After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

When they saw this person suddenly appear in the arena, half covered in blood and half covered in sand, everyone was stunned for a moment, and then glanced at the musket that the other party had thrown on the ground.

I was terrified, both physically and mentally.

The sling of this gun, the style of this gun... this is actually a gun from the Northern Dynasty!

Upon realizing this, everyone couldn't help but look up sharply towards the last seat where the other person should be.

At the last seat, only the two figures, one large and one small, remained, while the figure in white was nowhere to be seen.

Everyone's gaze shifted again to Ning Nan, Ning Baixuan, who should have been at the end of the table, but had somehow gone to the training ground and returned covered in blood!

Their eyes widened in shock; everyone was astonished!

Ning Nan didn't care about that.

My forehead was covered in sweat, and as the sweat dripped down, my cheeks became itchy, and the area under my right eye also felt itchy. I touched it, and it was black and red, probably from the ash I had just gotten on my face, mixed with the blood of the Northern Dynasty people.

He lifted his sleeve and wiped it.

She walked forward leisurely.

He glanced at the various treasures displayed on the wooden table in front of him... a knife, a sword, jade, Buddhist beads, a gold Chang'e flying to the moon, and a set of jade artifacts.

He raised his head and smiled at Cao Du, whose face was deathly pale and whose eyes were vacant:

"Lord Cao, I just defeated them both, so what about these things...?"

Cao Du's breathing became slightly rapid. After taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down.

Looking back, he saw a eunuch carrying two stretchers. The person on one of the stretchers was wearing an apricot-yellow armor, and he knew that the Northern Dynasty warrior, Danzhu, must be lying on it.

He took a deep breath and nodded silently.

Ning Nan smiled and said, "This humble subject thanks you, sir."

He turned his head and called out behind him, "Sanzhuang."

"They're here!"

The tall man, dressed in a black flying fish suit, ran over with a joyful expression.

Ning Nan glanced at it, lifted the red cloth under the wooden platform, wrapped all the items inside, weighed them in his hand, and said, "They're a bit heavy." San Zhuang took them and carried them on his back. They were indeed a bit heavy, and he complained, "Big brother, do you want to hold that jade in your hands?" He was afraid it would break.

Ning Nan pursed his lips, shrugged, and said his hands were too weak.

He bowed deeply to the emperor and said, "Your Highness, this humble subject Ning Nan... um... may I take my leave now?"

The old eunuch beside Prince Xin was stunned.

After several breaths, he managed to choke out a sentence: "But... Young Master Ning, please take care."

Ning Nan bowed deeply in gratitude.

He turned and walked towards the last seat.

Li Xing, his face tense, picked up a bowl of wine and called out, "Big brother, the wine is warm enough!"

Ning Nan picked up the porcelain bowl and drank it all.

I wiped my face.

He smiled and said, "The Gentleman's Soup tastes quite good."

He lowered his eyes and glanced at the half-empty jar of wine left on the table.

After thinking for a moment, I mustered my courage and picked up the wine jar...

He then strode quickly towards the outside of the mansion.

After that first glance, he never looked at the Northern Dynasty delegation again.

San Zhuang carried a large bag filled with prizes from various countries, while Li Xing carried a small bag containing an unknown amount of stuff. The two of them followed closely behind him, step by step...

Three figures passed by two stretchers.

Danzhu was shot in the chest.

The bullet pierced his chest.

His face appeared to have been injured by a blunt object, smashed beyond recognition, a sight that chilled the eye. Da Chun, Ni Long, and the others rushed forward, their temples throbbing, their faces flushed red, and many had tears welling in their eyes as they looked at the person on the stretcher.

On another stretcher.

Anatoly, with his golden curly hair, was still alive, gasping for breath.

Her hands were clenched against her chest, trembling uncontrollably.

Everyone glanced over there.

Anatoly's face was charred black, and several fingers were missing from his hands, with dark red blood flowing from the severed fingers. The sight sent chills down everyone's spines, and their faces turned deathly pale.

The Rakshasa delegation also left their seats.

Rostov squatted down with a solemn expression, hugged Anatoly in his arms, and mumbled some Rakshasa language.

Cao Du and the officials of the Southern Dynasty looked at each other, wondering what had happened.

Inside the beaded curtain of Prince Xin.

After hearing the gunshot, Qin Yuanyao hurriedly ran out.

As Rostov listened to Anatoly's fragmented words, his expression grew increasingly grave.

After a moment, he slowly put Anatoly down, ordered someone to send Anatoly back to the Rakshasa embassy, ​​then turned around, bowed to King Shin, and mumbled something in Spanish.

The fat interpreter was sweating profusely. After Rostov finished speaking, he turned to the person at the head of the table and said:

"Your Highness Prince Xin, Lord Cao, and all of you, your country's warriors fought against two opponents, using two guns, together with Anatoli and Na Dongzhu."

"After your warriors won, they spared Anatoly's life, for which our country is especially grateful. Anatoly is completely convinced of their defeat... God above, we have lost. Today, our country will take its leave first. We hope that Your Highness and all of you will continue to enjoy this beautiful evening."

After the fat translator finishes translating.

Rostov, along with the rest of the Rosha delegation, bowed again and then turned to take his leave.

After Rostov finished speaking, the envoys from various countries and the officials of the Southern Dynasty all looked around. They were especially shocked when they heard that this man had "fought two against one with two guns." They couldn't understand how he had done it.

The people from the Northern Dynasty looked on with resentment, their lips trembling, their faces turning pale and then red, but they remained silent.

Several people had planned to use the possibility that Ning Baixuan might have cheated as a pretext to make trouble, but seeing that even Luo Sharen was convinced, they had no choice but to shut up.

Moreover, Danzhu's gunshot wound was on the front.

This means the opponent definitely didn't just walk that many steps; they attacked from behind. If it was an attack from behind, then Danzhu should have been shot in the back.

After a while.

Only then did the young eunuch who was waiting in the corridor step forward and tell everyone what had happened.

"...'Do you want to be a hero or a coward?' Young Master Ning asked, raising his empty musket at Mr. Danzhu. Mr. Danzhu, wounded and lying on the ground, still defiantly uttered 'Hero.' Young Master Ning then dropped the musket, killing him and leaving himself covered in blood... Young Master Ning then asked the Rakshasa the same question... but remembering the Rakshasa couldn't understand him, he gave up, only picking up the Northern Dynasty man's musket... saying, 'Isn't this what you were planning to give to Prince Xin?... I'll take it...'"

The young eunuch, his face pale, spoke haltingly, his legs trembling.

Upon hearing this, everyone present looked at each other in bewilderment, unsure of what to say.

Even the officials of the Southern Dynasty were perhaps too shocked at this moment, and they fell silent.

Cao Du slowly exhaled and leisurely walked to the ash-covered musket from the Northern Dynasty on the ground.

He glanced at it a few times, then turned his head and faced Da Chun, saying calmly:

"Your Excellency, if your dynasty still wishes to present this musket to His Highness Prince Xin of our dynasty..."

Cao Du said coldly, "I'll have to trouble you, Your Excellency... to take it home and wash it first!"

In an instant, everyone from the Northern Dynasty was so angry that their faces turned a deep purplish-red, their complexions flushed crimson...

……

The hour of Chou (1-3 AM).

The night is deep.

Zhu Cuiwei changed into casual clothes and returned to Ning Mansion from Prince Xin's Mansion.

The lights in the flower hall were still on.

She walked straight into the flower hall.

A small stove sits on the table in the flower room.

A set of teapots was placed on the stove.

The kettle is steaming.

The aroma of wine wafted through the flower hall.

She glanced at the young doctor sitting at the table. The young doctor had his head down with a serious expression, and in his hand... he seemed to be holding a Kongming lantern.

"Ah?" The young doctor looked up at her, then exclaimed in surprise, "You're back?"

He gestured toward the small stove with his chin and said with a smile, "Hey, this is the Gentleman's Soup that I brought back from Prince Xin's residence. It was a gift from Prince Xin, and it's extremely expensive..."

"It's warmed up, would you like to try some?"

Zhu Cuiwei watched for a while, pursed her lips, nodded, and walked over.

The young doctor stood up again, holding a pen in one hand and waving a Kongming lantern in the other, and smiled as he said:

"Want to go to the Qinhuai River? It's Mid-Autumn Festival, let's release lanterns!"