Chapter 476 - 305: Golden List Champion, Center of Attention

Time passed, and after the hunt in the eastern suburbs, there came three days of heavy snow.

And today is the day of the Golden Hundred Knowledge Grand Competition, the most attention-grabbing event in the entire Qin Dynasty.

Inside the Imperial City, Master of Painting Dao Tang Bai, Prime Minister Zuo Yuan, Minister of the Ministry of Rites Qi Nankai, Minister of the Ministry of Industry Shangguan Kang, Minister of the Ministry of Personnel Liao Yuan, Scholars of the Xue Lin Pavilion Lu Jin, Huangfu Qian, and dozens of other important ministers knelt outside the Jinluan Hall.

"By His Majesty’s command, the Golden Hundred Knowledge Grand Competition will be co-hosted by all of you," announced the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm expert Tang Guang outside the hall, conveying the emperor’s decree.

"Yes." The ministers accepted the order.

The Golden Hundred Knowledge Grand Competition includes literary arts such as poetry and prose, qin, chess, calligraphy and painting, as well as martial arts like swords, guns, staffs, fists, palms, claws, and kicks, and even side arts like alchemy and artifact refining, totaling a hundred skills.

The hundred skills are divided into two rounds of competition. The first round selects the top hundred for each skill, and the second round is the final competition among these hundred.

In fact, there is another round, a preliminary selection at the county level throughout the dynasty, executed locally in each county to qualify for the competition in the Qin Capital.

Today is the qualification establishment for the top hundred people entering the Imperial City.

The works made for the competition will be presented today and reviewed by major ministers such as Tang Bai, Zuo Yuan, and Qi Nankai, ultimately selecting the top hundred people.

Each skill’s top hundred, making it a grand competition of tens of thousands of individuals.

Ten thousand sounds like a lot, but each is the best talent from various fields in the Qin Dynasty, respected as masters in their respective counties.

One day to establish the selection of a hundred people.

...

Qin Capital, Outer South City, Cyan Fire Blacksmith Shop.

Chu Ming sat facing Hoong Ying in full black attire.

"Your painting has passed," said Hoong Ying.

"Good." Chu Ming nodded, not too surprised.

"The Golden Hundred Knowledge Grand Competition officially starts tomorrow, but the painting contest is the day after tomorrow," Hoong Ying added.

Chu Ming sipped tea, the Sword Gourd Spirit sensing the refining furnace in the backyard, guessing something.

"Sister Hoong Ying is participating in the artifact refining competition?"

"How did you know?" Hoong Ying’s beautiful eyes shone, somewhat surprised.

Chu Ming put down the teacup, took out a book, and said with a smile, "Sister Hoong Ying might want to look at this, it may be helpful."

"It’s getting late, I’ll be off now."

"Leaving already?"

"I must go."

"Alright then, come early the day after tomorrow."

"Hmm." Chu Ming left through the snow.

Hoong Ying picked up the book and looked at it, her eyes immediately focused.

The contents were a more profound artifact refining technique.

Just a few pages and Hoong Ying’s heart was already in turmoil.

"This artifact refining technique...feels easier to understand than the Red Flame Race’s ’Red Flame Refining Technique,’ yet more profound."

"Easier to comprehend, yet more profound? Is there such an artifact refining technique in this world?"

Hoong Ying quickly flipped through it, spiritual insights emerging like bamboo shoots after the rain.

She eagerly headed to the backyard, preparing to refine the precious artifacts again.

...

Chu Ming returned to the mansion.

The Sword Gourd Spirit spread out, detecting two groups loitering outside.

One group exuded Blood Evil Qi, members of the Blood Evil Sect.

The other group bore obvious evil ghost symbols, from the Shadow Tower which failed the previous assassination attempt and had its base raided. They had probably traced him here.

After a brief thought, Chu Ming decided not to take action.

The two groups were too weak, better to leave them to catch bigger prey.

Shortly after.

Palace maid Su Xin brought a message from the palace.

"Sir, Your Seventh Highness requests your presence."

"Understood, ready the carriage."

"Yes."

Chu Ming participated in two categories in the Golden Hundred Knowledge Grand Competition with two identities.

One is Hoong Jun, arranged by Hoong Ying, in the painting contest. Earlier, visiting the Cyan Fire Blacksmith Shop was to inform that his painting had passed the selection.

The other identity is his real one, participating in the poetry competition.

The Seventh Prince’s summons must be regarding the poetry top hundred selection result.

If nothing unexpected happens, he should be among the top hundred.

...

Imperial City, Western Palace, Jingran Hall.

The Fifth Prince and the Seventh Prince sat inside the hall, Chu Ming sat on the right side.

Since the Crown Prince’s attitude towards Chu Ming changed dramatically, every time Chu Ming came to Jingran Hall, he sat next to the Seventh Prince.

"Attendant Reader Chu, you have already passed the poetry top hundred selection, congratulations," the Fifth Prince opened first.

"Thank you, Fifth Prince."

"Tomorrow is the poetry competition, with Attendant Reader Chu’s knowledge, you’re sure to come out on top and be admitted to the Celestial Book Garden," the Fifth Prince said with a smile.

Celestial Book Garden?

Chu Ming looked puzzled.

"Haha, big brother said, as long as Attendant Reader Chu can make it to the top ten in the competition, you can enter the Celestial Book Garden and consult all the books."

Previously, the Seventh Prince mentioned the Celestial Book Garden, which has even more books than the Wenlin Garden.

The books are more precious, almost all unique or fragmented copies, difficult to find outside.

Many of the ancient texts and books studied in Wenlin Garden were requested from the Celestial Book Garden.

Entering the Celestial Book Garden to read in the top ten...this time he couldn’t just go through the motions.

He originally planned not to stand out too much in the poetry competition, getting into the top twenty would suffice.

"Chu Ming, the top ten isn’t that easy," the Seventh Prince appeared somewhat serious, "I went through the poems you submitted this morning, among the top hundred, they weren’t particularly outstanding, at most, you might be around the top twenty."

"I know you haven’t shown your full potential, but this competition shouldn’t be underestimated."

"Like Luu Xi, the son of Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat Luu Shizhong, protected by Prime Minister Zuo Yuan, he is filled with knowledge and will undoubtedly give it his all for his father."

"There’s also Xuu Mu and Zhuge Chen from the First-Grade Cold Family."

"Liao Huai, son of the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Shangguan Jinxiao, son of the Minister of the Ministry of Industry."

"Lu Zhen, son of Scholars of the Xue Lin Pavilion Lu Jin, and Huangfu Cheng, son of Grand Scholar Huangfu Qian."

"These people have taken the top seven spots, each well-versed in literature, and today’s poetry received high praise from Master Tang Bai and other ministers."