Just when Yan Lailou, Lu Yu and the others were drinking to celebrate, in the Chengqian Hall in the imperial city of the capital, countless night pearls exuding a soft light illuminated the huge palace as if it were day.

Outside the main hall, rows of well-armoured, shining-shimmering samurai stood like sculptures in the wind and snow, and their bodies were already covered with a thick layer of snow, and it would not be long before they could turn into snowmen, and if you didn't look at them, you could think of them as puppets.

Unlike the heavy snow outside, which is a bit cold and biting, the hall is warm like spring, with warm winds, and you don't feel any cold at all.

On the throne in the center of the main hall, a middle-aged man with a somewhat unclear face leaned lazily on the throne, holding a pot of spiritual wine in his hand, tilting his head to look at the night sky like a bright starry sky in the main hall above his head.

The gorgeous costume worn by this person is not a five-clawed golden dragon, but a big bird that looks a little golden and majestic, the big bird soars above the clouds of the nine heavens, and the momentum is looking at the world, which is the totem of the royal family of the Great Sage Dynasty: the golden-winged Dapeng bird.

Legend has it that this golden-winged Dapeng bird is the guardian beast of the first emperor of the founding of the Great Holy Dynasty, helping the first emperor to conquer the world, after the founding of the country, the first emperor will use the Dapeng bird as the totem of the imperial family, and only the emperor's costume will embroider this Dapeng bird, otherwise it is transgression.

If this person was not wearing a black regular robe embroidered with the Dapeng bird pattern, outsiders would not be able to associate him with the emperor of the Great Sage Dynasty at all.

This person is the current emperor of the Great Sage Dynasty, named Li Qian, more than 20 years have passed since he ascended the throne, and he is not a diligent emperor at the age of nearly fifty, but because he is tired of this position, he has become less willing to manage the government, so most of the time, the government affairs of the court are three-phase work, and only very important things will alarm Li Qian.

An official sitting five zhang away from the throne put a jade plaque on the wooden plate held by the eunuch and said: "The old minister is fortunate not to be dishonored, this scientific expedition has been successfully completed!" ”

This official is Yang Hao, after each scientific examination, the chief examiner will immediately enter the palace to report to the emperor, introducing some things that happened in the scientific examination, but Yang Hao's words are only halfway through, Li Qian is already a little impatient and said: "If there is no major event, retire!" ”

Li Qian's lazy character is not innate, after the death of the old emperor, Li Qian was exactly eighteen years old at that time, and he was the most suitable prince to inherit the throne among the heirs of the old emperor, at that time Li Qian was unwilling to inherit the throne, but his brothers were very big, and they were also unwilling to inherit the throne, and his younger brothers were too young, and the throne naturally fell to Li Qian's head.

Speaking of which, Li Qian was forced to ascend the throne in desperation, of course, there is a more important reason, that is, Li Qian's qualifications are not high, even if he does not inherit the throne and chooses to cultivate, his cultivation in the future cannot be too high.

In the royal family, the throne is like a hot potato, as long as the prince with reasonable qualifications is unwilling to inherit the throne, this is also the strangest place in the Great Sage Dynasty.

If it is replaced by the ancient dynasties of the main world, each prince will deny his relatives for the sake of the throne, and fratricidal things abound and are commonplace.

However, among the royal family of the Great Sage Dynasty, only a very few people will peep into the throne, and the qualifications of these princes are definitely not high.

"Your Majesty, there are 211 people with outstanding qualifications in this scientific expedition, five people with heavenly spiritual roots, and two people with special physiques......."

Under normal circumstances, Yang Hao would leave immediately after hearing Li Qian's words of retirement, but this time it was different, this matter had to be told to Li Qian.

Li Qian drank all the wine in the jug and said, "Is it the same as before?" ”

Yang Hao knew what Li Qian was asking, if it was the same as the previous scientific expedition, Yang Hao could get out, don't bother yourself with some trivial things.

"It's different, please look at the jade plate first."

Li Qian's eyes fell on Yang Hao, this old minister has been an official in the court since Li Qian's imperial ancestor's generation, and he is already an old minister of the four dynasties, so he naturally knows Yang Hao's personality, and he will not bother himself with small things at this time.

After grabbing another pot of wine, Li Qian picked up the jade plaque and probed his divine thoughts into it to watch.

After a while, Li Qian's body slowly sat upright, the lazy aura on his body was swept away, and he exuded the emperor's coercion and said: "Companion, everyone in the hall today immediately swore that tonight's incident must not be spread, otherwise it will be killed!" ”

The eldest companion in Li Qian's mouth is naturally the eunuch Long Gonggong next to him, he grew up with Li Qian, and is one of Li Qian's most trusted eunuchs, the authority in his hand is true, and he did not hesitate at all about Li Qian's order, and hurriedly made an oath, and then withdrew from the main hall to carry out the orders issued by the emperor.

After the hall was empty, Li Qian asked, "That little guy's luck is really good, what is Yang Aiqing going to do next?" ”

"The minister wants to accept him as a personal disciple, I don't know what His Majesty wants?"

"I'm afraid this is inappropriate!" Li Qian raised his eyebrows and said, "If you suddenly have an apprentice, wouldn't you tell others that there is something wrong with this person?" ”

Yang Hao said unhurriedly: "The minister knows, so he just secretly accepts apprentices, and he will not publicize this matter." ”

"This kid is really lucky, it seems that there is no limit in the future!" Li Qian said with a slight sigh.

Yang Hao was also stunned, he was completely out of love, and after being reminded by Li Qianyi, he found that his behavior just proved the luck of that person, could this be the will of heaven in the dark?

Li Qian also smiled dumbly and said, "Then how is this person Li Aiqing going to arrange?" ”

Yang Hao said: "Go with the flow? ”

"Let it be!" Li Qian silently chewed Yang Hao's words, and suddenly smiled and said, "Wonderful, wonderful!" Indeed it should be! If it is a fish, it will inevitably fall into the sea, and if it is a bird, it will inevitably fight in the sky, and it will not interfere too manificially, which is just in line with the impermanence of the heavens, and there is nothing better than this method, so let me wait and see. ”

……

In the Yanlai Building outside the imperial city, Xu Xia and a group of people were drinking happily, and the wine containing rich aura was drunk in a cup, which also made the atmosphere warm and free.

"The list will be announced in ten days, and the election will start in seven days, what do you like?"

The worst of the six people is Zhang Xiu, who has cultivated to the fourth level of qi refining, and has only reached level 973 when he ascends the ladder mountain, his qualifications and spiritual roots are very average, and his hope of entering the top three is more than fifty percent.

Normally, the fifth layer of qi refining can steadily enter the top three, and among the six people including Xu Xia, four of them can enter the top three, and Zhang Xiu and Xia Yueming are a little dangerous.

After entering the top three, candidates have to consider being an official there.

The territory of the Great Sage Dynasty is extremely vast, usually a state is half the size of the Xia Kingdom, while the Great Sage Dynasty has ninety-nine such states, which is equivalent to the land area of forty or fifty Xia Kingdoms, and the meaning of being an official there is completely different.

First-class candidates can stay in the capital as officials, and they are the three most envied by all candidates.

Like the Gyeonggi area near the capital, at the foot of the Son of Heaven, not far away, usually only second-class candidates have a chance, and it is also a good choice.

And the top three candidates are not easy to say!

If you stay in the prefectures and counties near Gyeonggi as an official, it is naturally the best, and the second is the wealth of the Great Sage Dynasty and the Central Plains, which is also a good choice.

The most worrying thing is that the candidates will be sent to the surrounding area of the Great Holy Dynasty, which is not only far away from Gyeonggi, but also far from home, and is located in a remote area, with harsh conditions, mostly in areas prone to conflict and war, and may be eaten by wild beasts that day.

A family like Xu Xia doesn't have to worry about the issue of electing officials, and the Xu family also has some contacts in the capital, so they can't stay in the land of Gyeonggi, but they can also go to those rich Central Plains.

However, the remaining few people are not so calm!

If I am accidentally sent to the frontier, I am afraid that I will not necessarily see each other again in this life.

"The election of officials is a matter for the ministry, unless the relationship between the officials is opened, otherwise it can only be resigned to fate."

Everyone was silent for a while, if there was anyone among the six people who was most likely to get through the joints of the officials, it was Xu Xia, but this cost was a lot of money, even if Xu Xia was willing, the rest of the people couldn't come up with this money, so naturally no one said to let Xu Xia come forward to help.

At this time, Hong Guangming said: "What do you want to do so much, there is wine today and drunk today, and there is no shortage of us for 30,000 candidates, why don't we go and drink flower wine?" ”