Gate of God

Chapter 306: Policy Paper

“Nangong Hao?!”

When the ragtags heard Nangong Hao’s name, their expressions all changed, all of them becoming silent almost instantly.

“Nangong Hao… is participating in the court examination?”

“If Nangong Hao participates, then it will be very difficult. Even though Fang Zhengzhi is powerful, I doubt he can defeat Nangong Hao?”

“Aish… it would be good if he can get a decent ranking, why must he defeat Nangong Hao?”

“That’s true.”

Even though Nangong Hao’s participation in the court examination was no secret in the capital, some of those in the outskirts had yet to hear the news.

Four years ago, he was already the top talent of his generation. Four years later…

How powerful would he be?

Naturally, Fang Zhengzhi ignored the chatter around him. He was now rather experienced with all these examinations having been through three of them.

He felt that he needed to calm down.

It was just an examination on the Law of Dao, it couldn’t get much easier.

Yan Xiu wore a green robe as he stood next to Fang Zhengzhi. They looked quite matching as they walked through the doors.

Once they entered the palace, a few armored soldiers stopped Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu. After checking their identities and a thorough pat down, they directed both of them to the side.

Fang Zhengzhi did not say anything. After all, this was the court examinations. Everything had to go by the book.

At this point, there were hundreds of candidates waiting inside the palace. They were all huddled around anxiously.

“Young Master Yan, Young Master Fang!”

Before Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu could walk into the crowd, a smiling youth walked towards them. Behind him was a group of impeccably dressed youths.

It was Wu Feng.

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

Fang Zhengzhi’s gaze once again fell on the jade green flute in Wu Feng’s hand. He felt a strange feeling just looking at the clouds inscribed on it.

“Young Master Fang, how did you prepare for the court examinations?” Wu Feng smiled. He walked closer towards Fang Zhengzhi.

“Is there a need to prepare?” Fang Zhengzhi replied flatly.

“Haha… you’re right. I heard that Young Master Fang finished all six scripts in the theory examination. You have set a record.” Wu Feng nodded.

“It is true. If the court examination was testing the Book of Dao again, we will definitely have to concede to you.” One of the youths behind Wu Feng nodded.

“If we were to compare understanding of the Law of Dao, I think that only Nangong Hao and Chi Guyan are your match. It is a pity…” Yet another youth hesitated.

“What is a pity?” Fang Zhengzhi grew increasingly suspicious as he looked at the two of them.

“Do you not know?” The two youths looked at each other, smirking as they did so.

Fang Zhengzhi did not probe further. He knew that they would tell him anyways, even if he did not ask.

Just as he expected, the two youths could not hold back their excitement.

Just as they were about to speak, Wu Feng stopped them.

“It is normal that Young Master Fang does not know. However, I would have thought that you would have known a little after spending so much time with Yan Xiu.”

Yan Xiu’s expression changed. Then, almost as if he thought of something, he turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi.

“I’m sorry. I forgot to tell you that the court examination does not test the Law of Dao!” Yan Xiu looked on apologetically.

“It doesn’t test the Law of Dao?!” Fang Zhengzhi’s expression froze.

Yan Xiu had been recuperating from his injuries before this. As such, Fang Zhengzhi did not disturb him. After Yan Xiu recovered, he had focused all his energy on partying.

He had paid little attention to the court examinations.

After all, he had thought that the court examinations would be similar to all the previous ones. He had expected to be tested on the Law of Dao.

As such, he did not probe.

“Hahaha… do you really not know? There is still an hour before the examinations begin. You should really use this time to prepare.” The two youths behind Wu Feng chuckled when they heard this.

All of the other candidates also chuckled when they heard this.

“Fang Zhengzhi doesn’t know that the Law of Dao is not tested at the court examinations?”

“This is interesting. We prepared for two years just for this exam. He did not even prepare at all? Hahaha…”

“I haven’t seen someone enter the court examinations unprepared.”

“I would like to see how he will even begin to answer the questions!”

All of the candidates looked like they had just saw the most unbelievable thing ever. They looked at Fang Zhengzhi mockingly.

“Since Young Master Fang doesn’t know, we shall not disturb you any further. We will go off first. You should prepare a little.” Wu Feng smirked as he left.

Fang Zhengzhi did not say anything.

Yan Xiu looked at Fang Zhengzhi apologetically, “About this, I…”

“Why do you think Wu Feng said those words to me just now?” Fang Zhengzhi looked at Yan Xiu. He knew that Yan Xiu did not withhold the information from him on purpose.

Wu Feng had pointed the finger at Yan Xiu on purpose to cause a rift between them.

He did not even attempt to mask it.

“I understand.” Yan Xiu nodded but did not explain further. He whispered, “The court examination questions have always been set by the Emperor. As such, they have never been questions about the Law of Dao.”

“Then what does it test?” Fang Zhengzhi began to understand. Even though there were many theories encompassed by the Law of Dao, the Emperor could not possibly come up with the questions on the spot.

It was impossible for him to set six scripts beforehand.

Furthermore…

More importantly, the Emperor could not possibly set so many questions. The maximum number of questions he could set was two.

This was easier to understand.

If the questions had come from the Law of Dao, then they would have hundreds of scripts with the same answer.

How would they find the best of the best?

“Policy!” Yan Xiu replied.

“I see.” Fang Zhengzhi had guessed as much.

He had never expected to be back where he started. In his previous world, they were frequently examined on policy issues.

They would ask the candidates a question based on the political climate.

The candidates would present a policy to address the said issue. In effect, they were proposing a policy to the courts.

Now…

There was a problem.

Just as these talents had said, other than incorporating various theories, a good policy paper had to take into account current affairs and political climate.

Only through an understanding of the issues faced by the government could One present a good paper.

Furthermore, one would probably need tens, if not hundreds, of drafts for a policy paper to be watertight.

That was the only way to stand out from the crowd.

This was also the reason why they would look at Fang Zhengzhi with such mocking gazes.

They had prepared for two years, concerning themselves with the political developments over the past two years. Furthermore, they had been improving their papers throughout this entire time.

They probably had at least five such thesis.

Fang Zhengzhi did not prepare. He simply came to the examination without any prior knowledge.

If he could pass the theory examination.

It would really be a miracle.

“What will I do now?” Fang Zhengzhi frowned. He cursed in his heart.

Even if he knew this beforehand…

It would be impossible to know everything that had happened in the past two years within the past few days. Furthermore, he had to have a grasp of the problems the government was facing in recent times.

It bordered on the impossible.

“I have a few papers…” Yan Xiu looked at Fang Zhengzhi before hesitating.

“Yes, you should copy some of Yan Xiu’s papers!”

“Fang Zhengzhi, if I were you, I would ask Yan Xiu to tell me what he had too.”

“Mm… we would like to hear Young Master Yan’s thesis too. Could you please impart some knowledge to us?”

When the surrounding candidates heard Yan Xiu, they surrounded the two of them like moths to a flame.

Yan Xiu’s expression turned icy instantaneously.

Fang Zhengzhi chuckled.

He knew exactly what these candidates were thinking. His lack of preparation was a dream come true for them. Why would they let him have a chance to copy from Yan Xiu?

“Don’t worry, I have my own plans. I will definitely be able to pass the theory examination!” Fang Zhengzhi rejected Yan Xiu as he glanced at the surrounding candidates.

He felt like he had just been stabbed in the heart.

Yan Xiu’s policy paper!

I wish I could copy it.

Fang Zhengzhi did not care if this was cheating. If he could cheat under the nose of the Emperor, it would be an achievement in itself.

But now even that was gone…

He would not be able to cheat even if he wanted to.

Everyone knew that he did not prepare a policy paper. As such, he could not even switch it around with someone else.

Was he really going to flunk the examinations?

“He can definitely pass the examination? Did I hear that wrong?”

“Hahaha… Brother Li, you did not hear that wrong. Young Master Fang is the top scorer for the imperial examination. It would be impossible for someone of that caliber to fail the court theory examination.”

“That is true, I was wrong. Young Master Fang, my apologies!”

“In my opinion, Young Master Fang is truly a talent. Even we would find it impossible to rush out a policy paper now. Don’t you all agree?”

“Yes indeed! Hahaha…”

All of the talents could not help but guffaw when they heard Fang Zhengzhi assert that he would pass. They all looked at Fang Zhengzhi mockingly.

“F*ck!” Fang Zhengzhi raised his middle finger towards the rest of the candidates. Then, he turned to look at Yan Xiu. He wanted Yan Xiu to fill him in on some current affairs.

Yan Xiu stiffened, then pondered for a moment. He turned to look at his surroundings before replying with only one word.

“Works!”

“Works? Okay I got it.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

Even though he had not been in touch with recent happenings in the court, he knew that there were no major wars in the past two years.

Even though the demons were up to their antics once again, it was not something a single policy could solve.

As such, the question could not have anything to do with war.

The six ministries represented the country’s policy.

Without wars, the Ministry Of Defence was out of the question. The Ministry Of Manpower was rarely involved in policy. The Ministry Of Finance dealt with money and rations. Since there was no war, neither of these things were a problem.

All that was left was Ministry Of Law, Rites, and Works.

Since it was peacetime, the Ministry Of Law could be eliminated.

To decide between Works and Rites, anyone with some knowledge would guess the Ministry Of Works.

The Ministry Of Works was in charge of developments and infrastructure. In recent years, the Great Xia Dynasty was riddled with droughts. Even the villagers were affected by this.

Over the past few years, only the Northern Mountain Village had managed to bounce back slightly. Other villages in the surrounding were still immensely poor.

Even though Yan Xiu had only said a single word, it was the biggest hint he could possibly give.

All of the other candidates were stunned when they heard what Yan Xiu said. They wanted to say something and accuse them of cheating, but they could not find anything to say.

After all, the word ‘works’ meant little on its own.

“So what if he knows it has to do with works?”

“Exactly! Without sufficient preparation, knowing the topic is useless!”

“The court examinations are not so simple. They only select 10 out of the hundreds that take part. I don’t think he can write anything particularly stunning in such a short time!”

All of the candidates left after saying their piece. However, every now and then, they would look at Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu, afraid that Yan Xiu will tell Fang Zhengzhi his plans.

Fang Zhengzhi ignored all of the surrounding candidates. He focused on how he was going to begin this policy paper.

He racked his brain…

But he found a problem… he knew virtually nothing about the history and geography of the Great Xia Dynasty!

Chapter 307: The examination begins

The solution to persistent droughts was not to build the Great Wall or forts. It was to direct water from the sea into the rivers and lakes before redirecting them to each village and city.

This was beneficial to the citizens.

Furthermore, he had to bear in mind that this world had not invented the dam or cloud seeding just yet.

Fang Zhengzhi decided to make water scarcity the basis for his paper.

However, without an understanding of the dynasty’s history, he would not know what had happened where. He also did not know what infrastructure each city had.

More importantly, he knew nothing about the geography of the empire.

Where were the seas? Where were the lakes? Where were the rivers? Where were the water sources… where was water in abundance? Where was water in short supply all year round? How was he going to begin without knowledge of any of this?

This exam was no different from the thesis he had wrote in his previous world. Without real world examples, it would be a useless paper.

Fang Zhengzhi sweat profusely.

Was he really going to fail?

Just as he was thinking about it, the sound of a gong rang out. Then, rows of imperial messengers in black robes approached from afar.

The one leading the group was Su Qing. He wore the robes of a rank four official.

Su Qing’s face was filled with color. He had a list of all the candidates in his hand. He led the group of messengers to the crowd of candidates.

All of the candidates stopped talking, patiently waiting for Su Qing to speak.

He was simply going to announce the rules for the entering the exam hall, as well as the guidelines for the examination itself.

“The Great Xia Dynasty…” Su Qing did not waste any time. He began to recite all the rules for the examination. Then, he looked at the candidates, “This is the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Enter the hall!”

“Thank you your honor!” All of the candidates bowed in thanks.

Fang Zhengzhi did not bow like the rest of them. He was an official himself, why should he bow? Furthermore, he was of the same rank as Su Qing.

There were quite a few like Fang Zhengzhi who did not bow. The dozen of them included people like Yan Xiu and Wu Feng.

There were at least a dozen candidates who came from powerful and influential families.

Fang Zhengzhi was not one of them.

All of the candidates were screened one more time, their identities reverified. After all, the examination was to be held in the palace. Double checking was quite understandable.

This second check was even more detailed than the first. First, one was questioned on their background before a blood test was done.

This was to prevent a second incident like the one which happened in the World of the Sage.

Fang Zhengzhi had seen such a blood test before back in the Southern Mountain Village. This time, the blood test was to screen for members of the demons. As such, it was much faster than the one in the Southern Mountain Village.

Before long, all of the candidates had been screened and verified.

They were now officially invited into the hall. The imperial messengers led them all to the entrance of the square.

Fang Zhengzhi began to get a little suspicious.

He knew that Nangong Hao had announced his intention to partake in the court examinations. However, he could not feel this man’s presence in the crowd.

“Is this Nangong Hao so easy to miss?” Fang Zhengzhi did not ask anymore. He remembered that Nangong Mu was also quite easy to miss back at the imperial examination.

How is Nangong Mu now?

Fang Zhengzhi looked towards the south. He did not know if that was where the Nangong Family was, but he subconsciously glanced in that direction.

…

All of the candidates arrived at the entrance to the White Jade Square very quickly. Two rows of armored guards stood by the entrance.

They were all solemn.

Fang Zhengzhi had been here before and he knew how well guarded the palace was. There was virtually a guard every ten steps. However, the number of guards seemed to be even more today.

After entering through the doors, his field of vision expanded.

The White Jade Square was true to its name. The entire floor was made out of White Jade and it was surrounded with White Jade fences. Each one had exquisite engravings of dragons and phoenixes.

Today, there was a golden stage in the middle of the square. It was covered in a cloth weaves from gold thread. A huge umbrella adorned with dragons was in the middle of the stage. It blocked out the sun that was beating down on the stage.

A red cloth covered the ground below the stage. There were over 200 redwood tables on the square. Each one was at least three meters from each other.

Okay then…

This was going to be a whole new experience.

Fang Zhengzhi could almost confirm that it would be impossible to cheat here. Furthermore, there were at least 20 imperial messengers around them.

“Let’s go.” Yan Xiu spoke as he looked at the square.

“Mm.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

All of the other candidates walked towards the redwood tables. This was different from the other examinations. This time, everyone tried to sit as close to the front as possible.

Fang Zhengzhi’s gaze fell on a pair of great seats. They were right at the mouth of the dragon on the golden door. Furthermore, it provided a wide field of vision.

Since he had little confidence going into this competition, Fang Zhengzhi decided to rely a little on Feng Shui to turn his fortunes around.

Just as he was preparing to go over, he saw a fat candidate rush over maniacally.

“Stealing my seat?” Fang Zhengzhi had come unprepared. He was already incredibly nervous. Should his seat be taken from him, it would the nail in the coffin.

He flicked his hand and a nail flew over.

“Ouch… why is there a nail on this seat?” The fat youth bounced right back up just as he prepared to sit down.

All of the candidates were stunned by what the fat youth had just said. They all looked at their own chairs, concerned that this may be a test.

However…

Their seats were nail-free.

“It is a good omen to have some redness at the beginning of such an event!” Fang Zhengzhi was pleased with the result. He walked over to the seat, retrieved his nail and sat down.

“Fang Zhengzhi, what are you doing?” The fat youth was furious.

“Nothing much. I am bullying you. Do you have an opinion?” Fang Zhengzhi said straightforwardly.

“You… you dare to bully me? Do you know who I am? I am the Nanqun…” The fat youth fumed when he heard Fang Zhengzhi’s reply. He pounded his chest as he spoke.

“Are you looking for a fight?” Fang Zhengzhi interrupted.

“Yes!”

“I would like to make a report. He wants to assault me!”

“What? This is the theory examination. If you continue to make trouble, I will disqualify you!” One of the imperial messengers walked over upon seeing this.

The fat youth shrunk when he saw this. He immediately motioned to the imperial messenger that he will not attack. Then, he glared at Fang Zhengzhi after the messenger left.

“Humph, Fang Zhengzhi, just wait and see!”

“Why? Are you looking for a fight?” Yan Xiu walked next to Fang Zhengzhi. He waved his Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan as he glared at the fat youth icily.

“No… I don’t dare.” The fat youth’s expression changed as he tucked his tail between his legs and ran.

All of the other candidates sat by the side when they saw this. No one dared to antagonize Fang Zhengzhi.

This way, Fang Zhengzhi was given quite a lot of space to himself. He leaned back into his seat and closed his eyes.

“Works?”

“Water?”

Fang Zhengzhi kept thinking of all the passages he had read before. Da Yu who conquered the floods? Not very appropriate… Sun Wukong in the Eastern Dragon Palace?

Erm…

That didn’t seem on topic either.

What about a poem about labour and farmers?

Aish!

Fang Zhengzhi’s mind was in a mess. He could not think of anything that could work at the moment. He decided against thinking about it anymore.

“Bong!”

Just at this moment, a gong rang out.

All of the candidates straightened in their seats. The second gong announced the arrival of the Emperor.

Indeed, after the gong echoed through the air, a voice rang out.

“All hail the Emperor!”

“All hail the Emperor!”

The voice neared and a huge carriage came into view. It was entirely made from gold. There were a few dragons engraved on it. Each golden dragon was filled with complicated patterns.

“This pattern…” Fang Zhengzhi’s eyes brightened. This was the first time he had seen the carriage of the Emperor, however, this was the third time he had seen such patterns. The first time was back on Cang Ling Mountain in The Vast World. The second was on Wu Feng’s jade flute.

Three times?

This was definitely not a coincidence.

Fang Zhengzhi felt that this pattern definitely had a special meaning. The one he saw must have been linked to the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet. As for Wu Feng, his master was one of the four sages.

As for Emperor Lin Mubai…

He was ranked above the sages.

This should be the Sagely Pattern!

Okay, this was his guess. He thought that he should just ask Yan Xiu about it after the examination. This guessing was pointless.

The carriage arrived at the White Jade Square. The door was opened and Emperor Lin Mubai walked out slowly. He wore a golden robe.

Fang Zhengzhi noticed a youth next to Emperor Lin Mubai. He wore white but his robe was stained with some red.

The red was reminiscent of blood, but its shape was rather unique. All of them were pentagons and looked like maple leaves.

“Nangong Hao!”

“Who would have thought that he was already in the palace!”

“And he is travelling with the Emperor!”

All of the candidates noticed the youth as well. When they recognized who it was, they could not help but discuss it heatedly amongst themselves.

“Nangong Hao?” Fang Zhengzhi turned to look at the youth in white. He found that Nangong Hao looked completely different from Nangong Mu.

Nangong Mu was plain. It would be difficult to notice him in a crowd. However, Nangong Hao was like a bright light.

This light was not glaring. It came from within.

There was an apt term for someone like this.

Bright!

His eyebrows were sharp, his pupils black and shining. He was expressionless, his thin lips revealing no trace of emotion. He made one feel like he was above all worldly concerns.

Emperor Lin Mubai had already exited the carriage. He seemed to notice the discussions below. He turned to nod at Nangong Hao.

Nangong Hao returned the greeting.

However, it was not one between an official and the Emperor, but rather one between a junior and a senior. Nangong Hao walked towards a redwood desk below.

He sat down.

He did not say a single word from start to finish.

Emperor Lin Mubai did not say anything either. He walked to the stage and took his seat on the throne.

Just at this moment, all of the officials began to approach. They were led by Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping as they took their seats on stage.

All of the candidates held their breath.

The court examinations were held once every two years. Many people chose to become officials right after the imperial examination.

However, this caused them to have insufficient preparation for the court examination.

Of the 200 candidates, few were officials. Some of them could not find vacancies in the court. Others were drawn the the academic rigour of the court examinations.

Everyone wanted to attain the highest honor.

The court examinations.

This was the last mountain to cross. As long as they crossed this, they would be greeted by a boundless future. This was the key moment.

Who wouldn’t be nervous.

What will the question be this time? Everyone was concerned about this. After all, this question will determine if their preparation had been a waste or not.

Did they manage to guess the topic correctly?

That was the golden question.

“Bong!”

The gong rang out for the third time. This represented the beginning of the court examination. Their questions were about to be answered.

All of the candidates were silent as they stared at Emperor Lin Mubai. They waited for him to speak…

Chapter 308: Unexpected Question

Emperor Lin Mubai scanned the group of candidates affectionately.

He was a young Emperor. If not for the fact that he was on the throne, he would have looked like a candidate himself.

“Governing the country, maintaining peace in the vassal states, ruling the world. These are the goals of the emperor. Even though I am powerful, I need capable people to help me achieve these goals. I have scoured for talent from all corners of the empire. Because talents are scarce, I have used this biannual court examinations to find the top talents!”

Emperor Lin Mubai paused, his expression pained. His ‘depression’ stemmed from the lack of talent.

Fang Zhengzhi was stunned. What a good actor!

Life was all an act.

All of the Oscar winners and famous actors from his previous world could not hold a candle to Emperor Lin Mubai. His acting was impeccable.

Even describing it as perfection would be an understatement.

However, Fang Zhengzhi could understand it.

After all, as the chief examiner and Emperor, he had to forge a connection with the candidates.

All of the candidates who were participating in the court examination would have went through all of the prerequisite Dao Examinations.

Even though they were at the final examination and had much to say, but the Emperor may not be willing to listen. Whether what they said was of any use, or if the question was sincere or not was not the concern of the candidates.

After all…

This was the final barrier. Once they were in, they would not have to worry for the rest of their lives. If they failed, they may not have a second chance.

As the Emperor, Lin Mubai had to break down the barriers in the hearts of the candidates. He wanted them to approach the examinations calmly.

After Emperor Lin Mubai paused, all of the expressions of the candidates changed. Their wariness was replaced with excitement.

The court lacks talent?

That’s great, we are all talents!

All of the candidates rubbed their palms in excitement. They were all at the edge of their seats, waiting for Emperor Lin Mubai to reveal the question so they could prepare their response.

Emperor Lin Mubai nodded slightly, then continued. “I have said enough. You have all been studying diligently for many years. You are all very well read and intelligent. It is time for you to show us all your abilities!”

Fang Zhengzhi also understood what the Emperor was doing.

This was encouragement and praise.

He first said that he had a lack of talents, then praised the candidates for being well read and intelligent. He was telling them that this was their opportunity to show him what they got.

All of the candidates grew restless in their seats. It was almost as if they had just been given a jab of steroids. If not for the fact that the Emperor was in front of them, they would probably shout at the top of their lungs.

“I will not hold back!”

Fang Zhengzhi was not like them. The Emperor always had other concerns. He would never take the words of inexperienced talents blindly.

He was just engaging in pleasantries.

However, all of these talents were fired up. They were all looking for affirmation and easily riled up. Furthermore, the one riling them up was Emperor Lin Mubai.

He was a man of power with great acting skills.

Fang Zhengzhi knew that Emperor Lin Mumbai’s act was coming to an end. The question was about to be revealed.

Emperor Lin Mubai looked at the expressions of the candidates. He nodded in satisfaction before turning to look to the south.

“It is said that we should bury the hatchet. To our north we have the barbarians. We have vast mountain ranges to our south and vast seas to out west. We are vulnerable to sudden sneak attacks. Even so, the one that worries me the most is the demonic race. They cause me insomnia and ill appetite. It is said that the most powerful do not need to a battlefield attain victory. Those who are great tacticians do not need a battle to secure their victory. Those who are great warriors never lose and those who learn from their mistakes never die.”

“As the Emperor, the welfare of my citizens is the most important. I must ensure that they lead peaceful and prosperous lives.”

“The best commanders win without lifting a sword. The next best alternative is diplomacy. After that comes battle in the open. The worst strategy is to siege a city. I hope that you will all be able to provide me a strategy which can quell dissent in the outskirts and benefit the nation!”

Tears welled up in Emperor Lin Mubai’s eyes. They dropped down like beads of crystals, the depression clear on his face.

It pained people just looking at it.

However, all of the candidates were stunned.

In that moment, all of the candidates felt like crying. However, their sadness was different from that of the Emperor’s. They really wanted to cry.

Two years!

In the past two years, they had devoted all their time to researching the history and geography of the empire. They focused all their attention on how they would develop infrastructure to ensure water security.

Some of the candidates even went to the affected areas to understand the pain of the commoners.

They had done everything they could to prepare for this day.

More importantly, they had studied about infrastructure. They learnt about engineering, how to divert rivers into lakes…

But now?

This was clearly a question on military strategy. Furthermore, the Emperor had made it very clear that he did not want an attack strategy.

More importantly, he wanted a policy that would soothe the outskirts and benefit the empire!

Wasn’t this going to be about how to divert seas into rivers? How to build reservoirs? Your highness, did you not witness the droughts in the past two years? Why did you ask us about how to guard our borders? Where are we going to find our answers?!

All of the candidates were on the verge of tears.

Two years of preparation had been completely decimated by a single statement from the Emperor. The policy papers that they had spent so much time preparing were virtually useless.

None of them had the mood to take the exam…

Mother, I want to go home!

All of the candidates’ hearts sank. They prayed that the Emperor would test them more, that he would give them another question on water security.

Emperor Lin Mubai looked at the tearful candidates in shock. He wondered if his speech previously was really that emotional.

Why did they all look like they were about to break down in tears?

The effect was rather unexpected.

He was surprised that there were so many talents fired up to rush into the battlefield for the empire.

Emperor Lin Mubai was happy with such an effect. He began to set up the finale.

“Everyone, this policy question requires much thought and knowledge. Take great care in crystallizing your thoughts and pen them down!” The Emperor continued.

Fang Zhengzhi knew that Emperor Lin Mubai was setting the rules.

He wanted the candidates to analyze the problem carefully and conscientiously. He wanted them to draw on examples from history. The viewpoints laid out in the paper must be based on facts.

The Emperor had already set the stage for the theory examinations.

Since the Emperor had already set out his requirements, it meant that there was no second or third question.

All of the candidates were about to break down.

They all wanted to beg the Emperor to give them another examination question!

It was a pity.

It…

Was of no use!

The Emperor had no intention of giving them another question. He sat back on the throne without a second word. He picked up his teacup, motioning to the candidates to begin writing.

…

It was deep autumn and maple leaves filled the lake.

A broken boat rocked on the lake. There were clear sword marks on it. Each mark was deep. If not for the strength in the construction of this boat, any of those strikes would have split it in half.

On the boat were two ladies in green dresses. There was also an instrument on the boat.

At this point, two figures appeared from at the edge of the lake.

The one in front was skinny wore a black cloak. The breeze blew the hoodie off his head, revealing a white face.

If Fang Zhengzhi was here, he would have recognized this man as Bai Xing.

“Where is the master?” Bai Xing’s eyes glimmered as he looked at the boat.

“Domain Chief, the master is fine. She is resting in the city. However, the master has already ordered your immediate return to the Southern Mountain Range!”

“What is this about, bring me to the master!”

“I’m afraid not!”

“Do you want to die?”

“If you want to kill me, please do so in a more secluded area.”

“You… is the master injured?”

“I already said that she is not in danger. I humbly request that you return the the Southern Mountain Range. The master has said that she will meet you there.”

“The master will go to the Southern Mountain Range?”

“Yes.”

“I understand. Where is Nangong Hao now?”

“Yan Capital!”

“Yan Capital?”

“That’s right. Nangong Hao is participating in the court examinations as well. I have intel that tells me that the candidates will be having their combat examinations in the Southern Mountain Range. You can wait for him there.”

“Nangong Hao will go to the Southern Mountain Range? Good! Very good! I will fight it out with this talent!” Bai Xing turned and left without hesitation.

…

Inside the palace.

After taking a sip of his tea, the Emperor looked at Nangong Hao, who was sitting silently at his desk.

“Nangong Hao, your gift to me is rather significant…” Emperor Lin Mubai’s eyes glimmered as he placed the teacup on the table beside him.

He looked at the maple leaves at the edges of Nangong Hao’s clothes. His expression changed slightly but he did not speak. He simply sighed.

The other candidates did not notice the Emperor’s expression. They were too busy trying to rack their brains for an answer.

Emperor Lin Mubai had talked about governing the country, stabilizing the vassals and ruling the world.

Then, he had came up with a question on how to stabilize the vassals. This was completely different from what they had expected.

Therein lay the problem.

They had no policy for stabilizing the vassal states. What were they to do now?

These candidates all understood some military tactics. However, the policy paper required opinion and clarity of thought.

The most important thing in the paper was not how beautifully it was written.

What was valued was the opinions and views raised.

The Emperor wanted to stabilize the vassal states. There were many ways to do this. He could marry a princess to the leaders there. He could give them gifts and tokens of friendships. He could give land and official positions, or he could declare war…

But now…

Was the Empire going to war?

Clearly not.

Without any actual wars, there was no evidence to go on. Without evidence and examples, the policy would be impossible to write.

A policy about the Northern Barbarians would have certain specifics about that race and location. The same applied to the Southern Mountain Range and the demons.

Without any specifics, how did the Emperor expect them to write the paper?

All of the candidates frowned deeply, their pens shaking in their hands. Many could not bring themselves to begin writing.

However, there was a minority who seemed well prepared.

Wu Feng was one of them. His expression was filled with confidence.

Many things in life were not without clues. However, one needed a keen sense of observation to spot these clues. Wu Feng always thought of himself as an observant person.

Most people did not notice the Emperor looking towards the south before he asked his question.

But, Wu Feng noticed it.

Furthermore…

Wu Feng had intelligence that the combat examinations would be held in the Southern Mountain Range.

For the court examinations to be held there…

The implications did not need to be elaborated upon.

“I think that there are problems in the Southern Mountain Range!” Wu Feng’s eyes glimmered as he began writing.

The Southern Mountain Range had always been a natural defence for the empire.

It was a great defence against the demons. Because of its presence, the demons had been unable to launch a large scale attack.

The policy would need to keep the Southern Mountain Range on the empire’s side!

Wu Feng’s eyes glimmered as he raised his pen. He contemplated for a moment before beginning to write.

He was completely absorbed in his writing…

Just at that moment, a voice rang out.

“Don’t give up, just do it!”

Wu Feng jumped in his seat. His hand shook and a huge blob of ink fell onto his paper…

Chapter 309: I am the master of my own paper

“Who is it?!” Wu Feng was furious. For the court examination, their scripts had to be immaculate. This blob of ink basically rendered his script useless.

There were about a dozen other candidates who were just as infuriated.

They had suffered the same fate as Wu Feng. One of them had already written more than 300 words. That blob of ink of his paper meant that it was all a waste.

The person responsible was Fang Zhengzhi. He was ecstatic.

Sometimes the believers were rewarded. He had thought that he was going to fail, yet, the reality was a huge surprise.

He was right to snatch this seat.

The question was changed!

As a major in history, Fang Zhengzhi knew little about water security. However, he was well read on governance and management of threats.

He knew what the Emperor wanted.

During the Three Kingdoms Era, Cao Cao had commanded an army of over 800,000 to attack the Eastern Wu. Most of the officials had suggested that they surrender.

However, Zhou Yu knew what his King wanted.

Similar events could be seen throughout history. Emperor Wu of Han’s attack of the barbarians, Kang Xi’s suppression of the Revolt of the Three Feudatories… All of these told Fang Zhengzhi that an Emperor’s ambition was boundless.

Furthermore, the Great Xia Dynasty had remained peaceful for so many years. Their coffers were full. This would fan the ambitions of the Emperor.

He could see this from what Emperor Lin Mubai had said just now.

If one continued to write about peace and diplomacy, even the most well written policy would not be in line with the Emperor’s wishes.

It was simple. He would have to write about battle!

Or at the very least, the idea of it.

He could simply use the threat of an army to suppress the enemies of the empire. Simply by marching to the border could instill fear in the enemies, making them afraid to rise up for generations.

Now that he knew what he was going to write about, it came down to the details.

A plan?

Fang Zhengzhi did not have one. He had no idea that the court examination would be a policy paper. He also did not know that it would be a topic like this.

But it was no matter.

In his previous world, there were many classics that discussed policy. The three most famous were “Early Qin”, “Feudalism”, and “Six Nations”.

“Early Qin” discussed why the Qin Dynasty managed to prosper and its eventual downfall. It was a book on governing policy.

“Feudalism” was a book on revolution.

It analyzed the pros and cons of each revolution and had links to government.

These two classics were of little use, but it did not matter. “Six Nations” was apt! This book recounted how Qin managed to conquer all the other six nations.

It targeted the passive attitudes of the other six nations at the time.

They had all given Qin parts of their land or a number of cities in order to maintain temporary peace. However, they did not expect Qin to grow stronger as a result.

In the end, after Qin destroyed the countries which did not carve out land for them, they managed to turn back to conquer those which did.

Even though it was a novel on the cowardice of the six nations, it all pointed to one lesson…

Do not surrender, fight!

What if the vassal states do not keep in line? Beat them till they do? Pacify? That is something one does when one is not powerful enough. No true Emperor would want to employ such a strategy.

Fang Zhengzhi had no idea if Emperor Lin Mubai was a Holy Spirit. However, he knew that he was not a careless man.

The best example was…

Emperor Lin Mubai had given Fang Zhengzhi his personal token to facilitate his entry into the Ministry Of Rites. This was sufficient to show the Emperor’s decisiveness.

With this in mind, Fang Zhengzhi began to write.

Then, he saw the enraged glances of the candidates around him?

“Is there something wrong, Young Master Wu?” Fang Zhengzhi looked at Wu Feng with confusion.

“Nothing!” Wu Feng grit his teeth and forced a smile. He rolled up his script which was destroyed by the ink.

“Then you should continue writing your own paper. Even if you keep looking at me, I will not let you copy my script!” Fang Zhengzhi shifted his table closer to himself.

Wu Feng was furious!

Why would I copy yours? I did not spend my two years as poorly as the others! I had prepared plans for all six ministries!

Do I need to copy your script?

Wu Feng was scornful.

However, he was also infuriated. He realized that Fang Zhengzhi was even more scornful than him. In fact, Fang Zhengzhi’s attitude bordered on condescension.

Clear, unadulterated condescension.

“Just wait and see. When I top the theory examination, we will know who is the one who needs to copy!” Wu Feng turned back to look at his script. As he was about to write, he frowned.

Where was he at?

God damn it!

“Ahem! No communication during the examination!” One of the invigilators coughed lightly when he saw Fang Zhengzhi and Wu Feng talking.

Fang Zhengzhi raised his middle finger at that imperial messenger.

He seduced me.

He did not continue debating with Wu Feng. Fang Zhengzhi realized another problem.

Did this world have the Warring States Era?

Fang Zhengzhi was not very familiar with the history of the Great Xia Dynasty. Even if the Warring States Era existed, it was unlikely that the countries would be called Qin, Chu, Zhao…

If they were, it would be too much of a coincidence.

Without this period in history, the “Six Nations” could not be used either. How was he going to solve this?

Fang Zhengzhi looked into the sky. There were a few leaves floating in the air, blown around by a light breeze.

The world keeps changing – flowers bloom and wilt, spring came and went.

When was he ever going to find himself a wife?

Hang on… he was taking an exam now.

He had to concentrate on that first. How was he going to use the “Six Nations”? Six Nations, Seven Nations, Eight Nations, Three Nations…

I got it!

If there isn’t, I’ll just make up a story.

In many novels, the stories within them were all made up. They were there for the sole purpose of allowing the author to push his point.

This was a simple concept.

In primary school, they were tasked to write an essay. The topic of the essay was observing the growth of plants.

One could not possibly buy a seed and watch it grow and bloom.

It would take too long. The essay would never be submitted on time.

The problem he had was solved.

There was no way Fang Zhengzhi would write out the history of the Warring States Era. Only an idiot would do such a thing.

He would use an analogy.

He would use the Seven Kingdoms to describe the Great Xia Dynasty’s current predicament. They had the barbarians to the north, the mountain range to the south, the demons in the distance, and the problems from the seas in the west.

He did not need to assign each kingdom their counterpart in this world. Anyone reading it would simply link the various problems to the seven kingdoms in their heart.

This technique was not something the average reader would understand.

However, since his reader was Emperor Lin Mubai, he had nothing to worry about. If the Emperor was not able to make such links, he would not be able to sit on that position for long.

He would have been usurped long ago.

Fang Zhengzhi smirked to himself as he thought about this. He had decided to base his policy paper off the “Six Nations”.

Even though it needed to be changed a little, this was easy for Fang Zhengzhi.

He was a first-class honour student of history, having read countless classic literature all these years. He even managed to memorize the Law of Dao.

His train of thoughts could not be stemmed.

His brain was filled with ideas in an instant.

He immediately began writing, his mind guiding his hands across the paper.

“Woosh woosh woosh…”

The brush swept across the paper.

All of the furious candidates who were interrupted by Fang Zhengzhi’s outburst were stunned by this sight. They had heard about Fang Zhengzhi’s speed before.

Now, they saw it for themselves.

It looked like he was spasming.

“So fast?!”

“Didn’t he say he didn’t prepare? Why is he able to begin writing so quickly? Furthermore, it doesn’t look like he’s writing a paper, it looks like he’s copying one!”

“Could it be that he is just trying to fill his paper with something because he has nothing to write?”

“I think that it is possible!”

All of the candidates were doubtful. After all, Fang Zhengzhi’s speed was unbelievable.

Wu Feng was trying to regain his train of thought when he heard the wooshing sound of the brush.

He turned to look.

It was Fang Zhengzhi.

“That speed…” Wu Feng’s jaw dropped as he looked at Fang Zhengzhi. Then, he turned to look at his blank script. He then looked at another person nearby.

It was Nangong Hao.

Nangong Hao was calm as water in his white robe.

Nangong Hao was the complete opposite of Nangong Hao. Ever since the beginning of the exam, Nangong Hao’s pen had not even moved.

He shut his eyes, deep in thought.

He looked like a statue in the middle of the examination square.

Just at this moment, a fallen leaf fell lightly on Nangong Hao’s shoulder. It was so natural that it made people feel that the leaf was on his shoulder all along.

Any other candidate would have swept the leaf off their shoulder. However, Nangong Hao remained still as a statue.

“Chirp chirp…” A bird chirped in the distance.

Then, a red beak, green feathered, three tailed kingfisher landed on the outskirts of the square. This was a common bird in the palace gardens and did not attract the attention of the candidates.

However, Wu Feng’s eyes widened.

Because…

He saw the three tailed kingfisher hop towards Nangong Hao. Before long, it had hopped onto Nangong Hao’s shoulder, picked up the fallen leaf with its beak and hopped away.

“This, this is… Natural Heart Dao!” Wu Feng’s expression changed.

As the disciple of one of the four sages, he knew that one’s heart would continue to change as they progressed. Some would become more aggressive, others more peaceful. Some would become more passionate, others more serene.

This had to do with the kind of Dao they cultivated.

However, one kind of person was an exception.

They were never changed by their cultivation. Their personality and hearts stayed the same throughout, regardless of external stimuli.

It did not seem like much.

However, these people were the most terrifying talents in the world. They could learn any Dao or technique.

They could cultivate and train with the demonic and evil arts.

Killing could cause them to improve, but so could healing and helping others.

No matter what they did, it would be combined with the Dao in his heart. It would become a part of his cultivation, regardless good, evil, peace or violence.

This was the Natural Heart Dao

“I see, I see!” Wu Feng finally understood what Nangong Hao was doing the past four years. He finally understood why Nangong Hao had rejected the invitation from the Heaven Dao Pavilion four years ago.

Back then, Nangong Hao had only said one thing when he rejected them.

Poor foundation!

At that time, most people did not understand what he meant. Nangong Hao was able to suppress intermediate Rewind State cultivators as a pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State. If his foundation wasn’t good, whose was?

Almost everyone felt that Nangong Hao was finding an excuse for himself to not enter the Heaven Dao Pavilion.

But now, Wu Feng understood.

Nangong Hao was not finding an excuse for himself. He was speaking the truth, but it was not something anyone had expected.

In four years…

Natural Heart Dao!

This was what Nangong Hao considered a good foundation.

In the Heavenly Reflection State, Nangong Hao was able to understand the Natural Heart Dao. This made him the same level as Wu Feng’s master!

Sage!

This was something everyone wanted and worked for. That word meant that one was a peerless power.

Wu Feng stared at Nangong Hao with jealousy. However, he suppressed this jealousy, because, his brain told him…

Nangong Hao was not to be antagonized!

Wu Feng looked back at Fang Zhengzhi, his lips twitching as he smiled bitterly.

“I think both you and I are just here as fodder for this man!”

Chapter 310: Script Submission

Wu Feng did not think that Fang Zhengzhi was weak. Before he knew that Nangong Hao was participating, or before he saw Nangong Hao’s Natural Heart Dao…

He had always thought of Fang Zhengzhi as one of his biggest competitors.

Especially on the Theory Examination.

Anyone who could finish six scripts in four hours perfectly was not to be underestimated.

Wu Feng had tried it before, and two scripts was his maximum.

Six scripts…

The only way to describe it was “monster”.

However, he had to consider Fang Zhengzhi and himself as mere accompaniments. It wasn’t that Fang Zhengzhi was weak, but Nangong Hao was too strong!

Fang Zhengzhi did not notice any of this. He was happily engrossed in his policy paper, writing down the knowledge of the ancestors of his previous world.

He completely ignored everything around him.

Of course, Fang Zhengzhi’s “Six Nations” had some differences from the real “Six Nations”. He simply used “Six Nations” as his foundation.

After all, the history and dynamic during the era of the “Six Nations” was also slightly different from the Great Xia Dynasty.

However, the concept of never surrendering would not change regardless of era or political climate. Even a small enterprise could use this concept when competing against giants in the market.

So…

What about the major players?

They can use the same concept. Never surrendering represents a will to fight. If the powerful take their pedal off the metal, they too will become weak.

This was simple logic.

However, in order for his “New Six Nations” to be even more applicable to this dynasty, Fang Zhengzhi had to change some of the sentences.

One of the sentences inside the original was…

“This empire rose from the ashes of the six nations, but it could also fall at their hands.”

What this meant was that if the ruling country was strong enough to conquer the nations but not strong enough to hold them, they could be overthrown easily.

Fang Zhengzhi used this as the main idea for his paragraph, adding in details of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Anyone who was not a fool…

Would be able to see that he was referring to the current Great Xia Dynasty. Whilst they were powerful now, they needed to exert that power so that the vassal states will remain subservient.

Else, they will go down in flames.

Fang Zhengzhi’s policy paper was coming to an end. He did not analyze the current political climate of the Great Xia Dynasty, choosing to analyze a period of history from the viewpoint of an outsider.

The reason was…

He did not know the current political climate.

“Mm… I think that it’s not bad!” Fang Zhengzhi stopped writing and began to check his work. He quickly realized a misspelled word.

Then, a grammatical error.

Phew!

Checking one’s work was always a good habit. It never hurt to check one more time. This idea was drilled into him by his teachers.

He made the changes and burnished his sentences.

He read it one more time.

Satisfied…

Then, he copied the entire script with his edits onto a fresh script.

He looked around him and saw all the candidates frowning. Some of them were even chewing on their pens, almost like starving wolves.

Why would they eat bamboo if they weren’t pandas?

Fang Zhengzhi shook his head in disdain. Then, he turned to look at Yan Xiu. Yan Xiu had already begun writing, and he looked rather confident.

Fang Zhengzhi was not too surprised by this.

Even though Yan Xiu also prepared plans related to the Ministry of Works, as a disciple of the Yan Family, he was in tune with the sensitivities of the empire. As such, this policy paper should not stymie him.

He then turned to look at Wu Feng and saw that Wu Feng had also begun writing. However, he seemed to be a little affected, a stark contrast from his usual cheery self.

“Has Nangong Hao begun writing?” Fang Zhengzhi remembered and turned to look in that direction.

He saw that Nangong Hao was still seated on his chair like a statue, his brush still on the table.

Is he joking?

Fang Zhengzhi thought to himself.

Isn’t he supposed to be the top talent? How can he take so long to think about a policy to subdue the vassal states? If he was this weak, it would be such a disappointment.

Fang Zhengzhi did not look around any longer. He calmed himself and stretched his arms. Then, he continued writing.

Within 15 minutes, his “New Six Nations” policy was finished.

“I would like to submit my script!” Fang Zhengzhi had always had the habit of sleeping after finishing his paper previously. After all, the previous exams did not allow him to submit his scripts ahead of time.

However, the court examinations did not have such a rule.

As such…

He decided that he would like to enjoy the thrill of handing in his script before hand. After all, he had always done this in his previous world.

He would treat it as reliving some of his old life.

“Hand… hand in his script?!”

“He’s done?”

“How is he so fast? I am barely done with my introduction.”

“Introduction? I haven’t even thought of what I’m going to write.”

All of the candidates were clearly stunned by Fang Zhengzhi’s actions. It was less than an hour since the start of the examination. Fang Zhengzhi was handing in his script?

More importantly, all of them knew that Fang Zhengzhi had come to the court examination completely unprepared.

How could he possibly be done?

He was faster than the people who had prepared.

Emperor Lin Mubai, all of the officials, as well as the imperial messengers in the White Jade Square were all stunned.

Handing in one’s script ahead of time?

This was something that had not happened in centuries!

Rubbish!

Was there anything more ridiculous than this? This was blatant disrespect towards the court examinations. Regardless whether Fang Zhengzhi was done or not, this attitude was telling the Emperor that his question was too easy!

“Fang Zhengzhi came from a village. Is it possible that he just wrote rubbish because he has no policy in mind?” One of the officials asked doubtfully. After all, finishing a policy paper in such a short time bordered on the impossible.

“If that is the case, him handing in his script in advance will give him a one way ticket out of the courts.” Another official shook his head.

“You mean he actually has a decent policy on how to control the vassal states?”

“I don’t know. However, I know that we had once treated Fang Zhengzhi as an ignorant fool. However, he has shown us time and again that he is very intelligent. He will not dig himself a grave and jump into it.”

“That is true. However, how can he possibly write anything good in such a short time?”

“Aish… I do not know. However, the Emperor himself ordered Fang Zhengzhi to help out in the Ministry of Rites. Even though he didn’t give Fang Zhengzhi a post, I think… that there’s more to it than meets the eye.”

“Do you mean that the Emperor thinks that Fang Zhengzhi is a talented diplomat? But it doesn’t seem to be the case. After entering the capital, he has made enemies with many of the influential families.”

“I beg to differ. Who is Yan Xiu? He is the heir to the Yan Family. He is usually icy and a man of few words. Yet, how is he with Fang Zhengzhi? And then there’s Princess Ping Yang. How many people dare to antagonize her? What about Chi Guyan? Then look at Xing Qingsui of the Stabilization Constabulary, Nangong Mu of the Nangong Family. Which one of them is easy to get along with? Yet, they all have relationships with Fang Zhengzhi!”

“Could it be that Fang Zhengzhi is actually talented in that area?”

“I think that it is too early to say. We will know more after the theory examination.”

“I agree.” The official nodded lightly and became silent. He did not say anything else, but he looked at Fang Zhengzhi rather strangely.

Su Qing smiled and walked to Fang Zhengzhi.

“Is Official Fang planning to hand in your script early?”

“Can I do it?” Fang Zhengzhi replied with a question.

“Of course you can. However, why don’t you check your work and think about it one more time?” Su Qing smirked, raising his voice slightly.

The expressions of all the officials changed. They looked at Fang Zhengzhi and Su Qing, their hearts written on their faces.

After his performance at the Crown Prince’s residence, he did not get a promotion, but he was temporarily the Chief Imperial Messenger of the Imperial Academy.

Many of the officials were not happy about it initially.

However, seeing his wit today made them gasp silently in admiration.

This statement meant more than what it seemed.

Emperor Lin Mubai had made it clear that he wanted all of the candidates to think deeply. Su Qing’s advice to Fang Zhengzhi was telling all the other candidates that Fang Zhengzhi’s actions were going against the Emperor’s wishes.

This was quite the hit to Fang Zhengzhi.

All of the officials turned to look at Emperor Lin Mubai.

Emperor Lin Mubai raised his hand and a servant immediately placed a new pot of tea in front of him.

Emperor Lin Mubai raised his glass and sipped. He did not speak, neither did his expression changed. It was almost as if he did not see anything.

All of the officials were stunned.

Emperor Lin Mubai’s attitude towards Fang Zhengzhi was rather cryptic during the racing and hunting competition. No matter what Fang Zhengzhi did, he did not seem to fault Fang Zhengzhi.

Why was this so?

None of the officials spoke again. If Emperor Lin Mubai was not going to speak, then neither could they. They were in no position to question Fang Zhengzhi.

“I have already checked my work thoroughly. I even have a draft here.” Fang Zhengzhi placed his draft script in front of Su Qing.

Su Qing glanced at the draft in Fang Zhengzhi’s hand. He raised his hand slightly, then realized what was happening.

He took a step backwards.

He was too curious. In fact, everyone there was curious as to what kind of policy Fang Zhengzhi had written.

However, he managed to regain his senses at the most critical moment.

For the court examinations, the scripts would be sealed right after they were collected. The Emperor would view them personally. As a rank four imperial messenger, who was he to view the scripts?

Even the previous Chief Imperial Messenger Han Zhangfeng did not have the right.

“Did he… do it on purpose?” Su Qing began to sweat profusely. When he turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi again, his gaze was different.

Fang Zhengzhi innocently waved his draft in front of Su Qing. He beamed as he did so, almost as if he was an innocent child.

“Do you want to take a look? You can come and see!” Fang Zhengzhi waved his draft as he called out to Su Qing.

“I do not dare take a look at the court examination scripts.” Su Qing was shocked by Fang Zhengzhi’s actions. He retreated a few more steps, his head lowered.

“You don’t dare? Okay then… I thought you were really going to check the scripts on behalf of the Emperor.” Fang Zhengzhi smirked innocently.

All of the officials surrounding Emperor Lin Mubai were stunned by this sight.

Those innocent sounding words were actually immensely loaded.

Su Qing had used the Emperor’s words to attack Fang Zhengzhi. However, Fang Zhengzhi had used the same method to return the favor. In the end, Fang Zhengzhi had come up on top.

Did he do it on purpose? Or was it a happy coincidence?

None of the officials could put their finger on it.

All of the officials looked at Fang Zhengzhi, their gazes complicated.

Then, another figure stood up from his seat and bowed to the Emperor.

“I would like to hand in my script!”

His voice was not loud, but it was crisp. The tone was flat and calm, almost like a mist wafting through the valley.

It combined with the clouds in the sky softly.

Even so, all of the officials looked at the figure in terror.

Fang Zhengzhi’s actions had stunned them all, but this man’s actions terrified them.

Fang Zhengzhi handing in his script early may have been unexpected, but it was acceptable.

After all, it was Fang Zhengzhi.

But…

Why would Nangong Hao hand in his script early?

Furthermore, Nangong Hao had been sitting silently at his desk all this while, a blank paper in front of him.

He had not written a single word.

But now…

Nangong Hao had stood up and said the same thing as Fang Zhengzhi.

“I would like to hand in my script!”

What’s going on?

Chapter 311: Deciding who comes first in an art

No one could understand what Nangong Hao was thinking. Was he going to hand in a blank script? Was this question too easy? Did he find the court examinations too easy?

But that did not seem very possible.

If Nangong Hao did not care about the court examinations, he did not have to come all the way to the capital and announce his participation.

Almost all of the officials knew that the Nangong Family valued their reputation. Handing in a blank script would not be tolerated.

As such…

What was Nangong Hao thinking?

Just as all the officials were thinking about it, Nangong Hao picked up his script and flipped it over.

“What… what’s going on?”

All of the officials were stunned when they saw it.

In the moment Nangong Hao flipped over his script, they could all see that his script was not blank. It was filled with words.

This meant that Nangong Hao was not handing in a blank script.

It’s not blank?

How is that possible?!

All of the officials were stumped. No one was willing to believe what they were seeing. Before Fang Zhengzhi had asked to hand in his script, Nangong Hao’s script was still blank.

Could it be…

How is that possible?

“Oh my god, how did he do that?”

“That is impossible!”

“Unbelievable.”

All of the officials were consumed by terror.

If Nangong Hao was not handing in a blank script, there was only one possibility.

Just now…

In the moment that everyone was engrossed with Fang Zhengzhi, Nangong Hao had completed his script at supernatural speeds.

However, when they tried to recall what happened…

The entire episode, from Fang Zhengzhi’s announcement to his exchange with Su Qing, lasted no more than 10 minutes.

This meant that Nangong Hao had completed his paper in that time.

That was too fast!

All of the officials were stumped by that speed.

What stunned them even more was that Nangong Hao had finished his paper during a time which was least conducive for writing a paper.

Any interruption would easily break one’s train of thought and momentum.

Yet, during the most chaotic part of the entire court examination, Nangong Hao managed to finish his paper.

Furthermore, he had completed it in such a short time.

This meant that Nangong Hao had already reached a state of nirvana where he could not be disturbed by anything around him.

“Natural Heart Dao… is this Natural Heart Dao?!” Wu Feng looked at Nangong Hao with fear.

This was the first time he feared someone to this extent.

The fear stemmed from the depths of his heart.

Su Qing finally recovered from his shock. He looked at Nangong Hao, then back at Emperor Lin Mubai. Emperor Lin Mubai’s expression changed slightly.

“Seal the scripts.” Emperor Lin Mubai replied.

“Yes, your highness.” Su Qing replied.

All of the officials went silent when they heard this.

If Fang Zhengzhi was the only one to hand in his script, then they could charge him for disrespecting the Emperor. But now, even Nangong Hao was handing in his script.

What else could they say?

Were they going to charge Nangong Hao as well?

Su Qing had already walked over to Nangong Hao. He looked at the script on the table and prepared to seal it.

Just at that moment, a hand stopped Su Qing.

This was Nangong Hao’s hand.

“Young Master Nangong, do you not plan on handing it in?” Su Qing was confused.

“No, but I think that Official Su has got something wrong?” Nangong Hao’s gaze towards Su Qing was plain and calm.

“What is it?” Su Qing was getting slightly suspicious.

“Official Su participated in the imperial examinations four years ago. You made it into the courts and advanced to the post of imperial messenger. Can’t you see who submitted their script first?” Nangong Hao pointed towards Fang Zhengzhi.

Su Qing was stunned.

All of the officials next to Emperor Lin Mubai were also taken aback.

“Can’t you see who submitted their script first?”

They knew what Nangong Hao was getting at, and they knew that Nangong Hao was referring to Fang Zhengzhi.

However, they could not figure out why Nangong Hao would say something like that. This was a small matter. It was just the order of submission.

If the imperial messenger in charge of sealing the scripts went in a different order, most people will not raise any objection.

Was Nangong Hao a petty person?

Clearly not.

That meant that Nangong Hao was doing this on purpose.

Another thought was raised in the officials’ minds. If Nangong Hao was saying this on purpose, then did he hand in his script right after Fang Zhengzhi on purpose too?

No one could understand it.

However, Su Qing reacted quickly.

He was second to Nangong Hao during the imperial examinations and a rank four official in the courts. However, he was nothing in the face of Nangong Hao.

At least, he was nothing right now.

There would always be a difference between rank one and two. It was an unassailable gap.

Su Qing knew this very well. Even though he was the invigilator for the examination, he still bowed to Nangong Hao apologetically.

Then, he turned to bow to Fang Zhengzhi.

“Official Fang, please accept my apologies. I have made a mistake!” Su Qing walked over to Fang Zhengzhi and prepared to seal his script.

A hand quickly stopped Su Qing in his tracks.

This was Fang Zhengzhi’s hand.

What now?

Su Qing’s eyes glimmered, but he tried to suppress it.

“Official Fang, do you not plan on handing in your script?”

“I still plan to hand in my script, but I wonder if Official Su has neglected to consider some things?” Fang Zhengzhi glanced at Su Qing flatly before looking at Nangong Hao.

“What have I failed to consider?” Su Qing tried to remain calm.

“Official Su participated in the imperial examinations four years ago. You made it into the courts and advanced to the post of imperial messenger. Can you not see who you were closer to?”

“What do you mean?” Su Qing’s expression darkened.

“Official Su was already by Nangong Hao’s side. Yet, you decided to turn around just because of something he said. This is a clear indication of your indecisiveness. You gave up what was closer and came to me, who was further. This is an extremely inefficient way of doing things. If this is how you handle the complicated matters at the imperial academy, I will be worried!” Fang Zhengzhi said with concern.

Life was all an act.

Emperor Lin Mubai was such a great actor. He had to use this chance to show off some of his acting skills as well.

As to why he wanted to make things difficult for Su Qing.

He did that on purpose.

Reason?

There were two reasons. Firstly, if he had let Su Qing collect his script, he would have lost out to Nangong Hao even though it seemed that he had the advantage.

Those officials may not understand, but Fang Zhengzhi knew.

Before Nangong Mu left, he had come to see Fang Zhengzhi. He did not say much, but Fang Zhengzhi remembered one sentence.

“He will come after I leave!”

At that time, Fang Zhengzhi did not really understand what was going on. However, after Nangong Hao announced his participation in the court examinations, he understood.

Fang Zhengzhi’s challenge to Nangong Hao.

Nangong Hao had come all this way for one purpose – restore the honor of the Nangong Family. Nangong Hao’s submission of the script right after Fang Zhengzhi was proof of this point.

Even though Fang Zhengzhi did not know how he did it, the fact was that Nangong Hao completed his policy paper in that short period of time.

Then, Nangong Hao’s tactic was incredibly well planned and executed.

Normally, the first one to hand in his script would be the one in an advantageous position.

However, Nangong Hao had spoken up for Fang Zhengzhi. This allowed the spotlight to shine on him. This was also his way of showing who’s boss.

Nangong Hao would never allow himself to lose the advantage in the theory examination.

If Fang Zhengzhi was to challenge Nangong Hao, he could not lose the initiative either. As such, he played the ball right back into Nangong Hao’s court.

At the cost of Su Qing…

As to why he wanted to bully Su Qing… that was the second reason. Su Qing was thick skinned enough to take it.

More importantly, Su Qing had already declared war on Fang Zhengzhi with his little show previously.

This was the perfect time for Fang Zhengzhi to kill two birds with one stone.

All of the officials looked at each other in awe.

It was clear…

Fang Zhengzhi was doing this on purpose.

However, Fang Zhengzhi’s statement was perfectly logical. He even used Nangong Hao’s words, making it quite irrefutable.

More importantly, it cut very deep.

Su Qing was in this position only because the Crown Prince had placed him there. There was no explicit approval given by the Emperor. And now, Fang Zhengzhi was questioning his abilities in front of the Emperor.

Furthermore, he had used Nangong Hao’s words. This was the worst possible of concoction for Su Qing. His position was now in jeopardy and he could all but forget about a promotion.

“Vicious!”

“Extremely vicious!”

They had never truly seen Fang Zhengzhi as a threat before this. No matter how talented Fang Zhengzhi seemed to be, they always treated him as a lowly villager.

No one actually feared him.

All of the officials thought that they would school him easily.

However, having seen what he had done to Su Qing, they all gasped. Who were they to think that inexperience meant that he didn’t know anything about politics?

Fang Zhengzhi was the prime example.

Su Qing’s expression darkened. He had never been humiliated like this before. Four years ago, he lost to Nangong Hao in the imperial examinations.

He gave up his cultivation to serve in the courts.

He knew for a fact that Nangong Hao would never enter politics.

Before, he was slightly unclear as to why Nangong Hao would say what he did. However, Fang Zhengzhi’s reply clarified everything for him.

The two of them were using him as their chess piece!

Furthermore, they were doing it without any regard for him.

Su Qing could not possibly accept being humiliated this way.

Thoughts raced in his mind. He knew that he had to resolve this situation quickly. Else, his future would be ruined.

That would mean that his plan would fail.

He knew that he could not rebut Fang Zhengzhi right now. If he did so, his future would be instantly erased.

Right now, the only thing that he could do was self preservation. He need to prove that he had a talent for resolving problems.

He had to use his actions to turn the tables back in his favor.

“Official Wang, please help to seal Young Master Nangong’s script.” Su Qing glanced at an imperial messenger.

“Okay.” One of the imperial messengers nodded and walked over to Nangong Hao.

吗?”Su QIng nodded then turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi, his expression calm. “Young Master Fang, can you let me seal your script now?”

All of the officials nodded when they saw this.

It was mature and admirable that Su Qing was able to react so calmly in this situation. This simple action resolved the tension between Nangong Hao and Fang Zhengzhi.

He sent someone else to collect Nangong Hao’s script.

He himself would stay and collect Fang Zhengzhi’s script.

This way, both Nangong Hao and Fang Zhengzhi would not have anything to say.

“You are a quick learner, a quick learner indeed!” Fang Zhengzhi smirked as he placed his script in Su Qing’s hand.

Su Qing’s expression darkened once again. He raised his hand and received the script.

“Thank you Official Fang for your lesson!”

All of the officials nearly crumpled to the ground when they heard this.

“A quick learner?!”

“How shameless could this guy get?!”

Chapter 312: You can breakthrough now

Even though Su Qing was young, he was a few years older than Fang Zhengzhi. They may both be rank four officials, but Su Qing was in a more powerful position.

No matter what…

It was weird for Fang Zhengzhi to say something like that.

However, Fang Zhengzhi did. Furthermore, he said it in such a calm and flat manner. If not for his youth, the officials would have thought that a senior was educating his junior.

Su Qing did not say anything else.

He knew that if he did, he would be cursing and swearing.

He could have superhuman tolerance, but even then, he had a limit. Su Qing’s limit may be high, but he was about to hit it.

Fang Zhengzhi still wanted to say more. He wanted Su Qing to roll on the floor in anger, cursing and swearing all the way.

However, Su Qing did not reply, so he could not continue.

He had to show that he was a man of class.

Nangong Hao did not say anything else either. He placed his script in the hand of the imperial messenger, turned and left.

The maple leaf print on his clothes was blown up by the wind, staining his clothes red.

All of the candidates were shocked. They could see that the stains on Nangong Hao’s shirt were not maple leaves. They were blood in the shape of maple leaves.

Where did Nangong Hao come from?

Why would his clothes be stained with blood. Why was the blood in the shape of maple leaves?

None of them knew.

However, Emperor Lin Mubai did not find it surprising. He watched Nangong Hao leave, deep in contemplation.

…

The theory examination was finally over.

The results were set to be released five days later. The location was the “Imperial Decree Hall”. This was where the inaugurations and funerals were held.

This was also where the Emperor paid his respects to his ancestors.

However, after Emperor Lin Mubai took the throne, he ordered that the hall be used for the release of the court examination results. Many did not understand why, thinking that only the Emperor should access that hall.

The reason why he was the Emperor was because he was the one true dragon. He was the son of heaven and commoners could not be able to access the same ancestral hall he did.

One of these people was the previous Minister of Rites.

He had already expressed his concerns to the Emperor. He backed it up with examples from history, claiming that it was against the rules of rites.

However…

It was no use.

Emperor Lin Mubai insisted that he did not see anything wrong with it even after examining the twelve rules.

There was no discussion after that.

The Imperial Decree Hall became the location for the court examination results release. For decades, it had not been changed.

This was the hall that most of the candidates wanted to go to, and it was also the most heavily guarded location in the palace.

Today, the light in the Imperial Decree Hall was lit.

This was unusual.

The light was only lit during inauguration, the annual memorial service, or the biannual announcement of court examination results.

However, the light was lit this night.

There was only one possibility, the Emperor himself was in the hall.

The set up of the Imperial Decree Hall was different from that of the other halls. The other halls were filled with gold and jewels, the Imperial Decree Hall was filled with incense.

The incense in the hall was particularly invigorating.

Each of the scripts were placed neatly on the antique tables.

As the Emperor, Lin Mubai should be concerned with the running of the country. He need not look through each script individually. In the past, he did not look through each one either.

The method was simple.

He would usually gather eight officials and have them judge the scripts first. Then, they would pass the top 20 scripts to him for him to rank.

However, Emperor Lin Mubai did not do so this time.

To judge 200 scripts was a tedious task, but Emperor Lin Mubai did it anyways. He began from the end of the court examinations and continued deep into the night.

He did not move at any point within the past 10 hours.

This did not seem very normal.

More importantly, Emperor Lin Mubai did not choose to mark the scripts in his library. Instead, he chose to do so in the Imperial Decree Hall.

The night was cold.

The light in the Imperial Decree Hall continued to be lit. The lights in the city were bright as well.

King Duan’s residence was also brightly lit, a figure strolling back and forth within it.

The Crown Prince’s residence was also lit. Many carriages passed by, dropping officials off.

However, Ping Yang’s residence was not lit. Furthermore, there was no movement inside. Ping Yang had left her residence in the middle of the night.

What did she leave to do?

No one knew.

…

The Heaven Dao Pavilion reached through the clouds. Anyone looking at the stars from the peak was bound to be able to feel the light of the stars.

A lady in a pink dress with bright eyes stood quietly at the peak of the Heaven Dao Pavilion.

She stood on a rock, barefoot, as she looked up into the stars.

There was a young girl standing behind her. She wore a thick coat and had a white scarf around her neck. Even so, she still hugged herself, shivering from the cold.

It was late autumn.

However, in places like the Heaven Dao Pavilion, autumn was a bone chillingly cold time.

However, the young girl did not say anything. If Chi Guyan did not say anything, she would not say anything as a servant.

Finally, Chi Guyan lowered her head, her eyes shining brightly. It looked like there was a constellations in her eyes.

Yue Er looked at the constellations in Chi Guyan’s eyes enviously. She was filled with pride that she was able to be by Chi Guyan’s side at this time.

“Today is the court examination?”

“Yes ma’am. You haven’t been concerning yourself with the affairs outside recently. As such, I did not mention it to you.” Yue Er replied.

“Mm… did Nangong Hao participate?” Chi Guyan nodded lightly.

“He did.”

“He really participated…” Chi Guyan’s lips quivered, almost as if she was muttering to herself.

“Missus, do we need to do anything?”

“There’s no use. If it is Nangong Hao, then the results of the court examinations are final.”

“Do you really think that Fang Zhengzhi will lose?”

“I don’t think he will lose, but I can’t think of how he will win. As such, I can’t do anything, and I don’t know what I can do.”

“There are things in this world that you can’t think of?” Yue Er was shocked.

“Yes, this is an example.” Chi Guyan nodded as she looked into the east. That was where the capital was.

Yue Er was stunned when she saw Chi Guyan’s expression.

Ever since Chi Guyan returned to the Heaven Dao Pavilion, she was like a completely changed person.

She did not ask about politics, neither was she as cold as before. She would even talk to Yue Er about cultivation and sword techniques.

Her statement just now was the perfect example.

Chi Guyan of old would never say something like that. No matter how difficult the situation, she would find a solution.

“Congratulations Guyan!” An elderly voice could be heard from afar. Then, a figure approached Chi Guyan from the back.

He was silver haired and wore a white robe. However, his skin was smooth and he looked like a twenty year old youth.

“Greetings Pavilion Leader!” Yue Er kowtowed when she saw the figure.

The leader of the Heaven Dao Pavilion was Mu Qingfeng, someone who stood at the very top.

“Mm, you accompany Guyan here everyday. You can’t just keep adding layers. This is a warming jade that you can hold onto.” A piece of jade appeared in Yue Er’s hand.

“Thank you Pavilion Leader!” Yue Er kowtowed in thanks.

“Rise.” Mu Qingfeng motioned for Yue Er to recover.

“Master.” The constellations in Chi Guyan’s eyes disappeared as she turned to bow to Mu Qingfeng respectfully.

“Mm, you have already understood it. You can breakthrough now.” Mu Qingfeng nodded.

“Breakthrough? Didn’t master ask me to get a better foundation and breakthrough only two years later?” Chi Guyan did not quite understand Mu Qingfeng.

“Your foundation is solid. Suppressing your breakthrough is meaningless.” Mu Qingfeng shook his head.

“I understand.” Chi Guyan nodded.

“If I am correct, Nangong Hao should also have broken through.” Mu Qingfeng said as he looked at the direction Chi Guyan’s toes were pointing towards.

“Master, you mean that Nangong Hao is in the Supernatural State?”

“Yes, however, I don’t think that anyone knows about this, including the Nangong Family.” Mu Qingfeng nodded as he looked in the direction of the capital. His eyes glowed.

Those were flames.

They were just like the lights in the capital.

Chi Guyan did not speak. She stood quietly in position as she looked at the stars in the sky. The constellations appeared in her eyes once again…

…

Chapter 313: Eight miles of fireworks

The next day, before the break of dawn, many of the officials were gathered, wining and dining as they waited for dawn.

“You may all leave, the Emperor is not coming today.” A crisp voice rang out throughout the hall. Then, a figure in palace robes came through the door.

“The Emperor is not coming?”

“How does Eunuch Wei know about this?”

All of the officials were stunned by what Eunuch Wei just announced.

Ever since he took the throne, Emperor Lin Mubai had rarely been absent from court. This caused all the officials to wonder if something major had happened.

“I have no idea.” Eunuch Wei shook his head, but showed no intention to leave.

“Eunuch Wei is the Emperor’s personal aide. Even if you do not know what happened, you should know where the Emperor is currently right? Could you enlighten us?” One of the officials asked when he saw Eunuch Wei stay.

“Since Official Li has asked, I will tell all of you the truth. The Emperor spent the night in the Imperial Decree Hall. He is still there, but I really do not know why he is not coming today.”

“I see, thank you Eunuch Wei!” Official Li shook Eunuch Wei’s arm, then discreetly dropped a tael of silver into his sleeve.

“Official Li need not be so courteous. The Emperor still required my presence. I will make my move first.” Eunuch Wei said flatly as he bowed to the officials and took his leave.

Very quickly, the hall became rather chaotic.

“The Emperor is in the Imperial Decree Hall?”

“But, this is not the memorial period, what is the Emperor doing there?”

“Could he be marking the scripts there? After all, this is the first time the Emperor has not given us the scripts to read.”

“Official Sun does make sense. But why would the Emperor read the scripts there and not in the imperial library?”

“I am afraid that the Emperor values this court examination more than we can guess. The fact that he is personally marking all 200 scripts is testament to this fact.”

“What does Left Prime Minister Yu think of this?”

All of the officials finished their discussions and looked in unison towards the silent, red robed, Yu Yiping.

“Guessing the Emperor’s intentions is not something we should do. The results will be announced in four days. Usually, the Emperor will meet with the top ten candidates before the results are announced. All we have to do is wait.” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping sipped his tea and replied flatly.

“What Left Prime Minister Yu says is right!”

“Since that is the case, we should leave.”

“Official Wang, I hear that you managed to get an exquisite blood jade. Under sunlight it looks like blood flows within. Could you let us take a look?”

“This exquisite blood jade is one of the rarest jades. There is barely one every century. Official Wang should not be too selfish about it!”

“Hahaha… I got this exquisite blood jade by chance as well. It is my honor for Official Qin and all of you other valued officials to take a look at it. I will prepare some drinks at my place later. I hope you will all drop by.”

“We will definitely be there.”

“Hahaha…”

All of the officials left the hall in groups.

At this point, Left Prime MInister Yu Yiping stood up and looked towards the Imperial Decree Hall. He frowned, “Imperial Decree Hall?”

…

Winter was coming. The fallen leaves covered the capital like a golden armor. They formed a soft carpet for people to tread on.

Time continued to pass.

It had been three days. It was only one more day to the results for the court examination. Everyone was engaged in heated discussions and guesses about the results.

The capital was the gathering place for everyone. There were businessmen coming to trade, and commoners coming to look for work.

If one did not do anything whilst they were young, then their youth was wasted.

The younger one was, the more risks they could take.

To the youths of the capital, this was great news to them! They were simply going to enjoy as much as they could whilst they were young.

Wen Dabao had a keen nose for such fireworks. Even though he enjoyed living the high life, he was not talented in any way.

However, this did not stop him from wanting the luxuries in life.

He decided to find himself a talent. That way, with a talented buddy, he could truly become someone admirable.

The talent in this case was naturally Fang Zhengzhi.

Other than Fang Zhengzhi, Wen Dabao could not find a second person who would be willing to join him on his escapades.

Fang Zhengzhi was getting rather bored nowadays. He had basically finished all of the delicacies in the capital. He had also seen virtually all the sights there were to see.

His life was basically wining, dining and having fun.

Fang Zhengzhi felt that he had done everything except for having fun. He had read that the ‘fireworks’ in the past were quite different from the ‘fireworks’ that he had experienced in his previous world.

In the Ming Dynasty, there was the ten mile long Qinhuai River. On one of its banks was the examination grounds for the metropolitan examination. On the other bank was the gathering point for everyone looking for some fun.

The beauties of Qinhuai were famous throughout history.

They sold their arts and not their bodies. That was the beauty of the ancient ‘fireworks’.

Fang Zhengzhi was still a minor, so he still had some boundaries. He would not let himself go too far. All he wanted to do was admire and enjoy. After he looked at Wen Dabao, he turned to look at Yan Xiu, who was still enjoying his tea.

He was surprised that Yan Xiu agreed to come without hesitation.

Indeed, one should not judge a book by its cover. The wants and desires of the people here were not that much different from those of his previous world.

“You’re going to see fireworks? How can you leave me out?” Ping Yang appeared just as they were about to leave.

“These… fireworks are not actually fireworks!” Fang Zhengzhi blushed. He felt so embarrassed, almost as if he had just been caught in bed with another woman.

“Duh… I know that you are going to drink and listen to music. Do you really think that I am a stranger to such places? I know them better than you do!” Ping Yang glanced at Fang Zhengzhi scornfully, her head raised.

“You’ve been there?!” Fang Zhengzhi felt like the world was going to crumble around him. Ping Yang was even younger than him!

How could she be familiar with such a place?

At what age did she go?!

Who brought her there?!

“Of course, I have been going to such places to listen to music since I was six with my granddad.” Ping Yang said haughtily.

“Grandfather?”

“King Liqin! Haven’t you met him before?”

“Him?” Fang Zhengzhi recalled who that was. He was the old man who wanted to take a look at the Traceless Sword in the throne room. He didn’t expect that the old man was so dirty minded that he would bring along a six year old girl.

How evil.

All four of them left for the destination.

Wen Dabao was ecstatic. He didn’t think that Ping Yang joining was inappropriate. Even Yan Xiu was calm.

Fang Zhengzhi was the only one who thought it was weird to bring the princess along.

He wondered what the Emperor would think if he found out.

…

There was no ten mile Qinhuai River in the capital.

However, there was a street eight miles long that was adorned with red lanterns and silk. It was quite different from what Fang Zhengzhi had envisioned.

The decorations here were antiquated but elegant. Each loft was adorned with poems and paintings. Melodious tunes floated out into the street.

There were sounds of guzheng, pipa, flutes…

“I hear that the people here today are all intellectuals!” Ping Yang said excitedly.

“The Princess is knowledgeable. There doesn’t seem to be anything you don’t know. The announcement of the court examination results is tomorrow. I think that there will be many people here tonight.” Wen Dabao replied respectfully.

Fang Zhengzhi blinked and thought to himself, What’s the link?

Wen Dabao turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu after sucking up to Ping Yang. Then, he began introducing the area to them like a tour guide.

“The most famous loft here is the “Intellectual Loft”! The night before the announcement of the court examination results, there will be a gathering held there. Many candidates would go there to talk about their policies!”

“Discuss policies?” Fang Zhengzhi seemed to reply.

This gathering was quite similar to those that he had after each examination in his previous world. Candidates would match their answers with each other. If their sentiments were echoed by the rest, they would be more confident.

They arrived at the entrance to the Intellectual Loft.

It was a three storey tall loft. There were eight red lanterns on the entrance and eight sets of couplets lined the doors. It looked like they were written by eight different artists.

In the middle of the loft were the words Intellectual Loft written in calligraphy. Anyone unfamiliar with the penmanship would have found it difficult to discern the letters.

“Congratulations Young Master Wu, congratulations! The Emperor had asked to meet you in person. I am sure you have made the top ten. Based on your abilities, I think it is possible that you even take home the top spot.”

“Yes yes I agree. I also heard that Fang Zhengzhi has been spending all his time wining and dining. He didn’t even get called by the Emperor. I think he is out of the top 10.”

“I wonder if Nangong Hao met with the Emperor?”

“Is that even a question?”

“That’s true. However, I haven’t seen Nangong Hao since the examinations. It’s almost as if he vaporized.”

Just as they were about to enter, they heard laughter from inside. It was accompanied by the melodious tunes from a guzheng.

It was quickly accompanied by the crisp sound of a flute. It combined with the melody from the guzheng, giving the music a light wafting feel.

“Hahaha… you have done well in the exams. The flute and strings sing for you. I think you should say something.”

“Yes yes. Young Master Wu, why don’t you tell us the direction of your policy paper so that we can learn from you.”

After a short period of time, the music stopped.

It was closely followed by claps and cheers.

“What a bunch of idiots. The meeting with the Emperor is a secret. Unless you tell them yourself, how would they know? Official Fang, don’t you agree?” Wen Dabao commented angrily.

“Meeting with the Emperor?” Fang Zhengzhi was rather confused.

In the ancient times of his previous world, the emperor would meet with the top candidates just before the release of the results. He would ask them some additional questions before deciding on the top three.

However, he did not know if they had the same tradition here. As such, he did not think too much about it.

“Official Fang… don’t scare me. Did you really not receive it? The invitation to meet with the Emperor before the release of the results. It means that you are in the top 10! Did you not receive it?” Wen Dabao’s expression changed as he looked at Fang Zhengzhi in disbelief.

Wen Dabao did not participate in the court examinations.

As such, he did not know what had happened inside. Even so, he was certain that Fang Zhengzhi could make the top 10.

Even the top three.

Even though the top spot would probably go to Nangong Hao, this did not bother him.

It was Nangong Hao after all.

Fang Zhengzhi turned to look at Yan Xiu and Ping Yang, his eyes filled with unspoken questions.

“I heard that the Emperor was in the Imperial Decree Hall looking through all the scripts personally. As such, I thought that there wasn’t any meeting with the Emperor.” Yan Xiu’s expression changed when he heard this as well.

“You thought that there wasn’t… does… does that mean that Young Master Yan didn’t receive the invite either?” Wen Dabao’s jaw dropped in shock.

“Yup, I didn’t receive it.” Yan Xiu nodded.

“How is that possible? Both of you didn’t meet with the Emperor? You are the top two candidates from the imperial examinations. Isn’t it too much of a coincidence? Could Wu Feng… he lying?” Wen Dabao’s expression revealed traces of rage.

“No way. Wu Feng would not joke around with something like that.” Yan Xiu shook his head as he looked at the lights in the Intellectual Loft. His grip on his fan tightened.

“Oh gosh… Fang Zhengzhi. You didn’t receive the invite. Are you going to fail? It’s only a pity that Yan Xiu… did you mislead Yan Xiu?” Ping Yang’s voice rang out.