Sky Curtain: The Overlord Charges into Battle, Shocking Emperors of All Dynasties

Huang Chao set off from home three times and went to Chang'an three times. He took the imperial examinations from the age of eighteen to nearly thirty, twice for civil service and once for military service, but failed each time.

He always believed that the status quo could be changed through the imperial examination system; even if the powerful families ate the lion's share, they should at least get the scraps.

The results of his three imperial examinations clearly told him: Not even a drop of soup would be given to him!

Powerful families, who pride themselves on their superior lineage, look down on those from humble backgrounds, let alone a merchant's son like Huang Chao.

The imperial examination system prided itself on fairness, yet it couldn't prevent powerful families from secretly monopolizing all the available spots, burying the talents of the nation.

On the sky, Huang Chao no longer resembled the youthful figure he once was; he appeared utterly dejected and forlorn.

The hands that were once delicate and tender, holding books in my youth, are now rough and cracked, weathered and worn, as if they've been pickled in salt.

This was Huang Chao's third attempt at the imperial examinations, after failing the first two times.

My father's aging body could no longer sustain the dangerous business of smuggling salt.

So he took over his father's heavy responsibility, managing the family's private salt business, and studied diligently in his spare time.

He buried himself in the salt heap and went into hibernation once more.

If the civil service exam doesn't work, the military exam should do, right?

Having long been involved in the smuggling of salt, Huang Chao had honed his skills through constant battles with local bandits and law enforcement.

He arrived in Chang'an full of confidence to participate in the military examination.

Huang Chao gripped the yellow notice with trembling hands, afraid to use too much force lest he crush his own name.

He had secretly torn it down from the south wall of the Ministry of Rites under the cover of night.

He leaned closer to the dim light, searching for his name, word by word, for the third time.

But they still came up empty-handed; there wasn't even a single yellow character on the list.

They are all surnamed Cui, Lu, Wang, Zheng, Li, etc.

Huang Chao smiled bitterly, never expecting that these people would also want to eat the soup meant for the martial arts graduate.

He downed bottle after bottle of liquor, attempting to numb his mind and wash away his bitterness with the strong drink.

In a daze, I heard a sound coming from outside, through the window, coming closer and closer.

"Brother Cui, your passing the imperial examination with flying colors is truly a triumphant moment, like riding a swift horse on spring breezes, enjoying all the splendor of Chang'an in a single day!"

"Congratulations! Brother Wang is also on the list of successful candidates in the military examination. In the future, you can easily lead troops to wipe out a few bandits, and your official career will be just around the corner."

"In the end, it is your illustrious Cui family of Boling that has made you the most prestigious family in the world. You have served as the examiner for generations, which is why you were able to obtain such a background."

"Unlike my Wang family of Taiyuan, who can at most get me a military examination degree, but I know nothing about military affairs, which is really a headache."

"That's easy. Just send troops to the nearby villages, and the military merit will come easily."

Hahahaha

"Ugh~~"

Several sounds of vomiting came from below Huang Chao's tower. A moment later, someone seemed to be comforting the young man from the Wang family of Taiyuan.

"Brother Wang, don't be discouraged. Do you know Huang Chao?"

"I don't know him."

"That's true, Brother Wang. You didn't go to the martial arts examination hall, so you didn't see Huang Chao."

"Huang Chao was truly skilled in martial arts, well-versed in military affairs, and had excellent handwriting. It seems that he had also participated in the civil service examinations twice before, making him a man of both literary and martial talents."

"Brother Lu, what's the point of saying that about him? He's just a salt smuggler with some talent, yet he dares to spout such cynical remarks. The salty smell emanating from him almost suffocated me!"

"He doesn't even realize that being allowed to participate in the imperial examinations and take the exams alongside us from high-ranking families, and to experience the noble bloodline passed down from our ancestors, is already an immense honor for him."

"Want to be an official? We won't even let him take the military examination!!"

This remark drew another round of laughter, and the others joined in, as if they had found common ground.

"He took the imperial examination twice. How could he know that the exam papers were already in our hands before the actual exam, and the rankings were already determined? Did he really think he could snatch the food from the tiger's mouth?"

"wishful thinking!!"

"That's right, the top spot will definitely go to Brother Cui's family. I remember the last top spot went to Brother Cui's elder brother, didn't it?"

"However, Huang Chao is a man of both literary and martial talents, so it would be better to take him into the household as a servant. That would be making the best use of him and allowing him to play his proper role."

"Haha, to be Brother Cui's dog is truly an honor for Huang Chao!!"

Each word was a slap in the face to Huang Chao, shattering his illusions.

It was all planned in advance. Someone like him could never cross the line of blood ties.

Is it even an honor to be a dog?

The sound gradually faded away and disappeared without a trace.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock~"

Crimson blood dripped from Huang Chao's hands, his fingernails already deeply embedded in his palms. The bright moon shone on Huang Chao, just as it had in the past.

Huang Chao, his eyes red, let out a low, beast-like growl.

You don't want him to pass the imperial examination, do you? You want him to be treated like a dog?

Damn it, then let's all just stop playing!

He is a human being, not a dog.

He will definitely come back, he definitely will!!!

At the age of thirty, Huang Chao packed his bags and left Chang'an. This was his third time leaving Chang'an, and he vowed in his heart that he would definitely return.

He was determined to make those powerful families pay the price. He had tolerated it twice, but this time he wasn't going to.

In the screen,

Huang Chao straightened his back and left Chang'an step by step.

He can't bend down, he can't kneel, he can't be a dog.

Along the way, Huang Chao turned his head and looked back at Chang'an, the city he longed for. His eyes burned with rage, as fierce as a ravenous tiger.

He will never be able to keep his promise to his father, to bring the whole family to Chang'an and change their fate.

My father died long ago.

Under the sky, countless scions of noble families gasped in shock.

They could see that Huang Chao's eyes held an overwhelming hatred, as if he wished he could burn down the entire city of Chang'an.

And it seems that Huang Chao actually succeeded.

They had seen that kind of look before.

Then the next day they would see those hate-filled eyes.

Even if they raised an army and seized the world, so what? Take Liu Yu and Chen Baxian, for example.

They were also from humble backgrounds, yet in the end, people from their aristocratic families were still appointed to official positions to assist him in governing the country.

Moreover, Liu Yu and Chen Baxian were able to stop the encroachment of powerful families, but can your descendants do the same?

Once they've all been outlasted, the new emperor will still favor families like ours.

Even powerful rulers like Li Shimin and Li Zhi weakened us quite ruthlessly, didn't they?

But didn't we finally get our chance?

But Huang Chao, that madman, would rather not take the world than let us die?

Why can't we achieve a win-win situation? Why must we end up with a lose-lose situation?

"The Cui family of Boling, your mother's maid!!!"

In the late Tang Dynasty, scions of powerful families uttered vulgarities, even within the Cui clan of Boling, where some members specifically targeted the patriarch.

He wants an official position for him!

They took the test three times, and you got three chances.

You don't want it even once.

They're practically pushing him down the path of a serial killer.

Why be so greedy, eating both meat and soup?

Now things are really messed up, Huang Chao is about to smash the pot and overturn the table!!