(Imperial Examinations + Genius Protagonist + Alternate History)
From the start, he has nothing but a leaky thatched hut. His wicked uncle and aunt want to seize his fields and sell his sister, treating the eldest branch of the family like dirt!
Lu Shiyan delves into the vast Library of All Things in his mind and rises from humble beginnings!
He takes the imperial examinations, vies for honors, claims the top spot, and enters the imperial court, using his unmatched literary talent to cleanse a corrupt government!
"Sixfold First! County First, Prefecture First, the Minor Triple First, the Grand Triple First... This country boy has taken every single one?!"
When the newly crowned top scholar bows to receive the emperor's reward in the Golden Throne Hall, everyone thinks civil governance has reached its peak...
Lu Shiyan smiles faintly and flips open the seventh level of the library: On the Principles of the Steam Engine and the Construction of Modern Railways!
Crude earthen kilns → modern blast furnaces (a hundredfold increase in output, with fine steel flowing like water)!
Muddy roads → steel arteries stretching ten thousand li (steam trains roar past, covering a thousand li a day)!
Matchlock arquebuses → breech-loading rifles and ten thousand heavy cannons (their range crushes all previous eras, annihilating enemies with overwhelming force)!
While the officials think he is becoming a great Confucian scholar, Lu Shiyan has already used technology to redraw the empire's map!
Many years later, when someone once again asked Lu Shiyan about his guiding principles, he only smiled faintly.
"We study so we can reason with beasts. Strong ships and powerful guns are what make the Four Barbarians sit down and listen to me reason with them!"
Author, please finish that previous book first! It's just not enough to read! 🥺