This paper compares the plot of two vernacular novels, Yuanyang Zhen and Rulin Waishi. These two novels are similar in depicting the scholars who attending the civil examination, know as keju. Nevertheless, the theme of Yuanyang Zhen written nearly a century earlier is to criticize the unlawful behaviors including cheating and bribing in the examination, known as zuobi, in the LateMing dynasty, but that of RulinWaishi ismainly criticizing the policy of encouraging contributing to the government funds to secure certain social status, known as juanna starting in the Kangxi & Yongzheng periods of the early Qing dynasty. As a result, Rulin Waishi inherited the spirit of criticism on keju system, it created new plots focusing on the governmental juanna policy of the Qing rather than zuobi which was strictly forbidden. In other words, Rulin Waishi attracted readers of the Qing reign for centuries by criticizing the juanna system as early as at its beginning period.