At this point, none of the ministers in the hall dared speak further; instead, they became hesitant to take sides easily. Aligning oneself in this matter was too risky, as it would be declared to all under heaven. No one wanted to choose the wrong side and tarnish their reputation—best to just wait and see.
The reaction of the crowd was within the Emperor's expectations.
His decision to proceed in this way was partly to accede to the Grand Tutor's request, and partly because he had taken an interest in this individual. He wanted to see if the Scholar truly possessed genuine knowledge and talent and if he could withstand the test.
Under such immense pressure, if the Scholar could maintain his standards and produce quality work, he might be considered for future use.
