Chapter 139 This will save them from having to go around asking around...
Ming Er stood with his hands in his pockets, his brows furrowed, but he wasn't actually that nervous.
Troublesome as it may be, it seems she can still handle it.
Touching the token in his pocket, it wasn't impossible to accept the suggestion of the top scholar in both civil and military affairs.
The examination times for the martial arts champion and the civil service champion were staggered, which made it convenient for Ming Er to take the exam.
The family noticed that Ming Er had been practicing archery in the yard all the time lately, and he rarely went out anymore.
He remained silent during the meal, quickly finished eating, put down his chopsticks, and said, "I'm done eating, you guys take your time."
Watching Ming Er leave, Ming Ren asked with some worry, "Mother, I've noticed that Ming Er seems a bit off these past two days. Has something happened to him?"
Ming Sheng looked at Ming Zhuo, "Ming Da, what happened to your sister?"
"She hasn't been memorizing articles much lately, but she's put a lot of effort into horsemanship and archery. I don't know anything else about her."
Ming Sheng wanted to ask, but knowing that Ming Er was someone who had his own ideas, he swallowed his words.
"Forget it, if Ming'er wants to tell us, he will. You guys go do what you need to do."
Inside the space, the system is testing Ming Er.
Ming Er gritted his teeth and lifted a huge rock, the veins on his forehead clearly visible, barely managing to lift the boulder a little.
"Keep going, Ming'er! You're just one step away from success. Never give up, perseverance is victory."
Ming Er lay panting on the rock.
Xiang Bei sat cross-legged to one side, looked at Ming Er, and then at the system.
She felt something was very wrong.
Even if the martial arts champion's exam involved lifting stones, one shouldn't be lifting such a large and heavy stone.
It must be the system stirring up trouble again.
Just as she was about to speak, the system gestured wildly, indicating to Bei that she should not speak.
"Host, I'm pushing Ming Er's body to its limits. Don't cause trouble. Go play somewhere else." The system waved to Xiang Bei as it spoke, telling her to leave quickly.
Xiang Bei stared at the system for a while, then turned around, grabbed a tennis racket, and walked over. She tried swinging it a few times, then flung the system away like a tennis racket.
Turning his head, he met Ming Er's gaze. Ming Er swallowed hard, leaned against the rock, and waved his hands repeatedly at Xiang Bei, "Master Xiang, you hit Ninth Master, so you can't hit me anymore."
Xiang Bei chuckled and raised her tennis racket. "It was just something I did."
Ming Er let out a shout and disappeared from Xiang Bei's sight at the speed of a hundred-meter sprint.
After several days of intensive training, Ming Er went to participate in the martial arts examination.
In addition to archery on horseback, the martial arts champion was also tested on military strategy and tactics.
Military strategy and tactics were no problem for Ming Er. The Ninth Female Master had taught her a lot, and Ming Er remembered it all very clearly.
There were even fewer problems with mounted archery.
The horse that Ninth Sister gave her looked extraordinary, and the bow and arrows were also top-notch. However, she couldn't use her own horse and bow and arrows during the competition.
Ming Er didn't think much of it, but Ming Zhuo jogged over and found her. "Second sister, someone is looking for you at the door."
When he saw who it was, Ming Er was still a little confused. "Guard Lu?"
"Ms. Ming Er." Guard Lu clasped his hands in a fist salute to Ming Er.
"What is this...?" Ming Er looked at the thing that Guard Lu was pulling over, his expression full of confusion.
There was also a horse inside, its mouth was covered and its hooves were tied with something.
"His Highness instructed me to send this over. He thought this horse would be suitable for Miss Ming, but its wild nature has not yet been tamed, so please be careful."
If it's not tied up, this horse could hurt someone.
It would be inappropriate to give a docile horse to someone as talented as Ming Er. It would be better to choose a good horse and let her tame it herself.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, but I already have my own horse," Ming Er said, bowing slightly to Guard Lu.
The Third Prince also gave her a bow and arrow, which looked good, but Ming Er felt that her own bow and arrow were better.
Guard Lu thought Ming Er was making excuses, but when he saw Ming Er's horse and bow and arrows, he had to admit that Ming Er's things were indeed much better than what His Highness had given him.
Unable to deliver the goods, Guard Lu had no choice but to return with them.
After she had the baby, Ming Er took Ji Feng to the outskirts of the city.
She let Gale run ahead, and Ming Er stood still and watched it run for a while before quickly catching up.
When the sun set, Ming Er rode the Gale back home.
Her speed has improved a lot recently, and she's almost caught up with Gale.
When she returned, her family was relieved. Mingsheng then pressed her to tell him who had delivered the things that day.
Ming Er didn't say anything about it.
He only said that he was about to take the martial arts champion exam, and that he would take both the civil and martial arts exams at the same time.
The family members were stunned when they heard this.
However, considering that Ming Er was a student of a deity, it seemed normal. A student personally taught by a deity might one day become a top scholar in both civil and military affairs.
Therefore, Mingsheng still strongly supports Minger taking the exam.
"Ming Er, is it too late to take the exam now?"
After sending Ming Da and Ming Er to the examination hall, Ming Sheng had a better understanding of the examination process. Since Ming Er had never taken the martial arts test before, she was worried that she wouldn't be able to make it in time.
"It's okay, I already know how to take the exam, there's still time."
“Alright then, we’ll take both the top scholars in the civil and military examinations.” Ming Sheng said with a smile.
Mingzhuo looked at Ming Er and asked only, "Have you thought it through?"
Ming Er nodded. "I've thought it through."
"Since you've made up your mind, then do it properly." Mingzhuo didn't offer any grand explanations; Ming'er was much smarter than her, and she knew exactly what she should and shouldn't do.
Becoming a champion in both civil and military affairs is no easy feat. Since the founding of the nation, only three champions have been produced, demonstrating just how difficult it is.
The last time a scholar and a warrior achieved the highest rank in both the civil and military examinations was a century ago.
Mingzhuo also hopes that Ming'er can become the top scholar in both literature and martial arts. It's rare for a genius to emerge from the family, so she, as the older sister, also has to work hard.
Although Ming Er didn't say much, he still practiced the content of the martial arts exam a lot before the exam.
The civil service and military exams are staggered, but the times are very close together, so Ming Er needs to memorize some more civil service material.
The family was worried that Ming'er wouldn't be able to handle it, so they specially prepared delicious food to nourish her body.
Ming Er herself was alright; in the past, Ninth Sister had planned things for her. Having gotten used to a certain way of doing things, Ming Er started planning her own future.
First and foremost, she needs to take good care of her health, so she won't let herself get overworked.
Two days after finishing the martial arts exam, I took the humanities exam.
After leaving the examination hall, Mingzhuo looked somewhat haggard, while Ming'er ate and drank heartily and recovered his energy after a nap.
Mingzhuo admired her physical condition. She herself was also very capable. She did not fall ill again after leaving the examination room, which showed that her health had indeed improved a lot.
The release of results for liberal arts subjects was much more lively than that for martial arts subjects; the results for martial arts subjects, on the other hand, were not very eye-catching.
Mingsheng told Mingyi and his wife to go check the results separately, while she waited at home.
If he won the imperial examination, someone would definitely come to congratulate him. Wedding cakes and money had already been prepared in advance, but Mingsheng still couldn't help feeling nervous, and his heart was pounding very hard.
Hearing the sound of gongs and drums, which seemed to be coming towards their house, they couldn't sit still and kept pacing around in circles.
I asked around and found out it was good news from the martial arts department.
Ming Er won the martial arts examination.
Mingsheng was stunned for a moment, then quickly stuffed the wedding cakes and silver into their hands.
"Congratulations to you too!"
Just as things were getting lively, good news came from the humanities department: Ming Er had won the top spot in the humanities examination.
When the two came to deliver the good news, they were both surprised to find that the same person had won the civil and military examination.
Mingsheng kept stuffing money and wedding cakes into people's hands, saying that Mingsheng was sure things would work out.
Mingzhuo also won, and came in third place.
When Mingyi returned, Mingzhuo looked at his second aunt's torn cuffs and couldn't help but ask, "Second Aunt, did you get into a fight?"
"Go away, what nonsense are you spouting?" Mingyi waved his hand, walked over, picked up the cup on the table, and drank the tea inside in one gulp.
“There were people waiting to catch you and Ming Er over there when the results were posted. I accidentally shouted something, which made them realize our relationship, and we almost got caught.”
At that time, Mingyi was being chased and asked where Mingda and Minger were. Those people even tore her sleeves and were about to take her away. In her panic, she kept shouting that she had a man at home.
Seeing Mingzhuo covering his mouth to stifle his laughter, Mingyi slapped him across the face. "You still have the nerve to laugh? I only did this to help you and Ming Er."
The fall wasn't very heavy, but Mingsheng saw it and came over to slap Mingyi twice. "You, as an aunt, are still fooling around with the child. Our child is not what he used to be. You're beating up a government official."
Mingyi looked at his own mother and sighed helplessly.
What kind of mother acts like this?
After the provincial examination came the palace examination. Ming Sheng dealt with the visitors, and he also reminded Ming Er to go and retrieve the money he had bet on, which was a full thousand taels of silver.
Ming Er immediately returned the principal to Ms. Xiang after receiving the money, and split the rest in half.
Xiang Bei only got her own principal back; she didn't take anything else.
After she came out, Ming Er noticed that someone was following her. She paused for a moment, then turned and went to a less crowded place.
After waiting for someone to appear, several people jumped out, looking at Ming Er with greedy eyes. "Young lady, we heard you won a lot. Hand over the money, and we'll consider letting you go."
Ming Er wasn't scared at all. He even took out the silver notes and counted them in front of them, saying, "Oh dear, I don't want to give them. What can you do to me?"
"I think you're going to refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit." One of the women, with a strong build, raised her fist and charged at Ming Er.
Before he could even get close, Ming Er kicked him away.
The remaining few men all looked strong and powerful, but they were also easily taken down by Ming Er in just a few moves.
“Tell me, who sent you?” Ming Er said, stepping on one of the men’s hands.
The man trembled as he confessed that it was their boss who had ordered it. Before Ming Er arrived, someone had already taken a thousand taels of silver. That man had an extraordinary air about him, and their boss dared not offend him.
But the owner felt he had lost out this time, so he thought about keeping Ming'er's money.
Unexpectedly, Ming Er was skilled in martial arts; they not only failed to get their money back, but also fell into her hands.
Just as Ming Er was about to speak, he heard an angry voice beside him, "What are you doing?"
Turning my head, I saw the man whose purse had been stolen that day.
The other person looked at Ming Er with disgust, "I thought you were a good person, but I didn't expect you to bully people in private."
Ming Er raised an eyebrow and sized up the other person. Here he comes again. Seeing this person, her heart started racing again.
Ming Er kicked the person lying on the ground away, walked over, pinched Ji Yun's face and looked him over from left to right, but didn't think there was anything special about him, just two eyebrows, two eyes, a nose and a mouth.
He's grown into a decent human being.
Why did I feel uneasy both times I saw him?
"What are you doing? Let go of my young master."
Ji Yun also glared at Ming Er, looking as if she would never be insulted by her.
"Are you trying to kill me to silence me?"
Ming Er sneered, grabbed Ji Yun by the collar and dragged him over, making those people tell Ji Yun why he beat them up.
“Young Master Ji, if your ears aren’t just for show, I hope you understand that some things aren’t as they seem to you as they appear.”
Ji Yun turned her head away without saying a word.
Ming Er loosened his collar, and Ji Yun quickly retreated to his servant's side, snorting, "Who knows if you threatened them or not."
"There are many unseen and pitiful people in the world. If you, Young Master Ji, are blind and heartless, I wouldn't mind gouging out your eyes and attaching them to those poor people to help them regain their sight. By the way, take a look at your brain. Has it been chewed up by a dog to make you so stupid?"
“You…you’ve gone too far,” Ji Yun said, pointing at Ming Er.
"That's going too far. You didn't know the details, yet you made up your mind about the truth. Isn't that going too far? If you don't get out of here, I'll beat you up too. I don't have a rule against hitting men."
Ji Yun, his face pale, glared at her one last time before leaving with his servant.
After watching Ji Yun leave, Ming Er told those people to get lost as well.
Are you unhappy?
Ming Er looked at the words floating in front of him and shook his head. "No, I just feel that something is wrong."
After a long silence, Ming Er finally spoke, telling her about the strange thing he noticed about Ji Yunshi: "Master, do you think that man used a spell on me? Otherwise, why would my body feel so strange?"
Xiang Bei: "..."
"Tong, tell me honestly, what kind of nonsense did you teach Ming'er when you were giving her extracurricular courses?"
They even thought of using poison.
The system chuckled, "It's alright, I've taught you everything I could."
Before Xiang Bei could answer, Ming Er went back.
Nine hundred taels of silver notes, all of it was given to Azu.
Mingsheng held the silver notes, so excited he didn't know what to say.
These days at home, he hasn't been idle. He also inquired about Mingxi, who was favored, and found out that she came in second place this time.
Although she did well on the exam, her son Ming Er was even more impressive.
Mingsheng glanced at the person and forgot about him immediately.
How could an ordinary person compare to Ming Er, a student taught by a god? It's normal to lose to Ming Er.
Looking at the silver notes in front of him, Mingsheng asked, "Is there such a betting game? Let's bet some more. If it's nine hundred taels, the odds are 1 to 10, which is nine thousand taels."
Ming Er never expected his great-grandfather to have such a brilliant idea.
"No, and even if there were, there wouldn't be that much money."
Ming Er also told A Zu about being followed, because she didn't want A Zu, who was already old, to develop bad habits because of her actions.
"Are you alright? How could those people be so mean?"
“I’m fine, Grandma, keep the money safe. We’ll see if we can buy a house and bring Grandpa and Mom here to live.”
"Alright, I'll inquire around these days. You also need to study hard and bring back the top scholar title for your grandfather."
Ming Er nodded, without saying much.
Before the palace examination, Ming Er also took the military examination.
When the liberal arts exam came, Mingzhuo was a little nervous, having heard that His Majesty the Emperor himself would be setting the questions. Seeing Ming'er's composed demeanor, Mingzhuo felt relieved; even if she didn't do well, there was still family to rely on.
Ming Er will definitely become the top scholar.
This immediately put Mingzhuo at ease.
His Majesty the Emperor personally inspected the military examinations. Ming Er was very skilled in horsemanship and archery, and His Majesty the Emperor immediately remembered Ming Er.
After the competition, someone called her over and said, "Raise your head and let me see you."
Ming Er looked up.
The emperor was taken aback when he saw Ming Er's face, then looked to the side and said, "Minister Ming, this woman looks very much like you, and she also has the surname Ming. Could she be a relative of yours?"
Marquis Jing'an clearly stated that he was one of the examiners for the martial arts examination. She didn't think that Ming Er was much like herself, but she still went along with His Majesty's words.
She knew, of course, that it was this Mingyang who had outperformed her daughter Mingxi in the written exam.
Originally intending to suppress Mingyang, the emperor smiled and said, "Mingyang, I heard you have another civil service exam to take. I look forward to seeing your essay and hope you can become the first civil and military champion of this dynasty."
Mingyan wanted to say something more, but His Majesty the Emperor did not want to listen.
If our dynasty were to produce a champion in both civil and military affairs, it would indeed cause quite a stir. The last champion in both fields was a hundred years ago.
At that time, it wouldn't be impossible for her to add a mark to her record as emperor.
During the palace examination, after the papers were graded, the examiners would select the three best-written papers and present them to the emperor, who would then personally select the top three candidates.
The emperor carefully read Mingyang's article and couldn't help but nod in praise.
With a stroke of the red brush, Mingyang became the top scholar.
Mingxi was chosen as the second-place scholar, and the third-place scholar was also a woman from a prominent family.
Mingzhuo ranked fifth in the first division, which wasn't too bad and was within her expectations.
When Ming Er rode through the streets on horseback, she was even more popular than the third-ranked scholar. She was also quite beautiful, and the young men watching the spectacle on both sides of the street kept throwing sachets at her.
However, the other second-place finisher's expression was far from pleasant.
Her gaze kept drifting towards Ming Er, as if she were lost in thought.
Originally, Ming Sheng wanted to buy a house, but His Majesty the Emperor directly bestowed a mansion upon Ming Er, the first civil and military champion of this dynasty, and also granted him servants.
This will save them the trouble of asking around for houses.
Mingsheng hurriedly asked Mingda to write a letter home, asking his family to come to the capital.
As for the fact that Ming Erzhong was the top scholar, they don't need to mention it. Their ancestral home is there, and they will definitely report this good news back to everyone.
As for the house I bought in the county town, I'll keep it for now, and I can go back to live there if needed.
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