Evergreen Immortal..

Chapter 277 Welcoming the Marquis

Ten days later.

The news that Governor Yuan was conferred the title of Marquis spread throughout Yunzhou, especially the news of recruiting retainers, which attracted countless geniuses to Qinghe.

The newly appointed county magistrate faces his biggest crisis since arriving in Qinghe.

Many of these geniuses are true disciples of the major sects.

Come here for opportunities.

They are all unruly and have powerful backgrounds, making it difficult to manage them.

Oppressing the people of Qinghe is just a small matter.

The most feared thing is that these geniuses will have conflicts. When the big brothers behind them ask about it, it will be a big deal.

"This time, Lord Yuan inspected five prefectures in total, and our Anning Prefecture was chosen in Qinghe."

Ning Zhongtian said.

He had naturally changed Governor Yuan to Marquis Yuan.

If the situation in the north stabilizes, I'm afraid there will be no governor for a long time.

One person commanding several towns has too much power.

It is a routine procedure to confer a title of Marquis and then conduct an inspection. Although the choice of Qinghe was unexpected, it was also reasonable.

After all, Qinghe's current configuration has completely surpassed the provincial capital, and the Municipal Trade Bureau has been established. It is an important place, so it is normal for Lord Yuan to come for inspection.

More importantly.

Lord Yuan will hold competitions to recruit retainers in these five locations.

That is to say, Qinghe will become one of the venues for the competition.

Otherwise, why would all those noble men and ladies in gorgeous clothes gather in Qinghe? Do they really think that if the quality of Qinghe's Jiaofangsi is improved, it can be comparable to that of the capital?
Of course, everyone heard the rumor.

If I could be favored by Lord Yuan, it would be a great favor to my master, and if I could gain the favor of Lord Yuan, it would be something that the clan would be eager to gain.

Of course I would welcome that.

In two days, Lord Yuan will arrive in Qinghe.

It seems that General Cao has been busy running around and is particularly enthusiastic recently.

Ning Zhongtian: "This selection is quite interesting. I have heard about the situations in other places. Very few people can pass the test. I heard that three people have been selected by the Marquis, one civil and two military."

Qinghe is the last stop.

Therefore, the content of the competition is already roughly known.

The competition is divided into civil and military.

The written test is to write an essay.

But if you think that writing articles is all about flowery words, you are totally wrong. It also underestimates the ability of the State of Yu to employ people. After several reforms, coupled with the current Prime Minister Zhang advocating that articles should be used to convey things and be practical.

The article you thought of: "Write a poem on the theme of spring."

In fact: "It is the clans and nobles who govern the world together with me. Nowadays, the style of scholars is not right, the clans are rude, their desires are boundless but their vision is short. If I want to correct the style of scholars and restore the ancient way, what should I do?"

First of all, all content must be supported by classics, then it must be practical, and finally the literary quality cannot be bad.

Otherwise, do you really think that those scholars study hard for decades just to memorize a few thin classics?

There is a lot of knowledge in it.

The topic of this written test was set by Governor Yuan himself, and the topic would be changed in each place.

To be able to stand out in the written examination, the status is no less than that of being in the top three.

As for the martial arts test, it was not as aggressive and aggressive as usual.

But it's different.

Draw your gun.

When Lord Yuan was the governor, he was known as a spear that could resist ten thousand troops.

The content of the competition is Lord Yuan's spear, Duanlang, which is inserted into the ground. Those participating in the competition step forward to pull out the spear. If they can pull it out one inch, they are ranked C; if they can pull it out one foot, they are ranked B; and if they can pull it out completely, they are ranked A+.

After visiting four places, no one has yet been able to achieve an A-level result.

The difficulty is generally apparent.

Ning Zhongtian: "I heard that Lord Yuan's spear is an immortal weapon with a spirit that can test the strength of a warrior, so it can select the person Lord Yuan wants without bloodshed."

This time, Lord Yuan chose his retainers.

The most important thing for retainers is of course their combat capability. Does it mean that those who work below them also need to spend time to train them? That would be too absurd.

of course.

That is, combat power is not necessarily the only criterion. The final choice depends on Lord Yuan’s opinion, and potential is definitely one of the considerations.

Li Rui was about to speak.

Then he saw Xue Gui's aide Han Zhen walking into Li's house.

"Brother Han."

Li Rui stood up and clasped his fists with a smile. Han Zhen had stayed in Qinghe for half a month. It seemed that it was not just for inspection. He must have come here early just to wait for Lord Yuan.

But he heard about it.

When Lord Yuan went on an inspection tour, he only brought a few personal guards with him, and even refused to allow Xue Gui to follow.

Since you won’t let me follow, then so be it.

Xue Gui simply asked people to wait in Qinghe first, so that it would not be considered a violation of the rules.

Everyone knows the role of the finale.

That's why Han Zhen was able to show his face in the last battle in Qinghe and leave a good impression in Lord Yuan's heart.

Han Zhen has no rank and no official position, so he is the most suitable person to do this.

"Brother Li, Lord Yuan has already passed the territory of Anning Mansion and should be here tomorrow."

Han Zhen said.

One day earlier than originally planned.

He smiled and said, "Master Li, our Yunzhou is counting on you."

Lord Yuan has already visited four places and accepted three retainers, and without exception, none of them are from Yunzhou.

no way.

The talents of a state can eventually be compared with those of the rest of the world.

Those three were either disciples from a large sect or elders of a clan. They were indeed experienced enough that the people from several sects in Yunzhou were overwhelmed by them.

Li Rui: "I'll try my best."

A large ship was sailing slowly down the river to the south, its sails rustling on the huge mast that was three meters high.

A large black and gold tiger-patterned flag was flying.

Annan!

This is exactly the ship of the new Marquis of Annan.

on the deck.

A middle-aged man wearing a scarlet robe and looking very heroic stood quietly, letting the river breeze blow on him. His body was like a mountain and he did not move at all.

"General, we will soon reach Qinghe territory."

A young man in his early twenties, wearing light armor, said this.

"Ah."

Yuan Dingting's voice was deep.

He started from Yunzhou, toured five places, and finally reached Qinghe, which was his final destination.

I am quite satisfied with the journey.

Although Yunzhou does not have the heritage like Central Plains and Jiangnan, it also has some characteristics, and this trip can be considered a small gain.

Behind him, there was a man, a woman and an old man.

They are all Yuan Dingting's new retainers.

"Do you think there will be someone else in Qinghe who will be chosen by Lord Yuan?"

The young man started talking.

His name is Yang Heng. He was originally the first disciple of the Shenwu Sect, a major sect in the Central Plains. He is also the hot candidate this time. When he was in Yunzhou, he had already achieved A-level results early on and was accepted as a disciple by Yuan Dingting.

But he was not satisfied with the results.

He was just a retainer, why would he go to so much trouble? What he wanted was the position of the founding disciple.

Now it seems that Lord Yuan has no intention of accepting any disciples.

The woman spoke slowly, her voice pleasant: "I heard that Senior Brother Xu from Guiyun Sect is in Qinghe, it should be him."

Yang Heng nodded:

"With Senior Brother Xu's ability, he is indeed very confident."

The woman, like him, was from a large sect. Her name was Yan Qin and she was the eldest disciple of Tianxiang Valley, with a status equal to his.

In contrast.

The old man next to him seemed a little out of place.

It's not simply because of his age, or the fact that he is the only civil servant among the three, but also because of his background.

The Wang family of Yingdong is a large clan, but the old man is just a branch of the Wang family, a typical poor family.

Nearly sixty years old.

An article actually made him a retainer of the Marquis's Mansion.

It can be said that it was a blockbuster success. But Yang Heng and Yan Qin were different. They had already been famous for a long time and did not need to make a name for themselves in a competition.

It would be strange if people with different backgrounds could have a common topic.

Even if Yang Heng and Yan Qin did not intend to distance themselves from each other, it would still be like this.

While talking.

The big ship slowly approached the shore.

There was already a large group of people waiting at the dock.

"Lord Yuan."

Cao Wei, Yan Zhongxing, Han Zhen and the new magistrate Jia Qi quickly stepped onto the ship and saluted Yuan Dingting.

"Everyone, get up."

The people who were watching the excitement not far from the horse's head stretched their necks, wanting to admire the mighty power of this military saint.

Compared with Ning Zhongtian and others, Li Rui's position is excellent.

Right on the pier.

He could see everything clearly. It was because of his high status in An Ning Wei that Cao Wei only brought him to the dock alone.

of course.

You're just here to come in, you're not qualified to go onto the deck.

'Back to basics?'

Li Rui narrowed his eyes.

In his discerning eyes, Lord Yuan was not as shining as he had imagined. On the contrary, he looked almost the same as an ordinary person, without even a hint of brilliance.

The wisdom eye failed to work on Lord Yuan.

He had a hunch that if Yuan Dingting wanted to kill him, his sharp eyes would not be able to detect it at all.

After all, wisdom eye is a special eye, not a plug-in.

It is impossible to ignore the realm.

According to his speculation, it should be ineffective above the earthly immortals.

as predicted.

After that, of course, it was the time for the local officials to show off. Cao Wei and the other four all showed off their talents, and they couldn't wait to get close to Marquis Yuan.

It's all for the purpose of winning the favor of Lord Yuan.

Lord Yuan is now the king of Yunzhou. When they serve as officials in Yunzhou, they cannot avoid Lord Yuan.

If they are happy, they can get promoted with just one sentence.

About half an hour passed.

Just when the people at the dock were getting impatient, Cao Wei's voice slowly rang out:

"Lord Yuan is selecting retainers. Those who wish to participate, please step forward. The literary test is on the left, and the martial arts test is on the right!"

The crowd, already impatiently waiting, rushed to the dock.

Fortunately, they were all decent people and no chaos occurred.

After all, no one wanted to leave a bad impression on Lord Yuan right from the start. Lord Yuan went to four places and only accepted three people, which meant that Qinghe could accept no one.

They don't want this to happen and end up with nothing.

Subsequently.

The government officials began to organize the people who were taking the written test and went to the shed prepared at the dock.

As for the martial arts test
Lord Yuan took a snow-white silver spear handed to him by the soldier behind him.

Lift up slightly, and then drop down.

The silver spear was inserted four feet into the ground, leaving only a small half of the spear above the ground.

At this time, Cao Wei's voice was heard on the dock.

"Those taking the martial arts test, please step forward and draw your guns in turn."

Just finished talking about the rules.

Several young men from other states rushed up eager to try. Judging from their clothes, one could tell that they must be from a large clan or family.

He frowned and pointed at someone at random.

"It's you, you go first."

The designated young man was overjoyed. He rubbed his hands, walked to the silver spear, rolled up his sleeves, grasped the spear with both hands, and pulled hard.

Not moving.

He suddenly became angry.

Just as he was about to try again, Cao Wei said coldly, "C, next one."

The young man's performance was like a bucket of cold water poured on the head of every participant. The young man was not weak at all. He had the cultivation level of the peak of Longmen, but he was unable to shake the silver spear of Lord Yuan at all.

After the first person's experience, the others became much more obedient.

No one clamored to be the first to go up anymore, and everyone became much more cautious.

Of course, those who rush forward are actually those who are trying their luck, while those who are truly capable of pulling out the silver spear are waiting in anticipation.

More than half an hour passed.

Only then did I finally hear the good news: "B grade."

Seeing a young man pulling out a silver spear a foot high, everyone was shocked.

The silver spear seemed to have intelligence and slowly sank on its own.

The appearance of the first Grade B was like the opening of a floodgate, followed by four or five more Grade Bs.

The atmosphere reached its peak for a moment.

Then, the scene became even more heated.

There were even a few innate warriors who came on stage and achieved excellent results of A.

At this time.

A handsome young man slowly walked out from the crowd.

"Guiyun Sect, Xu Chuan."

"He's here too."

"I can't believe it. I really can't believe it."

When the young man appeared, there was a burst of discussion. It was because Xu Chuan was so famous and he was already a strong man at the peak of the Guanhai Realm. He was also the person with the highest voice in this selection.

Not just people watching the fun.

Even Yang Heng and the other two, who had become his retainers, stole glances with interest.

Yuan Dingting's mouth corners slightly raised.

Cao Wei looked over at the right moment and said, "My Lord, this man's name is Xu Chuan, and he is the eldest disciple of Guiyun Sect."

Yuan Dingting just nodded lightly.

The Guiyun Sect had a great reputation, and most people had some respect for it, but he happened to be not one of them.

Xu Chuan's face looked solemn.

He walked to the silver spear, slowly grasped it with both hands, and his muscles swelled instantly.

All of a sudden——

The shadow of a white tiger emerged.

White Tiger Splitting the Sky Map!
Seeing the shadow appear, many people exclaimed in surprise.

The tiger form is not of high grade, but if it is the divine beast white tiger, it is completely different. It is a top-level true qi that is on par with the dragon form and other qi forms.

"There is no false person under a great reputation."

Ning Zhongtian stood beside Li Rui and clicked his tongue twice.

He had to admit that this guy named Xu Chuan was indeed very powerful.

"First class!"

Cao Wei narrowed his eyes. Xu Chuan had risen more than three feet, firmly reaching Class A. If he could advance a few inches further, he would be at Class A+.

"Young people are to be feared."

He was secretly amazed.

This result is even better than those of the previous few innate warriors.

Xu Chuan finished everything and then returned to the crowd with a calm face, as if nothing had happened.

Everyone was even more amazed at Xu Chuan's extraordinary concentration.

With Xu Chuan as the shining sun, the others became dim.

Although another person got the A grade, he seemed a little mediocre compared to Xu Chuan who was almost A+.

"This silver spear not only has a weapon spirit, but also has the true meaning of earthly immortals."

Ning Zhongtian grinned.

He just stepped forward and tried.

In the end, he got a B grade rating. He also witnessed the power of the silver spear and understood the value of Guiyun Sect's Xu Chuan's previous move.

There were fewer and fewer people participating in the test at the dock, and the atmosphere gradually cooled down.

Li Rui smiled slightly and took a step forward:
"Let me try out the power of this immortal soldier."

(End of this chapter)