"Why……"
A long and meaningful sigh echoed in the hall.
The emperor shook his head, slowly turned around, and walked steadily back to the dragon throne, his slightly lowered eyes seemingly filled with endless thoughts.
Upon seeing this, the court officials exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with confusion and incomprehension. Whispers quietly spread throughout the court, but no one dared to ask the emperor why he had such an enigmatic expression.
This unusual atmosphere eventually aroused the curiosity of several bold invigilators. They exchanged a cautious glance and then sent a representative to walk in the direction of the candidates.
The proctor walked with a slightly hurried pace. He came up behind Gu Zhixing first, and his gaze fell on Gu Zhixing's answer sheet seemingly casually. The dense yet neat and clear handwriting was like a series of thunderclaps, which exploded in his mind, making him widen his eyes instantly, and his face was full of shock.
But having been in officialdom for a long time, he quickly suppressed his inner turmoil and tried to calm his expression. Then, he unconsciously shook his head and looked at the other candidates' papers with complicated emotions. But as he looked at them again, he felt even more conflicted.
With the first invigilator taking the lead, a second, a third... followed closely behind.
The officials standing in the court could hardly contain their curiosity and shock, and they all went down to check the candidates' answer sheets.
They moved among the candidates, some frowning in thought, others shaking their heads and sighing. Their expressions, whether joyful or sorrowful, added to the already tense atmosphere of the palace examination.
Gu Zhixing seemed detached from the situation, completely unaware of the strange looks and actions around him, and continued to focus intently on his answer sheet.
In contrast, the other test takers were in a very difficult situation.
The palace examination was already tense, with pressure weighing heavily on their shoulders. Now, with so many examiners walking around them, the tension surged like a tidal wave. Many candidates' hands were trembling slightly, and they could barely hold their pens.
Several candidates even had beads of sweat on their foreheads, their eyes filled with panic and unease. Their originally smooth thoughts were disrupted by this sudden interference, and their once clear handwriting became crooked and messy.
Time slipped by quietly amidst tension and repression. After an unknown amount of time, while everyone was still immersed in their own emotional turmoil, a clear and firm announcement suddenly rang out in the hall: "Your subject submits his examination papers."
The sound was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, instantly shattering the silence in the hall and causing an uproar.
All eyes instantly focused on Gu Zhixing, a complex mix of shock, doubt, envy, and jealousy creating an eerie atmosphere throughout the hall.
It was only past noon, and there was still a long time before the end of the palace examination, yet some people handed in their papers early?
You should know that the palace examination lasts a whole day, and no one has ever been able to finish their exam in just two hours!
All the examiners looked at Gu Zhixing in shock. They knew that this prince was always unruly and had witnessed his literary talent today. But was it really okay for him to be so confident?
They were filled with doubt, yet dared not easily voice their questions.
The other candidates were on the verge of collapse watching Gu Zhixing's actions.
They were already very nervous, and now seeing Gu Zhixing so calm, their emotions surged out like a flood.
Some people silently wondered to themselves, "Is this even human?"
Some people were indignant: "How come he's not nervous at all? This is the imperial examination! The emperor is sitting up there!"
While everyone was still reeling from the shock and chaos, the emperor suddenly raised his hand. Though the movement was light, it carried an undeniable authority. He said in a deep voice, "Give it to me."
The eunuch standing by instantly realized what was happening, trotted over to Gu Zhixing, respectfully took the answer sheet, and then carefully had someone take Gu Zhixing out of the hall to prevent him from staying and affecting the other candidates' answers.
After dealing with Gu Zhixing's matter, the eunuch in charge of writing was about to present the answer sheet to the emperor when the emperor snatched it away.
Those hands, weathered by countless years, trembled slightly at that moment.
The paper rustled as it was turned, a sound that seemed amplified infinitely in the silent hall.
"Excellent! What a brilliant 'to clear the silt, one must first clean up the officials' approach!"
The emperor's voice suddenly rang out, and he slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly.
This single strike struck the entire court as if struck by lightning.
They looked up in alarm at the emperor on the dragon throne.
How can you just read it out directly?
Fortunately, the candidates below were all engrossed in answering their questions, focusing intently on their exam papers, and did not notice the earth-shattering commotion happening on the dragon throne.
The brushes in their hands continued to scratch on the paper, their focused expressions seemingly shutting out the rest of the world, leaving only their own dialogue with the exam paper.
It was fortunate that they were far away and couldn't hear what was happening here; otherwise, if the emperor himself had leaked the questions, the rules of the imperial examination would have been completely thrown into chaos.
Fortunately, the emperor was only briefly agitated. He took a deep breath, tried to calm himself down, and quickly regained control of his emotions, saying nothing more.
He simply waved his hand, instructing the eunuch in charge of writing to hand Gu Zhixing's answer sheet to the chief examiner. The movement was light, yet it carried an unquestionable air of authority.
He himself seemed to have all his energy drained away at that moment. The strength he had been holding on to vanished without a trace, leaving him feeling utterly exhausted. It was as if the brief excitement he had just experienced had drained all his energy.
He turned around and left the main hall with unsteady steps.
The other candidates breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the emperor leave, their tense nerves instantly relaxing.
They smiled at each other, their eyes filled with relief and reassurance.
The emperor's presence here created an immense, invisible pressure, as if a mountain were pressing down on their hearts, making it difficult for them to even breathe.
Now that the emperor is gone, the oppressive atmosphere dissipated instantly, and they were able to concentrate on answering the questions again, feeling more at ease and confident.
After the emperor stepped out of the main hall, he slowed his pace slightly. He stood on the long corridor outside the hall, squinted slightly, and looked at the distant sky, a deep light flashing in his eyes.
A moment later, he whispered to the eunuch serving beside him, "Someone come here."
Although the voice was low, it carried an undeniable authority, and the personal eunuch immediately stepped forward, bowing to receive the order.
"Go and find out what Gu Zhixing has been doing and who he has been in contact with these days."
The emperor's voice carried a hint of inquiry and doubt. He frowned slightly, as if he was thinking about something.
Gu Zhixing's performance was too astonishing and too abnormal. He wanted to see what kind of stimulus this kid had received and how he suddenly became enlightened. Was it because someone secretly guided him, or did he really have such amazing talent?
The eunuch accepted the order and left, his figure quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor, leaving the emperor standing alone, gazing into the distance with a deep look in his eyes.
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