The Ten-Thousand Dance had been misinterpreted, but in the end, it was still useless.
Even if Fei Zhong talked himself hoarse, he could only temporarily suppress the warriors' dissatisfaction. As time passed, something useless would remain useless.
Zi Shou simply could not see what purpose the Ten-Thousand Dance served. Even calling it a display of loyalty was a stretch. On the surface, that was indeed what it looked like, but could loyalty really be demonstrated by dancing?
In short, the Ten-Thousand Dance was like adding legs to a snake—utterly pointless.
Besides, the fact that Wei Ben had been deliberately cheated out of the Martial Top Scholar title could not be changed. Even if everyone else accepted it, Wei Ben himself would surely harbor some resentment. He might abandon official service altogether in a fit of anger. Even if he painstakingly learned the Ten-Thousand Dance, he might still slack off after joining the ranks. There was no question about that.
Zi Shou returned peacefully to the palace, and that brought the examinations to an end. Although the literary examinations had failed, the Martial Civil Service Examinations had been very successful. The rigged matches were beyond dispute. With some focused publicity about all the shady dealings, they should still contribute some Foolishness Value.
After Wei Ben returned to his Temporary Residence, the more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
He accepted that he had a rebel's bone at the back of his skull. That was a fact.
He also accepted that he was insufficiently loyal. He really did act without thinking. Forcing his way through the camp gates and stopping the Imperial Carriage were hardly things a loyal, righteous man would do.
But the court had cheated him out of his Martial Top Scholar title!
Wei Ben believed that if