Am I going to be controlled by the players too?

As a result, the cuckoo used a hypnosis app to drive him away, leaving him only able to silently shed tears outside the door, even forgetting why he was crying...

Now, in order to win her over, I'm even providing her with food and lodging. What a disgrace!

"Probably not..." Cheng Cheng became uncertain. "After all, it's only been two months. It's probably just that she stays at home all day, doesn't exercise, and eats and drinks excessively, right?"

But the cuckoo's true form doesn't seem to be human...

What was she thinking? Why did she do that?

Cheng Cheng didn't quite understand. He decided to have a proper talk with her after the war was over.

…………

The results of the imperial examination were announced the next day.

Because of a being from the myriad realms whose name sounds the same as Shen He in "The Primordial Spirit," starting yesterday, the imperial examination for a certain official in the capital was changed into a metropolitan examination by that mysterious force that transcends everything, and the imperial official was also changed into an imperial official.

This power was so supreme that not only the examinees, Himeko, and Kiri no Hatsuyuki, but even Cheng Cheng, a game player, did not notice anything unusual. Instead, they thought that the exam was the provincial examination from the very beginning.

It's like the whole world has been hypnotized by the Bugu hypnosis app; the thought of it is chilling.

Ahem, let's leave that mysterious power aside for now.

In short, when the results were announced, Toyokawa Sho came in third, Myomu came in fifth, and Hatsune came in tenth. More than 300 top test-takers were disappointed to be left out by Hatsune, and some even spread rumors out of jealousy that Hatsune was addicted to moon candy, which was reported by several media outlets.

As for the first place winner, unsurprisingly, it was Tong Chuxue.

In seven days, it will be time to meet His Majesty and participate in the palace examination.

The palace examination generally does not eliminate candidates, but only ranks them. It is the same as the imperial examination before Ji Yushen issued the reform decree. The first place is Zhuangyuan, the second place is Bangyan, the third place is Tanhua, and the rest are Jinshi and Tongjinshi.

Even the worst candidate in the imperial examinations would start as a county magistrate after completing their observation period, and if all went well, they could retire as a third or fourth-rank official before their death.

The palace examination questions were set by Hime Mikami herself, and they would undoubtedly be related to the ongoing war. Therefore, all the candidates were studying, preparing, and guessing the questions like crazy. Cheng Cheng and Tong Chuxue were no exception. They had occasionally seen Toyokawa Sho while getting food at the Wanfa University cafeteria, but now they were like strangers, as if they didn't know each other.

In addition, in the past few days, Li Tong Chuxue used the money that Cheng Cheng asked Freya for to buy Foundation Establishment Pills, successfully established her foundation, and stepped into the Silver Rank.

From then on, she would no longer be an ordinary mortal, but a high-ranking Foundation Establishment cultivator. In the eyes of the empire, she had transcended being a "talent" and become a real person.

Unfortunately, military funds were tight, and Freya couldn't produce more gold coins. She needed to use more of that money to upgrade her soul body's time. Otherwise, Cheng Cheng would have directly spent money to buy Nine Dragons Pulling Coffin Pills to feed Tong Chuxue to the Gold level.

The seven days of study flew by.

Soon, the palace examination began.

…………

The day before the palace examination, one must go to the Ministry of Rites for training, at least to learn the various etiquettes for meeting His Majesty.

The Ministry of Rites also specifically emphasized that after returning home, one should not eat or drink, and should go to the toilet frequently, because the day of the palace examination lasts from morning to dusk, and one should not return if one leaves one's seat in the middle. Going to the toilet during the palace examination would be considered a great disrespect to His Majesty.

However, Tong Chuxue doesn't need to worry, since beautiful girls don't need to go to the toilet.

Especially in the second game, the beautiful girls will use magic to randomly transfer their excrement to the stomach of a certain otaku within a ten-mile radius when they need to go to the toilet. They will only go to the toilet on their own when they need to be scared to death, which is a cute moment.

However, this shows just how rigorous and solemn the palace examination was.

Just after the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), Cheng Cheng dragged the fast-sleeping Tong Chuxue out of bed, then got up to wash and dress, put on a black brocade round-necked robe, and slipped into official boots with pink foundation and makeup. He then called a Didi (ride-hailing app) to arrive at the palace gate.

Although the official from the Ministry of Rites repeatedly emphasized that silence should be maintained outside the palace gates, the ten candidates still couldn't help but exchange pleasantries with each other. Even Toyokawa Sho swallowed his pride and apologized to Kiri Hatsuyuki.

Although Kiri Hatsuyuki didn't fully accept it in the end, she did say that she no longer had any objections to Toyokawa Sho.

After the Imperial Guards finished searching the ten candidates using security equipment, it was already dawn, and the palace gates slowly opened. Two teams of golden-armored generals walked out and lined up neatly in front of the palace gates.

Tong Chuxue took a deep breath and stepped into the heart of the empire's power, a place that countless ordinary people could never set foot in their entire lives, and a place that most officials could only enter once in their lifetime—

Purple Heaven Palace.

As dawn broke, the majestic imperial palace resembled a fairyland. The scholars, having passed through the South Heavenly Gate and crossed the Outer Golden Water Bridge, arrived at the Imperial Gate and stood obediently in place. At dawn, melodious drum music drifted from within the gate, and the gate slowly opened, revealing the highest-ranking officials of the empire, led by the Grand Secretary, the Grand Marshal, and Peng Longteng, standing on the steps below the throne.

All the scholars lowered their heads, not daring to look directly at him. Cheng Cheng also shrank into the deepest part of his ring, afraid of being discovered.

Anqian Grand Marshal Cangxuan, and Zhenguo General Peng Longteng... These two are both legends who became famous a hundred years ago. Peng Longteng is an acquaintance. Cheng Cheng doesn't know if the ring the witch gave him is safe or not. In any case, he'll just keep it safe for now.

Fortunately, the wait wasn't long, and soon, the music of the Golden Prince's music began to play.

Himegami has descended.

Everyone knelt on the ground, shouted "Long live the Emperor!" three times, and performed the grand ceremony of five bows and three kowtows. Then, the Grand Master of Ceremonies read out the imperial edict, and the successful candidates in the imperial examinations expressed their gratitude in turn before entering the hall to take their seats.

The palace examination finally began.

Chapter 114, The Empress Tests Border Strategies in the Imperial Palace, Adding Extraordinary Questions to Test the Physics of the People

The palace examination tested policy essays, and candidates could answer the questions immediately after receiving the examination paper.

Tong Chuxue took the essay question and eagerly unfolded it to read it:

"The decree reads: I, the Emperor, rule over all nations and bring peace to the four seas. Yet, the dust of war still lingers on the borders, kingdoms wage war and invade our territories, and the fighting continues year after year. The military campaigns and the supply of provisions are ever-increasing, and levies are being sent out in all directions, leaving the common people exhausted... You scholars, who possess talent and await appointment, are well aware of the current problems. Each of you should carefully present your arguments... Of these points, those that are relevant to the current affairs, beneficial to the people and the country, should be clearly stated in your writings, without being vague or evasive. I will review them and select the appropriate ones to implement."

As expected, the questions were the same as everyone else's predictions: they all revolved around the war!

The first question concerns military strategy: Assuming the enemy possesses artillery with a range of 30 kilometers, while our artillery has a maximum range of only 20 kilometers, how do we break this deadlock? How do we reorganize the magic legion to coordinate with firearms infantry and artillery? How do we deploy battlefield magic arrays to ensure the safety of logistical supply lines?

Even the high-ranking officials of the Ministry of War have not yet devised a perfect solution to this difficult problem, so naturally they do not expect the candidates present to be able to solve it perfectly. As long as their answers are reasonable and original, they can get high marks.

Tong Chuxue had already guessed that this question would come up, after all, she was there when the western front suffered a defeat more than half a month ago.

Other candidates: imagined war scenarios and mentally simulated them, but because firearms were classified, they knew little about them and could only write what they didn't know.

Tong Chuxue: Thank you for the invitation. I just came back from the battlefield. My comrades have already come up with a lot of countermeasures. Your Majesty, you can ask me if you have any questions about firearms.

It's just... you know what I mean.

Haha, you know how crazy I was when I was on the battlefield? Anyway, it was pouring rain, and I was wearing my uniform. While everyone else was running away, I was in the trenches rescuing and carrying people for a full six hours.

You could say that as a transport lieutenant, she might not be able to compare with frontline soldiers, but at least among the candidates present, no one understood war better than her!

The second question, on wartime governance policies, and the third question, on wartime foreign policy, are both types of questions that are easy to predict.

Tong Chuxue had practiced these questions countless times over the past few days. Furthermore, policy essays were far more flexible than the eight-legged essay, making writing them a natural and effortless task. She didn't even bother with a draft, directly writing them in the official script on the answer sheet:

"Your Majesty is supremely wise and sagacious, ruling the world with benevolence that extends to all corners of the earth and awe-inspiring power that shakes the eight directions. At this time when the battlefields are in turmoil..."

This beautiful Taige style calligraphy can't be mastered without ten years of hard work. Tong Chuxue has been practicing for nearly twenty years... Don't ask Tong Chuxue's current age. Can you judge the age of elves and humans the same way?

It was noon by the time she finished writing and put down her pen.

The other candidates drafted their papers and then copied them, so they were much slower. Meanwhile, Hime-no-Kami and the ministers had finished their meal and were strolling around the palace to digest their food, while also checking on the candidates' performance.

Ji Yushen strolled over to Tong Chuxue's side, casually picked up the answer sheet on her desk, and carefully read it. Tong Chuxue's heart tightened slightly, and she lowered her head, holding her breath and daring not to make a sound. Fortunately, Ji Yushen did not say anything. After reading it, he put the test paper back in its original place and continued pacing around the hall—it seems that proctors in any world have this habit of playing mind games with people.

All ten candidates present were genius test-takers, so it was clear that Tong Chuxue wasn't the only one who had predicted the questions correctly.

By 1 p.m., all the candidates had finished.

Unlike the imperial examinations of the Ming and Qing dynasties in reality, the imperial examinations in the game world do not allow candidates to submit their papers in advance, but the rankings can be determined on the same day—after all, Himeko had already reviewed all the papers one by one and had already made her decision.

The eunuchs collected all the answer sheets and presented them to the emperor.

Ji Yushen sat upright in his chair, slowly turning the pages one by one, while the examinees below sat still, anxiously awaiting the results.

Finally, Ji Yushen put down the examination paper, his gaze sweeping over the candidates below the steps. His voice was calm and authoritative as he slowly spoke: "I have reviewed each of the essays submitted by the candidates. They expounded on current affairs and expressed their own opinions. Their talents are all commendable, and they are all outstanding talents of the nation and heroes among men. I cannot determine the ranking of the essays in a short time, and I do not wish to make a hasty judgment."

Everyone was slightly taken aback.

What does this mean? Does it mean we are too outstanding for the Emperor to rank, or does it mean he needs to discuss with his ministers before assigning scores?

However, before everyone could think, Ji Yushen continued, "Now I will add another imperial topic. Listen to my decree: each of you must write a short essay within two hours. It must be imaginative, interesting, unique, and unconventional, fully displaying the wonderful ideas in your hearts."

"Given the tight schedule, all that's needed is a complete story outline—start writing now, and there must be no mistakes!"

what?

Are you asking these top-performing students from across the country to write novels in the nation's most prestigious examination halls?

It also needs to be imaginative and full of fun?

No, Your Majesty, have you considered that everyone here is a top-notch test-taker, spending every day researching exams, cultivating, studying, and dealing with current affairs, stocks, funds, and the like? We really don't understand things like novels!

Only Toyokawa Sho's eyes suddenly lit up, and his heart was filled with unbridled joy!

After she passed the imperial examination, her grandfather took her to the family's ancestral home, where she witnessed the true darkness of the Toyokawa family—a Buddha statue, which her grandfather called "Buddha-Dhamorin," said to be one of the billions of incarnations of a supreme extraterrestrial being in the universe.

Following her grandfather's instructions, she offered a penguin as a sacrifice to the Buddha statue. That night, she received a dream from the Buddha, in which a nun spoke to her:

"The Elf Empress, Yu Shen, lamented that no one could vouch for her legendary flame, the 'Priestess,' so she decided to test everyone's writing skills in the palace examination to select the one with the strongest imagination."

Therefore, Toyokawa Sho made ample preparations in advance, reading dozens of novels and online articles at night, and even spending a lot of money to borrow a junior author to assist in the creation of the novel.

I'm sure I'll become the top scholar in this imperial examination!

…………

On the throne.

Ji Yushen looked at the panicked and helpless examinees below the stage, a slight smile playing on his lips, but he remained silent.

Just as the mysterious Buddha had foretold, Himegami did indeed intend to cultivate a successor as a "priestess," a fact that was no longer a secret among the higher-ups.

However, she had one unshakeable premise: the successor must be chosen from among the ministers she had selected.

Only in this way can we ensure that even after the other party achieves legendary status and takes control of the fire, they will still be completely under our control—after all, the "Priestess" fire, along with the "Empress" and the "Moon," belongs to the same source material [understanding], and is the trump card for Himegami to interfere with the source material of the Kingdom of Konoma, so there can be no slightest mistake.

Unfortunately, she searched for a long time but never found the right person.

This "Priestess" flame was obtained after conquering the immortal demon Jianmu. It is the embodiment of feminine wisdom, and its core lies in "inner exploration"—connecting with the truth of the world through intuition and subconsciousness. It contains the ultimate imagination and creativity, while also symbolizing the power of stillness and healing.

Therefore, the legendary ascension ceremony of the "priestess" has two completely different directions:

First, one must live beyond the lifespan of one cycle, which is 129,600 years, a feat no living being in the world can achieve; second, one must create a great work that combines ultimate imagination and creativity, captivating the hearts of all people in the world.

Finally, the heir must be a woman.

Logically, the second condition should be much easier to achieve than the first. However, the educational system promoted by the Imperial Academy makes students focus solely on the imperial examinations. Those who manage to pass the palace examinations and become officials in the future have long had their boundless imagination and creativity stifled.

Ji Yushen searched through all his officials and found that the most imaginative female official was actually a military officer like Peng Longteng.

Despite her two-meter height and seemingly carefree attitude, treating the soldiers like brothers and killing and massacring villages for fun, she actually has a girlish side. She secretly wears a pink dress in her room and does unspeakable things to her expensive, life-size Transformers model.

Himeko remained noncommittal about this hobby.

Since there were no suitable candidates among the court officials, she turned her attention to the newly admitted scholars in the imperial examinations. Among the ten successful candidates in this year's examinations, five were women who had not yet been worn down by the rules of officialdom and still possessed imagination and creativity, making them the most suitable candidates.

The candidates were stunned for a moment, but in the end they dared not disobey the imperial decree and had no choice but to obediently pick up their pens and start composing.

Miaomeng racked her brains. She was once a wildly popular internet celebrity, and soon she had an idea. She picked up her pen and started writing a novel about live streaming, putting down classic live streaming scenes of herself and her fellow internet celebrities. Her writing was full of exciting moments that made netizens watch, exclaim, and burst into laughter. Thanks to her grasp of popular tastes, the finished product was quite respectable.