The Great Xia Dynasty's Longevity Begins with Connecting to the Swallowed Starry Sky

Chapter 315 Grandmaster, Imperial Examination, Top Scholar
Qin Hao received the visitor, who was sent by Fan Jian.

He was observing the person who came, and the person who came was also observing him.

It's not just because today's events were somewhat coincidental; if we investigate further, it's very likely that Qin Hao was the cause of this whole affair.

Because of Qin Hao's rise, he doesn't seem to have any impact on Qingdu right now, but that may not be the case in the future.

There are so many strange and unsavory characters in Qingdu that every unexpected incident is something to be concerned about.

However, Qin Hao was a student of the Imperial Academy, while the person in front of him was merely a servant in the Si Nan Marquis's mansion.

Qin Hao only granted him a brief audience because of Si Nanbo's status.

The subsequent thank-you gifts were naturally handled by the butler.

However, after this group left, several more groups followed, all sent by the families of the noble ladies who were rescued today.

If you don't repay a life-saving debt, you'll be taken advantage of in the future and have to pay an even higher price.

They're all shrewd people, so naturally they won't give anyone cause for gossip.

Today's gift was especially generous, intended to shut Qin Hao up and prevent him from visiting again in the future.

Qin Hao naturally understood the reasoning behind it, so he accepted all the gifts without hesitation.

He meant the same thing: there was no need for flattery.

Possessing powerful weapons, one need not be concerned with the opinions of others.

Qin Hao's demeanor is neither greedy nor dishonest, which is why he is not criticized.

When Si Nanbo learned of this, he nodded, and his suspicions and doubts lessened slightly.

However, these old foxes will never completely give up their suspicions; they just keep them to themselves.

After that, Qin Hao continued with his life as usual.

When it's time to attend classes, we still go to the Imperial College.

In my spare time, I go to the library to read books.

The Imperial College truly lives up to its reputation as a place for cultivating talent under the Qing Kingdom's Education Department, boasting an extremely rich collection of books.

With the gifts from Si Nanbo and others, plus a bookstore and a shop, Qin Hao had no need to worry about money.

So in my daily life, I do whatever makes me comfortable.

During this period, Qin Hao also successfully completed the provincial examination and became a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination).

The article is beautifully written and also contains substantial content.

The selected solution element.

In no time, his fame soared.

Qin Hao discovered that as he became the top scholar in the imperial examination, good fortune followed.

Even the cultivation of Confucianism and Taoism is greatly accelerated.

"At the lower ninth rank, once the provincial and palace examinations are completed, with the blessing of good fortune, it's not impossible for him to break through to the Grandmaster level."

The Grandmasters of this realm are equivalent to the peak of the second realm, the peak of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation.

It's no wonder that grandmasters in this world can manipulate the surrounding energy with every gesture, transforming it into various attacks.

He looks like a Western magician.

In reality, it's just an application of vital energy.

This is also an application of the spirit.

Before long, the imperial examinations arrived, and Qin Hao naturally went to the examinations with great joy.

Having taken the imperial examinations from previous years, Qin Hao was also well-versed in ancient and modern knowledge, possessed an exceptional memory, and had read countless books.

The imperial examination consisted of three sessions, each lasting three days, and naturally went incredibly smoothly.

His martial arts cultivation has also advanced to the ninth rank, and he is naturally more familiar with martial arts than with Confucianism and Taoism.

Therefore, he had already advanced to the ninth rank at a very early stage.

However, the grandmasters in this realm are somewhat different, so they have not yet broken through.

The nine ranks of martial arts in this world are actually similar to the first realm, both belonging to the stage of refining essence into qi.

The Grandmaster is the second realm, which is also the stage of refining Qi into Spirit.

Leaping forward to the Grandmaster level, one gains a divine soul, enabling them to control primordial energy. Consequently, their strength increases by leaps and bounds, like an insurmountable chasm.

Even a Grandmaster can completely overwhelm a Ninth-Rank martial artist.

After the imperial examination, Qin Hao returned to his original life, appearing extremely peaceful and leisurely.

Because of his status as a top scholar in the provincial examination, he has received many visits these days.

Qin Hao greeted the person indifferently, and then saw them off indifferently.

Without realizing it, they had shown this attitude to everyone.

It wasn't that Qin Hao wasn't enthusiastic enough; rather, his involvement was to test certain elements of Confucian and Taoist cultivation.

The rest is none of his business.

But with the arrival of the title of Huiyuan, the quiet days became lively.

"Congratulations, young master, on passing the imperial examination with top honors."

Even the silver bottle cannot fathom the allure of worldly glory.

In feudal society, even if one passed the first two imperial examinations, the subsequent palace examination would not be abolished, and one would at least become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).

The future is likely limitless.

This is what wealth and honor are all about.

He might even be able to join the cabinet in the future.

In this situation, who can ignore it?
Only Qin Hao, who possesses several worlds and has immense personal power, could do this.

Along with the top scholar came immense fortune.

The practice of Confucianism and Taoism has also been advancing with unstoppable momentum.

If Qin Hao hadn't been proficient in concealing his breath, and if Confucianism and Taoism hadn't been so ostentatious, his promotion would have been silent and unnoticed.

At this moment, countless people in Qingdu probably know that another ninth-rank expert has joined the ranks here.

"I have cultivated both martial arts and Confucianism to the peak of the ninth rank, and I am only one step away from becoming a grandmaster."

But in the world of Joy of Life, this step has tripped up countless people.

There are only four Grandmasters in the world.

Ye Liuyun, a member of the Ye family in Nanqing, mastered the Flowing Clouds Scattered Hand technique and became a grandmaster. He appears calm and collected, but his heart is the most worldly.

Si Gu Jian, the guardian deity of Dongyi City, is renowned for his unparalleled swordsmanship. He has severed all emotions and even slaughtered his family in his pursuit of swordsmanship.

Si Gu Jian was mentally challenged in his early years. He only received some care from Ye Qingmei and Wu Zhu. Therefore, although he had severed all feelings of love and affection, he still remembered Ye Qingmei.

This can be considered as the network of connections that Ye Qingmei left for Fan Xian.

Ku He, the National Preceptor of Northern Qi, became a Grandmaster through cultivating the Heavenly Dao and is the strongest guardian of the Northern Qi royal family.

Finally, there's Emperor Qing.

It can be said that all four of them are related to Ye Qingmei, and their ability to become Grandmasters is also thanks to Ye Qingmei.

Its essence is still what Ye Qingmei brought out from the temple.

This made Qin Hao very curious: what exactly was the temple, and what was its origin?

If it's so mysterious, why can't it lead the people of the previous era to survive?

"It's still a bit short. It seems we'll have to wait for the palace examination."

Qin Hao is not incapable of forcing a breakthrough, but there's no need for it.

If it weren't for the imperial examination, Qin Hao, through persistent effort, wouldn't have needed much longer—about six months—to achieve a breakthrough on his own.

If resources are invested, this speed can be greatly increased, and it could be completed in about three months, or even within two months.

However, Qin Hao was not in a hurry. In just over a year, he had already reached the bottleneck before becoming a Grandmaster.

He's not in a hurry; he'll take his time.

Half a month later, the palace examination arrived.

After exchanging greetings, Emperor Qing spoke a few words and then presented the questions.

Qin Hao glanced at it and knew that the topic was about governing a country.

Qin Hao is well-traveled and knowledgeable, having experienced several worlds similar to the Legend of the Condor Heroes, so he naturally has no shortage of strategies for governing a country.

Before long, he wrote a lengthy piece of writing, several thousand words long.

After submitting their papers, they waited for Prime Minister Lin and others to grade them before handing them over to Emperor Qing for personal ranking.

Qin Hao's policy essay was undoubtedly brilliant, but after reviewing the papers, Lin Xiang and others couldn't help but put Qin Hao's ranking lower.

The results of the palace examination were not only based on the exam itself, but also on one's family background.

Among the many successful candidates in this examination, there were quite a few from prominent families, as well as sons of court officials, forming a complex and intertwined network.

Since the list can only have three people, Qin Hao would naturally not be included.

Qin Hao is quite knowledgeable, and his writing is eloquent and substantial.

However, he lacked a good background and was extremely arrogant.

However, after Emperor Qing saw it, he personally changed Qin Hao's name back.

Qin Hao sat there, feeling an immense aura of fortune looming above his head, threatening to fall off.

Seems to be waiting for something.

Qin Hao knew that Emperor Qing was considering what ranking to give him.

That massive mass of fortune was also divided into several colors.

Whatever rank Emperor Qing bestows upon him, that rank will determine how much fortune falls upon him.

Initially, Emperor Qing considered Qin Hao's background and his handsome appearance, and planned to award him the title of Tan Hua (third-ranked scholar).

It was also because Qin Hao was only sixteen years old and had already won two imperial examinations, which made him quite famous.

Furthermore, the officials of the imperial court must also be taken into account.

Emperor Qing was an excellent politician and strategist who valued balance above all else.

But after much thought, Prime Minister Lin's power was already great enough, with connections to all the officials, and Li Yunrui controlled the Imperial Treasury, holding half of the Qing Kingdom's financial power.

Qin Hao's aloofness only serves to highlight his character, and he might prove useful in the future.

Emperor Qing then personally wrote the judgment and directly awarded him the title of top scholar.

With all the good fortune hanging over him, Qin Hao knew he was destined to be the top scholar.

With this influx of energy, the Confucian and Taoist cultivation, which was previously stuck at a bottleneck, broke through the bottleneck and advanced to the Grandmaster level.

Qin Hao exerted all his strength to conceal his aura and used the Hongmeng Treasure Mirror to hide his power, remaining completely silent throughout the entire process.

Only Emperor Qing seemed to sense something, glancing at Qin Hao thoughtfully.

However, Qin Hao kept his eyes down, neither looking up nor making any comment.

Emperor Qing found nothing and said nothing more.

Immediately, someone began calling out the names.

Then, riding horses through the streets, it was just like the chanting of names outside Donghua Gate, giving off the feeling of a true man.

Qin Hao, mounted on his horse, watched a fascinating spectacle of someone helping their subordinates catch a potential son-in-law.

Of course, those who help catch sons-in-law only dare to catch those in the third rank; no one dares to catch those in the second or first rank.

This situation has already occurred once before during the previous examination.

At this moment, a gaze fell on Qin Hao. Qin Hao looked up and saw a young girl leaning against the window of a private room in a restaurant on the street.

At that moment, her gaze was fixed on him.

When Fan Ruoruo saw Qin Hao looking at her, she suddenly felt a little shy for some reason.

She resisted the urge to back down and forced a smile.

Qin Hao nodded in response, but that was all.

He had no desire to respond to any feelings, even though it was just a body of another.

His life was dedicated solely to the Dao.

Turning his gaze away, Qin Hao felt a magnetic field radiating outwards from his side.

Soon, he had complete control over the situation within a few miles.

"Is this a scaled-down version of family, country, and the world?"

In fact, the concept of family, country, and the world can be considered a realm that can only be comprehended upon reaching the fourth realm, which is the realm of returning to emptiness and merging with the Dao, or the realm of a realm master.

However, Qin Hao had already grasped the essence, but the functions were not as complete, nor as powerful.

However, as the signature ability of the fourth realm, the function of governing the country and the world is still extremely strong.

Even in the scaled-down version, his strength was elevated to an unparalleled level in this world.

"Now we are safe and sound. We don't even need to worry about the Barrett sniper rifle left behind by Ye Qingmei."

In truth, the technological development of this world, that is, the technology developed by the old humans, is somewhat distorted.

There seems to be a spaceship beneath the temple.

While far inferior to the spaceships of the Swallowed Star world, it's worth remembering that in the side stories of Joy of Life, it was mentioned that Fan Xian and his maid's daughter once piloted a spaceship to outer space. However, the old humans also found it strange that if they had spaceships, why would a nuclear war break out?
If you have any needs, you can ask for them from outside; why limit yourself to this earth?

Putting aside his concerns about family, country, and the world, Qin Hao turned and left.

Afterwards, the Deer Cry Banquet was held.

Qin Hao naturally accepted the invitation.

Emperor Qing appeared, looked at Qin Hao, and suddenly said, "Chengze, today is the day for the imperial examination to select talents."

The top three on the list are all outstanding individuals; please offer them wine on my behalf.

Li Chengze was just a young man, and his face lit up with joy upon hearing this.

Not far away, the crown prince's face darkened slightly.

He was the third son of Emperor Qing, only slightly younger than Li Chengze.

However, the crown prince is not included in the imperial ranking, so there is a third prince below him, who will inherit the throne in the future.

Of course, this is the ending in the original work.

Qin Hao felt that the Third Prince should not inherit the throne.

Li Chengze suppressed his joy. In recent days, Emperor Qing had scolded the Crown Prince several times, while he himself had received much praise from Emperor Qing.

Many officials praised Li Chengze for having the demeanor of a wise king.

A wise king?

Qin Hao took all of this in and sneered.

What kind of wise king is he? He's just a fabricated figurehead.

Just like there's a wise king in the Qianyang Realm, who's still being held captive.

His crime of inciting the demon race to invade is extremely heinous.

Of course, Qin Hao knew that the detention was what the Great Xia royal family publicly claimed.

In reality, he was just in seclusion somewhere practicing spiritual cultivation.

Qin Hao has never looked down on these things.

However, he still accepted the glass of wine that Li Chengze offered him.

The interview was rather casual, and the interviewer didn't seem to feel particularly honored to have accepted the drink.

Li Chengze looked a little embarrassed, but fortunately, the second and third place winners were very excited, which gave Li Chengze face and allowed him to back down.

Emperor Qing glanced at Qin Hao again, his face expressionless. No one knew what he was thinking.

This is a ruthless and ambitious man who always wants to control everyone and everything, leaving others to obey him like puppets.

The Crown Prince was the heir to the throne in his heart.

But the crown prince cannot be without ability, so he needs a whetstone.

Li Chengze was the best candidate to be this whetstone.

So, despite Li Chengze's seemingly glamorous current situation, he actually has no chance of winning at all.

And in the distance, there was that alluring and radiant figure.

The eldest princess is a madwoman with a twisted affection for Emperor Qing.

More than a decade ago, Ye Qingmei's death was also inextricably linked to her.

Because of unrequited love, the way he looked at Emperor Qing and the Crown Prince was speechless.

Unable to win the heart of the prince, she turned to him, even engaging in an illicit affair.

They are all containers on the table, like cups and goblets.

Qin Hao's Primordial Spirit Eye clearly saw the faint connection between Li Yunrui and Li Chengqian, suggesting that the two had probably already tasted forbidden fruit.

This woman is quite promiscuous.

However, these things have nothing to do with Qin Hao.

At least for now, there's no connection.

After returning from the Deer Cry Banquet, Qin Hao said to Yin Ping, "Have the steward come over here."

Yinping withdrew and quickly summoned the steward. Yinping stood guard at the door, preventing anyone from coming over.

There's no doubt about this maid's loyalty.

Qin Zhang, the steward, was bought by Qin Hao from a brokerage firm. He used to be the chief steward of a high-ranking official.

Because he was found guilty of embezzlement, Emperor Qing ordered him to be beheaded.

All the women in the household went to the brothel, and the servants were sent to the brokerage firm and resold.

Qin Hao bought the family and also bought and properly settled them.

Now it is his loyal steward.

"We can begin."

Qin Hao spoke, and Qin Zhang nodded.

Qin Hao had already made plans beforehand, waiting until he advanced to the Grandmaster level and gained the ability to protect himself.

We're about to start planning.

Whatever plans I make in the future, I will make a decision after seeing Fan Xian.

But there are some things that must be done.

Qin Hao never fights a battle unprepared. What kind of battles does he fight?
Some say that war is all about logistics.

That's right, supplies must precede troops.

Without sufficient logistical support, the war could not be sustained.

How can you fight a war if you're not well-fed?

They all starved to death.

But there's another saying: war is actually about intelligence.

With sufficient intelligence, one can make moves with ease.

You're doomed to lose before it even begins.

What Qin Hao wanted was intelligence.

The next day, a restaurant called Sihai Restaurant opened on Niulan Street in Qingdu.

This restaurant has an extremely rich and novel menu, and most importantly, the food tastes excellent.

In addition, Sihai Restaurant also has an excellent wine called Qingxi Liuquan.

Every time I drink it, it gives me a refreshing feeling, like after a rain in an empty mountain.

It felt like being deep in the mountains after the rain, giving me a sense of peace and contentment.

Within days, the Sihai Restaurant became incredibly popular.

It's not that no one has tried to find out what's behind Sihai Restaurant, but none of them have had a good outcome.

On the third floor of the Sihai Restaurant, there is a ninth-rank master in charge, which makes people suspicious and wondering about the background of this restaurant.

Qin Hao didn't open this restaurant to make money.

He could have as much silver as he wanted.

In the Qianyang Realm, gold and silver are nothing special; Star Yuan is the better and more widely circulated currency.

Half a month later, Qin Hao's appointment arrived.

"Follow the sky..."

The eunuch looked at Qin Hao with a grin and said, "Scholar, receive the imperial decree."

Qin Hao raised his head, accepted the imperial edict, and another wave of fortune descended upon him.

Previously, that was the luck of being the top scholar; now, it's a newly acquired official position.

Compiler of the Hanlin Academy—this was the official position bestowed upon him by Emperor Qing.

However, the imperial edict also specified the specific duties. Originally, this official position was supposed to be in charge of compiling the Veritable Records, recording the emperor's words and deeds, lecturing on classics and history, and drafting documents related to ceremonies.

However, in the imperial edict, Emperor Qing ordered Qin Hao to work at the Hanlin Academy and manage its collection of books.

Qin Hao readily accepted, saying that reading more books is not a bad thing.

As for contacting Emperor Qing?

no need.

He never thought about getting promoted. The power was in his own hands. What official position couldn't a Grandmaster-level expert obtain?

Reading books and contemplating Confucianism and Taoism is also a good idea.

A brocade pouch slid smoothly into the eunuch's hand, who then quickly put it away.

This was something they were used to doing; every time an imperial edict was read aloud, they would receive some reward.

Although these things cannot be said openly, they are all unspoken rules.

If the eunuch refuses to accept it, it means that bad things are about to happen to you.

Qin Hao wasn't actually afraid of the other party, but he didn't want to cause trouble over a little money.

There's no need to offend these eunuchs.

Of course, there's no need to get close.

They're not going to side with you; they're just doing their jobs for money.

They received the imperial edict, along with the official robes that accompanied them.

Qin Hao had someone escort the eunuch away.

The steward, Qin Zhang, came over and asked, "Master, what's going on with His Majesty?"

Qin Hao didn't need to guess; he guessed that Emperor Qing had asked Li Chengze to serve him wine that day, and Qin Hao's rather distant attitude displeased the emperor.

However, Qin Hao genuinely doesn't like Li Chengze; he thinks he's not very smart.

They were caught up in the situation but had no idea of ​​their own predicament.

The officials in the court all favored him and called him the Wise King.

Those were just people Li Yunrui had paid to win over; they would switch sides almost instantly if Li Yunrui gave the word.

In the future, there will be a Ye family, and Li Chengze will marry Ye Ling'er, the daughter of the Ye family.

But that was only Emperor Qing's wish; Li Chengze himself did not receive the support of the Ye family.

In a single sentence, Li Chengze was utterly defeated.

Qin Hao didn't care about Emperor Qing's treatment.

He wanted to use himself as a pawn, although Qin Hao was not afraid, if Emperor Qing really wanted to make a move.

Qin Hao will let him know why the flowers are so red.

But Qin Hao was unwilling to follow Emperor Qing's instructions.

What is Emperor Qing anyway?
Reading is also a good option.

"It's alright, just focus on your own business. The wind is rising, and things aren't going to be peaceful in Qingdu."

Fan Xian should be coming back soon.

Next, the winds rise in Qingdu, and the story is about to unfold.

Fan Xian is like a catfish, about to draw back the curtain on a major event in Qingdu, or rather, in the world.

"I just don't know how many of them will survive?"

Qin Hao certainly wouldn't let the plot unfold as it pleased; he still wanted to push someone up and nurture this world.

As for who it is, Qin Hao has not yet made a decision.

It's most likely Fan Xian.

But that's not necessarily true; perhaps it's the Third Prince?
If he knows what's good for him.

The next day, Qin Hao put on his official robes and went to the Hanlin Academy to take up his post.

People looked at him with extremely strange eyes, and many people avoided him.

Qin Hao didn't care, he reported for duty and went to the library to wait.

Countless people were watching him, and none of them doubted that someone who could win Emperor Qing's favor and be appointed as the top scholar in the imperial examination was a fool.

This person is definitely insightful; he's just not willing to follow Emperor Qing's wishes and join the Second Prince's ranks.

"Being caught in the middle, you want to stay out of it? No way!"

someone said.

Although many people don't want to take sides, Emperor Qing has spoken, so in the end they will probably have to choose sides.

Alternatively, one could spend their entire life as a compiler in the Imperial Academy, holding the rank of seventh grade for life.

Qin Hao didn't care at all, and from that day on, he stayed in the library.

Reading books, then organizing the bookshelves, creating catalogs, and managing the library in an orderly manner, just like a modern library.

Regardless of what others think.

(End of this chapter)