Countless promising young candidates, after staying in the examination cells for nine days, went in on their own two feet and came out carried on a stretcher.
These older men were so advanced in age that their very steps trembled. Did they really need to risk their lives for a chance at a career? De'an couldn't wrap his head around it, no matter how hard he tried. If it were him, he would absolutely never do such a thing.
To put it another way, at their advanced age, even if they were lucky enough to pass and become an Advanced Scholar, what use would it be? Could they really buy an official position just to experience the thrill of it? Or perhaps this position could be hereditary and passed down to their descendants? Neither was possible, so risking their lives like this was completely unnecessary.
