The Imperial Court's Heights and the Gauntlet of the Civil Service Exams

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--- Blurb is a scam ---

Gu Qiao was known in the jianghu as the Little Overlord Study Machine: the top scorer on the college entrance exam and a renowned teacher for the civil service exam. Then, in a single moment, he transmigrated and became a useless crybaby. To others, he seemed like a spoiled young master. In private, people could twist him this way and that, and all he knew how to do was cry.

Gu Qiao, who had spent years professionally helping hopeless cases: Then I'll start by helping myself.

The rules for an academically gifted person from ancient times to rise to greatness:

Become the top scorer and enter government through the imperial exams? He's too weak to sit for them. (X)

Become a teacher and educate generations of students? He's too young to teach. (X)

Rescuing people and getting them through the civil service exams, then quietly starting a tutoring class, is more his forte. (O)

Later, Teacher Gu of the civil service exam class was thoroughly sold out by his students during the palace examination.

The old emperor looked over his newly compiled current-affairs exam material and specially bestowed on him the title of honorary top scorer, exempt from the exam, and the imperial appointment of Director of Education.

It sounded impressive, but he had no rank, no grade, and no salary. :(

Still, he could command all the students of the Great Li dynasty. :)

Poor Gu the workhorse had no choice but to carry out the imperial decree. He began a medieval version of a literacy campaign, teaching pinyin, simplified characters, math, science, and more... Before he knew it, he had brought forward by a whole thousand years an age in which everyone could read. Historians of later generations praised him: "A teacher for a hundred generations."

What, the old emperor was the first to oppose a literacy campaign that would educate the common people?

No worries. The old emperor was deposed. :)

I'll thoroughly revise this before posting it!

--- Reading Guide ---

1. Growth and political scheming in equal measure. This isn't a conventional wish-fulfillment novel. If that sounds unappealing, read at your own risk.

2. Customs, government, and the imperial examination system are based on the early to mid-Ming period, with some changes.

3. Elegant, refined nobleman top x academically gifted commoner bottom who loves to talk back. Both transmigrated. Before transmigration, the top was four years older than the bottom; afterward, their bodies differ in age by fourteen years. An older man with a young wife. The bottom isn't actually a crybaby, he just has sensitive eyes.

4. I really don't like being told how to write. Let me start by admitting it: this book isn't good. It's really bad. The author's writing is wordy, there's way too much description, and it throws in obscure allusions. There are so many fast-paced, entertaining novels out there, so promise me you won't make things hard for yourself. And then come tell me the author is no good... I really am no good, okay! If you don't like it, just quietly close the page. The next book will be more agreeable!

--- Next book in the same series ---

The Minister of Rites Is Faking an Illness Again [Book Transmigration] will be an easier read. It's mainly about reforming the ancient bureaucracy, with case-solving arcs in an episodic format.

In the third year of Yuansheng, the new top scorer's exam-fraud case came to light during the palace examination. Chief Examiner Wang, the venerable Grand Secretary, was promptly thrown in prison.

Wang Yixiu had just wiped the powder he used to fake an illness off his face when a servant came to report the bad news: "Terrible news, Master! You've committed a serious crime!"

His head swam. Was he supposed to just accept this?!

Wang Yixiu was an outsider who had transmigrated into a book. His original self was the most beautiful man in Great Liang. During this palace examination, Emperor Yuan set his sights on him and turned him into a plaything. Unable to bear the humiliation, he tried to assassinate the emperor, only for his entire family to be executed.

The humiliation was real.

The plot was so outrageous that it made Little Wang's hair stand on end.

He immediately pretended to be ill and refused to sit the exam. Who could have guessed that his frantic maneuvering would get him out of trouble, while Old Wang went to prison... With no other choice, Little Wang had to rescue his father himself.

At their first audience, his face was pale as a ghost, and he coughed up blood like a consumptive. He did everything he could to go against Emperor Yuan's taste. The cold, imposing emperor looked down at him, his eyes utterly indifferent.

Wang Yixiu silently gave himself a thumbs-up. Oh, wow. You can still bring yourself to take a bite out of me?

Three years into Emperor Xiao Chi's reign, he was hampered at every turn by the old officials, and had long been thinking of killing them. He let powerful ministers bribe their way into obtaining the exam questions, intending to use the exam fraud scandal to purge the old guard from the court. But a "consumptive" appeared out of nowhere and ruined his plan.

Xiao Chi simply made this fake consumptive his target. But instead of the officials attacking him as expected, a lawless lunatic began stripping people of their official hats while "coughing up his heart and blood" to promote legal awareness.

Powerful ministers hoarding authority? Little Wang smiled and handed them the latest Three-Point Plan and the Official Conduct Code. "At least seven years. Take your time."

The emperor's relatives consolidating power? Little Wang joined the Three Judicial Offices to issue the Civil Service Appointment Regulations. "You can't get promoted for thirty years. Have you thought it through?"

What? Everyone in the court was ignorant of the law? No problem. Little Wang would be waiting for them in The Legal Awareness Lecture Hall and True Accounts of Major Cases!

The court was transformed.

On the throne, the young emperor watched everything unfold and irritably rubbed his temples.

Wang Yixiu pretended to be sick every day, but the story still stubbornly found its way back to its original plot.

One day in the imperial study, Wang Yixiu gathered the red sleeves of his official robe and reluctantly ground ink. Xiao Chi gazed at his wrist, smooth as warm jade, then suddenly said, "How fortunate I am to have an ailing beloved official to add fragrance to my red sleeves."

Red sleeves? Add fragrance?

Wang Yixiu's scalp tingled. He quickly gathered his sleeves and coughed up blood. "Grinding ink is nothing, Your Majesty. I am the most loyal donkey in your production team!"

Later, Xiao Chi boldly pinned him down on the imperial desk. "Does my beloved official know that a donkey will eventually be ridden by its owner...?"

Theme: Put your knowledge to work and rule through learning!