Outside the city named "Noble City," there’s a famous site known as the "Tiger Platform."

In the past, Marquis Xue Chang of Yangling and Marquis Li Fu of Guangping contested their ideals here, once drawing the attention of thousands.

The Tiger Platform remains today, but those lords have turned to dust.

However, the Tiger Platform is not open under usual circumstances.

Because beneath the Tiger Platform lies the renowned "Sī Xuán Underground Palace."

During Da Xia’s prime, more than half of the ministers had sought enlightenment at the Sī Xuán Underground Palace, signifying its importance.

Placed outside, it could be compared to Qi’s Under Jixuegong.

The Nanxia Governor’s Mansion has now officially held the South Border official examination, with the final examination conducted at the Tiger Platform.

In the entire South Xia, those aspiring to the Official Way, as long as they met the basic requirements, all participated in this large-scale exam, which included city, prefecture, and official level tests.

In the end, three hundred people reached the Tiger Platform.

For those who made it to this stage, they were already rare talents, and even if they did poorly, they would still gain official status.

Among these three hundred, the best of the best will be selected to become the Prefectural Governors of South Xia’s twenty regions.

Originally, South Xia had twenty-one prefectures.

However, during the Qi Xia War, the Jin’an Fu Border Military was resolute, and the Qi Army, despite multiple assaults, could not breach. When the decisive battle in Tong Yang City ended and the city of Noble City fell, the Jin’an Fu Border Military, fearing Qi revenge, surrendered to Liang Country.

Of course, this is just the official explanation.

Someone like Jiang Wang, in Qi’s higher echelons, of course knew this was just a way to have Liang Country contain Summer Country’s southeast.

Liang Country is not weak. Kang Shao’s successful restoration of the nation, and maintaining a strong attitude against the recovering Summer Country, itself is proof of power.

The first reason is the support of Sword Pavilion.

Secondly, the Imperial Clan of Liang and Blood River Sect have long maintained close relations.

These two major sects gave the people of Liang considerable confidence.

Between Liang and Xia countries are high mountains and steep peaks, obstructing each other.

The only connection through Jianxia Gorge is a plank road.

Sword Pavilion controls this strategic pass, said to be impenetrable by ten thousand men.

Jin’an Fu’s importance lies in — when it belongs to Xia, it effectively blocks the northwest exit of Jianxia Gorge.

When it belongs to Liang, it’s a bridgehead to Xia Territory!

With Jin’an lost, Feng Li, Hui Ming, Shaokang, Wanxing all become border prefectures with border pressures more than doubled!

This also explains that even though Qi’s destruction of Xia seemed overwhelmingly powerful, the effort behind it was extensive.

Of course, Qi is not Xia. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Today’s South Xia, even if Feng Li, Hui Ming, Shaokang, and Wanxing do not deploy a single soldier, people of Liang dare not cross the border.

Shi Mingcheng, leading the Winter Silence Army, did not station in these four prefectures but garrisoned in Chang Luo Fu, also reflecting Qi’s judgement on the threat level.

Today, the sun shines on the Tiger Platform, with Textual Energy swirling like clouds.

The three hundred examinees were answering, each at a table three paces apart, their pens moving swiftly to write essays.

There were three essay topics in total.

Su Guanying personally set the topic, titled "I Desire to Govern the South Border Well". It’s a very clear yet broad topic, publicly inviting the candidates to propose strategies for governing the South Border.

Shi Mingcheng set the topic "How to Eliminate the Disasters of Saint Water, As Stated by Xia".

Jiang Wang, compelled and having no solution, also set a topic, titled "Qi Xia is Originally One".

It was easy to see that Marquis Wu’an provided a gift topic. It would be hard for the candidates not to get points, but of course, in such a broad topic, scoring high was not easy either.

Armored soldiers stood by the field, all donned in red robes, weapons in hand, while military commanders patrolled, swords in hand, overseeing the proceedings.

In the topmost position.

The Nanxia Governor and Imperial Court Adviser Su Guanying sat in the center.

Nanxia Military Supervisor and Winter Silence Army Commander Shi Mingcheng sat on the left side.

Marquis Wu’an Jiang Wang sat on the right side.

The three were seated together.

Though Jiang Wang held no official position in South Xia, considering his status and influence, he could be considered one of the top three figures in South Xia.

Of course, this was just the visible side, as Qi had other important figures in South Xia.

"Doctor Xie’s action in taking Noble City was very impressive, instantly taking control of the Sī Xuán Underground Palace with overwhelming force, surrounding without attacking. Then, he strong-armed Noble City, forced An Lebo to surrender, and went back to receive the Sī Xuán Underground Palace, which thus suffered minimal damage... Marquis Wu’an would know?" Su Guanying asked from the main seat.

"I actually don’t know." Jiang Wang smiled bitterly, "I wasn’t beside Marshal Xie at that time, and I had fainted."

The fierce-looking Shi Mingcheng laughed heartily, his beard and hair trembling like an angry lion.

Their voices remained on the high platform, ensuring they didn’t disturb anyone in the examination hall.

On the surface, the Nanxia Governor and Military Supervisor seemed to be in harmony, chatting and laughing, with neither ignoring the other.

"Ruan Jianzheng has been stationed in the Sī Xuán Underground Palace for so long; I wonder how things are being organized now," Su Guanying said.

Currently, Qintian Monitor Ruan Qin was in the Sī Xuán Underground Palace, something Jiang Wang actually didn’t know, primarily because he didn’t care much about these matters and never actively participated in Political Affairs Hall meetings.

Shi Mingcheng said in a muffled voice, "The most precious collections in Da Xia’s Imperial Palace were burned by Empress Dowager Xia. Thanks to An Lebo’s understanding of the situation, some were preserved. As for the Sī Xuán Underground Palace, according to Marshal Cao, hundreds of carts were taken to Qi, with likely very little left. Ruan Jianzheng sorting the Sī Xuán Underground Palace, isolating inside and out, seems more like clearing out the old bones and dealing with those who passed away in seated meditation one by one."

"I’m not sure if there’s anything left?" Su Guanying said. "Back then, when the Son of Heaven personally campaigned, the Sī Xuán Underground Palace was breached once. Accumulating the wealth of the Summer Country over these decades wasn’t easy. To say they still have reserves, it’s hard for me to believe as the Governor."