Gate of God

Chapter 299: Announcement of the Imperial Examination Results

One had to prepare before an important event.

Fang Zhengzhi got out of bed early for once. When he got to Yan Xiu’s room, he saw Yan Xiu waiting quietly at his table.

Even though Yan Xiu was still pale, he looked much better than before. For starters, he had his usual iciness.

Yan Xiu pointed to the snacks on the table when he saw Fang Zhengzhi enter.

“Are you better?” Fang Zhengzhi took his seat and began to eat.

“Mm.” Yan Xiu nodded lightly and began eating. He had been waiting for Fang Zhengzhi for breakfast.

Fang Zhengzhi knew that Yan Xiu did not like to talk whilst eating, so he did not say anything else.

Very quickly, they finished their breakfast and began walking to the Imperial Academy.

The Imperial Academy was packed with people. Outside the perimeter was a long table.

There was nothing on the table.

However, everyone knew that this table was placed by all the betting houses in the capital. It was used to for people to pay or collect their winnings.

The arrival of Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu attracted much attention.

After all, Fang Zhengzhi’s name reverberated throughout the city after the results of the competition reached the city. From the hawkers on the street to the villagers from nearby villages knew Fang Zhengzhi’s name.

“Look, Fang Zhengzhi is here!”

“Oh my god! It’s Yan Xiu! He’s so handsome, so handsome!” Just as Fang Zhengzhi was expecting a comment on him, he heard a scream by his side.

This was clearly from a girl.

“I really don’t understand why Yan Xiu is always with Fang Zhengzhi.”

“Exactly, exactly!”

“However, when I see Fang Zhengzhi, I think that Yan Xiu is even more handsome!”

Many other voices began to overlay over the lady’s voice.

Fang Zhengzhi was slightly saddened. Am I not handsome?

He once had a dream that he would make his name in the court examinations. Then, everyone would be screaming his name.

However, he had only fulfilled half his dreams.

Yan Xiu was the center of attention.

Okay then…

As long as it is not anyone else.

Fang Zhengzhi thought to himself.

Just as he thought of it, he heard an even more intense scream by his ear. It was many times louder than the scream that greeted him and Yan Xiu.

“Oh gosh, look, it’s Wu Feng!”

“It really is Wu Feng. Wow… I have managed to see Wu Feng in person!”

“The rumors are true, Wu Feng is even more handsome than expected!”

In that instant, the voices grew. It was almost as if someone had thrown a bomb into the middle of the crowd.

Fang Zhengzhi looked in that direction.

He saw a youth walk towards them slowly.

All this while, Fang Zhengzhi had found it difficult to believe that anyone could be as handsome as Pan An. After all, he had never been complimented like that despite his looks.

However, when he saw Wu Feng, he finally understood what that meant.

He was exquisite, elegant, and flawless.

He was absolutely flawless. If Fang Zhengzhi had to add another phrase behind it to describe this man…

This man made him gay!

He was dressed in a green flowy robe. He held a green jade flute in his hand. His expression was welcoming and his smile radiant.

He was a complete opposite of Yan Xiu.

This was Wu Feng.

“Ranked fourth on the Rising Dragon Roll. Wu Feng and the Jade Flute.” Yan Xiu explained to Fang Zhengzhi.

“Jade Flute? What’s so special about it?” Fang Zhengzhi was rather curious. After all, this was the first time he had seen someone use a flute as a weapon.

“He is the disciple of the “Clear Water Sage”. They are incredibly skilled in music, and he is rumored to be the best.” Yan Xiu explained.

“Music? Can it be used in a battle?”

“Can.”

“How?”

“Blowing into the flute.”

“Oh, I see!” Fang Zhengzhi nodded even though he did not really understand. Blow what? How?

Just as he was thinking about it, Wu Feng walked over. From his expression, he looked to be walking towards Yan Xiu and Fang Zhengzhi.

Very soon, Wu Feng stood in front of the two of them.

“Greetings, Young Master Yan!” Wu Feng bowed to Yan Xiu respectfully.

Fang Zhengzhi twitched his lips in disdain. He had seen many people greet Yan Xiu only to be ignored.

Wu Feng must be asking for it.

Just as he was thinking about it, Yan Xiu replied flatly. “Good.”

“Oh?” Fang Zhengzhi looked at Yan Xiu doubtfully.

However, after Yan Xiu replied, he did not seem to want to speak.

Wu Feng did not seem to be perturbed by it, almost as if he had expected this to happen. He continued to smile affectionately.

“If my guess is correct, this must be the famous Fang Zhengzhi, Young Master Fang!” Wu Feng bowed to Fang Zhengzhi.

Fang Zhengzhi had not thought of replying. However, when he saw the jade flute, a scene flashed in his mind.

The markings on Wu Feng’s Jade Flute looked exactly the same as those on the walls of the throne room in The Vast World.

What’s going on?

Images kept flashing in Fang Zhengzhi’s mind. He would think about the wall in that throne room as well as the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet he saw.

He also remembered the ridiculous scene when he had exited The Vast World. He remembered the ancient aura and the ear shaking roars…

“Can you let me take a look at your flute?” Fang Zhengzhi decided to ask.

Everyone around Fang Zhengzhi was stunned by the question. Then, many of the talents looked at Fang Zhengzhi in disdain.

Who asks to look at someone else’s weapon during the first meet?!

“Haha… I’m afraid not!” Wu Feng chuckled, unaffected by Fang Zhengzhi’s seemingly unreasonable request.

“Oh, then what must I do to be able to take a look?” Fang Zhengzhi continued.

“Does Young Master Fang really want to take a look?” Wu Feng’s expression changed slightly. If Fang Zhengzhi had said it as a passing comment, he would not have bothered with it. However, it was clear that Fang Zhengzhi was not making a passing comment.

“Yes.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

“If Young Master Fang really wants to take a look, you can try snatching it from my hand.” Wu Feng smiled.

“Oh? I see.” Fang Zhengzhi looked at the Jade Flute in Wu Feng’s hand and smiled.

“Dong!”

Just at this moment, the gong rang out and the doors to the Imperial Academy opened.

Two rows of imperial messengers dressed in black official robes stepped through the gates. Each one of them carried a redwood box in their hands.

Behind them were King Duan and Ninth Prince Lin Yun.

Other than these people, there was a young imperial messenger behind the group. He wore the robes of a rank four official and he held a golden box in his hands.

Everyone held their breaths when they saw this. No one spoke, their gazes fixed on the imperial messengers.

“Su Qing, you shall be the host for the announcement of the results today!” King Duan turned to the youth behind him and said.

“Yes!” Su Qing nodded respectfully.

Then, he walked forward quickly and stood in between the other two imperial messengers.

He cleared his throat and bowed four times. Each time, he faced one of the four directions, North, South, East, and West.

“The imperial examinations were held in two stages, the theory and combat examinations. There have been many trials and tribulations along the way that I am sure everyone is aware of…”

Su Qing began to recount the happenings of this imperial examination.

When he spoke about the World of The Sage, he mourned for the fallen and urged everyone else to do the same.

The entire crowd sighed.

When that was over, Su Qing motioned to the imperial messengers to begin the announcement.

All of them opened up the redwood box in their hands. Each one contained a name and a brief description of the person.

The Imperial Examination.

It was one of the most important parts of the Dao Examinations. The emphasis on it was vastly different from the previous ones. After all, passing this examination meant that one qualified to enter the courts.

“I got it, I got it!”

“Congratulations!”

“Young Master Li has made it, don’t forget us when you become someone notable!”

“Relax, I will never forget the people who I studied with.”

Very quickly, sounds of excitement and congratulations rang out in the air.

There were few who made it to the honor rolls in the Imperial Examinations. The second-class roll was reported in a jiffy.

It was now time for the first-class roll.

This got everyone even more excited. Those who made it to the first-class roll were ecstatic.

Fang Zhengzhi heard many familiar names.

The man who he had recruited after the loss to Ping Yang in the first round in the World of the Sage had made it to the first-class roll. That man’s cousin had also made it.

“Official Fang, thank you. If not for your help, we will not be where we are today.” Before long, the two middle aged men came over to thank Fang Zhengzhi.

“You are too kind. I still have to thank you.” Fang Zhengzhi had a good impression of both of them so he engaged in pleasantries.

Before long, the first-class roll had also been announced.

However, there was no mention of Xing Qingsui and Nangong Mu.

This caused everyone to get suspicious.

Xing Qingsui had gotten to the semifinals of the court examinations. After losing to Yan Xiu, he should have at least made the first-class roll.

Nangong Mu was in the top three for the theory examinations. Even though he had lost to Fang Zhengzhi one round earlier, it was quite impossible for him not to have made the first-class roll.

Could it be…

A thought flashed by in everyone’s mind.

“Did Fang Zhengzhi not make the cut?”

“I don’t think so? Fang Zhengzhi topped the theory examinations and made it to the final round of the combat examinations. He should either be first or second!”

“Could it be Yan Xiu then?”

“I think that’s impossible!”

The crowd burst into chatter.

If Xing Qingsui and Nangong Mu did not make the first-class roll, they must have made the top three.

However, including Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu, there would be four names in the top three!

Was there a tie?!

Just as they thought about it, Su Qing stepped forward watched for a nod from King Duan and the Ninth Prince.

“Announce the top three ranks for the combat examinations!” Su Qing bellowed when he got the approval from King Duan and the Ninth Prince.

The crowd quietened down.

Everyone was waiting for this result.

Su Qing slowly opened the golden box in his hand. He pulled out a small golden parchment.

He opened it up.

Then, he spoke.

“In third position for the combat examinations, we have Xing Qingsui of the Stabilisation Constabulary!” Su Qing scanned the crowd as he spoke.

The entire crowd exploded into chatter upon hearing this announcement.

It was no surprise that Xing Qingsui was third. However, if Xing Qingsui was third, that would mean that there was no tie for third position!

There were four missing names, yet, there was no tie.

What was going on?

No one understood what was happening.

According to the rules of the imperial examination, if there was a tie in the first or second positions, there would be no third place.

Could Nangong Mu be second? Either Yan Xiu or Fang Zhengzhi failed to make the cut?

This did not seem very possible.

Question arose in all the spectators’ minds.

Xing Qingsui, who was dressed in black, walked over to Su Qing with a look of confusion. He clearly had a question on his mind.

“Young Master Xing, congratulations on making the top three!” Su Qing congratulated.

“Mm, Official Su is too kind. May I ask how Nangong Mu fared in this examination?” Xing Qingsui asked. He had always been direct.

Chapter 300: Results

Upon hearing Xing Qingsui’s question, all of the surrounding spectators quietened down. This was the exact question on their minds.

With Nangong Mu’s results, he should at least be in the first-class roll.

Su Qing smiled but did not answer immediately. He turned to look at King Duan.

King Duan did not speak when he saw Su Qing look at him. However, he nodded lightly.

“Young Master Xing’s question is warranted. However, Nangong Mu’s situation is a little special. I am unsure of the details, but I can confirm that Nangong Mu is not ranked!” Su Qing smiled after seeing King Duan nod.

“What?!”

“Nangong Mu is not ranked?”

“No matter what, Nangong Mu had already qualified for enough rounds to pass the imperial examinations. He should be ranked even if he didn’t participate in the court examinations!”

“This is against the rules!”

Many people in the crowd were infuriated when they heard those words. After all, the imperial examination rankings were determined by the performance and results of the participants.

Even though Su Qing did not say it explicitly…

It was clear that Nangong Mu was not on any roll, not even the second-class roll.

This did not make any sense.

“Does the Imperial Academy have a right to do that?” Xing Qingsui’s gaze turned icy. Even though he did not interact much with Nangong Mu, they had gone through some things together in the World of the Sage as well as in the courts. He would not let this happen.

Many of the talents on the first-class roll also reacted to the news.

“Why is Nangong Mu not on any roll?”

“The Imperial Academy does not have the right to do that!”

“Exactly exactly!”

All of the talents echoed.

Su Qing looked at the surroundings and sighed in helplessness.

“Young Master Xing is correct, does the Imperial Academy have the right to do such things?” Su Qing’s response was both a question and an answer.

“What you mean is…”

“Young Master Xing, this is not something that you and I can change. Furthermore, this decision was not made by the Imperial Academy. I am sure you know what I mean.” Su Qing waved the crowd off. “There will be an explanation about Nangong Mu’s case before the court examinations. Everything will be cleared up then.”

“Court Examinations?”

“Why must we wait until then?”

“Could it be because…”

The crowd was jolted. Many of those who had expressions of doubt and suspicion shut their mouths immediately.

“Can you guess the reason?” Fang Zhengzhi turned to Yan Xiu.

“I can’t be sure. I can only make a rough guess…” Yan Xiu nodded, then shook his head lightly.

“What is it?”

“If I am correct, it should have something to do with Nangong Hao.”

“Nangong Hao?” Fang Zhengzhi was confused.

He did not know Nangong Hao before. However, ever since his battle with Nangong Mu, he found out that Nangong Hao was Nangong Mu’s brother.

However…

How could these two things be linked?

The rules of the imperial examination would not be changed unless there were extenuating circumstances. Why would Nangong Hao cause Nangong Mu to drop off the ranking boards?

That did not seem very possible.

Fang Zhengzhi frowned.

It did not matter if Nangong Hao had such powers. Even if he did, Nangong Mu had said that his relationship with Nangong Hao was good. As such, Nangong Hao would have no reason to bring harm to him.

Since Nangong Hao would not harm Nangong Mu, what role did he play in Nangong Mu’s failure to make any roll?

“Mm.” Yan Xiu nodded lightly without a second word.

“Is Nangong Hao… powerful?” Fang Zhengzhi suddenly remembered his promise to Nangong Mu on stage.

“I am no match for him.” Yan Xiu replied with a conflicted tone.

“Even with the Dao of Asura?” This was the first time Yan Xiu had admitted that he was not powerful enough to defeat someone, especially after he had understood the Dao of Asura.

“Yes.” Yan Xiu nodded.

Fang Zhengzhi did not probe further. He knew that Yan Xiu would never lie to him. However, if Yan Xiu was no match for Nangong Hao…

What was he going to do?

He had to fulfill his promise to Nangong Mu!

…

Xing Qingsui did not probe any further. He walked back to his spot.

Su Qing did not want to dwell on it any further. He unfurled the parchment in his hand and looked at the crowd.

The crowd quietened down.

This was the moment of truth. The second and first for the imperial examinations.

“The first place for the combat examinations is… Yan Xiu!” Su Qing announced after the crowd quietened down.

“It’s Yan Xiu!”

“It really is Yan Xiu!”

“I already said that Yan Xiu will top the combat examinations! Hahaha… I win!”

“Yan Xiu has both the abilities and the status!”

All of them began to whoop and cheer when they heard Yan Xiu’s name. Then, they turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi smugly.

He was just a villager.

You want to top the imperial examinations? Daydreaming.

“Hahaha… Fang Zhengzhi has nothing more to say right? However, he is quite lucky to come in second place. He only managed it because Nangong Mu conceded!”

“Exactly exactly!”

Voices rang out from the crowd.

Fang Zhengzhi did not say anything. He was the only one who knew what actually happened when they fell off the stage.

Yan Xiu was unconscious then.

Fang Zhengzhi could have used Yan Xiu to cushion his fall. However, he did not do that. In order to prevent Yan Xiu from taking additional damage, he chose to have both of them fall together.

Furthermore, in the moment they hit the ground, he lifted Yan Xiu up a little.

As such, even though they landed at the same time, those with poorer eyesight would think that Yan Xiu landed slightly later.

Fang Zhengzhi looked at Yan Xiu.

Yan Xiu turned back to look at Fang Zhengzhi.

Fang Zhengzhi’s gaze was filled with congratulations. However, Yan Xiu’s gaze was filled with rage. His lips twitched as he prepared to speak up.

Then, at this point, another voice rang out.

“…” The crowd quietened down instantly as everyone looked at Su Qing, who raised the parchment.

Su Qing was slightly embarrassed.

He had wanted to finish reading the results, however, the crowd had interrupted him.

The crowd was out of control.

According to the rules, he needed to pause after each name. However, after he paused, he realized that he probably shouldn’t have.

He cleared his throat after he saw all the eyes fixated on him.

“First place for the combat examinations goes to Yan Xiu! As well as Fang Zhengzhi from the Northern Mountain Village! They are tied for first place!” Su Qing finished the announcement in one breath.

“Tie… tie for first?!”

Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu are tied for first?”

“That means that Fang Zhengzhi has topped the imperial examinations!”

“And… he topped both the theory and combat components!”

All of the spectators finally recovered from their shock. They suddenly recalled that Su Qing had skipped the second place announcement.

There was no second!

It was a tie for first!

There have only been a few tie for firsts in the history of the Great Xia Dynasty.

“Fang Zhengzhi topped both components again? He has managed to do it for all three examinations that he has participated in!”

“My gosh… three times!”

“Congratulations to you both!” Wu Feng came over and extended his congratulations to Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu. He did not seem surprised by the results.

“Shouldn’t congratulations come with a token or a gift?” Fang Zhengzhi looked at Wu Feng.

“Haha… Young Master Fang is right. I have some silvers here, I hope that you’ll accept them!” Wu Feng beamed when he heard Fang Zhengzhi. Then, he handed them two cheques.

Fang Zhengzhi’s eyes glimmered when he saw them.

What…

10,000 silvers?!

Who is he? Who gives 10,000 silvers at one go?

“This amount is very little to Young Master Yan. I hope that you will not think of it as a joke.” Wu Feng smiled as he looked at Yan Xiu’s icy expression. Then, he turned and left.

Yan Xiu frowned but did not speak.

Fang Zhengzhi was slightly confused and curious to see Yan Xiu’s reaction. He did not seem to like Wu Feng, so why would he greet Wu Feng?

“His master and my grandfather have a good relationship.” Yan Xiu said after Wu Feng left.

“I see.” Fang Zhengzhi finally understood.

Yan Xiu had told him quite a bit about his grandfather. However, he had never seen Yan Xiu’s grandfather in person.

Wu Feng’s master was one of the four sages.

For someone to have a good relationship with a sage…

Was he also a sage?

One pavilion, four sages, thirteen constabularies. This was the phrase used to describe the powers in the Great Xia Dynasty. All Fang Zhengzhi knew of the 13 constabularies were the Divine Constabulary, the Stabilisation Constabulary, and the Battle Constabulary. Now, he knew of one of the sages.

He would need to find a time to read up on the history of the Great Xia Dynasty.

…

News of Fang Zhengzhi’s achievements spread like wildfire in the city. The imperial academy also ordered for the news to be spread to the other cities.

At a lake 30 miles outside the capital…

A boat was stopped by the side of the lake. Red autumn leaves floated in the air and landed on the tip of the boat, staining it red.

Inside the boat, a lady dressed in a white dress stroked the Guzheng in her hands. Music filled the air, serenading the talents by the river bank.

“My troubles seem to leave me as I listen to this music!”

“It is a pity that the music is unable to help us out of our situation!”

“Ever since Fang Zhengzhi revealed Qingwu’s face at Huai An County, she has not participated in any other gatherings. How frustrating!”

“I heard that Fang Zhengzhi topped the imperial examinations. Aish… how depressing!”

“Exactly! Why would there be someone like Fang Zhengzhi amongst the ranks of the educated…”

“Zoom!”

Just as these youths were discussing their lives, a ray of red light shot down from the sky. It sailed through the air and impacted one of the youth’s chest.

In that instant, he was thrown into the air and against a tree.

“Plonk!” He fell to his knees.

There was a red maple leaf at his chest.

“Who was that! Who dares attack me?!” The youth paled, his tone belligerent.

“People say that a Maple Leaf represents feelings. However, why can’t I feel anything from you?” A figure approached from the distance.

She wore a black dress, a shadow of her great figure cast on the ground. A faint scent emanated from her body as she played with a maple leaf in her hand.

“Who are you?” The youth looked at the figure, his expression changing. This was a lady, and a very attractive one.

In any other situation, he would have took some time to admire her.

But…

After being attacked, he had no interest in admiring her.

“You want to know?” The lady’s lips twitched as they curled into a playful smirk.

“I do…” The youth nodded, then realized something was amiss. He shook his head, “I have no feud with you, why attack me from the shadows?”

“Yes, why should I attack you from the shadows? I should attack you out in the open!” The lady waved her hand and flung the maple leaf outwards.

The youth was thrown into the air like a kite.

All of the others were stunned when they saw this.

A maple leaf!

Who would have thought that a maple leaf would have such power!

Just as they were thinking about it, the lady disappeared from her spot. She flew towards the the boat by the side of the lake.

Chapter 301: Court Examinations

She landed on the deck of the boat lightly with the tips of her toes. She did not make any sound as she landed.

Even so…

In the moment the lady’s toes landed on the deck, seven girls dressed in green surrounded her.

The lady was right in the middle.

“Haha… I heard that Yun Qingwu was unique. I didn’t expect that this is how she greets her guests?” The lady chuckled.

“Since you are a guest, please announce yourself!” A girl in green asked for the identity of the black robed lady.

“That’s true, I am Wu Yuer.” Wu Yuer nodded.

“Wu Yuer?!” The expression of the girl in green changed. When she looked at Wu Yuer, she seemed to tremble slightly.

“It looks like… you know me?” Wu Yuer smiled. Her skin was radiant, almost as if a gentle breeze had just caressed it.

“I don’t know.” The girl in green shook her head.

“Oh, is that right?” Wu Yuer ignored the green girl. She closed her eyes and listened to the music from the boat. “It looks like Ms Yun has other guests today.”

“How do you know?” The girl in green was shocked.

“It’s not too difficult. One just has to infer from her choice of music.” Wu Yuer began to admire the way the boat was decorated.

All seven girls in green were anxious.

However, none of them moved, allowing Wu Yuer to walk on the deck.

“Can I go in?” Wu Yuer asked after pacing around.

“Since Ms Wu knows that she has an appointment, why don’t you go in?” At that moment, another lady dressed in green walked out.

She was slightly different from the other seven. She had a gold hairpin in her hair. It was quite difficult to notice if one wasn’t paying attention.

“What’s the link?” Wu Yuer asked.

“I see that Ms Wu is prepared today?” The lady in green pressed.

“It’s not really any preparation at all. However, if I don’t see her, I am not going to leave.” Wu Yuer retrieved a cheque. “I heard that Ms Yun doesn’t meet people receiving a gift first? I can’t possibly break that rule today.”

She flicked her fingers and the cheque flew towards the lady in green.

The expression of the lady in green changed as she grabbed the cheque with both hands. She retreated a few steps, stunned by the impact. However, she suppressed her shock quickly.

“Thank you. However, my lady does not want the cheque.” The girl in green tore up the cheque in her hands.

The torn up pieces of paper floated on the lake, combining with the fallen maple leaves. They looked like snow on the water.

“I have already given you the cheque. Whether she wants it or not is none of my business.” Wu Yuer walked towards the girl in green.

The expressions of the other seven girls changed immediately.

“Woosh!”

Almost simultaneously, all seven of them drew their blades. The blades glimmered icily in the autumn sun.

Wu Yuer stopped.

However, she did not look at the seven girls. Instead, she turned to look at the center of the lake.

There was a light mist on the surface of the water. A faint figure was floating on the surface of the river. Before long, a boat cam into view.

There was no paddle.

A lone youth stood aboard the boat. He wore a white shirt. However, it was impossible to make out his appearance. He was surrounded by fallen maple leaves.

“It’s him?!” Wu Yuer’s expression changed when she saw that boat. She stood rooted to the spot.

At that moment, the music from inside the boat stopped.

The door opened.

Yun Qingwu walked out. She was dressed in white, a veil blocking her face. Her smooth, luscious black hair danced in the wind.

“I see that someone was even earlier than me.” Wu Yuer murmured to herself. This was rather strange. Ordinarily, people would think that she was earlier than the figure on the lake.

“Yes, he is earlier than you.” Yun Qingwu nodded lightly when she heard Wu Yuer. She was clearly in agreement with Wu Yuer’s judgement…

…

The wind in the capital was cold to the touch. It was clear that they were well into autumn.

The date of the court examination had been set. It would be held five days later at the dawn of winter.

This court examinations were one of the grandest in history. Virtually all of the powers on the Rising Dragon Roll were here.

The fourth ranked Wu Feng was the one who caught the most attention.

The reason was simple…

He was a core disciple of one of the four sages.

There was one other reason. Wu Feng had done something recently. After the announcement of the imperial examination results, news of it reached the capital.

Qin Yan, ranked third on the Rising Dragon Roll, had been defeated.

The person who defeated him was Wu Feng.

People were not shocked that Wu Feng defeated Qin Yan. After all, they were only one rank apart.

It was common for the talents to switch places like this, especially near the top.

However, they were all stunned by Wu Feng’s choice of time to do so.

It was only five days from the court examinations.

“Is he not afraid of getting injured?”

This was the first reaction from everyone. However, the fact was, Wu Feng was not injured. Furthermore, he had defeated Qin Yan in three rounds.

Three rounds to defeat Qin Yan.

Wu Feng was now ranked third on the Rising Dragon Roll.

He took over the only contestable spot on the Rising Dragon Roll. He was now second only to Chi Guyan and Nangong Hao.

Of course, this court examinations was the queerest one to date.

After his defeat, Qin Yan withdrew from the examinations.

Seventh ranked Xiang Tianying and eighth ranked Tang Zhongming also announced their withdrawal after the release of the imperial examination results.

The withdrawal of these two candidates were linked to the racing and hunting competition.

However…

People were curious why Xiang Tianying and Tang Zhongming would withdraw instead of trying to get revenge at the court examinations.

After all, their enemy was Fang Zhengzhi.

The wind continued to blow in the city.

It was clearing out some of the dust before the court examinations. However, there was always more dust to take its place.

Everyone in the city was on their toes.

However, there was one exception. That exception was Fang Zhengzhi.

Over the past few days, Fang Zhengzhi found himself a new hobby. He would bring Ping Yang around to catch people. Yan Xiu would always tag along.

He quickly became one of the most powerful in the city.

Yan Xiu played a huge role in this game.

When some people would hide in their residences, Ping Yang’s voice was more than enough to scare them out.

These people included…

Wen Dabao.

“Young Master Wen, where are we going to eat today?” Fang Zhengzhi looked at the depressed Wen Dabao mockingly.

“Official Fang… will what I say go?” Wen Dabao asked bitterly.

“You have to suggest something to us first. Only after you suggest can we know if it’s acceptable.” Fang Zhengzhi encouraged.

“…” Wen Dabao was on the verge of crying, “Why don’t you decide, Official Fang?”

“Okay then, I shall decide. Where do you want to go?” Fang Zhengzhi turned to look at Ping Yang.

“Why don’t we go to the Fragrance Restaurant for food then go to the Jade Pavilion for some shopping?” Ping Yang blinked her eyes.

“Not a bad idea. I think that’s fine. What about you?” Fang Zhengzhi nodded solemnly. Then, he turned to look at Yan Xiu.

“Mm.” Yan Xiu nodded lightly.

“Your highness, Young Master Yan, Official Fang, this really will not do. I… I…” Wen Dabao was on the verge of crying.

All of his winnings from the hunting and racing competition were spent over the past two days. Then, his own savings were also emptied.

“No worries, it’s on me this time.” Fang Zhengzhi replied magnanimously.

“…” Wen Dabao was on the verge of crying. He had fallen for this trick before.

Two days ago, Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu had came to look for him.

Wen Dabao was ecstatic. He immediately offered to treat Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu to a good meal.

However, Fang Zhengzhi shook his head.

“It’s on me!”

This caused Wen Dabao to fall this his knees. Fang Zhengzhi was such a good man. He thought that he had made the perfect choice to follow Official Fang.

However, he finally understood what Fang Zhengzhi meant by treating.

In short…

It was bullying.

Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu would order whilst Wen Dabao would pay.

Afterwards, Wen Dabao learnt his lesson. He hid within his residence and did not greet any guests. However, he could not escape Ping Yang.

Wen Dabao realized that after he went into hiding, there were even more people who came over for meals.

“Dabao!” A male walked out from the residence.

“Father? Why are you out here?” Wen Dabao was slightly stunned.

“Nothing much. My memory is failing me recently. I dropped some silvers a few days ago but I can’t seem to find them now. Aish… so I decided to come out here and take a look.

“Dropped silvers in the yard?!” Wen Dabao’s eyes brightened. However, why would his father come to his residence to look for silvers he dropped in his own yard.

However, he did not say this out loud.

Because…

That would only result in a beating.

“Mm, I will go look for it along the streets. I will be off for now.” The middle aged man left.

Wen Dabao’s eyes glimmered when the middle aged man left. There are silvers in the yard? Hahaha… there are silvers!

…

Three days passed very quickly.

It was only two days from the court examinations. All of the talents began to stay home as they made their final preparations for the court examinations.

At this moment…

A piece of news reached the capital.

This news was simple. It consisted of only one sentence – “Nangong Hao announces his participation in the court examinations!”

“Nangong Hao is going to participate?!”

“Is this real?”

“Of course it is. This news came from the imperial academy.”

“If Nangong Hao participates, will Fang Zhengzhi have the chance to top the exam?”

“What rubbish. Even if Nangong Hao doesn’t participate, Fang Zhengzhi would not have a chance! There is still Wu Feng! Don’t forget that he defeated Qin Yan in three rounds! Fang Zhengzhi’s battle against Xiang Tianying and Tang Zhongming is not even a feat worth mentioning.”

“That’s true. I am really looking forward to the court examinations!”

Discussions continued throughout all corners of the city.

At the same time, a few cavalry sped past the gates to the city. They headed straight for the palace at neckbreaking speeds.

“It’s the Dragon Protection Squad!”

“I wonder what news it is now?”

“Anything that would cause the Dragon Protection Squad to rush to the capital in this manner is extraordinary.”

Everyone on the streets began guessing upon seeing the Dragon Protection Squad.

Fang Zhengzhi, who was with Yan Xiu and Ping Yang, happened to see the Dragon Protection Squad. However, he was not curious at all.

Because…

He did not recognize them at all.

However, Ping Yang’s eyes brightened almost immediately.

“Hey, look, it’s the Dragon Protection Squad. I wonder why they are rushing?” Ping Yang screamed in anticipation.

“Dragon Protection Squad?” Yan Xiu also turned to look at the speeding cavalry. His expression changed slightly.

However, he recovered quickly.

Then…

Yan Xiu raised his head and looked into the blue sky and the clouds, seemingly deep in thought.

“Hey, where are we going now?” Wen Dabao rushed over from the restaurant after settling the bill.

However, this time, Wen Dabao was not depressed. On the other hand, he looked quite happy to settle this bill.

“Fang Zhengzhi, do you want to go and play at the palace?” Ping Yang looked at Wen Dabao scornfully. Then, she smirked at Fang Zhengzhi.

Chapter 302: Mausoleum

“Palace? Is there anything fun there?” Fang Zhengzhi’s eyes brightened.

He had been to the palace before. However, he was summoned to the throne room then. He had not had the chance to explore it before.

In all honesty, he had never seen the palace in its entirety.

“Have you heard of the… 3000 beauties?” Ping Yang was rather contented to see Fang Zhengzhi’s interest piqued.

The residence of concubines…

An image flashed in Fang Zhengzhi’s mind. Countless beauties walking past him, each with their own unique qualities.

3000 of them!

With 365 days in a year… he could change one everyday and have enough to last him 10 years!

Furthermore, this was just an estimate. In his previous world, the Emperors all had more than 3000 concubines. For some of them, the concubines were virtually uncountable.

“Ahem, I am still young. I can’t be exposed to such things too early!” Fang Zhengzhi replied solemnly.

“What are you thinking about? What do you mean by you are too young? You can’t be exposed to such things so early?” Ping Yang looked at Fang Zhengzhi scornfully. “I am just bringing you there to take a look. Are you going?”

“Yes!” Fang Zhengzhi replied without hesitation.

“Yan Xiu, what about you?”

“Nope.”

“What a disappointment.” Ping Yang’s lips twitched. Then, she turned to look at Wen Dabao.

“I will go, I will go!” Wen Dabao did not even wait for Ping Yang to ask. He was salivating at the thought of it.

“Scram! Is that a place that you can go to? Do you believe that I will get someone to castrate you?” Ping Yang glared at him as she made a chopping motion with her hands.

Wen Dabao crossed his legs as sweat flowed from his forehead.

“Come let’s go, I will bring you to see what 3000 concubines look like!” Ping Yang pulled Fang Zhengzhi away after snorting at Wen Dabao…

…

Inside the library of the palace.

A golden armored member of the Dragon Protection Squad stood in the middle. There was a letter on the table.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping sat beside the table, his expression as calm as water. However, he kept looking at Emperor Lin Mubai, who was at the table.

Emperor Lin Mubai scanned the letter, his expression changing slightly.

“Where is he now?”

Emperor Lin Mubai’s question was quite vague. However, the Dragon Protection Squad member understood immediately. He cupped his fist.

“Your highness, he is rushing to the capital as we speak. Based on his speed, he should arrive shortly.”

“Mm… you may leave now.” Emperor Lin Mubai nodded.

The Dragon Protection Squad member bowed and left the library.

“Your highness, the implications of this are great. Should we gather all the officials?” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping replied quickly after the Dragon Protection Squad member left.

“What do you think I should do about this?” Emperor Lin Mubai questioned after some hesitation.

“We have already confirmed the identity of the Demon Leader. As such, we only have two options. We can order for her capture. She should not have gone far. If we send the order now, we should be able to capture her. That will give us the upper hand against the demons. The second option is… lockdown the news and let things take their course.” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping replied after some thought.

“I was asking about him.” Emperor Lin Mubai shook his head.

“Him?” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping’s expression changed as he looked out of the library. He clenched his fists then loosened them. “Your highness, do you plan to use this opportunity to show mercy?”

“What are your views on Nangong Mu?” Emperor Lin Mubai changed the approach.

“Your highness, you have been merciful!” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping replied.

“Haha… I’m afraid that you are the only one who would say that I’ve been merciful? I think that Nangong Hao has come to the city because of this.”

“This is an opportunity.”

“I am worried that we will not be able to grasp this opportunity.”

“Based on Nangong Hao’s ability, he could have topped the court examinations four years ago. Four years later, he should be able to do so with no problem. Your highness, all you have to do is wait.”

“Mm… you’re right!” Emperor Lin Mubai nodded, then turned to look out the window. “Do you think… that there could be someone else that is the child in the Heavenly Prophecy?”

“Are you referring to Yan Xiu?” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping trembled.

“No, I am talking about Fang Zhengzhi.” Emperor Lin Mubai shook his head lightly.

“About this… forgive my stupidity, but I don’t see it.” Left Prime MInster Yu Yiping’s expression changed.

“Yes, it is quite the long shot and it’s just a thought I had. Anyways, the Crown Prince seems to be into landscaping?” Emperor Lin Mubai nodded.

“The Crown Prince uses the botany to understand the values required to be a leader.”

“It is good to improve one’s values and health. However, he needs to improve his political involvement. As a leader, he cannot continue this way if he wants to be effective.”

“Your highness is wise!”

“About the court examinations, the Crown Prince has suggested that I hold the combat examinations at the Southern Mountain Region. I find it refreshing and bold. What is your opinion?”

“I think that this is quite bold, but it would affect the military. I am afraid King Duan…”

“Let King Duan help him from the side. Brothers should work together more often. King Duan made some errors in his last invigilation, I would like to give him a second chance.”

“Your highness, you have considered every possibility, I am impressed beyond words.”

“Mm, you’ve always been too humble. I’ve had a splitting headache recently. I keep thinking that something bad is about to happen. Why don’t you accompany me for a walk around the gardens?” Emperor Lin Mubai smiled and stood up.

“Yes your highness!” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping bowed.

…

The cold wind blew, causing the lake to freeze over.

The mountains were now covered in snow.

It was incredibly cold now. The rivers and lakes were frozen and the lands were covered in snow.

There was a huge mausoleum in the middle of this landscape.

Snow covered the vast limestone. The rock was not blocked by any foliage from the icy wind. This was an eternally icy world.

The entire cemetery was covered in snow.

This was the Nangong mausoleum.

This was the home of the reputable Nangong Family.

This place had existed for aeons. It was established about the same time as the Great Xia Dynasty. The limestone may have aged, but the ice was still the same.

The Nangong Family stayed right next to their ancestors’ tombs.

Many people could not understand it, but the mausoleum was the pillar of this ancient family’s fate.

There was a stone tablet in the middle of the mausoleum.

Each tablet was carved with a name, and under each name was the description of the ancestor’s life. This was the residence of the Nangong Family, and it was also the resting place of the Nangong ancestors.

Today, there were a dozen people by the side door of the mausoleum.

Each person’s gaze was icy, their bodies covered in snow from head to toe. They had clearly been standing here for some time.

However, none of them moved from their spots. They looked like statues by the door.

This was a strange sight. If not for the fact that clouds of mist formed everytime they exhaled, one may be tempted to think that these men were dead.

The snow continued to fall lightly to the ground.

A figure walked out from the snow. The figure wore a green short sleeved shirt and his workaday appearance was complemented by calm, expressionless eyes.

He stopped at the mausoleum.

Then, he fell to his knees and kowtowed to the mausoleum. The snow stained his forehead as he did so.

“You’re back?” The man right at the front of the stone door finally spoke.

This was a slightly plump middle aged man. He wore a single layer, but his collar was lined with fur. He revealed no expression.

His eyes did not blink even as the wind blew against his face. His blood vessels showed through his eyes. He had clearly been in the snow for too long.

“Mm.” The figure nodded lightly as he replied.

“Why did you come back?” The slightly plump middle aged man asked again. This time, his tone was icily dangerous.

The figure did not speak. He chose to stand in the snow silently. His expression was as flat as before, almost as if he wasn’t even thinking about the question.

“What is the core value of the Nangong Family?” The slightly plump man raised his head as he looked at the falling snow. Then, he looked at the figure in the snow.

“Break rather than bend.” The figure asserted.

“Why did you admit defeat?” The middle aged man’s tone changed.

Silence once again. However, this time, the figure in the snow seemed to be deep in contemplation.

“You can lose, you can die, but, you cannot bend!”

“Yes.”

“Kneel to your ancestors!”

“Yes.” The figure nodded then walked through the dozen men and towards the stone tablet.

There were a total of 3,478 tablets.

However, his expression did not change. He walked quietly to the first tablet and knelt. Then, he kowtowed once, twice, thrice…

For a total of 10 times.

Only then did he stand up and walk to the second tablet. He kowtowed 10 times there. Then, he moved to the third tablet…

“Master, is this a little too harsh?” One of the figures standing outside the mausoleum felt heartache as he saw the lone figure kowtowing to each grave.

“The Emperor has been kind enough to not put his name on the roll. In all our history, there has been no one who has gotten a first-class roll result. This is humiliation. The Nangong Family has been humliated! After he dies, are we supposed to put imperial examination first-class roll on his grave?”

“Master is wise.”

“You can all leave. I will wait for him here by myself.”

“I understand.”

The snow continued to fall on the two remaining people in the mausoleum. One of them stood by the side door silently. He was just like a statue, unspeaking and unmoving.

The other figure kept kowtowing at the front of each gravestone. However, the determination in his eyes never wavered.

“Dong, dong, dong…”

The sound of his head against the ice and snow rang out, almost like a hammer knocking against the ground.

…

In the palace…

Fang Zhengzhi felt the urge to curse. He felt utterly cheated. Furthermore, he had been cheated in the worst manner.

3000 concubines!

Ping Yang did bring Fang Zhengzhi to the residence of the concubines. However, this palace did not belong to the Emperor.

This was the residence of princesses.

Fang Zhengzhi bowed so much he felt like he had sprained his waist. Crowds of them ran out like butterflies.

Each one of them chuckled to themselves.

More importantly.

They would ask the same question each time.

“Oh? Who is this?”

They were almost like curious babies.

He had no other choice but to introduce himself to each of them. However, he began to grow tired of it after more than 20 times.

“I heard that Official Fang managed to clinch the top spot for the imperial examinations. Can you share with us how you did it?”

“Exactly exactly. Official Fang, please share with us. We always here Sister Ping Yang call you shameless. How shameless are you? Why don’t you try it on us?”

“Why do you ask Official Fang so many questions at one go? Official Fang, ignore them. Tell me how you made everyone fall for your trick at the hunting and racing competition! Also, tell me how you knew they would go one additional round?”

All of them looked at Fang Zhengzhi in anticipation, their dresses flapping in the wind.

“Don’t be so draggy! Get me something nice to eat first!” Fang Zhengzhi could not take it any longer. He slumped into a chair and finished an entire fruit platter on the table.

Chapter 303: Expand your horizons

This sight stunned all of the princesses.

Everyone of them was well respected wherever they went. Even the officials in the imperial courts did not dare treat them the way Fang Zhengzhi did.

Fang Zhengzhi was just a rank four Sword Envoy. Furthermore, he had no authority or influence as an official. If not for the fact that he was the Sword Envoy, he probably couldn’t enter the palace.

Yet now, he was showing a complete disregard for them.

Outrageous.

“One’s birthplace dictates one’s horizons. Official Fang is wolfing down the food, he must be hungry. We have many delicacies here that commoners don’t get to eat.”

“That’s right. Official Fang is a guest of Sister Ping Yang. We would be petty not to offer some food to him.”

“Servant! Prepare some food for Official Fang. Let him broaden his horizons.”

Each of the princesses began to call for food. Even though they looked at Fang Zhengzhi with tints of scorn, they did not despise Fang Zhengzhi’s audacity.

After all, the rarer something was, the more valuable it was.

Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi’s audacity was well known throughout the city. The princesses were quite curious about him.

With their interest and curiosity piqued, they were willing to ignore many of these details.

Ping Yang smiled when she heard the discussions amongst her sisters. She pitied them quite a bit.

They were trapped in the maze of the palace.

Unlike her, these princesses spent most of their time in the palace. Many of them had not even left the palace before. As such, their outlook on the world was restricted to the palace.

As a result, they were naturally arrogant.

Expand the horizons of Fang Zhengzhi?

This may sound normal to an ordinary person. However, Ping Yang knew that Fang Zhengzhi was quite experienced, especially when it came to food.

He had probably tried all the delicacies in the capital as well as those in the various vassal states.

To put it bluntly, Fang Zhengzhi would eat whatever he could wherever he went!

However, Ping Yang did not say this out loud. She thought that Fang Zhengzhi would say it himself.

However, surprisingly, Fang Zhengzhi did not say that. On the other hand, he looked on excitedly. “Good good, bring me something yummy. I want to expand my horizons!”

“Hahaha… what a hillbilly!”

“The top scorer in the imperial examination is just a hillbilly.”

All of the princesses chuckled when they heard Fang Zhengzhi. Their laughter filled the air instantly.

Ping Yang pouted. This fella was embarrassing her. After all, she was the one who brought him in.

The least he could do was behave.

Fang Zhengzhi did not care about what the others saw of him. He had heard that the imperial chefs were the best around. He was going to taste it for himself today.

Very quickly, the table was filled with food.

There were over 30 dishes. Each one was exquisitely prepared. Upong serving each dish, a eunuch would also introduce it to Fang Zhengzhi.

“Official Fang, please have a taste!”

“Yes, you should expand your horizons.”

All of the princesses urged by the side.

Fang Zhengzhi was not going to be courteous about it. He picked up a pair of chopsticks and stuffed the food into his mouth. His look of anticipation froze.

Oh?

I thought the imperial chefs were supposed to be the best there were! Why did it taste just like what he had in the capital?

He did not think too much of it. He picked up a second piece.

He chewed it slowly and closed his eyes, relishing the flavors.

All of the princesses stared at Fang Zhengzhi. They were all waiting for Fang Zhengzhi to break down in tears at how delicious the food was.

“Quite average.” Fang Zhengzhi confirmed that these dishes were pretty good but not out of this world.

“Average? How can these be average?!”

“Try this. This is my favorite.”

“Okay, I’ll try it!” Fang Zhengzhi picked up another pair of chopsticks excitedly. He chewed on it, “It really is average. It is not much different from what I have normally.”

“How is that possible?”

“Official Fang, you must tell the truth. This is the delicacy from the palace, it is not something you can eat normally.”

“That is true. You’re from the countryside, how could you have possibly eaten such delicacies. I think you’re just boasting?”

“You said that our kitchen is just average. Why don’t you do something for us?”

“Yes, you should make us something!”

“I would like to see if you can make something better than our palace chefs!”

“Who can’t boast? The key is to prove it with your actions.”

All of the princesses did not believe what Fang Zhengzhi said. Their favorite foods had just been dissed by someone. All of them chided, their faces flushed.

“Fang Zhengzhi, show them!” Ping Yang finally spoke up. She had always like Fang Zhengzhi’s grilled meat. It was much better than these bland dishes.

“I’m too lazy. It’s too much work.” Fang Zhengzhi was too lazy to cook. He came here to play, not to cook.

“That’s because you can’t!” All of the princesses said in scorn.

“Yes, that’s because you cant!”

“I think so too. You probably can’t cook!”

Many other princesses began to chime in. No one believed that Fang Zhengzhi could cook.

“God damn it. Who says I can’t cook?!” Fang Zhengzhi could not take it any longer. How could he stand being despised this way. To make things worse, he was being chided by ladies.

He could not stand it any longer.

“If you can do it, you should go do it!”

“Exactly, if you really can, you should make something for us!”

“Everyone can boast. However, not everyone can prove it with actions.”

All of the princesses were not going to take this lying down.

“Okay, I will cook something for you. However… I have one condition.” Fang Zhengzhi stepped forward and looked at all the princesses. He smirked.

“Condition?” All of the princesses retreated slightly. They were wary of his smirk. Did he want to make one of them his wife?

That would not do. They were never going to marry a hillbilly.

“Tell us what the condition is.”

“It is very simple. The first bite you have is free. After which, you have to pay 100 silvers for each subsequent bite. If you don’t want to pay in silvers, you can give me a treasure. How about it?” Fang Zhengzhi looked at the princesses. They were all rich enough to afford 100 silvers a bite.

“First bite is free?”

“Each subsequent bite is 100 silvers?”

“Okay, deal!”

The princesses nodded after looking at each other.

During banquets, there could be upwards of 1000 dishes. There were few dishes that they would take a second bite of. As such, they did not believe that Fang Zhengzhi could make them eat this much.

Ping Yang was rather surprised by this. Even though the grilled meat was tasty, it required quite some time to grill.

There were no less than 20 people here. Fang Zhengzhi was only selling one for 100 silvers? How much could he earn? Probably a few thousand silvers at best…

He clearly wasn’t thinking ahead.

However, Fang Zhengzhi smiled.

He was beaming. At 100 silvers a mouthful, he would pauper the entire palace.

…

Two hours later, just as all the princesses were getting restless, Fang Zhengzhi ran over. There were two eunuchs behind him carrying a huge pot.

This was not the strangest sight. There were two more eunuchs behind them. One of them carried a hollowed out table whilst the other one carried a huge pot of charcoal.

“He spent so long making one dish?”

“He clearly can’t make anything!”

All of the princesses shook their heads in scorn.

Ping Yang was quite confused. Why did he have a pot? And a hollowed out table? Did he find a way to grill meat in a pot? What a maverick.

Just as she was thinking about it, Fang Zhengzhi arrived in front of her.

The two eunuchs carefully placed the pot on the hollowed out table. Then, they placed the charcoal below the table.

“What dish is this?” One of the princesses asked warily.

“This is not a dish.” Fang Zhengzhi replied.

“It’s not a dish? Then what is it?”

“It is a hotpot.”

“Hotpot?” The princess was stunned.

“Hahaha… it is a hotpot!” Another princess chuckled. In the palace, they had a tradition of eating hotpot during the winter months. They were still wondering what dish Fang Zhengzhi had cooked.

It was just a hotpot.

For a hotpot, even making the princesses eat a mouthful was an achievement.

Ping Yang frowned. Why would Fang Zhengzhi do a hotpot instead of grilling meat? Even though it was rather chilly, it was not the season for hotpots.

Furthermore, a hotpot was just cooking things in boiling water or stock. What was good about it?

Fang Zhengzhi looked at the scorn on the faces of all the princesses. However, his smile did not diminish.

He knew that they had hotpots here.

However, could the hotpots here even be called hotpots?

Today…

He will let them know what is a Chongqing Hotpot!

“Clang!” Fang Zhengzhi lifted the lid to the pot and revealed a hotpot with eight different bases, each separated by a metal plate.

Fang Zhengzhi had to thank the fact that the palace kitchen was well stocked.

In order to make one soup base, he needed at least 20 different ingredients. Furthermore, it was quite complicated to make an eight flavored hotpot.

Back in the Northern Mountain Village, it was virtually impossible for Fang Zhengzhi to make so many flavors.

Initially, he had only thought of making a two flavored pot. However, upon seeing how well stocked the kitchen was, he changed his mind.

There was an entire house filled with superior stocks. They simmered constantly in dozens of pots.

There were people watching over it to make sure the fire was never extinguished.

Normally, they would only take a little bit out to make soup for the emperor. However, Fang Zhengzhi virtually emptied the pots.

He put a little in the soups and placed most of it in his Heart Protection Mirror.

The guardian had wanted to duke it out with Fang Zhengzhi. However, he was knocked unconscious before he could put up a fight.

After which, no one stopped Fang Zhengzhi.

More importantly, he had the token given by Ping Yang.

The eight colored soup boiled in the pot. It did look quite appetizing. However, what were the “leaves” rolling in the soup?

“Can… this really be eaten?”

“Is there poison in this?!”

All of the princesses were hesitant upon seeing the leaves.

“Of course not.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

“Inedible? Then are you trying to poison us?” The princesses raged.

“Bumpkins. I am asking you to eat a hotpot. You have to take your meats and vegetables and cook them in the base!” Fang Zhengzhi’s mouth twitched as he clapped.

Very quickly, an eunuch brought over all sorts of ingredients for the hotpots.

“How dare you call us bumpkins?!”

“Outrageous!”

All of the princesses raged when they heard Fang Zhengzhi. However, they were also attracted by the ingredients the eunuch brought over.

“Can these be put in the hotpot?”

“Oh? This can be eaten?”

“Wow… what is this. It looks like… ah, what is this?!”

After all the ingredients were brought over, the princesses leapt to their feets. This was different from what they had seen before.

“Enough with the talking. If you all don’t want to eat it, I will start eating!” Fang Zhengzhi was hungry. He picked up a piece of pig brain and placed it in the hotpot.

Within moments, he took it out and took a bite. It was delicious!

The princesses could not resist it when they saw Fang Zhengzhi devouring the food. In the end, Ping Yang was still the first person to try, “I will have try it out!”

Chapter 304: Emperor, robbery!

Ping Yang was not afraid that Fang Zhengzhi would poison the soup base. She knew that no matter how outrageous Fang Zhengzhi was, he would never poison the princesses inside the palace.

Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi had no reason to poison them.

“Woosh!” Ping Yang did not swish the meat around like Fang Zhengzhi did. Instead, she poured the entire plate of meat into the soup.

The red soup base splashed skywards.

“Ouch ouch ouch…” All of the princesses yelled when they were scalded.

However, they were all attracted by the aroma coming out from the hotpot. They began salivating.

Ping Yang simply picked up one piece of meat and put it in her mouth.

She chewed on it slowly.

Then, her expression changed. Her entire face turned red, almost as if she had been lit on fire.

“Water, water! I need water!”

“Princess, princess, the water is here!” A whole bunch of eunuchs panicked when they heard her. Even though Fang Zhengzhi had made the food, the ingredients had come from the imperial kitchen.

If there was any problem…

The kitchen would be responsible as well.

All of the other princesses stepped back when they heard this.

“Fang Zhengzhi, how dare you poison the food!”

“Capture Fang Zhengzhi!”

“We will not let you off today!”

All of the princesses yelled in terror. After all, Fang Zhengzhi was quite powerful. It was very possible that he would take one or two of them hostage in a fight.

Fang Zhengzhi twitched his lips in scorn. “Poison? Go fly a kite!”

Just as he spoke, he placed a few pieces of meat in his bowl. He cooled them down by blowing on them before placing them in his mouth.

Red oil trickled from the edge of his mouth.

Just at that moment, Ping Yang took a big gulp of water and suppressed the redness in her face.

“Hahaha… how awesome!” Ping Yang yelled as she picked up yet another piece of meat. She placed it in her mouth, “Yummy, very yummy!”

All of the other princesses were stunned by this change. What was going on? Why was she okay all of a sudden?

Could it be that water was the antidote?

“Is it yummy?” Fang Zhengzhi looked at Ping Yang.

“It is!” Ping Yang nodded vigorously.

“Then you should eat some more, hehe!” Fang Zhengzhi looked on as Ping Yang placed more meat in her mouth. She now owed him 200 silvers.

Easy money.

All of the other princesses looked at each other in confusion. They all knew how picky Ping Yang was about food.

What kind of food would make Ping Yang praise it to such an extent?

All of the princesses were curious. After all, the meat on the table was ordinary. Furthermore, nothing had been done to the meat. Could it be that the hotpot was the magical ingredient?

“I will try it as well!”

“Me too!”

“I… I will only try one piece.”

All of the princesses could not take it any longer. All of them reached for their chopsticks.

“Wow, how spicy! How yummy!”

“I… I am unable to take the heat. Are there any less spicy ones?”

“Of course. This is tomato flavored. This is not spicy.” Fang Zhengzhi began to introduce each flavor to the princesses.

All of the princesses could not resist the temptation any longer.

All of them began to dive in.

Before long, all of them began to attack the food like famished animals.

Each of them tried all eight flavors, then continued to cook the meat in their favorite bases.

They completely forgot about the 100 silvers price tag on every mouthful they had.

All of the eunuchs were stunned to see the princesses attacking the food this way.

Were these princesses?

They looked like famished commoners!

Fang Zhengzhi was not surprised by this. After all, hotpot was a ladies favorite. With no real hotpot in this world, this was a great weapon.

“One should always enjoy a good hotpot with some wine.” Fang Zhengzhi waved to some of the salivating eunuchs.

“Yes!” The eunuchs brought bottles of wine over.

The wine in the palace was much better than those in the restaurants. After all, the wine in the palace were all vintages.

Most of the princesses believed Fang Zhengzhi and began to gulp the wine down.

Before long…

They were all flushed and tipsy.

Fang Zhengzhi was beaming. Now that they were tipsy, they would not know how much they ate. At the end of the day, all he had to do was quote an astronomical figure.

…

Emperor Lin Mubai and Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping were just enjoying the scenery. Then, they smelt the aroma from afar.

This was quite a special aroma. It stuck to them and in that moment…

Both of them felt hungry.

“What is that?” Emperor Lin Mubai was curious.

“It is not the time for meals yet. Why is there such an aroma? Furthermore, what is this? Why have I not smelt it before?” Emperor Lin Mubai thought to himself.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping’s eyes brightened. He was slightly hungry, but he would not say this in front of the Emperor.

“Will you walk with me?”

“Yes!” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping nodded. Does the Emperor not know what this is? Why must he walk over and see it?

…

Fang Zhengzhi finally understood why women were compared to tigers.

“Hey, that soup… you can’t drink it!”

“Ah? Why, it’s very yummy…”

“…” Fang Zhengzhi was speechless and exasperated. You can drink it, but can you at least leave a little? How am I supposed to eat without soup?

Just as he was thinking about it, he heard voices approaching.

“The Emperor is here!”

“The Emperor is here!”

“Oh?” Fang Zhengzhi was slightly stunned. His gaze scanned across all of the tipsy princesses. He felt his stomach turn, “Uh oh… will I be charged for this?”

Just as he prepared to run, two figures appeared at the entrance.

It was Emperor Lin Mubai and Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping.

“Gree… greetings fa… father!”

“Greetings fa… father.”

All of the princesses fell to their knees. However, some of the princesses could not get back on their feet.

Emperor Lin Mubai was furious.

When did his garden become a place for such things? Furthermore, the people who were drunk were princesses, his daughters!

How humiliating!

Just as he was about to speak, he saw Fang Zhengzhi holding a pair of chopsticks. There was a half eaten piece of meat at the corner of Fang Zhengzhi’s mouth.

Fang Zhengzhi, how outrageous of you! How dare you toy with the Emperor’s daughters!

Emperor Lin Mubai squinted. He could smell the alcohol in the air. It was clear that Fang Zhengzhi had gotten all his daughters drunk.

Just as he was about to rage…

He saw a figure in red float in front of him.

“Father, come quickly. You have to try this hotpot! It is absolutely delicious!” Ping Yang tugged at Emperor Lin Mubai’s hand and led him to the table.

Emperor Lin Mubai’s eyelids jumped. He curiosity was piqued as he looked at the steaming hotpot. This is the origin of the aroma?

“Father, have a bite!” Ping Yang picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and fed it to Emperor Lin Mubai.

Emperor Lin Mubai really wanted to avoid it.

After all, he had noticed the rolling leaves in the pot. He really wanted to ask if the things inside were edible.

However…

Ping Yang had already passed the meat to him. He had no other choice but to nibble on it.

“Is it nice?” Ping Yang looked on in anticipation after seeing Emperor Lin Mubai chew on the meat.

“Mm… not bad.” Emperor Lin Mubai nodded. Before Ping Yang could feed him again, he picked up a chopstick and began eating.

“Prime Minister, you should have a taste as well.”

Emperor Lin Mubai turned to Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping after eating three slices of meat.

“Yes!” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping glanced at Fang Zhengzhi. Then, he too took a seat at the table.

His eyes brightened the moment he ate it.

“You should always enjoy a hotpot with wine.” Ping Yang looked at Emperor Lin Mubai and followed in Fang Zhengzhi’s footsteps.

“Is that so? Hahaha… okay then, bring me some wine. All of you should have some!” Emperor Lin Mubai patted Ping Yang’s head as he chuckled.

“Thank… thank you father!”

All of the princesses, who were scared out of their wits, climbed to their feet. Their clothes were drenched in sweat after that rude awakening.

“Come over and join me.”

“Yes!”

All of the princesses were ecstatic when they heard it.

Then, the eunuchs all saw something that terrified them.

Under the leadership of Emperor Lin Mubai, Princess Ping Yang, Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping, as well as the other princesses began to dig into the hotpot.

Fang Zhengzhi chuckled to himself by the side.

Before long, all the food was cleaned. Emperor Lin Mubai stood up, clearly satisfied.

“What is this called?”

“Your highness, this is a hotpot.” One of the eunuchs replied instantly.

“Hotpot? Hotpot can be done this way? Nicely done, very nicely done. Which chef thought of such a wonderful method? I must reward him.” Emperor Lin Mubai nodded in satisfaction.

“About this…” The eunuch turned to look at the beaming Fang Zhengzhi.

“Father, this was not done by a chef. This was done by Fang Zhengzhi.” Ping Yang’s lips twitched.

Fang Zhengzhi did this?

Emperor Lin Mubai’s expression changed.

Initially, he had thought of finishing his meal before berating Fang Zhengzhi for intoxicating his daughters. Only now did he realize…

Fang Zhengzhi was in his garden and surrounded by his daughters for a reason.

“I see.” Emperor Lin Mubai nodded. He looked at the other princesses with a complicated expression.

However, since he had said it, he could not take it back.

After all, an Emperor does not joke.

“Reward Fang Zhengzhi with 1000 silvers!”

“Thank you your highness.”

Fang Zhengzhi thanked him immediately. Then, he rubbed his hands as he looked at the empty plates. “Your highness… I’m afraid 2000 silvers is not enough.”

“Not enough?” This was the first time Emperor Lin Mubai had heard an official tell him that his reward was too little. How can 1000 silvers for a meal be too little?

“Fang Zhengzhi, how outrageous of you! How can you say that the Emperor’s reward is too little?” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping stood up in fury.

“Left Prime Minister please cool down. You can get angry later. You also owe me quite a few silvers. Let me calculate… mm, you had a total of 35 mouthfuls. Taking away the first complimentary mouthful, you owe me 3,400 silvers!” Fang Zhengzhi said sincerely.

“What?! 3,400 silvers. What are you talking about?”

“Is the Left Prime Minister trying to go back on a deal? Word travels fast in the capital!” Fang Zhengzhi shrugged his shoulders innocently.

“Father, it’s like that. We had a bet with Fang Zhengzhi. We said that he couldn’t cook. We agreed that the first mouthful would be free, but every subsequent mouthful would be 100 silvers.” Ping Yang explained.

“One mouthful for 100 silvers?” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping was stunned. This was daylight robbery!

Furthermore…

He was robbing the palace!

More importantly, Fang Zhengzhi was audaciously robbing the Emperor as well as the Emperor’s right hand man!

Chapter 305: The court examinations begin

Everything in the empire belonged to the Emperor.

There was nothing more audacious in this world than to bargain with the Emperor! He could be charged for a lack of respect for the Emperor!

Just as Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping was preparing to speak, he saw Emperor Lin Mubai wave him off. He shut up instantly.

“Hahaha… if Ping Yang had not told me the reason, I would have wronged Fang Zhengzhi. Since I had come here without an invitation and had so much to eat, I should pay up. I will pay according to what was previously agreed on, 100 silvers a mouthful!” Emperor Lin Mubai was not angry at all.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

100 silvers a mouthful for a hotpot…

The Emperor agreed to it?!

“Left Prime Minister, the Emperor has agreed. Do you have any objections?” Fang Zhengzhi beamed when he heard this.

“You… I didn’t bring much silvers today, you can collect it from my residence!” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping flung his hands in the air.

“Sure, but can you write me proof that you owe me that amount?” Fang Zhengzhi retrieved a piece of paper and ink.

Emperor Lin Mubai looked at the furious Yu Yiping, then back at Fang Zhengzhi. He smiled as he patted Ping Yang’s head.

In all honesty, he was a little stunned when he found this out from Ping Yang. 100 silvers a mouthful was quite the sum.

However…

It was average for food in the palace.

There were records in history that Emperors sent riders out for 800 miles just to collect fresh ingredients.

The sheer amount of manpower and resources needed made such expeditions expensive. Each mouthful would be worth at least 1000 silvers.

Even though the Great Xia Dynasty had been through many wars, they were still quite rich.

Furthermore, they had not been embroiled in any major wars recently. The treasury was stocked to capacity. 100 silvers a mouthful was insignificant.

As a result, the Emperor would not be so petty about it.

At the end of the day, everything in the empire still belonged to the Emperor.

Just because the Emperor gave you silvers doesn’t mean that the silver is yours.

It still belongs to the Emperor.

This was the power the Emperor had.

However, Emperor Lin Mubai could not figure out if Fang Zhengzhi knew his thoughts when he asked for the silvers, or if Fang Zhengzhi was just audacious.

“Fang Zhengzhi, I did not bring any silvers out with me today… What should we do?” Emperor Lin Mubai looked at Fang Zhengzhi, his domineering aura showing.

“Your highness, you didn’t bring silvers as well? That’s easy. Why don’t you write me proof of the debt as well?” Fang Zhengzhi replied without hesitation.

“Outrageous! You want the Emperor to write down proof of a debt to an official? Aren’t you afraid… that I will fire you and send you back to be a farmer?” Emperor Lin Mubai wanted to threaten him with execution.

However, he realized that Fang Zhengzhi was a rank four Sword Envoy. Furthermore, he had given him this post personally. To execute him would be rather ridiculous. As such, he decided to change his threat.

“Not at all.” Fang Zhengzhi asserted.

“Oh, why not?” Emperor Lin Mubai looked at Fang Zhengzhi doubtfully.

“If the Emperor wants me to die, I have to die. If the Emperor wants me to be a farmer, the Emperor would have his own plans. What’s there to fear?” Fang Zhengzhi replied solemnly.

Emperor Lin Mubai was stunned. Then, he chuckled, “Hahaha… good, well said! Today, I will break my rule and write you a proof of debt. You can collect it from the treasury later.”

“Thank you your highness. However, may I ask something? Can I not collect the silvers?” Fang Zhengzhi nodded, then asked.

“Not collect the silvers? Why?” Emperor Lin Mubai was doubtful. Did this guy realize his mistake?

“Based on my calculations, your highness ate a total of 47 mouthfuls. Subtracting the first complimentary mouthful and the 1000 silvers you bestowed upon me, you only owe me 3600 silvers. However, the value of these silvers is nothing when compared to the proof you will write me. I was thinking of auctioning it off…”

“Fang Zhengzhi, how dare you think of auctioning away this proof of debt! Do you know what a cardinal sin that is?” Emperor Lin Mubai’s anger was building.

“Your highness, you have wronged me. You have eaten 47 mouthfuls of the hotpot and it is only logical that you pay for the meal. By writing down this proof of debt, you are showing the public how righteous and moral you are. It also represents your ability to govern the country in an orderly manner. By writing this proof of debt, you have shown yourself to be a man of honor and integrity. I hope that your highness will see that I am trying to help you!” Fang Zhengzhi yelled.

“Shameless! When did this guy learn to bootlick?” Ping Yang murmured to herself scornfully.

Emperor Lin Mubai was stunned. He turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi, his eyes glowing brightly. He had not realized that this young man had the gift of the gap.

“Does that mean that I have to thank you for auctioning off my proof of debt?”

“Your highness, you don’t have to thank me. You just have to give me some silvers.” Fang Zhengzhi chuckled.

“Hahaha… I can’t give you silvers. However, here is a token from me. I hope that you will go to the Ministry of Rites to help out when you have the time!” Emperor Lin Mubai smiled. Then, his expression changed to one of solemn when he threw a gold token into Fang Zhengzhi’s hands.

“Ministry of Rites?” Fang Zhengzhi caught the token in mid air. It was made of pure gold. The front was engraved with the words ‘golden dragon’ whilst the back was a picture of a golden dragon.

What is this used for?

In his previous world, the Ministry of Rites hosted the imperial examinations as well as engaged in diplomacy. However, due to the importance of the Dao examinations, this world had set up the Imperial Academy.

The Ministry of Rites only did diplomacy related matters. They would also plan the royal events, including the hunting and racing competitions, rituals, etcetera.

“Ministry of Rites?!” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping was stunned when he saw that.

He had heard the exchange between the Emperor and Fang Zhengzhi. He could also guess that the anger the Emperor showed was unlikely genuine.

But this was not important…

Most importantly, the Emperor wanted Fang Zhengzhi to go to the Ministry of Rites!

All this while, Fang Zhengzhi had only been an official in name only. Even though he was a rank four official appointed by the Emperor, he was powerless.

But now, it was different. The Emperor had ordered Fang Zhengzhi to go to the Ministry of Rites. Even though he was currently positionless, the Emperor had already made his stand clear.

The Emperor wanted to use Fang Zhengzhi.

For a rank four official to enter the Ministry of Rites…

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping knew that rank four was not much. However, Fang Zhengzhi in the Ministry of Law would shock the courts.

“Could it be… that his guess during the racing competition was going to come true so quickly? The new dynamic… he could not let this happen!”

Just as he was about to speak, Fang Zhengzhi beat him to it.

“Your highness, I will go to the Ministry of Rites as ordered. However… I antagonized the Minister during the racing and hunting competition, as such…” Fang Zhengzhi wanted to ask if he could choose not to go?

He wanted his freedom!

“When you’re at the Ministry of Rites, you represent me! You do not have to worry!” Emperor Lin Mubai waved him off, signalling that there was no discussion on this matter.

How domineering!

Can’t he respect my opinions?

Fang Zhengzhi’s lips twitched. However, he did not speak anymore. After all, the Emperor’s orders could not be defied.

One could ask the Emperor for silvers or other peripherals.

However…

One could not defy an order.

It was no different from the military. As a soldier, you had to obey your commander without exception.

The orders and wishes of the king were even more domineering.

“Yes your highness!” Fang Zhengzhi kept the token. After all, the Emperor told him to go over in his free time. If he wasn’t free, he could choose not to go.

…

Two days later, before the break of dawn…

Good news reached the Northern Mountain Village. This time, the provincial governor came personally to deliver the news.

All of the villagers saw the words ‘top of the imperial examinations’. Then, they saw the name in gold. All of them were ecstatic.

“Eh, old Fang, your son did it again! He is the top scorer for the imperial examinations!”

“This is awesome. The Northern Mountain Village has produced a rank four official who is also the top scorer of the imperial examinations. There are few in history who have done so!”

Voices rang out in the Northern Mountain Village.

The teachers who had come from the Northern Territory constabularies all looked at each other in disbelief when they heard the news.

To have a rank four official be the top scorer in the imperial examinations was quite the feat.

“He really did it?!”

All of the villagers from the surrounding villages swarmed to the Northern Mountain Village. After all, they had students from all the surrounding villages.

News of this spread like wildfire.

All of the village elders prepared carts of gifts for the Northern Mountain Village. They all wanted to be the first to send their congratulations.

The Southern Mountain Village was the first one to react.

“What are we waiting for? We didn’t send anyone to aid in the construction of the school either! Are we just going to hideout here for life? We can’t keep this up forever!”

“We have to go!”

“We have to be the first one to arrive. Don’t you agree?”

All of the Southern Mountain Village villagers looked at the village elder as well as Li Zhuangshi and his son.

“Prepare the gifts! I will send them over personally!” Village elder Meng Bai grit his teeth.

“Elder, let me and Hu Zi go with you. And you… you should come as well!” Li Zhuangshi sighed as he looked at Mrs Li beside him.

“Why should I? Why should I go with you?” Mrs Li was not taking any of that.

“You can choose not to go, but I will make sure I break your legs first. Do you believe me?” Li Zhuangshi stepped forward.

“Okay… okay! I’ll go, I’ll go!”

…

Just as things were heating up in the Northern Mountain Village…

The court examinations were starting in the capital.

The court examinations were held in the white jade square outside the courts. The Emperor himself would choose the questions, meaning there was no way to cheat.

Dawn…

It was well into autumn and the falling leaves danced in the wind. Two rows of golden armored guards guarded the door to the palace.

There were armored soldiers wielding spears on each side. They kept the spectators out, leaving a path down the middle.

This path led to the palace.

The palace gates had been opened. Rows of talents streamed in towards the palace. However, they all stopped after entering the gates, awaiting further instructions.

“Look, isn’t that Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu?”

“It looks like it. Fang Zhengzhi was the top scorer of the imperial examinations. Yan Xiu topped the combat examinations as well. I’m quite sure the court examinations will be intense.”

“Fang Zhengzhi has topped every examination he was in. I am sure the court examinations will be no different.

The crowd exploded into chatter upon seeing Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu approach together.

“Fang Zhengzhi can top the court examinations? What a joke!”

“Exactly! They must be ignorant villagers. Wu Feng is participating in the court examinations, how can Fang Zhengzhi ever top the exam?”

Some well dressed youths began to voice dissenting opinions.

“Oh please, I watched the imperial examinations. No one thought that Fang Zhengzhi could top it but what happened? He did so anyways!”

“Exactly, so what if Wu Feng is here? He may just be like all the other overrated talents. We still think Fang Zhengzhi can top it!”

Those commoners dressed shabbily replied with determination. They all supported Fang Zhengzhi.

“Villagers will always be villagers. Their outlook on the world is always so parochial. How can Fang Zhengzhi defeat one of the core disciples of the four sages? Even if Wu Feng loses, there’s one person who will not lose.”

“Who?”

“Nangong Hao!”