My name is Wei Qing, and I want to fight the Xiongnu.

Then it appeared on the fifty-ninth floor, completely immobilized.

At the same time, the gates of the Hundred Battles Pavilion burst open, and a figure that was not particularly tall or strong emerged from the darkness.

Wei Qing looked at the crowd outside the Hundred Battles Pavilion with a smile, raised his eyebrows slightly, and said with a hearty smile, "It seems that I, Wei Qing, am really famous. I can just casually enter the Hundred Battles Pavilion and so many people are waiting for me."

After saying that, he turned to look at the crystal tablet, where only Zhu Shi was still continuing to challenge the pavilion; everyone else had been eliminated.

He chuckled casually, "The highest is only fifty-seven? That's it? You all really don't take me, Wei Qing, seriously at all! If you want to crush me, you should at least have sixty floors, right? Look, I've already given you a chance, even though I stopped my score at fifty-nine. How can you be so useless after I gave you a chance?"

The area below remained silent, and deep down, everyone felt a sense of absurdity.

Sixty floors?

How dare you say that?

Everyone knows that in the Command Department's Hundred Battles Pavilion, passing the 60th floor means graduating early.

Such people would be treasured and carefully nurtured by both the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu barbarians.

How could we possibly let him stay in the Imperial Academy and waste his time?

And you said you stopped the score at the 59th floor, did you actually make it to the 60th floor?

Throughout history, countless geniuses have fallen on the sixtieth floor.

In the nearly four hundred years of the Imperial Academy, only seven people have passed the sixtieth floor, but eight or nine hundred have passed the fifty-ninth floor.

Later, the reform of the command department overemphasized military strategy and de-emphasized the battlefield, resulting in students' grades declining year after year.

In contrast, when the Imperial Academy was first established, almost every year one or two such geniuses would emerge.

Among the first few batches of Xiongnu barbarians who entered the Imperial Academy, the geniuses who reached the fifty-ninth floor emerged like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

So whether or not one has made it through the sixty levels makes a world of difference in the outcome.

Seeing the scratching expressions on some people's faces, Wei Qing couldn't help but laugh again: "Is it necessary to think so much? For freshmen, fifty-nine floors is an acceptable result, isn't it?"

newborn?

Upon hearing this word, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Yes, Wei Qing is still a freshman; he has only just enrolled.

Is passing the 59th floor right after entering the academy the same as spending 12 years at the Imperial Academy and still being stuck on the 59th floor?

When Zhou Yafu first tried to enter the pavilion, he only made it to the forty-second floor!

But why... do I feel that Wei Qing is capable of passing through the sixty levels?

Yes, when Cao Ying opened the betting game yesterday, everyone thought Wei Qing wouldn't be able to get past the fortieth floor.

Now, everyone thinks that Wei Qing was holding back, and that he should be able to get past the sixtieth floor.

The crystal tablet also shows that Wei Qing held an absolute advantage on the sixtieth floor, but inexplicably failed to break through.

So, did Wei Qing actually have the ability to pass through the sixty levels?

Anxiety can be truly agonizing.

Even Liu Che and others were in a state of anxiety, wondering if they could just get a definite answer.

No way! I just won't give it to you, go ahead and worry me to death!

Wei Qing turned to look at Cao Ying. Breaking into the pavilion was secondary; the key was making money.

"Has the betting started yet? How's it going? Any fools taking the bait?"

Upon hearing Wei Qing mention the gambling, Cao Ying couldn't stop laughing: "Yes, there are a lot of fools. They probably made a total of 100,000 points."

Wei Qing: ? ? ?

"How much? One hundred thousand? One hundred thousand what?"

Wei Qing wondered if he had misheard.

I think I heard something say, 100,000 points? Are you sure it's not 100,000 gold?

"One hundred thousand points!"

Cao Ying said excitedly, "To be precise, I won about 120,000. If we deduct a quarter of the tax, I'll still have about 100,000 left."

"What kind of betting platform did you run? How did you win so much?"

"Forty floors! I bet you can make it past forty floors, they bet you can't."

Wei Qing's eyes widened: "Forty floors? Are there really that many fools betting with you?"

Wei Qing was stunned. Wasn't it supposed to be a bet on the 59th floor?

Why only bet on the fortyth floor?

The key question is, why are there still so many people gambling on the 40th floor?

Have you lost your mind, or do you have money to burn?

The students who lost the bet lowered their heads in shame, saying, "Don't say anything, I'm just a fool."

I bet I couldn't get past the forty floors. Looking back now, I wonder how I dared to do that.

Were you drugged?

Cao Ying explained with exaggerated gestures, "Wei Qing, you don't know, yesterday you were very slow when you first entered the pavilion, so I went to find Consort Han, but she wasn't at the Imperial Academy and said she had returned to Hanoi County."

Wei Qing thought to himself, "I know, I did have a hard time getting through the first twenty levels, and I also know that Consort Han is not in the Imperial Academy, but there can't be so many fools falling for it, can there?"

Cao Ying became more and more excited as he spoke, saying excitedly, "To be honest, not many people actually fell for it, but who knows, someone might be helping us out!"

There was a Xiongnu barbarian named Miaoga in the Command Department who insisted on saying in front of everyone that he had gone to see Consort Han, but Consort Han was not in the Imperial Academy. Instead, he kept stirring up trouble.

As a result, a bunch of fools couldn't sit still after hearing this, and they all rushed over to gamble with me, willing to stake their entire savings on their wives.

Wei Qing knew immediately that this guy must have ill intentions and had caught Cao Ying's eye.

It doesn't matter, anyway, even if Cao Ying doesn't care, Wei Qing will.

"Is he a shill you hired?"

"Of course not, he's just a self-righteous idiot."

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The General Visits in Person

Sowing discord is too simplistic. Any normal person with a modicum of common sense would know that Miao Ga was definitely not a plant hired by Cao Ying.

Cao Ying and Wei Qing, these two iron-willed warriors, wished they could tear all the Xiongnu barbarians apart with their bare hands. Even if they dared to confront the Xiongnu barbarians, none of them would dare to give them a second thought.

I'm afraid that in the end I'll not only lose everything, but I'll also lose everything myself.

So Cao Ying simply stomped on Miao Ga's feet twice.

If I say you're bad, nobody will believe me, so let's just say you're stupid, that shouldn't be a problem, right?

Anyway, I'll just label you as either stupid or wicked.

As for whether it's stupidity or malice, let those who lost the bet decide for themselves.

Wei Qing nodded and said, "It's good that he's a complete idiot, that way we don't have to give him points."

There were many of Myoga's students in the crowd, and even more who admired him.

Hearing Wei Qing and Cao Ying take turns belittling their idol left me feeling quite uncomfortable.

But they didn't dare to speak up in rebuttal; there was no other reason than simply being too afraid.

Wei Qing, who made it through 59 floors in one go, slapped the face of the entire Command Department in the face. Who among the students of the Command Department would dare to point fingers at him?

If Muga were there, he would probably be so angry he'd vomit blood.

Even if he were eloquent, he could only swallow his pride and bear it when faced with Cao Ying and Wei Qing.

There was no other reason; it was simply that Wei Qing and Cao Ying were typical examples of: if you try to reason with me, I'll fight you with my fists; if you try to fight me with my fists, I'll talk about status; if you talk about status with me, I'll reason with you.

In short, say whatever is in your own interest.

The point is, as long as you can't completely destroy me, I'll always find a chance to crush you!

Just as Wei Qing and Cao Ying continued to speak ill of Miao Ga, a voice suddenly came from the sky: "General Lü Lu, King of Zhao of the Han Dynasty, has come to visit on behalf of the Empress Dowager. Would you, scholar Wei Qing, be willing to come and have a chat?"

Lü Lu? The Empress's nephew!?

Upon hearing that Lü Lu had come to visit, even Emperor Wu of Han was greatly surprised. Someone from the Lü clan had come? And it was Lü Lu himself?

Was it to win over Wei Qing?

Could it be that Wei Qing actually passed the sixtieth level? Or did he give up on his own?

Otherwise, even if someone from the Lü family came, it shouldn't be someone of Lü Lu's rank who would come specifically.

Currently, the Lü clan is divided into two branches, with Lü Ze and Lü Shizhi being Lü Hou's elder brothers.

After the deaths of the two, Lü Chan is currently the head of the Lü Ze lineage, and has been granted the title of Prince of Liang and appointed as Grand Tutor.

The lineage of Lü Shi was headed by Lü Lu, who was enfeoffed as the King of Zhao.

In terms of status, Lü Lu was probably similar to Liu Heng, the grandfather of Emperor Wu of Han (Liu Che), and perhaps even slightly higher.

The fact that someone specifically asked to see Wei Qing by name speaks volumes.

Liu Che said to Chen Ajiao beside him, "I need to go back to see my grandfather. Wei Qing was brought here from Pingyang County by my sister, so he might not be won over by the Lü clan. But if the Liu clan sits idly by from beginning to end, no one can guarantee that Wei Qing will not be moved by the Lü clan's sincerity."

Is the Lü family sincere?

Of course it does. Lü Lu came in person, doesn't that demonstrate his sincerity?

No other student has enjoyed this privilege in nearly a century.

When Wei Qing heard that Lü Lu wanted to see him, he said to Cao Ying beside him, "The General specifically asked to see me by name. I cannot refuse the General. You go back and wait for me. We'll talk when I get back."

"Okay, be careful."

Cao Ying did not believe that Lü Lu would harm Wei Qing, but sometimes it is more difficult to deal with someone who comes with good intentions than one who comes with malice.

Wei Qing nodded and left first.

As soon as Wei Qing left, the other students naturally scattered as well.