Chapter 6 The examiner is the Crown Prince
However, the Crown Prince still received the news, and he also learned about Ye Jianshan's background.
I was a little puzzled.
Why was he impersonating me?
The guard explained, "Your Highness, it must be a coincidence. He is only sixteen years old this year and cannot impersonate you."
The two are twenty years apart in age, how could they pretend to be?
The crown prince immediately understood: "Another one to be my son? Where did they find so many people? They don't look like me at all."
The prince put the painting with Ye Jianshan's portrait aside.
His face wasn't drawn that round at all; he's just a little chubby.
The two only resemble each other in their eyebrows and eyes, but the crown prince would never admit that this ugly-looking face resembled his.
"You've come to acknowledge my father, haven't you?"
That's so ugly, he must be his younger brother.
Or perhaps it was one of his brothers' children who had been separated from their parents and wanted to frame him.
He was certain that he had no son and never would.
If those ministers are so capable, they should remove him from his position as crown prince, so he won't have to get up early every day to attend court.
"Don't worry about it, let's see what kind of show they're going to put on."
The crown prince was bored when someone came to entertain him.
He wanted to see what this person was up to.
Ye Jianshan sneezed: ? ? ?
Is someone talking about him again?
He really just wanted to participate in the imperial examination and become the top scholar.
Who knew that there would be so many things to do while waiting for the exam, and then there would be some Lantern Festival poetry gathering?
Are you really not going to the Lantern Festival poetry gathering?
Tan Jingshan came over and asked.
The Lantern Festival poetry competition is a great opportunity for candidates to stand out. Even if they don't get first place, if they perform well and catch the eye of the ministers or princes, it will be a great help in their future careers.
Or perhaps receiving some guidance from a kind adult would be a good thing for candidates who haven't yet participated in the spring examinations.
Therefore, the Lantern Festival poetry gathering is very lively every year, and candidates try their best to stand out.
For someone like Ye Jianshan who needs a powerful backer, this is an opportunity he absolutely cannot miss.
Tan Jingshan had considered this point before he went to persuade them.
Ye Jianshan hesitated. He was already getting trouble even if he didn't go out. What if he went out and never came back?
But this can't go on forever. He came to the capital to take the imperial examination, hoping to become the top scholar and then get a government position so that his mother, maternal grandparents, and uncles could enjoy a life of luxury. Who knew that this was the scene he would see after arriving in the capital? It was completely different from the capital city he had imagined, and it was completely different from his expectations. With his current unpresentable appearance, it was questionable whether he could even take the exam smoothly.
Ye Jianshan really wanted to rush up to the Crown Prince and ask him what exactly happened.
He thought about it for a moment and realized that he couldn't let things continue like this; he had to do something.
At the very least, one should know why they died.
"go!"
Ideally, he would run into that bastard who kept kneeling before him again, and he would grab that person and ask him what he was up to.
She didn't look much older than him, so what was the meaning of her kneeling down to him with her people the moment she saw him?
Seeing how readily he agreed, Tan Jingshan began to regret his decision: "Should we not go?"
Every time Ye Jianshan goes out, nothing good ever comes of it.
What if we encounter one or two more sick people this time, and they really can't come back?
Ye Jianshan shook his head: "Go, that's fine."
Tan Jingshan sighed: "In that case, all of us from our guild will go and we'll definitely bring you back safely. If anyone causes trouble, we'll write a joint petition. I don't believe there's no law under the emperor's nose."
Tan Jingshan forced out a sense of tragic grandeur in his words.
Ye Jianshan was both amused and exasperated: "You don't need to get involved. Just do your own thing, I'll handle it."
Seeing this, Tan Jingshan didn't know what to say. Ye Jianshan was only sixteen years old...
"Don't worry, your brothers will protect you."
Seeing that he couldn't persuade them, Ye Jianshan had no choice but to agree: "Okay, thank you for your care, brothers."
"Of course, we're all from the same hometown."
After Tan Jingshan left, Ye Lei spoke: "I went out to inquire, but I still couldn't find the Guo residence. Is it because it's been a long time and your mother remembered it wrong?"
Ye Lei could not rest easy until he could find the Guo residence.
Ye Jianshan remained calm: "My mother wouldn't lie to me. Since we can't find my third uncle, let's not look for him for now. Besides, nothing has happened to me yet."
Ye Lei thought about it and realized it made sense. He always felt like he was hoping something would happen to Shanzi from their family, and that they would stay safe and sound and never need to use the Guo family's property.
"Are you really going to attend the poetry gathering during the Lantern Festival?"
Ye Jianshan confirmed: "Yes, I'll go and join in the fun. Don't worry, Third Uncle, I won't stand out."
He was already famous enough for winning the title of Jieyuan in Qingyang at the age of sixteen. If he were to make a splash at the poetry gathering, wouldn't all his months of keeping a low profile have been for nothing?
His original intention was to make a fortune quietly and keep a low profile.
Although he had been studying in seclusion, he knew about Cui Jianbing's affairs and organized poetry and literary gatherings everywhere, making a great splash. Everyone had almost forgotten about him and kept praising him as the youngest top scholar in the provincial examination, and that he might even achieve the highest rank in the imperial examination.
Ye Jianshan learned about it from his fellow villagers in Qingyang.
When I told him, I felt a little sorry that he didn't go.
Ye Jianshan didn't care; the top scholar in the provincial examination and the top scholar in the imperial examination wouldn't have an advantage based on who participated in more literary and poetry gatherings.
On the Lantern Festival, before it got dark, the streetlights were already up, casting a bright red glow that illuminated their little alley.
Ye Jianshan went out to meet up with Tan Jingshan, Luo Shaohui, and the others. Ye Lei followed along, having learned from his previous experiences, he was extremely worried about Ye Jianshan going out alone.
"Brother Ye, over here."
"Brother Tan, Brother Luo, Brother Wang..."
Ye Jianshan greeted everyone one by one. Everyone liked him very much and always took care of him like a younger brother. After all, he was really young and had gone through so much trouble on his way to the capital for the imperial examination. Everyone knew this, so it was hard not to feel sorry for him.
"Uncle Lei, don't worry, we will definitely take good care of Brother Ye."
When they saw that Ye Lei was also there, they made another round of assurances.
Ye Lei: "You guys have fun, I'll just follow along and learn something new."
He couldn't possibly leave his nephew, fearing that something might happen if he made a mistake.
"Okay, everyone, just have fun today, participation is the most important thing."
The group hurried to the poetry gathering venue, and when they arrived, there were already many people there.
Just to be on the safe side, Ye Jianshan put on a mask. Last time, so many people reacted so strongly, there must be something special about his face, so it's better to keep it a little mysterious.
Seeing this, the others asked curiously, "What are you doing?"
Ye Jianshan coughed lightly: "I have a bit of a cough. Wear a mask to protect yourself from inhaling more cold air and worsening your condition."
Tan Jingshan said, "Health is important."
They didn't say anything else, but they were a little curious about Ye Jianshan's attire. They had never seen a mask like this before, one that could even be hung on the ears. The face coverings they had seen before were folded handkerchiefs tied behind the head, but Ye Jianshan's was much simpler.
One by one, they echoed Tan Jingshan's words: "The imperial examination is next month, so we still need to take care of our health."
"Yes, we'll be in the examination room for nine days straight, it'll be freezing. By the way, I wonder who the chief examiner will be this year?"
"Yes, there used to be news about it every year, but nobody's discussing it this year."
Ye Jianshan blinked curiously. The chief examiner was usually appointed by the emperor. He wondered who it would be this year.
"When did you arrive? How come you're so out of touch? The examiner was decided before the new year, didn't you know?"
A scholar standing nearby couldn't stand it any longer and couldn't help but speak up.
Ye Jianshan bowed and said, "I hope you can enlighten me, brother."
Seeing that Ye Jianshan was still young and dressed strangely, the man looked him over curiously before reluctantly speaking, "This year's examiner is the current Crown Prince."
His voice involuntarily lowered when he spoke of the Crown Prince.
Everyone suddenly realized why no one was discussing the examiner's preferences this year; it turned out to be the Crown Prince.
No one could find out the Crown Prince's preferences, so everyone gave up on trying to please him.
Ye Jianshan's brow twitched, and a bad premonition welled up in his heart.
Another one of the Crown Princes?
Perhaps his mother was right; he shouldn't have come to the capital. How come he can't escape the Crown Prince no matter where he goes?
What if the two of them meet in the exam room and he gets angry and kidnaps them?
It's all his fault for his father who died young, leaving him with such a mess even after he died.
Sigh, Ye Jianshan sighed once again, wishing he looked like his mother.
Seeing that Ye Jianshan's expression was not good, the scholar thought he was frightened and comforted him, "It's alright, don't worry. The Crown Prince is a very nice person. I just don't know which literary school he prefers."
It's really baffling.
Ye Jianshan forced a smile: "Yes, no wonder no one is discussing it."
So it turns out they were afraid.
Tan Jingshan and Luo Shaohui were also hearing about it for the first time, and thought it hadn't been decided yet. It turns out it was the Crown Prince.
Ye Jianshan seems to have some connection with the Crown Prince. Wasn't he the one who knelt down and called the Crown Prince at the literary gathering held by the Cui family last time?
It seems their chances of winning the title of "Six Top Scholars" in the provincial examination in Qingyang are slim.
Not only is it uncertain, Ye Jianshan's expression has changed; it's even doubtful whether he can finish the exam smoothly.
Several people in the know felt heavy-hearted.
The scholar thought he had said something wrong and hurriedly changed the subject: "Since all the officials have arrived, go and join in the fun. You might just gain some insight."
After he finished speaking, he left, glancing back at them before he left, as if afraid he might have said something wrong.
Ye Jianshan could barely laugh anymore, but he still said with a smile, "Let's go take a look too. What if we catch the eye of some esteemed person and get some pointers?"
Before they came, everyone else thought the same thing—what if they could get some guidance? But now that they know the examiner is the Crown Prince, their enthusiasm immediately waned. They figured they couldn't possibly get any guidance from the Crown Prince anyway, and who knows what kind of questions he would ask?
How unlucky they were to be selected for the imperial examination when the Crown Prince was the chief examiner.
"Okay, let's go take a look."
Ye Jianshan went with them, but he was too short to join in the fun. He told a few people and then took his third uncle to guess riddles on the side.
"Third Uncle, here you go, a rabbit lantern. This is the grand prize, the biggest rabbit lantern."
Ye Jianshan comforted his third uncle by giving him a lantern with a rabbit pattern on it.
Ye Lei's expression had been grim ever since he learned that the examiner was the Crown Prince; he even considered taking Da Shan back with him.
If they really encounter that prince, it's uncertain whether they can return to Qinghe County.
"Hey, young master, stop right there! Can I buy this lamp?"
Ye Jianshan heard a familiar voice without turning around. He closed his eyes and knew that he would run into that fat man as soon as he went out.
He raised his lips beneath his mask, his eyes turning cold; he had walked right into this mess himself.
Ye Jianshan calmly turned around, and Feng Xing and Yan Shengchu looked up and met a pair of cold eyes that were exactly the same as the Crown Prince's.
His legs immediately went weak, and he had to support himself to keep from kneeling.
"Madam...Prince?"
They were somewhat unsure whether the masked man in front of them was the real crown prince or a fake one.
Ye Jianshan raised his chin: "Let's talk somewhere else."
He's determined to get to the bottom of this today.
A note from the author:
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