Princess Yu Ning

Xu Ziliu breathed a sigh of relief; Emperor Shengyuan's attitude showed that he still valued Wei Cong.

The midnight watchman's drum rang, and Wei Cong put down his pen, his fingertips trembling. All the other candidates in the Golden Palace had already left.

But to his surprise, the person on the throne was still there. He dared not say a word, handed over the document, bowed, and left the hall.

Three days later, the grand ceremony of announcing the winners will take place.

Emperor Shengyuan remained seated on his throne, but today he wore a bright yellow dragon robe and a crown, and opened his eyes to look at the crowd in front of him.

Civil and military officials and newly appointed scholars stood solemnly according to their rank and ranking. The square was filled with a grand procession of ceremonial guards, and the music troupe under the Ministry of Rites played the "Zhonghe Shaoyue" music.

This time, there were no tables or desks set up in front of the palace. The three hundred people stood in six neat rows, with fifty people in each row, heads bowed before the emperor.

When the music stopped, Emperor Shengyuan lowered his eyes to look at the "Golden List" in his hand. Although it was called the Golden List, it was just written on yellow paper.

His face was thin, but his eyes were bright and alert. "He was ranked first in the first class and was awarded the title of Jinshi."

Emperor Shengyuan paused, his tone neither hurried nor slow.

The scholars below held their breath, waiting intently for the name of the top scholar chosen by Emperor Shengyuan. They had studied diligently for over a decade just to be on this prestigious list, and winning the top scholar title would bring great honor to their ancestors.

"Xu Qiu".

As soon as Emperor Shengyuan finished speaking, everyone gasped, most of them knowing his identity.

He was Xu Shanhai's adopted son, and Emperor Shengyuan actually appointed him as the top scholar in the imperial examination!

What does this mean? It means that Emperor Shengyuan intended to suppress the momentum of Grand Secretary Sun.

After Emperor Shengyuan confirmed the order, the official in charge of announcing the names of the successful candidates, upon receiving the imperial decree, went to the front of the hall, gathered his strength, and, with an extremely loud and drawn-out voice, called out the names of all the officials and candidates in the square outside the hall:

"First place in Class A, Xu Qiu—!"

This call to name would be relayed by multiple announcers in turn, resounding throughout the entire palace and informing heaven, earth, spirits, and all people.

The top scholar in this imperial examination was Xu Qiu.

Xu Qiu felt a pity, a pity that he had no ancestors, but he did have a godfather who was not related to him by blood. However, this was exactly the result his godfather wanted.

There was no such thing as a eunuch faction in the imperial court, only the imperial faction. Xu Shanhai was Emperor Shengyuan's right-hand man and never had any other thoughts of vying for power.

Xu Qiu stepped forward from among the candidates and, guided by officials from the Court of State Ceremonial, walked onto the red carpet specially laid out for the top scholar on the imperial road, where he knelt to express his gratitude to the emperor.

"The second-place winner in the first class was granted the title of Jinshi (进士). Wei Cong."

"Second place in the first division, Wei Cong—!"

This time, no one was surprised. Wei Cong's talent was evident to all, and he was the top scholar in the provincial examination, and it was said that he was also the top scholar in the provincial examination.

If he also becomes the top scholar this time, he will be the first person in the Great Sheng Dynasty to win the triple crown, and his name will be remembered in history.

It's just a pity that they lacked a bit of luck.

Wei Cong stepped forward to express his gratitude, his face showing no sign of being surprised by the honor or disgrace, and he had no dissatisfaction with the outcome.

Because of his family background, he was never arrogant, and his personality was even overly humble and mild.

Xu Ziliu was also somewhat disappointed when he heard the results. Being second place was not bad either. Entering the first class of the Hanlin Academy was not a big difference, except that the official position he was given was one rank lower.

"Third place in the first class, awarded the title of Jinshi. Dongfang Hongyao."

"Third place in the first division, Dongfang Hongyao—!"

The third-place scholar position is mostly determined not by how talented you are, but by your appearance. Dongfang Hongyao, who stepped forward, was indeed a first-rate handsome man.

He must have been the husband that countless noble ladies in the capital longed to marry.

Only three people will be selected for the first round.

The top scholar was appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy (a sixth-rank official), while the second and third-ranked scholars were appointed as editors (a seventh-rank official).

One hundred and three people were selected in the second class and granted the title of Jinshi (进士). One hundred and ninety-four people were selected in the third class and granted the title of Tong Jinshi (同进士).

Only a few of these people will remain in Shengjing to serve; most will be assigned to local areas to fill vacant official positions.

It was nearly noon when the grand ceremony of announcing the results of the imperial examinations ended, and everyone was starving.

The Qionglin Banquet, organized by Grand Secretary Xu Ziliu and held at Qionglin Garden, was also ready to begin.

Emperor Shengyuan did not attend the Qionglin Banquet in person this time.

After the imperial examination incident, Li Shiqin redeemed himself through meritorious service, and Emperor Shengyuan did not remove his flying fish robe, but still appointed him as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

He was responsible for protecting the safety of the newly appointed scholars and civil and military officials at this Qionglin Banquet, and he dispatched three hundred Imperial Guards to guard the area around Qionglin Garden.

During the meal, he secretly found a moment to strike up a conversation with Xu Qiu.

Li Shiqin bowed and thanked him, "Young Master Xu, no, from now on I should call you Lord Xu. Thanks to your guidance, I am able to continue wearing this uniform and serving the Emperor."

Since Xu Qiu was released from prison, he hasn't had a chance to properly thank him.

Xu Qiu humbly said, "My godfather is the head of the Eastern Depot, and I used to work for the Eastern Depot. We're all family. Brother Li, why are you being so polite? It's just a small scheme to lure the snake out of its hole."

"No, no, no, I will visit Lord Xu's residence another day to express my gratitude."

Xu Qiu's face was flushed, and his tone was lonely. "You are older than me, so I will call you elder brother. Brother Li, you may call me by my name. If you want to call me brother, I am afraid you will find me unlucky."

Li Shiqin patted his chest and promised, "Not at all. It is my honor that the newly appointed top scholar is willing to be sworn brothers with me. If you ever need anything in the future, just come to me. I owe you a favor, and I will definitely help you if I can."

"That's easy. Perhaps one day we'll have to work together again. Brother Li, don't find me a troublesome younger brother then."

His eyes widened, and he shook his head honestly, "How could that be?"

Shi Zhixuan had initially kept quiet and was focused on protesting his innocence. However, when Li Shiqin found the so-called roster and letters of communication with the person selling exam questions in his residence, he realized that Shen Xiuwen was trying to sacrifice the pawn to save the king.

At this point, he had no choice but to speak, but he did not mention Shen Xiuwen. He only said that he had placed the test questions at the South Gate office.

He secretly tried to contact Shen Xiuwen, not believing that he had any leverage over Shen Xiuwen and that Shen Xiuwen would dare to stand by and watch him die.

This person was someone Xu Qiu had deliberately left for Shi Zhixuan, so this accomplice was quickly captured by Li Shiqin.

Shi Zhixuan failed to contact Shen Xiuwen and even revealed the incriminating evidence he had, so Li Shiqin obtained the jade thumb ring and Shen Xiuwen's handwritten letter.

It is an open secret that Shen Xiuwen was involved in the fraud and was the mastermind.

"Brother Li, I'd like to ask if there are any clues about the origin of the paper dragonfly?"

Li Shiqin shook his head. "However, it's only a matter of time before we find out where it came from."

"His Majesty didn't actually pursue the matter further, did he?"

"Brother Xu, do you mean we shouldn't continue the investigation?"

Xu Qiu laughed and said, "Brother Li, what do you think His Majesty will do with her if we really find her? In the eyes of the people, she is a righteous person who sacrifices herself for justice. If she is found, His Majesty will have to kill her to save face for the royal family, and then His Majesty will be in an unjust position."

“Brother Xu is right, I know what to do.”

Li Shiqin left the hall, seemingly lost in thought.

Xu Qiu sat in the main seat of the newly appointed Jinshi with a smile, welcoming and seeing off other officials. Although some people looked down on his status, most of them were good at judging the situation.

Xu Qiu is very successful today, or rather, too successful, to the point that he overshadows everyone else.

"I can't hold my liquor, gentlemen. That's enough for today. I need to rest for a while. I'm going to ride through the streets later, and it wouldn't be good if I fell off my horse."

Xu Qiu declined several toasts, returned to his seat, closed his eyes to rest, and his thoughts were still on Gu Yu and the Shen family.

Gu Yu asked him to do two things.

The first thing was to take Shen Xiuwen's jade thumb ring to Shi Zhixuan to exchange for the test questions.

He didn't know where Gu Yu got the information, yet she knew how information was transmitted between inside and outside the examination hall—

One of the bricks on the left side of the south gate of the examination hall could be loosened. People inside the examination hall could write the exam questions, then find an opportunity to fold the paper and place it under the brick. People outside the examination hall could then find a suitable time to take the exam questions away.

Gu Yu had both Shen Xiuwen's jade thumb ring and a handwritten letter in Shen Xiuwen's handwriting.

He simply handed the item to Shi Zhixuan through the window. Shi Zhixuan read the handwritten letter but didn't suspect anything, assuming that the place wasn't secluded enough and he had simply changed the method.

Xu Qiu received the item, looked at it once, and memorized it. The most troublesome part was finding the loose bricks one by one on the left side of the south gate.

Fortunately, he had a good memory and knew which bricks he had touched. Even so, it still took him two hours to find the right place.

The second thing was to prevent Dongfang Hongyao and Wei Cong from participating in the imperial examinations, which was even simpler.

He guarded the two men all day, and at midnight, he suddenly had a good idea. He tied them up and threw them outside, then, after calculating the exact time, led the night watchman to rescue them.

Those two might fall seriously ill, but it shouldn't be enough to fundamentally damage their health.

Thinking of this, he opened his eyes and looked at the two people who were unaware of the truth. Gu Yu was really thinking of these two people. She had done so much to earn such a small amount of kindness.

But Gu Yu was willing to protect the two of them without them having to do anything.

It really makes my heart ache.

After he did those two things, he asked his adoptive father for punishment and was seriously injured. So even if he didn't perform well in the imperial examination, it would be justified.

After the list of successful candidates was posted, the area outside the palace was in an uproar.

The disappointed scholars who failed the exam looked on with envy at the names on the list of successful candidates. Many aristocratic families with unmarried daughters sent people to check the list, and ordinary people crowded in front of the list to watch the excitement.

Gu Yu invited several young ladies from prominent families to dine at a restaurant on the street.

The main reason for choosing this location is that after the Qionglin Banquet, this is Chang'an Street, which the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) will inevitably pass through on horseback during their parade.

The other young ladies chattered amongst themselves about the names on the list of successful candidates, with Dongfang Hongyao being the name they mentioned most often.

Although Xu Qiu was the top scholar in the imperial examination, his special status and fearsome reputation in Shengjing City meant that respectable young ladies from prominent families dared not even mention him.

Zhang Liuying sat down next to Gu Yu and, seeing that she was silent, asked, "Ayu, why are you just eating and not talking to us?"

Gu Yu seemed a little distracted. "I'm a little worried about my brother and father."

She wasn't originally interested in the parade, but she came because she heard from Liu Xuewu that Princess Yu Ning was going to come out of the palace to watch it.

Liu Xuewu's father was a Grand Secretary who was exceptionally skilled in both calligraphy and painting from a young age. He was selected to serve as a companion to the princess in the palace for five years and maintained a close relationship with Princess Yu Ning.

"Ayu, don't worry. I heard my father say that the great victory in the north is just the cleanup of the battlefield. We will return in triumph soon."

Zhang Liuying's father was the Vice Minister of War, so he naturally knew about news from the north.

"Um."

Gu Yu smiled in response.

She learned about Princess Yu Ning's character from the gossip of these noble ladies.

Princess Yuning's birth mother was Emperor Shengyuan's favorite concubine before he became a Taoist priest. In addition, she was raised by the Empress and grew up with the Crown Prince from a young age, and they had a very close relationship.

Even if the crown prince ascends the throne, her status will likely not be much worse.

Therefore, Yu Ning's arrogant personality was justified.

Rumor has it that she cannot stand other women being better than her, whether it be in appearance, talent, or clothing and jewelry; she must be unique in everything.

Gu Yu stroked the glass wine cup in her hand, her thoughts unreadable.

Therefore, the person Princess Yu Ning would fall in love with must be someone who is devoted to her. Since Dongfang Hongyao desires power and wealth, he is destined to have to give up something.

For example, his two concubines.

However, Dongfang Hongyao naturally has advantages over others; there shouldn't be any woman in the world who wouldn't like his handsome face.

Another point is that he is very sensible, never overly proud or arrogant, and understands women's feelings better than most men.

It will be even more difficult for these two to meet in the future, except for today's opportunity.

"I think A-Yu has good taste. Aren't those three young gentlemen who came with us to enjoy the spring last time the top three in this competition?"

With her beautiful face and haughty tone, Xu Chuxi brought up the topic as if it were unintentional.

Gu Yu was only stunned for a moment. "Maybe I'm just lucky. My brother took me out of the city gate and we met these three people."

She recalled how she met the three of them; it turned out they were on their way to collect her remains. Sometimes fate is just that strange.

Liu Xuewu said, "Yu Ning should be arriving soon. Everyone, don't be too reserved. Just pretend you don't know her identity."

Just as Liu Xuewu finished speaking, there was a commotion outside the door.

She laughed and said, "I said 'person,' and here they are, Sister Aning."

The wooden door was pushed open by a slender hand, revealing an extremely beautiful face behind it.

The opening of the door stirred a gentle breeze, lightly ruffling a few strands of hair at her temples. Her hair, as black as ink, further accentuated her jade-like face and icy skin, making her appear even more radiant than snow.

Sunlight streamed across her face, clearly outlining her stunning features—

A full, smooth forehead, crescent-shaped eyebrows, a straight and beautiful nose, and lips as plump as flower petals.

With such a beautiful face, it seemed as if she could be forgiven no matter what wrong she did.

People are often tolerant of beautiful things, no wonder the current Emperor Shengyuan dotes on this little daughter so much.

Rumor has it that her birth mother was even more beautiful than her, but unfortunately, she died young, passing away just a few years after giving birth to her.

"Snow Dance".

Yu Ning saw that there were four other people in the private room, but she had no intention of getting to know them. She only greeted Liu Xuewu.

"Ah Ning, come and sit here..."

Liu Xuewu took her hand and gave her the best view.

Then he introduced them to her one by one.

When it was Gu Yu's turn, Yu Ning glanced at her sideways and said, "The red mole between your eyebrows is so beautiful, like a Bodhisattva. My grandmother will definitely like you when she sees you."

"Sister Aning, you flatter me. This is the first time I've ever seen someone like you. You're like a fairy."

Gu Yu spoke in a calm tone, like a kind-hearted elder sister casually praising her younger sister.

After Yu Ning's mother passed away, no one dared to praise her appearance anymore.

She knew, of course, that she had inherited her mother’s good looks. The more she saw that face, the more she would think of her mother, so she didn’t want others to say that she was beautiful.

This time, however, she wasn't angry. "I heard from Xuewu that you know this year's top three scholars. How did you meet them? Why don't you tell me?"