The Stunning Prime Minister

Chapter 6

The bandit leader slapped his forehead and jumped up: "That's right! It's the toll. You've been too talkative, boss. I know. Get the hell out of here." The leader impatiently kicked the stutterer aside and continued: "Men stand on the left, women on the right, and what's this androgynous thing? Where is it again?" The leader seemed to have forgotten something.

The people inside the carriage burst into laughter, a hearty laugh tinged with a hint of coquettishness. Lifting the curtain, a young woman in red appeared, with delicate eyebrows, phoenix eyes, jade-like cheeks, and cherry lips. Her brows and eyes held a touch of pride, while her phoenix eyes held a hint of disdain. The long red whip in her slender hand was strikingly conspicuous.

The bandits were completely mesmerized. They had never seen such a beautiful woman before, drooling and staring blankly at the girl in red. They had long forgotten what they were supposed to do.

The girl in red scoffed, and her long whip began to lash out, striking the bandit leader with powerful strokes. Bright red welts appeared on his clothes, and only then did the bandit leader belatedly realize what was happening, yelling, "You filthy woman, you dare hit me! Get her! This woman's got some flavor!" The bandit leader's anger carried a certain air of authority, and the bandits with their hair ribbons immediately realized what was happening and tried to attack.

But the girl was not afraid at all. She picked up the whip and swung it fiercely, her lips slowly curving upwards. She whipped a group of bandits, making them scream and shout. More than ten strong men were whipped by the girl's red whip.

Yu Zhou suddenly focused intently on the whip—the Crimson Flame Whip. It was the most vicious Crimson Flame Whip in the martial world. If it continued like this, all the bandits would die. Let alone martial arts practitioners, even those with high internal strength couldn't withstand ten lashes! And those bandits clearly looked like farmers putting on a show, utterly powerless. They had already been whipped three times. The bandits collapsed to the ground, wailing in agony.

Just as Yu Zhou was about to rush out, a pebble hit the girl's right hand, and she threw the whip to the ground in pain.

[Challenge]

The man, dressed in a form-fitting white robe with an exquisitely crafted white jade belt, possessed a subtle, ambiguous smile, tinged with a hint of anger. He stood with his hands on his chest, coldly glancing at the girl in red. Everyone turned to look at the man, gasping in astonishment. Could there truly be such a handsome man in the world?

He was breathtakingly handsome, with sculpted features and strikingly defined eyes beneath his sword-like eyebrows. His outward appearance was seemingly carefree and nonchalant, yet the light emanating from those purple eyes was exceptionally dazzling. His intelligent gaze swept over everyone present, and at first glance, he possessed a refined, youthful air that gently touched their hearts. Yu Zhou was slightly taken aback; she finally understood what it meant to be dressed in white, pure and untouched by snow.

"Who are you?" The girl frowned slightly, seemingly filled with unspeakable anger, and picked up the Crimson Flame Whip that had fallen to her feet.

The man smiled slightly and said politely, "Miss, why go to such lengths to put someone to death?" The girl curled her lip in disapproval and said unhappily, "Hmph, didn't you see they were bandits? They rob and steal and do all sorts of evil. I'm doing a good deed. Are you an accomplice?"

"Haha, Miss is joking. But did you see their clothes?" The young man raised an eyebrow.

The girl, filled with anger, had no time to look at the clothes and said, "You're trying to stall for time." She raised her whip high again, but the man remained calm. Yu Zhou stepped forward, causing the girl to tense up. Yu Zhou slowly said, "They're wearing patched cloth clothes, and their straw sandals are tattered and covered in dust. Although they're carrying large knives, the others are carrying hoes and shovels. If they were truly bandits, they would have killed you long ago. This young master must be trying to let you know their identities."

The man chuckled and nodded. The girl looked at the bandits with confusion and asked, "Who are you people? Why are you pretending to be bandits?"

Lying on the ground, the stutterer stammered timidly, "I—I—I..." Finally, the leader couldn't take it anymore and kicked the stutterer aside, explaining, "Actually, we are farmers from the foot of the mountain. Because of a poor harvest and the government's need to collect taxes, we robbed this young lady. We are all honest farmers. We had no choice; we have an eighty-year-old mother to support and a three-year-old child to raise..." The others also knelt down and kowtowed, saying the same thing.

The girl seemed unconvinced, then turned to the man and said, "Alright, I'll let you off this time. Here's some medicine and some silver; take it." She casually took out a bottle of medicine and some loose silver from her pocket and threw them on the ground.

The farmers quickly ran down the mountain with their belongings, repeatedly saying, "Thank you, heroine."

"Sakura has been rude; please forgive me, gentlemen." A magnetic voice came from inside the carriage. However, there was not a trace of blame in its tone.

The curtains were drawn back, revealing a man in a purple brocade robe. His face held a wicked smile, his thick eyebrows arched defiantly, and his deep, dark eyes gleamed with a captivating light. A striking purple earring adorned his left ear, adding a touch of untamed charm to his handsome features. If the man in white was refined and elegant, incomparably handsome, then this man was unruly and unrestrained.

"Young master, there's no need for such formality. It was I who was rude to the young lady," the man in white said, still smiling.

"It's alright." He didn't sound apologetic at all.

"Where are you two young masters headed?" the young man in purple asked again.

"Six Arts Academy!" Yu Zhou and the white-robed young man said in unison, exchanging a smile. The purple-robed young man also laughed and said together, "Classmate."

Afterwards, the purple-robed young master invited the white-robed young master and Yu Zhou to ride in their carriage. Yu Zhou, without any hesitation, gave the two dead donkeys to the farmers at the foot of the mountain, telling them to cook them or not, it didn't matter. Yu Zhou was a man who always sought revenge. Seeing the two donkeys begging for mercy, Yu Zhou felt incredibly satisfied! He had gotten all the humiliation he'd endured along the way. He was even more furious at the sight of carrots. Ying Xue was even more formidable, kicking the donkeys several times before giving a very ladylike bow. She also gave Yu Zhou a high-five. Ying Xue revealed a smile she hadn't seen in decades.

Later, the white-clad youth and the purple-clad youth introduced themselves. The white-clad youth was named Yuan Yang, courtesy name Xingzhi; the purple-clad youth was named Feng Youhuang, courtesy name Yuyan; and the red-clad girl was named Feng Yingwu. Feng Youhuang had long considered Yuan Yang his rival, and judging from Yu Zhou's sickly appearance and the bamboo hat he wore, he didn't take Yu Zhou seriously at all, only knowing that Yuan Yang would be his biggest obstacle to entering the Chongru Academy. It turned out that the Six Arts Academy was divided into three major academies: the Chongru Academy and the Shangwu Academy. Unlike the ordinary academies, these two academies selected only six people every three years to enter each other. The top student in the Chongru Academy could become a prime minister, regardless of which country they served.

Feng Yingwu glared hatefully at Yuan Yang and Yu Zhou, her hands clenching the Crimson Flame Whip tightly.

Yuan Yang seemed unhurried, patiently gazing at the scenery outside the window. His eyes, however, remained fixed on Yu Zhou's straw hat, a sight that always sent a shiver down Yu Zhou's spine. Could this Yuan Yang be the legendary cunning and manipulative man? On the surface, gentle and refined, but in reality, utterly dark, Yu Zhou thought to himself. He intentionally or unintentionally avoided Yuan Yang's probing, half-smiling gaze.

The passengers, each with their own thoughts, soon arrived at Liuyi Town, located at the intersection of five countries.

Yu Zhou left Feng Youhuang's car as if he were being reincarnated. If Yuan Yang continued to watch him, she would definitely be the first to go to the underworld.

Afterwards, Yu Zhou and Ying Xue prepared for the entrance exam, which was in just one day. Yu Zhou's new beginning became hazy. It was clear that Yuan Yang and Feng Youhuang were both extraordinary in both appearance and talent.

The next day, Yu Zhou, wearing a straw hat, stood at the entrance of the Six Arts Academy, marveling at its magnificent splendor—truly the finest academy in the land. Ancient pines stood tall and strong, like sentinels on either side; the gilded plaques were imposing, the calligraphy powerful and vigorous, yet the sides were bare, lacking a couplet. The cobblestone path was long and serene. A large bronze bell hung silently beside the academy, solemn and dignified. Yu Zhou's heart suddenly stirred; it was a feeling of conquest, a domineering ambition to soar to the heavens. Today, Yu Zhou suddenly uttered two words: "Xuanyuan."

Today, she is Yu Xuanyuan, the holy son who looks down upon the world.

A golden carp is no ordinary fish; it transforms into a dragon when it encounters wind and clouds.

Just as Yu Zhou was about to enter the Six Arts Academy, he was stopped by a servant. The servant had a refined appearance, especially his striking eyes. The servant sneered, his face showing disdain: "This is where the young master and young lady go; you should go through the side door." He pointed to the side door.

Bing Ning was furious even through her veil; this servant was clearly abusing his power. But Yu Zhou remained calm, glancing at the servant before quietly walking towards the side door. Ying Xue, however, felt incredibly humiliated. She wanted to ask Yu Zhou, "Young Master, why? It's clearly..." The servant looked at Ying Xue arrogantly. Yu Zhou smiled calmly.

Then, a good-for-nothing suddenly tried to barge in. The servant tried to let him pass through the side door, but the young master insisted on going his own way and pushed the servant aside. Yingxue felt a sense of satisfaction. However, Yuzhou kept shaking his head. Yingxue couldn't help but ask Yuzhou, "Young master, why are you shaking your head?" Yuzhou explained as he walked towards the side door, "Actually, this is the first hurdle."

"The first level?" Yingxue looked at it, puzzled. She even kicked the broom that had fallen to the ground.

Yu Zhou picked up the broom from the ground and continued explaining to Ying Xue, "Look at that servant. He has a refined face, and deep calluses between his middle and ring fingers, clearly from years of holding a pen. But does a servant need to hold a pen?" Ying Xue suddenly remembered the servant's hands, but still didn't understand.

"Young Master, are you saying the servant has a problem? But what does that have to do with the first challenge?" Yingxue asked curiously.

"Have you noticed anything wrong with the side door?" Yu Zhou asked Ying Xue again.

"Something's not right, there are so few people! Almost no one's leaving." Thinking of that servant, Yingxue felt that he was rather despicable.

"Yes, nobody's leaving. That servant stopped the examinees to test them; I think the first test is a single sentence, and this broom." Yu Zhou picked up the broom and continued walking. He saw a large group of people gathered in front of a board with the following words written on it:

A broom made of gold and a handle made of jade, sweeping the palace clean to welcome the western guests.

Everyone looked on, completely bewildered. The servant standing there remained expressionless, simply saying, "Gentlemen, please enter the inner hall." Yu Zhou, however, laughed and turned to walk west. Ying Xue, on the other hand, tugged at Yu Zhou's sleeve, saying, "Sao Ye, hurry up and go to the main hall!"

“No need, that’s their exam hall, mine is over there.” Yu Zhou smiled brightly, pointing to a dilapidated house to the west. Ying Xue had no choice but to follow closely behind Yu Zhou. The small house was shabby, comparable to the house of the Eccentric Hero of Tianchi, but it had a more refined air about it.

"Listen up, you people outside. What were you thinking when you came in?" The voice was deep and husky, carrying a hint of authority.

"Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles," Yu Zhou replied confidently.