Qi Guan Ce is the Great Jing Dynasty's most famous good-for-nothing. His father is a deputy minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and his elder brother came first in the provincial examination. He alone has failed the entry-level exam three years in a row and can't even recite the whole Three Character Classic. The scholars of the capital mock him as “the Qi Guan family's useless lump.” Everyone thinks he'll spend his life living off his family, but then he binds himself to a Slacker Imperial Exam System: “Host, slack off to earn points. Lie flat and you can still level up!” While others burn the midnight oil memorizing the eight-legged essay, he lies flat and sleeps. The System announces, “Slacking success: skill in eight-legged essays +10.” While others rack their brains over policy essays, he scribbles a few careless strokes, and a notification pops up: “Slacking done right: policy essay skills now rival those of a provincial graduate.” At the entry-level exam, he oversleeps and nearly arrives late, then casually writes a rambling essay that somehow earns him first place. At the licentiate exam, he hands in his paper first, and the chief examiner praises his crooked handwriting for its “distinctive spirit.” At the provincial exam, he carries a jar of wine into the hall and writes a policy essay while drunk, stunning everyone! The capital's scholars are in an uproar. “Did this good-for-nothing cheat?!” Qi Guan Ce yawns and shrugs. “Can't help it. I can win by slacking, so I'm pretty helpless too.” Later, he slacks his way all the way to the Golden Throne Hall. When the emperor asks for a strategy to govern the country, he casually replies, “Less rat-racing, more lying flat, and the nation will prosper.” The emperor is so delighted that he names him the top scorer! P.S. The protagonist's surname is Qi Guan, an uncommon name unlikely to be confused with anyone else. It's a comedy from beginning to end, with no angst, a thoroughly satisfying underdog comeback, and the ultimate slacker imperial-exam story!
