Chapter 9: Achieving the Highest Honor in the Imperial Examination

Good knife skills

is not

Fortunately, there is no rule that a fall results in disqualification in the horse and spear competition. After the chief examiner verified the results, he announced: "Li Siyi from Gaoling, scoring 49 out of 100, has knocked down one clay figurine, totaling 96 points"

Qin Xiao leaned against Li Siyi and said to him: "This competition is quite interesting, but unfortunately, I am not very accustomed to using this wooden spear. I wonder if I can switch to another weapon"

Just as Li Siyie was about to charge towards the last puppet, completing the competition with a perfect score, that poor yellow horse could no longer bear it; its front hooves collapsed, and both horse and rider fell forward!

That two-meter iron spear was unexpectedly wielded by Qin Xiaowu like a pear blossom, with not a drop of water leaking from top to bottom

Qin Xiao dismounted in front of the weapon rack and carefully selected for a while, yet he could not help but frown. An official from the Ministry of War stepped forward and asked, "Why have you not chosen a weapon yet?"

It is simply a manifestation of a vengeful spirit, exuding an overwhelming aura of menace

Qin Xiaoshijin gave Li Siyes a hard punch on the chest and said: "I have to admit defeat to you! What kind of milk did you grow up on?"

Qin Xiaomen chuckled softly and comforted Li Siyue, saying: "Don't be afraid, it's just a routine matter. As long as it's not a stutterer speaking official language, there shouldn't be any major issues"

Upon hearing this, Li Siyie clapped his hands and exclaimed like a thunderclap: "Indeed, I also do not like using guns! A horse with a broadsword, a horse with a Green Dragon Crescent Blade, how exhilarating! This little wooden gun feels as weak as mugwort in my hand, utterly ineffective!"

Li Siyie angrily got up from the ground, brushed the dirt off his face, spat out a mouthful of saliva mixed with sand, and gritted his teeth as he cursed: "I—I'll be damned!"

You go down and inform the Ministry of War that for the cavalry examination, candidates may choose any weapon.

Hmm!

Oh?

Li Siyie had a booming voice; with a single shout, everyone in the training ground could hear him. The crowd turned their attention towards the two. The Deputy Minister of War, standing nearby, approached and angrily reprimanded Li Siyie, saying: "Do not make a fuss; this is the established examination rule, and everyone must abide by it"

Qin Xiaozong galloped out of Puppet Alley, and a wave of thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue! Many soldiers, being connoisseurs, could not help but cheer loudly upon witnessing Qin Xiaozong's divine and graceful marksmanship.

Li Siyie shrank his head and stuck out his tongue: "My goodness, these people are really fierce! I was just speaking casually!"

The crowd was taken aback, then watched as Li Siyie rolled over from the ground, his body as strong as bronze and iron, completely unscathed, and simultaneously burst into a loud laugh

Li Siyie rolled his eyes: "Fuck? Does 'fuck' mean 'day'? What, is this the expression of those foreigners with blonde hair and blue eyes? Alright, I, Old Li, understand now, haha!"

Qin Xiaoren could not help but shout in approval, and the crowd began to cheer as well—Good!

The competition of martial skills has concluded, and Qin Xiao and Li Siyu have emerged with absolute superiority. The officials of the Ministry of War deliberated for a while and publicly announced: "In this martial arts examination, the competition of skills has ended. The top three are Qin Xiao from Jiangzhou, Li Siyu from Galing, and Tian Zhen from Changzhou!"

Qin Xiaofan mounted his horse and said to Li Siyue, "Brother Li, I am going too!"

What Qin Xiao desires is the Phoenix Winged Gold-inlaid Halberd, the weapon of the renowned general Yuwen Chengdu from the Sui Dynasty! Such an obscure weapon would certainly not be found on the regular weapon racks of the Ministry of War! In the martial arts taught to Qin Xiao by the old man in his dreams, the immediate skill is precisely this Phoenix Winged Gold-inlaid Halberd

The twelve candidates approached a panel of officials composed of examiners, where they were asked a series of simple questions, such as their place of origin and background. As Qin Xiao had said, as long as they did not stutter and could speak relatively fluent Mandarin, they all passed unanimously. Only Li Siyie, when it was his turn, was relentlessly questioned by the mischievous examiners, who asked a whole slew of questions, digging up the family history of his household, which left Li Siyie in a state of embarrassment, causing the audience to burst into laughter. The more nervous Li Siyie became, the more he felt the pressure, and finally shouted, "If you keep pushing me, I really will 'f***' it! Had I known that the martial examination would be this difficult, I wouldn't have come! I would have been fine just serving as a lowly soldier!"

Whenever the topic of conversation arose, Li Siyue's face would turn as sour as a bitter melon. He whispered to Qin Xiaoe, "Damn it, they're even testing conversation skills. There's no way I can pass this!"

Li Siyue was overjoyed: "Is it acceptable to casually curse? Even if I don't curse, I still enjoy saying 'day'. What if I accidentally let it slip? Wouldn't that be disastrous?"

Watching Qin Xiao move gracefully and effortlessly, Li Siye couldn't help but feel a pang of envy—damn it, if only I could be like Qin Xiao!

Qin Xiaowu smiled helplessly and said, "What I want is... just this long iron spear!"

The servant is here

After a round of competition, Qin Xiao and Li Siyu emerged as the leaders with outstanding results. They are about to enter the second round of the finals, which is also the last round of the skill and bravery event, the lance competition.

Qin Xiaoyao shook his head: "There is nothing that suits me."

Only at this point did the examiners finally let him go, yet they could not help but burst into fits of laughter

The horse gallops like a rainbow, the person like lightning, dashing forth!

Tian Zhen is one of the more outstanding athletes among many, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Usually quiet and reserved, he does not speak much to others, yet he is a very amiable and introverted individual. Like Li Siyie, he is skilled in the use of a sword

Qin Xiaochuo mounted the horse, clamping his legs against its belly—"Giddy up!"

The competition of lance and horse emphasizes skill and horsemanship. The contestants charge into a passage formed by two wooden puppets, with a small wooden board placed on top of each puppet's head. The objective is to strike the board with the lance while ensuring that the puppet does not fall. Successfully hitting the board without toppling the puppet counts as a successful thrust. After a round of charges, the contestant who strikes the most boards is declared the winner, while knocking down a puppet results in corresponding point deductions.

Flowing like clouds and flowing water, completed in one breath

Around the hour of the Si (approximately 9:00 AM), the martial examination officials finally announced the results of this year's martial examination: the top three are Qin Xiao, Li Siyi, and Si Zhen

It was Li Siyie's turn to take the stage. He strode confidently to the weapons rack, picked up a giant broadsword weighing over a hundred pounds, and his face lit up with joy. He then mounted Qin Xiao's yellow-spotted horse and charged towards the Puppet Forest.

As a gentle breeze passed by, the small wooden block atop the puppet's head fell to the ground in unison, as if touched by a dragonfly.

Qin Xiaoren could not help but laugh. This Li Siyie is quite similar in temperament to his former comrades, both being straightforward and passionate. Moreover, this giant, with his large and robust physique, if he were to accidentally travel to the 21st century and casually practice basketball, it should not be difficult for him to reach the level of Yao Ming in the NBA.

In the spear competition, Qin Xiao ranked first with a perfect score

Li Siyie let out a piercing scream—"Mother!"

In the distance, Empress Wu Zetian on the platform seemed to hear Li Siyue's shout and couldn't help but laugh, saying: "This black-faced man is indeed a straightforward person. What he said makes sense; in the examination, candidates should showcase their strengths and select the weapons they are most adept with. Wan'er!"

The yellow horse's body sank, and its legs began to tremble! Li Siyue paid no attention to this, striking the horse's hindquarters with the back of his large knife: "Charge! Kill!"

The enormous body, like Mount Tai pressing down, completely overwhelmed the puppet, which was then embraced and rolled on the ground several times, while the broadsword was flung far away.

Qin Xiaohai laughed heartily at the book, then turned his eyes and said to Li Siyue: "Brother Li, let me teach you a saying. Nowadays, it's not fashionable to say 'day' anymore; everyone says 'fack'. In the future, whenever you want to curse someone, just say 'fack', haha! 'Fack', do you understand? Now, there are few people who understand it, so they won't even know you're cursing them!"

Amidst the laughter of the crowd, Li Siyie scratched his head and said, "My body is just too heavy; there's nothing I can do about it! On another day, when I go into battle, I won't ride a horse; I can just be an infantryman!"

That heavy saber, weighing over a hundred pounds, was wielded by him with such finesse that it seemed to blossom all over his body. He thrust left and slashed right, sweeping horizontally and chopping vertically. Wherever he charged through, the small wooden boards on the puppet's head were shattered to pieces, yet the puppet remained utterly unmoved

The other content pertains to the examination of speech and appearance. Generally, anyone can assess appearance, provided there are no disabilities or diseases, and this was completed some time ago.

Li Siyie, who had originally looked displeased, couldn't help but break into a smile upon hearing the result. He quickly ran back to the line and said to Qin Xiao, "Brother, I apologize! I ended up damaging your horse..."

Li Siyu gave a slap on Qin Xiao's horse's rear and said, "Do your best, brother, and you will score full marks to become the top scholar!"

The chestnut horse, burdened with pain, let out a long neigh and galloped away

The pale yellow horse struggled on the ground for a few moments, but ultimately could not stand up; it seemed that both of its front legs were broken

The official of the Ministry of War exclaimed, "All eighteen types of weapons are ready; how could there be none of the weapons you seek?"