Am I going to be controlled by the players too?

Hatsune racked her brains and, drawing on her own experiences, wrote a heart-wrenching love story about an aunt and niece's complicated relationship and the tragic pursuit of her lover, which she titled "Thunderstorm."

Meanwhile, Toyokawa Sho was already preparing to use methods to cheat.

Suddenly, the three flames within her body—the flame of historical records, the flame of online literature, and the flame of writing—shone brightly simultaneously, faintly coalescing into a celestial killing move:

"Do you believe in online novels? I admire the first person to read one; they might have died from the poison." Toyokawa Sho muttered to himself, "I'll say it again, people will eventually have to follow the Akashi (Red History), and the Akashi needs to be accelerated—"

"National Fate," "Live Stream," "Memory Revealed," "Decisive Execution," "Strange Tales of Rules," "Civilizational Gap," "Review," "Heartfelt Words," "Doomsday Chinese Goods," "System Hosting," "True and False Heiresses," "Arena," "Ancient Sky Screen," "Movie Viewing"...

After reciting the fourteen incantations, Toyokawa Sho unleashed a deadly Sage Mode attack—

"Made by Akashi"!

The moment the killing move was unleashed, Toyokawa Sho felt a surge of inspiration, his pen flowing effortlessly, and his fingers involuntarily gripped the pen, writing the title of the essay on the exam paper:

"The Immortal Path of the War God Dragon King Shura: Unlimited Future Livestream Behind the Scenes, Love Simulator: Lu Mingfei, a reincarnator returning from countless worlds, is a hybrid of Shinji Ikari and Lu Mingfei. After encountering a strange tale of rules, he finds another version of himself in his own courtyard, wondering, 'Who am I?' Then he encounters an apocalypse where zombies, high temperatures, and extreme cold alternate, forcing him to honestly hoard supplies. His extraordinary comprehension allows him to simultaneously travel through 99 worlds, including the Primordial Collapse Porridge. He is then overheard by these worlds, and after death, they are filled with regret. He is then reborn as a child, transforming into a magical girl, playing in a girl band, and awakening a chat group system on the national destiny arena. Finally, he becomes the supreme primordial saint. A celestial projection reveals his past memories, publicly listing ten classic moments that shock people from all realms!"

perfect!

If I keep writing like this, the top scorer will definitely be mine—I'm going to forever crush Tong Chuxue, that college student, under my feet!

Seeing everyone putting pen to paper, Tong Chuxue panicked a little.

She really hasn't read many novels, so how should she write it?

"Don't rush." ​​Cheng Cheng's voice rang in her mind, "I'll read it, you write it down."

"Master, can you write novels?" Tong Chuxue whispered.

"Although I don't know how, I have a good memory and I still remember what I've read before." Cheng Cheng paused. "Don't worry, these are all novels that even the Empress hasn't read and will definitely never read again... Moreover, I'm confident I can please Ji Yushen."

After all, writing a novel is not just about piling up satisfying moments or venting emotions; the core is to find the right audience.

This is the imperial examination, and to win first place, one must accurately understand Hime Misami's thoughts, cater to her preferences, hit her sweet spots, and write the story she loves most, rather than randomly piecing together elements and expressing one's own feelings.

Seeing Tong Chuxue's still bewildered expression, Cheng Cheng knew she might not understand, but he didn't explain further.

Through the information transmitted by Freya, he had already figured out Himegami's personality: she was autocratic and domineering, ambitious and extremely controlling, with an extreme and obsessive personality; but at the same time, she was a man of great talent and ambition, expanding her territory and working hard to govern, making her the most suitable monarch for the identity of "emperor".

Such an empress would never appreciate stories of romance, love, or a detached, Buddhist-like existence; she would only favor protagonists who wield absolute power, rule the world, are supreme, and have absolute authority throughout the ages.

Considering she is an empress, she should copy "Starting as a magical girl, I will rule for eternity".

Ahem, I made a mistake.

Instead, it's "The Prime Minister of the World".

Wait, I've got it wrong again—no matter how exciting the protagonist is, if he doesn't behead Tong Chuxue once he's presented to the emperor, it would be a miracle if Ji Yushen didn't.

To truly win over Ji Yushen, one must write a story of extreme loyalty to the emperor, assisting the monarch, stabilizing the imperial family, and bringing peace to the world, while always adhering to the duties of a subject, never overstepping authority, and never plotting rebellion. In that case, "The Night Walker in Brocade Robes" would be a good choice.

Since it was just an outline anyway, Cheng Cheng thought about how to localize the content while slowly telling Tong Chuxue the plot.

Tong Chuxue held her pen and carefully copied each word onto the answer sheet...

…………

The hall was filled with the fragrance of incense, and the only sound was the soft scratching of brushes across Xuan paper. Occasionally, candidates would sigh in frustration and scratch their heads, completely losing the composure they had displayed when answering policy questions.

Toyokawa Sho's pen never stopped, his handwriting wild and sloppy, completely disregarding the dignified rules of the imperial style. He wanted to cram all the popular tropes into the outline and try to copy all the works. His writing was full of malice, and every word was filled with his obsession with winning the top prize.

Miaomeng's live stream outline is fluent and pleasing, but lacks scope. The whole piece is full of mundane humor, which is unlikely to catch the emperor's eye. Hatsune's "Thunderstorm" is emotionally delicate, but it is too focused on personal feelings, which makes it seem petty in the context of the wartime imperial examination.

The other candidates either racked their brains but couldn't come up with a pen, or wrote some strange tales or fables.

It was unremarkable and had nothing remarkable about it.

Tong Chuxue lowered her eyes, picked up her brush, and wrote in the dignified and neat style of the imperial calligraphy, copying Cheng Cheng's outline onto the scroll stroke by stroke.

Cheng Cheng's selection of "The Night Watchman in Brocade Robes" has already removed all sensitive scenes and completely localized the story, fitting the background of the empire's existence of elves, magic, and fire demons. It has also been made a fictional world, and the outline directly strikes at the Empress's heart from the very beginning:

In the chaotic era of the Great Jing Dynasty, war raged on the borders, powerful ministers carved up the land, and foreign tribes coveted the territory. The female protagonist, under the emperor's orders, hid in the martial arts world and joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard. With her wisdom and resourcefulness, she gathered martial arts forces, reorganized the secret agent system, controlled intelligence with one hand and eliminated traitors with the other. She purged internal spies, weakened the power of the princes, and defended against foreign enemies. She served the monarch and protected the imperial cause throughout her life. No matter how powerful she became, she never overstepped the boundaries between the monarch and the subject.

As a woman, she became the sharpest sword and the most solid shield for the emperor, helping the empress to pacify the four directions, centralize power, and expand the territory. In the end, she became a loyal and virtuous female minister, leaving her name in history!

The entire work contains not a single instance of a powerful minister overstepping his bounds or disobeying the emperor. It is filled with loyalty to the ruler, protection of the empress, assistance in establishing the imperial dynasty, the establishment of a strong nation, and the absolute supremacy of the emperor. It vividly depicts power struggles and battlefield maneuvering, reflecting the empress's ambition to expand her territory, while also adhering to the proper relationship between ruler and subject at every turn. It portrays the emperor's supreme authority and absolute control to the fullest extent, perfectly catering to all of Ji Yushen's preferences.

Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.

The eunuch announced in a shrill voice that the writing had stopped, and that all the novel outlines had been collected and presented to the throne.

Himeko casually picked up the top exam paper, starting with Toyokawa Sho's. She only glanced at the extremely long title before her brows furrowed slightly. She patiently scanned down two lines. Her eyes were filled with a chaotic jumble of satisfying points, illogical and rife with malice. It was nothing but opportunistic and crooked methods, and it also subtly revealed an eagerness for quick success and an arrogant disregard for discipline.

She loosened her grip, tossed the exam paper aside, and her expression turned cold.

Looking at the exam papers of Miaomeng, Chuyin, and others, they were either clichéd and narrow in scope, or filled with love stories that were out of place. The other candidates' papers were even more bland and unoriginal.

The Empress's expression grew increasingly cold and stern, emanating a suppressed aura that silenced everyone in the hall, who dared not even breathe loudly.

Until she picked up Tong Chuxue's exam paper.

The author's elegant and unparalleled style of writing is pleasing to the eye. The opening paragraphs focus on imperial ambitions, loyalty to the emperor, and assisting the country. The writing is logically sound and grand in scope, without any unnecessary sentimental details. Every word and sentence is about how to assist the monarch, consolidate imperial power, quell wars, and strengthen the empire.

The protagonist is brave, resourceful, and decisive in killing, yet he spends his life obeying orders, willingly serving as the empress's henchman, helping her clear all obstacles and realize her ambition to rule the world and expand her territory to all nations, demonstrating his unwavering loyalty to the emperor in every aspect.

Ji Yushen's originally cold and indifferent brows gradually relaxed, and his icy aura dissipated. He gently stroked the words on the test paper with his fingertips, and a hint of undisguised approval flashed in his eyes.

She raised her eyes, her gaze falling directly on Tong Chuxue, who stood with her head bowed below the steps. Her gaze was sharp, yet held a hint of appreciation.

Tong Chuxue felt a slight tightness in her chest, but she kept her head down, maintaining a respectful posture.

After a long pause, Ji Yushen slowly spoke, his voice authoritative yet unable to conceal his satisfaction:

Where is the first snowfall for the scholar Tong from Jinling?

Tong Chuxue quickly stood up and bowed, then saw Ji Yushen give her a deep look before suddenly saying, "I came up with a couplet the other day, but I can't remember the matching line for the time. Would you like to give it a try, my dear minister?"

There is nothing wrong with the first snow falling on the paulownia tree.

Then Ji Yushen posed a question: "The cicada knows nothing of Zen, how dare it presume to claim knowledge?"

Tong Chuxue was slightly taken aback, then tilted her head as if listening to something, and then said, "If an ape doesn't play on the plains, how can it call itself a primate?"

Chapter 115, A Clever Match in the Emperor and His Ministers' Hall, Riding High on a Spring Breeze

If apes don't roam the plains, how can they call themselves primates?

Upon hearing this, Ji Yushen's brow furrowed in doubt: "The Zen I speak of, is it the Zen of Zen principles?"

"The student's 'Yuan' is the 'Yuan' of the primordial demon," Tong Chuxue explained, cupping her hands in greeting. "'Wan' is a variant of 'Wan,' implying study and cultivation."

Hime nods slightly.

Her first line meant: "A mere cicada, ignorant of Zen, dares to claim to know?" Tong Chuxue's reply was: "Unlike humans, spirits, and other intelligent beings, apes cannot use the power of the primordial demon (fire seed) to cultivate; how dare they call themselves primates?"

This can be considered a well-structured couplet with a double meaning, and it also perfectly reflects Himegami's desire to find a suitable "priestess," which is quite ingenious.

"Excellent, excellent, excellent!" the Grand Secretary exclaimed. "A masterpiece for all time! Tong Chuxue's writing is truly superb!"

Seeing that the joyful couplet-matching activity pleased His Majesty, the ministers and examinees, who had been somewhat solemn and depressed, began to whisper among themselves, each devising their own matching lines.

Ji Yushen, not wanting to spoil the mood, let the ministers discuss. After thinking for a moment, he smiled and said, "When copying the Han Dynasty calligraphy, whether read forwards or backwards, it is the same sentence. I wonder if Minister Tong can reconcile?"

Tong Chuxue thought for a moment: "Middle school students learn (cloze test)."

The first line refers to the Hanlin Academy officials studying and practicing Han dynasty calligraphy, while the second line refers to the fact that these Hanlin officials all started learning from junior high school. It also alludes to the daily activities of the officials after get off work, making the couplet very well-matched.

Ji Yushen tapped the dragon throne and asked, "Carrying a tin pot while boating on West Lake, the tin pot fell into West Lake. What a pity for the tin pot."

Tong Chuxue replied, "I will travel to Southern Liang to find a male mother, but there is no male mother in Southern Liang, so it is difficult to understand Southern Liang."

Ji Yushen asked again: "The Hanging Temple of Xishan hangs in the air over Xishan, and the pine needles of Huangshan fall and the mountain turns yellow."

Tong Chuxue pondered for a moment: "The lady went to the wrong bed (fill in the blank), and the elderly in Rizhao are old (fill in the blank)."

"Good! That's right!"

"Your Majesty's first line evoked in me the desire to tour the magnificent landscapes of the Empire, while Tong Gongsheng's second line reminded me of my fourteen-year-old mother at home, filling my heart with countless emotions..."

"You civil servants speak so convolutedly, I can't understand a single word you say?"

Seeing the smiles on the faces of the officials, Ji Yushen smiled gently and asked, "The Jinshi of today are adorned with fine clothes and gold ornaments."

Upon hearing this first line of the couplet, the lively atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze. The officials secretly thought, "His Majesty is implying that we've been living too comfortably since becoming officials."

After pondering for a moment, Tong Chuxue replied, "The laborers in the cave cry to the cruel officials."

The first line describes the luxurious life of a scholar who has passed the imperial examination, while the second line depicts the tragedy of a laborer at the bottom of society. The couplet is not only well-structured but also evokes the sentiment of "Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste, while on the road, frozen corpses lie."

Ji Yushen finally nodded in satisfaction, and then said to the ministers, "This Tongchuxue is someone I personally selected for the college entrance examination and also personally granted a place in the provincial examination. Some people say that I treat a college student like a treasure, but now look, even a college student can produce such a talented person."

All the ministers nodded in agreement, but then the Grand Secretary Lu Weiming stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty is in high spirits and has produced a series of wonderful couplets. I have been watching from the sidelines and I am also eager to try my hand at it. Now that we have this opportunity, I also have a couplet that I would like to ask Tong Gongsheng for his advice. I wonder if that is permissible?"

Ji Yushen narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded.

Then the chief minister recited: "The Jing and Wei rivers flow together; when clear, one washes one's hat ornaments; when muddy, one washes one's feet."

This couplet is derived from the ancient sage Mencius, meaning that the Jing and Wei rivers flow together, seemingly in one place, but in reality, one is clear and the other is muddy, with a clear boundary.

But if you ask for the deeper meaning, it implies that the court is like the Jing and Wei rivers, with some people being clear and some being muddy, and some having parties and factions. You, Tong Chuxue, became an official through the imperial examination and seem to belong to the civil official group; but you are also a military officer who was a second lieutenant in the army. Now the emperor clearly intends to choose you as the top scholar. I wonder which side you will stand on.

When the Grand Secretary posed this question to Tong Chuxue in front of Ji Yushen, all the ministers were shocked: We are in a factional struggle, is it necessary to play such a big game in front of His Majesty?

Ji Yushen remained silent, and the ministers also racked their brains, but the matching line had to be found in the scriptures, which was quite difficult. Cheng Cheng, who was in the ring, could easily come up with the previous doggerel couplets, but he was stumped by this kind of serious couplet, which also required expressing his stance.

Just as he was about to persuade Tong Chuxue to give up, he heard Tong Chuxue suddenly say, "The difference between hot and cold is that in summer one drinks water and in winter one drinks soup."

This couplet, also derived from Mencius, implies that I will not distinguish between right and wrong factions or choose sides; I will drink cold water when it is hot in summer and hot soup when it is cold in winter, adapting to the times and acting accordingly—being outwardly flexible but inwardly principled, appearing content with one's lot while maintaining a sense of propriety, thus avoiding offending the chief minister and demonstrating an attitude of not forming factions, which puts His Majesty at ease.

After this exchange, the ministers all praised him, the chief minister smiled wryly and stepped back, and Ji Yushen's eyes also revealed a trace of heartfelt approval.

Only Cheng Cheng was stunned inside the ring, completely bewildered.

What the heck? What does she mean? I don't understand at all. How can a mere college graduate be so well-versed in classical texts?

But he overlooked the fact that Tong Chuxue scored full marks in the liberal arts section of the college entrance examination and only got into a junior college because of her poor magic; while he himself was terrible at liberal arts and only got into university because he was the top scorer in the physical education exam.

As the court gradually quieted down, Ji Yushen smiled and said, "In this palace examination, the policy essay tested current affairs, while the short essay tested character and talent. Among all the students, only Tong Chuxue's policy essay hit the nail on the head and was substantial, while the short essay had a grand vision, adhered to the duties of a subject, and deeply understood the emperor's mind. Every word was in line with my wishes."

"I, together with Grand Secretary Lu, examined his poems, books, and essays. Every sentence was full of allusions. He was loyal and filial, truly a man of both classics and filial piety, which won my heart."

As soon as he finished speaking, Toyokawa Sho, though he had expected it, turned pale and stared at Kiri Hatsuyuki in disbelief, licking his lips, his heart filled with resentment.

Ji Yushen's gaze swept over the crowd, and with a firm tone, he directly announced the rankings: "I hereby declare that Tong Chuxue has won first place in this palace examination and is hereby granted the title of Zhuangyuan!"

"Yan Bang, a student from Haicheng, is the second-place scholar; Feng Chuanxiang, a student from Jinling, is the third-place scholar. The remaining candidates will be appointed to official positions according to their rankings, pending my future appointment."

As soon as the words were spoken in the hall, all the civil and military officials bowed and shouted in unison: