"Guo Ning..."
The real identity is Dai Tu's "Guo Xian". When he saw the name of the Imperial Examination Champion on the advanced scholar list, he couldn't help but be taken aback.
"Does the young friend know the Champion?" Zhao Daoxian asked.
"In response to Lord Zhao, I also have a friend named Guo Ning, same name, but he failed the provincial exam. Seeing the name of the Imperial Examination Champion being also Guo Ning, I was momentarily stunned." Dai Tu quickly answered.
Zhao Daoxian did not have any suspicions, as after all, "Guo Xian" is from Cangzhou. He said, "I've heard this Guo Ning is a candidate from Huai State. The southern region has inherently deeper foundations than the northern region and wasn't much affected by war. It's quite normal for a Champion to emerge. If young friend Guo Xian had the learning environment of southern students, who knows where the Champion honor would have landed."
