Just when he was feeling uneasy, he suddenly heard Yun Xiyan's answer.

"Sir, I was so happy just now that I fell and hit my eye."

"…Is there a problem?"

"No problem!"

Can this hit your eyes?

Eunuch Jia obviously didn't believe it and wanted to ask Yun Xiyan to try throwing it again, but after thinking about it, he decided not to.

Sima Che also came over at this moment. She bowed and said, "I am the fourth one, Sima Che."

Eunuch Jia looked at Sima Che carefully, which made Sima Che's heart tighten, for she was afraid that this eunuch would see through her female body.

She didn't expect that Eunuch Jia would suddenly smile and say two words: "Not bad!"

What does "not bad" mean?

Sima Che stood behind He Shengan anxiously, but he didn't expect that Wang Sun Wuya and the other three were also in the crowd.

Wang Sun Wuya was suddenly startled and turned to Lu Xihui and the other two and asked, "Hey, hey, hey, look, doesn't that young man look very similar to Miss Sima Che?"

Lu Xihui and the other two took a closer look and found that they were exactly like two peas in a pod.

Zhong Jitang gasped, "Hiss...!" and asked in disbelief, "Could it be that... Miss Sima, like in the opera, disguised herself as a man to take the imperial examination and even made it into the top ten?"

Yu Xingjian turned his head to look at the imperial edict, but it was too far away to see clearly. "Wait here, I'll go down and see if Miss Sima's name is on the list."

He struggled to squeeze in, and finally arrived under the imperial edict. He looked up and saw...

Sima Che!

It really is Miss Sima!

This, this...

Yu Xingjian was extremely surprised, and suddenly remembered that when Ding'an Bo hosted a banquet for them at Sifang Tower that night, Miss Sima had said that she wanted to go to Wofeng Road!

Is this how she went?

What's the big deal about a woman being an official?

Yu Xingjian couldn't understand and squeezed back in. Wang Sun Wuya and the other two looked at him, "How is it?"

"It really is Miss Sima. She really got fourth place!"

"..." Wang Sun Wuya and the other two were speechless. Firstly, it was against the rules for Sima Che to take the imperial examination as a woman. Secondly, they were shocked by the results!

If it were them, it would be possible for them to make the list, but if they were to make it into the top ten... if they asked themselves honestly, they probably didn't have that ability.

But Miss Sima really did it. Don’t you think it’s infuriating?

She has real talent and knowledge!

But it’s not an embroidered pillow like those of many ladies from wealthy families!

Lu Xihui swallowed her saliva and shook her head, "We are not as good as Miss Sima!"

"But she is a woman after all. If she were to go to the Golden Palace and be discovered by His Majesty, it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor! She would lose her head!" Wang Sun Wuya was a little anxious, but there was nothing he could do.

Zhong Jitang was silent for a moment, then whispered, "It is indeed deceiving the emperor, but it may not be the case now."

"What do you mean?"

"Miss Sima gave Earl Ding'an a token of love, and Earl Ding'an kept it, which shows that she has a place in his heart."

Zhong Jitang paused, and suddenly realized that more students had gathered around them. They were all listening with their ears perked up, and their faces showed various expressions of surprise.

"Brother, keep talking!"

"No comment! Please make way, we need to leave."

This matter involved the reputation of Earl Ding'an, and Zhong Jitang didn't dare to gossip about it, so the four of them wanted to leave.

"Hey, hey, hey, brother, who gave Earl Ding'an the token of love?"

"Brother, please stay. Earl Ding'an now has three wives. May I ask which young lady has the good fortune to enter Earl Ding'an's heart?"

"Brother, you'll be suffocated if you don't tell half of the story! How about you four follow me down here? I'll prepare a table for you in the Sifang Building. Would you mind telling me all about Ding Anbo's romantic affairs?"

“…”

What the hell, Zhong Jitang suddenly wanted to slap himself in the face!

It is obvious that Ding'anbo knew that Sima Che was taking part in the imperial examination. Ding'anbo knew it but did not stop him. I think it was because Sima Che disguised himself as a man and went to Wofeng Road!

Besides, all three wives of Lord Ding'an are pregnant, so it is impossible for them to travel far to Wofeng Road. Therefore, Lord Ding'an wants to keep Sima Che in Wofeng Road. Men... everyone understands, but understanding is understanding, but they must never break that layer of paper.

If what I said fell into the ears of Ding An Bo and ruined Ding An Bo's good deeds, I am afraid that the Zhong family will be in big trouble in the future!

The four of them desperately squeezed out of the crowd, and Eunuch Jia's side gathered the top ten on the gold list.

He left Lantingji with ten people and arrived at the other side of Weiyang Lake, where five carriages were already waiting.

The group got on the carriage and galloped towards the palace.

Sima Che and Yun Xiyan were riding together. She naturally saw the noise Wang Sun Wuya and the other three made just now. Her face was flushed and she felt even more nervous.

"Brother Sima, are you feeling a little hot?"

"Ah...it's nervousness."

Yun Xiyan lifted the carriage curtain and smiled faintly: "You passed the exam based on your own ability, so why should you be nervous? Don't worry about meeting the emperor. The current emperor is kind and virtuous, and is definitely not a mean king..."

"Besides, we are going to Wofeng Road, and it depends on Ding Anbo's opinion. Meeting the emperor is just a ceremony. I guess Ding Anbo will arrange a task for us next, and that's a big deal!"

Sima Che took a deep breath and gradually calmed down his uneasy heart. "Brother Yun, what you said makes sense. I am not as free and easy as you."

Yun Xiyan laughed heartily. "Before this, I met a wonderful man, He Ansheng, who ranked second. After reading the title, he knelt down by the Weiyang Lake and kowtowed three times... I invited him to have hot pot with us today. It's a pity that I didn't meet Brother Fu, ah...!"

"Brother Fu is so carefree. He knew he wouldn't pass the exam, so he simply didn't even bother to visit. Now I don't know when I'll be able to see him again."

Sima Che laughed, and Yun Xiyan was startled. He quickly raised his hand, "Brother Sima, please don't laugh!"

"Why?"

"You laugh so much like a woman, it's enchanting! It makes my heart, a grown man, pound. This is not a good thing."

Sima Che's face turned red again, she restrained her smile and looked out the window.

Soon the convoy arrived at the palace, and ten students, led by Eunuch Jia, walked into the Chengtian Hall, the highest power center of the Yu Dynasty.

"I'm a little nervous!" He Shengan whispered beside Yun Xiyan.

"Ahem!" Yun Xiyan forced himself to remain calm. "Don't be nervous. We can't be like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden in A Dream of Red Mansions. Remember, keep a calm mind."

He Shengan immediately admired Yun Xiyan immensely. No wonder he got first place in the exam. So he turned around and glanced at Yun Xiyan——

"Brother Yun, why is your face so red?"