Her question surprised Xiao Yuanshan. "What's so strange about that? It's wise of you to be low-key and patient when you first arrived in the capital. I wouldn't be surprised even if you were pretending to be crazy."
Xiao Zhixing was speechless. It was really that simple?
"Father, you don't blame me for keeping this from you too?"
Xiao Yuanshan laughed, "No wonder. You know how to hide your talents at such a young age. I'm very happy. I knew it! How could her daughter be an ordinary person? Hehe, the princess has taught you very well. Just watch, more and more people will rush towards the guiding light. Everyone has been waiting for too long..."
Well, asking this doting father is a waste of breath; he's already automatically filling in the gaps in his mind.
Xiao Zhixing couldn't help but slap him in the face, "So many years have passed, and people have forgotten me. I've never thought of relying on others. Back then, she didn't intend to use them, so how come I can order them around?"
Xiao Yuanshan smiled, then his eyes suddenly reddened with emotion as he sighed, "You don't understand, they were all the late emperors..."
"The late emperor?"
Xiao Zhixing is now somewhat interested in Xiao Yuzhen. From his various arrangements and the snippets of conversation from these former officials, it is clear that he is a wise and far-sighted emperor.
Even after twenty years, so many people have remained loyal to him, which speaks volumes about his personal charisma.
Even Zhao Yunqi doesn't seem to have said a single bad word about Xiao Yuzhen.
Moreover, the Red Plane was not subject to systemic interference. Under Xiao Yuzhen's arrangement, the Yin Dynasty was extended for more than two hundred years, and Xiao Yan even became the Empress, which shows his skill, foresight and courage.
In the end, it is the Emperor System that deserves to die!
Then Xiao Yuanshan sighed, "It's not their fault. The late emperor had already paved the way for the princess, but she had no desire to become emperor. She trusted him, and as a result, one wrong step led to another, and in the end..."
Xiao Zhixing nodded; she understood.
Once a woman falls in love with a man, even if she knows he has problems, she will still think about forgiving him again and giving him another chance.
She probably forgot that the struggle for the throne was no ordinary affair, and that by taking a step back and waiting, she would forever miss out on it.
Because her man, who is also her rival, is far more ruthless than she is.
This is a reason that everyone knows, and there's also the Emperor System lurking in the shadows causing trouble, so it's no wonder Xiao Yan couldn't win.
Xiao Zhixing summoned Ying Yi and asked her to investigate who was planning to target the imperial examinations.
Yin Yi also confirmed that none of the court officials had contacted Bai Fengmei during the day; they had spontaneously followed her.
Then he summoned the eight members of the Shi family and Xiao Yun, and gave them instructions.
The next day, the chief and deputy examiners entered the palace to begin setting closed-door questions.
Yes, the three of them, plus the emperor, were the examiners for the imperial examinations during the Great Sheng Dynasty.
The four of them would finalize the exam questions within three days, then send the sample papers to the examination hall for sealed printing by designated personnel, and then have them personally guarded by the three chief and deputy examiners.
From the start to the end of the three-day spring imperial examination, the examiners, guards, and everyone else were not allowed to leave.
Immediately following this was a five-day closed-door examination. A large number of officials and clerks were already waiting in the examination hall when the questions for the spring examination began. They would conduct three rounds of scoring: anonymous marking, copying, preliminary scoring, and random cross-scoring.
By the fifteenth day, the papers had been graded and the initial rankings were determined. Then, the chief and deputy examiners reviewed the papers of the top few hundred to one thousand students three more times.
Disputed papers can be decided by the three of them together. Finally, these lists and papers will be sent to the palace for the emperor to review one last time and affix his imperial decree.
Once the final list is determined, it will be posted publicly, along with the original exam papers to ensure fairness.
Only then could they leave the examination hall.
The whole process took about a month, and the Junzi Academy suspended its exams for that month, not only because of her, but also because the others were also going to participate in the spring imperial examinations, so they all had to stop.
The next day, Xiao Zhixing followed Duke Li and Nian Changling to a side hall of Shengde Hall, where the imperial guards were heavily guarded.
Zhao Yunqi was already inside, flipping through books and waiting for them.
"My three ministers, I have already selected the scope of the questions. You may choose the appropriate questions from among them."
Fu Lu personally carried up a pile of books in five separate trips; the questions for this year's imperial examinations would be drawn from these books.
Besides a large desk in the center of the side hall, there are three rooms next door, which are where they will stay for the next three days.
The three men clasped their hands in greeting, and Duke Li took the lead in picking up a book and flipping through it, followed closely by the eldest son.
They would combine, adapt, or take excerpts from classical texts to create the final questions.
Xiao Zhixing glanced at the pile of books with his hands in his sleeves, but didn't touch them.
Zhao Yun asked curiously, "What's wrong with Yuan Sheng?"
Xiao Zhixing simply found an empty chair and sat down, smiling obediently, "This humble subject has never participated in setting the imperial examination questions before, and I'm afraid of making a fool of myself, so I'll just watch."
Zhao Yunqi put down his book and chuckled, "You have moments of fear and humility too?"
Xiao Zhixing said in a serious tone, "This humble subject really dares not act recklessly. If I make a mistake and cause everyone to fail the exam, then the crime will be enormous, and all the candidates in the world will hate this humble subject to death."
Zhao Yunqi laughed, "It's commendable that you have this kind of caution. You really don't want to set the questions?"
"No, I'll just observe and learn. Maybe I'll dare to do it next time."
No matter how Zhao Yunqi tried to persuade her, she wouldn't do anything. Instead, she turned around and ran to personally serve tea to Duke Li and Nian Changling, which made the two of them tremble with fear.
Zhao Yunqi looked utterly helpless.
The Emperor System muttered, "Even she has moments when she's afraid?"
Fu Lu: "Oh, Your Highness, this is my job. If you have nothing to do, why don't you go and rest next door?"
Xiao Zhixing immediately seized the opportunity, "Thank you for your understanding, Eunuch Fulu. Then I will go and rest?"
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
