New Features
Prefectural Confucian School Professors and Instructors now teach approximately once every 5 days, improving the specialty abilities of students.
Particularly excellent teaching content from Prefectural Confucian School Professors may now appear in the Daily Extract.
Completed the provincial examination essay generation, grading, successful candidate selection, and Jieyuan selection features.
Added imperial examination-related information to character dialogue content.
Added provincial examination essay generation options to the game settings interface.
Added the Provincial Examination Record. After provincial examination grading is completed, it will be submitted by the Ministry of Rites. Players can view provincial successful candidate lists and outstanding examination essays in it.
Added Part 12: Imperial Examination to the in-game encyclopedia.
Bug Fixes and Optimizations
Removed some meaningless debug-like messages from the Rumors of Heaven interface.
Fixed an issue where provincial examination notice boards were not displayed in market-town maps of non-provincial-capital prefectures.
Optimized the AI backend to reduce the risk of crashes.
Fixed an issue where, after approving the Ministry of Rites’ memorial requesting the opening of an imperial examination, the Grand Secretariat did not draft the corresponding edict.
Fixed the misplaced close button in the fixed dialogue box.
Adjusted the probability and content of official gazette reports during the imperial examination preparation and provincial examination stages.
Optimized character pathfinding.
Updated Encyclopedia entry 2.2 with imperial examination content.
Related Gameplay and Information
Imperial Examination
The imperial examination was an important system used by the ancient court to select officials.
Scholars usually first obtained local qualifications such as Tongsheng and Shengyuan, then participated in the provincial examination. Those who passed were called Juren. Juren could then travel to the capital to take the metropolitan examination, and successful candidates would proceed to the palace examination. After the palace examination, candidates were ranked as Jinshi or Tong Jinshi and assigned official posts by the court.
In the Ming dynasty, imperial examinations were divided into two types: regular examinations and special grace examinations.
Regular Examination
A regular examination was a routine imperial examination held by the court according to a fixed cycle, usually once every three years.
The provincial examination of a regular examination began on the ninth day of the eighth lunar month. Since it was held in autumn, it was called the Autumn Examination. The metropolitan examination began on the ninth day of the second lunar month of the following year. Since it was held in spring, it was called the Spring Examination.
The regular examination was an important path for scholars to advance through the official system.
Special Grace Examination
A special grace examination was an additional imperial examination specially opened by the court due to major events such as the emperor’s enthronement, the establishment of the crown prince, grand celebrations, auspicious omens, or other important occasions.
Special grace examinations were not bound by the fixed three-year cycle. Their overall procedure was similar to that of regular examinations and also included stages such as the provincial examination and metropolitan examination.
For scholars, a special grace examination provided an additional opportunity to obtain scholarly honors outside the regular examination cycle.
Provincial Examination Questions and Essays
The provincial examination was a province-level imperial examination mainly used to select Juren.
In the game, provincial examination questions are designed with reference to ancient imperial examination formats such as classical essays, interpretations of the classics, and policy discussions. They test scholars’ understanding of classical principles, court documents, legal judgment, and administrative insight.
Different question types affect the theme, style, and argumentative direction of candidates’ essays, and also influence the final content shown in the Provincial Examination Record.
The Ministry of Rites drafts the provincial examination questions.
Provincial examination questions are divided into three sets: Southern Paper, Northern Paper, and Central Paper, corresponding to candidates from different regions.
Each paper contains 37 questions, though the contents differ. The questions are mainly divided into interpretations of the classics, practical document formats, legal judgments, and policy questions.
Classics interpretation questions are the core of the provincial examination paper, mainly testing candidates’ understanding and elaboration of Confucian classics.
Among them, there are 3 Four Books questions. These questions are drawn from the Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean, Analects, and Mencius, focusing on candidates’ understanding of principles such as self-cultivation, family regulation, state governance, and bringing peace to the world.
There are 20 Five Classics questions, drawn from the Book of Changes, Book of Documents, Book of Songs, Spring and Autumn Annals, and Book of Rites. Each classic provides 4 questions. These test candidates’ mastery of classical passages, ritual institutions, political ethics, and statecraft thought.
In addition to classics interpretation, the examination paper also includes question types such as discourse essays, edicts, proclamations, and memorials.
Discourse essays test candidates’ ability to discuss current affairs and analyze principles. Edicts, proclamations, and memorials are common court document formats. They respectively simulate imperial commands, court announcements of appointment or instruction, and ministers’ petitions or congratulatory writings, testing whether candidates possess the basic ability to handle official documents after entering government service.
There are 5 legal judgment questions. These simulate cases in which officials judge disputes and determine right and wrong, testing candidates’ understanding of law, human circumstances, and administrative judgment.
There are 5 policy questions. These usually revolve around issues such as state governance, finance and military affairs, livelihood and education, frontier defense, and disaster relief. Candidates are required to propose solutions, demonstrating their insight into practical governance and public welfare.
Outstanding essays will be compiled into the Provincial Examination Record and submitted for imperial review.
Imperial Examination Gameplay Flow
Difference Between Regular and Special Grace Examinations in the Game
In the game, regular examinations and special grace examinations are two different ways of opening an imperial examination.
A regular examination is the standard form of imperial examination. The process begins with the Ministry of Rites submitting a memorial requesting approval. The emperor confirms the opening of the examination through vermilion rescript. The Grand Secretariat then drafts the opening edict. After the emperor confirms the edict, the Ministry of Rites promulgates it to the provinces, officially opening the examination.
A special grace examination is an additional examination opened by imperial order. Usually, the emperor directly issues a handwritten imperial instruction. The Grand Secretariat then drafts an edict based on that instruction. After confirmation, the Ministry of Rites promulgates it to the provinces, opening the special grace examination.
Only one imperial examination can be held at a time. If a regular or special grace examination is already in progress, another examination cannot be opened until the current one has fully concluded.
Regular and special grace examinations follow largely the same process, but their stage durations differ. A special grace examination can be considered an accelerated version of the imperial examination, with shorter durations for each stage.
Stage Durations
Special grace examinations and regular examinations share the same stages, but each stage takes a different amount of time.
Edict Promulgation: 45 days for regular examinations, 18 days for special grace examinations.
Provincial Examination Preparation: 90 days for regular examinations, 22 days for special grace examinations.
Provincial Examination: 9 days for both regular and special grace examinations.
Provincial Examination Grading: 30 days for regular examinations, 15 days for special grace examinations.
Metropolitan Examination Preparation: 120 days for regular examinations, 45 days for special grace examinations.
Metropolitan Examination: 9 days for both regular and special grace examinations.
Metropolitan Examination Grading: 35 days for regular examinations, 18 days for special grace examinations.
Palace Examination Preparation: 10 days for regular examinations, 3 days for special grace examinations.
Palace Examination: 1 day for both regular and special grace examinations.
Roll Announcement Ceremony: 1 day for both regular and special grace examinations.
Thanksgiving Banquet: 1 day for both regular and special grace examinations.
Court Thanksgiving: 1 day for both regular and special grace examinations.
Important Imperial Examination-Related Positions in the Game
To ensure the imperial examination proceeds smoothly, please note that the following positions should not be vacant:
Each provincial administration commission should have at least one of its Left or Right Provincial Administration Commissioners in office. Ideally, both positions should be filled.
At least one of the Minister, Left Vice Minister, or Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites should be in office.
At least one of the Director, Vice Director, or Secretary of the Bureau of Rites under the Ministry of Rites should be in office.
Overview of Examination Types
There are two types of imperial examinations: regular examinations and special grace examinations.
Regular examinations are automatically triggered on a three-year cycle, with the Ministry of Rites submitting a memorial requesting approval. Special grace examinations are opened directly by imperial handwritten instruction.
Only one regular or special grace examination can be held at a time. If an imperial examination is already in progress, you must wait until the current examination ends before opening another.
1. Opening a Regular Examination
A regular examination is the standard form of imperial examination.
At the appropriate time, the Ministry of Rites will proactively submit a memorial requesting the emperor’s approval to open the examination. As the emperor, the player must review the Ministry of Rites’ memorial requesting the opening of the imperial examination and confirm whether to open it through vermilion rescript.
If the emperor agrees to open the examination, the memorial will enter the Grand Secretariat process after being marked with a vermilion rescript. The Grand Secretariat will then draft an examination-opening edict. After the emperor confirms the edict, the Ministry of Rites will officially promulgate it, and provincial administration commissions will begin receiving Ministry of Rites documents concerning the opening of the examination.
If the emperor does not reply in time, the Ministry of Rites will submit follow-up memorials at intervals. If the opening period is missed, the current regular examination may fail to proceed normally.
2. Opening a Special Grace Examination
A special grace examination is an imperial examination specially opened by the emperor.
The player may actively order the opening of a special grace examination through the emperor’s handwritten instruction. After the handwritten instruction is issued, the Grand Secretariat will draft a special grace examination edict based on its content. Once the emperor confirms it, the Ministry of Rites will promulgate it to the provinces.
A special grace examination can be regarded as an accelerated imperial examination, with shorter durations for each stage than a regular examination. It is suitable for occasions such as enthronement, celebrations, bestowing grace upon the realm, or when the player wishes to select additional talent.
3. Edict Promulgation and Provincial Reception
After the examination-opening edict is confirmed, the Ministry of Rites enters the edict promulgation stage and sends official documents to each provincial administration commission.
The time at which each province receives the document differs depending on its distance from the capital. As a result, the start of preparation work may vary, but no province will start later than the latest nationwide provincial examination preparation time.
Players can see through the official gazette that the examination-opening edict has been promulgated. They can also go to the market-town map of each provincial capital to observe whether the local area has entered the imperial examination preparation state.
4. How to Confirm the Current Imperial Examination Progress
Players can mainly confirm imperial examination progress in the following ways:
1. Check the Official Gazette
When the imperial examination enters important stages, the official gazette will publish relevant information, such as edict promulgation, provincial examination preparation, provincial examination opening, provincial examination grading, and result announcement.
2. Check Provincial Capital Market-Town Maps
The market-town map of each provincial capital changes according to the imperial examination stage.
During the provincial examination preparation stage, notice boards will appear in the provincial capital, and the examination compound will enter a renovation state.
During the provincial examination stage, examination cells in the compound will open, showing that the examination is underway.
During the provincial examination grading stage, the examination cells will close, while the examination compound remains in a renewed state as the province awaits result announcement.
After the provincial examination ends, if the nationwide imperial examination has not fully concluded, the examination compound will remain in a relatively new state.
Please note that non-provincial-capital prefectures do not display examination compounds, but during preparation and provincial examination stages, they may still display notice boards to show that the province’s imperial examination is in progress.
5. Provincial Examination Question Generation
After the opening of the examination is confirmed, the Ministry of Rites will organize the compilation of provincial examination questions before the provincial examination formally enters the grading stage.
In the game, three sets of provincial examination papers will be generated: Southern Paper, Northern Paper, and Central Paper. Each paper contains 37 questions.
Each provincial examination paper contains:
3 Four Books questions.
20 Five Classics questions, with 4 questions each from the Book of Changes, Book of Documents, Book of Songs, Spring and Autumn Annals, and Book of Rites.
1 discourse essay question.
1 edict question.
1 proclamation question.
1 memorial question.
5 legal judgment questions.
5 policy questions.
The Southern, Northern, and Central Papers correspond to different regions.
Northern Zhili, Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, and other regions use the Northern Paper.
Southern Zhili, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Huguang, Guangdong, and other regions use the Southern Paper.
Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and other regions use the Central Paper.
After the questions are generated, they are stored in the current imperial examination state for use in provincial examination grading and essay generation.
6. Provincial Examination Preparation
After each province receives the Ministry of Rites document, it enters the provincial examination preparation stage.
Local governments raise funds for tasks such as announcing the edict, posting notices, repairing examination compounds, registering students, and arranging lodging.
At the same time, each province will attempt to invite capital officials to serve as provincial examination chief examiners. If a capital official is successfully invited, that official will temporarily enter an external assignment state until the province’s provincial examination grading and result announcement are completed.
If no capital official is available, the local government will appoint a local school official to preside over the examination.
Players can observe changes such as examination compound repairs, posted notices, and tea stall discussions in provincial capital market-town maps.
7. Provincial Examination Begins
When the provincial examination date arrives, each province enters the provincial examination stage.
The provincial examination lasts nine days.
At this time, examination cells in the provincial capital market-town map will be shown as active, indicating that the examination is underway. Notice boards may still display provincial examination-related information.
Players do not need to personally operate the provincial examination. Provincial administration commissions automatically advance each province’s examination process according to the global imperial examination state.
8. Provincial Examination Grading
After the provincial examination ends, each province enters the grading stage.
The local authorities select Juren based on the attributes of the province’s students and determine the province’s Jieyuan.
In the game, the Jieyuan is usually the candidate with the highest overall ability. The remaining Juren slots are filled based on different specialties and total scores. Some students who rank first in specific specialties may also be selected, representing diversity in local talent selection.
After entering the grading stage, the system generates provincial examination essays for the Jieyuan according to the Southern, Northern, or Central Paper used by that province.
Essays are not generated all at once. Instead, they are generated step by step, one question at a time, to avoid occupying the generation process for too long.
9. Essay Generation Settings
Players can choose in the game settings which provinces should generate provincial examination essays.
Only enabled provinces will generate detailed essays for their Jieyuan.
If essay generation is disabled for a province, that province will still proceed with grading, select Juren, and announce results normally, but it will not generate detailed Jieyuan essays. This can reduce the amount of generation and waiting time.
If essay generation is enabled for a province, that province will first generate the Jieyuan essays before announcing results. Only after essay generation is completed will the results be officially announced.
Please note that the essay generation switch must be configured before the provincial examination ends.
10. Provincial Examination Result Announcement and Provincial Examination Record
After a province’s Jieyuan essays have been generated, the province will officially announce its results.
The official gazette will publish the number of successful candidates in that province and the name of the Jieyuan. The chief examiner will also leave the external assignment state.
After all selected provinces have completed essay generation, the system will compile the provincial examination results and essay contents into the Provincial Examination Record and submit it for imperial review.
As the emperor, the player can view provincial examination results, Jieyuan information, questions, and essay contents after the Provincial Examination Record has been submitted.
If you want to see more complete Provincial Examination Record content, you should confirm before the imperial examination begins or before the grading stage that essay generation is enabled for the relevant provinces.