Chapter 43 The Crown Prince
Lucky Star?
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone knew what the emperor was about to do.
They're all old foxes; you can tell what they're going to say the moment they open their mouths.
This is an attempt to build momentum for Ye Jianshan.
The title of "lucky star" isn't something one can just casually utter, but for the royal family, Ye Jianshan truly is a little lucky star.
This person was practically a literary genius descended to earth for the Great Jin Dynasty; who would have thought he would actually achieve the top scholar rank of six out of ten?
Most importantly, he's only sixteen.
It seems that a legendary emperor is about to emerge from the Great Jin Dynasty.
If Ye Jianshan were to return to the palace, their lives would likely become much more difficult.
They can't compete with him in terms of intelligence. He only went to the palace to participate in the imperial examination, and look how angry he made the Grand Secretary Cui and his grandson.
Cui Jianbing is the most obvious example. Although he is in good spirits, he looks like he has been seriously ill. As for how he got sick, don't ask. His condition is definitely the same as that of Chief Minister Cui.
In just a few days, Prime Minister Choi has aged several years; his hair has turned much whiter, and he looks much older.
This means they've completely lost their will to live.
One can see Ye Jianshan's good fortune for the royal family from Chief Minister Cui.
Ye Jianshan saved the Emperor and the Crown Prince so much trouble.
The previous troubles were all because there was no heir, but now there is, and he is so outstanding.
Didn't you see how happy the Emperor was that he couldn't even see his eyes? His mouth has been crooked from smiling so much lately.
It's really hard to know what to say.
To talk about Little Lucky Star right in front of so many people, aren't you afraid of putting too much blame on him and diminishing your good fortune?
Okay, they're just being sour.
Ye Jianshan is blessed no matter which family he visits.
Upon hearing the words "Little Lucky Star," Ye Jianshan raised an eyebrow, cupped his hands in a humble manner, and said, "I am unworthy of such praise, Your Majesty."
"No need to thank me, this is what you deserve, isn't it, Your Highness?"
The Emperor didn't forget to mention the Crown Prince, asking him to say a few words.
The Crown Prince couldn't hold back any longer. As soon as the Emperor mentioned him, he began to lavish praise for a quarter of an hour: "...In short, as the chief examiner of the imperial examination, it is truly my good fortune that the Great Jin has produced a candidate who achieved the highest score in the six examinations."
Everyone was dumbfounded. They thought the Emperor was already shameless enough for saying the word "lucky star," but the Crown Prince was even more shameless, praising him for a quarter of an hour without repeating himself.
They must have been overjoyed to find out that Ye Jianshan was their son.
But the audience didn't find it boring at all, because they could look at those two pictures for a whole day and night without getting tired of them; they just wanted to find the differences.
But looking at them, they were all the same except for their age.
The prince looks even more like Ye Jianshan when he smiles.
Ye Jianshan's young age and cheerful smile were quite endearing. It was thought that this expression would look strange on the Crown Prince's face, since the Crown Prince always had a deadpan expression. It was unclear who had offended him.
Who would have thought that he couldn't stop laughing when he was praising someone?
Even the Crown Prince wanted to laugh out loud. Who could be as lucky as him? Ye Jianshan was his son.
He was overjoyed; this fifteen-minute praise was already the result of his restraint.
There's more to come.
Ye Jianshan was getting tired of listening to him. He glared at the Crown Prince, telling him to tone it down, as his words were becoming increasingly outrageous.
The prince was amused by Ye Jianshan's flustered state and couldn't help but reach out and pat his head.
Ye Jianshan: ?
This is still in the main hall, why are they starting to get handsy right away?
"His Highness the Crown Prince is no longer going to act," the others thought to themselves.
It's no wonder His Highness the Crown Prince couldn't resist. If this were their son, they would proudly puff out their chests and give Ye Jianshan a few big kisses.
They are truly remarkable.
Seeing that the Emperor and the Crown Prince were really happy, Ye Jianshan couldn't bear to spoil their mood, so he lowered his head to let the Crown Prince touch him more comfortably, but the Emperor couldn't stand it.
What's going on? He had just praised the prince a few times, and after hearing so much from him, he regretted it. But he was pleased to hear it and didn't interrupt. What did the prince mean by taking action now?
He didn't even touch it.
With so many people watching, the Crown Prince suddenly got excited, touched it once, and then stopped: "I really hit it off with Scholar Ye at first sight, and I couldn't help myself."
The prince explained.
Everyone was speechless. What does it mean to hit it off immediately? These two meeting was like looking in a mirror.
The prince's acting is really good; he has the nerve to say that.
Ye Jianshan felt embarrassed. It seemed he still had a lot to learn from his grandfather and the Crown Prince. So Ye Jianshan cupped his hands and said, "I have learned a lot. Thank you, Your Highness and the Emperor."
The Crown Prince and the Emperor exchanged a glance, both somewhat puzzled. What had they learned?
The Emperor and the Crown Prince were unaware of this, but the process continued.
After Ye Jianshan, the Emperor also casually praised the second and third place scholars.
Ye Jianshan did not know either of these two people.
After most of the day had passed, the process finally ended, and they were going to change clothes and then ride out of the palace to parade through the streets.
Ye Jianshan changed into a red scholar's robe and a scholar's hat, looking as cheerful as a groom.
The Crown Prince was moved to tears by this scene, feeling genuinely proud of Ye Jianshan, who was his child.
Ye Jianshan led the people who had changed their clothes back to the main hall, thinking that the emperor would say a few words and then it would be over.
Unexpectedly, a eunuch stepped forward, flicking his whisk: "Scholar Ye Jianshan, please wait a moment."
Ye Jianshan's heart skipped a beat. What did this mean?
The Emperor stood up and sighed, "I can't hide it any longer. As everyone knows, this Scholar Ye is clearly a child of our Chen family. He looks just like his father, Chen Jian. And today, on the occasion of his passing the imperial examination with top honors, I want to add to the joy."
Everyone was taken aback when he said this. Was he planning to acknowledge it back?
The Crown Prince also stepped forward and said, "This is a mistake I made sixteen years ago, and I have been reflecting on it ever since. I wonder if the top scholar can give me a chance?"
The Crown Prince ultimately gave the choice to the Crown Prince.
The Emperor continued, "As long as Shan'er is willing to acknowledge the Chen family, I will take this opportunity to make you the Crown Prince today."
Ye Jianshan thought the Emperor and the Crown Prince would wait two more days, but he didn't expect them to be so impatient.
It's not impossible to take it back.
He originally intended to acknowledge her back.
Now is also a good time. He just won the top score in the imperial examination, and he won't stand up for himself even if someone objects.
Everyone was staring at Ye Jianshan. Ye Yu clenched his fists, determined to get his consent.
Chief Minister Cui clutched his chest, realizing that the situation was truly hopeless this time.
The Emperor is truly heartless.
I knew he was in a hurry, but I didn't expect him to be in such a hurry.
This leaves absolutely no room for compromise.
The decision was made immediately.
Ye Jianshan wouldn't hesitate; it was bound to happen sooner or later, and the sooner it was settled, the more at ease he would be.
He stepped forward, knelt down, and performed a deep bow: "Your subject is willing."
The crown prince was originally his father.
His mother said that if he was told to admit it, he would definitely admit it.
The prince was both happy and unhappy. He was happy that Ye Jianshan had decided to acknowledge him, but he still didn't call him "father."
The Emperor happily descended from the platform again and helped him up: "Good child, you have suffered so much all these years. It is the Crown Prince who has wronged you and the Crown Princess."
Ye Jianshan lowered his head and remained silent, tacitly agreeing.
The ministers were also stunned. Ye Jianshan was ruthless; he didn't give the Crown Prince any face at all.
The crown prince was honest and admitted it immediately: "It was my fault. I'm sorry to you and your mother."
The crown prince admitted his mistake again.
No one expected things to develop this way. The Crown Prince even took the initiative to admit his mistake, and did so in front of them. He really didn't care about his own reputation at all.
The Crown Prince's deliberate show of weakness made everyone think more highly of Ye Jianshan.
It seems that no one can underestimate the Crown Prince anymore; even the Crown Prince is backing him up.
Ye Jianshan naturally understood the reason why the Crown Prince did this, and said with a smile, "Father, I grew up in the countryside. If I make a mistake in the future, I will need your help to guide me."
Ye Jianshan called out the name openly, and the Crown Prince trembled upon hearing it. Ye Jianshan had called him "father."
He's calling him "Dad" now, isn't he?
This kid is just...I don't know what to say.
He may be clever, but in the Crown Prince's heart, he's just his child.
The children I missed all these years.
The family was incredibly warm and loving.
The Emperor said happily, "I hereby issue a decree to immediately appoint the top scholar Ye Jianshan as the Imperial Grandson!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the eunuch beside him deftly handed over the imperial edict and began to read it aloud.
The onlookers were completely stunned; there was no sense of them being bystanders, it was all about this family of three.
Only after Ye Jianshan received the imperial decree did they kneel down to pay their respects to His Highness the Crown Prince.
I was still a little dazed when I woke up. The Crown Prince was still alive, and now there was already a Crown Prince?
Isn't something a little off?
The imperial decree from the Crown Prince seemed to be just an interlude. The newly appointed scholars stood there in a daze, and before they knew it, Ye Jianshan had become the top scholar and the Crown Prince.
Their top scholar this year was the Crown Prince, and he was also the sixth-ranked scholar in the imperial examinations. It would be difficult for Ye Jianshan not to become famous.
Ye Jianshan was going to be paraded through the streets later, so he handed the imperial edict over to Eunuch Wang for safekeeping.
I originally intended to hand it over directly to the Crown Prince and the Emperor, but that would be a bit inappropriate.
Before setting off, Ye Jianshan boldly hugged the Emperor and the Crown Prince: "Grandpa, Father, I'm going to parade through the streets first."
The Emperor patted his head: "Alright, go quickly, I'll be waiting for you to return to the palace."
The Crown Prince wanted to join in the fun, but he knew that their two faces would steal the spotlight if they appeared in the same scene, so he said from the side, "Be careful. You haven't ridden a horse many times and you're not very skilled yet. Just follow what your father taught you and take it slowly."
Ye Jianshan nodded: "I understand, Grandpa. I'm off, Dad."
Ye Jianshan waved and walked away with great flair.
The conversation between this family of three left everyone stunned.
What does this mean exactly?
Why do you call him "Grandpa" and "Dad" so naturally?
The newly appointed scholars were all silent; after Ye Jianshan joined the group, they didn't dare to say a word.
The identities of the top scholar and the imperial grandson are still different.
The top scholar in the imperial examination could still be treated as a fellow examinee, and they could get together and chat. But the crown prince was their leader, representing imperial power.
This is different.
The private rooms that the parade passed by were already packed to the brim.
Everyone came to see the spectacle just because Ye Jianshan had a face that resembled the Crown Prince's.
Jiang Chan searched through the crowd for a while before asking, "Where is the Second Miss?"
As for Jiang Song, she searched for a long time but couldn't find her.
The maid said, "Second Miss took Xiao Lü to sit across the room. I heard the Crown Princess is also there."
Jiang Chan suddenly stood up: "Madam Ye is here too?"
This scene startled the others in the private room, who immediately asked with concern, "Who is this Madam Ye?"
Jiang Chan then realized that she had lost her composure, and she explained, "I remembered it wrong, I'm sorry."
Madam Jiang arrived just in time to witness this scene, her brows furrowed: "What kind of behavior is this, making such a racket?"
There were also women from the Cui family sitting inside, but they were all aloof and didn't like to talk to Jiang Chan, which made Madam Jiang very dissatisfied with the Cui family.
Is there any intention to arrange a marriage? If so, why does Cui's daughter act so superior that Jiang Chan is not worthy of her? It's really annoying to watch.
Jiang Chan pulled her mother aside and asked in a low voice, "Mother, what exactly happened?"
Why isn't Jiang Song coming...?
She had everything planned out, but the person in question isn't showing up. How will she make a fool of herself now?
Madam Jiang could tell at a glance that she was about to cause trouble, and warned her, "She went to accompany the Crown Princess. In the future, she may also become a prince's consort. Be careful, we can't afford to offend her now."
Jiang Chan felt a lump in his throat upon hearing this: "What do you mean? What gives Jiang Chan the right?"
Madam Jiang sighed, "You should settle things with Young Master Cui as soon as possible, or you'll be the one who loses face later."
Although it's embarrassing now, it would probably be even more embarrassing if Jiang Chan hadn't married Cui Jianbing.
"What does Ye Jianshan actually look like?"
Jiang Chan felt that no one was better looking than Cui Jianbing. Even if his status was inferior, his looks were still comparable.
"You'll find out soon enough. Just listen to your mother and behave yourself today."
Madam Jiang really didn't want anything to happen; she wanted to make a good impression on the Crown Princess today.
Jiang Chan was annoyed and reluctantly said, "I know, Mother, please stop talking."
Is it not enough that she's honest?
Jiang Chan had been looking forward to going out today, but this whole thing turned out to be a disaster, and he felt like he'd swallowed a fly, his heart heavy with unease.
Across from them, Ye Yun and her family were sitting in the room, with Jiang Song sitting next to Ye's mother, talking to her.
As we were chatting, we noticed that things were getting lively outside.
"The newly appointed scholars have left the palace and will be here soon."
The crowd began to stir, all eager to catch a glimpse of the top scholar, Ye Jianshan.
Ye Jianshan, riding a tall horse, was led slowly through the streets by palace servants.
They were surrounded by onlookers not long after leaving the palace gates.
He always had a smile on his face and was full of vigor.
No one present was more prominent than him.
Everyone finally saw Ye Jianshan's true face.
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Author's Note: I've been incredibly busy this week, I'm going to be going to my little black room (a euphemism for being confined to my study area) now. I'll try my best to update next week! [Please][Please]
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