It truly is a battle of wits and strength, like thousands of soldiers crossing a single-plank bridge.

[Male lead, you must block out distractions and focus on the exam! The wicked female supporting character is still waiting for you.]

[A luxurious three-day trip in a single room, let's go!]

He sat quietly for an unknown amount of time.

"clang--!"

A deafening gong resounded throughout the examination hall.

The imperial examination has officially begun!

The exam papers were distributed by the soldiers in turn.

Zheng Yu took the scroll of paper that carried all his hopes, his fingertips slightly cool.

He slowly unfolded the exam paper, his gaze falling on the question—

He felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and his blood boiled instantly!

Those bloodshot eyes, which had been starved of sleep for days, suddenly burst forth with an astonishing light!

It was... it really was the direction he had painstakingly researched day and night!

He took a deep breath, and the suppressed growl seemed to say, "Heaven has not forsaken Zheng Yu!"

He picked up his brush and dipped it in ink.

Those exquisite articles that had lingered in his mind a thousand times over now poured out of his pen like a river bursting its banks.

Without the slightest hesitation, I put pen to paper.

Every word is precious, every sentence resounds powerfully.

Three sessions over three days, without sleep or rest.

When the last stroke was completed, Zheng Yu put down his pen, feeling utterly exhausted yet incredibly relieved.

He stepped out of that cramped space, looked up at the gray sky, and the sunlight was blinding.

Upon returning to his residence, he didn't even have time to drink a sip of hot tea.

"Uncle Gong!"

Zheng Yu's voice was hoarse, yet it carried an undeniable command.

"Prepare the car! To the Jingzhao Prefecture prison! I want to visit him!"

He must see He Yi!

Immediately! Right now!

[He Yi is in danger, the male lead must go check on her!]

[By the protection of the barrage of comments! You vicious female supporting character, you must hold on!]

However, at the same moment that Zheng Yu rushed to the prison in a great hurry.

In a dark interrogation room in the Jingzhao Prefecture.

He Yi, Liu Yun, and Qing Ju were being roughly pushed in by several prison guards.

Several days in prison left them emaciated and smelling musty.

At that moment, they were suddenly pushed and all three of them staggered, almost falling to the ground.

He Yi steadied herself and looked up.

There sat the corrupt official Qin Wuyu, his face gleaming with oil, in the main seat of the hall.

A nauseatingly fake smile hung on his fat face, while his small eyes, like those of a venomous snake, were coldly fixed on them.

It was as if they had been waiting for a long time.

He Yi's gaze shifted downwards, and she saw a piece of paper covered with writing spread out on the table in front of him.

Next to it was a box of bright red inkpad.

[Oh no, the vicious female supporting character! This is her confession; once signed, it's set in stone.]

【Heyi, you absolutely mustn't sign that!】

"You audacious shrew! Why don't you kneel before me?!" the jailer shouted sternly.

He Yi's eyes turned cold, but she still slowly bent her knees and knelt down with Liu Yun and Qing Ju.

When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head.

"This humble woman greets Your Excellency."

Qin Wuyu leaned back slightly and spoke slowly, "I am Qin Wuyu, the presiding judge of this case."

He paused, a hint of playful mockery flashing in his eyes, like a cat catching a mouse.

"You have been summoned here today to close this case."

"The witnesses and physical evidence are all there, and the evidence is irrefutable."

"What else do you have to say?"

He Yi raised her head, and on her haggard face, her eyes shone brightly. She met Qin Wuyu's gaze without the slightest fear.

"My lord, I have been wronged!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was incredibly clear.

"When we arrived, Sun Sanlang was already dead. It was definitely not our doing!"

"Oh."

Qin Wuyu let out a disdainful sneer.

"You dare to argue even when you're about to die?"

He slammed his gavel down and shouted, "Guards! Read the confessions to them! Make them sign them!"

Inside the courtroom, the cold, damp atmosphere was mixed with the musty smell of decay, making one want to vomit.

Qin Wuyu, the Prefect of Jingzhao, had a pair of small, beady eyes hidden beneath his thick eyelids. Like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, he coldly swept over the three slender figures kneeling below.

"The three of you, how are you settling into your life in the prison?"

His voice was so greasy it could drip water, and his feigned concern revealed a cruel, cat-and-mouse game.

Both Liu Yun and Qing Ju had pale faces, their lips pressed tightly together, and they remained silent.

Qin Wuyu was not annoyed. His fat fingers tapped lightly on the gavel, and the muffled "thump-thump" sound was like the footsteps of death, each tap landing on people's hearts.

"To be honest, I am very busy with state affairs and have no time to deal with such a trivial case as yours."

He grinned maliciously, drawing out his words.

"But you guys are lucky."

"Today, I am in a good mood, so I will close this case so that that Third Brother Sun... can rest in peace soon."

"Resolved?"

He Yi, who had been silent all along, slowly raised her head at this moment.

Her voice was clear and cold, like jade striking each other, and it sounded particularly clear in the oppressive courtroom.

"Lord Qin, we didn't kill the person. How do you intend to settle this matter?"

He Yi stepped forward, her thin body seemingly containing astonishing power, her gaze calmly meeting Qin Wuyu's cloudy eyes.

“Since Your Honor says that there are both witnesses and physical evidence, I, a humble woman, would like to request Your Honor to summon that witness, namely Sun Sanlang’s neighbor, Third Sister-in-law, for a confrontation in court.”

Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was firm and resonant.

"I just want to ask her face to face: did she really see with her own eyes that it was I, Zheng Heyi, who did it that night?"

"Oh."

Qin Wuyu let out a disdainful sneer, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.

"Do you think you're some kind of restaurant, ordering food at your own restaurant, once you've entered this courtroom? You think you can just see whoever you want?"

Liu Yun gritted her teeth; if He Yi hadn't given her a signal, she would have already lashed out.

Qin Wuyu completely ignored them, slowly picking up a pre-written petition from the table as if it were the only truth in the world.

He didn't even bother to look at them, and simply read out their names.

"Zheng Heyi".

Qin Wuyu shook the thin piece of paper; the ink on it exuded a strong aura of death.

"This is your confession. Sign it and put your fingerprint on it."

"This way, I can save some effort."

"So that you too can suffer less physical pain."

He waved the piece of paper that would decide his life or death in the air, as if displaying a rare treasure.

Those lecherous eyes rolled unabashedly over the three women's shapely figures, finally settling on He Yi's beautiful and ethereal face.

Those eyes were filled with undisguised greed and lust.

He Yi felt a chill run down her spine and subtly shifted her body to the side.

Liu Yun, standing beside her, could no longer contain his inner energy.

Seven days in prison had long since worn away her patience.

At this moment, the official's shamelessness completely ignited the volcano in her heart!