Qin Ge's mind wavered for a moment.
It's not his fault.
After all, the aura of a tyrant cannot be easily ignored.
After calming himself down, Qin Ge focused on answering the questions on the exam paper, pretending that no one was behind him, and continued to write.
The emperor, dressed in a light gold dragon robe, stood quietly behind the scholar who topped the list of the imperial examinations. His gaze seemed to fall on the scholar's calligraphy, which was of exceptional quality, or perhaps on the scholar himself.
A faint, slightly bitter, cool fragrance wafted over, easing the splitting headache...
…
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the examination papers containing policy essays were collected, reviewed by the Emperor, and then circulated among the officials.
When the officials received the edicts, they unusually began whispering among themselves in the Golden Palace, occasionally stroking their beards and nodding in agreement.
It seems the scholars answered the questions quite well.
However, this is not surprising. Candidates who can enter the Golden Palace to meet the Emperor and participate in the Palace Examination are already the most outstanding in the country, and they must be confident of success.
However, among these scholars, Li Youting, the grandson of Grand Tutor Li, and Mu Xiange, a student from Qingzhou, wrote the best policy essays, and were equally matched.
Li Youting represents established aristocratic families, while Mu Xiange represents scholars from humble backgrounds.
Who will be chosen as the new top scholar depends entirely on which faction the emperor wants to promote.
Coincidentally, the emperor's last question was about the people's livelihood.
Although Li Youting was well-read and learned, he had lived in the bustling capital of Dayong for a long time. Even if he knew about the hardships of the people, he mostly learned about them from historical records or books on humanities and geography.
Unlike Qin Ge, who, as a transmigrator, has experienced every world and played every role, no one understands the desolate essence beneath the rise and fall of the three thousand planes better than him.
In ancient times, the more than half a year he had spent leaving the palace, traveling from the barren and cold border town of Qingzhou to the capital, had seen and heard things that were incomparable to what Li Youting had experienced.
Of course, the talent of this young master Li cannot be denied, but his eloquent writings are too vague and superficial. Qin Ge, on the other hand, can answer questions fluently on everything from land cultivation to drought and flood control, offering his own unique insights. His thinking is clear and novel, and many of his methods are quite bold, unheard of by people at the time. The entire court was amazed and suddenly understood, nodding repeatedly...
Even Li Youting, the son of the Grand Tutor, sometimes frowned in deep thought and self-reflection, and sometimes nodded in agreement, his face showing an expression of admiration.
In particular, the lines "When the country prospers, the people suffer; when the country falls, the people suffer," "Every man has a responsibility for the rise and fall of the nation," and "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it" serve as a stark warning.
He accepted his defeat wholeheartedly.
The next step is the final step of the emperor nominating the top scholar.
As expected, the title of top scholar went to Qin Ge!
The rankings and official positions of the third-place scholar, the second-place scholar, and other scholars were all determined...
The four joys of life: rain after a long drought, meeting an old friend in a foreign land, and the wedding night...
When your name is on the honor roll!
The officials present stood on the Golden Palace and were each bestowed with official documents and silk scrolls, all of them filled with boundless pride and ambition!
Finally, everyone knelt down to express their gratitude: "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
At that moment, Jun Chenbi descended the steps of the imperial palace, walked up to Qin Ge, and personally took his hand—
The emperor descended the steps and personally helped him up!
Jun Chenbi asked, "Scholar, are you willing to help me usher in a prosperous and enlightened era?"
Qin Ge stood up, smiled slightly, and replied, "That is indeed my wish, but I dare not ask."
—He came here specifically to help him become a wise ruler!
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