Using a Worthy Man as Bait

"Um?"

Li Kun stopped what he was doing, looked up, and asked with a puzzled expression, "Why do you say that, Master? What brings you joy?" His eyes were bloodshot, and his complexion was not good; he looked pale and haggard, but he still forced himself to be cheerful.

Noticing Li Kun's expression, the white-faced old man sighed inwardly.

Li Kun was someone he had watched grow up. Although the old man had to be extremely respectful due to his status, the deep affection they had developed over such a long time was something outsiders could hardly understand.

As the eldest son of the late emperor, Li Kun had a sense of mission from a young age, which the old man had seen. After Li Kun ascended the throne, he devoted himself to meditation every day, almost to the point of exhaustion, which made the old man feel sorry for him.

But as the dynasty declined, Li Kun, despite his desperate efforts, found his brow furrowing more and more deeply each day.

Therefore, whenever there was something that could make Li Kun happy or joyful, the white-bearded old man would always tell him about it as soon as possible, so as to relieve his heavy pressure.

Now that he knows about the Metropolitan Examination, the old man with the white face will naturally not hide it. However, there is a trick to how he says it.

The old man with the white face knew the emperor's temperament very well. He knew that what Li Kun liked to hear most was good news from his own Great Rui. Just like now, a simple congratulatory message immediately drew Li Kun's attention.

As he pondered this, the old man continued, "Isn't it a joyous occasion when the country is blessed with auspicious omens?"

"Oh?" Li Kun was a smart man, and having spent so much time together, he understood his partner's personality. "What rare and exotic beasts did the supervisors send this time?"

Unexpectedly, the white-faced old man first shook his head, then said solemnly, "Rare and exotic beasts are common, but wise and talented people are rare. Throughout history, whenever a wise person has appeared in the world, it has always foreshadowed the Great Prosperity dynasty, followed by the reform of human Human Path and the pacification of the world."

Noticing the old man's expression, Li Kun was finally slightly moved. "Has a talented person emerged?" Then a flash of Spiritual Light struck him. "Could it be related to the imperial Metropolitan Examination? However, it's only noon, and I'm afraid no candidates have submitted their papers yet. What news could there be?" Even so, Li Kun knew that his companion was indeed a well-informed person.

"Your Majesty Sagacity." The pale-faced old man stopped beating around the bush. Now that Li Kun had piqued his interest, it was time to get straight to the point. "This old servant has received news that in the Metropolitan Examination hall this time..." He looked up at Li Kun and said, enunciating each word clearly, "Someone has been using their Literary Thought to taint the examination papers!"

"Huh?" Li Kun was taken aback, then stood up. In his haste to get up, he knocked several volumes of memorials off the table and onto the floor, but he didn't bother to look at them or pick them up.

"Literary Staining of Examination Papers? Is it, as recorded in history, almost like the paper of Sage?"

Seeing the old man nod, Li Kun calmed down and frowned, asking, "Could it be that your subordinates, pandering to my tastes, fabricated this news? There are many versions of the story about Literary Staining of Examination Papers, making it difficult to distinguish the truth from the falsehood, and besides, there were no unusual phenomena." In his mind, the old man wouldn't lie, but he couldn't guarantee that his subordinates hadn't deceived him.

"This should be true." The pale-faced old man responded calmly, without arguing, but his simple words gave Li Kun a sense of certainty.

Snap!

With a soft click, Li Kun pressed the brush in his hand onto the desk. The ink on the brush tip stained half of the memorial and a small piece of tablecloth black, but Li Kun was completely unaware.

He then took a deep breath and said, "This matter cannot be handled hastily."

It was clear that he still had some doubts, but he also hoped that it was true, so he added, "However, if this is true, it is indeed no small matter. Throughout history, anyone who could Literary Imprinting paper, regardless of their background, eventually achieved considerable success. Great Rui is currently beset by internal and external troubles, and it is precisely the time when it needs talented people. This is truly a timely opportunity!"

"Your Sagacity; this is indeed the truth." The pale-faced old man nodded. "The world belongs to Your Majesty. Most of the ministers in the court only care about their own families, which is short-sighted. People like the Wang Gong who are wholeheartedly devoted to the country are few and far between. Now that the imperial Metropolitan Examination produced talented people, it is just right to share Your Majesty's burdens, and it is also an auspicious sign for the country. In history, when such a thing happened during the Imperial Examinations, the rulers were all wise and prosperous emperors. This is Heaven vindicating Your Rectifying Names!"

These words struck a chord with Li Kun, making him even more eager to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

Li Kun left his desk and paced back and forth, looking restless.

He quickly made a decision. "In that case, I will personally go to the examination Examination Hall to verify this. If it is true, I will immediately know the name of the worthy person!"

The old man with the white face replied, "Your Majesty, the Talent Selection Ceremony has its own rules. This time, the Wang Gong are in charge to select those capable of reforming the laws. If Your Majesty were to attend, it would inevitably invite criticism."

These words were like a bucket of cold water, calming Li Kun's eagerness. He sighed, "I appointed Minister Wang as Metropolitan Examination chief examiner for this imperial examination, which has already caused dissatisfaction among many people. If I go to the Examination Hall now, it will indeed cause trouble."

Although he is the emperor, one person cannot govern the world alone, and he cannot do everything as he pleases. Now, he has the ambition to promote Great Rui, but he is hindered at every turn, and even with his strength, he cannot fully exert it.

After a while, Li Kun slammed his hand on the table, sat back down in his chair, and said, "Since that's the case, then we won't go there for now. But the Grand Eunuch can take my imperial edict to inquire about the names of the virtuous and talented individuals and then report back."

The pale-faced old man narrowed his eyes slightly, as if sensing Li Kun's thoughts, and said in a low voice, "Matters of state and family are not something this old servant can interfere with, but this old servant still wants to advise His Majesty that now is not the time to inquire. His Majesty is not going to the Examination Hall to avoid giving others a pretext. In that case, why not postpone it for a while?"

Hearing this, Li Kun remained silent for a while, and after a few breaths, he nodded and said, "Very well, I will pretend not to know and use the matter of the wise man as bait to test the reactions of you ministers. It is not a bad idea. I just hope that Minister Wang will not disappoint me."

The old man with the pale face felt a chill run down his spine. He looked at the emperor again, only to see the Supreme Realm's anxious and uncertain expression. The emperor then said, "Speaking of which, the two figures recorded in the history books who wrote their examination papers with Literary Thought both mentioned that there were unusual phenomena when their writing touched the paper. Why is there no reaction in the city this time?"

The old man with the white face knew that the emperor was suspicious again, so he took out his prepared explanation. "His Majesty is surely aware that historians of the past often exaggerated certain parts."

Li Kun breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, saying, "Then we'll wait a few more days. It's just a pity for that wise man." His words were filled with a longing to see him immediately.

Then, he turned his head to look into the depths of the study, his gaze falling on the Myriad-Mile Rivers and Mountains Map.

This picture is ever-changing, and it is currently shrouded in dark clouds, yet a glimmer of light sits at its center.

As if to confirm the emperor's words, not long after, news of someone Metropolitan Examination Literary Staining of Examination Papers reached the ears of some powerful figures in Prosperity Capital.

The fact that the Examination Hall is under martial law means that any forces that can obtain information from inside undoubtedly represent powerful figures behind the scenes. Many of them had already noticed this when Qiu Yan shattered the pillar of energy and drew upon the Dragon Qi and the City Intent; this is merely a reconfirmation.

Soon, without the notice of ordinary people, an undercurrent began to brew in Xingjing Imperial City.

Snap!

When the news reached the Hanlin Academy, someone accidentally broke a cup.

Beside him, a refined-looking man said, "Brother Yang, what's wrong? Are you too tired from editing the <Rhyme Canon> for two consecutive days? Why don't you go to the side room and rest for a while? I'll keep an eye on things here."

"Thank you for your trouble, Brother Han." The man didn't refuse and left without hesitation, but as soon as he stepped out the door, his brows furrowed.

"I've been tied up with miscellaneous matters these past two days, and such a change has occurred in the city! If things go wrong, even the arrangements at the Hanlin Academy will be affected."

"Is Fortune changing again?"

Inside the inn, Qiu Yan had just stepped onto the stairs when he sensed something.

"Since the Metropolitan Examination, the Fortune of my Fleshly Body has been constantly changing, sometimes showing signs of collapse, and sometimes falling into a trough. The Three Fires of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity, and longevity have also been flickering. It is truly miraculous and extraordinary. It is indeed the result of the examination. How can one have such an understanding without experiencing it firsthand?"

Sensing the changes in his Fortune and the Three Shoulder Flames, Qiu Yan marveled like an observer. Amidst these dramatic changes, a sense of the impermanence of life slowly seeped into his heart, and a profound understanding arose within him.

"The period between the Metropolitan Examination and the posting of the results is like a condensed version of life. In the examination hall, one relies on one's own hard work, but after leaving the Examination Hall, one's fate is influenced by many circumstances and is difficult to control. Only at the moment of death can one know whether one has achieved glory or remained unknown."

With this realization, Qiu Yan continued forward, suddenly reaching out as if to grab something, but when he put his fingers together, his palm was empty.

Hu Qi and Dai Guo, who were following behind, looked at each other but did not say anything to disturb them. However, the stray dog that Dai Guo was dragging trembled all over, then rolled over, exposing the fur on its belly.

Withdrawing his hand, Qiu Yan closed his eyes and pondered for a while. When he opened them again, he went straight to the room of the Golden Crow Elders. Seeing that the two were still sitting cross-legged on the bed in strange positions, he frowned and then ignored them.

"I need to rest in my room for the next two days, so please have my breakfast and dinner delivered directly to my room."

After giving Hu Qi some instructions, Qiu Yan returned to his room, closed the door to visitors, took out several blank books from his bag, ground ink and picked up a brush. Then, his brush moved like dragons and snakes, and the weariness in his soul actually gathered and flowed out with the ink, imprinted on the paper.

Several strange ink marks immediately appeared on the paper, resembling cracks, subtly seeping into the paper, but not strongly.

"This paper-dyeing Metropolitan Examination allowed me to grasp a bit of the essence of Sage Paper, as if I could further see through the fog of Human Path and understand the fundamental principles of the Way of the Sages. However, without the right timing and circumstances, it seems my abilities are insufficient."

As the thought crossed his mind, Qiu Yan continued working, using this method to remove the hidden dangers from his body. However, his expression grew increasingly tired, yet his thoughts rapidly gathered with each stroke of his pen!

Suddenly, he stopped writing, and his eyelids twitched.

"Hmm? They chose a time like this to come? I don't have time to fight right now!" (To be continued. Please search for the novel for better and faster updates!)