Xu Haifeng circulated among the crowd under Fang Lingtians lead, and it wasnt until half a day had passed that he finally managed to extricate himself. Fang Lingtian looked at Xu Haifeng, who was somewhat dispirited from his first experience of this kind of occasion, and said: "Haifeng, if you want to make a career in officialdom and achieve something, then some socializing is unavoidable. Youre still young, and have a long road ahead of you - you need to learn more about how to deal with people."

  "Yes, I know." Perceiving Hai Fengs gaze, Fang Lian Tian knew he was indeed treating him like a son or younger brother. Suddenly recalling Jiang Kong Mings teachings on acting skills, he had an epiphany and said: "Understanding worldly affairs is all about learning, grasping human emotions is the key to writing; Ive already learned this phrase."

  Fang Ling Tian was taken aback, stopped in his tracks, and muttered to himself, repeating the two sentences. Finally, he looked moved and said, "What a great saying: Understanding worldly affairs is all about learning, and mastering human emotions is writing. I didnt expect you, Feng Er, to see through things more clearly than your father."

  Xu Haifengs face turned red, and he said: "Uncle is overpraising, these two sentences were spoken by one of my staff members, he often whispers in my ear, its hard to forget even if I want to."

  "Alas, you young man, truly dont know the blessings you have. " Fang Ling Tian shook his head in dismay, unable to comprehend why so many extraordinary individuals would serve under him.

  Apart from Qin Yong, who possesses monstrous strength, and Zhebie, who can take lives from a thousand meters away, these two are rarely seen top-notch experts. There is also that mysterious and unfathomable aide. Each of these individuals is an extremely rare talent, and its extremely difficult for other forces to recruit even one of them. Even if they manage to find one after great difficulty, they would still have to pamper them like a master.

  But Xu Haifeng, however, clearly regarded them as ordinary subordinates, and they were also willing to do so without any complaints. Whats more, they were extremely loyal to him, with no second thoughts.

  Suddenly, a thought flashed through Fang Ling Tians mind. If Xu Hai Fengs subordinates were to be poached by one of the two princes, then the throne would likely no longer be worth fighting for. No wonder the second prince knew about Xu Hai Fengs relationship with the Fang family yet still wanted to try his luck.

  Just then, several people walked in from outside the door. Xu Haifeng took a look and found that they were all old acquaintances. Under the leadership of Cheng Zhidao, the prime minister, and Gu Daoxiong, the great marshal, Cheng Yinghao and others entered in a line.

  Their identities were not trivial, although the Grand Councilor Sima Zidu was actually subject to the control of the other three great families in terms of actual power, but nominally he was always the head of all officials, so there were indeed many people who came to pay their respects.

  The small talk hadnt ended yet when sharp-eyed Xu Haifeng caught a glimpse of a figure flashing outside the door, and then a breathtakingly beautiful face appeared before his eyes.

  Tang Rouer, dressed to the nines, walked into the martial arts hall with her father. Her arrival was like a refreshing stream flowing into a dry riverbed, invigorating everyones spirits.

  The martial arts hall was originally not lacking in noble women, but Tang Rouers arrival made everyone lose their color. Her every frown and smile seemed elegant and beautiful, her beauty had already transcended the limits of gender, whether male or female, were all attracted by her extraordinary beauty.

  Behind Tang Rouer, a young swordsman with a strong and handsome face followed closely, his steps steady and firm, giving people an impression of being unyielding and determined. It can be seen that this young man is not ordinary.

  "Hmm..." A cold hum came from Xu Haifengs left side, he turned his head to look, and it was the Fifth Prince Wu Wang Liu Zhengqi.

  Fang Ling Tian lightly pulled the sleeve of Hai Fengs robe and said in a voice that was almost inaudible: "The Fifth Prince has been infatuated with Tang Rouer since he met her, and his heart is set on making her his princess consort. He regards her as a forbidden treasure, which is why he remains unmarried to this day. However, Tang Rouer has never given him any indication of interest."

  Xu Haifeng suddenly felt a sense of relief in his heart, and he thought of the handsome young man who had entered with her, so he asked: "Who is that person following behind?"

  "Cheng Jias young generations first master, Cheng Yingtao, has a high level of martial arts skills. It is said that he is only one step away from the number one position. He is also one of the champions of this session and will be your greatest opponent in todays trial." Fang Lingtian introduced solemnly.

  Just as the two of them were whispering to each other, Tang Rouers gaze swept around the hall in a circle. Xu Haifeng was speaking with Fang Lingtian, but his eyes kept stealing glances at Tang Rouer. His behavior didnt attract attention because at least half of the people present were doing the same thing.

  Seeing Tang Rouers gaze fall on him, Xu Haifeng couldnt avoid it and could only force a smile to greet her.

  Tang Rouers eyes met Xu Haifengs, and her originally clear and bright eyes suddenly changed, with shyness, annoyance, resentment, and a hint of joy that was hard to detect. Xu Haifeng grinned at her, and Tang Rouer looked at his mouth, not knowing what she thought of, but suddenly turned her head away with a smile on the corner of her mouth, only to have an uncontrollable flush rise to her cheeks.

  Tang Rouer had been the center of attention since the moment she walked in. Her exchange of glances with Xu Haifeng, the changes in her eyes and her final expression all fell into the eyes of those who were paying close attention. For a time, the gazes directed at Xu Haifeng contained many malicious intentions.

  Especially the two eyes, which seemed to have substance, and even Hai Feng felt a deep killing intent. He intentionally or unintentionally looked at the owner of the two eyes. One was Cheng Yingtao, who walked into the hall with Tang Rouer, and the other was Liu Zhengqi, the fifth prince of unparalleled noble status.

  A chill ran down his spine, the Cheng family was nothing to worry about, after all, they had already made enemies with them and it would be a never-ending cycle. But Liu Zhengqi actually had murderous intentions towards him too, there could only be one reason - Tang Rouer. Xu Haifeng couldnt help but curse under his breath "a beauty is a calamity", yet if given another chance, he would still choose to indulge in her charms.

  These subtle changes did not escape the old and cunning Fang Lingtian, whose expression changed slightly as he asked: "Feng Er, dont you have some sort of connection with Tang Rouer?"

  Xu Haifeng smiled wryly and said, "Foster father, its nothing serious, just some misunderstandings."

  Fang Ling Tian looked at him for a while, then shook his head and said: "Alas, I dont want to get involved in your young peoples affairs. But remember, think thrice before acting. Tang Ruo Er is not only Old Tangs most beloved daughter, but also the sole disciple of one of the three great masters, Li Yanbo. Thats why she can ignore the pursuit of the Fifth Young Master, and he has no choice but to accept it."

  "Yes, I understand."

  "His Majesty has arrived." A soft and gentle voice like a roosters crowing sounded.

  As the crowd cheered, Emperor Xian of Han sat on the dragon throne. Then, the Minister of Rites, Cai Yong, announced that this military competition had achieved remarkable results, with a total of seven contestants standing out, which can be called one of the best performances in history. From this, it can be seen that the great fortune of the Han Dynasty is prosperous, the martial arts are flourishing, and the victory over the Qiang people is not accidental. Of course, all these achievements were obtained under the guidance of Emperor Xian of Han, who was renowned for his divine military prowess.

  Cai Juns writing is excellent, without a single sentence that obviously flatters, but somehow it makes people feel like he is flattering Emperor Xian of Han. Meanwhile, Emperor Xian sits high on the dragon throne, his eyes slightly closed, with a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth, clearly extremely pleased.

  It wasnt until half an hour later that Cai Junmang finished reading, and the crowd below was full of praise, directly praising Emperor Hanxian as the first wise emperor since the creation of heaven and earth.

  Xu Haifeng listened for half a moment, and even he felt his face flush with embarrassment. However, the crowd on stage seemed to take it in stride, including Fang Lingtian, who was normally composed and serious, but couldnt help feeling a little ashamed. It seems that Fang Lingtian was right after all; if he wanted to achieve anything in his official career, he still had a long way to go.

  Nor did he know whether Emperor Han Xian had become tired of listening, but with a light wave of his hand, the scene below suddenly fell silent, and the ravens and sparrows made no sound.

  "This time, which seven of you have won the champions position? Come out and let me see." Emperor Han Xian said with a red face.

  Xu Haifeng hastily stepped forward at Fang Lingtians hint, and stood in the center of the hall with the other six people. He took a glance, and indeed among them was Cheng Yingtao, who was now staring straight at Xu Haifeng with an unmasked provocative gaze.

  Emperor Han Xian looked at the crowd in the hall, except for Xu Haifeng, the rest were all majestic and had their own characteristics. The first person to successfully defend against the siege, Xu Haifeng, stood among them, but was inferior to them in appearance and temperament by more than one level.

  A persons behavior and demeanor are closely related to their social status, the higher the position, the more self-important they tend to be. There is a saying that goes "a broken pot cant be mended", if someone cant even afford to eat a full meal, how can they care about etiquette?

  Xu Haifengs internal strength had not been cultivated for a long time, although his actual strength had already reached the standard of a top-notch master, but his psychological quality and ideological consciousness could not keep up with it in such a short period of time. As a result, compared to others, Xu Haifeng was actually the worst in terms of temperament.

  Han Xian Emperor furrowed his brow, he had already decided before coming here that the top name in this imperial examination would be given to Xu Haifeng. Otherwise, Qin Yong, the bravest warrior under his command, was only an ordinary champion, a relationship that would make a mockery of the entire army. However, looking at it today, Xu Haifengs performance was greatly disappointing, unremarkable among the crowd, and if he were to be named as the top name just like this, perhaps no one would accept it.

  "Fang Ai Qing, you are the Minister of War, in charge of the Ministry of War for many years. Who do you think can be the champion of this military competition?" Emperor Han Xian kicked the ball to Fang Ling Tian, everyone knew about the relationship between Fang Ling Tian and Xu Hai Feng. Just by looking at Emperor Han Xian asking someone else, he specifically asked Fang Ling Tian, it was clear what he was thinking.