Not Enough Influence?

Quentin Qian was struck speechless, but Mia Qian refused to yield. She jumped in, "Your Majesty the Queen, forgive me for speaking out of turn, but I've never heard of any of the people you've recommended! If these nobodies became officials in Qin, wouldn't that be a joke? Honestly, I think the Qian family sons are far more talented and capable."

"You haven't heard of them because your world is too small—you wouldn't know gold even if it was set with jade right in front of you. If you really don't recognize these names, just ask your grandfather." Alexander Hayes fiddled with the candidate list, his words sharp and unapologetic.

Mia Qian never imagined she'd be roasted by the King of Qin himself, and she couldn't even figure out what made her so clueless. She was thoroughly mortified.

She tried to argue, but the words stuck in her throat.

Quentin Qian's face darkened. "The King says your knowledge is lacking. That's enough out of you!"

Mia Qian hadn't expected her grandfather to scold her, and she was even more mortified.

Quentin Qian took the list and explained, "From Westmount County, Quentin Qin is a contemporary giant—his essays have always set the standard for scholars everywhere. In Min-Zhe, Mason Mi is a top mind in mathematics. In Jiangzhou, Nathan Ye is a scholar by imperial exam, once Deputy Minister of Works and now promoted to Minister—his abilities are second to none..."

As Quentin Qian explained the names to Mia Qian, he wiped the sweat from his brow, silently admitting he'd underestimated the Queen's ability to assemble such an impressive list.

After hearing the explanation, Mia Qian's cheeks flushed and then turned pale. She realized she really was out of her depth, not knowing any of these famous figures.

She finally understood: these were the true luminaries of the age, and she was hopelessly outmatched.

Faced with this roster of true contemporary greats, even if Quentin Qian had nerves of steel, he couldn't possibly claim that the Qian family sons were better!

The Qian family sons are only impressive when compared to folks who've never cracked open a book.

But when these pampered heirs go up against the true greats of the age, they're wiped out—left with nothing but dust!

Quentin Qian responded quickly, "Of course, Your Majesty the Queen's recommendations are head and shoulders above the rest."

Princess Jade Hayes smiled and nodded. "Lord Qian, I appreciate your fairness."

Seeing her grandfather forced to bow his head, Mia Qian's temper flared. "Your Majesty the Queen, your list is full of famous names, but anyone can jot down a few! The real issue is, would these big names actually leave home to serve in this remote Qin kingdom? If none of them are willing, then recommending them is just wishful thinking—what's the use? Take Minister Nathan Ye, for example—do you really think you could lure a top official all the way out to this backwater city of Charleston?"

Mia Qian's words were blunt, but she had a point. Quentin Qian thought, my granddaughter really is sharp—I'd been stunned by that long list, but she spotted the loophole.

Quentin Qian immediately backed her up. "Hey, Your Majesty the Queen, you may not realize it, but these famous scholars are proud sorts—they're not so easy to invite."

Princess Jade Hayes raised an eyebrow at Quentin Qian. "So Lord Qian means I don't have enough clout to bring them here?"