Chapter 1119: Is the Ancestors' Blessing This Effective?

"Probably," Emperor Xia nodded hesitantly. To prevent examiners from leaking the questions, he had personally set them all. The problem was that when he set the questions, he never imagined he would have to answer them. However, he had become emperor through his own merit, and his cultural level was exceptionally high among all past Xia Emperors. He was certainly capable of answering the questions.

"If you can, then hurry up and write!" Jiang Ping'an glared. "Among the three of us, you're the only educated one. What are you waiting for? For me to write them for you?"

The Immortal Fairy felt her philosophy of governance was sound. As the ruler of a nation, there was no need for her to be proficient in everything. Her role was to set policies, guide the overall direction, such as defeating Yun Yatou. As for minor matters like the imperial examinations, it was sufficient to let her subordinates handle them.

"Oh, right. The handwriting needs to mimic this." The Immortal Fairy produced notes that Man Gu had written and instructed Emperor Xia to imitate the style. Her thoughts were meticulous, leaving no room for flaws.

Although Man Gu was physically imposing, looking as if he could devour three Emperor Xias in a single meal, as a Confucian cultivator, his handwriting was remarkably elegant. Within its neatness, his script exuded a magnificent presence.

Facing his ancestor and immediate superior, Emperor Xia had no choice but to temporarily set aside his official memorials and help Man Gu answer the questions. When he had originally set the questions, Emperor Xia already had a general idea of the answers. He only needed to ponder briefly to write down the answers smoothly.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ping'an and the Immortal Fairy waited for the answers, chatting idly. Jiang Ping'an slapped his thigh, exclaiming that the Immortal Fairy was absolutely correct. "I always said that 'Nine-Five Sovereign' referred to the Nine-layered Immortal inventing Five-in-a-Row. Those uncultured officials of Great Yu kept arguing with me, claiming 'Nine-Five Sovereign' referred to the emperor. Because of them, I didn't even pass the provincial examination."

He felt a great sense of vindication. "See? After all, ancient immortals truly possess vast knowledge. I've long believed there were five immortals in ancient times. The chessboard represents heaven and earth. When five pieces form a line, you win. What does this signify? It means there were five immortals in ancient times, and when the five immortals unite, anything can be overcome!"

"Hmph," he continued, "no one believed me back then. They even called me uncultured and accused me of being jealous of the virtuous." Jiang Ping'an believed the state of affairs at the end of the Great Yu Dynasty was truly abysmal, forcing him, a decent scholar, to become the founding emperor.

Emperor Xia wrote while listening to the two chat, thinking to himself, "Ancestor, if you believe you're so cultured, why don't you come answer the questions? Can you even understand them?"

"Are you talking ill of me, young man?" Jiang Ping'an vigilantly stared at Emperor Xia.

"How could I dare?" Emperor Xia offered an awkward smile, and handed the completed examination paper to Jiang Ping'an. "Ancestor, please review it."

Jiang Ping'an scanned the paper, realizing he couldn't understand what Emperor Xia had written. He clapped his virtuous descendant's shoulder and said, "Bah, why even look? I trust you!"

Jiang Ping'an handed the examination paper to the Immortal Fairy. "Immortal Fellow Daoist, does this mean I've passed the examination?"

The Immortal Fairy also didn't understand what Emperor Xia had written. His level was far inferior to Little Yang Zi's; if Little Yang Zi had been here, she would surely have understood it herself. However, she couldn't show her ignorance. She had to feign that Emperor Xia's writing was excellent.

"Of course! You are now the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy for the Great Soybean Dynasty!"

Jiang Ping'an immediately beamed with joy. The Chancellor of the Imperial Academy was the highest official of the nation's highest educational institution, a position that could only be held by individuals of extraordinary talent. Although he could self-proclaim himself Chancellor of the Imperial Academy in Great Xia, it paled in comparison to having his scholarship acknowledged by the head of the Five Ancient Immortals.

"Immortal Fellow Daoist, let's talk again when we have more time." Knowing the Immortal Fairy was busy, Jiang Ping'an did not detain her.

When the Immortal Fairy returned to the examination hall with the perfect score paper, Lu Yang and Man Gu were still busy undergoing their heavenly tribulations. Man Gu had been battered beyond recognition by the lightning strikes, but he was still alive, his vitality remarkably robust, allowing him to continue enduring. She set down the examination paper and slipped back into Lu Yang's spiritual space.

"Fairy, where did you go?" Lu Yang wondered. The fairy had been gone for half a day, and the absence of her incessant chatter in his spiritual space felt somewhat unusual.

"Of course, I was protecting Man kiddo and happened to meet Jiang Ping'an. Let me tell you, Jiang Ping'an's cultural level is quite high, perfectly matching my own. I appointed him as the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy!" The Immortal Fairy gesticulated animatedly, feeling incredibly accomplished, having appointed a minister even without Little Yang Zi's help. She looked at Lu Yang with a face full of expectation.

"Fairy, what exactly do you want me to say? I foresee this Great Soybean Dynasty collapsing sooner or later." Fortunately, he was still Master Sister's subordinate; if the Great Soybean Dynasty collapsed, he could still bring the Fairy and seek refuge with Master Sister.

"Fairy, you're amazing!" Lu Yang, understanding the Immortal Fairy's expression, gave her a genuine thumbs-up in heartfelt praise.

"Of course! Who do you think I am?" The Immortal Fairy instantly beamed with delight. Although she could praise herself, it was nowhere near as satisfying as being praised by a devoted loyalist like Little Yang Zi.

Lu Yang spent three days undergoing the lightning tribulation in the Imperial City, attracting immense attention. Of course, his primary purpose was to help Man Gu temper his body with heavenly lightning. The longer the tempering, the better the effect. Attracting attention was merely an unavoidable consequence. "Man Junior Brother, I'll be leaving now... Oh, he's passed out."

Lu Yang noticed his power dissipating. This meant that the clone he had manifested, even with Man Gu's summoning enhancement, could only be sustained for three days. He had no choice but to depart. Before leaving, Lu Yang precisely timed the dissipation of the heavenly tribulation. Like a towering giant, he pointed at the heavenly tribulation, and with wild arrogance and unruliness, he sternly uttered a single word: "Disperse!"

The word 'Disperse' echoed throughout the entire Imperial City, deafening all. The heavenly tribulation was also affected by this power; the dark clouds turned white, and the tribulation vanished.

Man Gu, knocked unconscious by the heavenly lightning, was healed by a shower of heavenly dew. After Lu Yang and the Immortal Fairy departed, he groggily awoke, and, looking at the completed examination paper, was deeply confused. "Do I have a habit of sleepwalking?"

"Your Majesty, this is the top candidate for this imperial examination." The chief examiner presented a neat and clean examination paper to Emperor Xia. Emperor Xia took one look and realized it was precisely the one he had written. His mood instantly brightened. Indeed, his abilities had not diminished.

"Minister Chu, what do you think of the answers on this examination paper?"

The chief examiner cupped his hands and replied truthfully, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this candidate's abilities are mediocre. He deliberately obscured his answers, speaking in vague, incomprehensible terms. His becoming the top candidate is merely a stroke of luck."

*crack*

Emperor Xia's veins bulged. He quietly snapped the writing brush he held. With a forced smile that didn't reach his eyes, he asked, "Luck?"

"Due to a heavenly tribulation occurring during the imperial examination, he was the only candidate who managed to complete all the questions. All other candidates submitted blank papers, which were not counted for scores. Under these circumstances, even if this candidate had answered terribly, he would still receive a minimum score for simply submitting a paper. Thus, he could become the top candidate."

Emperor Xia maintained his smile, revealing no hint of his true thoughts. "Is that so? I, on the other hand, find the answers on this paper quite remarkable, and entirely to my satisfaction. Very well then. This candidate is hereby declared the top scholar of this imperial examination. I will prepare a new set of questions, and the remaining candidates will take another examination three days from now."

"Huh? I'm the top scholar?" When Man Gu learned he had become the top scholar, he was at the 'Come Again' BBQ restaurant, savoring flavors that reminded him of home. "Are ancestral blessings truly this potent?"