A mother's status rises with her son's

Shangguan Jin was watching a butterfly fly in through the window and land on the inkstone. Hearing this, he casually said, "Don't worry, no one will question you. Just memorize it as I tell you."

Sima Jinyuan stared wide-eyed and asked, "Why? They are not related to me at all, why would they let me pass?"

Shangguan Jin calmly said, "Because you are in the palace, you are not actually in anyone's way. If you make some progress, it will save face for His Majesty. Neither the Grand Tutor nor the officials will openly defy His Majesty. Therefore, as long as you perform reasonably well, they will praise you for His Majesty's sake, rather than expose you."

His Majesty's face? Sima Jinyuan never thought that this unfamiliar father emperor would give him any special attention or have any special reason to take care of him. Because in fact, there never was.

He didn't believe that anyone would praise him for performing well, because he had never experienced anything like it in his life before.

Everything Shangguan Jin suggested to him was obvious to a child raised in a powerful family and accustomed to politics, but for Sima Jinyuan, who had always lived in the remote and impoverished Guangling, it was an enormous adventure, far exceeding his limited thinking and imagination.

But he decided to trust Shangguan Jin.

This unassuming young man, who seemed to have everything under control, wouldn't harm him.

The princes undergo a grand assessment every three months, which is conducted in the presence of court officials.

This time, when Sima Jinyuan mustered all his courage, stood tall and straight, and recited his answers to the Grand Tutor's questions in front of the assembled officials, word by word, without stammering even once, the air in the inner palace suddenly became still for a moment.

The Grand Tutor, the most learned man in the entire country, who had never given him much attention, suddenly looked up from his book and stared at him with eyes that were first filled with surprise and doubt, and then seemed to be shining brightly.

The old ministers who were standing at the front of the imperial steps, who did not take these young princes seriously, were whispering among themselves about a matter that had been left unresolved in the court discussion during the princes' performance competition, which was a necessary procedure every three months. But suddenly they all stopped and stared at him in disbelief.

What's going on? The Sima family's notoriously incompetent prince has suddenly become enlightened?

Faced with so many surprised and curious gazes fixed on him as if he were an alien, Sima Jinyuan couldn't help but feel a little flustered. He quickly glanced at Shangguan Jin, who was standing to the side holding a writing desk. But Shangguan Jin remained focused on his writing implements, seemingly oblivious to everything, as if he had no connection to him whatsoever.

Sima Jinyuan calmed himself down and continued to answer the Grand Tutor's questions one by one.

The initial surprise faded as the gazes of those in the hall softened, replaced by increasing friendliness. Occasionally, when he stumbled over a word, some would even whisper prompts to help him.

Although people used to laugh at him, no one truly looked down on someone who had been working so hard. And, as Shangguan Jin said, this hard work did not harm anyone's interests.

Receiving so much encouragement was something Sima Jinyuan had never experienced before. As the questions and answers continued, he answered more and more fluently, and the Grand Tutor's gaze towards him grew increasingly kind and benevolent, eventually becoming almost radiant.

It wasn't easy! A child from a remote, impoverished area, he still had to come to the capital. Under the patient guidance of this great scholar, no stone was too hard to be enlightened.

Sima Jinyuan's reply was logical and well-structured. Although it lacked ornate language and literary embellishment, the reasoning was clear and unambiguous.

This child may seem clumsy and not good at boasting, but he is quite perceptive.

Overwhelmed with emotion, the Grand Tutor knelt before the emperor, who sat high in the hall, kowtowing repeatedly and saying, "Our Great Huan is blessed by Heaven, and Your Majesty's virtue shines brightly, protecting the four seas. This has enabled His Highness the Prince of Guangling to gain wisdom and finally comprehend the great principles of governing the country and the sage's way of governing the world. This is a blessing for the royal family and a fortune for the nation!"

Several young officials nearby, who were also students of the Grand Tutor, immediately knelt down upon seeing the development of the situation and said, "The princes are all future advisors to the country and pillars of the state. Congratulations to Your Majesty and the Crown Prince on gaining another future wise king. Congratulations also to the Grand Tutor for living up to the sage's benevolent teachings, patiently guiding and persevering, and finally achieving results."

The senior officials at the forefront exchanged glances, remaining silent and waiting for the emperor's response. One of them cast a meaningful look at Shangguan Jin, who stood beside Sima Jinyuan, his expression suspicious but unable to discern anything. Shangguan Jin remained as respectful and reserved as ever, attracting no attention whatsoever.

Sima Jinyuan felt a surge of inexplicable excitement, followed by a wave of intense fear, as he awaited his father's verdict.

Like all cheating children, he firmly believed that no one in the world could deceive his incomparably wise father. Under any other circumstances, he would never dare to play tricks on his father like this. How could he have mustered such audacity under Shangguan Jin's encouragement?

After all, if things go wrong, it could be a crime of deceiving the emperor!

Just then, a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz entered his ears, saying softly, "Just look boldly at His Majesty, the more upright the better, I guarantee His Majesty will never blame you."

If it were any other voice, Sima Jinyuan would have collapsed to the ground, his legs weak. But strangely, this voice seemed neither male nor female, yet it possessed a natural, calming, and soothing magnetic quality. Moreover, Sima Jinyuan could sense that the owner of this voice meant him no harm.

He looked up and saw that not far away, on the throne surrounded by nine gleaming, heavily carved golden dragons, his father, whose face and expression were obscured by the crown tassels, stood a long row of eunuchs. The last one, a very tall eunuch in a purple robe and jade belt with a folding fan tucked into his belt, was smiling at him, seemingly full of encouragement.

At the same time, he felt Shangguan Jin, who was beside him, raise his head and glance at the man with keen insight, before immediately lowering his head again without making a sound.

Sima Jinyuan, of course, would not know that this was a superior Xuanmen innate skill. To dare to transmit his voice in such a secret way in front of hundreds of people in the main hall to soothe and calm them, this person's martial arts must be astonishingly high, so that he could be so confident that he would not alert others.

But to that man's surprise, Shangguan Jin also heard it. Of course, he wouldn't betray him.

In any case, this made Sima Jinyuan feel much more at ease. He mustered his courage and, as the man had suggested, tried to keep his gaze firm as he looked at the person on the dragon throne.

The twelve tassels of the crown swayed slightly. The emperor below, who was also his father, half-opened his eyes and stared at him with a sharp, dagger-like gaze.

Sima Jinyuan remembered the man's words and stood straight, meeting his father's cold and stern gaze without flinching.

He was actually trembling like a leaf, but the two people present gave him immense confidence.

One was Shangguan Jin beside him, and the other was the strange man in purple at the end of the long line of attendants behind his father.

If his father were to ask him anything more at this moment, he would certainly not be able to answer a single word. However, this would not prevent him from remembering the man's words firmly. He stood upright and straight, without fear, and met his father's scrutinizing gaze with eyes as clear as a child's, without backing down.

Sure enough, after staring at him for a long time, his father's sharp gaze relaxed and turned into a faint smile.

Sima Jinyuan did not understand that what he had just received was the most precious guidance from someone in the inner palace who was well-versed in the rules of the game.

No father likes to see a weak and timid son, especially not a father in the royal family.

Even if it is obvious that he cheated, as a prince, he must show the confidence and demeanor of an emperor, which not only saves face for his father, but also demonstrates his authority and power to suppress his subjects.

No one cares whether he has actually made great progress or not; he just needs to put on an act. But he must be able to handle the situation and not show any fear.

Because everything else can be fabricated for him by his ministers, but standing in front of everyone and being scrutinized by everyone's eyes is something he must do himself.

He withstood the pressure of his father's gaze, thus passing a test to gain his father's approval.

Although Sima Jinyuan himself did not understand it so clearly, when he saw his father turn his gaze to the side as if giving a signal, and a smile appeared on his lips, he naturally breathed a sigh of relief.

He began to lower his head spontaneously as a sign of respect.

The Emperor's majestic voice seemed to come from the heavens.

"The Prince of Guangling has studied diligently and has finally achieved success, which greatly pleases me. I hereby bestow upon him a jade dragon brush holder. Consort Li is virtuous and gentle, and has taught her son well. She is hereby promoted to the rank of Ronghua and given a salary of two thousand shi."

He was stunned upon hearing the long string of imperial edicts. He could already hear Shangguan Jin's urging voice: "Hurry up and kneel down to express your gratitude!"

He then hurriedly lifted his robe and knelt down, shouting, "Long live the Emperor!"

The person on the dragon throne seemed to have finally grown weary. He simply smiled, stretched out a hand, waved it in the distance, and said in golden words, "That's all for today."

The courtiers and princes immediately knelt down, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" and watched as the Emperor's bright yellow palanquin departed.

This was the closest Sima Jinyuan ever got to his father in his life.

His mother was right, coming to the capital was the right thing to do. His father not only spoke to him but also praised him, saying, "He has finally achieved something, which greatly pleases me."

The emperor also promoted the rank of the concubine and increased her salary.

It turns out that "a mother's status rises with her son's" is true. Even this useless son of his could still be remembered by his father, who still remembered him as a mere concubine among the three thousand palace maids from a remote place, simply because he had shown his face in front of his father.

Everyone else left, leaving him standing there blankly.

The officials who had spoken up for him earlier passed by him and patted him on the shoulder in a friendly manner, but he remained stunned.

Shangguan Jin, who had been standing still, finally spoke up: "Your Highness, you may return now."

For Sima Jinyuan, everything that happened today was like a magnificent dream, coming so suddenly and unbelievably.

Whether it was excitement, agitation, or excessive ecstasy, he turned around and hugged Shangguan Jin tightly.

At the same time, he blurted out without thinking, "You have done Sima Jinyuan a great favor! I wonder if we could become sworn brothers?"

Shangguan Jin, who considered himself a lone swordsman, never wanted any brothers of different surnames, and he was too lazy to even flatter his own brothers of the same surname in the clan.

His greatest ambition in life was to quickly fulfill the obligations that the Shangguan family members owed to the imperial court, and then return to the Shangguan family's forbidden area, where he would live a secluded life, devoting himself to the way of the sword in order to achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation.