"All of you better be honest. You dare to cheat in the imperial examination?”
"At the feet of the Son of Heaven, the Emperor's grace is vast. You guys are playing favoritism.”
"If you act rashly again, be careful that your head will fall to the ground!”
“...............”
Tang Dynasty, the first year of Zhenguan.
In Chang 'an Examination Hall.
A group of Imperial Army soldiers held golden sabers and glared at the dozens of scholars in front of them.
A faint killing intent pervaded the air.
The hearts of the scholars turned cold, and their faces turned pale. They were terrified and did not dare to move.
Lu Yan raised his head and looked at the scholar beside him who had already collapsed to the ground. His pupils could not help but shrink, and his expression became somewhat ugly.
As a youth of the twenty-first century, he had never imagined that he would transmigrate into the body of a scholar who was participating in the imperial examinations of the Great Tang.
He was also caught red-handed for cheating and carrying books in the examination hall.
"Stupid to the extreme, wasting more than ten years of studying the Sage books!”
Lu Yan cursed in his heart.
Cheating in the examination hall had never been a trivial matter since ancient times.
Even if he cheated in his previous life, he would be stripped of his qualifications to take the exam and would not be able to take the exam again for the rest of his life. In serious cases, he would be imprisoned.
His life was completely ruined.
Not to mention the ancient times where the laws were stricter.
The Great Tang was one of the most important places in history, so how could he not understand it?
They were extremely strict with regards to cheating in the imperial examinations.
They adopted a joint punishment system. If one person cheated, three people would be punished equally.
The lighter ones would be punished in public, shackled, paraded on the streets, stripped of their titles, and never allowed to take a step into the examination hall again.
In severe cases, they were directly exiled thousands of miles away and sent to the border, where their lives were in danger.
The most important thing was that Li Shimin had just ascended the throne. He wanted to show the world the dignity of an emperor and respect for scholars.
He did not hesitate to personally preside over the first imperial examination since he ascended the throne.
Presenter Tian Zi cheated.
The seriousness of the matter was self-evident.
He could even imagine how furious Li Shi Min would be when he heard the news.
He might not even be able to keep his life.
"He's simply courting death!"
Lu Yan could not hide the anger in his eyes. He knew that he had committed a crime. Not only did he harm others and himself, but he also implicated himself. How could he not be angry?
Cheating also required a clear understanding of the situation.
After studying for so many years, if he didn't even understand this principle, let alone the imperial examination, even if he passed the imperial examination, it would be useless. He wouldn't be able to take on the great responsibility.
Lu Yan was a little helpless. It was a dead end.
He was not the kind of person who would sit and wait for death. However, in the face of such a situation, if he wanted to escape... It was truly difficult.
If the monarch wants me to die, I have to die.
Moreover, he was a commoner with a crime on his head. He was still an ordinary scholar who had no strength at all.
Lu Yan was at his wit's end.
As he was thinking, a middle-aged man walked in from the door.
He was dressed in a dragon robe, followed by many officials, eunuchs, and guards.
It was obvious that the man in front of him was the current emperor, Li Shimin.
"Your Majesty, there are thirty-six people who cheated this time.”
The commander of the Imperial Army went forward to report the situation to Li Shimin.
Li Shi Min glanced at the scholars in front of him. His face was dark and his eyes were cold.
Killing intent surged.
He had just ascended the throne and was eager to seek talents.
That was why he chose to do this. His goal was to select capable people from the imperial examination.
The imperial examinations had not even ended, and so many cheaters had already been caught.
Not only was he blaspheming the Sage, he was also treating Li Shimin as if he was nothing, challenging the royal family's prestige and making him the joke of the world.
Although he had a good temper, he was not a soft-hearted person.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to initiate the Black Tortoise Sect incident and sit in his current position.
Li Shi Min was furious, and the atmosphere in the examination hall froze. The ministers and guards did not even dare to breathe loudly.
The might of the army was vast and mighty, and the divine might was like the sea.
"Your Majesty, this old minister failed to supervise this matter. Please punish me!”
An old official behind him knelt on the ground with a trembling expression and said nervously.
He was the main examiner this time. If Li Shiming were to vent his anger on him, he would be charged with the crime of being a useless person.
"Get up. This matter has nothing to do with you. In every dynasty, it was difficult to avoid the appearance of unscrupulous people among the literati, ruining the reputation of the literati. What did their moral corruption have to do with you?”
Li Shi Min waved his hand and said lightly.
Although he was angry, he could not be so blind as to not distinguish right from wrong.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The head examiner stood up and heaved a sigh of relief. His back was already drenched in sweat, but he did not dare to relax. He bent down again."Your Majesty, how should we deal with these people?”
"After reading so many books and poems, you have brought shame to the sages and scholars of the world. What was the point of such a person existing? He would drag them out and behead them all. The younger generation would be enslaved.”
Li Shi Min couldn't hide the disgust on his face. He didn't even want to look at these scholars,"At the same time, put up a notice to announce it to the world so that they won't ruin the reputation of scholars.”
"Your Majesty, please spare my life!"
"We won't dare to do it again!"
"I was muddle-headed for a moment. Please forgive me this time, Your Majesty!”
“.............”
Those scholars were terrified when they heard this. They regretted their actions and cried bitterly, begging for mercy.
Lu Yan's expression also changed drastically.
If it was just to get rid of his fame or even to go to jail, there was still a chance.
Li Shi Min had issued an imperial edict to kill all of them. How could they still have a chance of survival?
Even if he escaped halfway, where could he go in the world?
No one could save them.
"Don't tell me that I'm going to die the moment I arrive!"
Lu Yan was extremely unwilling.
"Ding! Divine level selection system activated!”
"Ding! Detected host has been caught cheating in the imperial examination and is facing a crisis. Please make a choice!”
"1. Clear your name, gain Li Shi Min's recognition, and be granted an official position. [Reward: Lu Bu's Courage]
" 2. Confess your guilt, reduce your punishment, and avoid death. [Reward: 100 taels of gold.]
" 3. Find an opportunity to escape. [Reward: Thousand-contraption Crossbow Design]
“...............”
Suddenly, a series of voices sounded in Lu Yan's mind.
Lu Yan was delighted. There was always a way out.
The appearance of the system had greatly increased the help he had received in his survival.
Lu Yan took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He read the options carefully. His eyes flickered as he had an idea.
"Yes, men, tie them up and behead them all!”
The head examiner looked coldly at these scholars. He had no sympathy for these people who had almost affected his official position and even his head.
The Imperial Army immediately moved and surrounded him.
"Your Majesty, I have a few words to say.”
A voice suddenly resounded in the chaos.
When a new book was released, he would kneel down and give her flowers, evaluation votes, and comments!
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