The blue cloth carriage shuttled through the streets and alleys of the capital, and finally stopped in front of the majestic palace. After the cloaked man got off the carriage, he gently lifted the veil, revealing an extraordinarily handsome face. It was the Prince of Linjiang - Li Longjing.
He looked up at the sky, a meaningful smile on his lips. This spring examination was an exam that concerned the fate of students all over the world, but now it had become a chess piece for him to disrupt the political situation.
At the same time, the examination in the Imperial Academy was in full swing. The Spring Imperial Examination of the Great Zhou Dynasty lasted for three consecutive days, with one question per day, and the questions had to be answered before the hour of Hai on the same day.
The first day's test question was: "The sky covers the earth, and there are countless things. All things are caused by them. This can be summed up in one word."
After the topic was set, all the tribute students were focused and wrote with their pens, pouring all their talents and ambitions into these sheets of paper.
From today until the results are announced, almost all the teahouses and restaurants in the capital are immersed in discussions about the Spring Examination. Whether it is the elegant gatherings of scholars and writers or the casual chats of ordinary people, they are all inseparable from this grand examination.
Even some gambling houses are interested in this and secretly bet on the test questions in an attempt to get a piece of the pie.
Night fell, and it was not until the hour of Hai that the hustle and bustle in the Imperial Examination Hall subsided a little.
The gatehouse officials meticulously checked the answer sheets, which were then solemnly sealed by the chief and deputy examiners. The imperial guards then escorted the answer sheets to the Ministry of Rites for review.
At the same time, today's exam questions were posted on the east wall in front of the Imperial Examination Hall for students from all over the world to observe.
As soon as the test questions were announced, they immediately caused a sensation.
People stopped to watch, some talked in low voices, and some left in a hurry, probably eager to spread the news to more people.
On the second day, it was still the hour of Hai and the night was already deep, but the crowd waiting for today's test questions in front of the east wall of the Imperial Examination Hall was even more surging than yesterday.
Everyone was looking forward to today's test questions, and at the same time, they were whispering and discussing yesterday's test questions.
Shopkeeper Liu stood in the crowd, quietly listening to the discussions around him. His eyes fell on the east wall, where today's exam question - "The Way to Ensure the Security of the Country and the Army" - was posted.
However, as everyone gathered around to watch, someone exclaimed, "Today's exam questions have been leaked!"
"What? The exam questions were leaked?"
"How is this possible? How could the exam questions be leaked?"
The crowd suddenly exploded with discussions, and many people were in disbelief.
Shopkeeper Liu stood quietly in the crowd, listening to what the people around him said, and a meaningful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth again.
Among the crowd, those who spread the news of the leaked exam questions were the subordinates of Linjiang King Li Longjing. They mingled with the crowd, deliberately confusing the public and creating chaos.
"This morning, while I was drinking tea at the Chunfeng Teahouse, I heard someone say that the exam for the next day would be 'The Way to Secure the Nation and the Army.' I didn't believe it at the time."
"Someone at Zuihuanlou also said so. I came to the Imperial Examination Hall specifically to wait for the exam question to be announced, but I didn't expect it to be this question!"
"I also heard that tomorrow's topic will be 'On Rewarding Loyalty and Honesty'!"
Someone in the crowd exclaimed, "The third day's exam questions were personally selected by His Majesty the Emperor. How could anyone know this? This is a matter of life and death. Don't talk nonsense!"
"I'm not kidding! This is the question in the betting at the Big Fortune Casino!"
These remarks spread quickly among the crowd, undoubtedly causing a huge uproar. The discussions surged like a tide, raising fierce doubts about the fairness of this spring examination.
"If this exam question is leaked, wouldn't that be a huge injustice to the students who have worked so hard to study?"
"Yes, I thought the Spring Examination was a place where people would compete based on their true talents and knowledge, but now it seems that someone is secretly manipulating it. It's really chilling."
In less than an incense stick of time, in the study of the Linjiang Palace, the spy was whispering to Li Longjing about the situation outside.
"Your Highness, there is a lot of buzz outside right now. People have serious doubts about the fairness of the Spring Examination." said the spy.
Li Longjing smiled lightly, a sly glint in his eyes. "Okay, that's exactly what I want. Let them question it, make them uneasy. This drama has just begun."
The spy nodded. "Yes, Your Highness is wise. Next, should we continue to spread rumors?"
Li Longjing waved his hand: "There's no need to rush. Let's just stop here and let this storm continue to ferment. When the time is right, it won't be too late to take action."
The spy bowed and obeyed, then quietly left the study and disappeared immediately.
Li Longjing stood up, walked to the window, looked at the gloomy sky outside, and the smile on his face became more and more unfathomable.
…
No one in the Xingyuan Marquis's mansion knew about the brewing turmoil in the imperial examination, and everything was still peaceful.
A few days ago, Yasongzhai was filled with the sound of reading, but within two days, it was silent in the stillness of the night. Even the subtle sounds of the maids cleaning could be heard very clearly.
Mother Han carefully sorted out the four treasures of the study left by Xue Ji Yan and put them away properly.
When she passed by Yan Boxi's house, a feeling of contempt welled up in her heart.
Ever since she learned that he had ill intentions towards the fifth girl, Yan Boxi's image in her eyes plummeted. He went from being a poor and ambitious talent to being what she called a playboy.
"Don't take the opportunity to steal the property of the Marquis' Mansion." Mother Han looked around vigilantly. Seeing that the other maids were busy in the yard, she went into the house and checked carefully.
There were several bundles placed in the box, which contained only some old books and out-of-season blouses. Seeing these, Mother Han's contempt dissipated a lot, and was replaced by a trace of regret.
She realized that she might have been judging others by her own standards, so she put aside her prejudice and sighed with regret.
If Yan Boxi could get the top spot in the exam and then sincerely proposed to the fifth girl, he might not be rejected by the old lady. Unfortunately, his delusion of having a private marriage made the old lady feel disgusted.
Perhaps driven by a sense of guilt, when Mother Han saw the messy bed, she walked over to help tidy it up.
Just as she was about to fold the silk cotton quilt, an exquisite carved lacquer box suddenly fell out and hit the bed heavily with a dull sound.
This lacquer box is not only exquisitely crafted, but also made of precious sandalwood. Mother Han couldn't help but feel curious about where Yan Boxi got such an exquisite item. It was really surprising and confusing.
She gently lifted the lid of the box and saw a pair of white jade butterfly hairpins lying quietly inside, the jade gleaming with a faint luster.
These hairpins are simply breathtakingly beautiful.
"This Master Yan is really hard to figure out, isn't he?"
She murmured to herself, her heart filled with confusion and curiosity. Although her behavior was not stealing, it was not aboveboard either.
However, at this moment, Mother Han no longer cared about these things. She knew very well that no matter what happened, reporting to the old lady was always the safest approach.
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