The race began, and twelve racehorses thundered forward, their hooves flying.
At that moment, nobles who had wagered heavily and common folk who had put down only ten or twenty copper coins for fun all held their breath and watched with wide eyes.
Only when the horses at the front gradually pulled ahead did people begin arguing in excitement or frustration.
Horse Number One was in the lead. The old woman who had backed it was beside herself with excitement. The odds were low, but it was a steady source of income. She had bet on several rounds of Horse Racing in a row and saved up some money. For some reason, meat prices had fallen recently, so she had just enough to get a taste of meat.
The horses behind Number One were close together, no more than a horse's length apart.
Only Number Ten, which had the highest odds, fell farther and farther behind, no matter how hard its rider tried.
As they ran, Number Five edged half a head ahead of Number One, while Number Ten remained dead last.
As they ran, Number Three caught up and ran neck and neck with Number One, while Number Ten remained dead last.
The first Horse Racing event ended. Unsurprisingly, Number Ten came in last, only barely reaching the finish line after the Top Scholar, Second-Best Scholar, and Third-Best Scholar had all been announced.
Tongtian asked Zhao Gongming in puzzlement, "Why did it fall behind?"
Embarrassed, Zhao Gongming considered his wording before saying, "The art of horse racing lies in appraising horses. One might examine their teeth, cheeks, eyes, coats, hindquarters, chests and ribs, or legs and hooves. Only by judging a horse's traits accurately can one distinguish superior stock from inferior stock, and know whether it runs fast or