Chapter 7 The day of the imperial examination
Yan Shengchu and Feng Xingzhen almost cried.
Why am I running into this person again?
They still don't know who this person is; he's very mysterious.
The two had been waiting in front of the stall for ages, wanting the biggest rabbit lantern, but they couldn't solve the riddle. They offered to buy it from the owner, but he wouldn't sell it. After waiting for a while, they discovered that someone had already solved the riddle and taken it. They immediately wanted to go up and discuss it with him, but then they ran into that fake prince again.
Who exactly is this person?
They always appear out of nowhere, suddenly popping up from some corner to give you a fright.
And what's on that face?
Covering the lower half of her face, her eyebrows and eyes look even more like the prince's, which makes her even scarier, doesn't it?
Yan Shengchu and Feng Xing helped each other to a private room in a nearby restaurant.
"sit."
Ye Jianshan led Ye Lei to sit down first, then took off his mask and pointed to the opposite side.
Feng Xing and Yan Shengchu were startled again when they saw his whole face.
Feng Xing is alright; he's been through so much trauma that he's become immune to it all, and he seems quite calm.
Yan Shengchu was no good. This was only the second time he had seen Ye Jianshan, and the whole table was trembling as soon as he sat down.
Ye Jianshan raised an eyebrow: "Is this gentleman a little cold?"
Yan Shengchu suddenly took a step back and knelt on the ground: "No matter who you are, I was wrong. I shouldn't have said that about you last time. Please don't tell on me."
Regardless of whose child this person is, they are definitely related to the royal family.
Because this face not only resembles the Crown Prince, but it also resembles the Emperor!
She vaguely resembles the Empress.
Help! They're in deep trouble!
I regret it. I should have known better than to come along. It would have been so much better to just pretend nothing happened.
What if this is a young prince brought back by a prince returning to the capital to report on his duties?
Ye Jianshan remained silent, but Feng Xing and Yan Shengchu had already guessed his identity dozens of times in their hearts. In any case, they couldn't afford to offend him no matter what his identity was.
Seeing their reaction, Ye Jianshan immediately tried to intimidate them. It seemed his face was truly extraordinary; he had frightened them so much before even speaking. With a stern expression, he said, "Do you know me? Why do you call me 'Crown Prince' when you see me? You have embarrassed me in public time and time again."
Feng Xing knew he was being referred to, and felt truly wronged: "I'm not trying to embarrass you, it's just that your face is too striking... yes, striking... it's so similar..."
Especially when they're angry now, it's exactly the same.
Yan Shengchu could only agree, saying, "Yes, yes, yes."
Ye Jianshan frowned and touched his face: "Really? My mother has always said that I'm ugly and don't look like her, but you guys think I'm outstanding. Could it be that I'm actually a handsome and extraordinary person, and my mother was lying to me all along? No, my mother couldn't have lied to me, so you're the ones lying. Who does my face look like? How can you say such lies?"
Ye Jianshan slammed his hand on the table, startling the two of them.
Ye Jianshan couldn't help but chuckle mischievously, finding it rather amusing, like a cat teasing a mouse.
He had always been the one to flee in a sorry state before, but now he was determined to get his revenge.
Ye Jianshan deliberately slapped him again: "Quickly tell me! Who do I look like, given how ugly I am?"
Feng Xing and Yan Shengchu were both dumbfounded. They were really unlucky to have come out tonight to join in the fun of guessing lantern riddles.
If someone says they're ugly, are you really going to tell them they look like the Crown Prince? If that gets back to the Crown Prince, both of them will be doomed.
Moreover, this person's thought process is unusual. Who would consider themselves ugly? His Highness the Crown Prince is not ugly either.
He did it on purpose, wasn't he? He's trying to trap them. Now, saying they resemble anyone will offend them.
He certainly has the confidence to say that the Crown Prince is ugly.
Seeing that they didn't speak, Ye Jianshan sighed: "Look at you, you asked but won't answer. Next time you see me, don't bow so much. I'm only sixteen, younger than you all."
Ye Jianshan took a sip of tea, and after threatening the people, he prepared to leave.
Seeing that he was about to leave, Feng Xing mustered up his courage and asked, "Could you tell us your name and background so that we can introduce you to others next time we meet?"
Ye Jianshan flicked his clothes: "I have nothing to say. None of you have told me who I look like, and you still want me to tell you my name? Well then, I'll just say it simply: an ordinary scholar."
After saying that, Ye Jianshan put on a mask and led Ye Lei away.
After they went outside, Ye Jianshan's face turned cold: "Third Uncle, I guessed correctly before. I may look like someone in the royal family, and that person is still alive. It may be the Crown Prince."
Ye Jianshan was, after all, a reincarnation, so it's not unusual for him to look like someone else. He has a very common face and looks like many people. It was only because he bumped into a big shot this time that things got so complicated and he couldn't calm down.
After learning that they weren't enemies, Ye Jianshan felt a huge weight lifted from his heart.
Ye Lei felt much more relaxed: "As long as we haven't made any enemies, that's fine. We came to the capital to participate in the imperial examinations, so as long as it doesn't affect your exams in a month, that's good."
Ye Jianshan shared the same idea.
Since he has such an outstanding face, he should stay put and study for the exam during this time. He shouldn't go out and wander around, lest he be caught and retaliated against by an enemy who looks like him.
That was truly an undeserved disaster.
It took Feng Xing and Ye Jianshan a while to recover after Ye Jianshan left. Regardless of Ye Jianshan's identity, they decided to pretend nothing had happened since they couldn't talk about what had happened today.
Feng Xing was so frightened that he stayed at home obediently for several days. In the end, he was kicked out by Minister Feng. He stayed at home every day and did not do any important work. I have never seen such a lazy person.
Feng Xing was truly aggrieved; he now had a phobia of going out.
Yan Shengchu was so frightened that he stayed home and obediently prepared for the imperial examination. His father was very surprised, thinking that he had really changed his ways and could sit still.
Yan Shengchu encountered the boy who looked like the Crown Prince twice when he went out. He was really worried that he would actually run into the Crown Prince next time, so he simply stayed at home to prepare for the exam.
He wouldn't leave the house until the day of the imperial examination; he refused to believe he was so unlucky.
Ye Jianshan also diligently prepared for the exam in the rented courtyard for a month, and finally the day of the imperial examination arrived.
He left home early that day and headed to the entrance of the examination hall.
The area they rented was occupied by candidates taking the imperial examinations in the spring. They encountered many of their companions on the way, each carrying a basket and looking somber.
These past few days have been unseasonably cold, so cold that I'm afraid I won't be able to stay indoors and will have to be carried out.
Ye Jianshan had taken the exam several times, and each time his mother had prepared everything thoroughly, ensuring he never suffered from the cold. This time, everything he brought to the examination hall was also prepared by his mother; he had brought it directly from Qingyang.
The food was prepared by a cook that Ye Lei specially hired, since one of them couldn't cook and the other didn't have time to cook.
The cook was experienced and knew what to make to bring to the examination hall, saving Ye Jianshan a worry.
If the food isn't prepared properly, he'll be doomed for the next nine days.
Ye Lei helped his nephew carry the exam basket, looking even more nervous than Ye Jianshan, who was about to go in: "Dashan, don't be nervous. You're still young. If you don't pass this time, you can try again next time."
Ye Jianshan was both amused and exasperated: "Third Uncle, this time there's already so much trouble. Come again next time, I'll just win the provincial championship and then run away next time."
"That's good, that's good. Now that you've stood up for yourself, those people won't dare to touch you."
Ye Lei wiped his eyes, feeling aggrieved as he thought about what his nephew had been through in the past few months.
When they arrived outside the examination hall, soldiers were already guarding it. Ye Jianshan took the examination basket and hugged his third uncle: "Third uncle, it's cold outside. If you're waiting for me, go sit in the teahouse. Don't be stingy with the money. If I get sick after I come out, you'll have to take care of me. You absolutely can't fall ill."
As expected, after hearing Ye Jianshan's words, Ye Lei abandoned his ulterior motives and repeatedly assured him, "Don't worry, Dashan, Third Uncle will take good care of himself. You should rest in there..."
Then came another round of words of advice.
As the uncle and nephew were saying their goodbyes, a luxurious carriage stopped beside them.
"Alright, Mother, you should go back now. Your son will work hard to pass the imperial examination."
Yan Shengchu got off the carriage looking annoyed. He had been studying for a month straight and now felt like throwing up whenever he saw a book. On the way here, his mother kept holding his hand and telling him to work hard so he could pass the exam and make her proud. It was nauseating to hear that so early in the morning.
He knows his own abilities; he only became a successful candidate in the imperial examination by luck, coming in last place.
Unless he gets lucky again this time and manages to get another one, he'll just have to wait for the next exam.
Madam Yan anxiously lifted the carriage curtain: "Go inside and take good care of yourself. I've sent people to watch over you outside and wait for you to come out."
Yan Shengchu waved his hand impatiently, turned around and faced the Ye family uncle and nephew. When he saw Ye Jianshan's face, he almost cried.
"You didn't come all this way to get revenge on me, did you?"
What does this mean? Everyone's trying to mess with his mentality!
Ye Jianshan looked at him as if he were an idiot: "You're too narcissistic."
After saying that, he slung his exam basket over his shoulder, told Ye Lei, and headed towards the gate of the examination hall, where many people were already queuing.
Yan Shengchu stood there dumbfounded. Wait, what was he going to do with the exam basket?
Wait, he's also a test taker?
Yan Shengchu was bewildered and asked Ye Lei with grief and indignation, "Who exactly are you people?"
Why are members of the royal family taking the exam? Is it really necessary to make it so difficult?
Ye Lei ignored him, his attention was all on his nephew: "Make sure you keep warm, don't get cold."
Ye Jianshan waved from afar.
Yan Shengchu ignored Ye Lei, snatched the examination basket from the servant's hand, and rushed straight towards Ye Jianshan: "Don't go, wait for me."
Both of them were test takers, and Yan Shengchu became bolder.
Ye Jianshan saw Yan Shengchu panting as he caught up, but he wasn't afraid of him. The examination hall was heavily guarded, and he didn't believe Yan Shengchu would dare to touch him.
Yan Shengchu was itching to know Ye Jianshan's identity, and he asked eagerly, "Why are you here to take the exam? Are you a scholar?"
The man behind Ye Jianshan said in surprise, "Why can't he take the exam? He's not only a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination), but also the Jieyuan (the top scholar in the provincial examination) of Qingyang."
It turned out that Luo Shaohui and Tan Jingshan were in front of Ye Jianshan in line. They had just happened to see Ye Jianshan queuing up here and rushed over. Before they could even greet him, they heard Yan Shengchu's question and immediately defended Ye Jianshan.
Yan Shengchu was completely confused: "You're not only a Juren (successful candidate in the provincial examination) but also a Jieyuan (top scholar in the provincial examination), and you're only sixteen years old this year?"
And she even looks like the Crown Prince?
Where on earth did this monster come from? Is it trying to kill us all?
But wait, why is it the top scholar from Qingyang?
A note from the author:
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