Chapter 178: If I Were to Unleash My Eighty Adopted Sons, How Would You Respond? (1 / 2)
Some meritorious officials ground their teeth in frustration.
Indeed! That dog emperor! Truly, just a dog emperor!
But what could they do about it? The emperor didn’t lack people willing to serve him! Especially now, after more than thirty years, with seven or eight rounds of imperial examinations completed. The court had no shortage of talents—be they from noble families, humble origins, farming households, or artisan clans. A healthy balance had been maintained, making it nearly impossible for any single faction to dominate.
So, after clenching their teeth in silent resentment, they still had to serve the dog emperor obediently.
[Take note!]
Xu Yanmiao hooked his brush back onto his belt, closed the ink container, and returned it to his bag. Satisfied, he looked at the bamboo slips filled with his notes.
Using paper would have been better, of course, but he had come to attend a victory banquet, not to take an exam in the capital. He didn’t have the space to carry paper. Bamboo slips still hadn’t been completely replaced by paper for this reason—they were convenient for jotting down notes on the go. Many court historians still used them.
—Anyway, he could always copy everything onto paper once he got home.
[If the old emperor asks me later, I’ll hand it to him. If he doesn’t ask, I won’t flaunt my thoroughness unnecessarily.]