Chu Heng carefully picked up the black pen and cautiously drew a line across the paper.
Immediately, smooth, even black ink appeared—no smudging, no blotting.
“A good pen!”
His eyes lit up, and his hands trembled with excitement.
This pen was far easier to use than a brush!
No grinding ink, no dipping ink—just pick it up and write!
If this could be promoted in the Ministry of Revenue…
How much could the efficiency of bookkeeping increase?
He held the pen like a treasure, afraid someone might snatch it away.
Cheng Ying opened a book titled “Physical Education and Health.”
Inside were diagrams of human figures in various strange poses.
“Broadcast calisthenics…”
His mouth twitched.
This thing… can really strengthen the body?
It looks more like dancing.
But those movements did seem to stretch the muscles and bones.
He flipped a few more pages and saw terms like “burpees,” “planks,” and “squats.”
The book also contained detailed illustrations and explanations.
The more Cheng Ying read, the more interesting it became.
These movements looked simple, but if practiced consistently, they truly could strengthen the body.
He decided—he would try them later.
Other officials were also flipping through their textbooks.
Some picked up Mathematics and immediately felt dizzy at the dense numbers and symbols.
Some opened Chemistry and were completely baffled by strange formulas.
Others opened Physics and saw terms like “Newton’s First Law” and “Universal Gravitation,” looking utterly lost.
Chaos quickly broke out.
“What… what are these things?”
“Is the Northern Duke trying to make us read heavenly scriptures?”
“These symbols and formulas… I have never seen anything like them in my life!”
Just then—
Liu Si walked over carrying a stack of papers.
“Your Highness, these are the officials’ reflections from yesterday.”
“Read them,” Feng Zeyan said with interest.
Chancellor Lin immediately straightened his back.
He had written two thousand words—he was sure he would come out on top.
The other officials also perked up, waiting for praise.
Liu Si cleared her throat and picked up the first paper.
She glanced at it and almost laughed out loud.
Barely holding back, she read:
“Reflections of Deputy Minister of the Imperial Court, Qian, titled ‘Neural Means the Meridians of the Divine’.”
Excerpt:
“Whenever the word ‘neural’ appears in the footage, I suddenly realize that there must be gods residing within the human body. The neural pathways are the blood vessels of these divine beings.”
“If properly worshipped with daily incense, the gods will be pleased and grant us greater wisdom…”
Feng Zeyan nearly spat out her porridge.
“Divine meridians? Brother, that’s just nerve cells transmitting signals—nothing to do with gods!”
“You want to burn incense to your brain? Are you planning to build a shrine inside your head?”
“System, I give this interpretation full marks!”
The system laughed uncontrollably.
“This is just the beginning! There are even more outrageous ones!”
Deputy Qian’s face turned crimson. He wished he could dig a hole and bury himself on the spot.
Liu Si continued reading the next one.
“Reflections of Minister Zhou of the Ministry of Rites, ‘Cells—A Miniature Human Kingdom Inside the Body’.”
Excerpt:
“I boldly hypothesize that cells are tiny human-like beings. Hundreds of millions of them live inside the body, each performing its duty, forming our flesh…”
“These little people must have rulers and ministers, governed by rituals and laws.”
“If we communicate with them and reason with them, perhaps our bodies will become healthier…”
Feng Zeyan laughed so hard she slapped the table.
“A little human kingdom? You turned biology into mythology?”
“And what is this… feudal hierarchy inside cells?”
“Brother, cells are just cells—they don’t follow Confucian rites!”
“You’re trying to establish a feudal system inside your body?”
Minister Zhou covered his face, utterly humiliated.
Liu Si picked up another sheet, her expression even more colorful.
“Assistant Minister Sun of the Ministry of Revenue, ‘Dopamine—The Source of Happiness’.”
Excerpt:
“I believe dopamine must be some kind of miraculous elixir.”
“It brings joy, so it must be the essence of heaven and earth.”
“I humbly request whether the Northern Duke could grant this medicine. I am willing to spend my entire fortune to purchase it.”
“If taken daily, one could achieve immortality and ascend to the heavens…”
Feng Zeyan was laughing so hard her stomach hurt.
“Immortality? Ascending to heaven?”
“Brother, dopamine is just a neurotransmitter—you already have it in your body!”
“You want to buy your own brain chemistry?”
Assistant Minister Sun turned pale, wishing he could disappear on the spot.
After reading several more absurd essays, all the officials were utterly ashamed.
What they thought was deep insight the night before had turned out to be collective overthinking.
And all of it… was completely wrong.
Feng Zeyan finally stopped laughing and cleared her throat.
“Your imaginations are… quite impressive.”
“But that’s fine. The upcoming lessons will help you build a more correct understanding.”
She gestured to Liu San.
Liu San immediately brought over a stack of papers and began distributing them like flyers.
“This is your schedule for the next two months. Memorize it carefully.”
The officials took the sheets.
The paper was smooth and glossy, printed with colorful tables.
At the top were three large characters:
Class Schedule
Below it were dense rows of times and subjects.
Chu Heng lowered his head to look.
Just one glance—and his vision went dark. His body swayed, nearly fainting on the spot.
“Chu! Chu Heng!” someone quickly supported him.
After a long moment, he finally steadied himself.
His trembling hands lifted the sheet again.
“Chenshi to Shishi: Labor (land reclamation and farming)”
“Shishi to Wushi: Chinese Language, Mathematics”
“Wushi to Weishi: English, Physics”
“Weishi to Shenshi: Chemistry, Biology”
“Shenshi to You shi: History, Geography, Politics”
“You shi to Xushi: Physical Education”
“Xushi to Haishi: Music, Art”
“Haishi to Zishi: Self-study (homework completion)”
“Zishi to Choushi: Deep sleep”
Note: Break time includes “burpees” or “planks” led by Instructor Liu San.
Note: Meals are limited to half a ke each—eat quickly.
Note: All homework must be submitted before midnight; sloppy handwriting must be rewritten!
Chu Heng’s lips trembled violently as his hands shook like a dying candle in the wind.
“My… my lord… the hours listed here exceed even a full day…”
“Are we… not supposed to rest at all?”
The other officials turned pale as they stared at the schedule.
“So… so many subjects in one day?”
“And farming too?”
“And homework?”
“This… this is going to kill us!”
Chancellor Lin stared at the schedule, cold sweat pouring down his face.
He had lived half his life, and never seen such a “full” timetable.
This wasn’t studying.
This was torture.
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