Of course, none of this had anything to do with Zhao Jing.
Even though he was the Champion Scholar, a new one was crowned only once every three years. However, since the Emperor ascended the throne, counting the special grace examinations, seven Champion Scholars had already been produced. Inside the Imperial College, there was a surplus of Champion Scholars, runners-up, third-places, as well as editors and compilers promoted from scholars. Those men were all veterans. As the newest Champion Scholar, Zhao Jing was completely inconspicuous when thrown into the mix.
"I haven't figured out the ins and outs of the rules here yet," he reasoned. "I should wait a bit longer to understand the hidden rules before doing anything."
He wasn't trying to stand out right now. His only goal was to avoid accidentally stepping into a trap set by someone else and getting himself into trouble.
