Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 43: Wusheng Examination (Part )
On March 20th of the fifth year of Kaihuang, the wind was gentle and the sky was clear.

At three quarters past the hour of Mao, drums and horns sounded, and Yang Lin, wearing bright silver armor, walked onto the high platform of the parade ground, supported by the soldiers, overlooking the entire field.

The military examination hall was located at a strategic point in the capital, and was surrounded by high and thick walls with a watchtower on top where soldiers came and went for patrol.

In the parade grounds, troops were stationed, their flags fluttering in the wind, their armor gleaming, their spears and swords arrayed in rows. Their shouts resonated throughout the fields.

"Your Highness, the auspicious time has arrived. It's time to ring the bell to let the examinees in."

Yang Su, the examiner next to Yang Lin, bowed and said.

Emperor Yang Jian asked King Yang Lin to personally preside over the military examination and gave Yang Lin the power of life and death.

Yang Lin's eyes were stern as he scanned the training grounds. He nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "Open the gates and let the candidates in!"

"Open the gates and let the candidates in!"

The message was conveyed by fellow examiner Yang Su, and the generals on both sides responded in unison. For a moment, the entire military examination hall was filled with the sound of candidates being allowed to enter.

"rise,"

In the bell tower beside the imperial gate, the two soldiers holding the bell pestle shouted in unison, tensed their arm muscles, and pushed the pestle with all their might, hitting the bronze bell.

"Boom-"

A deep, deep bell suddenly rang out, echoing across the training grounds. Soldiers continued to push the bell pestle, and the bells continued to ring. Each ringing announced to all quarters the official start of the military examination.

Amid the continuous ringing of bells, the examination gates slowly opened, and the crowd of examinees surged in. Thousands of people poured into the military examination hall, creating a massive crowd.

Lu Shang held the Thunder Blade, Shang Silang held the Eight Treasures Camel Dragon Spear, Wei Cheng carried the hunched Ancient Moon Elephant Trunk Sword, and Xin Yongfeng held the Iron Square Spear. They walked slowly forward along the crowd.

When the candidates reached the center of the training ground, Yang Lin raised his hand and the messenger immediately waved the command flag. As the flag was raised, the bell sounded gradually faded.

The entire martial arts examination hall fell silent in an instant, and everyone's attention was focused on the platform.

Yang Lin looked down and said loudly: "Everyone, today you and I gather in the training grounds for the grand event of the Great Sui Dynasty's military examination, which is also a grand event for warriors."

"The Great Sui Dynasty Military Examination is to select pillars of the imperial court and generals for the country. It concerns the country and society of the Great Sui Dynasty. Of course, it also concerns your future. I hope you will give it your all here and live up to your education."

He paused briefly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the numerous candidates, and said, "This exam is a national exam. During the exam period, no one is allowed to cheat or abuse their power for personal gain. Whether it's passing on information, impersonating someone else, or even possessing prohibited equipment, anyone caught will be executed immediately!"

Yang Lin's expression was stern, his words were loud and clear, and he was filled with murderous intent.

"cut!"

The soldiers stationed around them roared in unison, and three "kills" were shouted, shocking many candidates.

Yang Lin waved his hand, communicated with the examiner Yang Su, and announced the rules of the martial arts test.

"This special examination will first have a preliminary test, followed by a martial arts competition. Only those who pass the preliminary test are eligible to enter the competition. The preliminary test consists of five stages: horse archery, foot archery, flat archery, horse spear, and crossbow archery. If you pass one of the five stages, you'll get a low score. If you pass two of the five stages, you'll get a low score. If you pass three of the five stages, you'll get a fair score. If you pass four of the five stages, you'll get an excellent score. If you pass all five stages, you'll get an excellent score."

"For the best, the seventh rank is granted, and a reward of one hundred strings of cash is given; for the best of the best, the fifth rank is granted, and a reward of one thousand strings of cash is given."

"This is the preliminary test. After the preliminary test, there will be a martial arts arena. There are five martial arts arenas, located in five directions. If you pass the preliminary test, you will draw a life or death lot, and the winner will defend the arena. In the five arenas, anyone who passes the preliminary test can enter, and the winner will defend the arena."

"A ring is a place where wrestling competitions are held. The number of times a wrestler can compete is limited. The worst-performing fighters only get one chance. The worst-performing fighters can try again. The best-performing fighters get three chances. The best-performing fighters get four. The best-performing fighters get five."

"This system is to prevent excessive testing and promote fairness, so that everyone can use their abilities to compete for victory in the competition and show their skills." The preliminary test has five stages: horse shooting, foot shooting, flat shooting, horse spear, and cross-examination. Horse shooting and foot shooting are not difficult to understand, as they test horseback shooting and foot archery skills.

There are three types of tests: flat shooting, horse spear and weightlifting. Flat shooting tests the accuracy of archery, horse spear is the spear technique on horseback, and weightlifting means weightlifting. Weightlifting also means lifting, so weightlifting tests the strength of the candidates.

In fact, except for the Qiao level, these five levels are not difficult at all for a true master. A true master has sharp six senses, five senses, and is proficient in the art of riding and shooting.

As soon as Yang Lin finished speaking, the training ground fell silent, and then discussions surged like a tide.

The candidates were either whispering to each other, discussing the exam rules and their own strengths, or closing their eyes in thought, silently adjusting their state.

Lu Shang gently stroked the Thunder Blade and whispered to Shang Silang beside him, "We must give our all in this martial arts exam and not let this great opportunity go to waste."

Shang Silang tightened the Eight Treasures Camel Dragon Spear in his hand and nodded slightly.

At this moment, Yang Lin waved his hand and shouted, "The preliminary test begins, first the horse archery test!"

As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of nimble war horses were led out from the stable on one side of the parade ground, carrying special quivers filled with feather arrows on their backs.

The first candidate took a deep breath, jumped on his horse, whipped it and galloped away.

He drew an arrow from his quiver, drew the bow, aimed, and shot. His movements were all done in one smooth motion, but the arrow just grazed the edge of the bull's eye.

Seeing the examinee's performance, Lu Shang thought to himself, "This horseback archery not only tests archery skills, but also requires the perfect coordination between rider and horse. There can be no distractions."

After dozens of candidates entered the venue in an orderly manner, it was Lu Shang's turn.

"It's my turn,"

He climbed onto his horse, his legs lightly clamped around its belly, and the warhorse neighed as it galloped out. He sat firmly on its back, his eyes fixed on the bull's eye, and as the horse rose and fell, he fired his arrows, each one hitting the target, drawing rounds of cheers.

Yang Lin, the examiner on the high platform, was attracted by the cheers. His fellow examiner, Yang Su, said, "This boy is Lü Shang, the son of the Duke of Qi."

Yang Lin nodded, his face showing a strange expression, and said: "It's him."

In the training ground, Shang Silang, Wei Cheng and Xin Yongfeng also completed horse archery in turn, each showing their superb archery skills.

Shang Silang's arrows were sharp and each one was accompanied by a whistling sound. Although Wei Cheng was of a burly build, he was agile and free when riding and shooting. Xin Yongfeng was calm and steady, and every arrow he shot hit its target.

After the horse shooting is over, the foot shooting will follow.

The candidates came to the fixed arrow formation and shot at the target at a specified distance.

This level tests the examinee's concentration and accuracy.

Lu Shang still performed well in archery. He stood still and pulled the bowstring to its full extent.

Every arrow shot hit the bull's eye, drawing the attention of the examiners and candidates. Shang Silang was equally determined, his arrows powerful and resilient, making a dull thud as they struck the target.

After the candidates finished their shooting, the atmosphere on the training ground became increasingly tense.

In front of the flat shooting arena, the invigilators began to read out the rules of flat shooting: "For flat shooting, you must shoot at a moving target from a distance of 100 steps. The number of hits will determine the winner."

The difficulty of this level is significantly increased. It requires not only accurate archery skills but also the ability to react quickly.

(End of this chapter)