jdhmnovel Chapter 119 Going Up the Mountain to Hunt Pigs
Chapter 119 Going Up the Mountain to Hunt Pigs
It should be noted that the focus of this military examination should have been on military strategy and tactics, while topics such as governance and administration have always been a thorny and troublesome matter for those who took the civil service examination.
However, to everyone's surprise, Her Majesty the Empress would present Lady Chu with such a difficult question during this palace examination.
For a moment, everyone couldn't help but secretly speculate about the deeper meaning behind the Empress's actions.
But what is most astonishing is that, faced with this extremely difficult problem, Chu Ci quickly provided an answer, and the answer was flawless and exquisite!
All eyes in the hall were drawn to Chu Ci, their gazes filled with a complex mix of emotions: some genuine admiration for her talent, others intense jealousy stemming from their own inadequacy...
At this moment, the Empress, high above all others, sat on the dragon throne, gazing with great interest at Chu Ci, who stood in the center of the hall.
She stood tall and straight like a pine tree, her face calm and serene, showing neither humility nor cowardice, nor even a hint of arrogance, always maintaining a composed and unhurried demeanor.
Finally, the Queen slowly revealed a faint smile and said softly, "You are very good."
Upon hearing the Empress's praise, Chu Ci bowed slightly and replied respectfully, "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty."
Actually, there's a little-known story behind her ability to answer questions so quickly and accurately.
In her past life, in order to successfully assassinate a general stationed in the restricted area of the dam, she spared no time or effort to memorize the entire structural blueprint of the dam perfectly.
I never expected it would come in handy today; it truly seems like destiny has its own plan.
As time went by, the imperial examination finally came to a successful conclusion before noon.
The candidates filed out, each with a relieved expression on their face.
The majesty of the imperial family is as weighty as Mount Tai and as deep as the ocean, inspiring awe and reverence.
After this experience, many people were still shaken, and some even took three whole days to fully recover.
However, in stark contrast to the others, Chu Ci remained remarkably calm, barely breaking a sweat.
Everyone knows that this young woman will rise to prominence after this incident, so many people are eagerly waiting for her, hoping to take this opportunity to have a few words with Chu Ci and get closer to her.
However, faced with everyone's high expectations, Chu Ci only managed a few perfunctory words, but soon found an opportunity to slip away and leave.
On her way home, Chu Ci twitched her ears and keenly sensed that someone seemed to be quietly following her.
This person's steps were incredibly light, like a ghost, demonstrating a high level of skill in lightness techniques.
Chu Ci turned into a secluded alley without making a sound, and casually picked up a stone from a window sill on the street and held it in his hand.
With her exceptional hearing and accurate judgment, she quickly located the person's position and acted without hesitation. With a muffled thud, the person who was following her was instantly knocked to the ground.
Chu Ci flashed forward like a gust of wind, arriving in front of the person and sending him crashing into the opposite wall with a side kick.
Then, she skillfully dislocated the woman's jaw to prevent her from committing suicide or screaming.
At this moment, Chu Ci's eyes were as cold as ice. She stared coldly at the woman in front of her and asked in a chilling voice, "Speak! Who exactly are you? Why are you sneaking around behind me?"
The woman struggled desperately, but ultimately could not break free from Chu Ci's restraints, so she fell silent, staring at her coldly and blankly without uttering a word.
Chu Ci was all too familiar with such a gaze. Those noble families and high-ranking officials often secretly kept a group of assassins in case of emergency.
The woman before them was undoubtedly one of the rigorously trained assassins.
Getting these kinds of people to reveal the truth is as difficult as climbing to the sky.
The imperial examination had just ended, and before they could even catch their breath, they were targeted.
This is interesting.
The next second, Chu Ci swiftly struck, instantly knocking the woman unconscious.
Then, she carried the woman as if she were a chick and hurried out of the city.
Before long, a dilapidated temple came into view.
Chu Ci stepped inside, placed the woman on the ground, and then began to carefully examine her clothes and shoes.
However, no clues were found in either the stitching of the clothes or the details of the shoes and socks.
Chu Ci frowned. If he couldn't find out the woman's background, he couldn't find out who was behind her.
This is a bit troublesome.
After searching the woman's body again, her gaze suddenly fell on the area near her buttocks on the woman's back.
There was a tattoo there.
The tattoo design resembles a gecko trying to shed its tail to survive, and it looks quite bizarre.
Such a peculiar tattoo was something Chu Ci had never seen before, whether in his past life or this one.
It seems that finding out the truth about this matter will not be easy...
Thinking of this, Chu Ci reached out without hesitation and woke the unconscious woman.
What followed was a long and brutal interrogation.
An entire afternoon passed, and the woman was tortured beyond recognition, but she remained tight-lipped and refused to utter a single word.
Faced with such a tenacious opponent, Chu Ci also found it very difficult.
In the end, having no other choice, she decided to stop wasting time and simply give the woman a quick death.
After disposing of the body, Chu Ci slowly stood up and dusted off his hands.
The smell of blood emanating from her lingered in the wind for a long time.
After pondering for a moment, Chu Ci decided to search in the mountains and soon found a huge wild boar.
Without saying a word, she killed the wild boar with a clean and decisive punch.
He then hoisted the heavy wild boar onto his shoulder and walked steadily down the mountain.
When Chu Ci returned home, Shi An happened to be walking towards him.
He was stunned to see Chu Ci dressed in a fine and respectable court robe, but carrying a huge wild boar on his shoulder.
After a long while, he finally came to his senses and stammered, "My lady, you... went up the mountain?"
Chu Ci tossed the wild boar into the yard without batting an eye, then stretched his aching shoulders and casually replied, "Well, I was bored and decided to go up the mountain for some exercise."
Shi An stood there stunned for a long time before she came to her senses.
He frowned slightly, a hint of worry rising in his heart, and involuntarily took two steps forward.
However, before he could get close, Chu Ci reached out and stopped him.
"Don't come any closer, it won't be good if you get the smell of blood on you."
Chu Ci's voice was deep and serious, with an unquestionable tone.
Upon hearing this, Shi An stopped in his tracks. Once the smell of blood was on someone, it was indeed difficult to dispel. So he simply stood there and did not approach any further.
Chu Ci took off the blood-stained outer garment and turned to look at the bathhouse.
"I'm going to take a shower first."
After saying those words, she quickly disappeared into the bathroom doorway.
Shi An stared blankly in the direction Chu Ci had left, momentarily lost in thought.
He muttered to himself, "Wasn't my wife supposed to be taking the imperial examination today? Why would she suddenly go up the mountain, and..."
The image of Chu Ci carrying the pig flashed through Shi An's mind, making him feel increasingly strange.
Who goes hunting wild boars in the mountains outside Beijing after taking the imperial examination?
Time passed by, and Shi An waited quietly. When Chu Ci finished bathing and walked out of the bathroom, exuding a fresh fragrance, Shi An immediately went to greet him.
"My lady, how was the palace examination today?"
Chu Ci smiled slightly and replied calmly, "It's fine."
Upon hearing this answer, Shi An did not relax. Instead, he stared at his wife with suspicion for a long time, as if trying to discern something from her expression.
"Really? If everything went smoothly, why would you... go up the mountain to hunt pigs?"
Chu Ci answered frankly, "Because I want to eat wild boar meat."
After saying this, she shrugged slightly, as if it were the most ordinary reason imaginable.
Upon hearing this answer, Shi An paused, somewhat suspicious, and slowly asked, "Just because of this?"
Chu Ci nodded without hesitation and replied, "Yes."
Seeing this, Shi An shook his head helplessly and said with a smile, "Alright."
He thought to himself, "My wife is really unpredictable sometimes; she always does things that are hard to understand."
But it doesn't matter, as long as she belongs to me!
The day after the palace examination, Chu Ci, with his outstanding talent, successfully won the title of martial arts champion, and the news was quickly announced to the world.
However, compared to the highly regarded civil examinations, the military examinations held a slightly lower status in the Great Ning Kingdom.
Therefore, even though he was the top martial arts scholar, Chu Ci could not parade through the streets and receive cheers and congratulations like those top scholars in the humanities.
Moreover, with the civil service examination just around the corner, her reputation as a martial arts champion was only known within the military. The people of the capital were more interested in the civil service examination.
Chu Ci received a brand-new set of official robes as required, and then went without stopping to report to General Yuchi.
General Yuchi was known for her friendliness. When she saw Chu Ci arrive to report for duty, she immediately smiled warmly and gave her the most sincere welcome.