C160. Praising.

C160. Praising.

The night before meeting the new officials, Yuan Li kept talking about them, even though he had been warned by Chu Hechao several times, which angered the "old man". Chu Hechao coldly brought Yuan Li to bed and taught him a lesson.

Yuan Li couldn't remember when he fell asleep, but early in the morning, he opened his eyes wearily.

He felt sore all over, as if he had exercised too much. Yuan Li's eyelids drooped, and when he looked to the side, he saw red marks on his arm from sucking, with the blue veins on his fair arm standing out, giving it a luxurious and ambiguous look.

Yuan Li moved, and someone behind him snuggled up to him, kissing his ear, neck, and lips with a hot temperature and a husky voice, saying, "Just sleep a little longer."

The room was filled with the strong scent of incense, lulling one to sleep.

Yuan Li stretched and yawned, pushing away the person behind him, saying, "I should get up now."

"It's still early," Chu Hechao lazily replied.

Yuan Li said, "I have things to do today."

Chu Hechao, without opening his eyes, snorted coldly and said with a half-smile, "Still thinking about those new officials in their twenties?"

"..."

Yuan Li remembered the scene from last night when Chu Hechao taught him a lesson for repeatedly mentioning the new officials, and Chu Hechao asked Yuan Li scornfully if those young officials could compare to him.

They really couldn't, Yuan Li had nothing to say now.

He had intentionally provoked Chu Hechao last night, just teasing him to see how the General would react, but it backfired.

Yuan Li shook his head heavily, "I'm not thinking about them. Who are they? Just officials under my command. Brother, let's get up, I'm hungry."

After speaking, he looked sincerely at Chu Hechao, his stomach rumbling in agreement.

Chu Hechao pinched Yuan Li's cheek warningly, then got up from the bed.

The clothes he was going to wear today were already placed beside him. Chu Hechao picked them up and put them on, his broad shoulders and narrow waist looking handsome. Yuan Li lay on the bed, admiring Chu Hechao's beautiful muscles.

Chu Hechao smirked and raised an eyebrow, "Is your man handsome?"

"Very," Yuan Li replied honestly, "You can't tell he's eight years older than me."

Before he could finish his sentence, Chu Hechao's face darkened.

He couldn't stand that kind of talk now.

Yuan Li realized he had spoken out of turn and quickly corrected himself, "But you don't look old at all."

Chu Hechao's mouth twitched, "Shut up."

After dressing himself, Chu Hechao came over to help Yuan Li get dressed. Yuan Li was happy to comply.

Seeing Yuan Li like this, Chu Hechao wanted to take care of him in every way possible.

Yuan Li stretched his legs out from under the covers and hissed at the red marks everywhere.

Chu Hechao was quite satisfied with what he had created. He had Yuan Li hold his shoulders, bend over to help him put on his pants, and playfully commented in Yuanli's ear, "I love your legs."

Long and well-proportioned, covered in thin muscles with ample elasticity, undoubtedly a pair of manly legs. These legs, if desired, could easily coil around someone's neck and strangle them, which Chu Hechao found irresistible.

Yuan Li lowered his head against Chu Hechao's neck, their foreheads touching, and he threatened playfully, "Brother, say that one more time and see what happens."

Chu Hechao chuckled softly and remained silent.

After the two finished getting ready, almost half an hour had passed. Yuan Li felt a bit more energetic after freshening up, and after breakfast, he was fully revitalized and lively.

The students had already arrived at Wen Mansion.

This meeting with the students needed to be more formal, so Yuan Li dressed in Wen Palace attire. Speaking in the persona of Wen, he delivered some words of encouragement to the students, visibly exciting them.

Afterward, Yuan Li had the first two hundred students taken to experience the traditional "Kuo Guan" ceremony.

At the same time, he changed into casual clothes and discreetly went with Chu Hechao to the streets to observe the students' participation in the ceremony.

He referred to these accepted students as "Jinshi," and the Kuo Guan ceremony involved the Jinshi riding horses through the streets, receiving cheers and praises from the people.

Yuan Li did this to boost the students' sense of honor, foster their sense of belonging to Wen Country, and make the impact of the imperial examination system more profound. To achieve the pinnacle of honor and success, students had to continually improve and study, pushing the imperial examination system to higher levels.

Arrogant winds swift, horses' hooves swift, a day to behold the blossoms of Chang'an.

This was the scene countless students dreamt of.

To ensure this, Yuan Li had the streets in front of Wen Manor cleared and deployed his personal guards to maintain order.

When the two hundred students were brought to the palace gates, they were unsure of what was going to happen. Suddenly, they saw a hundred magnificent war horses being led towards them by Wen's guards.

Among the first two hundred students, twenty percent were from humble backgrounds. They had never seen so many horses and some students gasped in awe, worrying that they wouldn't know how to ride.

Lin Tian, seeing the horses, loudly called out, "Where are the Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua?"

These were titles for the top three scholars in the imperial examination. Wang Qianzhi, Du Minglan, and Cui Xian quickly stepped forward, saying, "Here, sir."

Lin Tian smiled at them and personally led them to the three most exquisite horses, inviting them to mount.

After a moment of hesitation, the three mounted the horses. The guards stood by to guide the horses as they led the scholars onto the street.

The other students were also helped onto horses, with some of the humble students gently patting the horses' manes, revealing smiles of joy.

Led by the guards, they followed behind Wang Qianzhi and the others, walking along the street.

As the students wondered what was happening, they saw the long street packed with crowds on both sides.

Soldiers guarded the street closely, each person gazing at them with curiosity and excitement, while some even watched from their windows.

The runner-up Zhuangyuan, Du Minglan, caught a glimpse of his wife and children peeking out from a nearby building.

He waved towards his wife and children in confusion, but to his surprise, the crowd erupted into cheers, causing Du Minglan's face to flush with embarrassment.

Apart from the common people and students, standing at the front of the street were trusted courtiers invited by Yuan Li to witness the event. They smiled as they watched the students on horseback, showing signs of admiration.

Seeing so many high-ranking ministers smiling at them from the sides of the road, Wang Qianzhi and the others were taken aback. They tried to dismount to bow, but Lin Tian stopped them. Lin Tian chuckled and said, "Gentlemen, you need not dismount. Just stay seated, while the rest should make way for you."

The third place Tanhua Lang, Cui Xian, nervously asked, "How can we ask the gentlemen to move for us?"

Looking at the prominent figures – the Shang Shu great minister, the Pu She great minister, and the Zhen Guo General – all important figures in Wen Country, while they were just humble individuals, how could they ask such a thing?

Lin Tian smiled and said, "This is the wish of Duke Wen. Just relax, gentlemen."

Before the conversation could continue, they had already been led onto the street. Firecrackers exploded, drums beat loudly, and the cheers of the people filled the air.

Countless words of envy and praise were heard from the surroundings, as handkerchiefs were boldly thrown at them by young women. Occasionally, someone would shout "Zhuangyuan Lang, Bangyan Lang, Tanhua Lang"… All eyes were filled with warmth and admiration for them.

Even the courtiers couldn't help but applaud them.

Wang Qianzhi felt a bit dizzy, as if he was intoxicated, feeling light as if he could float.

His gaze swept from left to right, and he felt that this scene before him would be unforgettable for a lifetime.

The common people and the students who had failed the examination looked at him with envy and admiration, and the resounding cheers and drumming overwhelmed Wang Qianzhi, causing him to blush. His smile was uncontrollable, breaking the facade of his usual composure.

Being a young man in his twenties, he was disoriented by the grandeur of the event.

Among the "Jinshi" riding through the streets, although there were two hundred of them, the most eye-catching were the three at the front.

Not only did the unsuccessful students and those beyond the two hundred admire them, but even the students behind who were also receiving cheers couldn't hide their admiration.

However, they were content. Xu Kang, Xiang Feijin, were so excited that they couldn't stop smiling, waving to those around them with glee.

The brothers who were waiting to ask Wang Qianzhi about the significance of "Kuo Guan" were also watching from the crowd. Without needing an explanation, they too understood the importance of the ceremony.

They stared enviously at the successful students on the street, their eyes turning red with envy.

Just a little more effort and maybe they could become one of these successful individuals.

Envy, so much envy that they wished they could go back to the day of the exam a month ago and take it again.

"This Wang Qianzhi..." Xiang Fei Zhan said sarcastically, "Look at how he's smiling, his face all scrunched up. We've known him for so long, never seen him like this before."

After the congratulations, the two hundred students were still basking in the joy and glory of the moment when Lin Tian surprised them with some unexpected good news.

Among the one thousand students selected, the top two hundred would be able to enter Wen's central administrative institution — the Political Affairs Hall — to serve Duke Wen. The remaining eight hundred would start at the local level as county officials.

This was pure joy upon joy, the experience of this day was unforgettable, and Wang Qianzhi was still in a daze of happiness when he returned to Zhou Mansion.

His relatives and friends surrounded them, eager to know, "After the congratulations, what did Duke Wen tell you?"

Xu Kang was the first to snap out of his joy, grinning as he shared the news about their appointment to the Political Affairs Hall.

Even some older relatives couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy, "You guys are so lucky to go straight to the Political Affairs Hall, that's the heart of politics!"

Xiang Fei Jin quickly added, "But the most enviable one is Wang Xiong, did you all see his grandeur riding through the streets today?"

All eyes turned to Wang Qianzhi, bombarding him with questions about how he felt.

Keeping his composure, Wang Qianzhi nonchalantly replied, "Not bad."

Seeing his calm demeanor, everyone remembered his silly smile from the parade earlier and burst out laughing together.

*

The next day, these newly appointed officials received their respective assignments.

Those headed for the counties proceeded there, while those entering the Political Affairs Hall were guided by experienced officials. The new officials were initially flustered but quickly adjusted.

Those starting at the grassroots level were given a crucial task by Yuan Li – to tally the population and measure the land.

Although tedious and exhausting, Yuan Li trusted the new officials with this task as they were enthusiastic and eager in their new roles. Even when tired, they strived for perfection in order to impress Yuan Li.

Yuan Li never forgot his mission to educate the people.

Injured soldiers who were not severely wounded were appointed as village chiefs, teaching the villagers basic literacy and numeracy. Yuan Li's goal was simple – to teach the villagers how to count their age and recognize simple words.

They didn't even need to know how to write, only to read and recognize.

In the blink of an eye, winter was approaching.

As usual, Yuan Li had the women at home make a batch of winter clothes and boots for the soldiers in the provinces of Jizhou, Youzhou, and Bingzhou to keep warm. As the soldiers received their winter gear, the snow began to fall, covering the ground overnight with a freezing chill.

With a harsh cold front approaching, several servants in Chu's residence fell ill. Yuan Li decided to give them an early break to rest and recover.

Early in the morning, Chu Hechao and Yuan Li got dressed and went for a quick run outside because it was too cold. They didn't stay out long and hurried back after their run.

During their morning routine, they stayed inside the house. Chu Hechao used a spoon of cold water to brush his teeth, prompting Yuan Li to remind him, "How many times do I have to tell you not to use cold water to brush your teeth?"

Furrowing his brow, Yuan Li pinched Chu Hechao's neck and joked, "Do you want to end up as a toothless old man in your old age?"

Chu Hechao switched to warm water and said, "Okay, okay, I got it."

He glanced at Yuan Li and deliberately sighed, "You're getting more naggy."

Seeing his smirk, Yuan Li rolled his eyes and thought to himself that he'd almost be perfect if he stopped smiling.

As if reading his mind, Chu Hechao playfully approached him and said, "But I like it when you boss me around."

Yuan Li couldn't help but chuckle and playfully scolded, "Get lost."

With fewer affairs to tend to in the cold winter, they had a leisure day ahead. With nothing to do, Yuan Li boredly brought out a deck of cards and invited Lin Tian and Yuan Congyun over for a game.

After several rounds, both the general and his lieutenant had paper notes sticking to their faces, trembling as they spoke. Meanwhile, Chu Hechao maintained a stoic expression, staring down at his cards so intensely that he could scare a three-year-old.

Among the four players, only Yuan Li's face remained clean. He slyly tucked his cards into his sleeve, easily outplaying the others who were inexperienced in playing the game.

While Lin Tian concentrated deeply, Yuan Congyun remained serious, applying his strategic skills from warfare to the game of cards.

Although they were new to playing cards, they found themselves hooked and invested in the game, with Chu Hechao eventually breaking the trance with his willpower, noticing the darkening sky outside. "It's time for dinner."

Lin Tian was surprised for a moment but quickly realized, tearing off the paper notes on his face and apologizing as he went to prepare dinner.

Yuan Congyun reluctantly set down his cards, remarking, "This game is quite intriguing."

Yuan Li smiled and advised, "It's good to pass the time with games, but don't get too obsessed."

Yuan Congyun nodded in agreement and chuckled, "The three of us couldn't even beat you. Your valor, Duke Wen, has truly impressed me."

Yuan Li chuckled, "Sir Yuan, you are flattering me so much that I almost feel embarrassed to win against you again. But why did you come to the Chu Mansion today? Could it be that you have something to discuss with the General?"

He asked casually, but to his surprise, Yuan Congyun nodded seriously. "Duke Wen, the General once ordered me to use the grassland map you gave us before to create a sandbox model, and it is now complete. I came here to show it to the two of you."