"Young Master Chen, please wait in the rear garden!" Shen Zhu said.
Chen Nan's calligraphy far surpassed that of the others. Moreover, his inscription of [Emotions] at this moment perfectly reflected the mood of a strategist.
Only those whose talents are unrecognized hope to encounter a wise ruler!
Only then can their ambitions be fully realized!
Following this, Chen Nan entered the rear garden.
To his surprise, he was the first to arrive in the rear garden!
After waiting for about an hour.
Five middle-aged men successively entered the rear garden.
This meant that the two strategists to be recruited by the Prince's Estate would be chosen from among these six people.
Chen Nan felt quite confident about this.
Firstly, he was naturally intelligent, not to mention that he had absorbed Lu Zheng's memories!
"His Highness the Prince has arrived!"
Accompanied by a high-pitched announcement, Shen Lang, clad in a white robe, with a face like jade, and phoenix-like eyes, appeared before everyone, holding a seven-colored brocade chicken.
He wore a black brocade belt around his waist and walked with an arrogant stride.
He fully embodied the essence of a pampered, dissolute young master!
Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju followed him on either side.
He sat down in the pavilion in the rear garden and said faintly, "Thank you all for participating in my strategist recruitment. Although I intend to recruit two strategists, if any of you fail to pass my test, please allow me to express my apologies!"
As he spoke, he looked at Chen Nan, a hint of contemplation flickering in his slender eyes.
It was evident that Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju must have spoken well of Chen Nan to him.
Otherwise, he would not have paid attention to Chen Nan.
"There will be two questions in the final round of testing!"
Shen Lang leaned back lazily in his lounge chair, while Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju, the four sisters, massaged his shoulders, tapped his legs, fed him fruit, and fanned him.
His life was comfortable and enviable!
"The first question involves the seven-colored glazed chicken in my arms!"
"This chicken is exceptionally rare!"
"It lives in the spirit fields of the major famous mountains and immortal sects, growing by consuming various medicinal herbs!"
"Legend has it that a glazed chicken with five types of feathers is equivalent to a thousand-year-old spiritual medicine!"
"And one with seven types of feathers is comparable to a five-thousand-year-old medicinal material!"
"Not only are its medicinal effects astonishing, but its taste is also exquisite, rivaling the dragon meat of heaven!"
"This item was tribute from the Hundred Refinements Sect to the imperial court, which then bestowed it upon my father, the King, and after several transfers, it finally came into my possession!"
Chen Nan was secretly astonished!
The seven-colored glazed chicken was indeed a legendary treasure, yet he never expected that Shen Lang, this dissolute young master, would possess such an item.
This also revealed the King of Wu's doting affection for him!
Shen Lang continued, "It is said that the seven-colored glazed chicken not only has tender meat but also excels at dancing. It often dances in the mountains after consuming certain medicinal herbs. Its graceful posture, coupled with the seven-colored feathers on its body, resembles a rainbow!"
"Therefore, I have named the seven-colored glazed chicken 'Ji Ni Tai Mei'!"
"However, only a minority of people have the fortune to witness the seven-colored glazed chicken dancing publicly."
"I am fortunate enough to have obtained a live seven-colored glazed chicken, so naturally, I wish to see it dance gracefully in public!"
"Therefore, the test for the first round is to make it dance!"
"Each person is limited to the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn. Whoever can make it dance will be the winner!"
Including Chen Nan!
The eyes of all six men showed surprise.
No one had expected this round of testing to be so... unconventional!
They were all here to become strategists, and yet they were being asked to make a chicken dance?
Please be a human!
Oh!
This was a dissolute young master...
They always came up with actions that made people's jaws drop!
"For the sake of fairness, the six of you will draw lots to determine the order of appearance!"
"The first person to go on stage will undoubtedly be at a disadvantage!"
"Similarly, the last person to go on stage can take this opportunity to think of a solution!"
As he said this, he looked at a servant.
The servant approached them with a bowl, containing six rolled-up pieces of paper.
Shen Lang, while eating the spiritual fruit fed to him by Shen Ju, said, "The six pieces of paper correspond to numbers one through six. The one who draws one will go first, and so on!"
"Begin!"
"Chen Nan came first, so let him draw!"
The servant presented the bowl before Chen Nan.
The bowl was made of some unknown material, capable of isolating a cultivator's spiritual power.
Therefore!
At this moment, he could only rely on luck!
He reached out, took a piece of paper, and unfolded it to reveal the number six.
"You have good luck!" Shen Lang's face showed a smile for the first time. He liked handsome men with strategic minds, and if such a person also had good luck, it would be the icing on the cake!
And now!
Chen Nan met two of the criteria!
Chen Nan smiled, "Before I met Your Highness, my luck was not good."
Shen Lang!
Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju!
As well as the servants in the manor!
And the other five middle-aged men were all stunned!
They had seen many experts in flattery!
But Chen Nan's method of flattery was unheard of!
He did not flatter Shen Lang directly, but this subtle method of flattery was extremely effective!
At least Shen Lang felt very comfortable. He laughed heartily, "Grant him a seat!"
"Yes!"
Immediately, a servant brought a stool to Chen Nan's side.
Chen Nan took his seat.
Then, like an outsider, he watched as the other five men tried their best to coax the seven-colored glazed chicken.
The seven-colored glazed chicken was very lazy.
It simply lay quietly on the stone table, calmly watching the five men's strenuous performances.
It was completely unmoved.
As if treating them as a joke!
Finally!
All five failed. No matter how hard they tried, they could not make the seven-colored glazed chicken dance.
"Your Highness, this competition is unfair!" one middle-aged man said with clear dissatisfaction.
"Indeed, the seven-colored glazed chicken is a bird, and it does not share our human thoughts. It is impossible for anyone to make it dance!"
"Yes, this kind of competition does not reflect our intelligence at all!"
The five men spoke in succession.
Shen Lang frowned slightly, a trace of displeasure flashing in his eyes. "Are you implying that I deliberately made things difficult for you?"
"This humble one dares not!" The five men lowered their heads simultaneously.
Shen Lang snorted, "Humans are the rulers of all beings. Even if the seven-colored glazed chicken is a bird, if there is someone of exceptional intelligence, they will surely be able to make it dance!"
"Your inability to do so only proves that you are not peerlessly intelligent!"
The five men dared not even breathe.
Shen Mei looked at Chen Nan, "Young Master Chen, it is your turn!"
Chen Nan stood up and said, "Please, Miss Shen Mei, prepare a bronze mirror for me, the bigger the better!"
Shen Mei looked at Shen Lang with a questioning gaze.
"Granted!"
Shen Lang lay back in his lounge chair with a nonchalant air, appearing somewhat sleepy.
These people were not as intelligent as he had expected.
A moment later, Shen Mei returned with servants carrying a bronze mirror over two meters tall.
Chen Nan slowly stood up and said, "Place this bronze mirror in front of the seven-colored glazed chicken, and it will naturally dance!"
Everyone was filled with curiosity.
Could a bronze mirror make the seven-colored glazed chicken dance?