Chương 744: is still under voting.

The civil officials were quite agitated. Tian Feng stroked his white beard and muttered to the people around him, "The Mao Xun Pavilion is still in accordance with etiquette. As a major national event, it must be conducted with solemnity and propriety."

Ju Shou, standing beside him, shook his head: "The Yiyun Pavilion has a grander vision, aiming to uphold the nation's destiny; this is the true spirit of a founding emperor."

The two had been arguing for days, and they were still bickering right up until the vote.

"Alright, alright, let's begin. Starting from the head of the line, everyone come forward in turn."

At Liu Ce's command, the voting officially began.

The first one is Zhuge Liang.

He walked slowly to the bowl, dressed in white with a feather fan, exuding composure.

Holding the bamboo skewer between his fingertips, his gaze swept over the seventeen copper bowls. Almost without hesitation, he gently flicked his wrist, and with a "tap," the bamboo skewer was gently placed into the copper bowl inscribed with "Zhaoji Pavilion."

The movements were fluid and seamless, executed in one go.

When he turned back, his expression remained unchanged, and he gently waved his feather fan, acting as if nothing had happened, as if he had just done a trivial matter.

Following closely behind, Xun Yu, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui also stepped forward one after another, and after a moment's thought, they all threw their bamboo sticks into Zhaoji Pavilion's bowl.

All three key ministers in the central government chose Zhao Ji.

Commanders Xu Da, Li Jing, Yue Fei, Qi Jiguang, and Su Lie then stepped forward.

The group exchanged glances, all seeing a tacit understanding in each other's eyes.

After a moment's thought, they all chose Zhaoji Pavilion.

They were all military leaders, and they understood the meaning of "starting a business is difficult" best.

More than 20 years ago, who could have imagined that things would turn out this way?

The phrase "starting a business" is exactly what they like to hear.

Those below watched, their hearts pounding with apprehension.

The generals who were initially confident that "Dingding Pavilion" would win were now a bit confused. Why did the commanders all choose the one that sounded so scholarly?

What's so good about this name?

Whispers immediately broke out among the military officers.

"What's going on? The generals have all chosen Zhao Ji?"

"It sounds so scholarly, what's so good about it?"

"What do you know? That general had a high vantage point and a broad vision. There must be a reason behind his name."

"Then... then should I choose Zhaoji too? Following the General is sure to be the right choice."

Soon it was Yuchi Gong's turn.

He strode up to them, stood there like an iron tower, and stared at the seventeen bronze bowls.

He pointed to the rim of the bowl and read each one carefully:

"May your merits be great... May your legacy endure... May your reign last a thousand years... May your rule be secure..."

He stopped when he read "Dingding," and even raised his hand so that the bamboo skewer almost touched the rim of the bowl.

He suddenly pulled back, scratched the back of his head, turned to look at Qin Qiong, and opened his mouth to ask, "Shubao, you threw it...?"

"Yuchi Gong".

Liu Ce, suppressing a laugh, called out to him from above, his voice laced with amusement, "Cheating? You choose your own, what's the point of looking at other people's?"

Make your own decision; whichever you vote for, that's fine.

The entire hall erupted in laughter.

Yuchi Gong's old face turned red, as black as charcoal, and he chuckled twice, revealing a set of white teeth.

He gritted his teeth, made a snap decision, and threw the bamboo skewer into Dingdingge's bowl with a resounding thud.

He came back with his neck stiff, still stubbornly insisting, "I just like this one! It sounds powerful! I'm a soldier, I like names that are bold and impressive!"

Everyone laughed even harder.

As soon as he returned to his place, Guo Jia approached him, waving his fan leisurely.

When he stepped forward, he secretly glanced at the voting directions of Xun Yu, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui for a long time. He noticed that they had all voted for Zhaoji Pavilion, and he immediately understood the situation.

He quickly tiptoed, like a thief, and shoved the bamboo skewer into the Zhaoji Pavilion bowl. After that, he tried to slip away, his movements incredibly swift.

"Filial piety."

Liu Ce spoke slowly, calling out to him precisely.

"I remember you said last time that the Dragon Grace Pavilion was the one with a reputation that would last for eternity. Why have you switched your support to the Founding Emperor this time? Was the Dragon Grace Pavilion not selected?"

Guo Jia stiffened, slowly turned around, a smile plastered on his face, clasped his hands and bowed, all in a solemn manner:

"Your Majesty, I have been pondering this for three days, unable to sleep at night, and repeatedly deliberating on it."

I feel that the Long'en Pavilion's vision is too narrow! It only considers His Majesty's favor, but fails to grasp the importance of the founding of the nation.

In contrast, the founding of Zhaoji Pavilion was of profound and far-reaching significance. I am completely convinced! Therefore, I have switched my allegiance to Zhaoji!

Upon hearing this, several officials nearby were so engrossed in suppressing their laughter that their shoulders trembled and their faces turned red.

Goodness, that's a really fast change of heart!

Three days ago, Long En Pavilion was considered the best in the world, but now its vision has become narrow?

A wise man knows when to yield, Guo Fengxiao!

Liu Ce was amused and waved his hand, "Alright, alright, you're kind enough. Go back now."

Guo Jia chuckled, waved his fan, and retreated, showing no embarrassment whatsoever.

Anyway, I chose the one that everyone expected, so I won't lose out.

As the voting progressed round after round, many interesting things happened.

When it was Zhang Fei's turn, he strode forward, stared at the bowl for a long time, and muttered something under his breath.

I originally intended to choose Dingge, but when I looked up and saw that my second brother Guan Yu had chosen Zhaoji, I hesitated again.

He scratched his head, pondering for a long time, his mind in turmoil: "Establishing a firm foundation is powerful, and the founding of the dynasty was chosen by my second brother... My second brother's choice must be right..."

Finally, gritting his teeth, he followed Guan Yu and joined Zhaoji.

After casting his vote, he muttered to himself, "Second Brother's choice is always right. I'll listen to Second Brother."

Those around them listened and secretly chuckled.

Cheng Yaojin was even more amusing, standing in front of the bowl hesitating for a long time, pointing his finger back and forth, muttering to himself:

"Establishing the dynasty... domineering... founding the dynasty... all the important ministers were chosen... for a thousand autumns... auspicious meaning... suppressing the wilderness... sounds impressive..."

After hesitating for almost half a minute, the people behind him were getting impatient.

Finally, he slapped his thigh and threw himself into Dingding Pavilion.

"Damn it, I, Old Cheng, am a military man, so I'll choose the imposing one! Whatever!"

He returned triumphantly after the game, as if he had won a great victory.

When Shen Wansan stepped forward, he looked around and then rolled his eyes.

He was very good at reading people's expressions and immediately understood the situation when he saw that most of the important officials had chosen Zhaoji.

He smiled and tossed the bamboo skewer into the bowl, then nodded at it as if a business deal had been made.

Go with the flow, you can't go wrong. You won't offend anyone, and you'll even seem insightful.

Song Yingxing and Jia Sixie got together and discussed it for a long time.

Song Yingxing pointed to "Tuoyu Pavilion" and said, "I think this is good. Expanding our territory and developing various industries are in line with our current momentum."

Jia Sixie nodded: "That makes sense. We agricultural workers are all about pioneering and enterprising spirit. Shall we invest in this?"

"Alright, let's go with Tuoyu Pavilion."

The two of them, one after the other, both voted for Tuoyu Pavilion, as if they had made a prior agreement.

After casting their votes, they exchanged a knowing smile, realizing they had made the right choice, as it perfectly matched their "professional expertise."

Zhang Zhongjing and Hua Tuo discussed it for a long time and finally chose Qianqiu Pavilion.

"A doctor's heart is benevolent, and their contributions will last for generations. This name aligns with our path."

"Yes, it benefits the present and future generations; that's good."

The two of them slowly cast their votes and then slowly returned to their seats, displaying the composure of doctors.

Lu Bing stood in the corner, remaining calm and composed.

When it was his turn, he stepped forward a few steps, quickly threw the ball to Zhaoji Pavilion, and then quickly retreated, showing no expression throughout, as if the person didn't exist.

The head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was known for his low-key approach to things.

The first round of voting took nearly 35 minutes.