The last person in the palace examination is just a Tong Jinshi. Tong Jinshi is not a Jinshi, and the future is very different.

Mu Zhuohua stared blankly at the half-white paper in front of her, as if she saw her own pale past.

She saw her mother leaning against the door and crying, hoping that her father would come back every day. She told herself not to put her life in the hands of others.

She heard that as long as a woman becomes an official, she can be her own master, set up her own business, and no longer rely on men.

She put all her hopes in her father's study. Her sisters all went to grab the jewelry, the powder and the silk, but she didn't want them. She just wanted countless books and a moment of quiet. If possible, give her a lamp that would not go out so that she could read and write at night.

Everyone in the Mu family laughed at the seventh lady for being a nerd and having problems with her brain. Why should a girl read so many books? It would be better to dress up beautifully and marry a good family in the future.

And then...

after getting married, will she be like her mother, the eldest lady, and every other concubine in the family, scheming against each other in the inner house every day, fighting for wealth and men that do not belong to her...

She just wants to live a life of her own.

Mu Zhuohua rubbed her nose, her eyes a little sore, but she did not let anyone see her embarrassment.

She had never thought of giving up even when things were so difficult before, let alone coming here.

Mu Zhuohua took a long breath, shook her head, and cheered herself up again - she still had half a sheet of paper!

Mu Zhuohua picked up the pen again, dipped it in ink, thought for a moment, and started writing again.

"What else does she want to write?"

"How many words can be written on half a sheet of paper?"

"Just a fight of trapped beasts."

"But it's good to have this kind of character, isn't it?"

Someone said this, causing everyone to nod.

Yes, she was just an eighteen-year-old girl. She made such a big mistake in the palace examination, but she was still able to calmly write again. No matter what she wrote, in the eyes of His Majesty, he already looked up to her.

Emperor Zhaoming nodded with a smile, but did not come down to inspect again, but walked back to the throne.

The chief eunuch shouted loudly: "The time is up, stop writing--"

The papers were collected one by one, and the candidates got a break. Under the guidance of the eunuchs, they left the main hall and went to the side hall to drink water and eat.

After Mu Zhuohua sat down, he gulped down a pot of tea. When he put down the teapot, he saw many people looking at him with sympathy.

"You are so unlucky today. How could such a thing happen?"

Those people shook their heads, seemingly regretful, but in their hearts they were calculating how much they could rise if these seventeen people fell.

Shen Jinghong showed genuine concern: "Did you answer again later? Although an accident happened, if you can answer carefully, His Majesty will definitely not blame you."

Mu Zhuohua smiled at Shen Jinghong: "I think I answered well."

Everyone couldn't help laughing, and even Shen Jinghong had a helpless expression - he only handed in half a sheet of paper, and his tone was so arrogant.

"Then... I wish you good luck." Shen Jinghong had nothing to say.

After Emperor Zhaoming read the papers, he had a good idea of ​​everyone's performance. After Emperor Zhaoming finished reading all the answer sheets, all the candidates had been waiting in the side hall for an hour, and were called back to the main hall again, waiting for the performance in front of the hall.

This was an opportunity to leave a good impression in front of the emperor. Everyone was waiting with trepidation and expectation, but Mu Zhuohua looked calm, which seemed to others to be a desperate performance.

The first person to be called forward for questioning was naturally Shen Jinghong. Shen Jinghong was young and handsome, with an extraordinary appearance, and he also wrote beautiful calligraphy, which made people feel very fond of him at first sight. Emperor Zhaoming stood by and watched Shen Jinghong finish writing this paper. He obviously admired this young man with amazing talent. He asked a few questions with a smile on his face. Shen Jinghong was neither humble nor arrogant, and his answers were fluent, which made Emperor Zhaoming nod repeatedly. Liu Chen stood by and watched, and seemed to feel honored, and smiled.

Liu Chen whispered to Liu Yan: "The number one scholar in this exam must be him."

Liu Yan smiled but said nothing.

Then several more people were summoned. Their faces were different. Some were excited, some were terrified, and some were depressed. Everyone's answers were recorded one by one by the eunuchs on the side, and were also kept in the heart of Emperor Zhaoming.

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The eunuch shouted again: "Mu Zhuohua, come forward to see the emperor--"

Everyone raised their eyebrows in astonishment and secretly looked at Mu Zhuohua. Mu Zhuohua walked out of the queue calmly, with a leisurely smile on her pretty face. She walked to the front of the team, saluted and kowtowed, saying: "Student Mu Zhuohua, I pay my respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty."

The voice of Emperor Zhaoming came from above, gentle and majestic: "Stand up, let me take a closer look at you."

Mu Zhuohua immediately stood up, stood with his hands hanging down respectfully, raised his chin, but looked at the ground.

"Yes, you are young, but your heart is very stable. I thought you were going to cry on the spot." Emperor Zhaoming said with a smile.

Mu Zhuohua replied, "Don't give up easily until you are at your wit's end. Even if you are at your wit's end, you should face life and death with a smile."

"Good!" Emperor Zhaoming nodded in appreciation and picked up the half of the paper in his hand. "It's good that you can write this answer sheet in the last minute."

The space on that half of the paper was limited, and only two sentences could be written.

Do nothing and think of achievements.

Do your best and leave the rest to fate. Survival of the fittest, the weak will die.

Emperor Zhaoming said, "Just a few words, but they say everything about humanity and the way of heaven. You are young, but you have reached such a state. It's really not easy."

In the last space and time, Mu Zhuohua could only refine her own ideas and write down these two sentences. She was also gambling, and now it seems that she won the gamble.

Mu Zhuohua bowed her head and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your praise."

"I have read the policy paper you wrote for the exam several times. I thought that the person who wrote it must be an experienced politician, but I didn't expect you to be so young and a woman. I want to know, are the questions you wrote what you think?"

Emperor Zhaoming asked this, as if he suspected that someone had ghostwritten the article. Although it was Mu Zhuohua who was asked, almost everyone felt the pressure from the emperor and was afraid.

Mu Zhuohua was startled and bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, I was born in a merchant family. I have been influenced by it since I was a child, and I feel that the economy is the foundation of people's livelihood."

"What is economy? It is to manage the country and the people, to benefit the court and the people. Your Majesty has been governing the country for many years and has put the people first. Everyone in the world is grateful for your benevolent rule. Even foreign barbarians covet the wealth of our Chen State and travel thousands of miles to trade with our Chen State. The sea is calm, and people from all over the world come to pay tribute. The land of Jiangnan can benefit from tens of millions of taels of silver every year, and the people are well-fed and well-clothed."

"Why did Beiliang invade the border repeatedly? Although I am a humble student, I dare not forget to worry about the country. I have been thinking for a long time and occasionally have some ideas. Beiliang does not produce gold, silver, or food. They live by following water and grass. The people live in hardship and covet the wealth of the Central Plains, so they can only invade the south. But doesn't Beiliang have anything to trade with Chen? Yes, Beiliang's horses are strong, far better than those of the Central Plains. There are abundant iron ore, which can be used as sharp weapons. Beiliang's cattle and sheep are fat, which can make up for the shortcomings of Chen. Beiliang people are tall and strong, and one is worth ten. However, the two countries are on guard against each other, and border trade is difficult. Beiliang people cannot exchange what they need in the form of trade, so they can only find ways to invade. This is their survival."

"Your Majesty, a general's success is built on the sacrifice of thousands of men. I think that if people can survive, they are unwilling to fight, and whoever can make them live well is their heaven. Scholars read the books of sages and disdain the business of petty business. I think that things that can benefit the country and the people are not big or small."

Mu Zhuohua spoke in a leisurely and easy-to-understand manner, and the officials beside him could not help but nod their heads slightly, agreeing with her. Many of the candidates standing behind Mu Zhuohua had ridiculed her during the hairpin poetry meeting, but now after hearing what she said, they felt that what she said was indeed somewhat reasonable, and secretly felt ashamed of her previous attitude.

Mu Zhuohua's attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, but he praised Emperor Zhaoming at the beginning, which made the emperor happy, and it was much easier to talk about it. The meaning revealed in his words was that Your Majesty was wise and capable, and the people of foreign countries were waiting for you to rescue them.

Emperor Zhaoming was not uncommon to see this kind of ministers' art of speaking, but he could not help but find it funny to see Mu Zhuohua, a little girl with a delicate and childish face, speaking in a set way. However, what she said was well-reasoned and made it impossible for people to joke.

"You look confident, so I think you did a good job in this question. But you made a big mistake in the palace examination today and soiled the test paper. Although you remained calm and handed in four sentences, it is hard to convince the public. But I can give you another chance. Explain to me how to use the policy of non-action to explain the policy of raising barbarians. I will give you thirty breaths of time to think about it."

Mu Zhuohua was overjoyed and bowed her head and said, "Your Majesty is wise!"

How difficult is it to use the policy of non-action to explain the policy of raising barbarians? But Emperor Zhaoming gave her thirty breaths, but he had the intention of making things difficult for her. Mu Zhuohua didn't want to show too much complacency, so she pretended to be embarrassed, frowned and thought for a while, and when she heard the sound of a chime, she relaxed her eyebrows and answered seriously: "Do nothing, but everything will be done, Shunzhi will bring peace to the world. A sage governs a country, following the trend of the times..."

"...Take advantage of the situation, and the people will agree, then everything will be accomplished..."

"...Hide the benefits for the people, and benefit all the people, then the people will be loyal..."

"...Expand education, and the people's minds will be of one mind, then the country will prosper..."

Mu Zhuohua explained the inaction, and talked about what governance is. From top to bottom, from inside to outside, she explained the policy of nurturing barbarians in all aspects of economy, people's livelihood, and moral education.

Emperor Zhaoming was still smiling at first, but later he became more and more serious as he listened, and fell into deep thought from time to time. The eunuch at the side wrote down Mu Zhuohua's words word by word with a flying pen, sweating profusely. When Mu Zhuohua finished speaking, his hands were still shaking like a sieve.

Emperor Zhaoming was silent for a long time, then he curled his lips and smiled, saying: "Good!"

It took thirty breaths to finish the article, such thinking, such literary talent, and such an age...

Emperor Zhaoming looked at Mu Zhuohua carefully, feeling a little regretful. If he was a man, it would be even better. He originally wanted Shen Jinghong to be the top scholar. Shen Jinghong was indeed impeccable, but Mu Zhuohua was not much behind.

Emperor Zhaoming fell into deep thought for a while, and the people in the palace looked at each other, not knowing how to react.

Mu Zhuohua felt that her answer was not bad, not to mention that with the word "good" from Emperor Zhaoming, she felt much more at ease. But now Emperor Zhaoming was silent for too long, and she couldn't help feeling a little uneasy.

After an unknown amount of time, Mu Zhuohua heard Emperor Zhaoming ask with a smile: "You talked about education and economy, but not about military affairs. Can you unify the world without fighting?"

Mu Zhuohua was stunned, then said: "We still have to fight. Only when education is flourishing and the country is prosperous and the people are strong can we win the war. Educating them is to avoid war, and fighting is to make them sit down and listen." Emperor Zhaoming

laughed and pointed at Mu Zhuohua and said: "You, you have said everything..."

The attendants on the left and right looked at Emperor Zhaoming in surprise, then looked at Mu Zhuohua, thinking to themselves that it was incredible, but they rarely saw Emperor Zhaoming laugh so happily. This Mu Zhuohua is in the emperor's heart and has a bright future!

The eunuch who was trusted by Emperor Zhaoming reminded him softly, "Your Majesty, should we summon the next examinee to answer questions in front of the palace?"

Emperor Zhaoming came to his senses and waved his hand and said with a smile, "No need, I know what I am doing."

Mu Zhuohua then received the order and left, and followed all the examinees back to the side hall to wait for the announcement of the rankings.

Although she didn't know her ranking, she felt relieved - it shouldn't be too bad.

Liu Chen ran to Liu Yan in shock and anger, and said in disbelief: "Father actually wants to nominate Mu Zhuohua as the top scholar!"

Liu Yan was also stunned: "Does my brother really think so?"

Liu Chen gritted his teeth and said: "Father has been deceived, Mu Zhuohua may have some skills, but in terms of real talent and knowledge, how can he compare to Shen Jinghong?"

Liu Yan was stunned for a moment, then said: "I'm afraid... it will be difficult to convince the people."

Liu Chen immediately said: "Uncle, you are right, why don't you go and persuade father!"

Liu Yan laughed: "How can I persuade? The result of the palace examination depends on your majesty's mind."

Liu Chen said anxiously: "Now Shen Jinghong is famous in Dingjing, but father made a woman the top scholar. How do you think the people will feel? I'm afraid they will talk behind your back, saying that father is attracted by Mu Zhuohua's beauty!"

Liu Yan's face changed and he scolded: "Be careful with your words!"

Liu Chen realized that he had said the wrong thing and quickly shut up.

"You have a point..." Liu Yan sighed and shook his head, "But this is not something that others can talk about. You and I need to avoid suspicion and believe in the wisdom of the emperor."

Liu Chen was unwilling, but he had to admit that Liu Yan was right, so he could only nod silently.

The results of the palace examination came out that day. The candidates waited for an hour in the side hall, and finally got the results.

This time, it was the prime minister who read out the rankings.

"The palace examination in the 15th year of Zhaoming..."

"The first place in the first class, Shen Jinghong, was awarded the title of Jinshi Jidi!"

This result was expected by everyone. Shen Jinghong bowed his head and thanked with a smile.

"The second place in the first class, Song Lianxi, was awarded the title of Jinshi Jidi!"

"The third place in the first class, Mu Zhuohua, was awarded the title of Jinshi Jidi!"

Mu Zhuohua was stunned for a moment, a little bit unbelievable.

The prime minister looked at Mu Zhuohua with a smile and reminded him in a low voice: "Why don't you thank me quickly."

Mu Zhuohua kowtowed to thank him, but he was still confused.

Tanhua?

She was actually... Tanhua?

This was so unexpected. She had thought that it would be good to keep her original ranking, but she could actually rise to the third place.

The others had seen Mu Zhuohua's ability to answer questions in front of the emperor, and they were somewhat convinced of her, but they felt a little uncomfortable thinking that they had studied hard for ten years and were actually surpassed by a woman. After the results of the palace examination were announced one after another, the prime minister smiled and said, "Your Majesty has given a banquet in the imperial garden, congratulations to all the new Jinshi."

"Long live His Majesty!"

No matter what the result is, years of hard study have finally paid off on this day. Whether it is a Jinshi or a Tong Jinshi, it is an explanation to himself and his clan. At the Qionglin Banquet, the Jinshi, who was a little depressed, also swept away his depression and showed a relaxed and happy smile.

The three people in the first class changed into specially made dresses with the help of eunuchs and palace maids, and were arranged in the middle seats to accept everyone's congratulations. Shen Jinghong was dressed in brocade clothes, talking and laughing, and was the talk of the town. The runner-up Song Lianxi and the second-placed Mu Zhuohua sat on either side of Shen Jinghong. Song Lianxi was over thirty years old and had participated in the imperial examination for the second time. His appearance was not outstanding, but he was dignified and self-sustaining, which made people respect him. Mu Zhuohua was the youngest among the three people, and she was a girl. With the attention of Emperor Zhaoming and Princess Roujia, others dared not embarrass her anymore. Today's banquet was full of joy and happiness.

Not long after the banquet started, Shen Jinghong led the runners-up and third place winners to toast Emperor Zhaoming. Emperor Zhaoming seemed to be in a very good mood. Just as he was about to pick up the wine glass, he could not help but cough lightly.

Sitting beside Emperor Zhaoming were several princes. The eldest prince Liu Chen saw Emperor Zhaoming coughing and said with concern: "Father, the imperial physician said you can't drink."

"It's just one glass. I'm happy today. It's okay." Emperor Zhaoming said and picked up the wine glass.

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Liu Chen looked at Liu Yan for help, and Liu Yan immediately stood up and advised: "Brother, you should listen to the advice of the imperial physician. Shen Zhuangyuan and the other two toasted out of gratitude. If Your Majesty is injured by this glass of wine, they will regret it and blame themselves." After hearing this,

Emperor Zhaoming hesitated for a moment, but still put down the cup and smiled: "In this case, I will drink tea instead of wine."

Liu Chen smiled and said: "Father, let your son drink this glass of wine for you."

If it were in the folk, it would be common for a son to drink for his father, but in the royal family, such a move would inevitably make people think too much - is the eldest prince so eager to replace the emperor?

Sitting below Liu Chen were the twins of Concubine Shu, the second prince Liu Yu and the third prince Liu Jin. The two princes look similar, but their temperaments are completely different. Liu Yu has fair skin, is gentle and courteous, and is well-known for his courtesy. The third prince, Liu Jin, is lively and cheerful by nature. He likes to wield swords and guns, and his skin is tanned. At this moment, he is sitting on a chair, but his eyes can't stand the loneliness and look around.

When Liu Yu saw Liu Chen drink the glass of wine, his eyes flashed slightly, but he didn't say anything. Liu Jin stared at Liu Chen for a moment, then looked away with disdain.

Emperor Zhaoming was sickly and didn't care about lust. After having three princes, there were no more women in the harem. The queen mother was worried about Emperor Zhaoming's health, so she didn't put anyone around him, so the harem of Chen State was extremely quiet. The queen came from a famous family, was well-educated, but seemed dull. Concubine Shu came from a family of military generals, and had a lively and talkative temperament. It is said that Concubine Shu was more loved by Emperor Zhaoming than the queen, and Emperor Zhaoming had not yet appointed a crown prince, which made others speculate a lot.

Mu Zhuohua followed Shen Jinghong back to the table, but her eyes secretly followed the movements of the royal family members. She had lived for so many years and understood one thing: if she wanted to live a smooth life, she must learn to read people's expressions and guess their intentions, especially in the imperial city. If she stood on the wrong side and offended someone, she would probably die silently.

What worried Mu Zhuohua the most was the inkstone that had overturned for no reason today. The inkstone was certainly not overturned by her accidentally, and it was impossible for the hall to move without wind. She carefully observed the inkstone and found an extremely small impact mark in the lower right corner, which should have been caused by someone using a tiny hidden weapon to overturn it. Mu Zhuohua recalled her seat at that time. She was sitting on the far right of the third row. The person in front of her right was the most suspicious. In addition to several royal family members with the surname Liu, the people sitting in front of her right were several high-ranking officials above the second rank. She really couldn't figure out when she had offended anyone, and how that person was so bold that he dared to harm her in public?

She had no connection with the three princes. If she had to say who she had offended, it would probably be the eldest prince. Prince Ding said that her policy of raising barbarians angered the eldest prince. Mu Zhuohua had observed Liu Chen today and had a general understanding of his personality. Liu Chen was the eldest son of the emperor. He was handsome and extraordinary. He had learned literature and martial arts from Liu Yan since he was a child. He was both civil and military. Three years ago, he rescued Prince Ding and made military achievements. He was the first candidate for the throne. This man was a true child of destiny. The biggest characteristic of his personality was pride. He was proud and justified. He didn't even bother to hide his emotions. He could be said to have a clear distinction between love and hate.

On the contrary, Liu Yu was elusive. He seemed to be a gentleman, gentle and polite, but it was hard to guess whether he was sincere or false. Liu Jin looked similar to him but had a different temperament. He was closer to Liu Chen, but he lacked Liu Chen's innate pride and suppressed dissatisfaction in his eyes.

Another person is Liu Yan. Thinking about the fact that he helped her during the imperial examination, he has no reason to harm her.