Chapter 37

"Hmm, the provincial examination in Jinan is also about to begin."

*Heaven-Dependent* Zhang Jie checked the time in the *Water Margin* world and found that the *Water Margin* world had already reached August,

and there were not many days left until the triennial provincial examination.

"By the way, do you have any hope of getting the title of top provincial exam candidate?"

*Heavenly Dragon* Zhang Jie asked with great interest.

Speaking of which, although he and *Water Margin* Zhang Jie were in different worlds, their backgrounds were both in the Great Song Dynasty,

and the Great Song Dynasty of *Water Margin* was several decades later than the Great Song Dynasty of *Heavenly Dragon*.

That is to say, if *Heavenly Dragon* Zhang Jie were interested in taking the imperial examination,

he could completely copy some high-scoring exam papers from later generations!

At the very least, he could copy *Water Margin* Zhang Jie's exam papers.

*Heavenly Dragon* Zhang Jie: I don't answer questions, I am just a porter of exam papers~

But he only thought about this idea.

The road of the imperial examination was already being walked by *Water Margin* Zhang Jie, and it would be meaningless for him to walk it again.

Was the North Dark Divine Art, Lingbo Micro-Steps, and other martial arts not fragrant anymore,

or were beauties like Wang Yuyan, A'Zhu, and A'Bi not pretty?

He was a promising youth who intended to take Prince Duan Zhengchun as his role model!

He did not ask *Water Margin* Zhang Jie if he was sure about passing the exam.

Before the shared space came, *Water Margin* Zhang Jie,

because he had put all his attribute points into spirit,

almost possessed the ability of photographic memory and was a natural seed for reading.

Not to mention that now that the shared space had arrived, it was even more like adding wings to a tiger;

photographic memory and reciting backward were already basic operations.

If such a super expert went to the imperial examination and failed, could anyone else pass as a presented scholar?

Even if this Jinan provincial examination was very obscure and even *Water Margin* Zhang Jie hadn't seen it,

he still had an ultimate killer move—coming to the shared space to look up information.

The shared space didn't have books or anything, but didn't it have him and *Heaven-Dependent* Zhang Jie!

The provincial examination lasted for three full days, enough for them to search for information separately.

*Water Margin* Zhang Jie: No matter what, this provincial examination is three worlds against one world, the advantage is with me!

"Passing the exam is a sure thing, but top provincial exam candidate is not necessarily so."

*Water Margin* Zhang Jie thought for a moment and replied.

"That is indeed true."

*Heaven-Dependent* Zhang Jie nodded in agreement.

Just as the top palace exam candidate was personally selected by the Emperor, the top provincial exam candidate was also selected by the officials in charge of the imperial examination.

That is to say, writing a good article is one thing, and being pleasing to the eyes of the imperial examination officials is another.

If you are not pleasing to the eyes of the imperial examination officials, unless Zhang Jie writes Wang Bo's *Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng*,

or Hai Rui's *Memorial on Peace and Order*, those kinds of eternal masterpieces.

Otherwise, if they say you failed, you failed.

The chief examiner of the provincial examination at this time had quite the meaning of the couplet written by Champion Marquis Yang An in *Yang Shen*:

"If I say you can, you can, even if you can't;

If I say you can't, you can't, even if you can."

Of course, the power of the chief examiner of the provincial examination was far from that of Champion Marquis Yang An, who traversed the foreign lands for one hundred thousand li

and was the number one person among a million troops,

and he could only promote scholars who were pleasing to his eyes and were also decent themselves to recommended men.

Fan Jin in *Fan Jin Passes the Exam* met a chief examiner who appreciated his articles,

which was why he passed the exam; otherwise, he would not have achieved fame until he died of old age.

"By the way, don't say anything taboo in your exam paper."

*Heavenly Dragon* Zhang Jie solemnly reminded *Water Margin* Zhang Jie.

Since *Water Margin* Zhang Jie still wanted to take the imperial examination, he could not write content about treason,

rebellion, or cursing the eighteen generations of the Emperor's ancestors.

And as he was one with *Water Margin* Zhang Jie, he had long known that *Water Margin* Zhang Jie was already dissatisfied with a certain

Emperor who "except for being Emperor, was good at everything else like zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting," and wanted to take his place.

"That is natural." *Water Margin* Zhang Jie nodded.

He was dissatisfied with a certain frivolous Prince Duan who could not rule the world and only knew how to eat, drink, play, kick balls,

and manipulate zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but he was a rational person,

and knew the nine-character policy of Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang: build high walls, store plenty of grain, and delay becoming king.

Now his savings were not enough, and his foundation was not deep enough; it was not the time to expose his great ambition.

Exposing it now, although it couldn't be called Zhao Kuangyin putting on a facial mask—white Song, it was about the same.

He had Wu Gong, but he could not confront a large army head-on; he had enough to protect himself,

but it was difficult to protect Pan Jinlian, the old steward, and other close people.

After chatting about their respective urgent matters, the topic of the shared space became relaxed.

"By the way, you are a Shandong person in this life, so you must be very happy."

*Heaven-Dependent* Zhang Jie smiled slightly and suddenly said to *Water Margin* Zhang Jie.

"Ah?"

*Water Margin* Zhang Jie was a bit confused for a moment.

How could he be happy just because he was a Shandong person?

He didn't have the surname Kong, and he wasn't the Duke Yansheng who had been eating off the ancestor Confucius for thousands of years.

"Haha!

Let me tell you, the Shandong people who enjoy happiness all their lives."

*Heavenly Dragon* Zhang Jie held back his laughter and told *Water Margin* Zhang Jie this meme.

Shandong villager: "The village's five-guarantee household has passed away."

Other Shandong villagers: "They went over there to enjoy happiness."

Shandong villager: "The village's richest man has passed away."

Other Shandong villagers: "After enjoying happiness here, they went over there to enjoy happiness again."

Shandong villager: "Zhang San's son is doing business outside and is not home all year round."

Other Shandong villagers: "Enjoying happiness, the son is making big money outside."

Shandong villager: "Li Si's son has no job and stays at home all day."

Other Shandong villagers: "Enjoying happiness, having a fortune is not as good as having children by one's side."

Shandong villager: "Er Dan moved to the city to live."

Other Shandong villagers: "Went to the city to enjoy happiness."

Shandong villager: "Tie Zhu, who was working outside, came home."

Other Shandong villagers: "Made money, came home to enjoy happiness."

Shandong villager: "Gou Dan suddenly died of a sudden illness."

Other Shandong villagers: "Enjoying happiness, left without suffering."

Shandong villager: "Mazi, who had been paralyzed at home for ten years, also passed away yesterday."

Other Shandong villagers: "Didn't enjoy happiness here, went over there to enjoy happiness."

Shandong villager: "Talk when you have time, I'm going home first."

Other Shandong villagers: "Alright, go home and enjoy happiness."

……

"Uh!

Isn't this when I can't marry a wife and am single from birth: enjoying happiness at home.

When I get married: enjoying happiness at home with my wife.

My wife is pregnant: wife, children, and a warm kang, enjoying happiness.

My wife gives birth naturally: gave birth smoothly, enjoying happiness.

My wife has a C-section: the doctor helped, enjoying happiness.

My child goes to kindergarten: child sent to school, starting to enjoy happiness.

My child is getting married: child is starting a family, starting to enjoy happiness.

My grandchild is born: I'm a grandfather, starting to enjoy happiness.

I died: enjoyed happiness for a lifetime???

Could this be the legendary happiness as vast as the East Sea?"

*Water Margin* Zhang Jie expressed extreme shock and rattled off these words like a string of firecrackers.

"Haha, and there's the 'enjoyed happiness for a lifetime here, and went over there to enjoy happiness again'."

*Heaven-Dependent* Zhang Jie added with great interest.

"Then if Zhang San commits a crime and is caught, is he going to prison to enjoy happiness?"

*Water Margin* Zhang Jie couldn't help but complain.

"In prison, there is a regular schedule, light diet, daily study,

skill improvement, accepting reform, and becoming a new person, enjoying happiness."

*Heaven-Dependent* Zhang Jie nodded very firmly.

"No, no, no, it should be said that Zhang San enjoyed happiness he shouldn't have enjoyed and suffered retribution."

*Heavenly Dragon* Zhang Jie chuckled and changed *Heaven-Dependent* Zhang Jie's statement.

"What kind of Neon Genesis Evangelion is this?" *Water Margin* Zhang Jie complained repeatedly.

Could it be that Shandong should actually be called Fujian?

Worthy of being a province that takes the imperial examination, they speak flawlessly in daily life.

*Heaven-Dependent* Zhang Jie: "This is called polite comfort, also called high emotional intelligence, and adult beauty.

I say a few nice words, I don't lose anything, and you are happy, why not do it?"

*Heavenly Dragon* Zhang Jie sighed:

"Simple people, blessing everyone who leaves, comforting everyone trapped in the present."