Chapter 117 is truly a thing of the past.

Upon hearing that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had arrived, Yan Ruihua was first startled, then gave a bitter smile. The Embroidered Uniform Guard must already know everything.

"Please come in," Yan Ruihua said weakly.

A moment later, a burly Imperial Guard entered Yan Ruihua's study and asked, "Who did Lord Yan just meet?"

Yan Ruihua smiled wryly and handed over the letter from the Eighth Prince and the stack of exam papers she had just received. The Imperial Guard took the letter and pushed the exam papers back, saying, "It's an imperial edict."

Yan Ruihua and Yan Xinghuai immediately knelt down, and then they heard the Imperial Guard say, "Yan Ruihua, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, is presiding over the assessment to recommend Jiang Yu for official appointment."

Yan Ruihua was stunned after hearing this, "You...you still want me to host?"

"That's what His Majesty said," the Imperial Guard said. "Let's use the exam questions that Lord Yan has."

After the Imperial Guard finished speaking, he took his leave. Yan Ruihua knelt there for a long time before saying, "It seems we really have to offend the Duke of Chu's mansion, and also the Eighth Prince."

Yan Xinghuai got up and helped him up from the ground. "Is there any hope?"

Yan Ruihua sighed deeply, "At least I shouldn't lose my life. After this incident, I'll submit a memorial requesting to be transferred back to Jingzhou. The waters in the capital are too deep..."

Yan Xinghuai also let out a long sigh. Yes, officials without connections in the capital have to live in constant fear, because one day they might be brought down by a single pot.

“Going back to Jingzhou is good, at least we won’t have to live in fear like we do now,” Yan Xinghuai said.

However, Yan Ruihua's face remained very solemn, and the fear was that even if he wanted to retreat, he wouldn't be able to.

...........

Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard)

The Imperial Guard who was sent to deliver the imperial decree to Yan Ruihua knelt on one knee before Prince An, saying, "I failed in my duty. The messenger who was supposed to deliver the message to Yan Ruihua died suddenly on his way back after I arrested him."

Prince An leaned back in his armchair, his eyes lowered in silence. Sweat dripped from the head of the Imperial Guard; the pressure from Prince An was too great.

After a long while, Prince An's voice finally rang out, "Go down and receive your punishment."

The Imperial Guard breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes."

He got up and walked out, but when he reached the door, Prince An's voice rang out again, "Have you looked at the test questions?"

The Imperial Guard turned around and shook his head. "I'm a roughneck; even if I looked at it, I wouldn't understand it."

Prince An gave him a disdainful look, then waved him out. The imperial guard scratched his head, muttering as he went out the door, "I can't even read all the characters, how could I possibly understand the imperial examination questions!"

Prince An sat there in a daze for a long time, his heart conflicted. He wanted Jiang Yu to enter the court, yet he didn't. So he didn't personally deliver the decree, fearing that if he saw the exam questions, he wouldn't be able to resist reporting it to the Duke of Chu's mansion.

After a while, he stood up and walked towards his palace, thinking to himself that if Jiang Yu was truly destined for greatness, he would rise to prominence sooner or later, and he wouldn't need to worry about it.

.........

Duke Chu stared at Yan Ruihua. He now knew the gist of what had happened to the Yan family. Duke Chu said, "The person is dead, and they're trying to cover it up. This matter is getting more and more complicated."

"Let's stick to the status quo and deal with whatever comes our way," Jiang Yu said. "I'll focus on the assessment; it looks like it's going to be a tough battle."

The Duke of Chu nodded. "His Majesty has already ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate, so we should not take any action."

At this moment, Cheng Jinchuan said, "Should I inquire about the exam questions?"

"No," Jiang Yu said. "With things getting so big, who knows how many eyes are watching us."

"Yes," the Duke of Chu also said, "Before Yu'er finishes her inspection, you should not have any contact with Yan Ruihua, and you should not be alone when you are on duty."

Cheng Jinchuan nodded solemnly, "I understand."

The Duke of Chu then looked at Jiang Yu, "It doesn't matter if we don't pass; we'll find another way later."

Jiang Yu smiled at him and said, "Okay."

The next day, the sky was clear and blue. Jiang Yu ate breakfast and then read in her study, as if nothing had happened the day before. The Duke of Chu, upon hearing the report of her condition, stroked his beard and smiled proudly. Some people might be trying to trip them up, but perhaps they were actually building a ladder for them.

If Jiang Yu still passed the test despite such difficult questions, then it's like building a ladder for her.

Imperial Study

After the emperor finished court and heard Prince An's report, he asked, "Is the person dead?"

Prince An nodded, "Yes, he died on the way to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. It was my dereliction of duty."

The emperor looked at him in silence for a moment and then asked, "The cause of death?"

Prince An: "He was poisoned before the operation. This person is... a staff member in my eighth brother's household. I investigated his whereabouts yesterday last night..."

Prince An recounted the staff member's movements throughout the day, but the whole process seemed normal, with no contact with anyone unusual. Since the staff member had eaten quite a lot during the day, it was difficult to determine when he had been poisoned.

The emperor squinted, his fingers tapping rapidly on the table. Prince An stood before him, head bowed. The emperor lifted his eyelids and looked at Prince An for a moment, then asked, "Do you think this was done by Xiao Ba?"

"Your subject does not know," said Prince An.

The emperor stared at him and continued, "If someone were to frame Xiao Ba, who do you think it would be?"

Prince An: "Your subject does not know."

The emperor stared at him for a while longer, then waved for him to leave. Prince An bowed and withdrew. He knew very well how his father viewed him: a swordsman, a cruel official, unqualified to compete for the throne, and not allowed to compete for it.

Therefore, even if he had many thoughts and many guesses, he could only say he didn't know. Having walked a long way from the imperial study, he looked up at the sky, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

There are two possibilities: one, it was the Eighth Prince who did it, but by making it appear as if his advisors had been poisoned, the truth becomes unclear. Of course, if the Emperor asks, he can say he was framed.

Second: Someone else did it, that person is framing Lao Ba, but the method they used is too clever, and it's hard to guess who it is for the time being.

But in either case, it involves the Eighth Prince. Will the Emperor punish the Eighth Prince? Prince An smiled sarcastically. No. Not only because the Eighth Prince is favored, but also because the Eighth Prince is currently useful.

This is the royal family; where is there any kinship?

The next day, everything was calm and peaceful, as if nothing had happened. Jiang Yu stayed in her study, engrossed in her studies. Two days later, Chunxue told her that Qi Yuanhong and Su Yuezhen had gotten married. However, the wedding was very simple, with hardly any guests.

Moreover, it is said that on their wedding day, Su Yuezhen had a big fight with Qi Yuanhong's family and kicked them all out.

After hearing this, Jiang Yu nodded slightly to indicate that she understood. Not to mention that she was currently preparing for the exam and had no time to care about Qi Yuanhong's affairs, even if she wasn't preparing for the exam, the matter between Qi Yuanhong and Su Yuezhen wouldn't arouse much interest in her.

Those two people are truly a thing of the past for her.

Two days later, Yan Ruihua visited and informed him that Jiang Yu would be given a preliminary assessment at the Ministry of Personnel in two days. Both the Duke of Chu and Jiang Yu were very polite to him. After conveying the message, Yan Ruihua wanted to explain his situation, but ultimately said nothing.

There were many things he couldn't explain clearly, and explaining too much would only make people more annoyed. In the end, he could only bow to Jiang Yu and say, "I wish Miss Jiang every success."

Jiang Yu smiled and returned the greeting, then escorted him to the door and watched his sedan chair leave. She naturally understood Yan Ruihua's predicament, but when Yan Ruihua chose to enter the officialdom of the capital, he had to be prepared to become cannon fodder.