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

Chapter 5 You shine!
"This is……"

Seeing this, Zhou Liang finally grasped the long-lost glimmer of inspiration from the fog, and suddenly realized:

"Is this... a star-making scam?!"

After thinking about this, the truth finally came to light:
Why did the clerk master go around in circles and hand him a pre-written article of gratitude, and even asked him to read it out in public to achieve the effect of speaking fluently?

Because the clerk master wants to make him a genius!

"Although the Ming Dynasty is corrupt, it still needs to maintain some superficial splendor, such as providing financial aid to students..."

Since the time of Emperor Taizu, the Ming Dynasty has had an ancestral system of preferential treatment for scholars. Now, during the reign of Emperor Shen, financial aid for education has been established as a special system, requiring local officials at all levels to focus on developing culture and education, and to generously reward those who excel in academic performance!

The Divine Emperor's original intention was certainly good, but unfortunately his subordinates failed to execute it properly...

Judging from Zhou Liang's life experience of more than 50 years, this student aid system has basically not been implemented, because almost all the county officials are greedy and often falsify information, reporting some so-called "genius child stars" and "super geniuses", claiming that they are proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and are geniuses with precocious minds and can speak eloquently!

Then the provincial officials generally would not come down to inspect in person, so once a report was submitted, the superiors would approve the student aid funds, the amount ranging from dozens to hundreds of taels.

But this money often gets passed down through layers of money before it even reaches the hands of the "genius child star"... If the awarded child star can only get one tenth of it, then it's considered an infinite favor from the adults...

Obviously, the self in the simulation has invisibly experienced the above process.

Zhou Liang twitched his lips:
"No wonder the officials resorted to such tactics... But the commission is a bit too high. The prefect clearly approved 500 taels at the beginning, but by the time I got it, there were only 30 taels left, not even one-tenth..."

"But it was thirty taels of silver that I picked up for free anyway. The article was given to me by the clerk, and it was he and the magistrate Xuezheng who helped spread my reputation. They also helped establish my image as a genius. I didn't lose out at all..."

Zhou Liang couldn't help but look at his title again:

"My animal friends and I, the natural affinity between non-human animals... is indeed true!"

Getting benefits for nothing must be due to favorability, and this bunch of corrupt officials who deceive their superiors and subordinates are indeed not very human, they are all animal friends who are beasts in human clothing!

Compared to the King of Litang, although he didn't have the Fortune Qitian Gu or the Cheese Snow Leopard, with these real animal friends, his future wouldn't be too bad...

But at the same time, an important choice regarding his future life soon faced Zhou Liang:

Feeling the light yet heavy banknote in your arms, you were always a little absent-minded during the next few literacy classes...

You're not a fool, so even though you lack a detailed understanding of Ming Dynasty society, you possess the wisdom of a time traveler and quickly figured out the real story behind this farce.

【This is a scam! 】

[This is a scam that Master set up to defraud students of their scholarship money!]

You're not a bad person. Your lifelong pursuit is simply to be a successful official. You don't want to be a virtuous official, nor do you want to be associated with corrupt officials. So, facing this real corruption that happened to you, you're torn...

“Should I pretend I know nothing, or should I bravely report it?”

A question arises in your mind: As the reincarnation of a righteous young man, you hate those parasites the most. Even though you know that the officialdom under the rule of the Great Ming Emperor is extremely dark, you always hold a bright heart.

Now that you're forced to go along with the evil, your bright heart is truly blocked. Your faith and belief tell you: You should carry out your own will! Even if you can't be the true sun that clears the darkness of the world, you should be a small candle that burns alone, maintaining your own light!

But reason and reality tell you: Don't overestimate your abilities. How can a candle keep burning in the darkness? Sooner or later, it will be swallowed up by the darkness.

[Once you report it, I'm afraid the consequences will be unpredictable...]

[Besides, isn't that thirty taels of silver I picked up for free a good deal? Thirty taels! Even though Ming Dynasty silver has inexplicably depreciated significantly over the past century, thirty taels is still several years' worth of savings for many ordinary families!]

[And Master also said that this is only the first time. Once you become famous, he will give you another chance... As long as you are obedient, it is not impossible for you to share a few hundred taels of silver in the future. That is a lot of money...]

Thinking of the future piles of silver, your heart trembles: Who doesn't love money? Besides, it's free. You can just be a human parrot throughout the whole process. The higher-ups generally won't come to check anyway, so the risk is practically zero...

[But every time you want to stretch your greedy invisible hands towards the white silver, a glorious figure standing in the sun will appear before your eyes. Compared to the tyrannical God-Emperor, he is your lifelong faith, he is the true sun!]

He was smiling at you, seemingly examining your inner self. Under his piercing gaze, you were like a well-behaved elementary school student receiving a lecture from his homeroom teacher, unable to harbor even a single evil thought...

"I can't reach out! I can't..."

[Instantly, a spiritual light lights up in your heart, causing you to fall into a difficult struggle: should you choose reality or faith?]

【you do not know……】

[Ding! Faced with the contradiction between reality and faith, you are caught in a dilemma. Both options are of undeniable significance to you... What do you choose: (?)] [A: Surrender to reality. The zombie Ming Dynasty is already filled with darkness and corruption. That stench forces everyone to submit to reality. Moreover, you are of humble origin. The result of rashly embracing justice will surely be a brutal death by those with vested interests! If you do that, not only will you not be able to change anything, but you will also harm those who love you...]

B: Young people of this class never disdain to hide themselves. A heart full of passion is a heart full of justice. Even if I am just a candle in the darkness, I must shine like the sun! I will die, but as long as I die for justice, I will have no regrets! Otherwise, what difference is there between me and a walking corpse?

Life choices?

This was the first time Zhou Liang encountered this, and he was stunned for a long time:

“Is this also a function of the system?”

[Yes, host. Whenever a simulated character faces a life-altering decision, the system will provide this option. Different choices will lead to different destinies.]

"That's it..."

Looking at the two obviously different options, Zhou Liang fell into deep thought:
In fact, there is nothing to ponder. As a veteran who has been working in the Ming Dynasty for more than 50 years, he has learned a lot.

The reason why the Pig Slaughtering Society has been active in the Bashu area for thirty-eight years is not because of its reputation as a tough guy, but because of money transactions and social skills!
Therefore, the moment Zhou Liang saw the options, he subconsciously ruled out option B:
Wouldn't it be boring to pursue faith and justice in the zombie Ming Dynasty?

No matter how passionate a young man is, he can't warm the evil spirit of the zombies. Once his blood is spilled, it will only cool down...

Instead of dying meaninglessly, it is better to find some rotten meat from zombies to eat. Although rotten meat tastes bad and will kill you if you eat it, at least it can make people feel full, and you will be full when you die!
Moreover, the Ming Dynasty has its own national conditions. Temporary going along with the crowd does not mean being "cowardly". Wouldn't it be better to wait until you grow up by eating meat and then seek to clean yourself up and get ashore?

Beliefs are all empty. The most important thing for people is to survive first, because the dead have no chance to change reality. Only the living are worthy of talking about changing the world!
Compared to the ridiculously passionate option B, option A is the best option indeed...

"I choose……"

But just as Zhou Liang was about to make his choice, he suddenly got stuck...

Watching the description of the psychological struggle of "another self", he inexplicably felt as if he were there:

He seemed to see his childhood self with a distorted face. The distorted face looked like a scary green face with fangs, but also like a cute child who was innocent, kind and lovely.

"Save the child..."

He inexplicably remembered Mr. Shu Ren's words and couldn't help muttering.

Then, a red sunset appeared before his eyes, just like "another self":

The old man in the sunset was looking at him with a kind and serious look...

In his own eyes, "another Zhou Liang" is a child, and in the old man's eyes, am I not also a child?

The only difference is that the old man saved him, but he couldn't save his childhood self...

"system!"

Zhou Liang gritted his teeth:

"Can the simulation be restarted?"

[Yes, this system will continue simulating until you are satisfied, and any deaths during this period are insignificant!]

"Well!"

Zhou Liang's eyes widened:

"Then I'll just be willful!"

"I've died in real life, so why would I be afraid of dying in a simulation game?"

"I'm going to die! Today I'm going to follow the example of the martyrs and die for my beliefs!"

"Damn it! Choose B!"

You chose option B. Young people of this class never bother to hide themselves. A heart full of passion is a heart full of justice. Even if I am just a candle in the darkness, I must shine like the sun! I will die, but as long as I die for justice, I will have no regrets! Otherwise, what difference is there between me and the walking dead?

You shine!

……

(End of this chapter)