can travel to the capital without going through the preliminary examination administered by the prefectural magistrate. Qi Shan's teacher is a renowned scholar in the prefecture and has three spots available!

Originally, such a precious spot should not have been available to Qi Shan, but unfortunately, these spots are not fixed and will be increased or decreased based on the performance of those recommended by famous scholars.

If the number of positions increases, it means that this renowned scholar "does not shy away from recommending worthy people regardless of personal relationships," is "honest and self-disciplined," is "fair and virtuous," and is "truly deserving of his reputation." The talents recommended are indeed all top-notch.

However, if the number of places is reduced, or even if the nomination qualification is revoked, it means that this famous person is "using public office for private gain", "seeking fame and reputation", and "is not worthy of his reputation". He has been bribed with vulgar money to promote such a person, and his reputation is ruined.

What is a "famous scholar"?

In layman's terms, it means a famous person.

In a sense, reputation is their foundation; no matter how rotten they are inside, they still have to put on a good show.

The teacher had originally intended to choose two nephews and his beloved student, "Qishan," but the older one proved to be unworthy and lacked ability. After much hesitation, fearing it would affect the next round of recommendations, the teacher reluctantly replaced him, making the older nephew wait for the next opportunity.

Anyway, there's only one year left until the next regular selection of officials. We should make the most of this year and work hard. We don't expect this nephew to perform exceptionally well, but at least he shouldn't drag down the average level.

Qi Shan gave a detailed explanation, and Shen Tang automatically replaced it in his mind—"The selection of scholars once every three years is like an alternate version of the imperial examination, the special examination is like a special examination, and the recommendation of famous scholars is like a direct promotion?"

She now only had one question left—

"It's a written exam, not a martial arts exam, so why would someone die?"

Could it be that the pressure is too much?

Shen Tang pondered for a moment.

Or is it involved in some unknown conspiracy, with "Zhengzhu Qishan" implicated and murdered to silence him?

A careful observation of Qi Shan's expression suggests that it is neither of the two possibilities.

"Who told you it was just a written test?"

Shen Tang: "..."

Qi Shan said, "Under normal circumstances, nothing should happen..."

Although the Xin Kingdom had already fallen, and Shen Xiaolangjun wouldn't need to know much about this, Qi Shan still gave her a basic introduction—the assessment had three aspects: family background, character and talent, and most importantly, literary talent. The first and third were the most straightforward.

Qi Shan: "The problem lies in the second item, 'moral character and ability'."

The assessment method was not what Shen Tang thought—setting up a large venue where all the students gathered together, with the officials posing questions for them to answer, nor was it simply about writing policy essays.

That was a magical way that Shen Tang had never imagined.

|ω)

There is a path to the mountain of books, and diligence is the way; the sea of ​​learning is boundless, and hard work is the boat.

(End of this chapter)