After a brief silence, Qin Feng crossed his arms and gazed in the direction of the Tongxuan Hall, lost in thought.
"I must visit this person soon. For now, I just want to understand what state policy they have devised to improve fiscal revenue and claim the top position!"
Qin Feng then turned to his page and said, "Qin Xun, immediately send a message back to the capital, inform His Majesty to prepare generous gifts, and establish friendly relations between the two countries!"
Qin Xun did not understand the meaning, but out of absolute trust in Qin Feng, he left in haste.
"The third question will be set by His Majesty himself, the Grand General of Cavalry, the Emperor's maternal uncle, Lü Yi! As the Grand General of Cavalry is stationed at the northern border, his son, General Anbei, Lü Changhe, will relay the question! Please welcome General Anbei!"
Under everyone's gaze, Lü Changhe emerged from the Tongxuan Hall, staring at Liang Xiao from a distance with a peculiar expression.
He had waited in the Tongxuan Hall and heard the news of Liang Xiao winning the top spot twice, which greatly shocked him!
Walking to the front, Lü Changhe scanned the crowd and noticed that half of the faces showed a hint of disdain.
Angered, Lü Changhe calmed himself and announced loudly, "My father is a military official, but he does not wish to make things difficult for scholars. Please, everyone, look at Zhuo Lingjun, Chancellor Wang, Minister Gu, and the others. Look carefully, look closely!"
The crowd did not understand his intention and looked at Wang Canghai and Zhuo Zifang and others.
A moment later, Lü Changhe continued, "These important ministers of the court, for the sake of the country and the people, are now, like my father, all white-haired, which is deeply moving! I ask you all to imagine yourselves as these old officials, to feel their state of mind, and compose a poem! The time limit is two quarters of an hour!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a brief silence fell over the entire venue.
A military official was setting such a strange literary topic?
And another poem!
"The Grand General of Cavalry is indeed inventive!" some officials could not help but praise.
Lü Changhe returned to his seat behind the screen to report, and the crowd, regaining their senses, began to write.
Poems were much shorter than state policies, so two quarters of an hour was ample time.
When time was up, the palace attendants made copies of the answers and presented them to Xiao Qing.
Lü Changhe was a rough man and did not participate in the appraisal.
Xiao Qing, Zhuo Zifang, and Wang Canghai read through the poems one by one, shaking their heads in dismay.
Zhuo Zifang sighed, "They are all very ordinary. Must one's poems and lyrics be written from one's own perspective to be good..."
Wang Canghai also sighed, "Perhaps it is because they are too young and lack experience, leaving them with nowhere to begin."
The regulations for selecting candidates for state affairs stipulated that participants must not exceed twenty-five years of age; they were all youths and young adults!
At this moment, Xiao Qing's eyes lit up, and he handed one of the scrolls forward.
"Year after year, new white hairs appear, hurried on horseback, spring arrives again. Why are the rivers and borders only left with travelers? Time is ruthless and shows no mercy to people. With an inch of loyal heart, I aim to serve the nation; with two lines of clear tears, I think of my loved ones. My passionate heart is hard to soothe, so I idly use a golden plate to adorn the five spiced vegetables."
Upon seeing this poem, Wang Canghai and Zhuo Zifang finally sighed with great admiration, "What a magnificent verse, 'With an inch of loyal heart, I aim to serve the nation; with two lines of clear tears, I think of my loved ones'! It can be called a masterpiece for all ages!"
Ding Wuyi and Ning Xuejun, who had been silent, wearing masks and standing behind Xiao Qing, could not help but exclaim, "A stroke of genius!"
Even Lü Changhe looked over curiously, feeling deeply moved.
"Our Great Gan Dynasty also has such scholars..."
This poem did not specify from whose perspective it was written. It could be written from Zhuo Zifang's, or Wang Canghai's, or even his father Lü Yi's!
It could be for any elder who sincerely wished to serve the nation!
When the officials were summoned and saw this poem, they all beat their chests and praised it!
Some, like Gu Hong, the Minister of Rites, even shed tears of emotion, unable to control themselves!
This poem could also be about them!
It perfectly embodied, "With an inch of loyal heart, I aim to serve the nation; with two lines of clear tears, I think of my loved ones!"
In just a few words, the image of a venerable elder, worried about the nation and its people, sprang to life!
"This time, only the top three will be ranked. The rest are of equal merit and will not be further evaluated," said Wang Canghai.
Everyone understood: Wang Canghai was being polite, but in reality, others had written too poorly, some even unwatchable...
For the previous questions, although the top three were selected, the other poems were also ranked, but the rankings were not announced.
Wang Canghai took the top three poems to find their authors, and the crowd waited anxiously.
"Huh? Liang Xiao?"
Wang Canghai's voice drew everyone's attention.
Xiao Qing's heart trembled, "Could it be..."
"The first place, it's you again?!" Wang Canghai's hand began to tremble.
Wang Canghai's two exclamations struck like thunder from a clear sky, causing the entire venue to be in shock!
Again? Liang Xiao!
Liang Qing, Luo Changfeng, and Zhuo Zifang regained their composure, overjoyed for a moment, then calmed down.
It was just a poem, it was not unexpected for this young man to take first place!
Xiao Qing, behind the screen, chuckled softly, and after a moment, regained his imperial majesty, but inside, he was overjoyed.
Three top spots!
How can I not bestow an official position upon you now?
You want to escape? Even less likely!
Liang Xiao frowned, lost in thought.
When he returned, he would have to refuse visitors to avoid the threshold of the Liang Mansion being worn flat!
Dugu Xiao clenched his trembling fists, his face ashen.
He was the second place. If not for Liang Xiao, he would have been the champion!
Outside the imperial palace, the eunuch, after announcing the third question, enthusiastically raised his voice.
"The champion of the third question, Number One, Liang Xiao! Second place, Number Two, Dugu Xiao! Third place, Number Three, Mu Hong!"
The crowd was already in a frenzy, with continuous exclamations.
People no longer cared who was second or third!
Luo Qingxue and Yue Lian's eyes were teary, and Zhen Mi clapped incessantly.
He, the champion again!
Listening to the eunuch recite Liang Xiao's poem, Luo Qingxue and the other two were full of pride.
Qin Feng's expression, however, became increasingly complex.
"A match for me?"
He entered officialdom at a young age, possessing both literary and military prowess. Before thirty, he was already the highly respected Marquis of Zhenguo, the Emperor's son-in-law. Even Zhuo Zifang of Great Liang had to show him respect!
Because of him, the territory of the Great Liang Kingdom had expanded by more than half to the south, becoming unprecedentedly powerful!
After a brief shock, Qin Feng finally smiled knowingly, "Perhaps, only such a life will not be as lonely as snow..."
His desire to visit Liang Xiao grew stronger.
Inside the examination hall, Dugu Qun's faction remained silent, their faces grim.
A descendant of a military family, winning three championships in a row, and even snatching one from Dugu Xiao!
Unacceptable!
At this time, the talented scholars from Jiangnan, led by Li Xiuyun, looked at Liang Xiao with admiration!
Both of Liang Xiao's poems had been recited on the spot, and no one raised any objections.
Xiao Qing was ecstatic, in a very good mood. At this moment, he was still contemplating how to reveal himself later to "settle accounts" with Liang Xiao.
"Everyone, please take a short break. The next two questions will be personally set by His Majesty!"
After Wang Canghai finished speaking, Dugu Xiao became extremely anxious.
Only two questions left?
This meant that Liang Xiao had already secured the championship!
"No, the championship in the remaining questions must not be taken by him!"
"The next questions will no longer be poetry, but will test state policy and quick thinking," Wang Canghai announced loudly.
Upon hearing this, everyone sat up straight, full of anticipation.
If there were more poems, they feared Liang Xiao would take all the championships!
Dugu Xiao finally smiled.
Quick thinking?
This was his strong suit!
Liang Xiao was already drowsy, propped on his desk, continuing to rest.
Liang Qing, Luo Changfeng, and Zhuo Zifang watched Liang Xiao from afar, no longer worried or disappointed, only feeling heartbroken.
Since he had already secured the overall championship, it didn't matter if he slacked off in the remaining two questions!
Just then, a startling beastly roar echoed from afar.
Everyone was startled, and Liang Xiao, his sleepiness completely gone, suddenly looked up.
A colossal beast walked towards them from a distance.