It turns out Zhao Huan's question was merely a test; stopping war is the true way to govern a country. Du Yuntai might be pedantic, but his grasp of the current situation impressed Zhao Huan. Zhao Huan had already claimed the top spot when they first arrived in Beijing, and even then, he'd recognized his talent.
Knowing and employing talented individuals can also usher in a prosperous era. Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty was exceptional in this regard during his early years, but this declined in his later years, when he began to favor treacherous individuals. To prevent a repeat of history, Zhao Huan, fully aware of the importance of selecting talented individuals, took strong action against this imperial examination fraud case.
Zhao Huan pondered for a long time and personally selected Du Yuntai as the top scholar, Tian Caiying as the second, and Shi Gaojie as the third.
The streets were filled with people watching the excitement, and everyone was curious about who this top scholar was.
Du Yuntai was really in the limelight. He rode his horse and greeted everyone with a fist. When he arrived at a street, he stopped his horse.
At Chang Erdan's bun shop, Du Yuntai, wearing the red robe of the number one scholar, walked into the bun shop. Chang Erdan looked at Du Yuntai, the number one scholar, and was so surprised that his mouth couldn't close.
Du Yuntai bowed deeply and said, "Brother Chang, thank you for the food!"
Chang Erdan wiped his hands on his body in a panic and quickly helped him up: "Oh, Mr. Zhuangyuan, you can't do this. Now that you are the God of Literature who has come down to earth, how dare you perform such a great ceremony? I should kowtow to you." As he said this, he was about to kneel down.
Du Yuntai quickly supported him and waved his hand. A servant had already brought over a tray covered with silk.
Du Yuntai took the tray and uncovered the silk, revealing a tray of shiny silver.
The crowd erupted in an uproar, whispering to each other. Chang Erdan was truly blessed; he'd given the poor scholar two buns, never expecting to receive a tray of silver in return. He figured he'd have to do more good deeds in the future; perhaps he'd receive such a generous reward someday.
This money was donated by Qian Laiye and Li Shishi from the Gaosheng Inn. Chang Erdan was so frightened that he shook his hands and asked, "What is this, Mr. Zhuangyuan?"
Du Yuntai sent some silver: "Brother Chang, there is no need to refuse. You must accept this silver. Consider it a token of my gratitude."
The people around him followed suit and cheered, "Take it. The number one scholar will never need this little money from you again."
"That's right. Only if you accept the silver will the champion feel better. If you are asked to take it, then take it."
Chang Erdan was about to refuse, but Du Yuntai insisted on giving it to him, so Chang Erdan had no choice but to accept it.
After bidding farewell to Chang Erdan’s bun shop, Du Yuntai came to the door of Zuixinglou again.
This time it was even more lively. No one thought about the top scholar visiting a brothel. People only thought about the talented man and beautiful woman, the perfect couple.
The story of a beautiful woman and a talented man has always been a good one, and people are more willing to believe that a top scholar in high school would not despise a prostitute of humble origin.
Li Shishi had long since redeemed herself from Zuixinglou, but she had only ever lived there. Soon, the story of the reigning number one scholar and Li Shishi's love affair spread. Storytellers in teahouses and taverns would often use this story as a joke, captivating the audience.
How could the madam dare to neglect the number one scholar in person when he came? She hurried out to greet him.
Du Yuntai walked straight to Li Shishi's boudoir on the third floor, followed by a large group of onlookers. The madam was well acquainted with such romantic affairs, so she stopped them at the door and allowed Du Yuntai to enter Li Shishi's room alone.
As for what Du Yuntai said in Li Shishi's room, there were many rumors. Some said they were tenderly expressing their feelings, while others said they were intimate under the moonlight. This became a hot topic among the people after dinner.
Anyway, Du Yuntai stayed in there for a full hour. As for what the two of them talked about in the room, no one knew. Anyway, when Du Yuntai came out, he was the only one there. Li Shishi had not appeared in her room the whole time.
Zhao Huan met Du Yuntai in the main hall and appointed him as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. The imperial examination came to an end for the time being. As for Du Yuntai and Li Shishi getting married, that is a story for another time.
The drought in Haizhou continued, leaving Langya County barren for thousands of miles. Zhao Huan prepared to embark on another incognito tour, intending to visit Haizhou and see just how deep the water was.
In Langya County, the fields were teeming with starving people, the crops had long since dried up. Refugees were scattered everywhere, and bones lay scattered along the roadside. It was a pure hell.
County Magistrate Li Haoran, accompanied by Yamen runners Lu Asan and Gao Er, arrived at Luhe Town, the hardest-hit area. The bark of the trees had been gnawed away. The three men were visibly dizzy from hunger, and the bodies of the starving were a common sight along the roadside.
The road was filled with starving people with skinny bodies and sunken eyes, carrying their elderly and children and heading towards Langya County. They would only starve to death if they stayed here.
Li Haoran shed two lines of tears: "I promised Your Majesty that no one in Langya County would starve to death, but now there are starving people everywhere. How can I explain this to Your Majesty?"
Lu Asan said, "Sir, the imperial court's disaster relief food has not arrived yet. How can this be said to be your fault?"
Gao Er also said angrily, "Exactly! How could the disaster relief grain allocated by His Majesty's personal decree be gone? There must be corrupt officials abusing their power for personal gain and bending the law!"
Li Haoran sighed. "Three days ago, I went to Haizhou. The prefect, Lord Han, said that Haizhou hadn't received a single grain of rice from the imperial court. I've already sent a memorial to the capital overnight. I hope Your Majesty will send someone to thoroughly investigate this case."
Arriving at the town, it was already quiet and deserted. Suddenly, from an alley with broken buildings and ruins, a thick smoke billowed out, mixed with bursts of crying.
The three were startled. Li Haoran walked quickly towards the alley, and the two officers followed hurriedly.
Arriving at the alley, Li Haoran was completely stunned by the tragic scene before him. He saw an iron pot in the alley, and a peasant woman was crying while adding firewood to the pot.
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