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墨書 Inktalez
The time for the event to conclude finally arrived. What was supposed to end before noon unexpectedly extended until late afternoon. The fierce competition made all the attendees lose track of time. Frustratingly, the tea and snacks prepared for the morning were no longer available by noon!
What on earth are these organizers doing!?
During this time, some people wanted to send someone out to buy something to eat, but they were met with resistance from the security personnel outside. Due to safety concerns, it was strictly forbidden for unauthorized individuals to enter. The implication was clear: you could leave, but you couldn't come back! Even those with entry tickets were not allowed, as per the order issued by King Zhao!
Who holds the most power now? Of course, it is none other than King Zhao!
Fortunately, King Zhao himself, sitting on the podium, was also hungry. He did not propose providing lunch for the audience. Since that was the case, everyone had no choice but to endure!
Others might manage; at least they usually had enough to eat. Even after being served fine tea all morning, they could still hold on. However, Zichu, sitting next to Luzi, was struggling. Having had nothing since last night, how could he possibly endure? Even if there was enough tea available, he dared not drink it; the more he drank, the hungrier he felt.
The Wang Sun of Qin State did not dress extravagantly like the royal relatives of other Feudal States, adorned in gold and silver. They only wore royal attire during formal occasions; otherwise, they dressed in ordinary clothes when out on the streets without appearing out of place. This was in response to King Qin's call for nobles and ministers to live frugally. If their own children and grandchildren did not set an example, how could they expect others to be convinced?
Zichu was no exception; having left Capital Xianyang, he did not bring any royal attire with him. It wasn't out of spite but rather unintentional; arriving in Handan to meet King Zhao in plain clothes was simply how it turned out. However, this only applied to his clothing; there was no issue with his distinctive Qin hairstyle.
To distinguish between Zhao People and Qin People, one only needed to look at their headwear; it would be immediately obvious. This is why Sun Thirteen gave Zichu some loose change before leaving, suggesting he buy himself a proper outfit later. After all, they were both Qin People and guests of Luzi; it was reasonable to extend some hospitality.
Years of habit had instilled in Zichu a sense of frugality. Even though he received some silver coins yesterday, considering that a big meal awaited him at noon the next day, he naturally wanted to save a little where he could. At worst, he would just eat a bit more at lunch since no one would charge him for food. Being young, he had plenty of days ahead; how could he afford not to be thrifty?
Hearing Zichu's stomach rumble beside him made Luzi regret forgetting to invite him for breakfast earlier. He initially planned to send Sun Thirteen out to buy something to eat but received the reply that the perimeter was under lockdown—only exiting was permitted while re-entry was prohibited. As for the reason, it seemed that a killer from Qin State had secretly infiltrated Handan according to what the soldiers outside said. Considering the safety of the envoys from the Feudal States, King Zhao ordered protection for the venue.
Upon hearing this news, Luzi glanced at Zhao Wang Dan and Plain King Zhao Sheng sitting on the podium. He felt a significant question arise in his mind: Did Qin State really send assassins? How could I not know about such a major event?
But all questions must wait until the Selection program concludes before they can be addressed. Luzi let out a heavy "hm," signaling Sun Thirteen to return to his seat and continue watching the show. Since the money had already been spent, it would be a waste not to watch!
The reason Luzi did not leave was primarily due to his consideration for Zichu. If this individual could not withstand hunger and got up, he would gladly find an excuse to slip away. However, ever since Miss Shi appeared, both of them had abandoned the thought of returning to satisfy their hunger.
No matter how high Luzi's position was, he was still the Retainer Leader serving King Qin. To put it bluntly, he was a family member serving the Qin Royal Family. The facade he maintained in front of Zichu followed Zhao Xiang Wang's directives, but deep down, he understood the stakes. The person beside him was a Wang Sun of Qin State; losing even a single hair was unacceptable.
After a unanimous vote by the judges, only four of the twenty beautiful Jiao Niang contestants remained to compete for Oiran. The candidates were Shishi from Xiaoyue Tower, Spring Maiden from Star Picking Tower, Yi Yi from Mingxiang Pavilion, and Xiangxiang from Spring Fragrance Pavilion.
As for when these four would hold the final competition, it was tentatively scheduled to begin three days later at the hour of Chen. Since they were all evenly matched, they would return to prepare their best skills. Who would emerge as the final winner would be revealed in three days!
As the competition finally approached its conclusion, Zichu could no longer contain himself. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted loudly, "This competition is rigged! It's clearly Miss Shi's Oiran!"
The rigging was undoubtedly evident; no one present was blind! The reason they could not choose was precisely because of this. The relationships among these last four Beauties were intricate and complicated; none of them could be easily provoked. Even the seemingly simplest Xiaoyue Tower had strong backing from the Zhao Guo Zongzhu Zhao Dun family.
You might wonder how someone so hungry could still have such strength!? When Luzi heard Zichu's outburst, he had no time to react. Seeing Zhao Wang Dan and Zhao Sheng already standing and looking over here, sweat suddenly appeared on his forehead. He quickly got up and pulled Zichu aside, whispering urgently, "My ancestor! This! We are not in Qin State right now!"
Zhao Wang Dan had come merely to enjoy the spectacle; he understood well the complex relationships involved. As for who would win, let those power-hungry ministers worry about it. At this moment, seeing someone trying to cause a scene made him secretly pleased. However, laughing out loud in front of everyone would be inappropriate; he suppressed his laughter and turned back to see Plain King’s face resembling that of a pig's kidney.
The chairperson of the organizing committee was Zhao Sheng. Seeing someone create such a scene naturally made him furious. He recognized Zichu as a Proton of Qin State and thought about ordering him to be thrown out for such audacity.
"Wait!" Zhao Wang Dan raised his hand to stop Zhao Sheng from issuing commands and said, "Since our Zhao State Selection dares to hold an open selection, we naturally are not afraid of public scrutiny. If anyone has doubts about this selection process, they can directly submit their concerns to Plain King. I believe he will provide everyone with a satisfactory response based on principles of fairness and justice!"
Which side is this person on!?
Zhao Sheng turned to look at Zhao Wang Dan, feeling a mix of bitterness and helplessness. Since the king had publicly expressed his stance, he naturally did not dare to contradict it. He suppressed the anger in his heart and urged the audience to remain calm. "My lord's intention should be clear to everyone. I hope you can respect the results from the public judges; I firmly believe they are fair. If there are any doubts, please do not linger in the venue. After everyone exits, you may submit your written statements for the king's review!"
With this statement, everything was settled! Otherwise, it would truly be unjust!
The Young Masters who had been stirring up trouble received their answer and quieted down. The sharp-eyed crowd began to turn and walk toward the exit, discussing how they would find someone to write a complaint against those who had distorted the truth.
As Miss Shi prepared to leave, she turned back and smiled sweetly at Zichu before heading backstage.
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