Chương 86: Chapter 86: Drafting the Decree, Bestowing Marriage.
The streets of Wudu were lined with people on both sides.
At the head of the procession was Xu Ming, followed by Xu Pangda, and a step behind him was Yu Ping'an. A total of 400 successful candidates for the imperial examination paraded down the streets, adorned with large red flowers, riding red horses, and dressed in custom-made ceremonial attire from Wudu.
This was a tradition of Wudu: once the honor roll was announced, the 400 successful candidates had to parade through half the capital city before entering the imperial palace for a grand banquet.
The banquet was personally hosted by Emperor Wu.
For many, this might be the only chance in their lifetime to share a meal with the emperor.
Seated on the horse decorated with red flowers, Xu Ming noticed women in the crowd tossing flower branches at him.
However, Xu Ming didn't dare catch any of them.
In Wudu, if a man caught a woman's flower branch and placed it in his hair, it signified his acceptance of her as his bride.
To be honest, Xu Ming really wanted to head home—he hadn't seen his mother in a long time. But this parade and banquet were traditions he couldn't avoid.
"They say there are three great joys in life: a wedding night, seeing your name on the honor roll, and meeting an old friend in a foreign land. I never truly understood that until now. It really does feel like it," Li Han remarked, watching the lively crowd.
By Xu Ming's side were Li Han, Xiong Haizhi, and Guang Yin, all dressed in their Blood Asura Battalion armor.
Emperor Wu had been thoughtful, assigning Xu Ming's former comrades from the Blood Asura Battalion to escort him and the others during the parade after he made the honor roll.
"Indeed," Xu Ming replied with a smile, his gaze fixed ahead, seemingly lost in thought.
In truth, he was reading the words appearing in his mind:
[You have successfully ranked as the provincial champion (huiyuan).
Official Fortune +10, Literary Talent +100, Aura of Righteousness +50.
When you serve as an official, the influence of territorial fate on you is reduced by 80%.]
[ You have successfully ranked as the imperial champion (zhuangyuan).
Official Fortune +50, Prestige +20, Literary Maiden Attraction +5, Aura of Righteousness +50.
When you serve as an official, you will be completely immune to the influence of territorial fate (Note: If you become emperor, you will still be subject to territorial fate).]
[ You have achieved the Triple Crown.
Official Fortune +100, Aura of Righteousness +200.
You have acquired the special skill: Synergistic Cooperation.]
[Synergistic Cooperation: When undertaking a task, your success rate in persuading your superiors increases by 30%, and your subordinates' enthusiasm for working under you increases by 40%.]
As Xu Ming reviewed his newly gained attributes and special abilities, he couldn't help but feel a bit surprised.
The immunity to territorial fate as long as he didn't become emperor was particularly notable.
Moreover, the "Synergistic Cooperation" skill would be incredibly useful in officialdom.
Still, he hadn't decided whether to enter government service or leave Wu Kingdom to explore the vast cultivation world. For now, he wasn't in a rush. His plan was to participate in the Rootless Secret Realm first.
After all, it was thanks to Wu Kingdom's support that he had the opportunity to secure a spot in the secret realm.
"Quack, quack, quack!"
Xu Ming suddenly heard the honking of a goose.
Looking up, he saw his mother standing on the side of the street, smiling warmly at him. Beside her was a large white goose flapping its wings, hopping excitedly, and honking loudly in his direction.
Seeing that both his mother and the goose were safe and well, Xu Ming felt a wave of relief wash over him and smiled reassuringly.
"Quack!"
The white goose flapped its wings again and leapt out from the crowd, soaring directly onto Xu Ming's red horse, causing an uproar among the onlookers.
The Blood Asura Battalion members, including Li Han, immediately tensed, their hands instinctively moving toward their weapons.
Xu Ming raised a hand to calm them. "It's fine. This is my friend."
"Quack!"
The Tianxuan Goose raised its proud head high and patted Xu Ming on the shoulder with its wing. "Honk honk honk (Not bad, little brother, you've grown so tall)."
"You've grown quite a bit yourself," Xu Ming replied with a smile. "So, it's been four years now—are you able to take on a human form yet?"
The Tianxuan Goose rolled its eyes at Xu Ming. "Honk honk honk? (Why are you so obsessed with me transforming?)"
Xu Ming blinked innocently. "Am I?"
The goose gave him a firm honk. "Honk (Yes)."
Xu Ming chuckled. "Alright, then I am."
As the 400 successful candidates arrived outside the palace gates, Xu Ming gently patted the goose on its wing. The Tianxuan Goose understood and fluttered down from Xu Ming's horse. Xu Ming dismounted first, followed by Xu Pangda and Yu Ping'an, and then the other 397 candidates.
Under the guidance of palace maids, the group entered the palace one by one to attend the grand banquet.
Meanwhile, inside the imperial study, Emperor Wu was carefully reviewing Xu Ming's examination papers. The more he read, the more impressed he became.
In particular, Xu Ming's answer to the question "What is the significance of vassal kings to Wu Kingdom?" struck a chord with the emperor.
Many candidates had grasped the emperor's intention to weaken the power of the vassal kings. However, their proposed solutions were either overly idealistic or too vague. They spoke in grand, sweeping terms, but their methods, if implemented, would likely provoke rebellion from 60% of the vassal kings.
Xu Ming, however, had proposed a "Decree of Endowment."
The decree stipulated that upon the death of a vassal king, only the eldest legitimate son would inherit the title, while the remaining sons would be granted portions of the vassal state's lands and become marquises under the governance of local administrators. This would gradually erode the power of the vassal states.
In essence: "Divide and diminish."
Historically, such a policy would have been impossible to implement, as illegitimate sons once held extremely low status in Wu Kingdom. But with the restoration of their status to what it had been 150 years ago, the conditions for such a policy were now ripe.
The brilliance of the decree lay in its double-edged nature: whether the vassal states complied or not, they would face unfavorable outcomes.
If they obeyed, their strength would be diminished as their territories were gradually fragmented. If they resisted, internal power struggles would erupt as legitimate and illegitimate heirs fought for dominance.
This policy placed the vassal states in an inescapable dilemma.
The emperor had not expected such a groundbreaking solution to emerge from an examination. He had assumed that these untested scholars would be incapable of offering practical solutions to such a major issue. Yet here was an answer that directly addressed one of the central government's most pressing problems.
"Thank goodness Xu Ming was born in Wu Kingdom," Emperor Wu said with a deep sigh as he set down the paper. "Had he been born in another country… I shudder to think."
Standing nearby, Wei Xun quickly seized the opportunity to flatter, "Your Majesty, to have both Chancellor Xiao and Xu Ming under your rule is surely a sign of divine favor. Wu Kingdom is destined to prosper even further!"
"Indeed." The emperor's lips curled into a satisfied smile.
Ordinary flattery wouldn't even register with him, but this time, the emperor truly believed it. With the combined efforts of Xiao Mochi and Xu Ming, the future of Wu Kingdom seemed brighter than ever.
Not to mention, Xu Pangda and Yu Ping'an had also received high praise for their performances. Without Xu Ming's "Decree of Endowment," it would have been uncertain who would have been the provincial champion.
"Prepare a decree," the emperor suddenly said, standing up and clasping his hands behind his back.
Wei Xun hesitated, slightly surprised. "A decree, Your Majesty?"
"Yes, a decree—granting a marriage."
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