We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Somewhere in the misty mountains, several elegant bamboo houses are built by the stream, surrounded by green bamboos and the sound of birds singing.

An old man in a plain white robe, with white hair and a youthful face, was sitting quietly on a cushion in front of the house, meditating with his eyes closed. His breath seemed to merge into one with the world.

Suddenly, several young disciples pushed each other and came to the old man, all of them wanting to say something but hesitant, and no one dared to speak first.

"What's the matter?" The old man didn't open his eyes, but his clear voice sounded.

"gentlemen."

All the young men immediately stood up and bowed in unison with a respectful attitude.

"You must be feeling upset," the old man said calmly. "Even from a long distance away, I can hear your heartbeats like drums."

"We know we are wrong and have disturbed the master's meditation." The leading young man quickly apologized.

The old man slowly opened his eyes, his expression calm.

What is surprising is that his eyes have two pupils, which are so deep that they seem to be able to see through people's hearts, making people dare not look at them for too long.

The old man looked at the restless young disciples in front of him and slowly said, "Why are you so upset?"

The leading young man took a deep breath and summoned his courage to speak: "Teacher, news has arrived from down the mountain that the new emperor has issued an edict to seek talents, inviting all the best from all over the world to the imperial capital to participate in the examination. It states that only the most talented will be selected, regardless of their background."

"This matter... has spread like wildfire, disciples..."

The old man nodded slightly, his face calm: "You want to go?"

The young men looked at each other, not daring to answer easily.

They knew very well that their teacher was a truly great sage with extraordinary talent, but he was also a true hermit.

He has always opposed the idea of ​​"learning literary and martial arts and serving the emperor", and he does not allow his disciples to become officials and serve the emperor.

"Then go." The old man said calmly.

"What?" The teenagers almost thought they had heard it wrong and looked at the teacher in surprise.

The leading youth couldn't help but confirm, "Teacher, you... haven't you repeatedly taught us not to allow our students to serve the emperor, lest their knowledge become a tool for political manipulation and lose their original purpose?"

The old man nodded slowly, a trace of reminiscence flashing in his eyes: "Master did say so, but the current Feng Wang is not yet an emperor."

The young man frowned, puzzled, "But teacher, Prince Feng has already taken control of the imperial capital, and Emperor Wenchu ​​has been driven south by him. No matter how you look at it, he has the absolute upper hand. It's probably only a matter of time before he unifies the world."

"How can he not be considered an emperor?"

A meaningful smile played on the old man's lips. "You are right. Emperor Wenchu ​​is absolutely no match for Prince Feng. Whether in politics or military strategy, there is a huge gap between us."

He changed the subject and asked, "Then let me ask you, what is an emperor?"

The young men looked at each other, then each gave their own answer:

"Mandated by Heaven, may you live forever?"

"Holding the law of heaven in your mouth, ruling the world?"

"Are all the people in the world subject to the king?"

The old men all shook their heads slowly: "In my opinion, an emperor is someone who uses the power of a country's people to support the selfish desires of a family."

When the disciples heard this, they were all shocked.

I don’t think the old man’s words are outrageous, after all, the teacher has said even more extreme things.

Instead, I was amazed that the teacher's words hit the nail on the head.

The old man continued, "And judging by the actions of this King Feng, it's clear... that he is not of that kind."

He paused, then added: "At least, not now."

The young men were even more shocked. How could their teacher have such a high opinion of the new emperor whom they had never met?

"If you want to go down the mountain and see it for yourself, you can pack your bags and leave tomorrow." The old man closed his eyes again, his tone returning to normal, "Even a master can misjudge people sometimes."

"When you arrive in the imperial capital, use your eyes to see carefully and your heart to discern carefully."

"If your Majesty is no different from the previous emperors, and fails to apply what he has learned, or becomes a lackey, then you can come back."

"The mountains are peaceful and quiet, and you'll always have a bowl of rice to eat."

"Yes! Disciples will obey the master's orders!" The young men suppressed their excitement and responded in unison.

The old man stopped talking and returned to meditation.

Afterwards, the disciples returned to their rooms and quietly packed their simple bags.

Then one after another came to the old man, bowed deeply, and said goodbye silently, for fear of disturbing the teacher's peace.

Until the next day at dawn, the old man slowly opened his double pupils.

The birds are still singing and the streams are still gurgling in the mountains and forests, but it seems surprisingly quiet.

He glanced at the empty bamboo forest and courtyard. There was no one left who usually practiced martial arts and studied here. They had all left.

For the first time, the old man's expression changed noticeably, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

Your master has allowed you to go down the mountain to assist the new emperor, but I didn’t tell you all to leave?

Do these bad disciples really think that their master has cultivated to the point where he can be free from all obstacles?

How are we going to solve the problem of dinner tonight? Why don't you save one for me?

. . . . . .

There was a noisy atmosphere in a simple tavern beside the official road.

Sitting at a table by the window were four scholars wearing white shirts and Confucian scarves.

There were only three bland vegetarian dishes and a pot of turbid village wine on the table. The four of them talked and drank as if no one was around.

The voice was so loud that it attracted the attention of the surrounding drinkers. They looked at him with the usual awe and did not dare to get close.

Only the tavern owner, who was fiddling with an abacus behind the counter, glanced at them with a barely perceptible contempt in his eyes.

A blushing scholar gulped down a cup of muddy wine and said loudly, "I knew it! Your Majesty has just ascended the throne. To stabilize the court, he must not forget us! This 'Edict Seeking Talents' arrives at the perfect time!"

Another person immediately joined in, his tone filled with indignation: "How hateful are those powerful families who have controlled official positions for generations and blocked the path for talented people!"

"Think of us, our family is a family of poetry and literature, and our ancestors once produced a high-ranking official. Although our family may be in decline now, our strategic thinking has never faded. We are actually excluded from the officialdom. How ridiculous! How lamentable!"

The third man raised his glass, speaking with high spirits: "Your Majesty is wise and virtuous! Now is the time for talented people like us to rise to prominence! By entering the capital this time, we will surely be able to realize our ambitions, rise to prominence, and restore our family's prestige!"

The last person hesitated and whispered, "It's just that... I heard that the imperial examinations created by Your Majesty are not just for recommendation, but also test actual academic performance."

"I don't know what the test will be about. If it's still about those profound and profound concepts, and if you spend your whole life studying the classics, then we naturally won't be afraid. I'm just afraid..."

The man next to him immediately interrupted, laughing drunkenly, "My dear brother, you're worrying too much. To become an official in the court, you're not tested on the Four Books and Five Classics, the words of the sages. So, are you also tested on how to farm?"

"Hahahahaha!"

The four of them looked at each other and laughed so hard that the sound shook the roof tiles, making them seem even more out of place in this country tavern.

They drank for a long time, until they had finished the three vegetarian dishes and emptied the last drop of wine in the jug. Then they stood up with a sense of unsatisfied appetite and staggered out the door.

The tavern owner immediately put on a smile and hurried over to greet them: "Gentlemen, have you enjoyed your meal? Are your drinks to your liking?"

One of them burped and waved his hand: "It's okay."

The boss smiled unchanged and held out his hand: "Thank you, a total of one tael of silver."

The smiles on the four people's faces suddenly froze, and the atmosphere became silent for a moment.

The scholar in the lead forced a smile and said in a pretentious manner, "Boss, we will be going to the capital soon, and we will definitely be appointed officials by the imperial court."

"This wine today is your farewell party for us in advance. If you need anything in the future, just let me know."

The boss still had a forced smile on his face, but he kept his mouth shut: "Young Master, you are joking. You and your friends will certainly have great careers in the future. However, I am just a small business owner and I really don't dare to associate with the nobles in the capital."

The scholar felt his face getting hot, but he said patiently, "How about this? We left in a hurry today and didn't bring enough money. How about I leave a piece of calligraphy for you to pay for this meal?"

"My calligraphy is also sought after in the capital city."

As he spoke, he began to spread out the paper and grind the ink.

The boss still wore that impassive smile: "Sir, your calligraphy is certainly extremely valuable, but as a humble person like me, how can we possibly sell it?"

"Cash is more convenient and saves everyone the trouble."

The scholars were rejected again and again, and finally they could not hold their face anymore, their faces turned pale and blue.

Seeing that the boss was not going to give them face after all, they had no choice but to gather together and grope around for a long time before they could barely gather together some loose copper coins, which they slammed on the counter with a clinking sound.

Without caring whether the amount was enough, he left the tavern in a hurry, looking rather disheveled.

After the few people walked away, the smile on the boss's face instantly disappeared. He spat lightly and slowly returned to the counter.

A familiar diner came over curiously and asked, "Boss, you're really brave! Those are noble people wearing scholar's scarves, and you dare to offend them like this?"

Upon hearing this, the boss sneered and said while wiping the counter, "A distinguished person? Have you ever seen a distinguished person like me who would come to this shabby little tavern with a few other people to order three vegetarian dishes and drink a pot of the cheapest wine?"

"If we don't hold the banquet in our own house, we should at least go to a decent restaurant in the city, right?"

The diner was stunned and asked in surprise: "What are they doing?"

The boss shook his head. "They're just some wealthy families that have long fallen on hard times. Their ancestors might have been wealthy, but by the time they got to this generation, there's not much left."

"If he had managed the business well, he could have become a wealthy man, but he's just putting on airs and his family fortune has long been squandered."

"See what they're wearing? Maybe it's the last thing they have left to show for themselves in their family."

The guest suddenly realized and continued, "But I heard from them that the current emperor is recruiting talented people. If they are really selected and make a comeback... then wouldn't you have offended the future official today?"

Upon hearing this, the boss laughed heartily and said firmly, "I only know that the current emperor is a wise and enlightened ruler! If he is just a good-for-nothing, how can he be a wise and enlightened ruler?"

The diner pondered for a moment, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt it made sense. He couldn't help but smile and said, "I think you are a real talent, Boss. You should go to the imperial capital and try your luck. What if His Majesty takes a fancy to you?"

The boss was not polite either: "If I weren't tied down by this tavern business, I would have really gone to the imperial capital. Maybe in a few years I would have become the prime minister!"

The diners all burst into laughter, and the restaurant was filled with a happy atmosphere.