In Fengjing, at noon, the sun was blazing, yet it carried a hint of the dryness of the White Dew season.

The atmosphere was solemn and heavy in front of the vermilion gate of the examination hall.

A large contingent of imperial guards, armed with long spears and gleaming armor, had already cleared a large open space in the street, blocking the crowds that had flocked from all directions upon hearing the news.

In the center of the arena, several high-ranking officials of the imperial court were prominently displayed.

Prime Minister Pei Xuanyun, dressed in court robes and with a jade belt around his waist, had a solemn expression and exuded an imposing aura without being angry.

Beside him stood three supervisors: the Director of the Penal Code, the Director of the Civil Affairs Bureau, and the Director of the Ceremonial Bureau, all with solemn expressions.

This display of power could be considered as representing half of the high-ranking officials in the imperial court.

The crowd couldn't help but whisper among themselves, realizing that something earth-shattering was about to happen.

Xuanji Guard Commander Pan Yue stood like an iron tower, guarding Pei Xuanyun half a step behind him, his eyes scanning the surroundings like a hawk, watching for any slight movement.

The two ministers who assist the state are of vital importance to the current turbulent situation.

General Meng Guang can command troops to guard a region, but the safety of the civil official leader, Prime Minister Pei, rests on his shoulders and cannot be compromised in the slightest.

"quiet!"

A general of the Imperial Guards mustered his strength, and his booming voice instantly drowned out the noise on the street.

The crowd gradually quieted down, and all eyes were focused on the few important officials who were rarely seen on ordinary days.

The Chief of the Penal Division took a deep breath, stepped forward, and spoke loudly, making sure his voice carried clearly throughout the entire hall:

"After a thorough investigation by our company and Xuanji Guard, it has now been confirmed."

The case of the substitution of examination papers in the Jiangnan provincial examination was caused by Shen Yuanzhang, the owner of Qingjianzhai Bookstore, who ordered people to cheat!

He paused briefly, allowing the people to process the news, before his voice suddenly rose again:

"It has now been ascertained that Shen Yuanzhang's true identity is the intelligence chief planted in Fengjing by the four great families of Wang, Cui, Feng and Li, and he has now been apprehended!"

His despicable act was intended to disrupt the imperial examination system and undermine the foundation of the nation.

They destroyed the very foundation of our great literary tradition and cut off the path to advancement for all students.

Their intentions are despicable, and their crimes are unforgivable!

Upon hearing this, the people were immediately in an uproar, with shouts of surprise and angry curses erupting everywhere.

The imperial examination system was the hope for countless people to change their fate, yet it was so tarnished; how could this not arouse indignation?

However, this was not the end of it; the Superintendent of the Court of Penal Affairs continued:

Even worse!

These four powerful families, harboring treacherous ambitions, dared to send elite assassins to infiltrate the imperial palace, intending to assassinate His Majesty and the princes, committing the heinous crime of treason!

As he spoke, a group of soldiers carried out more than ten corpses covered with white cloth from beside the examination hall and placed them on the open ground.

The white cloth, stained with dark blood, silently recounted the harrowing events that had transpired.

Boom! The crowd erupted in chaos.

Assassinating the emperor and his princes and princesses? That's an absolutely heinous crime!

So what was the outcome of the assassination? Were any people injured, or even...?

Anger and fear spread rapidly through the crowd.

At this moment, the Superintendent of the Ministry of Justice took out a bright yellow imperial edict and slowly unfurled it in front of everyone.

Upon seeing this, the people knelt down like a tidal wave, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Imperial Palace decrees:"

The four prominent families of Wang, Cui, Feng, and Li have received the country's favor for generations, yet they do not know how to repay it and instead harbor rebellious intentions.

His first crime was colluding with villains to disrupt the imperial examination ceremony and undermine the foundation of the nation.

His second crime was sending assassins into the palace to carry out an assassination attempt, intending to harm me and the imperial heir.

The evidence is irrefutable; this is a heinous crime of treason!

Immediately, all titles and ranks were stripped, and the main branches of the four great families were all treated as treason and severely punished without exception!

So be it!

The contents of the imperial edict struck the hearts of everyone who heard it like a heavy hammer.

Treason is a heinous crime that can lead to the extermination of nine generations of one's family!

Next, Grand Chancellor Pei Xuanyun stepped forward.

"Furthermore, after my personal review, the copy of the answer sheet of candidate Chen Yu, which was posted outside the examination hall after the results of the provincial examination were announced, was indeed written by him and the content was true and accurate."

I have personally examined his talent and knowledge, and it is indeed consistent with the level of his answers.

Therefore, all rankings in this Jiangnan Province provincial examination will remain unchanged from the original list!

With the prime minister of the time personally vouching for it, the matter was finally settled.

However, compared to the earth-shattering case of the four great families plotting a rebellion and assassinating the emperor, the scandal of cheating in the imperial examinations seemed somewhat insignificant at this moment.

The gates of the examination hall slowly opened, and the examiners who had been temporarily detained for investigation walked out, their faces pale and their steps unsteady.

The women's provincial examination in Zhongchen Road has now come to an end.

...

The Imperial Study.

Qin Zhaoyue remained in that awkward posture.

Sitting on an embroidered stool, his upper body leaning over the dragon bed, one hand pressed against the chest of the unconscious Qin Minghuang.

Grandpa Su Quan stood guard beside her, his eyes wide open, staring intently at her, as if afraid she would fall asleep the moment she closed her eyes.

Just then, Qin Zhaoyue, who was feeling bored, suddenly realized a very serious problem.

She abruptly raised her head, her face contorted with despair:

"No, wait!"

I can't stay awake forever, what if I fall asleep?

"Elder Xue, with your second-grade cultivation, is it possible to completely suppress the life force within the Empress's body and prevent it from dissipating?"

Old Xue pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head:

"Based on my perception when I took over, the 'domain' of the second-grade realm may be able to greatly slow down the rate at which life force is lost."

But to lock it up almost completely like Your Highness... that would be difficult to achieve.

"Damn it!" Qin Zhaoyue cursed inwardly. "What am I going to do?"

Just then, Jiang Wuyai, who was trying to keep a low profile, couldn't help but interject:

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