In terms of age, even though Su Qing was young, he was still a few years older than Fang Zhengzhi. In terms of official rank, both of them were rank four officials. Furthermore, Su Qing held the real power of the Chief Imperial Messenger of the Imperial Academy.
No matter how one looked at it...
Fang Zhengzhi sounded a little weird when he said the words' teachable '.
However, Fang Zhengzhi had used it. Furthermore, he had used it calmly and peacefully. If not for his slightly immature face, the officials would have thought that he was an elder lecturing a junior.
Su Qing did not say anything else.
He knew that if he spoke again, he would be cursing.
A person could be extremely patient. However, there was a limit to that. Su Qing was human. As such, he had his limits.
Fang Zhengzhi actually wanted to say a few more words. It would be best if he could provoke Su Qing into rolling on the ground. Then, he would curse like a shrew on the White Jade Square.
However, Su Qing did not speak. As such, he could not say anything else.
He had to be a scholar.
Nangong Hao did not say anything else either. He handed the script to the messenger and turned to leave the table. He walked past the candidates and towards the gates of the palace.
The bright red maple leaf imprint on the corner of his clothes was blown up by the autumn wind and rolled up, dyeing his clothes with a trace of red.
All of the candidates' eyes widened. They could tell that the tattoo on Nangong Hao's shirt was not a real maple leaf. It was fresh blood in the shape of a maple leaf.
Where did Nangong Hao come from?
Why was his shirt stained with fresh blood? And why was the blood in the shape of a maple leaf?
The candidates did not know.
However, Emperor Lin Mubai did not seem to be surprised. Instead, he quietly watched Nangong Hao leave with a contemplative look in his eyes.
...
The theory examinations were finally over.
The results were to be released in five days. The venue was the Imperial Decree Hall. That was where the Emperor passed away or ascended to the throne.
This was supposed to be the place where every generation of emperors paid tribute to and remembered their ancestors.
However, ever since Emperor Lin Mubai ascended to the throne, he had decided to release the results here. Many people did not understand. They thought that the Imperial Decree Hall was where the Emperor was.
An Emperor was called an Emperor because he was a True Dragon. He was an Elysian Son of Heaven. He was different from mortals, so he could not receive glory in the same hall as mortals.
Among these people was the previous Minister of Rites.
He had once listed out the deeds of the emperors of the past dynasties and stated that twelve of the rules were not in accordance with the law. He hoped that Emperor Lin Mubai could retract this edict.
However …
It was useless.
Emperor Lin Mubai insisted. After he carefully read through the twelve rituals, he calmly said, "I don't think there's anything wrong with it."
Then, there was no then.
The Imperial Decree Hall became the venue for the announcement of the court examination results. It had been here for decades, and had witnessed the arrival and departure of many talented candidates. Even the current Minister of Rites had been appointed. Even then, it had not changed.
This was the hall that the talents of the Great Xia Dynasty yearned for the most. At the same time, it was the most heavily guarded place in the palace.
But today, the lights in the Imperial Decree Hall were lit.
This was not normal.
Because … The lights here were only lit during the coronation of the Emperor, the annual memorial, or the announcement of the court examination results every two years.
But today, he had lit up the lamp.
As such, there was only one possibility. The person in the Imperial Decree Hall was the Emperor.
The decorations in the Imperial Decree Hall were different from the other halls in the palace. If the other halls were decorated with gold and jade, then the Imperial Decree Hall was decorated with smoke.
Wisps of sandalwood fragrance filled the hall of the Imperial Decree Hall, which made people feel refreshed.
On the antique long table, there were sealed answer sheets one after another.
As the Emperor, Emperor Lin Mubai should be very busy. Due to his busy schedule, he did not need to personally review the answers. In fact, he had done the same in the past.
It was a simple method.
All he needed to do was gather eight officials. The eight officials would review the answers one by one and hand the top ten to twenty answers to him. He would then decide on the top three.
But this time, Emperor Lin Mubai did not do so.
Almost two hundred scrolls were reviewed by an astonishing number of people. However, Emperor Lin Mubai still reviewed them. Furthermore, he did so personally. From the end of the theory examination to the end of the night.
For the past ten hours, he had been sitting in the Imperial Decree Hall and had not taken a single step out of it.
This did not make sense.
More importantly, Emperor Lin Mubai did not choose the Imperial Study. Instead, he chose the Imperial Decree Hall to review the answers.
The autumn night was a little chilly.
The lights in the Imperial Decree Hall were still lit. The lights in the capital were also very bright. Bit by bit, they merged with the starry sky. It was like the Milky Way had fallen into the mortal realm.
The lights in Duan Wang Fu were still lit. One by one, the figures shuttled through Duan Wang Fu.
The lights in the Eastern Palace Crown Prince's Residence were also lit. Horse carriages drove past the gates of the residence, leaving behind courtiers dressed in court attire.
The lights in Ping Yang's residence were dimmed. However, there was no one in sight. This meant that Ping Yang had left the residence in the middle of the night.
As for what she did?
No one knew.
…
The Heaven Dao Pavilion was high up in the clouds. The peak was steep. If one looked at the stars from the peak of the Heaven Dao Pavilion, it would be the best place to feel the light of the stars.
At this moment, a pink dress, a jade hairpin, and a pair of bright eyes stood quietly at the peak of the Heaven Dao Pavilion.
She stood barefoot on a rock as she gazed at the starry sky.
Behind her was a young girl wearing a slightly thick jacket and a greyish-white fur shawl. But even so, she still hugged her arms tightly and her lips trembled slightly.
The autumn was chilly.
That was the foot of the mountain. In a place like the Heaven Dao Pavilion, autumn was cold. It was bone-chilling.
However, the young girl did not speak. Because Chi Guyan did not speak. Then … As a servant, she could not speak.
Finally, Chi Guyan lowered her head slowly, and the dazzling starlight shone in her eyes. Or rather, it was no longer starlight. It was a Milky Way. A Milky Way filled with starlight.
Yuer looked at the Milky Way in Chi Guyan's eyes enviously. However, she was not jealous. Instead, she was filled with pride. If she stood beside Chi Guyan at this moment...
"Is today the court examinations?"
"Yes, Miss. You haven't been concerned about the outside world recently, so I didn't mention it to you." Yue 'er immediately replied.
"Mm... is Nangong Hao participating?" Chi Guyan nodded.
"He is."
"He is actually participating..." Chi Guyan's lips moved slightly, almost as if she was talking to herself. She seemed to be thinking about something else.
"Missus, do we need to do anything?"
"There is no use. If it is Nangong Hao, then the outcome of the court examinations is already decided."
"Missus, do you think he will lose?"
"I do not think he will lose. I just cannot think of a way for him to win. As such, I cannot do anything. I do not know what to do."
"There are things in this world that missus cannot think of?" Yuer was shocked.
"Yes, for example this one." Chi Guyan nodded her head and turned to the east. That was the capital of the Great Xia Dynasty, the Flame Capital City.
Yuer looked at Chi Guyan's expression and was slightly shocked.
Ever since Chi Guyan left the mountain... When she returned to the Heaven Dao Pavilion, she seemed to have changed completely.
She no longer cared about politics and was no longer as cold as before. She would occasionally chat with her about cultivation methods and even teach her sword techniques.
Just like what she said just now...
If this was the Chi Guyan of the past... She would never say such a thing, because no matter how difficult it was, she would definitely think of a way to solve it.
"Congratulations, Guyan!" At this moment, an old voice rang out from afar. Then, a figure appeared behind Chi Guyan.
He was dressed in a white robe and had a head of white hair. However, his skin was smooth and rosy. He looked like a young man in his twenties.
"Greetings, Pavilion Leader!" Yuer kowtowed when she saw the person beside her.
The Pavilion Leader of the Heaven Dao Pavilion, Mu Qingfeng, was someone who stood at the peak.
"Mm, you've been standing here with Guyan every day, it's not enough to just add a few more clothes. Here's a warm jade, take it." Just as Mu Qingfeng finished his sentence, a sparkling square shaped ancient jade landed in Yuer's hands.
"Thank you, Pavilion Leader!" Yuer kowtowed immediately.
"Get up." Mu Qingfeng raised his arm slightly and Yuer, who was kowtowing on the ground, stood up.
"Master." The milky way in Chi Guyan's eyes disappeared at this moment. She turned around and bowed to Mu Qingfeng with a respectful expression.
"Hmm, since you have comprehended it, you can break through now." Mu Qingfeng nodded.
"Break through? Didn't you say that I should suppress my cultivation state to lay my foundation and only break through after two years? "Chi Guyan did not understand Mu Qingfeng's words.
"Your foundation is already solid, there is no point in suppressing it." Mu Qingfeng shook his head.
"I understand." Chi Guyan nodded.
"If I am not wrong, Nangong Hao should have broken through too." Mu Qingfeng looked in the direction where Chi Guyan was standing and said after some thought.
"Master, are you saying that Nangong Hao has reached the Supernatural State?"
"Yes, but I think that no one knows about this, including the Nangong Nobles." Mu Qingfeng nodded and looked in the direction of the Flame Capital City. Very quickly, his eyes lit up.
They were lights.
Just like the lights in the Flame Capital City.
Chi Guyan did not speak. She stood quietly and looked up at the stars in the sky. Once again, a bright milky way appeared in her eyes...
...
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