The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

"The Minor Heat exam has concluded. The content was a 'Grain-Eating Bird Calamity.' The results are based on the damage each clerk's field suffered."

"Those who suffered less than ten percent loss of yuan rice will be graded A."

"Those who suffered less than twenty percent loss will be graded B."

"Those who suffered less than half will be graded C."

"Those who lost more than half will receive no grade for this exam and must replant their fields, using cultivation techniques to accelerate growth. If they manage to recover, they will be graded C."

"The results of the Minor Heat exam have been posted. All clerks, please check for yourselves. Regardless of your results, remain diligent and humble."

After Chen Shijie finished speaking, the scribe aboard the flying boat waved his hand, and a yellow sheet of paper floated in the air, precisely attaching itself to the nine bulletin boards at the fields.

The clerks all bowed toward the flying boat as it drifted away, and then, in a rush, they crowded around the posted results.

"What? Only thirty people made it to the A list, and only five made it to A+?!"

"It's over! There are only two hundred and fourteen names on the list. Does that mean half of us didn't pass?"

"Hey, could someone check if my name, Liang Bai, is there?"

"Yes, you're on the C list, ninth place. Congratulations, Brother Liang."

"Sigh, only the C list? I made the B list last time…"

"If the Minor Heat exam was this hard, how will we survive the autumn evaluation? Only a handful of people will become officials next spring. What's the point of continuing? Let's just go drink!"

"Yeah, exactly. Who cares anymore? I might as well quit!"

The Minor Heat exam was notably more difficult than previous ones, so the mood around the bulletin boards was somber, with few people in high spirits.

Those who were pleased with their results were rare. Most felt they had done poorly.

A small portion of the clerks, however, didn't seem to care.

After all, only three to five people become officials each year. The exams are designed to get harder, filtering out the clerks who lack diligence or aptitude.

Since they were never really in the running, why worry? They might as well slack off and not even bother with the makeup exam.

What? You're worried about getting kicked out? Let them fire me! It's not like the salary was worth much. It's a peaceful world—quitting as a clerk won't starve me to death, right?

However, the vast majority still cared deeply. Why else would they have chosen this path? After all the effort they had invested, the sunk costs were too high to give up now, so they still clung to hope.

Chen Ziyu and Qian Dong were desperately pushing through the crowd.

Soon, they emerged looking dejected.

"We both only made C-—just barely passing," Chen Ziyu lamented.

As they left the crowd, Chen Ziyu suddenly slapped his forehead. "Wait! Qian Dong, what about Brother's score? Did you check?"

Qian Dong, with his head drooping, hesitated before responding, "I didn't see Big Brother's name on the C list… Could it be…"

"What do you mean by that? Are you saying Big Brother didn't even make the C list? After all the hard work he put in, if he didn't make it, how upset will he be? No wonder he's nowhere to be found—could he be so discouraged he's doing something rash?"

Qian Dong quickly shook his head, "No, no, not at all! Big Brother is always so carefree—there's no way he'd take it that badly. But... I'm sure he's upset."

Chen Ziyu said anxiously, "I'll go check the list again. Qian Dong, you go search the area for any sign of Brother. Let's meet up at the triangular field."

A quarter of an hour later, at the triangular field.

Qian Dong saw the disheartened look on Chen Ziyu's face. He hadn't found Zhao Xing yet, but judging by Chen Ziyu's expression, something even worse must have happened.

"I couldn't find Big Brother. What's going on with you?"

Chen Ziyu looked dazed. "Brother's name isn't on the C list."

"So it's not there… Failing isn't that uncommon—" Qian Dong started to speak but suddenly paused. "Wait, is he on the B list?"

Seeing Chen Ziyu stay silent, Qian Dong's jaw slowly dropped. "Could it be…"

"Yes, Brother is on the A list—and at the top, no less. He's listed as A+, along with Wen Nanxing, Li Chengfeng, Zong Shichang, and Xiao Ze."

"…"

Qian Dong's expression mirrored Chen Ziyu's blank stare.

Not far from the A list, Li Chengfeng sat comfortably on a rock, surrounded by a group of people.

He hadn't needed to check the list himself—he had enough confidence that his name would be there.

For him, the real pleasure wasn't in seeing his name on the list, but in basking in the praise of others.

"Congratulations, Brother Li, once again at the top of the A list, and graded A+!"

"Brother Li, your talent truly is remarkable. How many times have you been graded A+ now?"

"This is my sixth time."

"Next spring, I suppose we'll be addressing you as Lord Li."

Li Chengfeng smiled and waved off the compliments, saying, "Let's not joke about that. Lord this, lord that—we're all brothers here. Besides, I'm not the only one who got A+. I'm nowhere near Brother Zong's level... Brother Zong, what are you looking at?"

The burly Zong Shichang glanced back curiously. "I was looking at the list. Brother Li, there are five A+ names, but besides you, me, Wen Nanxing, and Xiao Ze, I've never heard of this fifth person."

"Oh?" Li Chengfeng moved to take a look. Upon seeing the unfamiliar name Zhao Xing, his brow furrowed. "Indeed, I've never heard of him. I know most of the clerks at the Seven Shennong Courtyards. Where did this person come from?"

"Could he be one of Old Shennong Official Xue's people?" Zong Shichang suggested.

"No need to speculate. Let's just visit him one day and find out," Li Chengfeng said, narrowing his eyes.

At the same time, Wen Nanxing, Xiao Ze, and others who were listed on the A list also noticed the name Zhao Xing.

The Shennong Division could only promote three to five officials a year. While the other lists didn't matter as much, everyone on the A list was a direct competitor.

If someone else made it, that meant they couldn't. That person could even end up as their superior. How could they not pay attention?

But Zhao Xing had always kept a low profile, so few people had even heard of him. When they asked around, they found that he was merely a subordinate of Old Shennong Official Xue, which only piqued their curiosity further.

Meanwhile, Zhao Xing was completely unaware that he had caught the attention of many clerks. He hadn't even bothered to check the list.

Because as soon as Chen Shijie had explained the rules, Zhao Xing knew he'd definitely be on the A list. Why squeeze through the sweaty crowd in this sweltering heat? It was better to head home, take a bath, and eat some food.

If he got home too late, there was a chance Madam Cai might hide the meat. She was the type who would absolutely do that.

"This year's evaluations, including Minor Heat, have already totaled six. According to the usual schedule, there are six more tests tied to the seasonal festivals."

"My results for the first five tests were mediocre—one B, two C+, and two C-."

"But that's okay. Progress is just as valuable as consistent results. These small exams don't solely measure past performance. If you show potential, you still have a chance to be recommended."

"If I can make it to the A list in every exam before the Winter Evaluation, I'll definitely catch the attention of the higher-ups. By then, I wonder how much help Old Shennong Official Xue will be."

"Old Shennong Official Xue Wenzhong is known for his kind heart. He never competes for anything and is incredibly honest, never accepting bribes or gifts. If, by then, I'm on par with the others, it will be crucial to see if my superiors will speak up for me."

Suddenly, a delicious smell interrupted Zhao Xing's thoughts—it was meat, wafting from the kitchen. He had already arrived home.

"Hmm? It smells like ginseng chicken soup… Heh, sometimes good timing is everything!"