At the age of twenty-five, during the counterattack on JueMing Island, he made a name for himself.

Later, he served successively as the Imperial Court Adviser, the Prefectural Governor of Jinghai County, and the City Lord of Pinglu City beyond The Gate of All Demons...

In every position, he performed outstandingly.

At the age of forty-three, he returned to Lost World, and avenged his father by personally defeating the Sea Clan Zhen King.

Although she followed the Official Way, she became a True Man of the Age before becoming an Imperial Court Adviser, not the other way around.

Though the two are similar in terms of combat prowess, and she must also adhere to the constraints of the Official Way. This is enough to prove that whether in government affairs or cultivation itself, she possesses extraordinary talent. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

And after today, Su Guanying, in the eyes of Jiang Wang, transformed from a brilliant resume into a real person.

A person with a gentle appearance, yet firm in will, highly capable of implementing her will and achieving her goals.

For the Official Way, the political framework is the Tao Path, governance is cultivation, and political resources are cultivation resources.

With South Xia newly established, who wouldn’t have ambitions?

There are nine Imperial Court Advisers in Qi Country and nine Commanders in the Military Affairs Hall, in addition to individuals like Donghua Scholar Li Zhengshu, who despite not being added to the two Main Halls, still hold significant influence and talent, totaling more than twenty eligible contenders.

In the end, the Governor of Nanxia, holding this vast political resource, was Su Guanying.

How can you resist facing such a person?

Jiang Wang felt a bit troubled but could only ask, "I wonder what is tested in this South Border official examination?"

Su Guanying replied with satisfaction, "Both literary and martial exams are conducted together, with literary exams focusing on policy discussions and martial exams on cultivation. Unless one is exceptionally outstanding in one area, you must pass both the literary and martial exams. ’Rating Excellence and Sorting Out Mediocrity,’ these eight words are the core of this official examination."

"I have no knowledge of policy discussions, but I can understand a little about cultivation. Otherwise, I’ll take responsibility for the martial exam." Jiang Wang, knowing he couldn’t refuse, proactively chose a path, cutting his authority in half.

Su Guanying looked at him and smiled, "Very well."

...

After visiting the Governor of Nanxia, he was assigned a task.

Jiang Wang felt extremely uneasy.

For those solely focused on the Official Way, this would be a coveted opportunity. Being responsible for the South Border official exams, they could gain many disciples and establish an extensive network of official connections.

It would greatly benefit the establishment of their political framework and the implementation of their political views in the future.

Su Guanying was practically giving him benefits!

But for Jiang Wang, though he was in the officialdom, he did not rely on the Official Way. His cultivation so far was entirely gained through his own hard work.

Fully committing to the Official Way could certainly provide substantial cultivation benefits, markedly increasing the chance of reaching Dongzhen. However, when he wants to detach himself in the future, it would require considerable effort. He would not take it.

On the other hand, the cultivation benefits from the title of Marquis Wu’an don’t require relying on government affairs to maintain. As long as he retains the title, he can utilize national power for cultivation.

Of course, utilizing national power for cultivation inherently creates certain cause and effect. It links the Tao Path of the cultivator with the fate of the country.

During the great war between Qi Xia, King Wu, Si Jiao, requested Lord Changsheng of the Southern Dipper Palace to take action. Reportedly, one condition was borrowing national power for ten years to aid his cultivation. Essentially, it was using the strength of Summer Country to support a True Monarch, allowing a Yan Dao Practitioner to absorb the nation’s essence for ten years.

It’s unclear what unique method Lord Changsheng used to sever the cause and effect of national power, enjoying its benefits without bearing responsibility... It should require cooperation from the Xia Court. If it weren’t a matter of the country’s survival, Si Jiao wouldn’t have offered such terms.

Returning to the matter of the South Border official exam, Jiang Wang had no interest in cultivating disciples or officials. Even if he weaves the world into a network, with the whole court close to Wu An, since he does not rely on the Official Way for cultivation, what’s the use? Those are the strengths of Zhongxuan Sheng, and he finds it too troublesome, costing him a lot of his cultivation time.

But having already accepted the task, as he himself said, selecting officials is no small matter; it concerns the welfare of millions of people, and he cannot take it lightly.

On the way to Chi Tan, he kept studying the requirements of the Nanxia Governor’s Mansion for various official positions, as well as the list of examiners given to him by Su Guanying.

As the chief examiner, he could decide the exam questions and had limited authority to adjust the list of examiners, giving him considerable power.

The primary principle of the official examination is fairness. As long as this fundamental point is grasped, the examination will not go wrong. If this point is lost, the examination itself loses its meaning, and the credibility of the Nanxia Governor’s Mansion will suffer a significant blow, potentially shaking the Qi Court’s governance over the South Border.

From this perspective, Su Guanying’s arrangement of having Jiang Wang as the chief examiner was a brilliant move.

It bypassed the interference from the South Border’s military and political environment and found the person best suited to ensure fairness.

Given Jiang Wang’s significant influence in the South Border, with him as the chief examiner, no one would object. Moreover, since Jiang Wang does not hold an official position in the South Border and is known for focusing solely on cultivation, there’s no worry of him forming factions and engaging in favoritism. Coupled with Jiang Wang’s good reputation, using him is indeed reassuring.

As the first public South Border official exam promoted by the Nanxia Governor’s Mansion, this event could almost be seen as the embodiment of Su Guanying’s political power, with many conspiring to disrupt it, overtly and covertly. Jiang Wang’s arrival solved the problem effortlessly.

The more Jiang Wang pondered, the more he wished to keep his distance from the people in the Political Affairs Hall. Dealing with them required too much mental effort and was not straightforward.

Now, he even suspected that the timing of the South Border official exam was hastily set after Su Guanying saw him. Otherwise, how could there be only a broad list of examiners and the eight-word examination guideline, with no other preparations? To say that the plan started today would be too coincidental.