On the way out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the Thirteenth Prince wanted to leave with Hongshi, but Hongshi deliberately lied: "Thirteenth Uncle, I still want to see the Empress Dowager, so..."
The Thirteenth Prince was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Alright, you've been busy with the exams these past few days, you should go and pay your respects to the Empress. Go ahead, I'll wait for you at the Imperial Academy..." After saying that, the Thirteenth Prince left alone in his carriage.
Hongshi waited until all three of them had left before turning around and heading towards another exit.
It turns out that he didn't intend to see the Empress; he just didn't want to go with his thirteenth uncle.
As he boarded his own carriage, which swayed and wobbled forward, Hongshi sat inside, deep in thought.
It turned out that Hongshi was distracted in the Hall of Mental Cultivation because of Argon, his cousin from the Irgen clan. He had originally planned to help Argon during the exam grading, to speak to the examiners below and get more points so he could secure an official position. However, the Fourth Prince had devised a solution to the cheating problem, thus thwarting Hongshi's plans.
Seeing Hongshi's troubled expression, Chen Er, Hongshi's personal eunuch, asked him a question. He had also seen Argon come looking for Hongshi at that moment.
Chen Er asked, "Did he ask the Prince for help regarding the scientific expedition?"
Hongshi smiled wryly: "The fact that they've come to me at this time means they've found out I'm in charge of the exams and want to take advantage of the situation to get an official position..."
Chen Er said, "Why should Your Highness cause yourself trouble? Just refuse him..."
Hongshi picked up the jade pendant given to him by the Irgen clan from his waist, recalling the details of Irgen's life, and said with self-reproach, "If it were anyone else, I, the Prince, would naturally not care, especially since Father Emperor values this imperial examination so much. But he is Irgen's cousin, I cannot refuse..."
Knowing that Hongshi deeply loved Lady Irgen, Chen Er comforted him, saying, "With such deep affection from the Prince, the spirit of the Princess Consort in heaven will surely be deeply moved..."
Hongshi looked up at the scene outside the carriage and whispered, "I'm sorry to her. If I can't even help her with this little thing, I'll really feel guilty... I need to find a way to help her cousin achieve his wish, as a way of making it up to her..."
The carriage stopped abruptly. Hongshi, still lost in thought, leaned forward and angrily asked, "What's going on?"
Chen Er quickly jogged forward to investigate and saw a carriage stopped at the corner, its wheels overturned. The servant stamped his foot and returned to report, "Reporting to Your Highness, there's a carriage blocking the way ahead..."
Hongshi, sitting in the car, said, "Go and see if you can tell them to move aside a bit?"
Chen Er glanced ahead and replied, "But, but the car in front is broken down..."
Hongshi was already angry and annoyed, and then he encountered such a nasty thing on the road, so he was naturally furious. He threw off the carriage curtain and was about to lash out when someone slowly stepped down from the carriage in front of him. Hongshi took a closer look and his anger subsided by half.
"Hongshi...it was you!"
Hongshi was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Eighth Uncle?"
Hongshi alighted from the carriage, quickly walked to Eighth Master, and bowed: "Hongshi greets Eighth Uncle. I was unaware that the carriage in front was Eighth Uncle's carriage. I apologize for any offense caused and hope that Eighth Uncle will not take offense..."
Eighth Prince smiled and helped Hongshi up, saying, "It's alright. I was the one who blocked your way and delayed your business. But..." Eighth Prince hesitated, glancing at the carriage behind him, and said apologetically, "My carriage is indeed broken down, and I really can't make way for you right now..."
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