Brief and to the Point

"His Majesty ordered me to relinquish my military post, and then I submitted a petition to apply for an official position; he said nothing else!"

Zhang Qian's situation is simple: sever the ties with the Western Border Military District, and he will likely be placed under the purview of the imperial court for further training.

Having served in the military for ten years, he was no longer bound by any mandatory constraints, and if he wanted to seek a better opportunity elsewhere, no one would stop him.

Upon hearing Zhang Qian mention submitting a petition to apply for an official position, Zhang Xuezhou felt that the new emperor might have opened a major back door for Zhang Qian.

Just like the visiting card Zhang Qian submitted, whenever Zhang Qian wrote a letter requesting an official position, Zhang Qian self-recommendation letter would likely be placed on the new emperor's desk that very day, and he would then be assigned a suitable official position to enter the court system.

"His Majesty is looking to recruit people!"

Zhang Xuezhou was a little envious of Zhang Qian.

Not everyone has the ability to directly catch the eye of the highest ruler of the Great Han Dynasty.

This is equivalent to Jin Wanliang being a nobody in the Xieluosi River Holy Land while Zhang Xuezhou was already involved with the Venerable One, and the futures they brought were completely different.

Although Zhang Xuezhou didn't get any benefits from the Venerable One, and the backdoor to learning the Great Wilderness Creation Scripture was controlled, and the Dao Yang Soul Transformation Technique caused problems in his cultivation, it was mostly due to Zhang Xuezhou's own shortcomings.

As long as he doesn't rebel against the Venerable One, the Venerable One's Great Wilderness Creation Scripture will pose no threat to him, and the Yang Soul Transformation Technique will provide direct assistance.

Zhang Xuezhou is a typical example of someone who lacked the ability to seize an opportunity when it came, resulting in not only failing to grasp the opportunity but also getting into trouble.

However, this is also related to the fact that Your Excellency's strength is too high.

However, this problem wouldn't occur if Zhang Qian followed the new emperor.

Zhang Qian honed his skills in the Western Border Military District for ten years, reaching a level similar to Zhang Xuezhou, while the new emperor's individual strength was even inferior.

Consequently, Zhang Qian's rise under the new emperor's leadership was inevitable, with little chance of instability.

It's no surprise that Zhang Xuezhou was envious.

"You climb well, and recommend me when the time comes," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"His Majesty already knows you. If you want to become an official, just submit a letter of self-recommendation, and His Majesty will definitely make arrangements," Zhang Qian said.

"Will this really work?" Zhang Xuezhou asked in surprise.

"That's great!" Zhang Qian nodded and said, "His Majesty has already told me about this. He said the court needs a lot of manpower, and anyone with talent will be recruited. When you submit your self-recommendation letter, write down what skills you have and what you can do, and His Majesty will definitely arrange a suitable position for you."

"That's impressive!"

Zhang Xuezhou pondered his meager skills and couldn't help but feel worried.

He demonstrated his abilities when he first entered Liang Garden; if it weren't for the impending death of the King of Liang, he would never have been able to set foot in Liang Garden.

But as soon as he realized that taking the Dingshan Stone wouldn't be of much use, Zhang Xuezhou's interest waned.

Compared to becoming an official, he'd rather take Rong Tianding to Shouchun City to watch the excitement, and also go to find Zhang Cigong to search for treasures at the old site of the Beast Taming Sect. Moreover, he needs to find out about the Lady Yourong and Zhang Zhong.

The thought of becoming an official quickly faded from Zhang Xuezhou's mind, and he felt no regret.

At this moment, he only wished that Zhang Qian's official position would rise higher and higher, so that he could help him out in the future, which would save him a lot of trouble.

Amidst the congratulations, Zhang Qian couldn't help but blush.

"Wait, Ziwen, what skills will you list on your self-recommendation letter?"

Zhang Xuezhou was at his wit's end, but after thinking about Zhang Qian, he realized that Zhang Qian wasn't much better than him.

Zhang Qian knew how to perform the Subduing Tiger Fist, but any high-ranking general in the Western Border Military District, even if they didn't know the Tiger -Subduing Tiger Fist Subduing Tiger Fist, would possess martial arts skills even more powerful than it.

Moreover, Zhang Qian's advantage in cultivation level was limited.

When the imperial court was recruiting thousands of talented people, Zhang Qian was undoubtedly inconspicuous. Even if the new emperor took care of him, he would need to have some outstanding advantages to make it easier to arrange his career.

"His Majesty told me to just write the words 'Seeking an official position' and then sign it with my name," Zhang Qian said. "A shorter request will be approved faster!"

"So, recommendation letters are supposed to be concise and to the point, reflecting a clear and brief job application style!"

Zhang Xuezhou seemed to be deep in thought.

He kept talking to Zhang Qian for most of the night until Zhang Qian was too sleepy, at which point Zhang Xuezhou finally stopped.

Having too much energy isn't necessarily a good thing, and Zhang Xuezhou only managed to sleep during the X432 medical services.

He looked on with envy as he watched Zhang Qian fall asleep.

If he has been using this brain for the past few days, when he returns tomorrow, he will be using the brain of another body that has rested for seven days.

This makes Zhang Xuezhou almost tireless.

Since he came to understand the reality of the world, Zhang Xuezhou knew very well that he had almost never slept normally in his life. He was always awake on one side or the other, and even now that he had the night, he remained awake.

"Sleeping is such a shameful waste of time!"

In the end, all he could do was spit out a comment to console himself.

In the dim light, Zhang Xuezhou was unable to cultivate properly, so he could only sit on the stool, brooding in silence.

"I wonder what reward we'll get for offering up the Yellow Sand Techniques of the Yellow Sand Sect!"

When Zhang Xuezhou occasionally wanted to learn something, he could only think of the Yellow Sand Technique he had obtained from Venerable Yellow Sand.

With no way to improve his cultivation, and the nine avoidance techniques exceeding his progress, not to mention the petrification technique, Zhang Xuezhou had only received some rewards from lecturing on his many studies.

But the rewards for sorcerers are hard to come by.

Zhang Xuezhou ultimately suppressed his thoughts and decided to consult with Dong Zhongshu later.

On the one hand, the level of Huangsha Technique is not low, and Zhang Xuezhou would inevitably face difficulties in studying it alone. On the other hand, Dong Zhongshu is exceptionally knowledgeable, learns everything quickly, and can simplify it into plain language, which allows him to hone his academic skills without delaying his work.

Most importantly, Dong Zhongshu possesses the cultivation level of the Sole Self Realm and his keen perception surpasses that of ordinary cultivators, enabling him to verify the treasures of the Venerables of the Xieluosi River Holy Land.

It wasn't just the Venerable Yellow Sand's Yellow Sand Technique scroll; it also involved the Black and White Twin Horses, the Heavenly Silkworm Cloth, and other items. Zhang Xuezhou felt he should have Dong Zhongshu inspect all of them.

He still trusted Dong Zhongshu's character quite a bit, knowing that the other party was not someone who had designs on Baoqi.

"I hope Master Dong can return as soon as possible!"

Zhang Xuezhou had already crossed the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains to Yanmen Pass and then rushed back to Chang'an City. If Dong Zhongshu made proper arrangements, he felt that Dong Zhongshu's return would not be too long, and he might be able to return to Chang'an City in seven days after he lay down.

Nevertheless, Zhang Xuezhou still strolled onto the streets of Chang'an City as soon as it was light, and after another hour, he arrived at the Dong residence.

"Send another visiting card, this time as concisely and to the point as Zhang Qian suggested!"

Zhang Xuezhou picked up a slightly flat stone in a corner of the mansion. With the Law Power of his petrification spell, the five large characters "Seeking an audience with Dongfang Shuo" on the stone became extremely conspicuous.

This pleased Zhang Xuezhou greatly.

He gestured with his hand for a few seconds, then tossed the simple stone into the Dong residence.

A dull thud came, and Zhang Xuezhou felt that the sound of the fall was somewhat unusual.

"Perhaps there are too many scholars submitting bamboo slips to request an audience, and I've ended up like this..."

"Hey Zhang, it's one thing if you throw in a bamboo sliver, but throwing in a stone? Are you out of your mind?!"

A familiar cry of pain rang out, mixed with Rong Tianding's gasp of surprise.

The gate of the Dong residence was quickly opened a crack.

"Cousin, come in and help! The Master's courtyard is piled high with bamboo slips requesting audiences; the door can't be opened properly!" Rong Tianding said. "The Master was just clearing away those bamboo slips when a stone hit him on the head!"

"Cousin?"

Zhang Xuezhou exclaimed in surprise.

Overnight, Dong Zhongshu's mansion not only returned to its owner, but Rong Tianding was also brought in.

Judging from the fact that he went out for a stroll right at dawn, Dong Zhongshu had probably just returned to his residence as well. However, Zhang Xuezhou was walking, while Dong Zhongshu likely traveled by carriage, which is why the other party entered the Dong residence first.