While Qin was preparing for the imperial examinations, Chu was in an uproar.
Xiang Yan's crushing defeat was something no one had anticipated.
Of course, what the King of Chu cared about even more was that Xiang Yan had not brought back the wealth.
"What? We didn't bring back a single copper from ten million taels of silver, and we lost over a hundred thousand troops? What were they doing?"
"Your Majesty, this cannot be blamed on the soldiers. It is said that not only Wang Jian's army was mobilized, but Lin Tian personally led troops to participate in this war!"
"Moreover, Meng Tian also mobilized a large army to assist Lin Tian in battle!"
"Compared to them, our army was simply too small!!"
Chu had mobilized a total of only two hundred thousand troops, while Qin had mobilized at least three hundred and fifty thousand.
This disparity in numbers was destined for Chu's defeat.
Therefore, many ministers of Chu believed that the defeat of their army was quite normal.
However, the King of Chu did not agree.
"So what if they had three hundred and fifty thousand troops? Every one of our Chu soldiers is a warrior, and many can fight two as one."
"Before, our Chu army of two hundred thousand was enough to resist the attacks of Qin's hundreds of thousands of troops!"
"Why today, facing three hundred and fifty thousand troops, were we defeated so miserably!!"
At these words, everyone fell silent.
It wasn't that the court officials didn't know why, but rather they were surprised that the King of Chu could not distinguish the difference.
Offense and defense were two completely different modes of warfare.
Even ordinary soldiers knew this.
Yet, the King of Chu was now asking why their two hundred thousand troops were so miserably defeated.
This made many feel that the King of Chu might have been blinded by wealth.
Therefore, he believed that Chu's army could definitely win against such a large force.
Thus, they all remained silent, not responding to the King of Chu.
Meanwhile, the King of Chu continued to mutter.
"Useless, a bunch of good-for-nothings!!"
This time, no one refuted him.
Many people pondered in their hearts whether their King of Chu could truly lead Chu to glory.
Qin was so powerful now, while the King of Chu was so weak. Under these circumstances, could Chu truly withstand Qin's offensive?
In their hearts, many already had an answer.
They were even beginning to plan whether they should defect to Qin or find a new King of Chu.
Coincidentally, the King of Chu was completely unaware of this, still immersed in his grief over his subordinates not bringing back the wealth.
Xiang Yan, whose arm had not yet healed, was also speechless for a long time after learning this news.
...
Lin Tian was unaware of the situation in Chu.
However, Qin's announcement that its first imperial examination would commence in half a month caused countless people to boil with excitement.
"A selection that ordinary people can participate in? Is this true?"
"Of course it's true. As long as you pass the selection, you can become an official and govern a region!!"
"Good heavens, I never imagined that I would be so close to becoming an official. I was even thinking about whether I should join the army. Now that I can become an official through the imperial examination, who would want to risk their lives on the battlefield!"
Before, for the common people of Qin, besides joining the army, there were not many other avenues.
Qin's military merit system was deeply ingrained in everyone's hearts.
In their eyes, only by joining the army and earning merits on the battlefield could they become officials and be granted titles.
As for other methods, they might be useful for those who were famous throughout the land, but for ordinary people, they were completely useless.
But now, things were different. They had an additional path.
They could participate in the assessment through the imperial examination.
As long as they passed, even if they were physically weak and lacked strong combat capabilities, they could still become officials.
For many commoners, this was an unimaginable blessing.
Countless people engaged in lively discussions.
"Hahaha! This imperial examination is tailor-made for me. I've been sickly since childhood, and apart from a few characters, I'm basically useless. Now that there's such an examination, maybe I can become an official too!"
"I can read and write too. I don't know how much education is required to be an official, but I want to try!"
"Hmm? Can we people from the former Han state also participate in the assessment? Is this true or false? Can we also become officials of Qin?"
"Of course it's true! Moreover, we are no longer called the people of the former Han state; we are people of Qin! According to the proposal of General Lin Tian, people like us who become officials will be responsible for distributing land to the common people! That is to say, we will distribute land to our fathers and elders. What do you say, should these officials be taken up!"
Ying Zheng's decision to allow the people of the other three states to participate in the imperial examination was something no one had expected.
Many people were inwardly opposed to this.
However, Ying Zheng's decision had already been made, and their opposition was of no use.
Furthermore, Ying Zheng shared the same idea as Lin Tian.
Since Qin had already conquered these states, their people were now Qin's people, and they were all of the same blood.
Therefore, they could enjoy the same treatment.
It was precisely this perspective that changed many people's views on the Great Qin.
Although these people were now under the jurisdiction of Great Qin, they were extremely resistant to it.
But now, with the implementation of these policies, the poor commoners knew that they would be allocated land, and they were all overjoyed.
Even when Qin soldiers visited their homes, they were warmly received.
Those with outstanding talents were greatly shaken upon hearing about Qin's policies.
Among them was a man named Han Xin. Upon learning this news, he could no longer sit still.
"I never imagined that Great Qin would allow everyone to participate in the assessment, and those who pass could become officials in Great Qin!"
"This is the opportune moment for Han Xin to emerge!"
Han Xin was a man of great talent, but this talent was known only to himself, and others were unaware of it.
On the contrary, Han Xin did not engage in labor, nor did he join the army, and was considered a complete failure by many.
Coupled with his dislike for trouble and his ability to bend and stretch, people had even lower expectations of him.
Therefore, apart from an old woman who made a living by washing clothes and was willing to associate with him, feeding him daily, no one else was willing to pay attention to Han Xin.
Even in this area, Han Xin did not have a single friend.
Yet, even so, Han Xin did not rush to make his move, continuing to endure and wait for his opportunity.
Now, with Great Qin willing to implement the imperial examination system, Han Xin saw hope.
He felt that he had a chance to surpass everyone, achieve first place, and become famous overnight.
Therefore, Han Xin bid farewell to the old laundrywoman and headed straight for the examination area in his region.
...