114: He was... laughing

"Why do I always feel like it is useless?"

For several days in a row, the exhaustion was real, and the pain in his body was real, but Mo Yingqi did not feel that his internal energy had improved at all.

"Oh my, this is the process of cultivation, isn't it?" Luo Yongan pulled the last silver needle from Mo Yingqi's body. "Yingqi, there is no such thing as free martial arts in this world, you know? For everything, you must make a certain sacrifice to get a return, you know?"

"That's right, that's right, Yingqi, don't be too greedy, okay?" Luo Yongning smiled. "My sister and I are also working very hard. Look, we have been by your side accompanying you all these days. You just need to set your mind at ease."

"So, after every acupuncture and hot spring session, having to... ahem, do that again, is that also part of the cultivation?"

"That's right!"

Luo Yongan and Luo Yongning answered almost in unison, and Mo Yingqi only felt his head ache even more. Usually, anything would be fine, but right now his condition was really not good; he felt dazed every day and couldn't muster any strength.

Luo Yongan meant that this was all normal and told Mo Yingqi not to mind it. While that might be true, the problem was that even though he was in this state, the two of them were actually making even more of a fuss.

There was always a feeling that he could only let the sisters do as they pleased, while he could only passively accept it. These things were fine, but the problem was that he thought he was in such a state, yet to some extent, he still had a reaction, which was what he found the most ridiculous!

"Sister, it should be about enough now, right?"

After once again exhausting Mo Yingqi into a deep sleep, Luo Yongning wiped the fragrant sweat from her forehead and turned to ask her sister: "Not to mention Yingqi not believing it, even I am starting to doubt whether this will actually have any effect."

"Rest assured, two more days and it will be done." Luo Yongan adjusted her cicada-wing-thin sleeping gown. "The capital has been in chaos these past few days, but I have already ordered people to cut off the news. The Pacification Bureau also understands the gravity of the situation, so if there is official business, they won't send word over."

"What happened in the capital?" Luo Yongning's hand, which was toying with Mo Yingqi's hair, suddenly paused. "Is that Old Scoundrel starting to cause trouble again?"

"How could he allow The Emperor and the others to keep riding on his back?" Luo Yongan looked indifferent. "It's nothing, just some problems with the Special Imperial Examination. After the Dragon Gate opened, the City Defense Battalion was responsible for the supervision this time. That old thief likely sent people to infiltrate the City Defense Battalion, and after the Special Imperial Examination ended, he directly exposed several candidates for cheating."

"Heh, in that case, I'm afraid this examination will have to be voided just like back then, right?" Luo Yongning sneered. "That Old Scoundrel has been at this for so many years, why does he only know these tricks? There's no novelty at all."

"It doesn't matter if the trick is new, as long as it works." Luo Yongan lay down on her side next to Mo Yingqi and pulled the blanket over him. "When he was the chief examiner, there was cheating, and now that he has completely withdrawn, the Special Imperial Examination that The Emperor opened just after ascending the throne has also had similar incidents. Now those candidates are constantly shouting about injustice, accusing Grand Secretary Ning and Tang Jingzhong of being useless, and are also quite dissatisfied with The Emperor."

"If it were just that, it would be fine, but now officials in the outer provinces are becoming increasingly slack. Among the Six Ministries, except for the Ministry of War, the other five are starting to play tai chi with The Emperor, clearly trying to force The Emperor to compromise."

Zhou Chutian knew very well that many people here had close dealings with him. Even if he stepped down, these people would certainly be dealt with, either sent away or dismissed; no one could expect to be at peace.

Therefore, Zhou Chutian simply took advantage of this. He even told his Disciples and old subordinates that he could step down, but The Emperor must guarantee that their official positions would not be affected. If they didn't make The Emperor compromise at this time, then I am afraid that after he stepped down, they would be next.

"With them causing such a ruckus, The Emperor really has no way to deal with it for the time being." Luo Yongan's beautiful peach-blossom eyes closed slightly. "But none of this matters. Let them make trouble if they want. The Emperor not having a way for the moment doesn't mean he really has no solution; it's just that he isn't ready yet."

"But these candidates causing trouble is a problem after all." Luo Yongning lay on the other side. "Tsk, that's why I say most of these scholars are the same: hypocritical and pretentious."

"That's not quite right. Human nature is like that, it has nothing to do with whether one is a scholar or not." Luo Yongan smiled and reached out, gently tapping her sister's head. "But it is true. In fact, most of these scholars were brought up by the Disciples of that Zhou Chutian, and very few have nothing to do with him."

"Then what is the point of The Emperor opening the Special Imperial Examination like this?"

"Silly girl, how many scholars are there in this world? How many can make it onto the list?" Luo Yongan couldn't help but laugh out loud. "It is easy to find an army but hard to find a general. The selection of the Special Imperial Examination seeks those true rare talents; as for the others... they are not important."

Just as Luo Yongan said, at this moment, the capital was in an uproar because of this Special Imperial Examination.

Outside the Imperial Academy, many Imperial Examination Candidates were actually holding the tablets of sages, coming here every day to protest.

"Tsk, I didn't expect him to use such a near-suicidal method to cause destruction."

Ning Wuya looked at the many candidates outside the door and couldn't help but frown. Turning his head to look at Tang Jingzhong, who was reading, Ning Wuya's brows locked even tighter: "Master Tang, do you still insist on sending troops to suppress them?"

"Yes, Grand Chancellor, this subordinate insists on it." Tang Jingzhong put down the book in his hand. "Reopening the Special Imperial Examination, re-setting the questions, sending the Flying Fish Guard to supervise personally, and The Emperor has already promised to give them justice and has already killed the officials involved, yet they are still making trouble. To put it bluntly, they are just using this as an excuse."

"Now, I fear that Grand Chancellor Zhou has a hand in this as well, so instead of letting them act so recklessly, it would be better to send troops directly."

Ning Wuya actually knew in his heart that this seemed to be the best method. If The Emperor had done nothing, their protest would have been reasonable, but since the incident, The Emperor had dealt with several officials overnight, immediately voided the results of this examination, re-drafted the test questions, and all expenses for these candidates in the capital were also covered by the imperial court.

Although there were mistakes, The Emperor's handling was fast and appropriate, and there were no faults to speak of. However, these candidates still kept making trouble, just grabbing onto the cheating incident and refusing to let go.

"Two, two masters, it is bad!"

A bailiff ran in in a panic, bowing down in a somewhat disheveled manner: "Marquis Yongding has brought the Flying Fish Guard, and, and archers, and has surrounded those protesting candidates!"

"The Marquis, the Marquis, he is even smiling and saying that if those candidates don't go back to prepare for the exam peacefully, then, then, then he will kill them all!"