Two days later, Liu Yu returned from the Imperial Examination Hall. He was the chief examiner of the Spring Examination and had been living and eating in the Imperial Examination Hall these days. The examination had ended the day before, but Liu Yu still had to mark the papers and evaluate the results with other inner curtain officials, so he only returned home today.

Madam Liu had people prepare meals early in the morning, and asked the servants to bring in hot water for Liu Yu to take a bath. She felt sorry for him, at his age, staying in the Gongyuan for seven or eight days with poor food and accommodation.

Although Liu Yu looked a little tired, he had gotten used to it over the years. He shook Meng Jiangmei's hand and smiled as he said to Madam Liu, who was busy serving him food, "Jiangmei, eat by yourself, don't just focus on me."

Mrs. Liu's face flushed, but she still couldn't help but serve food to Liu Yu.

After the meal, while she was massaging Liu Yu's shoulders, she was thinking about how to start the conversation about Cheng Ying adopting Yu Jiao as her adopted daughter. Seeing Liu Yu closing his eyes and looking a little haggard, perhaps because he was tired in the Imperial Examination Hall, Mrs. Liu endured it and wanted to wait until he took a nap before talking about this matter.

But Liu Yu was not asleep. After a while, he opened his eyes and said, "I chose the fifth brother of the Yu family for this examination. His essay is very good."

Upon hearing this, Madam Liu said, "If the third girl knew, she would definitely be very happy."

Liu Yu rubbed his brows and sighed softly. The political situation was now like this. The Qingliu was weak and they really needed more people. But he actually hesitated for a long time before selecting Yu Qizhe as the champion.

He came from a poor family and had no power behind him. He should have been the most suitable candidate, but he happened to be involved with the third girl. If there was a second more suitable candidate, Liu Yu would definitely not do this. Instead, he would not let anyone notice Yu Qizhe, and would personally accept him as a student, protect him under his wings, arrange a proper path for him, and let him enter the cabinet in the future, instead of putting him in the spotlight like now.

Yu Qizhe's writing skills and articles are excellent. He is indeed a man of top talent. His articles are upright and his mind is magnanimous. If such a simple-minded person is promoted, he will be easily suppressed by the Shen Party and will end up dead if he is not careful.

This is also where Liu Yu is hesitant, but there is still time.

"The third girl..." Madam Liu opened her mouth and said, "The third girl went to Lianxi Temple to burn incense a few days ago. Although she didn't say it, I guess she went to pray for the fifth brother of the Yu family. It's rare for them to have such a good relationship between brothers and sisters."

Liu Yu pinched his brows and sat up. At this moment he made up his mind. When the palace examination came, he would still lower Yu Qizhe's ranking and put him among the second class.

After all, the Yu family has done Yu Jiao and his sister a favor, so he shouldn't push Yu Qizhe to die.

Madam Liu continued, "On the way down the mountain, we met Governor Cheng. I don't know what Cheng Ying was thinking. He came to our house and insisted on recognizing Yu Jiao as his adopted daughter. You were not at home, and Yu Jiao and I refused. But you know Cheng Ying, so the third girl had no choice but to serve him tea and acknowledge him as her adopted father."

Liu Yu came to his senses after hearing what she said. He was a little shocked, angry and annoyed. "You said Cheng Ying forced the third girl to recognize him as her adoptive father?"

How dare that eunuch do this?

Madam Liu saw that he looked unhappy, and hesitated before telling him everything. "He is planning to hold a banquet tomorrow in the house outside the palace that the emperor gave us, and wants our family to go there. It seems that he wants to acknowledge Yu Jiao in a big way."