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

Chapter 16 The Lord of Reporting!

"what?!"

Failed the exam?!

Zhou Liang, who was just about to see his "other self" happy about passing the imperial examination, was stunned!

How is this possible?! My writing skills are clearly at the level of a juren, and those questions are all examples I've done in the past. This... I shouldn't fail the exam, right?

Zhou Liang was shocked by this news and felt a black screen before his eyes...

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Zhou Liang clenched his fists in frustration:
Although this exam was just a simulation test, he actually put a lot of expectations into it.

As an old scholar who has failed the imperial examinations many times, passing the imperial examination has long been his obsession. In this situation, although he keeps saying that he doesn't care, can he really not care?

He cares so much and wants to improve so much!
In a sense, he is actually no different from Fan Jin, except that Fan Jin would go crazy for passing the imperial examination, while Zhou Liang would go crazy for failing. The reason why he gave up the exam that year was because his mentality was completely broken...

After all, he was very sure that he had the ability to pass the imperial examination, but in the end he failed. Failing so many times in a row would drive anyone crazy!
And now, when he was extremely confident, the simulator actually gave him a cyber failure, directly causing his PTSD...

"There's definitely something fishy going on!"

The more Zhou Liang thought about it, the angrier he became, and he even laughed out of anger:

"I've tolerated failing the exam before, but I can't this time!"

"How could it not be a hit?!"

It wasn't that he simply believed it, but this time there was clearly something wrong. After all, failing the college entrance exam was normal, but who had ever seen someone who had been reborn fail?!
If a reborn person fails the exam, it is like a time traveler failing to win the lottery... It would be strange if there is no problem!
"Report! You must report!"

Zhou Liang had a hunch that once the truth about his failure was revealed, not only would the trickery in the simulation be revealed, but the reason for his repeated failures in the past would also be revealed, completely freeing him from his obsession...

“Report! You must report!”

[You don't know where your confidence comes from, but your first reaction is that you've been stabbed!]

[So the day after the results were announced, you decided to find out more, but your master just sighed...]

He knows your mentality all too well, having even seen countless examples of it: students who fail the entrance exams are refusing to believe it's a problem with their own abilities, stubbornly believing someone is setting them up.

"If it were someone else, it would be fine, but if it were you, wouldn't you have failed the exam anyway?"

【Why bother? 】

He sighed inwardly... But since you're still determined to fight to the death, he doesn't want to persuade you too much. He just wants to let the facts speak for themselves and let you know your own worth...

So, without saying anything, he took you to the Xi'an prefectural government office to request permission to see the test papers.

The yamen staff weren't surprised by this. They were used to seeing ordinary students like you, and the most effective way to deal with you ordinary students is, of course, to speak with facts...

[So he immediately brought your test paper and explained to you on the spot why you didn't pass the exam, where you made mistakes, and where you didn't delve deeply enough...]

[But the more reasonable his words are, the uglier your expression becomes... Not only you, but even your master's expression has become serious!]

You can't hold it in any longer: "Sir, you're absolutely right... but this isn't my paper!"

[Clerk:?]

[This is definitely not your paper. Although the name is yours, the content is completely different from what you answered before... This is clearly someone else's paper!]

This has nothing to do with the system. Although you in real life acted as a ghostwriter, you were actually just a "small monkey searching for questions," providing only the answers. The exam itself was still yours... Therefore, you remember everything you wrote, and the handwriting is yours. It's not like you wrote something and then you don't remember it.

【This is someone else's paper! 】

[The clerk was visibly taken aback when he heard you say that, then frowned, as if he understood something...]

"You remembered it wrong. This is your paper."

His attitude suddenly turned cold.

【"I……"】

You were shaking with anger, about to continue your defense, when your master suddenly covered your mouth with his hand and nodded apologetically, "This paper is indeed my disciple's... Children have poor memories, please don't be offended! Please don't be offended!"

The other person's expression finally relaxed, and he encouraged her, "...Although your skills still need improvement, your answers on the test paper are quite good, and you're still so young... Study hard, and you'll definitely pass the exam in the future."

[Master said nothing, simply bowed again, then took you by the hand and left...]

“Master! That’s really not…”

On the way out of the government office, you couldn't help but open your mouth to explain, but your master sighed helplessly: "I know... that's not your handwriting."

【“Then why are you…”】

The Master shook his head and asked, "I know that's not your paper. So what?"

"Where are you going to report this? The prefect of Xi'an? The provincial governor?"

"Child, do you remember the gatekeeper who sold his academic title?"

【Gatekeeper?】

You paused, then thought of that guy who looked like a sting operation... Could it be that he wasn't stinging, but actually wanted to sell it?!

“Now it seems he wasn’t joking, he really was willing to sell it.”

Master said in a deep voice, "And things like Juren (academic juren) are inherently regulated by the imperial court, so they can't be granted arbitrarily... So, think about it, where does he get his supplies from?"

You paused, then suddenly realized: I can't just give it away, so I can only give him someone else's paper. [And this time, the paper I'm giving him is yours...]

Seeing you gradually become dazed, the master comforted you: "Don't be sad, this is actually a good thing!"

"At least this proves you have what it takes to pass the imperial examination. Just treat this as a test. You'll definitely pass next time!"

"I just don't believe you could be so unlucky as to be picked on by them every time."

Zhou Liang: Happy!

"Oh shit……"

Zhou Liang couldn't help but curse out loud:
The truth was finally revealed. Just as he thought, the reason why "another self" failed the exam was not because he was a bad gunman, but because Lao Liu was behind it!
More importantly, he finally understood why he failed the exam every time even though he had the ability to become a juren.

It's not that I'm incompetent, but that I've been fleeced by invisible big hands! They've just caught me and fleeced me until I'm completely bald...

"You damned Divine Emperor Ming! Sooner or later, I'm going to turn you upside down!"

Zhou Liang, furious, swore fiercely!

At this moment, the resentment of Huang Chao, Zhang Yuan, Hong Xiuquan, and an Austrian art student...all the failed students merged into one with him.

What if I fail the exam?
Then it’s World War II!

【Will you not be unlucky every time?】

You feel a pang of sadness: Maybe I can really pass the exam next time, but... what's the point?

[The old man calling himself "Li Laiheng" is probably already ambushing his family near your home with those thieves. If word of your failure spreads, or if you don't return, they'll kill your entire family as promised! So you don't have a second chance...]

[Thinking of this, your gaze finally hardened. Looking at your master who was still trying to persuade you to be patient, you simply shook your head.]

“Master, please forgive me.”

Facing his confusion, you said seriously, "I have always believed that this world is not entirely dark, and that the Ming Dynasty bureaucracy is not entirely filled with corrupt officials... Even if it were truly that corrupt, I would not submit!"

“I must report this!”

Your master covered his face with his hands as he listened: "Why don't you understand?"

"You have to understand, since these people are treating this like an industry, they must have vested interests with higher-ups, just like the relationship we have with the county magistrate... The Xi'an prefect's people are clearly in cahoots with them. Who can you report this to?"

You blurt out: "Governor!"

"What if the governor is also their protector?"

You said without hesitation: "Then I will report him in person! Even if he kills me afterwards, I will make him give me an explanation!"

“I’m not afraid of death!”

【Are you not afraid of death?】

The Master was speechless: "Then I'm afraid, okay?"

He already regrets accepting you as his disciple. He originally accepted you for the benefits, and now, not only haven't you gained much, but you're actually stirring up a hornet's nest... It doesn't matter if you die, but he doesn't want to die!

[So, that very day, he severed his master-disciple relationship with you and returned to northern Shaanxi alone in a carriage...]

【you:……】

[No... the friendship boat can capsize at any time?! Is this just a cut?!]

[You look so tense...]

[But it's understandable. After all, your relationship as master and disciple was originally based on shared interests. Now you're clearly about to make an enemy, an invincible one at that. If he doesn't cut ties, then he's really losing his mind!]

【He is just like that.】

You sighed, then, with a firm conviction, walked step by step towards the Shaanxi Provincial Administration Commission's headquarters, and towards the end of your life...

Just as you had reported your master to the county magistrate for embezzling reward money and forging a child prodigy to defraud money, you stopped directly in front of the provincial government office and pulled out your first step: two letters of commendation written by the prefect of northern Shaanxi!

"Little boy, what are you doing?"

The Provincial Administration Office was far more imposing and majestic than the County Magistrate's Office. The yamen runners at the gate had become fully armed guards. When they saw you approaching, they would immediately shout and question you.

You hold out the prefect's letter and shout.

"I have a letter from the prefect of northern Shaanxi!"

[Sure enough, upon hearing the word "prefect," the guards became serious!]

"I'm a candidate for this year's provincial examination. I was also the top scholar in northern Shaanxi last year. I've also written two very influential articles in northern Shaanxi!"

"I'm here to report this criminal to the Governor!"

"The provincial examination was unfair. Someone switched my paper! They sold my Juren degree to someone else for 100,000 taels! I requested an investigation from the Xi'an government office, but the official distorted the truth, insisting that someone else's failed paper was mine!"

"Your Excellency, Governor! Please conduct a thorough investigation of the provincial examination! Please punish the Xi'an government office! Please give justice to the Shaanxi examinees!"

[Once the words were spoken, they were earth-shattering! ]

……

(End of this chapter)