The imperial examinations were first instituted by the Han dynasty as an effort to put effective administrators in positions where they could do the most civic good, and were accompanied under the emperor Liu Ch'e by the foundation of state universities to train people for government service. It was an efficient means to determine the best leadership possible for local rule in an empire as vast as Han China. However, all assigned positions were subject to approval by the emperor, and he did not always abide by the scores on the page. Zhong Kui received the highest score possible on the imperial exams, but was rejected by the emperor for his ugliness. However, the benefits of a good test score might extend beyond the mortal realm: when Zhong Kui committed suicide and wound up in Hell, his high marks on the exam assured him a leadership role in Hell's bureaucracy overseeing all of the ghosts.