After the list of successful candidates for the imperial examinations was released, the next step was the palace examination. The top three candidates from both the first and second lists had to go to the palace to meet the Fourth Prince. Qin Mo was the third-ranked candidate on the first list, so naturally he had to prepare to go to the palace.
Because of his impoverished family background, Qin Mo searched high and low but couldn't find a decent piece of clothing. Fortunately, the day before, the eunuch who was supposed to deliver the wedding gift found Qin Mo again and brought him a court robe bestowed by the imperial court, which solved Qin Mo's problem.
By the dim candlelight, Qin Mo examined the neatly arranged court robes, his heart filled with mixed emotions. All the hard work over the years had finally paid off. Thinking about seeing the Emperor tomorrow, he was so nervous that he couldn't close his eyes and finally managed to fall asleep in the middle of the night.
As for the other five, they didn't feel the same way. This was because none of them came from impoverished backgrounds.
Qin Mo felt a surge of emotion as he thought about finally having a place in the capital. He thought of his mentor and other things, and a secret excitement welled up inside him. Tomorrow he would see the Emperor; his ambitions would finally have a place to be realized.
Early the next morning, Qin Mo made preparations for the palace examination, boarded the carriage sent by the palace, and swayed and bumped his way to the palace.
Upon arriving at the palace gate, according to custom, the top three scholars (状元, 探花, and 榜眼) would dismount and pay homage on foot.
As soon as Qin Mo got out of the car, he saw a familiar figure. The person also saw Qin Mo and excitedly waved his arms to greet him.
Qin Mo greeted him with a smile. It turned out to be Lu Changkong, who had also passed the exam. However, judging from his attire, Lu Changkong was only the second-ranked candidate on the second-tier list, several places behind Qin Mo.
Lu Changkong also noticed the difference between the two, scratching his head and laughing, "Brother Qin, you are indeed more capable. I admire you..."
Qin Mo was worried that Lu Changkong might feel awkward, since they had competed at Qingsong Academy and there was a significant difference in their rankings. However, Lu Changkong seemed quite magnanimous and unaffected by the rankings, so Qin Mo felt relieved and chatted with him for a few moments.
All six people had arrived, and then a eunuch from the palace led them to the Qianqing Hall. Qin Mo and Lu Changkong dared not say anything more and followed the group carefully, adhering to the rules.
The solemn and imposing atmosphere of the palace made Qin Mo feel tense and oppressed. He had originally wanted to take this opportunity to see the Forbidden City properly, but now that he was actually there, he didn't even dare to lift his head.
The Fourth Prince sat high on the dragon throne. The six men bowed to him in turn according to the court's rules. The master of ceremonies introduced the six men one by one. The Fourth Prince listened quietly, nodding slightly now and then, but he did not express any opinion. He was expressionless but secretly observing the six men.
The more this happened, the more nervous the six of them became. The only sounds in the entire hall were their heartbeats and breathing; they dared not move.
Perhaps sensing the tense atmosphere, the Fourth Prince stood up with a smile and said, "You are all outstanding candidates in this imperial examination. I have personally reviewed each of your essays, and they truly make me very pleased. It is the pride and blessing of the Qing Dynasty to have such talented scholars as you..."
Upon hearing this, the six men knelt down in excitement and bowed deeply in gratitude, saying, "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty..."
Fourth Master waved his hand, signaling all six of them to stand up, and the atmosphere eased a little.
Fourth Master looked at the list, stared at the people below, and asked, "Wang Siyuan, the top scholar of the first-ranked list..."
One man quickly stepped forward from the ranks, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed: "My name is Wang Siyuan, please enlighten me, Your Majesty..."
Fourth Master smiled and nodded: "Your essay is very well written; all the examiners praised it highly..."
Wang Siyuan was overjoyed and bowed deeply in gratitude.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com