Killing Dao Fruit
Chapter 599 - 546: The Last Eunuch of Great Yan_2

Chapter 599: Chapter 546: The Last Eunuch of Great Yan_2

The two exchanged a glance, their expressions odd.

"It’s actually a ghost, and it seems to be an... eunuch?!"

Wang Yuan and Huang Wu, one a Ghost Emperor, the other a Ghost Empress, could naturally see through a low-level ghost at a glance.

Moreover, this figure was wearing a bullfighting outfit that only the imperial eunuchs in charge of the twelve bureaus in the palace could wear.

But the craftsmanship was rough, exuding a strong sense of cheapness, and it was unclear where he had scrounged it up from during his lifetime.

The "Small Book of Life and Death" in Wang Yuan’s hand opened on its own, displaying the life story of this ghostly entity.

[Name: Sun Yaozong, a citizen of Jizhou City.]

[Life story: From a young age, he carried the expectation of his forebears to bring glory to the family and was sent to the best private school.

Although he was very smart and highly skilled in mathematics and the game of go.

Unfortunately, his talent in the eight-legged essay was truly limited, possessing none of the ingenuity he had in mathematics, resulting in him repeatedly failing the imperial exams, not even able to pass the child prodigy tests...]

The two frowned more and more as they read.

This man had faced failure repeatedly, and as his family fortune declined, his parents and siblings passed away one after another in successive natural disasters, leaving him alone in the world.

But over the years, aspirations to become an official, acquire wealth, and bring glory to his ancestors had become the most deeply rooted obsessions in his heart.

He often lingered in the "Kui Star Tower" and "God of Wealth Temple," offering all the money he saved from frugally cutting back on his expenses to these two gods.

Hoping they would bless him with success in his exams and wealth.

Until last year, when the "No-Life Dao" aimed to capture the essence of the scholarly world in one fell swoop, leading the last Emperor Zhou Jingliang to open the grace imperial exams.

Unfortunately, that grace was only for scholars who had passed previous exams, having nothing to do with him, a commoner.

Sun Yaozong, as an [Official Fan] blinded by desire, was stimulated by the grace exams and finally made a resolute decision.

If he could not achieve his goals through the exams, he would have to find another way, becoming an... eunuch!

In the Great Yan Dynasty, many eunuchs held power, even acting as the emperor’s voice and dominating the court, their allure undeniable.

Though the chances of standing out were slim amidst the many.

At this time, he was like a gambler with bloodshot eyes.

Upon seeing the phrase "To practice this magical power, one must castrate oneself," he did not hesitate much before harshly doing the deed himself.

Unlike the skillful and nicely priced Liu Yidao of the Capital, who was a master [Sword Master] (Chapter 373).

Charging at least ten taels of silver each time, not sparing chickens, ducks, fish, or meat.

You get what you pay for, and by doing it himself, he took a trip to the "Ghost Gate."

Luckily, he survived thanks to his stubborn will.

Unfortunately, just last year after he had finally castrated himself, the Great Yan... fell.

The entire Imperial Palace was leveled by Wang Yuan and his companions, leaving no place for him to become an eunuch.

Moreover, in the foreseeable future, as long as the chaotic turmoil of this age of hidden dragons did not end, the entire Red County Shenzhou likely wouldn’t need this technical profession anymore.

His dream of becoming an official to acquire wealth shattered, Sun Yaozong went mad on the spot from the blow.

Fortunately, the Dai State Prime Minister was still fairly affluent.

After hearing his story, many idle street loafers and young masters took him as a joke.

They often provided charity for their amusement, which barely allowed the crazed Sun Yaozong to survive another year.

Until seven days ago, when he accidentally fell into the Great Ming Lake, and after his soul returned on the seventh day, driven by his strongest obsession, he returned to the very place it all started.

He lingered unwillingly to leave at the Kui Star Tower and God of Wealth Temple, the places where he had deposited all his hopes.

"Alas!"

After reading Sun Yaozong’s life story from the "Small Book of Life and Death," Wang Yuan couldn’t help feeling both amused and sympathetic towards his tragic life.

The emotion in his heart finally turned into a sigh:

"Jiuzhou’s energy depends on the wind and thunder, the silence of thousands of horses is truly pitiable.

I urge the heavens to shake off their slumber, to bestow talents without confining to one pattern!

The eight-legged essay truly harms people not slightly; for thousands of years it has played its role in breaking the monopoly of the Gate Valve, but it’s time for reform.

This Sun Yaozong was clearly excellent in mathematics; if only he hadn’t hanged himself on the path of seeking officialdom and turning a bit of accumulated desire into an obsession, he might have achieved something great."()

Of course, had he not already gone mad, even encountering the "Human Dao Torrent" three months ago, he would have gone mad all the same.

At that moment.

Wang Yuan’s back suddenly echoed with a sound slightly filled with surprise:

"Young friend, your poem is indeed good, but since you think this eight-legged essay is outdated and harmful, what are your insights?

Do you know what the primary purpose of selecting officials through the eight-legged essay is?

And how could it replace the system that has been perfected over a thousand years?"

Wang Yuan turned around and saw a middle-aged scholar standing behind him, dressed in a long robe with a jet-black beautiful beard, exuding an elegant demeanor.

He couldn’t help but be slightly startled.

Although there were many pedestrians nearby, they were all within the range of the divine sense of this Green Seal Sage.

Only this man was the exception.

It was as though he had suddenly appeared behind him, and before he spoke, Wang Yuan had completely failed to notice his presence.

He immediately realized that, although this scholar looked like a mortal, his Taoist ability was clearly even higher than his own.

Wang Yuan’s gaze towards him thus grew a bit more solemn.

After pondering for a moment, he then replied:

"The officials that come through the eight-legged essay selection often lack even the most basic knowledge of economics and official laws.

The reason it has continued for a thousand years, becoming more rigid with each passing dynasty, is not because its main purpose is selection or nurturing the world.

It’s... to cage the ambitious!

To lock all the intelligent people within the cage of the eight-legged essay, making them delve into literary exercises and exhaust their lives in texts.

In doing so, these intelligent individuals are less likely to have wild thoughts and be misled by heretical teachings.

As long as the most intelligent scholars are stable, the world remains stable, and the dynasty’s rule is thus solidified.

The second purpose is to ease social conflicts by providing the lower class a difficult yet slightly possible channel for upward mobility.

So that the dynasty wouldn’t be like a lid blown off by boiling water.

The aim is the same as the first, all to maintain control!"

"Eh?"

The scholar, upon hearing what Wang Yuan said, showed a look of surprise.

This kind of understanding is not something ordinary government academics, or even Great Scholars, could comprehend.

To have such a notion, one must at least be a Prime Minister if not possess a portion of an Emperor’s cunning.

Even he, over the years, had only gradually come to understand this, yet still could not articulate it as directly as Wang Yuan did.

Just as he wanted to continue listening to the alternative proposal.

Wang Yuan suddenly stopped speaking.

Looking at the scholar, he had already vaguely guessed the other’s identity, and it was no longer appropriate to continue speaking.

In an agricultural society, such selected officials paired with corresponding professional officials might suffice.

However, with the unfolding of his Daoist Skill Industrial Revolution, these officials who only knew how to work within the constraints of eight-legged essays were all bound to be eliminated by the torrent of the times.

Industrialization isn’t a castle in the air, but requires a large number of educated workers who understand writing, mathematics, physics, mechanics, and so on.

To rejoin the social division of labor, they must relearn mathematics, physics, and chemistry!

The selection of officials would naturally also adhere to this standard.

Once productivity develops, and society becomes more tolerant of talents, more people will have the opportunities to demonstrate their abilities, not just in official positions.

Of course, now is not the time for change, for opposing the Confucian scholars openly before Big Cousin stabilizes his position would mean making enemies of all the literate people across the land.

The resistance would be unimaginable.

More importantly, whether it’s Doukui Star Lord or any other deity wishing to preside over literary fortunes, they would need to earnestly study mathematics, physics, and chemistry as well.

If even they only knew how to say "Ah bah, I don’t know how to solve this problem," how could they possibly bless others?

Seeing Wang Yuan stop, the scholar, keen for more, became anxious and quickly said:

"How about we make a bet?

We’ll bet on Sun Yaozong’s deepest obsession, whether it finally rests on the ’official’ of the ’Kui Star Tower’ or on the ’wealth’ of the ’God of Wealth Temple.’"

If you win, I will grant you one thing unconditionally.

If I win, you will tell me your alternative plan, how about that?"