For Qiao Lian'er, Song Rui'er had lost his right hand. Even though he could now use his left hand skillfully and performed well in the palace examination, a disability was still a disability.
He will have to work much harder to reach a position that others can easily achieve.
Furthermore, with the Song family harassing him, he will never have a peaceful life again.
From then on, she waited to see him put on his show.
However, since Pei Shijiu said that, she wanted to see what "tricks" he was going to play.
Three days later, the palace examination will be held.
Song Ruier locked herself in her study, refusing any disturbance. The Song family knew that the imperial examination was very important; as long as Song Ruier became an official, they could all rise to prominence along with her.
Therefore, they also tried their best not to bother Song Ruier.
After the morning court session, the Director of the Imperial Observatory came to see the Emperor, saying that he had something important to discuss.
The supervisor was only a fifth-rank official and could not enter the main hall; he could only report from outside.
"Your Majesty, I observed the celestial phenomena last night and discovered a lingering star that, wherever it went, brought with it a patch of dark cloud that obscured the moon's radiance. This phenomenon has occurred three times already."
The emperor pondered, "What are you trying to say?"
"Your Majesty should be wary of people with disabilities recently, as such people may pose a threat to the emperor."
The emperor nodded slightly: "Go down."
The supervisor withdrew, and the emperor placed a chess piece on the chessboard: "The Remnant Star guards the master; this is the first time I've heard of such a thing."
Qiao Lian'er then placed a piece as well.
"I believe that such things are too mystical to be completely believed, but it is always good to be cautious."
She knew who did it; there were members of the Pei family in the Imperial Observatory. This department didn't have a very high profile, but it could be really useful when it needed to.
The day of the palace examination has arrived.
This examination was personally presided over by the emperor, and all the talented scholars displayed their unique abilities, whether answering questions on the spot or answering policy questions.
When it was Pang You's turn, the emperor glanced at his exam paper with satisfaction, but was somewhat surprised when he saw his age.
You're only fifteen.
Song Ruier replied, "Your Majesty, I am fifteen years old, and I will turn sixteen in three months."
"Truly a young man of great talent, passing the imperial examination at the age of fifteen. How many people in the capital can achieve that?" the emperor remarked.
They also felt a pity, because the boy's face was too ordinary. If his features were more handsome, he would have been able to rise to prominence in the future.
When the emperor posed a question, Song Ruier answered fluently, with a smooth and original line of thought.
Those high-ranking scions who had abandoned Song Ruier and kept their distance from him now regretted it. Who could have imagined that Song Ruier had mastered calligraphy with his left hand and would perform so well in the palace?
It seems inevitable that he will get a good job.
The emperor grew increasingly impressed and nodded frequently.
His gaze unconsciously shifted downwards, landing on Song Ruier's right hand. He paused, then looked at it again to confirm.
It was a crippled hand, wearing an iron prosthetic hand.
Under normal circumstances, the fact that such a disabled boy could hold the title of a tribute student and still perform well in the palace examination would be a testament to the immense perseverance required to overcome such a challenge. The emperor would be very impressed and might even entrust him with important responsibilities.
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