The emperor slowly put down the examination paper in his hand, his eyes flickering slightly, his tone calm but with a hint of inquiry: "And the second place?"

The chief examiner lowered his head slightly, a thoughtful look flashing across his face. After a moment, he carefully spoke: "Your Majesty, the candidate who wrote this exam paper is your nephew, Gu Zhixing."

The emperor's gaze sharpened slightly, as if he had realized something.

Gu Zhixing's exam paper does indeed have its unique features.

Although his writing style is not as ornate as the other two, it exudes a youthful spirit and his insights are quite profound. Even with some minor flaws, his brilliance cannot be overshadowed.

However, the crux of the matter is that the owner of this examination paper is the emperor's own nephew.

If the emperor insists on making Gu Zhixing the top scholar, others might say that he is biased.

If such rumors were to spread, it would not only affect the emperor's dignity, but also be extremely detrimental to Gu Zhixing's reputation.

After all, Gu Zhixing is still young and has a long road ahead of him. If he were to be branded as someone who "relies on connections" because of this top scholar title, it would be a loss that does not outweigh the gain.

Seeing the emperor remain silent, the chief examiner continued, “Your Majesty, the top three scholars in the imperial examinations—the Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua—have never been ranked in any particular order. Their treatment is also nearly identical, from their official positions in the Ministry of Rites to the rewards bestowed by the court. If you were to appoint Prince Gu as Tanhua, it would be obvious to everyone that Your Majesty is doing him a disservice to avoid any appearance of impropriety. In this way, we can both preserve Prince Gu's reputation and silence any gossip.”

The chief examiner paused, then added, "Moreover, Prince Gu's talent is more than enough to deserve the third-place ranking. He has achieved so much at such a young age, and he will surely serve the court and display his talents in the future."

The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze deep, as if he were weighing the pros and cons.

After a moment, he nodded slightly, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness, yet also revealing a sense of understanding.

"Then let's go for third place."

Yanzhou.

The night was as dark as ink, and the noises outside the cave became more frequent, sounding like footsteps wandering in the darkness.

The torchlight shone through the straw covering the cave entrance, casting dappled shadows into the cave. The dancing light and shadow on the cave walls were particularly dazzling, like pairs of peering eyes in the darkness.

Shen Jintang felt a chill run down her spine, her back straightening instantly. She quickly blew out the tinder in her hand, and darkness engulfed her in an instant.

She stared warily outside the cave, her eyes flashing with a cold light, like two cold stars shining in the darkness, ready to deal with any possible danger at any moment.

His hand instinctively gripped the sword hilt tightly, the cold blade radiating a chilling killing intent.

"Shen Jintang".

Shen Huaixu's voice suddenly rang in Shen Jintang's ears, causing Shen Jintang, who was already in a tense mood, to have her heart pound even faster.

He suddenly grabbed Shen Jintang's wrist with such force that Shen Jintang couldn't help but frown slightly.

Shen Jintang looked up at him suspiciously, her eyes full of confusion.

What is he trying to do right now? Doesn't he want to be discovered fast enough?

Her gaze met Shen Huaixu's in the darkness, as if she could see through the darkness to his thoughts.

Shen Huaixu lowered his voice slightly, but his tone was unusually firm: "If it's the enemy, just run and don't worry about me."

His voice echoed in the darkness, carrying an undeniable resolve.

He knew that Shen Jintang was agile and that she could easily escape without his help.

If either of them can escape, the official troubles in Yanzhou can be completely eliminated.

Although he did not entirely agree with Shen Jintang's methods, he had to admit that her actions had indeed eradicated the cancer in Yanzhou.

Once the new official takes office, the people will be able to live a peaceful life.

Shen Jintang exhaled a breath of turbid air, which turned into a wisp of faint white mist in the darkness.

She withdrew her gaze from the cave and remained silent.

Shen Huaixu's reminder was completely unnecessary.

She has done more than enough to protect him to this point.

If the enemy comes in large numbers and the situation is completely out of her control, why would she not flee to protect him?

Are we supposed to die here with Shen Huaixu?

Just as the two were facing off, a beam of light suddenly shone into the cave, the light like a sharp sword piercing through the darkness.

Shen Jintang subconsciously tightened his grip on the sword in his hand. The blade gleamed with a cold, sharp light in the dim light, as if it were ready to be drawn at any moment.

Shen Huaixu quickly moved a stone to his side, gripped it tightly with both hands, and was ready to fight at any moment.

"master."

A familiar call rang out in the cave, the voice sounding exceptionally clear in the darkness.

Shen Jintang froze instantly, then her tense body gradually relaxed, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

That familiar voice was like a lighthouse in the darkness, instantly calming her heart.

It's Star Return.

Xinghui strode forward, followed by his attendants in orderly and silent steps.

Shen Huaixu frowned slightly, scrutinizing these people with sharp, piercing eyes. He had a feeling that something was off about them!

Judging from their gait, eyes, and aura, they were clearly well-trained elites.

They exuded a strong murderous aura, as if they had just retreated from the battlefield and their hands were stained with blood.

These people didn't seem like ordinary bodyguards; they were more like elite officers and soldiers who had experienced countless life-and-death battles.

What made Shen Huaixu even more uneasy was that he had never met these people before.

In other words, these people have never appeared around Shen Jintang; they seem to be forces she has been hiding all along.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!