A strange and strange novel that reveals the dark side of ancient imperial examinations
"Everyone who enters the imperial examination must abide by the thirteen provisions of the "Instructions for Taking Examinations". Anyone who violates the rules will be expelled from his position - blood will be substituted for ink, and life will be substituted for writing."
In order to find out the truth about his brother's mysterious death, Xu Yanbai, a scholar from a poor family, pretended to participate in the "Xuanzi Department" which was opened in 60 years. The moment he stepped into the Gongyuan, he found that he had fallen into an abyss more terrifying than failure——
Every rule in the "Test-taking Instructions" in the examination room is a death curse:
When I was young, I heard the sound of grinding ink, but I couldn't answer it.
Those who apply for new paper must cover it with old paper
The night watchman wears crimson, the real examiner wears indigo...
When the watch began to steal time, when the inkstone grinded out the candidates' memories, and when the living test papers rustled in the dormitory - Xu Yanbai realized that this examination room was a living tomb that cannibalized people. And under the third taboo that my brother circled with blood, there is still half a sentence that was erased by cinnabar...
Chinese Cthulhu Aesthetics
It integrates the imperial examination system of the Ming and Qing dynasties and strange stories about rules to create a thrilling world view of "words bite people". The buildings in the Gongyuan will grow, the test questions can predict the future, and the most terrifying monsters are the "seniors" with titles on the gold list.
Adapted from real historical events
Taking the North-South Ranking Case of Wanli Period and the Jiajing Imperial Examination Fraud Case as prototypes, it reveals the bloody and tearful truth behind "Horse Hoof Disease".
——The Lake on Oahu, the first in the Dark Imperial Examination series
