Chapter 186 - 144: Scheming
"Hehe, I don’t believe that. Xiangjun, you’re not being honest. When we get back, I’m going to have to deal with you."
The young girl, Zhu Qiqi, immediately grabbed Li Xiangjun’s delicate hand and gently tickled her palm.
Seeing her friend’s face grow increasingly rosy, she couldn’t resist leaning in for a kiss.
Then, her gaze shifted to Fang Yue on the drill grounds.
Her eyes held a hint of curiosity and amusement.
~~~~~~
Standing on the drill grounds, Fang Yue had no idea that he had made quite a name for himself over the past two days. He was now known among the many prominent families of Shanyang Prefecture.
Not that it was a good reputation, mind you.
The day’s assessment was already over, and he had been about to leave.
But the Government Office had issued a last-minute notice: no one was to leave after the assessment concluded.
Apparently, there was an announcement to be made.
"Is that Fang Wuju from Xiahe County?" At that moment, someone suddenly shouted out.
Immediately, Fang Yue looked up to see a burly man approaching him.
The man was tall and powerfully built, with a rugged face.
His eyes were sharp and bright, and he was dressed in a suit of black leather armor.
Fang Yue had a vague recollection of him. His name was rather interesting and had left a deep impression on him from his past life.
That’s why he remembered the man. His name, after all, was Xiong Da.
Of course, it wasn’t just his name that made him noticeable; he was also one of the more formidable Martial Scholars in the Prefecture Examination.
After two days of assessments, his rank was somewhere in the twenties.
He had a very good chance of passing the Prefecture Examination and securing an official post.
’Even though the man’s name was memorable, I’ve never spoken to him before. What could he possibly want?’
"Fang Wuju, have you heard? It seems they’re adding another test to this Prefecture Examination," Xiong Da said in a hushed voice. "I see you’re on your own. Why don’t we team up?"
"Hmm? Xiong, what do you mean by that?" Fang Yue hadn’t heard any whispers about an additional test for the Prefecture Examination, so he had no idea what Xiong Da was talking about.
Still, judging by his words, it was clear there had been another change to the Prefecture Examination.
"You don’t know, Fang? Oh." Xiong Da paused, slightly taken aback. "In that case, pretend I never said anything. Farewell." He had assumed that with a reputation like Fang Yue’s, he must be from some major family with access to inside information about the Prefecture Examination. He had hoped they could form a powerful alliance, joining forces to achieve a good score in the additional test.
But now it seemed Fang Yue really knew nothing at all.
In that case, either Fang Yue was playing dumb, or his background wasn’t high-level enough.
Regardless of the reason, he certainly wouldn’t be teaming up with Fang Yue now.
They weren’t on the same level, so there was no reason for them to associate.
With that, Xiong Da turned and left without another word.
Fang Yue watched him leave, shaking his head slightly. He didn’t dwell on why the man’s attitude had changed so drastically.
Because at that very moment, the examiner presiding over the Martial Scholar Prefecture Examination appeared on the central viewing platform of the drill grounds.
"For this session of the Prefecture Examination, by order of the Mansion Master, an additional test will be administered."
"The top one hundred candidates from the initial tests will participate. The final rankings for the Prefecture Examination will be determined solely by the results of this additional test. Further details will be announced after the current testing is complete. All Scholars are hereby notified."
It was a very simple announcement, vague and incomplete. It mentioned the additional test, but said nothing about what it would entail.
It was unclear whether this was intentional secrecy or something else.
However, not a single Martial Scholar present raised any objections.
After all, the order came directly from the Mansion Master.
In Shanyang Prefecture, the mountains are high and the emperor is far away. Sometimes, an order from the Mansion Master of Shanyang Prefecture carried more weight than a decree from the Emperor of Great Wei himself.
’Looks like something big is really happening.’
It wasn’t just Fang Yue; the other Martial Scholars present, whether they had received prior information or not, all looked grim.
After all, given the circumstances, this additional test would likely be weighted so heavily that it would overshadow all the previous results.
Filled with questions, the crowd of Martial Scholars began to leave the drill grounds.
~~~~~~
「Shanyang Prefecture, Xue Family Mansion.」
"Young Master, what’s going on with the Prefecture Examination? If this is the case, I’m afraid tomorrow’s arrangements will be disrupted."
Of all the people who weren’t participating in the Martial Scholar Prefecture Examination, Liu Chuanzhi was surely the most worried that this new test would affect the final outcome.
With only a hundred people participating, tomorrow’s matches surely won’t be as intense.
After all, with another test to follow, everyone will want to conserve their strength. If they fight too hard tomorrow, they’ll clearly be at a disadvantage in the final round.
"It’s fine. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, there are still some reservations about beating someone to death in the arena. But in the final round? A death or two won’t be a big deal."
Xue Bing smiled faintly. Although his previous plots against Fang Yue had all gone awry, this latest "hiccup" was clearly to his advantage.
’It seems I’ll definitely be able to kill Fang Yue this time.’
’Once Fang Yue is dead, I can arrange for Wei He in Xiahe County to take over all of Fang Yue’s assets, including the Tea Garden.’
’And with that, I can completely crush that punk Bai Xingqiu’s tea business.’
"Alright, you’re dismissed. Just watch how things unfold."
"As you command, Young Master."
Although Liu Chuanzhi still didn’t understand, it was clear Xue Bing knew more than he was letting on and was unwilling to elaborate.