Chapter 198.2
The other emperors were thrilled.
This was indeed a momentous and joyous occasion.
Although they currently held the title of duke, it was in name only; they had status but no real power, and their actions were greatly restricted.
Moreover, their titles were subject to demotion with each generation.
They were now a duke of the state, but his offspring would be a marquis and an earl for the generation after that.
If there were no notable achievements within three generations to maintain their titles, they would essentially be reduced to commoners.
Therefore, they had to seek new opportunities for their descendants.
Only by holding office and achieving merit could they preserve their noble status.
The title of a duke in a dynasty was far more prestigious than the position of an emperor in a great kingdom!
The Emperors grace is boundless! Now that His Majesty has opened up the imperial examination and the military examination to us, you must all do your best to pass! Whoever performs the best will inherit my title!
Yes, Father! The children of the duke were all stirred with excitement.
At this time, due to the two major national examinations, the entire Great Xia was abuzz.
The threshold for the imperial examination was too high; one had to reach the level of an Apprentice Scholar to participate, eliminating 99.9% of the people.
Therefore, the common people turned their attention to the military examination to see if they had a chance to turn their fortunes around.
On the day of the military examination registration, the scene was packed with people, and anyone with a bit of strength and skill came forward.
Due to the significance of the event, Cao Cao himself came out to preside.
The military examination registration begins today! Our military examination is different from the imperial examination. In addition to testing martial skills, we will also test military strategy and tactics, which covers a broader range of content!
However, thats all for later. Lets first talk about the selection criteria! Due to the large number of applicants, we have set a preliminary condition! Only those who meet this condition can register for the military examination!
Whats the condition, Lord Cao?
Bring it up! Cao Cao said with a smile, clapping his hands.
Immediately, several people struggled to carry a cauldron forward.
This cauldron weighs 1,000 jin! Our condition is that anyone who can lift it and hold it for the duration of 10 breaths can come to me to register for the upcoming military examination!
The crowd was astounded: Lift a cauldron weighing 1,000 jin!
You see, an average adult male could generally lift only about 100 to 200 jin.
Lifting over 300 jin without any training was virtually impossible!
If it was over 500 jin, it couldnt be done without a certain level of martial skill!
To lift 1,000 jin, one would almost certainly need to be at the level of a second-rate expert!
Therefore, this requirement was anything but simple; it was actually quite harsh!
After all, how many second-rate experts are there in the world?
Lord Cao, 1,000 jin is too heavy, can it be lighter? someone shouted.
Cao Cao shook his head: No! After all, we are selecting talents to protect our homes and defend our country. If you dont have the strength, how will you go into battle against the enemy? How will you protect your home and country? You would just be throwing your life away!
The crowd fell silent, unable to refute.
At that moment, Cao Cao called out again: Who will try first?
I will! A burly man, standing eight feet tall, stepped out from the crowd.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he stretched his muscles a bit, then wrapped his arms around the large cauldron and exerted all his strength to lift it.
However, the cauldron only moved a fraction of an inch before it crashed back down with a clang.
Eliminated, next! Cao Cao shouted loudly.
Lord Cao, let me try! Another burly figure stepped forward from the crowd.
But although he looked strong, his strength was not much greater than the previous mans. He barely nudged the cauldron before running out of energy.
Eliminated, next!
Everyone was eager to try, one after another.
They stepped up quickly, and just as quickly, they were eliminated!
After all, a 1000-jin cauldron was beyond the human limit. Those who could lift it could lift it; those who couldnt simply couldnt, and there was no use in forcing it.
After thirty or forty attempts, still, no one could lift it.
The strongest among them only managed to raise the cauldron two feet off the ground before they could hold it no longer.
Just then, a young man with rosy lips and white teeth, slender in build, burst in: Next, its my turn!
The onlookers all laughed.
Young man, youre too frail, why join in the commotion?
Look at the people before you, each one bigger than you, and they couldnt do it. Do you think you can?
Go back and drink milk for a few more years, build some muscle before you talk! Haha!
The young man immediately retorted: Dont underestimate me! I may be slender, but I have martial skills! I can kill enemies on horseback and eradicate bandits on foot. A mere thousand-jin cauldron is nothing to me!
The crowd jeered once more.
An official turned and whispered to Cao Cao: Lord Cao, that seems to be Duke of Shis youngest son, Shi Jin. Is it appropriate for him to participate in the martial examination?
Cao Cao was very calm: Its fine, His Majesty has lifted the restrictions, allowing anyone to participate! Even if he is the son of a duke, he wont cause any waves even if he enters the court as an official. We just need to judge fairly!
Understood, Lord Cao! The official had no objections.
Cao Cao gestured gracefully and said with a courteous smile: Young Master Shi, please go ahead!
The young man was not surprised that Cao Cao knew his identity. After acknowledging him, he approached the cauldron and lifted it with one hand above his head.
The scene erupted in astonishment!
Passed, next! Cao Cao announced loudly.
After that, people continued to come in an endless stream to participate in the martial examination, attempting to lift the thousand-jin cauldron.
Although most ended in failure, by the end of the day, dozens of people had passed the test and successfully registered.
This number was not small. Even so, how many dogs can there be that are high-level experts above second-rate?
Although Lin Beifan often dealt with Innate masters or Grandmasters, it was the acquired-level experts who were the mainstream!
These were the people who managed the state affairs and fought in wars.
Great Xia has truly changed from the past!
In the past, wanting to recruit people with certain abilities took a lot of effort, and even then, they were reluctant to come.
Now, there was no need to recruit; they came on their own initiative.
All of this was supported by the strong national power!
Only when the country is strong can it attract talents from all over to join!
Feeling extremely pleased that he was about to harvest another batch of talent, Lin Beifan conjured up a tornado again in Empire Sandbox and tossed it onto the land of Great Luo for good luck.
Great Luo Emperor: ( ) ?
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