Chapter 118: The Test Outside the Venue

When Fang Jie walked out of the venue, he was still dumbfounded. Under the jealous and envious gazes of all other participants, Fang Jie forced himself not to show fear. With his head slightly raised, he walked out with a smile.

After leaving the venue, Fang Jie couldn’t help but rub his face; his facial muscles were stiff from smiling too much.

Fang Jie found a big tree and sat in the shade before thinking back to what happened.

The Emperor’s sudden edict didn’t only bring Fang Jie a ton of joy. After thinking that he obtained excellent ratings for these five written tests, he felt a headache; he felt like this would bring him trouble in the future.

Fang Jie was someone who liked to worry about the future. His first reaction wasn’t that his path into the Martial Arts Academy was now stable; he worried about the unnecessary trouble that this new-found fame might bring him. Fang Jie was afraid of trouble, even though he had been experiencing trouble all his life.

After sitting for a bit and calming down, Fang Jie directly lay in the cool shade and rested with his eyes closed.

Technically, he could go back today. According to schedule, the martial tests would happen tomorrow. Also, since the Emperor executed Bi Yuntao and delayed the written tests, the martial tests might be delayed as well.

Although it seemed like Fang Jie was wasting time by lying here, he didn’t plan to leave. At least he didn’t think it was time for him to leave.

Lying on the grass, Fang Jie chewed on a blade of grass and looked at the thick leaves of the tree above him with a bright smile.

Before walking into the gate of the Martial Arts Academy, Fang Jie had never thought that things would take such an unexpected turn.

He had imagined many times and tried to think of all the possible trouble he might face today. He even thought that if he failed to make it into the Martial Arts Academy, should he go and ask Xiang Qingniu for protection?

After all, it seemed like he had many enemies in Chang’an. If he couldn’t make it into the Martial Arts Academy, he couldn’t live in Chang’an for three years. Although he could choose to become a civil official in Belvedere of Literary Profundity or other places, he knew himself well, and it wasn’t a good path for him. He would be done once his knowledge from Earth got used up.

The most important thing was that he didn’t have much new knowledge.

He could rely on pinyin and math for a while, but those weren’t complex subjects. If he entered civil agencies such as Belvedere of Literary Profundity, others would find out about his true knowledge soon.

Also, he remembered what Zhuo Buyi told him. The fights between scholars were crueler than the fights between soldiers during battle.

Everything was in the open on the battlefield, but scholars and civil officials would stab you from places that you wouldn’t expect, ending your life mercilessly.

Wu Yidao had told Fang Jie something similar.

Fang Jie had experiences on Earth and in this world, so he knew that without wisdom and high tolerance, it was extremely tough for someone without an insane amount of knowledge to succeed in politics.

In comparison, Fang Jie would rather enter the military than becoming a civil official. With his limited understanding of politics and behaviors, he would die in others’ schemes quickly.

He lacked experience in this field, and he needed time to grow.

If Fang Jie only had two choices, one being entering the government where fighting with others secretly was more important, and the other being entering One Qi Daoist Temple and becoming a small daoist, he would choose the second option without hesitation.

Although he could soar into the sky with the first choice, it was also extremely dangerous. Many talented people from poor backgrounds were turned into dust by influential figures after they entered the government. The second option seemed unambitious, and it was calm and steady.

Desiring peace was something that most seniors had, and most young people were ambitious. Fang Jie was ambitious, but he didn’t mind living a peaceful life. Perhaps people who had his experiences would have similar thoughts. If he couldn’t outcompete others, he was ok with finding another place and being an insignificant figure.

“Congratulations.”

Just as Fang Jie lay on the grass and pondered, someone suddenly spoke to him. This voice was warm and gentle, and Fang Jie heard it not long ago.

It was the female professor who authenticated participants’ identities, had an insane memory, and had a pair of crystal-like white eyes.

Fang Jie remembered that her name was Qiu Yu; it wasn’t a feminine name. It was more like a man’s name, with Yu meaning slightly above average.

Fang Jie quickly sat up and looked to the side.

Now, he realized that this female professor had been sitting on the other side of the tree.

She was behind a bush of multiflora roses, and she was hard to see from Fang Jie’s angle. She was reading a book while sitting at a stone table, and Fang Jie could see her profile. Although she wasn’t breathtakingly beautiful, she made others feel pleasant.

She congratulated Fang Jie, but she didn’t look his way.

“Thank you, Professor.” Fang Jie stood up and bowed.

“Why are you thanking me?” Qiu Yu put down the book and turned to Fang Jie while saying, “I have seen Pinyin Annotation and Basic Math Operations that you contributed. To be honest, the praises that His Majesty gave you in the edict weren’t exaggerated. These two things would benefit Great Sui for thousands of years. Many children will be helped by you.”

Then, she stood up and looked at the sky while asking, “Why aren’t you going back? The sun would be setting when the written tests are done.”

After a moment of silence, Fang Jie answered honestly, “I’m waiting to see if someone will come to me.”

Hearing this, Qiu Yu couldn’t help but look at Fang Jie, nod, and walk away. When she was about to disappear into the depths of the forest, she suddenly stopped and asked Fang Jie while turning around, “Sometimes it isn’t helpful to overthink. At least you will be tired.”

Fang Jie bowed slightly and said, “I’m not in the age to enjoy life and avoid fatigue, so I always think more than others. Thinking when my eyes are open is better than not thinking at all. When my eyes are closed, there is plenty of time not to think.”

“Good; you aren’t fake.” Qiu Yu nodded and walked into the forest.

Fang Jie smiled helplessly and knew that this female professor didn’t like his answer, but he couldn’t just leave like this. He lacked many things, such as opportunities. Who knew if he would get lucky by staying in the Martial Arts Academy a bit longer?

Perhaps that female professor walked away since she disliked his calculative attitude, and she only asked him questions due to curiosity.

Fang Jie wasn’t afraid of misunderstandings, let alone that Qiu Yu didn’t misunderstand him.

The Emperor’s edict opened the door of the Martial Arts Academy for him, and perhaps it opened many other doors for him as well.

…

After Qiu Yu walked away, Fang Jie suddenly saw that the book she had read was left on the stone table.

While waiting for opportunities to come and find him, Fang Jie was bored, so reading a book would help with that.

Therefore, Fang Jie walked up, wanting to see what book Qiu Yu was reading quietly.

When he got close and saw the words on the cover of the book, he instantly froze.

[Martial Test Questions]

Although these words weren’t big, they were extremely eye-catching.

Fang Jie looked at that thin book and had an impulse. He almost flipped open the book, and his fingers moved several times, trying to grab it.

After freezing there for a while, Fang Jie ended up suppressing this urge. He took a deep breath and told himself that not everything he got during waiting was an opportunity.

He took several steps back slowly and sat cross-legged on the grass.

About 100 meters away, several pairs of eyes were looking at him through the holes in the floral wall.

Seeing Fang Jie sitting down without touching the book, they all smiled.

Zong Lianghu, the Deputy of the Ministry of War, looked at Fang Jie and said in low voice, “He is a man of virtues.”

Huai Qiugong, the Head of the Ministry of Rites, stroke his white beard and nodded with a smile.

Niu Huilun, the Grand Scholar of Belvedere of Literary Profundity, praised in a light voice, “Compared to participants who were disqualified, this young man is virtuous. Immoral people would flip through the book and place it back to its original spot before acting as if they didn’t see it. Some people would chase after the female professor to return the book, and they might peek into the book on the way. Others would instantly leave, afraid that they would be misunderstood.”

Zhuang Chuyu, the Grand Scholar of Belvedere of Smooth Elegance, agreed. “The people who read and put it back are truly vice, the people who return the book and peek at it on the way are hypocrites, and the people who turn around and leave… are cowards. When in danger, the latter group of people wouldn’t be loyal.”

Mou Liangbi, the Head of the Ministry of War, pointed at where Fang Jie was sitting and commented, “Did you all see how many steps he took backward?”

“Seven,” Zong Lianghu replied.

Mou Liangbi nodded and said, “Seven… this distance is perfect. He is neither too far away nor too close to the book, and nothing is blocking him from others’ visions. Regardless of where people come from, they could see him in one glance. With this distance, no one will misunderstand him. No one could walk seven steps away from the table after they are discovered.”

Niu Huilun was surprised, and he asked, “Mr. Mou, you mean even his steps are well-calculated?”

“Probably,” Mou Liangbi replied, “He isn’t leaving since he is protecting the book and waiting for the female professor to return. He is sitting in a place where everyone could see him. Since he is a man of virtues, we don’t need to peek at him in secret like this.”

Huai Qiugong chuckled after hearing this, and he turned his head toward the person sitting on a boulder and not speaking.

“Old guy, what do you think?”

The old guy was Zhou Banchuan who was supposed to on the stage right now.

Zhou Banchuan glanced at Huai Qiugong and said while pouting, “His Majesty asked you all to come here to watch him; why are you asking me? I’m not here to watch him. Royal King Yi said that people’s greed could be hidden but not removed, so you all designed this trap for this little guy to jump into, even asking a professor of my academy to act along. I’m too lazy to watch, and I don’t want to watch.”

“Stingy!” Huai Qiugong rolled his eyes and said while walking back toward the venue, “I will tell His Majesty that Fang Jie is an intelligent young man with virtues. What do you think?”

Everyone nodded and followed Huai Qiugong back.

“A bunch of officials above rank 4 came here to test a small figure; are they too bored?” Zhou Banchuan cursed in a low voice while leaning against a boulder and resting with his eyes closed.

When thinking back to the actions of that young man, he couldn’t help but smile.

“A man of virtue? If that little guy is a man of virtue, then I’m a saint. He wants to look, but he is afraid of being discovered, so he intentionally acted righteously. He probably knew that this is a trap, so he didn’t grab the book. He isn’t a man of vice, a man of virtue, a coward, nor a hypocrite.”

Zhou Banchuan frowned when he thought about this. “What kind of a person is this young man?”

He couldn’t get the answer after a long time. Or perhaps he got the answer but was unwilling to accept it.

Further away, Fang Jie who sat cross-legged smiled. He heard footsteps coming close; he knew that his bet paid off.

“Scout Corporal Fang Jie, His Majesty is summoning you!”

Hearing the high-pitched voice of a eunuch, Fang Jie’s smile grew brighter and brighter.

Not far away, Qiu Yu heaved a sigh of relief behind a man-made mountain She wasn’t sure why she was smiling, but it was a good feeling.