Galloping A Thousand Miles - Ancient Book

　　Hongjiu still felt unsettled. He swept his gaze around and happened to catch sight of Princess Jingan, who noticed his gaze on her, and thus, made eye contact with him. The moment the two made eye contact, Jingan revealed a subtle smile, one that was bewitching and clearly intended for Hongjiu, consequently nearly stealing his soul.

　　Hongjiu shook his head out of instinct and mentally thumped himself. "s.h.i.+t, s.h.i.+t, why does her smile look so nice? Don't tell me she has a crush on me! Isn't she married? s.h.i.+t me. s.h.i.+t me. I couldn't resist her charm! Wait! I'm in a disguise. Did she catch something perchance? Look at the beauty. How did my disguise fail?"

　　"Please examine it, Your Majesty!" exclaimed Jin w.a.n.gsun, shaking his body. He was giddy and smiling as if he was in a play.

　　"This is a rare item. It comes from a very faraway place. It is very rare to find in the Central Plain," reported Jin w.a.n.gsun, not forgetting to shoot Tang Ye a berating glance. "It is a splendid item that others will not be able to find."

　　Tang Ye and Hongjiu began to lose control over their emotions. "Ours is rare, too… too rare and too splendid, in fact… so splendid that I'm getting an upset stomach…"

　　The Emperor grabbed the item Jin w.a.n.gsun submitted and clicked his tongue. "Indeed, this, I have never seen before. May I ask what this is? Is it very rare and precious?"

　　The old prime minister and inspector whispered to each other and kept exchanging opinions. They seemed to be in a dilemma and weren't convinced of its authenticity. Frankly, it wasn't just the Emperor who thought Jin w.a.n.gsun would win the round without any hitches. All of the royal family members in attendance and the prime minister, who hoped Ming Feizhen would win, believed that Jin w.a.n.gsun would win for sure.

　　With the wealth and influence that Gold and Silver Sect had, they were always in possession of countless rare and precious items. Therefore, Jin w.a.n.gsun had an almost unfair advantage in Thousand Miles. Gold and Silver Sect still had an advantage even if they didn't count hidden items. The fact that Gold and Silver Sect originated as a business with their influence in business stretching to every corner of the Kingdom – and even further South to the border – was the factor that convinced everyone Jin w.a.n.gsun would unquestionably win. There was no logical reason to think that they couldn't bring the best item to the Emperor if Jin w.a.n.gsun gave the command.

　　In terms of transportation, the steed that Jin w.a.n.gsun brought to the capital demonstrated how amazing his horses could be. After all, Gold and Silver Sect certainly wouldn't lack quality horses or equestrians. As long as time allowed, they'd be able to bring things back no matter how far away it may have been. There was nothing to suggest that Ming Feizhen had any hope for the round.

　　Despite the prime minister having prepared himself mentally for the defeat, his expression was still stirred by the sight of the object…

　　After a long discussion with the serious looking inspector, they finally reported back to the Emperor. "Your Majesty, after a lengthy discussion with inspector Li, we both conclude that this item comes from Lizhe Kingdom.

　　The Emperor's expression changed to surprise owing to what he heard. "Lizhe Kingdom?! H-How…?"

　　Everybody, including Hongjiu and Tang Ye who looked at each other, was shocked by the news.