Chapter 525 Master Teacher 101 (5)

"Hmm...you could say that."

With a flick of his sleeves, Zhang Liang's jade crown, which bound his dark hair, swayed gently, and an unrestrained smile spread across his handsome face, like the warm spring sun breaking through the clouds.

He took two steps forward with a carefree air, a confident smile on his face, and looked at Liu Che with a teasing tone: "I am a member of the Han Dynasty, shouldn't I be chosen internally? How about I ask Your Majesty to send you a dream?"

"..." Liu Che's lips twitched uncontrollably; he didn't really want to see his ancestor in his dream.

Liu Ju, standing to the side, pouted unhappily. How could there be a vacancy for his position as a tutor?

Even if there are designated spots, there are plenty of people with connections among the contestants, so why should it be Zhang Liang's turn?

Just as Liu Ju opened his mouth to encourage Zhang Liang and Han Xin to fight, Liu Che covered his mouth.

"Vote."

Ignoring his son's reproachful look, Liu Che shouted directly.

It wasn't that Liu Che was afraid of Zhang Liang, but mainly because Liu Ju's eyes darted around, and Liu Che knew he wasn't up to any good. In order to prevent the competition from going on indefinitely, Liu Che decisively took action.

Liu Ju was unhappy. He turned to look at the audience voting below and couldn't help but sigh. "Oh well," he thought, "I'll try to persuade Han Xin when he comes on stage."

Seeing Liu Ju's quiet and unassuming demeanor, Liu Che became worried. "When a child is quiet, he's bound to cause trouble!"

I don't know who the victim will be, but it can't be him... It shouldn't be him, right?

The stage lights up, and Gao Jianli, carrying a zither, slowly walks onto the stage, while Xue Nu, holding a flute, whirls out.

As the strings resonated, Gao Jianli's fingertips bulged slightly, and the resonance of the zither made the bronze incense burner on the table tremble. The melody of "Yangchun" was as vigorous as tearing silk, while Xue Nu's "Baixue" was gentle and melodious, and the two melodies intertwined in the air to form a crystal-clear sound net.

As the music flowed, four Mo family mechanical beasts rose from the ground. The mechanical white tiger's claws tore through the air, emitting a metallic hum; when the mechanical vermilion bird flapped its wings, the meshing sound of the gears on its tail feathers perfectly matched the snow maiden's drawn-out vocals.

At the climax of the music, the mechanical Azure Dragon suddenly raised its head and roared, and thousands of firefly-like light particles burst out from between its scales. As Gao Jianli heavily swept the strings, the countless light points condensed into the two characters "Non-Aggression".

The Snow Maiden touched the ground with her toes, her robes fluttering as she caught the falling specks of light. The sound of her flute suddenly rose, as if a sharp sword pierced the sky.

Is it pretty?

A faint question came from behind him. Zhu Fuyan froze, like a machine stuck in a rut. He slowly turned around and saw Wei Zhuang and Gai Nie sitting on either side of him behind him.

"Is the story of Gao Jianli and Xue Nu, with its refined elegance and Mohist mechanical arts, good?"

Wei Zhuang asked again.

"..." Master Yan stiffly raised the corners of his mouth, "Master...Grandmaster, how did you end up here?"

Gai Nie gently raised his eyes and calmly said, "Seeing you all alone, I never imagined the Strategists had fallen so low..."

Then, the tone suddenly shifted: "You just voted for Confucianism?"

A bead of cold sweat trickled down the father's forehead. "Ah...yes, yes."

Wei Zhuang added, "You seem so engrossed. You're not going to vote for the Mohists later, are you?"

You brothers shouldn't be in cahoots at a time like this! Didn't you agree to be at odds? If you're so capable, then stay at odds! What's going on with him?

Master Yan cursed inwardly, but outwardly remained submissive, at a loss for what to do.

Ahead, Liu Ju, who had made things easier for Wei Zhuang and Gai Nie, happily crossed his legs. "Strategists, after all," he thought, "should unite internally, hehe—"

Liu Che breathed a sigh of relief. He knew it wasn't directed at him! He glanced at the embarrassed and helpless Zhu Fu Yan, then pretended not to have seen anything.

"Better to die than for me, my dear minister! You've done a great job, and I will remember your contributions!"

...

After the Mo family's demonstration ended, Liu Ju couldn't wait to ask, "Can I disassemble these mechanical beasts?"

On stage, Gao Jianli and Xue Nu exchanged a glance, both with calm expressions. Gao Jianli's clear, cold voice slowly drifted over: "If you can."

These words were tantamount to an agreement to Liu Ju. He immediately couldn't wait to run onto the stage.

Seeing his son showing some interest, Liu Che didn't stop him. He smiled, picked him up, and gently placed him on the stage.

All eyes in the audience turned to him, and the little prince, with his bouncy little legs, ran to the mechanical tiger's side in a flash.

Then he froze to the side, looked down at himself, and then at the mechanical tiger.

"puff"

Huo Qubing couldn't help but laugh. Liu Che gave him a resentful look, and before Huo Qubing could make amends, he looked at Gao Jianli.

Gao Jianli: "??"

The two stared at each other silently, as if a silent contest was frozen in the air.

A moment later, Gao Jianli pursed his lips, stepped forward, and stretched out his hands to steadily lift Liu Ju onto the back of the mechanical tiger.

Liu Ju nodded in satisfaction, casting an approving glance. He then lowered his head, intently studying the mechanism of the tiger.

Time passed second by second, and his brows furrowed more and more, his little fingers digging and digging into the gaps in the mechanism, his face turning bright red.

Finally, he raised his head with a tense expression and said seriously, "The Mohist school is not bad." At the same time, he secretly hid his reddened fingers behind his back and stared straight at Gao Jianli.

Gao Jianli remained silent, while Liu Ju stared intently.

Gao Jianli wore a cold expression, while Liu Ju stared intently.

Gao Jianli: "..."

Liu Ju: Stare—

Helpless, Gao Jianli stepped forward again, lifted Liu Ju off the mechanical tiger, and carried him directly to the edge of the stage and put him down.

Liu Ju, who had just landed, patted his arm. "You're not bad either."

After saying that, he put his hands behind his back, took small steps, and walked freely off the stage.

To save face for his son, Liu Che suppressed a smile and said nothing more, directly instructing the voting to begin.

"Go ahead and laugh," Liu Ju said, looking at him quietly.

"Am I laughing?" Liu Che asked, feigning seriousness.

"Then stop shaking." Liu Ju was speechless; he was so hugged that the shaking was tickling his skin!

"Haha..." Liu Che couldn't help but try to make amends in the face of his son's reproachful gaze, "Father was just thinking about happy things. The Mo family is indeed quite good."

"..." Wasn't it good that he suffered a loss?

Damn it, he's trying to pull a fast one. He's trying to get the Mohists in, using their own tactics against them. Sooner or later, he'll dismantle the Mohists' mechanical beasts!

At that moment, below the stage, Wei Zhuang considerately helped pick up Zhu Fu Yan's wooden plaque, saying, "You can vote now."

"Should I vote?" Master Yan asked hesitantly, filled with self-doubt.

“Since we’ve already voted for Confucianism, one more vote from Mohism won’t make a difference,” Gai Nie added casually.

Wei Zhuang: "That's right, we won't hold it against you."

So, Zongheng is here?

Master Fu Yan forced a smile and boldly spoke up: "Then... give me back the wooden plaque first?"

Gai Nie looked at Wei Zhuang, who looked at the wooden plaque in his hand, paused for a moment, and then tossed it to Zhu Fu Yan: "You're quite bold."

The Master Father, in a fit of desperation, declared, "The Mohists don't need my vote, and the Strategists don't care whether they get it or not. So, be magnanimous, Masters! The Strategists can't just be remembered for their internal strife!"

Wei Zhuang and Gai Nie, who were later taught a lesson by their descendants: "..."