Li Jin smiled and bowed to Qingyang before stepping aside.

Seeing the three people's behavior, Qingyang smiled, already having made up his mind.

"Congratulations, esteemed sages, on passing the Sage Contest!" Qingyang said with a smile. "Guards, offer the sages seats!"

After everyone was seated, Qingyang gestured to Ruyi, and soon the maids brought in fine wine and delicacies.

"Please enjoy, sages," Qingyang said with a smile.

Everyone had been holding meat buns all afternoon and was starving. They devoured them like hungry tigers pouncing on their prey.

Li Jin picked up her chopsticks and ate gracefully, one bite at a time. After taking a bite, she put the chopsticks down, seemingly having lost her appetite.

Mo Chen picked up his chopsticks and used the fish meat to feed the little black cat in his arms.

"Meow~" The little black cat, after eating the fish, glared at the fish with a look of disgust, as if to say that it didn't taste good.

Mo Chen chuckled and said in a low voice, "Bear with it, this fish isn't as good as the King's fish soup!"

Gu Liyan glanced at Mo Chen, but didn't pick up her chopsticks. Instead, she poured herself a glass of wine. The cool wine exuded an enticing aroma. Gu Liyan looked at Qingyang with some surprise, not expecting him to use Red Dust Wine to entertain everyone.

He tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp. His sharp gaze flashed as he stood up and looked at Qingyang. "Such fine wine paired with leftover food, is Your Majesty trying to tell me that some of us are not worthy of being called wise men?"

"What?! Leftovers?!"

Upon hearing Gu Liyan's words, the expressions of the others who were eating immediately changed, and they all threw down their chopsticks.

"Your Majesty, what do you mean by this? You're serving us leftovers!"

"Wasn't the competition already over? Why are you still toying with us!"

The crowd spoke with resentment.

Qingyang smiled slightly and said, "You are all just ordinary people. How can you not follow the rules and have any vision when you enter the court as officials?"

"Hmph! Although I, Luo Shan, am a wild man from the mountains, I cannot tolerate such humiliation! I'd rather not be a sage!" The burly man said angrily, then got up to leave.

Eunuch Ruyi immediately blocked the doorway, saying, "This palace isn't a place you can come and go as you please!"

Luo Shan immediately flew into a rage, shouting, "You sissy, what makes you think you can block my way? I'll twist your head off!"

Luo Shan reached out to grab Eunuch Ruyi, but to everyone's surprise, Eunuch Ruyi was agile and dodged the attack. Not only that, Eunuch Ruyi's hands were like soft-boned snakes, directly wrapping around Luo Shan's arms.

Ruyi's gaze was piercing, filled with a chilling killing intent. Upon seeing this, Luo Shan became frightened and hurriedly shouted, "Let me go! I won't leave!"

Ruyi snorted coldly and her arm jerked. With a "crack," Luo Shan screamed in agony as his arms went limp, his bones broken.

Ruyi released his grip, and Luo Shan, pale-faced and drenched in cold sweat, collapsed to the ground, wailing in agony with tears streaming down his face, "My hand!"

Qingyang coldly looked at Luo Shan, "If you can't even endure the pain of broken bones, what right do you have to be my right-hand man, a sage of the Weilong Kingdom! Yang Wei, drag this man away and banish him!"

Yang Wei, who was outside the hall, hurriedly came in and dragged Luo Shan out.

Qingyang looked at everyone and said, "Now, I announce that Li Jin, Mo Han, and Mo Chen have passed the final review. The rest of the martial artists will be assigned to the military camp, and the scholars will be assigned to the legal and criminal departments as civil servants."

No one dared to object, and they all nodded in agreement.

Qingyang looked at Gu Liyan and the other two and said, "The three of you, come with me to the study to discuss this!"

Qingyang's study didn't have many paintings and calligraphy; instead, it displayed sand table maps and military strategy books.

Qingyang sat in front of the sand table, ordered his subordinates to leave, and began to talk with Gu Liyan and the others. "Ever since you three made it onto the list, I have been looking forward to your performance."

"Thank you for your appreciation, Your Majesty," Li Jin said immediately.

Gu Liyan stared absentmindedly at the sand table without saying a word, while Mo Chen looked like he was playing with a cat.

Qingyang didn't mind their rudeness and instead smiled and said, "According to our informant, Shuyi Kingdom is recruiting soldiers and horses. They should be entering Weilong Kingdom in a few days. Do you three think you can get any position in this battle?"

The three of them looked up at Qingyang at the same time, not expecting that Qingyang would not assign them official positions, but instead directly ask them questions.

Mo Chen chuckled. "I hate fighting and killing, but I'd be willing to scout out military affairs and gather intelligence! I wonder if Your Majesty would agree?"

Qingyang nodded immediately. "No problem. You can start gathering intelligence from today. I will assign someone to assist you."

Mo Chen raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "Okay!"

Qingyang looked at Gu Liyan and Li Jin, "Where are you two?"

Li Jin's eyes darted around, and he respectfully said, "I am merely a physician and know little about military affairs. How about I become Your Majesty's personal physician?"

Qingyang squinted at Li Jin and said, "I know that you are the head of the Li family medical clinic, and your medical skills are undeniable. I will entrust the care of my health to you."

"Yes!" Li Jin nodded with a smile.

"I don't know who this is..."

"Strategist," Gu Liyan said calmly, "I will only be a strategist."

Qingyang frowned. "Mohan, won't you reconsider? This strategist position is probably best left to Princess Qingge..."

"I will only act as a strategist!" Gu Liyan said again.

Qingyang was somewhat embarrassed, and before he could refuse, the study door was suddenly pushed open:

"Very well! I'd like to see how you, who only knows how to solve problems with violence, will compete with me for the position of strategist!"

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