Chapter 133: He Is Not Worthy! (Second Update, Seeking Monthly Votes)

Looking at the face of the second-to-last person, the great hall first fell into silence, but was soon filled with whispers.

The officials were in complete disarray, shifting from whispering to one another to

"How could this be?"

"Could it be that the first place in the Virtue Trial is actually him?"

"This, this, this—this is surely inappropriate!"

"Highly inappropriate indeed!!!"

"This matter must absolutely not happen!"

"The competition must be re-run—no, this trial should simply be voided!"

……

Amidst the idle gaze of Shi Mingwu, the officials who had been cheerful just a moment ago were now in a state of chaos.

They were panicked, wishing they could immediately report to the Emperor and have the current competition results voided at once.

It was as if the sky would collapse if they did not do so.

And as the second-to-last contestant to emerge from the Qian Mirror, Ren Yidao looked utterly bewildered.

What is going on here?

Did I come out the wrong way?

Tilting his head in confusion, Ren Yidao sent a voice transmission to Li Qiushui to inquire:

"What has happened? Your Beigan civil officials seem... not quite right?"

What's the matter, why are you all so agitated?

You are all old men, could you not act as if you are about to cry...

"……"

Frowning as she looked at the youth who was chatting with her as if nothing were amiss, Li Qiushui truly had the urge to interrogate him on the spot.

Do you really not feel that there is a problem at all?

But after "straightening out" her own state of mind, Li Qiushui understood that this matter could not be rushed; acting rashly would only lead to mistakes she would regret.

"I don't know, I only just came out myself."

Glancing at the chaotic officials, she did not pay much mind to them and said casually:

"They have always been like this, as if there is strength in numbers."

These civil officials seemed to have never understood one thing.

In this Beigan, when it comes to the formulation of policy by the decision-makers, it is never a case of the minority obeying the majority.

"Quiet."

A noble voice echoed through the great hall, causing all other sounds to dissipate.

"This Palace is unclear—is this the Longgong Hall, or is it a vegetable market?"

"Are you all ministers of my Beigan, or are you peddlers and merchants?"

"Raising your voices and clamoring one by one—what kind of decorum is this?"

Empress Zhao walked out from behind the curtains, her graceful and noble aura suppressing all the civil officials in the great hall.

She looked coldly at the silent, terrified officials and spoke indifferently:

"With such great complaints, do you have an opinion about the Eldest Prince? Or do you have an opinion about this Palace?"

Yes.

After Ren Yidao emerged from the Qian Mirror, only one contestant remained who had not yet exited.

The Eldest Prince, Li Jiyang!

And according to everyone's logic, he would automatically become the first place of this third trial in the struggle for the position of Chancellor.

And this was the true reason for the officials' panic.

Anyone could take first place in the Virtue Trial, but one person could not!

Li Jiyang, of all people, could not take first place in the Virtue Trial!

Absolutely not!

"What do you ministers mean? Is it that my child is not worthy of being first in this Virtue Trial?"

It would have been better if Empress Zhao had not spoken; the moment she did, the scene that had just been suppressed fell into chaos once again.

Worthy?

How could he be worthy!?

Your good son recently raised the banner of rebellion for "Clearing the Emperor's Side" and stirred up a dramatic attempt to usurp the throne in Wentian City, with the true intent of patricide and regicide.

A prince who could commit such an act against ethics and morality is actually first in the Virtue Trial?

Where does that leave the other princes and princesses?

If they cannot even compare to the Eldest Prince, does that make them beasts?

Once they become Emperor, what kind of things will they do?

They dare not even imagine it!

"Empress! Please think twice!"

"His Highness the Eldest Prince is truly unworthy of the position; he cannot be first in this Virtue Trial!"

"Does the Empress not know what the Eldest Prince did previously? We understand the Empress's feelings, but please say no more."

"Empress, this matter is not one for the Inner Palace, please... refrain from interfering."

……

Although there was not much disrespect in the words of the civil officials, their attitudes were such that they might as well have told the Empress to step aside.

When all is said and done, the Inner Palace must not interfere in state affairs.

You, Empress Zhao, are indeed the Empress, one person above all others, but we civil officials are not under your jurisdiction!

Civil officials die by remonstrance, military officials die in battle.

Although civil officials cannot go to the front lines to kill the enemy, they have always been unafraid of death.

In fact, some civil officials are very willing to die.

Seizing the opportunity, they use a spectacular death-remonstrance to leave their names in history by proving their resolve through death.

After being spoken to in such a snide and mocking manner for so long, Empress Zhao's expression grew increasingly dark.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, glared at the few who had been speaking the most gleefully, flicked her sleeves heavily, and turned to return behind the curtain.

"Hmph!"

With an angry snort, she sat down and closed her eyes in fury.

It looked as if the Empress had been forced to bow her head by the officials, but the truth was not so.

Opening her eyes slightly, Empress Zhao scanned the chaotic scene in the great hall, laughing inwardly.

"... Heh."

Although she appeared furious on the surface, Empress Zhao was actually feeling very smug inside.

The scene before her posed no threat to her at all.

Lost face? That counts for nothing.

Because in this competition, she is the true winner!

The adopted son she took in from someone else had, unsurprisingly, become first in the Civil Trial.

Her own biological son, whom she had already given up on, had unexpectedly become first in the Virtue Trial.

If not for the fact that the Martial Trial was snatched by some fellow who had snuck in from who knows where, her mood would be even better.

In this world, could there be anything that would make her more smug than this?

Moreover, Li Fengyao did not participate in the Virtue Trial; there is no direct evidence to show that his character would be inferior to Li Jiyang's!

"This Empress is the greatest winner of all!"

Unable to share her inner smugness with anyone, Empress Zhao thought of Imperial Concubine Ran, who had made a bet with her earlier.

She turned her head and said indifferently to Ran Yeting:

"It seems you misjudged, little sister; that Daoist did not meet your expectations."

Pausing the movement of her hands, Imperial Concubine Ran shifted her gaze from the sleeping white fox and met Empress Zhao's smug eyes.

Then, she began to smile.

She said:

"Empress sister, you really are naively adorable."

Empress Zhao:?

"Your attention toward your own child, sister, doesn't even compare to mine."

!!!

"... What do you mean?"

Facing Empress Zhao's loss of composure, Imperial Concubine Ran smiled without a word, stroking the white fox with a look of delight.

I just won't tell you~

Looking around, Ren Yidao also noticed Li Jiyang's disappearance.

"Come to think of it, why haven't I seen the Eldest Prince? Where did he go?"

He recalled carefully, his eyebrows arching slightly.

Ever since entering the Qian Mirror, he had not seen a trace of Li Jiyang.

The Civil Trial was an independent space, and in the Martial Trial, there was simply no sign of him at all.

Where did he go?

"First in the Virtue Trial..."

Right in the midst of the chaos, the Grand Eunuch Su Peiqing announced the final result in a loud voice.

"Ren Yidao."