Most of those who rose were martial examination graduates from the same cohort as Zhao Feng. His performance back then had been dazzling enough, especially the match in which he had overwhelmed Xie Yungui and won everyone's wholehearted respect.
"Brother Zhao." Xie Yungui, Qin Guanyue, Mu Xingze, Gao Yu, and the others cupped their fists in greeting.
A few remained seated, all unfamiliar faces. Among them was a handsome young man in plain Confucian robes, with faint cloud patterns and seal-script characters embroidered at the collar and cuffs. A broad black leather belt encircled his waist, its center set with a square jade buckle engraved with the words "Uphold integrity." He appeared to be a Confucian scholar.
Beside him sat a square-faced young man. Neither moved, and both regarded Zhao Feng with appraising eyes.
"Brother Zhao, let me introduce you," Xie Yungui said to Zhao Feng.
"This is Fei Yuanzhong, a student of the Cloud Crane Academy in Capital City," Xie Yungui said.
The martial examination graduates around them turned toward the scholar in astonishment. They had only just arrived themselves and had not known his name. So he was a student of the Cloud Crane Academy in Capital City.
The Cloud Crane Academy was a major Confucian institution in Great Yan. More than half the students at the court's Imperial College came from it.
"And this is Liao Kuan of the Liao Family, first on Bing Province's martial examination A List and sixth on the Tiger Ranking." He introduced the square-faced young man beside the scholar.
"So he's Liao Kuan, from the Liao Family of Bing Province. The Liao Family is the greatest aristocratic family in Bing Province, with deep foundations and profound martial arts passed down through generations. It's hardly surprising that one of their own took first