"Get in line! Get in line! Don't be crowded, step forward in turn! ”

At the gate of the imperial city, a team of Xiaoguo Army sergeants looked majestically at the crowded participants outside the Suzaku Gate, and a sturdy man with the appearance of an official stood majestically in front of everyone and shouted.

"Don't crowd, go in one by one!" The official shouted again.

Xiao Yu and the Qinghua Daoists squeezed forward little by little with the flow of people.

"There are so many people, I'm afraid there must be 10,000 or 20,000 people." Xiao Yu looked at the team that had been forcibly divided into five columns.

"There are a total of eighteen thousand four hundred and eleven people, and I have inquired about them all," the Qinghua Daoist looked pale, "There are only more than 1,500 people who participated in the cultivation part, and the rest are all participating in the martial arts part. ”

"There are so many people participating in the martial arts training part."

Most cultivators are indifferent to fame and fortune, and it is already very good to be able to come so much.

"By the way, Qinghua, what is this examiner, do you know?"

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know." Qinghua Daoist waved his hand again and again.

"Hurry up, the people in the back!" The officer of the military department shouted again towards the flow of people.

"Brother Xiao, it's almost time for us, I feel a little nervous." The Qinghua Daoist was still too young to see such a big battle.

Xiao Yu looked at Qinghua Daoist encouragingly, "Don't get in the way, it'll be good if you get used to it later, everyone is the same." ”

"This brother is right, what are you nervous about? This Taoist leader, it's okay, it's a big deal to lose, what's this, our two brothers are not afraid. ”

In the other stream of people to Xiao Yu's left, a big man said heroically.

"The donor is right! Haha, all the tension is mediocrity. "The free and easy temperament of the Qinghua Taoist people has returned to its original state.

"Haha, the Taoist is arrogant. My name is Wei Dao'er, this is my righteous brother Wang Xuba, after a few of us win the first place, we must find a place to have a few bowls. The big man's thick arm pointed to the equally muscular man standing behind him.

"Poor Dao Dao Qinghua, the two big brothers will definitely be able to, let's make a decision."

"Hurry up, don't rub it in!" Sergeant Xiaoguo, who was maintaining order, glanced at Xiao Yu. Xiao Yu hurriedly pulled the Qinghua Daoist and stepped forward quickly.

At the front of each of the five columns was a small table, behind which sat a small official.

At this time, there was still a person in front of Xiao Yu.

"Name, where is the person's name, teacher." The little official in Xiao Yu's column asked coldly.

"Dou Jiande, a native of Zhangnan, Beizhou, has no teacher."

"The Imperial City is no better than other people's houses in the city, if you disturb your adults, it will be a big crime," Xiao Yu didn't expect this little official to start teaching people a lesson with a straight face, "If you make trouble, you will be killed!" ”

"Yes, yes, the little ones must be careful." A strong man named Dou Jiande hurriedly said yes.

Alas, what a little ghost. Xiao Yu saw the little official glaring at him, smiled bitterly in his heart, and hurriedly stepped forward, "Xiao Yu, Liaodong people..."

After passing the Vermilion Bird Gate, Xiao Yu and many contestants walked all the way north along Zhaoyangmen Street.

"I'm No. 30 in Group C, what about you, Brother Xiao?" The Qinghua Daoist followed Xiao Yu and walked forward with everyone.

"I'm No. 7 in the Ugly Group." Xiao Yu looked at the wooden sign in his hand.

After a simple registration at the scribe, each participant was given a small wooden sign. The wooden plaque has the names of the contestants and their groups written on them.

The groups are arranged in order of the heavenly and earthly branches, from group A and group B to the last group of Guihai a total of 100 and 20 groups, and the number of people participating in the monastic part is relatively small, so all of them are distributed in the 15 groups from A to Jia, each group is about 100 people, and the rest of the groups are all a large number of martial arts practitioners.

"I don't know which group the senior brothers and nephews are in?" This time, Xuandu Guan is not only a Qinghua Taoist alone, but also more than a dozen other disciples of Xuandu Guan participated.

At this time, Xiao Yu remembered Changning of Daxingshan Temple and the book "Hong Fan Jiuchou" in his hand.

I don't know which group Changning is in, Xiao Yu muttered to himself in his heart.

After returning from Daxingshan Temple that day, Xiao Yu and Han Liyan thought hard for a long time and didn't understand the purpose of Changning to invite them to participate in the virtuous talent.

Whatever, let's talk about it after the primary election first, everything has its own certainty, Xiao Yu comforted himself in his heart.

"Little brother, it seems that your accent is from Liaodong County." A person next to him interrupted Xiao Yu's thoughts.

"Exactly, in Xia Xiao Yu, I don't know what to call the eldest brother?"

The man said, "Haha, it turns out that you are Xiao Yu, I am also from Liaodong County, my name is Wansheng." ”

It's all to blame for the Qinghua Daoist, and his name as a great disciple of the Daxingcheng Sect is already well known.

As soon as the two spoke, the whole team began to talk in a whisper.

"My name is Gao Shida, what about you?"

"My name is Chen Xiaosi."

"In the lower road Fengchen, I studied under Jiao Zhenren."

"My name is Liang Shidu."

...

"Brother Xiao, right, seeing that you are extraordinary, you should be different from us big bosses, you are participating in the cultivation part."

When registering, the big man standing in front of him turned his head and looked at Xiao Yu with a smile.

The big man has passed the age of standing, the sound is like a bell, full of energy, there is a faint majesty above others in his gestures, it is rare that this person is kind and kind, without any ruffianism.

Xiao Yu was deeply impressed by this person, "Brother Dou is right, he is participating in the cultivation part below, and the eldest brother is really wise." ”

"Hahaha, Brother Xiao is really good at talking, Dou recognizes you as a friend. I participated in the martial arts part, alas, in my thirties, and I didn't make a name for myself. This time I came to Xian to take a look, maybe it was a turning point for me Dou someone, hahaha. ”

"Brother Dou will definitely succeed, Xiao has a hunch," Xiao Yu had a good impression of this bold man, "Since the eldest brother recognizes him as a friend, then Xiao is not hypocritical." Brother Dou, when the younger brother has time after the competition, he will definitely go to cheer for the eldest brother. ”

"Okay, good, Dou is the same, a word is a certainty, hahaha."

"No noise on the way!" The accompanying generals loudly reprimanded the louder and louder crowd.

The crowd immediately fell silent and followed the procession without saying a word.

Out of Zhaoyang Street, you will arrive at the large square between Daxing Palace and the Imperial City. Under the guidance of several generals, many contestants walked to their positions one by one according to the group.

Xiao Yu fixed his eyes, and the periphery of the entire square was covered with the elite Xiaoguo army of the Great Sui, with three steps and one post, five steps and one sentry, and it seemed that at least one or two thousand troops were stationed in this square. After all, the safety of Daxing Palace and the Imperial City is no joke.

And the one responsible for guarding the core area of Daxing Palace is the Na Luo Yan Army.

The Nalayan army, like the Soul Wandering Army of Goguryeo, was an army formed by the imperial court with a focus on cultivators. The Naluoyan army was active in the wars of the Great Sui Dynasty to destroy the Chen State, break the Turks, and defeat Tuguhun, and made a lot of military achievements.

In front of the crowd, that is, in front of Shaoyang Gate, a tall platform was erected. In the middle of the platform were four chairs, two maidservants on each side of the chairs, and in front of them stood a group of tall and mighty Sergeants of Naroyan, who were watching the contestants.

Although there were many people in the square, but in the core of this Great Sui, both the contestants and the sergeants were so shocked by the majesty of the royal family that they did not dare to speak, and could only hear the whispered conversations of some generals and officials.

"A certain is Wang Shichong, a member of the military department, who is specifically responsible for the selection of talents this time," the official who was standing in front of the Suzaku Gate just now said loudly, "Everyone listen, in a while, all the court officials will come, remember, no noise, no looking up, violators of the order will be beheaded!" ”

Although there are not many words, it is murderous.

The military official named Wang Shichong was very satisfied with the effect of his speech, and after talking to several generals and colonels next to him, he stood at the front of the team like all the contestants, honestly waiting for the arrival of the court officials.

After a long time, the crowd finally heard a shout.

"The Duke of Chu has arrived!"

"Song Guogong has arrived!"

"It's too Changqing!"

"The Ministry of Rites is still here!"

And they all looked down at the earth, as they had been taught. Although those reckless men wanted to look up very much, when they remembered Wang Shichong's words just now, they finally resisted and did not dare to disobey at all.

It seems that in the world of the Great Sui, whether it is a true cultivator with profound Taoism or a reckless hero who fights righteousness and squanders money, he can't cover the majesty of the imperial court, let alone in this imperial city.

Xiao Yu, who looked down at the ground like everyone else, was not so curious, whatever he did, as long as he achieved his goal this time.

Footsteps came from far and near, and the numerous retinues of the four senior officers walked for a full quarter of an hour before they fell silent.

It seems that the pomp is quite big, Xiao Yu thought to himself.

After a while, the square was quiet again, and I didn't know what the officials were doing.

Finally, Xiao Yu heard the movement.

"Emperor Xuan's Order!" A loud voice echoed throughout the square.

"When the weather is good, I am hereby clearly ordered: Since I ascended the throne, the world has been peaceful, and the people are happy. Every time I think about it, I feel heartbroken, the majesty of the Celestial Empire, how can I be trampled on like this! Therefore, I set up this grand event of talents, whether it is the north or the south or the faction, if there is a heart to serve the country, I will use it, looking at the heroic people in the world and the king of worrying about the country..... I am very relieved, today's talents will be the pillars of tomorrow's society, and my Huo Yao will be among your generations! I want to spread the prestige of the Great Sui in all directions, and the saints are taught in foreign countries, are you willing to obey me? ..... Chin this! ”

The emperor's recitation was impassioned and enthusiastic, but unfortunately, most of these contestants were reckless men. In the end, most people didn't understand what this imperial decree meant.

After another tedious ceremony, the sage has finally officially begun!

Led by the generals one by one, the contestants entered the imperial city divided into east and west halves by Zhaoyang Street from different directions. Although the square is large, it cannot accommodate so many people competing at the same time, and the main venue for the competition is still in the East and West Imperial Cities.

The four court officials sitting on the high platform were full of emotion when they looked at the contestants who came out one after another.

"Alas, it's really a generation of talented people, and the old man is really old." Shangshu Yu Wenbi of the Ministry of Rites spoke first.

He Ruobi, the Duke of Song Guo, also spoke, "Yes, the hope of the Great Sui in the future is on them, it is really terrifying, and the vigorous age is really good." ”

Yang Su, the Duke of Chu, suddenly said, "Tai Changqing, I heard that Ling Sun also participated in this virtuous talent?" If you have the chance, can you let me wait to see Ling Sun's mastery? ”

Song Guogong and the Ministry of Rites Shangshu were stunned when they heard this, and turned their heads to look at Tai Changqing.

Tai Changqing Gao Gong was sixty years old at the time, but he was still clear and bright. After Gao Gong heard the words of Yang Su, the Duke of Chu, he smiled slightly, "I have never interfered in the affairs of my children and grandchildren, it depends on his own choice." ”

Tai Changqing stood up after speaking, and retreated from the subordinates who wanted to come over to support him, "The world's talents are gathered here, if a few adults are interested, how about we go to the scene to take a look?" ”

Song Guogong and Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites clapped their hands after hearing this, only Yang Su, the Duke of Chu, turned his head and said to his son who was standing on his side, "Xuangan, you can go with a few adults for your father, and your father still has things to do, so I won't disturb the interest of the three adults." ”

While several court officials were chatting, Xiao Yu had already entered the Eastern Imperial City and started the competition for the primary election.