The group bowed and stepped forward to examine the papers. They looked at them for a full half hour before finally saying, "Very fair, the top thirty are truly deserving of their names."

The scholars present were still wondering why so many of them could beat the scholars from the north in miscellaneous studies; those who were slow-witted couldn't figure out the reason at all.

At this moment, Zhang Shanhai arrived with an imperial edict. The emperor explained the official positions of these thirty people and even how their salaries were obtained.

This means that they are just adding new official positions, the lowest of the low, and their salaries are indirectly provided by the Northern Prefecture. Don't meddle in other people's business; this is not a bad thing, but a good thing.

Because in the next term, you may also become official officials through this opportunity.

The incident just vanished without a trace.

Duke Li and Zhao Zhong also realized what was happening and went to the palace to report back.

"These... these thirty people are all students from the Northern State General Academy, right?" asked Duke Li.

Xiao Zhixing nodded, "That must be it."

Zhao Kun couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Didn't the prince have them change the academy's registered students?"

In order to increase the success rate of the imperial examinations, the academies would usually ask new students or transfer students to change their place of origin to the academy.

I never expected Xiao Zhixing to be so generous, spending so much money and resources to cultivate students who were from other academies.

[Green comment: I don't understand.]

[Yellow comment: Just like the students who are "affiliated" with other schools here, they study at school A, but their student status remains at their original school B. They even have their exam scores transferred to their original school B, so they don't count towards school A's exam results.]

[Red comment: No wonder everyone's stunned. This is practically spending their own money to boost another school's reputation. Who would have thought of something so foolish?]

[Yellow comment: The princess isn't stupid. She only wants to cultivate more talent and doesn't care about the reputation of the main academy. Even though these students haven't transferred their student status, do they dare to disrespect the Northern Prefecture Main Academy that nurtured them?]

Xiao Zhixing smiled, knowing he neither would nor dared to.

Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher—the Northern State General Academy nurtured them, and they will always be members of the General Academy.

The reason for not changing the place of origin was twofold: firstly, to appease the anger of the original academy; if you take someone away but don't change their affiliation, they won't be angry or protest.

Secondly, of course, we used our place of origin as a cover. See, this time we successfully covered it up.

If all thirty people on the Hundred Crafts List were listed as being from Beizhou, it would be too conspicuous, and she herself would frown upon seeing it.

She also noticed that many of the scholars on the list of successful candidates also came from the Northern Prefecture Academy. She often paid attention to these outstanding students, so she was quite familiar with their names.

Because they didn't change the academy's registered residence, they couldn't distinguish themselves as the main academy of Beizhou, thus successfully and discreetly allowing them to enter officialdom based on their original registered residence.

When Xiao Zhixing and his two companions arrived at the palace, the news had already spread, and those who reacted quickly immediately understood the mystery.

"Prince Yuansheng is unparalleled in wisdom and strategy, and his plans are indeed flawless."

Could it be that she had foreseen this situation three years ago?

The Emperor System muttered to itself, "She must have hundreds of tricks up her sleeve. Doesn't she get tired?"

Zhao Yunqi laughed and said, "You'll definitely feel very comfortable partnering with her in the future."

The Emperor System snorted coldly and abruptly shut down the connection.

Of course, those who were unwilling to accept this still wanted to cause trouble and spread her deceptive scheme.

Unfortunately, the momentum had waned, and it could no longer gain traction.

Finally, deal with any enemies that are touched by the Ghost Guard immediately.

Aside from those that couldn't be dealt with, such as Nian Gu Yong and those few censors.

Nianfu.

After waking up, Nian Changling called several clan elders and adult grandsons, and forced Nian Guyong to kneel in the ancestral hall.

Nian Gu was filled with anger and shame. "It is only right for me, an official of the court, to impeach her. How can my father, as the Censor-in-Chief, be so afraid of powerful people? It is a disgrace to the name of the Censor-in-Chief!"

The elderly man, supporting his still somewhat heavy head, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Fool, don't you understand why your father is angry?"

Nian Guyong felt he was in the right. He had already been kneeling for a long time, and now his anger was running high. He immediately started to say things without thinking, "Father is biased. He thinks that whatever his son does is wrong. I will never be as good as my eldest brother!"

The older woman clutched her chest, her face grim. "Is this what you really think? You've been thinking this way all these years?"

"Isn't that right? My older brother is dead, yet you still value his crippled son, ignoring my efforts and even despising my son."

The older man stared blankly at him, his eyes red, seemingly not understanding where his deep resentment came from.

Nian Gu sneered, "What? Did I hit the nail on the head? Father is biased. Everything in the mansion belongs to the eldest son. I am not satisfied. I am also the legitimate son. I am no worse than anyone else. Why should a good-for-nothing like Nian Chenghan be able to bypass me, his uncle, to take over the power of the Nian family?"

"You scoundrel!" The elder man snapped back to reality, trembling with rage. "I may be biased, but it's your heart that's the one I'm biased towards!"

"Nonsense!" Nian Guyong stood up and roared, "When have you ever shown favoritism to me? My elder brother is superior to me in every way, so why should I be subordinate to him?"

He waved his arms wildly, listing all the injustices he felt were committed, and the only sound in the entire ancestral hall was his roar.

The elderly man looked at his son, who had become a stranger, with disappointment, and suddenly felt utterly exhausted.

An elder sighed, "Let's split up the family. If things continue like this, his resentment will only deepen."

This personality is beyond saving; the only option is to separate them and avoid seeing them altogether.

He closed his eyes in his old age and sighed.

Nian Guyong paused, his eyes darting around as he began to calculate again. He was also the eldest son, and should rightfully receive a substantial share—

At this moment, the steward of the Nian family hurried in and whispered to Nian Changling, "Master, a letter has been sent from the Prince of Zhenguo's Mansion."

The older man was startled and snatched the letter from his hand. Inside, besides a few words, there was more...

Then, before anyone could react, he coughed up blood and slid off the chair.

"Grandfather!!"

This year's spring imperial examination passed without any major incidents, and the candidates awaited the palace examination.

However, on the third day after the results were announced, the Nian family suddenly announced that Nian Guyong would be expelled from the clan and would no longer be a descendant of the Nian family.

They just kicked him out of his house like that, without even giving him the property he was entitled to.

Immediately, all sorts of speculations flew through Shengjing City.

"It is said that he was involved in the death of Grandpa Nian back then. Evidence was found, and Grandpa Nian was so angry that he was almost dying. So the elders decided to expel him from the clan."

"Not only that, I've heard that he's also the one who ruined Young Master Nian Chenghan's leg, and that he also harmed the young master that was born to the eldest wife of the Nian family."

"Hiss, really?"

"It's pretty much true, otherwise the Nian family wouldn't have exterminated his clan. It's already merciful that they didn't send him to the authorities."

"Oh dear, that year, Young Master Chenghan was truly pitiful. The number one young master back then, is now crippled by his mistreatment."

At this moment, Nian Chenghan was also kneeling in the ancestral hall, or rather, sitting on the ground.

His attendant muttered beside him, "Young master, since you've already handed the evidence to Prince Yuansheng and used her to avenge the grudge from back then, why do you still need to confess to the master?"