"My... my junior brother..."
Standing on the other side, Ji Ruoshui wanted to argue, but she bit her lip, glanced worriedly at the south, then turned back, her pretty face showing a stubborn look as she stared at Gao Wenyuan.
Gao Wenyuan finally shook his head and sighed, putting down the chess piece in his hand.
"Ruoshui, do you believe in your teacher?"
"Um."
Ji Ruoshui nodded.
"Just watch, he'll be fine."
Gao Wenyuan smiled faintly, his gaze seemingly piercing through endless void to see another place, then shook his head.
"This indecisive and rigid nature was the biggest obstacle to his becoming a king or nobleman."
Liu Changqing and Ji Ruoshui were both somewhat bewildered, not knowing who Gao Wenyuan was talking about, but Shi Dingyan seemed to have thought of something and also chuckled.
...
Beidu, Ministry of Education.
Although the Ministry of Education of China, which controls education affairs nationwide, does not occupy as much land as the Martial Arts Department, it still has a super large compound with ten courtyards.
To the west and east of the Ministry of Education, there are two grand halls built in the style of ancient architecture.
The hall to the west is named Wenhua Hall, and the hall to the east is named Wuzhao Hall.
The main gates of these two halls are only opened once a year.
The Wenhua Hall is responsible for collecting the archives of the top-scoring candidates in the liberal arts examinations from various provinces over the years, symbolizing that their names will be recognized in the literary world and bring glory to their ancestors.
The significance of the Wuzhao Hall is the same, except that it records the top scholars in the martial arts examinations.
In today's world, the title of martial arts champion is obviously much more prestigious than that of civil service champion. Therefore, the opening ceremony of the Wenhua Hall only lasted for one hour, while the opening ceremony of the Wuzhao Hall has been going on for three hours and shows no signs of ending.
At this moment, except for those who were unable to leave due to other matters, all the remaining officials of the Ministry of Education had gathered in the Wuzhao Hall and were following Minister Ma Gongzuo, who had always placed the greatest emphasis on "formalities and etiquette," in the name-calling ceremony.
Although everyone was standing sore and aching, and had all sorts of complaints in their hearts, no one showed it on their faces; they were all solemn and meticulous.
This was not only because of Ma Gongzuo, but also because of the few faint "clouds" above the main hall.
Those "clouds and mist" are not real clouds and mist, but the manifestation of the king's will!
Today's naming ceremony at Wuzhao Hall was attended by four or five princes who watched remotely, more than in any previous year.
With so many princes and nobles watching, no one dared to act recklessly.
"Next!"
After meticulously performing the rituals to heaven and earth and to the departed martial arts ancestors, Ma Gongzuo, who was standing at the very front, spoke up.
"Zhao Keyi, the martial arts champion of the Southeast's No. 1 province in 2297, has been named a Martial Arts Master!"
The two powerful figures from the Mountain and Sea Realm shouted in unison, and the files and photos in their hands flew up at the same time. The files went into the alloy vault inside the main hall, while the photos went into the Hall of Fame corridor on the right and were placed into the sequence of the Southeast First Province.
From then on, whenever someone came to visit, they would get to know Zhao Keyi from here.
"Next!"
Ma Gongzuo drank again.
"Minister, it's all over, but...it seems like one name is missing."
The powerful figure from the mountains and seas behind asked in confusion, "There should be thirty-six people in total, but only thirty-five names were called just now."
“The number one province in the southwest is missing.” Another person thought for a moment and then spoke up.
The Ministry of Education officials in the main hall, including the directors of various departments, all looked up in surprise.
The fact that one person's file was missing during the roll call ceremony is an absolute oversight!
Just when everyone thought that Ma Gongzuo, who always paid attention to details, would fly into a rage, Ma Gongzuo... drifted off into thought.
"minister?"
Ma Gongzuo only snapped out of his daze when Shan Hai behind him couldn't help but call out.
"So, it's his turn already?"
Ma Gongzuo's expression of emotion left everyone completely confused.
"Ascension to the Martial Platform!"
Ma Gongzuo's expression suddenly turned serious, and he shouted.
As he shouted, spiritual energy surged, and in the center of the hall, the originally flat ground suddenly rumbled, and then a white jade platform rose up.
The high platform that appeared in the center of the Wuzhao Hall puzzled many people.
There is such a jade platform in Wuzhao Hall?
But what is this jade platform, decorated with intricate patterns, used for?
Some observant people noticed that there was a space left on the jade platform that could hold an object, but they didn't know what it was used to put.
"Back then, the King of Jiangling established the Wuzhao Hall, opened storerooms and long corridors, and named the top scholar in the imperial examination to inspire future generations. However, he also left a Wuzhao Terrace in this hall, which symbolizes being outstanding and unique!"
Ma Gongzuo seemed to be reminiscing, or perhaps explaining.
"Only the true champion can ascend the Wuzhao Terrace!"
The hall fell silent as everyone pondered the meaning of those words, but the drifting "clouds" above the hall stirred first.
"Oh?" A gruff voice seemed to suddenly awaken, laughing, "Is this unprecedented national martial arts champion finally going to show up?"
"Little Ma, I'm not trying to be mean, but you're being way too long-winded. You've kept me waiting for so long!" another voice said with dissatisfaction.
"Haha, everyone, it's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early. It seems I've arrived just in time." Another cloud of mist suddenly appeared above the hall.
"I'm also very curious that someone could actually pass the King of Jiangling's test. I couldn't do it back then either." As a woman's magnetic voice rang out, a new king's will descended.
In the blink of an eye, the clouds floating above the main hall had exceeded ten.
The Ministry of Education officials in the main hall were dumbfounded, not only by the sheer number of princes and nobles attending the ceremony, but also by the information revealed in their words.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com