Words of War, Breath United, Gazing North

"Are the Hu people about to launch a major attack?"

The eunuch's shrill voice still echoed in his ears, but Qiu Yan had already begun to analyze the hidden meaning behind the question.

At this moment, another servant handed out exam papers to a table, on which were written the exam questions.

Judging from the tone, the question was undoubtedly set by Emperor Li Kun. After reading through the several hundred words, Qiu Yan gleaned two pieces of information—

One reason was the war in the Northern Frontier, and the other was that the emperor intended to reform the military system!

The war in the Northern Frontier was not widely known among the common people. Due to limitations in communication methods, not to mention border wars, even changes in domestic policies were often unknown to ordinary people, or they were only aware of them after the fact. At most, they had some knowledge of the surrounding area, and most of the information was in the hands of local gentry and clans.

However, among Scholar Forest scholar-official class, there were many reports about the war in the Northern Frontier, and there were many versions of them. Some said it was a great victory, some said it was a loss of soldiers and generals, some said it was a pursuit of the enemy northward, and some even said it was a cession of territory to sue for peace.

Many of these messages would have affected the morale of the nation, so the authorities made no comment and even implicitly prohibited them, allowing them to circulate only in private.

Now, looking at the exam paper in front of me and reading the text, I have a clear understanding of the situation in the Northern Frontier, which confirms the news. According to the text, both sides have their victories and defeats, but since the Great Rui is mainly engaged in agriculture, it has suffered a slight loss, and many barren and unsuitable lands have been abandoned.

"Even if this news isn't announced to the general public, but only to the candidates present at the palace Palace Examination, it will quickly spread after the candidates leave. This will affect morale and public sentiment, and could even be exploited by those with ulterior motives. In that case..."

Qiu Yan lowered his gaze, looking at the remaining text, lost in thought.

"The emperor is very determined to reform the military. He intends to use the open war in the Northern Frontier to create public opinion and build momentum, ultimately forcing many interest groups to compromise. It's like dancing on a knife's edge; he certainly has some guts."

Thinking of this, Qiu Yan's mind raced, and he began to construct the emperor's personality traits in his mind.

A person's characteristics can often be discerned from their actions. By combining this with calculations, one can, to some extent, predict the other person's future behavior.

Just then, Li Kun's voice came from the front. "You are all talented people, the future elites of our Great Rui. This policy question is my way of asking you for advice."

These words were not spoken casually, but rather a signal, marking the official start of the Palace Examination.

"Students will certainly do their best!"

The students replied with one sentence, and then they all immersed themselves in it.

In the Imperial Examinations, once someone passed, the examiners present could address them as "teacher," either as their mentor or their tutor. Theoretically, the chief examiner for the Palace Examination was the emperor, so the successful candidates were also called "disciples of the emperor," and it was appropriate for them to refer to themselves as students.

In the quiet hall, the sound of ink and brush gliding across paper soon filled the air. Among the more than three hundred people present were the true elites of the Great Rui Literary Dao, many of whom could compose poems on the spot. After only a short time of contemplation on the topic, many of them wrote with divine inspiration.

Among them, there were also a few works that vaguely captured the spirit of the subject. Although they were not yet fully formed, they created an atmosphere around them, giving people an unusual feeling and attracting the attention and surprise of several examiners.

Even Emperor Li Kun, while preoccupied with Qiu Yan's matter, was drawn to the question and couldn't help but ask, "Who are those people?"

An examiner responsible for answering the questions came over and said, "Your Majesty, the three are Gao Jing, a Ye Yun from Jiannan Circuit; Ye Yun, from Southern Ridges; and Yang Yan, a descendant of the Yang Family from Yan-Zhao and Zhao."

"Gao Jing? Judging from his brushstrokes, he's steady and methodical; he seems like a reliable person."

As Li Kun spoke, his gaze fell on Ye Yun, and he slowly nodded. "This Ye Yun is also unusual. When he writes, his strokes flow like clouds and water, with a sense of casualness and freedom. As for Yang Yan, is he a member of the Yang Family?"

Amidst the whispers, Li Kun's eyes lit up. "No wonder he held that pen in his hand as if it were a spear; with every movement, the paper seemed to flash with swordplay. I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of test he'll hand in."

As he spoke, Li Kun's gaze fell on Qiu Yan again.

After the Palace Examination began, the candidates either read through the article or summarized what was said on the paper in drafts to organize their thoughts. Some even wrote it down directly. But Qiu Yan threw the exam paper on the table, closed his eyes, and remained calm.

"What is Qiu Yan doing?"

Seeing this, Li Kun couldn't help but become curious and asked in a low voice. But how could the examiner in charge of answering questions know? He was about to go over and remind Qiu Yan when Li Kun stopped him, "Don't disturb him. He might be thinking in his mind, preparing his answers."

This is the benefit of fame. When Qiu Yan kept a low profile, many people thought he was unworthy of his reputation and wanted to use him as a stepping stone. But now, after passing the Metropolitan Examination and becoming the top scholar, not only has Metropolitan Laureate, but extraordinary phenomena have also followed him. Not to mention ordinary people, even the emperor and his ministers, who would dare to ignore him?

Even if they knew that Qiu Yan possessed Divine Ability powers, they would only doubt his goals, not his talent.

Not only Li Kun, but also Ma Yang, Zhang Lian, Xu Jin, and even Wang Fu, who had been paying close attention to Qiu Yan, were all watching Qiu Yan's actions.

No matter how brilliant the performances of other candidates or how fluent their writing, none of them were as captivating as Qiu Yan's simple gesture of closing her eyes.

"Is Qiu Yan perhaps thinking about how to write an article that will amaze everyone and then become the top scholar? He doesn't know that his secret has been exposed, and the Emperor knows everything. He has no chance of being in the top three!" Zhang Lian sneered, narrowing his eyes, a cold glint in them.

Xu Jin nearby, saw this and shook his head inwardly. "Zhang Lian is a veteran of several dynasties and is well-versed in the ways of power, but now he is blinded by factional strife. He sees people and things in black and white. With such a mindset, it is inevitable that he will make enemies for the Zhang Family and sow the seeds of future troubles. We cannot always think of suppressing those young and promising people. We can suppress them for a while, but can we suppress them forever?"

Thinking this, he turned to look at Qiu Yan and noticed the calm expression on the latter's face, who was also muttering to himself.

"Judging from Qiu Yan's demeanor, his article is unlikely to be simple. However, the True Dragon is still suspicious, and it cannot be easily dispelled. We'll see if he can offer any insightful opinions on the situation in the Northern Frontier. That might be able to dispel the Emperor's doubts."

In the eyes of these high-ranking officials, the military system was no small matter. Expecting candidates to come up with practical ideas was unrealistic. This was not to belittle them, but rather a reflection of their limited perspective. It was like a blind man who had never seen an elephant; no matter how much he touched it, he could not describe its shape.

The candidates, having not yet attained that position, had very limited access to information and no concept of the world at large. How could they possibly delve into military systems and discuss gains and losses?

The ministers were well aware that the emperor had not included this question on the exam paper to elicit a response from the candidates, but rather to demonstrate his stance and to exploit it.

Ma Yang was also aware of this, but on the other hand, he was also very concerned about Qiu Yan's response. "During the Provincial Examination, Shen Zhi also wrote a military strategy, which did not contain many tactics or involve military systems, but it was a strategy that anticipated the enemy's moves and showed that he was a person who planned for the overall situation. I hope that he can submit another excellent essay in this policy question, so as to dispel the emperor's doubts and resolve the current crisis. However, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. After this incident, he will be able to get out of the vortex of factional struggle to some extent, which is another good thing."

Thinking this through the lens of the power struggle Old Party, Ma Yang's gaze shifted slightly, landing on Wang Fu, before he was taken aback. He saw focus and anticipation on the latter's face.

Wang Fu was staring intently at Qiu Yan's figure, his expression grave.

In officialdom, an essential prerequisite is the ability to Cang Xin's thoughts and not show one's emotions. This is especially true for those who have reached such a high position, where every word, action, and expression is scrutinized and exploited. They must be even more careful, as any display of emotion is either deliberate or an uncontrollable outburst.

Could it be...?

As Ma Yang was thinking, his gaze returned to Qiu Yan. But in the short time it took to turn his head, Qiu Yan had already opened his eyes and picked up a pen. The pen tip touched the paper, and he began to write lightly.

Each character took shape, presenting the thoughts in one's heart on the paper. These characters were full of vitality and contained spirit, but strangely, that spirit seemed to be drawn out by some force. Every time a character was formed, the spirit would quickly dim, leaving only a seemingly ordinary character.

As a result, Qiu Yan's writing style appears rather ordinary, lacking any imposing presence. Not to mention compared to Gao Jing, Ye Yun, and Yang Yan, he might not even be able to match the relaxed and unrestrained style of other scholars when writing.

When others observe the calligraphy, the writer's demeanor and spirit are very important. Li Kun, Ma Yang, and others, who are either well-informed or are themselves masters of calligraphy, naturally noticed the unusual aspects of Qiu Yan's writing.

However, they did not underestimate him because of this; on the contrary, they became even more curious. Qiu Yan was capable of creating strange phenomena through his writing, and they had already read his essay on dyed paper. They knew that he was a person with a unique style of writing, so it was definitely strange that he was experiencing such a situation.

As he pondered, Li Kun stood up and strode forward, clearly wanting to go and take a look. However, given his status, he had to maintain his composure, so he didn't head straight for the candidates. Instead, he casually strolled among them, as if he were an inspector.

Ma Yang and the others had no such concerns, but knowing the emperor's thoughts, they didn't want to rush ahead, so they all stood still.

However, not long after, the group noticed a silent change, which occurred somewhere, but they couldn't find the cause even after careful investigation.

They didn't know...

Outside the palace, high in the sky, streaks of bright yellow energy gradually appeared in the Void, intertwining with the City Will, fluctuating and rippling, but the ripples were not intense, radiating outwards to the north!

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