The Meaning of the Seal

His sudden slam startled Zhang Dongxiang, who couldn't help but shudder.

Fang Zheng continued loudly. "Unreasonable rules need to be changed!"

"Not allowing people to use the latrine in the examination compound? Is there any imperial law? Is there any legal basis? Which article in the Great Jing Code prohibits candidates from shitting? Tell me!"

Fang Zheng's language was too vulgar, repeatedly using the word "shit" which was unbearable to hear and made one nauseous.

Zhang Dongxiang's face flushed red. "Stop this nonsense! Don't talk about the Great Jing Code. The examination hall has its own rules! How can you speak so crudely!"

Crude?

Fang Zheng's mouth twitched. "I'll say it! Shit! Shit! Shit! Even if the God of Literature descended from heaven, he would still need to shit if he had any!"

"You! You dare insult the God of Literature?" Zhang Dongxiang was deeply shocked.

He hadn't expected Fang Zheng to bring up the God of Literature, connecting him with such filthy matters.

The celestial stars had long symbolized the imperial court, with the God of Literature managing the wisdom of scholars throughout the land. He had been personified as the Emperor of Literary Prosperity and was highly revered.

Commoners often referred to Juren as the God of Literature descended to earth.

Though not everyone believed in this, most held some reverence for the God of Literature in their hearts.

Now Fang Zheng was uttering such blasphemous words within the examination compound, which Zhang Dongxiang found hard to accept.

"You dare connect the God of Literature with such filthy matters! Simply outrageous!"

"Pah, filthy? Does the God of Literature not have a backside? Without a backside, what kind of deity is he!"

"You dare..." Zhang Dongxiang pointed at Fang Zheng with trembling fingers, his heart beginning to ache again.

No, he couldn't let him continue. If he did, he might not survive...

Fang Zheng saw the old man's shaky appearance and promptly closed his mouth.

He'd already made him faint several times. With such a frail constitution, he couldn't be angered further. Respecting the elderly was a traditional virtue.

"Alright, Third Uncle, let's not talk about excrement anymore. It's disgusting."

Weren't you the one talking about it?! Is your mouth on your backside!!?

Zhang Dongxiang's chest began to heave irregularly again.

"The so-called prevention of cheating is merely an excuse. I believe that even without these so-called marks, the strict supervision inside and outside the examination hall would not be affected at all. Third Uncle, search your conscience and answer me truthfully, isn't that so?"

Zhang Dongxiang closed his eyes, calmed himself, and slowly said. "Correct.. it wouldn't greatly affect cheating prevention, but it is necessary."

"All officials must go through this test, and the candidates in the examination compound are no exception."

"If they cannot pass this small test... I believe they are unfit to be officials, and other court ministers would think the same. The reason is that simple."

Fang Zheng sighed, feeling somewhat emotional.

This was the real reason... though he hadn't stated it explicitly.

The so-called "shit mark" system, this absurd unwritten rule, wasn't created to prevent candidates from cheating.

No examination official would be stupid enough to think that a candidate who used the latrine would cheat, thereby denying them the chance for advancement.

The real reason was that the imperial examination system naturally evolved this method to tame prospective officials!

From the moment candidates stepped into the examination compound, they began formally engaging with the power structure!

Top-down authority would begin testing them.

Obedience... was the first step to winning the right to enter officialdom.

This rule certainly wasn't ordered by any single person, but naturally evolved from the bureaucratic system as a method of taming.

Just like when your partner asks for a gift on May 20th. Though they don't intend to take your money, if you don't buy something, you fail the test, showing you don't care enough! After buying the gift, you've been unconsciously tamed! From then on, you must buy gifts every May 20th...

How to tame people?

The simplest, most direct way begins with lowering self-esteem!

If you can't even hold your bowels, how can you be an obedient person? You can even soil your pants if necessary, but you absolutely cannot break the rules by going to the latrine.

If you do, I'm sorry, but you've lost your chance to be accepted by the court.

Because deep down, you're not obedient enough!

To become a pillar of the state, your pride must first be shattered, your backbone broken, then reshaped after entering officialdom!

Tests were everywhere!

Fang Zheng understood this system all too well.

Although such taming in the Great Jing was still an unconscious product, it wasn't like this in his previous life!

In his past life, these rules had been summarized as psychology and management techniques, and were still being continuously researched.

Many companies had already mastered these techniques!

The most typical example was the "ice-breaking ceremony"!

Before officially starting work, they would organize a welcome ceremony, euphemistically called ice-breaking.

The main activities involved some small games, Q&A sessions, where everyone got to know each other.

The games often involved touching and grabbing, with physical contact.

The questions might be about when your first time was, with whom, how long it lasted, and your feelings about it.

In short, they all revolved around extremely personal privacy, suppressing your self-esteem, tearing open your sense of shame. Only then could the taming effect be achieved!

Though he had no memory of the imperial examinations, Fang Zheng had extensive experience being manipulated before his transmigration, and was all too familiar with these tactics!

So completely removing this practice from the examination would not be easy. Zhang Dongxiang was being stubborn, so he needed to take a more indirect approach.

"Third Uncle, for me, there are only three things that matter in the examination hall," Fang Zheng sipped his tea.

"Which three?" Zhang Dongxiang was confused by this sudden change of topic.

"Fairness! Fairness! And motherfucking fairness!"

"Let's set aside the matter of seals for now. I have another issue to raise!"

"All candidates wear single-layer clothing, but according to my observations yesterday, those wearing patched clothes make up about twenty percent overall, yet those sitting in bottom cells wearing patched single-layer clothing exceed sixty percent!"

"Why is the proportion of poor students in bottom cells so high? Can you tell me the answer?!"

Zhang Dongxiang frowned. "Is this true? After I verify it, if it's as you say, I will faithfully report to His Majesty! Does this have any connection to the seals?"

"Of course it does. Such obvious cheating goes unnoticed by you all, yet you dare speak of maintaining examination fairness!"

"To my knowledge, the son of Minister Zhang Shi is also taking the examination. He went to the latrine twice without being marked, and he sits in an old cell."

"Those poor students eat poorly, sit in bad positions! Even their right to use the latrine has been taken away! How can we talk about fairness?"

"I think... our Great Jing's ministers must look down on humble families and only serve the powerful!"

Zhang Dongxiang stood up angrily, staring directly at Fang Zheng, and thundered. "Silence! Say no more! I will report any unfair matters one by one, but you must return the seals to the other officials by noon!"

With that, he flicked his sleeves and stormed toward the examination hall.

Fang Zheng stared expressionlessly at his retreating figure.

Can't reason with you, huh? Then I'll have to use my trump card...