Peking University Master’s Goes Through the Imperial Exams—Shocking Everyone at Court

Lin Yanzhu, once an outstanding student in Peking University’s history department in his previous life, transmigrates into a poor scholar of the Great Jing Dynasty who has failed the imperial examinations three times, becoming the village laughingstock because of his engagement to the deceased county magistrate’s daughter.

On the eve of the exams, the matriarch of the Cui family personally comes to the dilapidated house. Rather than breaking off the engagement, she insists on honoring it.

After that, he surges forward with unstoppable momentum, passing every level until he ranks first in all six rounds and is personally named zhuangyuan by the emperor in the imperial court.

A performance of “Shui Diao Ge Tou” makes the ten most famous courtesans of Jiangnan offer themselves to him;

at a banquet, in high spirits and fully drunk, “Jiang Jin Jiu” bursts forth with overwhelming grandeur, and from then on no one in the poetry world dares call themselves bold and unrestrained;

the story “Strange Tales of the Lonely Ghost” makes countless scholars believe that lonely temples in the wilderness are sure to hold encounters, and inn business plummets.

His examination essays are honored as model texts, and his annotations on the classics enter the imperial academy directly.

But this is only the beginning.

On his thirtieth birthday, he stands at the peak of the court and becomes Grand Chancellor, with students and former officials spread everywhere.

With one line—“to set the mind in place for heaven and earth, to set life in place for the people, to continue the learning for the sages past, and to open peace for the countless generations to come”—he reshapes the spirit of scholars across the world, and is revered by all students as the Sage of Literature.

He improves farm tools and builds irrigation works, filling the granaries of the people;

he organizes a new army, creates divine artillery, drives the northern barbarians out, pacifies the Japanese pirates in the south, opens sea trade routes, and forges the “Great Jing silver dollar” into currency used across the world.

In the court, he gradually becomes an uncrowned sovereign.

That day, a deer was led into the solemn palace hall, and the ministers were stunned.

Only to see Grand Chancellor Lin Yanzhu point at the deer, sweep his gaze across the court in purple robes, and ask with a smile, “Gentlemen, take a look—what do you think of this horse?”

In an instant, the hall fell dead silent.

Then, astonishingly, the civil and military officials all bowed together: “Grand Chancellor, with your keen judgment, this is indeed a fine horse!”

Even the emperor on the dragon throne could only nod in agreement.

Lin Yanzhu stared at the dragon throne, lost in thought...