I traveled through time and became the Queen of Ancient Dian

Minister Mo's greasy face was filled with smiles, making him look like a Maitreya Buddha, but in everyone's eyes, this smile was uglier than crying.

He cleared his throat, shook his head, and uttered a string of awkward ancient Dian dialect, which roughly meant, when translated, "Excuse me, in the ancient Dian Kingdom's ceremony of offering sacrifices to the sky, what profound meanings do the red-feathered, black-striped tits, bronze bells, and colorful gems represent?"

Waiting online, very anxious!

Zhaoyang Ruyue, Wumeng Tianlong and others looked at each other in surprise.

This question is extremely difficult!

Are you here taking the archaeology graduate entrance exam?

Although they had seen many strange customs in the Pu tribe before, they had never studied in depth the combination of red-feathered black-striped tits, bronze bells and colorful gems.

For a moment, the atmosphere was so tense that it seemed as if water could be squeezed out of it.

Luo Yongshi scratched his head and cheeks, anxious as an ant on a hot pan: "How could I, Old Luo, understand this stuff? I only know that roasted mountain sparrows are delicious!"

Lu Gong and Ma Wuzhe also murmured, saying that they knew nothing and just wanted to end this torturous test as soon as possible.

Chen Yong and Wei Dancer were even more confused. They came from the Pu tribe and had limited knowledge of the culture of the ancient Dian Kingdom. They could only stare blankly.

Just when everyone was about to go crazy, Zhaoyang Ruyue took a deep breath and spoke slowly.

She first restated the question in fluent ancient Dian dialect, and then explained it in detail.

"The tit with red feathers and black stripes symbolizes the messenger between heaven and earth, because the tit can fly high in the sky and get close to the gods..." She talked about it in detail, from the habits of the tit to the ancient Dian people's worship of birds, and then to the specific process of the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the sky.

"Bronze bells represent the exorcism of evil and the avoidance of danger. Their clear sound can scare away evil spirits and protect the tribe's safety..." She then talked about the bronze smelting technology, the bell-making process, and the ancient Dian people's understanding of sound, citing extensive references and explaining things in simple terms.

"As for the colorful gems, they symbolize the yearning for a better life. Different colors represent different wishes. For example, red represents health, and green represents harvest..." She finally talked about the types of gems, the aesthetic concepts of the ancient Dian people, and their expectations for the future. She spoke eloquently and knew everything like the back of her hand.

Everyone was fascinated by what they heard, and even Minister Mo showed a surprised expression.

Zhaoyang Ruyue's explanation is not only logically clear, but also well-cited. It is simply a textbook-level answer!

After she finished speaking, the scene fell into silence.

Everyone was impressed by her erudition and wit. Even Wumeng Tianlong, who had never been convinced by her, had to nod in admiration.

The fat on Minister Mo's face trembled, and his eyes rolled around, as if he was racking his brains, trying to find some reason to refute.

"Ahem, young lady, although what you said makes sense, but...but you are taking it for granted! This tit with red feathers and black stripes might be...that's why Her Majesty the Queen wanted to eat roasted bird that morning, so...that's why..." His voice became smaller and smaller as he spoke, and his confidence was obviously lacking. In the end, his voice almost sounded like a mosquito's hum.

Zhaoyang Ruyue smiled slightly and calmly took out a worn parchment scroll from her backpack.

"Minister Mo, you are taking it for granted. I'm afraid it was someone else. This is a fragment of a sacrificial document I found at the ancient Dian ruins. It clearly records the symbolic meanings of tits, bells, and gems, which is exactly consistent with what I just said." She spread out the scroll, pointed to the ancient Dian characters on it, and read out word by word, her words clear and resounding.

Minister Mo's face turned red and white, as colorful as a palette.

He was speechless and couldn't utter a word for a long time, like a duck with its neck strangled.

Seeing this, strategist Xiao on the side hurried out to smooth things over: "Ahem, Minister Mo just made a slip of the tongue. Miss Zhaoyang is so knowledgeable and talented. She is really admirable!" As he spoke, he secretly glared at Minister Mo, and his eyes seemed to say: You stupid teammate, shut up!

Wumeng Tianlong looked at Zhaoyang Ruyue's confident look, his eyes full of admiration and love.

He quietly reached out and held Zhaoyang Ruyue's hand tightly, giving her silent strength and support.

Zhaoyang Ruyue felt the warmth of his palm and gave him a firm look in response.

Minister Mo felt even more unhappy when he saw Zhaoyang Ruyue and Wumeng Tianlong flirting with each other, but he didn't dare to show it. He could only force a smile and rub his hands awkwardly.

At this moment, the empress, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke: "Miss Zhaoyang, your knowledge is indeed admirable, but..." She paused, looking at Zhaoyang Ruyue with a deep gaze, "This is just empty talk..."

Before the Queen finished her words, Minister Mo suddenly jumped out as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw, pointing at Zhaoyang Ruyue and shouting at the top of his lungs: "Your Majesty! I have something to say! This little girl must have cheated! She must have known the answer in advance!" He looked like a smug rooster that had won a fight.

The horse dancer also twisted her slender waist and echoed in a delicate voice: "Your Majesty, I also find it suspicious! This girl is so young, how could she know so much? Maybe she used some shameful means..." As she spoke, she cast a provocative look at Zhaoyang Ruyue, as if to say: Little guy, you are too young to fight with me!

Zhaoyang Ruyue and Wumeng Tianlong looked at each other and couldn't help but sneer.

Minister Mo and Dancer Ma are really determined not to give up until they reach the Yellow River!

At this moment, the previously unknown Lu Gong suddenly stood up and said in a muffled voice, "Minister Mo, Dancer Ma, stop acting! I just heard you discussing how to frame Miss Zhaoyang! You said that as long as she couldn't answer, you could humiliate her, and then..."

Before Lu Gong finished speaking, Minister Mo and Ma Wuzhe's faces changed drastically, as if they had seen a ghost.

They never expected that this honest Mr. Lu would actually stand up and testify against them!

"You...you're talking nonsense!" Minister Mo stammered in his defense, "When...when did we ever discuss such a thing? You...you're slandering me!"

"Slander?" Lu Gong smiled innocently, "I have evidence!" He took out a small stone from his arms, which was the one that Minister Mo and Ma Wuzhe accidentally dropped when they were plotting.

Now, Minister Mo and Ma Wuzhe were completely dumbfounded. They knew that they were completely doomed this time.

The Queen's face was gloomy. She glanced coldly at Minister Mo and Ma Wuzhe, then turned to Zhaoyang Ruyue and said in a much softer tone, "Miss Zhaoyang, it seems I have misjudged you. Your knowledge and courage have impressed me greatly."

Zhaoyang Ruyue smiled faintly: "Your Majesty, I am too kind. I am just doing my best."

The Queen nodded, then turned to the crowd and declared majestically, "Minister Mo and Dancer Ma have conspired to frame loyal officials. Their crimes are unforgivable! Come, drag them away and give them fifty lashes!"

When everyone heard this, they couldn't help but applaud.

Minister Mo and Dancer Ma had been relying on the Queen's favor to abuse their power. Now they have finally received the punishment they deserved, which is really gratifying!

After the Queen dealt with Minister Mo and Ma Wuzhe, she turned to Zhaoyang Ruyue and the others again, her eyes full of meaning: "Miss Zhaoyang, Wumeng Tianlong, and everyone else, although you have passed the test, but..." She paused and said slowly, "The real challenge has just begun."