Chapter 19

• Forest's POV
• The commotion in my palace this morning was louder than usual. Servants rushed about, ensuring everything was perfect for my appearance at the civil examinations. This wasn’t my first event, but it would be the first time I had the authority to judge the examinations directly, a role that carried significant weight.
• I knew all too well the rot plaguing this process. Bribery had become the norm. Officials paid off examiners to guarantee their chosen candidates passed, regardless of their qualifications. These "scholars" were then handed posts in the government. Incompetence was now embedded at every level, and the results were clear, our country was crumbling from within.