Chapter 553 – Updates on Various Matters in the World (1/2)
Chapter 553 - Updates on Various Matters in the World
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
The Grand Examination was about to begin.
It was still at the Li Palace.
A sea of people was still outside the Li Palace.
Each of the gambling markets had long since made their preparations. The storytellers used the finest Maojian tea to rinse their mouths.
(TN: Maojian is a famous type of green tea, named after the shape of its tea leaves: ”mao” (毛) means ‘furry’, which describes the fuzz that forms on the surface of the tea when brewed, and ”jian” (尖) means ‘sharp’.)
In the end, however, there were still a few places that were different. For example, the expressions and eyes of those people that had come to see the spectacle were not as passionate and excited as last year's. Many people were constantly yawning, and those tourists that had come from the outlying counties and provinces had clearly decreased when compared to last year.
The reason for this was that last year's Grand Examination was a great year, with many of the young geniuses on the upper ranks of the Proclamation of Azure Sky attending. Compared to last year, there was nothing exceptional about this year's Grand Examination, with barely anyone of note taking part. As for the highly anticipated Xu Yourong, with her becoming Holy Maiden, any hope of her attending was lost.
In truth, at present, it was simply impossible for either Qiushan Jun or Xu Yourong to attend the Grand Examination. There had originally been no need for them to attend the Grand Examination to affirm themselves, and moreover, those people that were worthy of competing with them on the same level, such as Chen Changsheng, had already taken part last year.
Of course, Chen Changsheng had still come to the Li Palace, attracting the fervent cheers of the crowd. Naturally, these cheers were also accompanied by that commentary which had not slackened in the slightest over these past few days.
Could Little Principal Chen really be a descendant of the Imperial clan? Could he really be Crown Prince Zhaoming? Fine, this sort of theory was far too absurd. Then was he really attempting to rejoin the engagement? I hear that he stood outside the Holy Maiden's palace all night like a fool, is it true? Wasn't the snowfall that night very large?
……
……
Tang Thirty-Six and Su Moyu brought the three new students that had managed to arduously pass the pre-examination to the testing site in the Li Palace.
On the other hand, Chen Changsheng, under the guidance of a cardinal, was led to that palace hall in the deepest parts of the Li Palace. It wasn't because he wasn't willing to take up the responsibility of principal. In truth, this first batch of new students of the Orthodox Academy was quite lacking in foundation. To pass the pre-examination was already a pleasant surprise, but it was simply impossible for there to be much hope of them succeeding in the Grand Examination. Adding on the fact that the Li Palace was essentially the Orthodox Academy's home court, Chen Changsheng was not concerned about encountering any of the problems from last year.
He had an even more important task.
As he watched a seemingly endless and limitless amount of water fall from the wooden ladle onto the Green Leaf, he was once more nagged by those questions of the past.
The Green Leaf World was the same as the Garden of Zhou. Since it could not grow larger, what need was there to assiduously tend to it, to have it incessantly grow healthy and strong?
The Pope placed down the wooden ladle and then took out a soft towel to wipe his hands. He indicated that Chen Changsheng should sit, then said, ”There are some rules that perhaps really are too stale and require changing, but you must also understand that without rules, nothing can be accomplished. How can living under the starry sky not require veneration? For everyone to live their lives like Su Li is naturally joyous, but do not forget that although rules are like fetters to experts, to the weak, they are at times safeguards. We must place more consideration on how the world operates and not merely consider our own points of view.”
Previously, Chen Changsheng had brought the problems of the Black Dragon and the Monolith Guardians. For the latter, the Pope had produced a clear-cut response, but he did not even mention the former, making his stance on it exceptionally obvious.
”Martial Uncle, isn't it because your view of the world is different from the Divine Empress's that we currently have these problems?”
”You can believe this to be so.”
”But…” Chen Changsheng still wished to fight on for a while.
The Pope raised his hand, indicating he no longer needed to speak. Gazing at him, he advised, ”Even if you wish to put into practice your view of the world, there is no need to rush to do it all at once.”
Chen Changsheng thought of the shadow that lay before him and thought, I am forced to be in a rush.
”Once you become Pope, you can do whatever you wish, and at the time, you will not need to come and ask me.”
”Martial Uncle…”
”Upon hearing this, do you not deeply wish that I would be like Mei Lisha and die a little earlier?” the Pope smiled and said.
Chen Changsheng had simply no idea how to respond to this.
”Relax, you will not have to wait too long.”
The Pope walked to the pot and used his handkerchief to very carefully wipe the beads of water off the Green Leaf.
Within the serene palace hall, Chen Changsheng did not receive a single bit of good news. Not long after leaving, however, he heard an unexpected piece of good news: the Grand Examination had formally concluded and glad tidings had come that two students of the Orthodox Academy had actually entered the three banners. Chu Wenbin, the transfer student from the Heavenly Dao Academy, had even managed to place seventeenth on the second banner.
On that night, the restaurants of Hundred Flowers Lane were brightly lit as the teachers and students of the Orthodox Academy happily celebrated.
As for who was this year's first rank of the first banner for the Grand Examination, besides those gambling addicts, no one really much cared.
The world was still primarily concerned with the confluence of the north and south. Not long after the Grand Examination concluded, the two sides finally obtained a nigh perfect result from their negotiations. Next autumn, the confluence of the north and south would finally be signed and the sects and noble families of the south, possessing countless cultivating experts and riches, would finally be incorporated into the domain of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Although in many aspects, this was only a nominal incorporation, this was still a task that not even Emperor Taizong had managed to accomplish. For a moment, the entire continent proclaimed the Divine Empress's glory.
As for those hidden currents that many people were worried might appear, they were strictly controlled by the Imperial Court. The number of fingers cut off and the number of ghosts added in the principal alley of the Northern Military Department were uncountable. Zhou Tong and those officials loyal to the Tianhai Divine Empress had added on innumerable vile deeds to their record of achievements.
As for the most worrisome southward invasion of the demons, it also, fortunately, failed to come into reality. It was said that this year, the snowy plains of the demon realm were ravaged by blizzards. The Demon Imperial clan and the noble clans of Xuelao City had placed all their thoughts on providing relief for their own tribes and annexing others, having no spare attention to gaze south.
Just like the common people, Chen Changsheng was also very happy, because this meant that when the human world confronted the demons, they would be more unified, more powerful, and more difficult to defeat. This also meant that Xu Yourong's status would become even more transcendent. At the same time, it was said that the White Emperor couple would attend the signing ceremony, so Luoluo should also be accompanying them, right?
The southern diplomatic missions gradually departed the capital. South Stream Temple's group was the last to leave, but they still had to leave.
To Xu Yourong, the capital was her hometown, but Holy Maiden Peak was the place where she would pass her many years of cultivation.
Wind and snow blew over the Bridge of Helplessness, almost like it had returned to that day.