Chapter Thirty-Four: He Still Aspires to Be the Holy Lord...

Great Fool Chun, what are you doing?!

Zhou Liang was stunned. He never expected this kid to be having another bout of lovesickness!

"No… you just squared off against the Shaanxi officialdom, how can you not help but want to storm the tower again?! Wasn't it satisfying enough to tear down the Administration Commissioner before?!"

Zhou Liang hardly knew how to evaluate this: even though they shared the same foundation as transmigrators, he and this kid were like two completely different people, making polar opposite choices in every field.

Although he was also dissatisfied with the dark rule of the Ming Court and the God-Emperor, he had always limited himself to minor acts of assassination. Furthermore, he chose his targets carefully—only low-level officials—to avoid drawing the God-Emperor's aggro, prioritizing his own survival above all else.

But this kid always loved to make a scene. At three, he dared to report corruption and fraud; at five, he dared to gut the powerful Provincial Administration Commissioner… and now, at thirty, he was charging headfirst into the tower to face the God-Emperor himself!

What kind of maniac is this?!

"System! Are you sure this kid is really using the same template as me?!" Zhou Liang asked in disbelief.

[Of course. When the simulated character starts, it is actually you who just transmigrated from Earth. You can understand it as two branching storylines caused by different life choices...]

"But I don't feel like he's another me… How could I be like him, always wanting to pick a fight with everyone? This is clearly a reckless fool, a lunatic!"

Zhou Liang's skepticism was well-founded, for he was certain that he was not an impulsive hothead, but rather a seasoned veteran who knew when to bend and when to stretch.

However, the system replied: [The host is mistaken. The reason the simulated character makes different choices is simply due to your different initial conditions, different growth environments, and the mindset changes caused by those environments.]

[Your innate foundation is exactly the same, but the acquired differences are just too numerous...]

Zhou Liang paused. Acquired differences? He frowned. "You mean the rewards?"

[Not just the rewards, there is something else...]

Something else? Zhou Liang thought carefully and finally had a realization: "You mean… the system itself?"

[Yes. For you, there was no golden finger interfering in your fifty-plus years of life, so you naturally cherished your life and developed your seasoned, cautious personality.]

[But he is different. Aside from his first death, he always knew he could restart. He knew his opportunities were infinite, so he didn't value life and death.]

[Therefore, even though he usually leans toward the survivalist values of a normal person, in critical moments, he is highly likely to violate common values and actively seek his own death.]

[Furthermore, his current mental state is indeed quite abnormal...]

Zhou Liang gradually understood: simply put, since the kid knew he wouldn't truly die, he always wanted to have a thrilling moment at key nodes, regardless of the consequences.

Such a mindset was not entirely incomprehensible to Zhou Liang. However, as the system said, the kid’s mental state was indeed not quite right.

"Could it be… he studied himself into insanity?"

Thinking of this, Zhou Liang immediately felt worried. It was true; he had only failed the provincial examination three times before giving up, while this kid was a stubborn fool who sat for it nine times, spending twenty-four years as a bookworm until he was genuinely simple-minded!

And that wasn't all. There was the "Loyalty Training" in the months following the provincial exam, which pushed people toward madness day after day. It became a conditioned reflex—the moment someone mentioned an old crooked tree, he would reflexively shout "Loyalty!"

Then there was the "Loyalty" essay question at the metropolitan exam, which made him have such a massive episode that even the Minister of Rites called him a "maniac."

With half his body already shoved into the abyss of madness, how could he resist the chance to face the God-Emperor in person?!

With all these buffs stacked, the current "Zhou Liang" could no longer be considered a normal person. Let alone storming the God-Emperor's tower, there was nothing he wouldn't do if he got even crazier.

"Does this… count as a vent?" Zhou Liang scratched his head and finally sighed. "Fine… since you need to vent your psychological pressure, go ahead…"

"However, the specific content of the venting must be considered carefully…"

The boy in the simulator could be a reckless lunatic, but Zhou Liang couldn't. He had to keep a clear head to deal with the various unfavorable situations that might arise. Without his invisible hand guiding things from behind the scenes, that kid would have been stuck long ago!

It was like that inverted saying: Zhou Liang only needed to devise the plans; the simulated protagonist had to worry about everything else…

"How should I write it?" Zhou Liang was in a bind. "If it's just pure verbal abuse, it lacks sophistication and might completely enrage the God-Emperor. It's pointless…"

"And if it's just straight, factual remonstrance, that's no better, because there are certain 'slides' that must never be touched…"

For instance, the God-Emperor's retaliatory slaughter of the world. This slide was absolutely off-limits. The God-Emperor might tolerate other criticisms, but if this were brought up, it would be a public slap to His face, telling Him that He was wrong and shouldn't have taken revenge. That would never work!

"To the Chongzhen Emperor, Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong can never be exonerated under any circumstances. Not only them, but also those implicated in their deaths."

"He slaughtered Shuntian Prefecture because it betrayed Him and surrendered to Li Zicheng."

"He slaughtered Yangzhou and Suzhou because the people there resisted taxes, causing the Ming Court to lose revenue—an extremely heinous offense."

"He slaughtered Luoyang because the Prince of Fu, a relative of the imperial clan, died there."

"He slaughtered Shaanxi and Sichuan because they were the territories of the two rebels, the 'enemy state'..."

Although the God-Emperor was cruel and engaged in mass collective punishment, from His perspective, these slaughters were all justified. They had a legitimate cause, so He would never admit fault. Anyone who touched that slide would die!

"However, besides that, many other aspects—while risky to mention—are not as unspeakable as the slaughters… Is it even possible that He *wants* someone to bring these things up?"

Zhou Liang couldn't help but carefully梳理 the plot.

"If He were really fishing, He could have easily disqualified candidates during the metropolitan exam. Moreover, the candidates selected have already proven their loyalty, so in terms of composition, those entering the palace exam are already pure crystals; there’s no need for further purification."

"Besides, this is the highest-level palace exam, and the purpose of the palace exam is for the Emperor to question the candidates. Discussing national affairs and the gains and losses of the Emperor is perfectly normal, so it's unlikely He is fishing."

"Adding in the previous side plots…"

Zhou Liang still remembered the commotion the simulated protagonist caused when he reported the rebels and the Shaanxi officialdom to the Jinyiwei: Not only did the Jinyiwei go to arrest them personally, but the God-Emperor’s reaction was also violent. The prisoners were supposed to be judged by the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review, but the God-Emperor felt the sentences were too light. He issued an imperial decree himself, not only executing all the rebels and skinning the Administration Commissioner Liu Yizhao but also "skinning and stuffing" all the prefects and clerks, hanging them throughout the two capitals and thirteen provinces…

What did this mean?

"It means He was already dissatisfied with these officials and seized the opportunity to destroy them completely…"

Connecting this to the historical Chongzhen, he was a clumsy leader, but his heart was always in the right place. He didn't want to be a昏君 (dull-witted monarch) who lost the country, but a sage ruler who restored it!

"So, the palace exam question this time, He is most likely serious!"

"He really wants someone to diagnose the current ills for Him…"

Zhou Liang's train of thought became clear. His eyes rolled: "Then that's how we'll write it!"

Anyway, he wasn't afraid of death. Just charge!

As the inspiration flowed, an essay of several thousand words was completed. The language was intense, filled with the fiery passion of a young man pointing out the faults of the world!

Yet, while intense, it completely avoided the God-Emperor's unspeakable deeds. It merely took the perspective of a bystander to expose the accumulated ills and dark corruption of the world.

Corruption, lawlessness, the buying and selling of titles, forming factions, interest cliques…

Finishing the piece, Zhou Liang clicked "Upload" with satisfaction.

"Upload!"

[Ding! The essay has been uploaded!]

[You are in the examination hall, struggling in a state of delirium, unable to put pen to paper. Suddenly, an essay quietly emerges in your mind…]

[After reading it, you don't feel entirely satisfied, because it doesn't strike at the root. You want to criticize the God-Emperor, the root of all problems! His responsibility for the slaughter of millions is the real issue!]

[However, considering the various realistic factors, you can only helplessly adopt this essay that isn't quite satisfying enough…]

[Of course, you didn't just copy and paste. After finishing the piece, you added a famous quote.]

["...For the people of the world today, it has been a long time since they felt the Emperor was righteous!"]