"What are you saying, Duke Zhenguo? In my opinion, you can serve for another ten years." The Emperor laughed heartily upon hearing this. "However, your suggestion is quite good. Let's set some questions to test them and let me see the literary talent of these three."
Xu Cheng and the other third-ranked scholar were naturally not afraid, but Xu Mingzhi panicked. He had no knowledge whatsoever, and he panicked immediately. He turned around and tried to run away, but this was in the imperial palace, not in the marketplace. Where could he run to?
"Then I won't stand on ceremony." After carefully considering his words, the Duke of Zhenguo presented a first line of a couplet.
Xu Cheng immediately responded with a perfectly matched second line, which impressed the Emperor, who nodded in approval. This was the true skill of a top scholar.
The third-ranked scholar frowned slightly, but he still managed to answer correctly, which pleased the Emperor greatly.
When it was Xu Mingzhi's turn, he hummed and groaned for a long time but couldn't answer at all, and the emperor's brows immediately furrowed.
The Duke of Zhenguo then said at the opportune moment, "Your Majesty, look at me, I got the order wrong. It should start with the second-place scholar. The first two have already used up all their lines. If the second-place scholar can still come up with a matching line, then he wouldn't be the second-place scholar."
The Emperor thought about it and realized that it made sense. He clapped his hands and said, "Then I will personally give you a first line of a couplet. Xu Bangyan, you mustn't make me lose face."
Upon hearing this, Xu Mingzhi broke out in a cold sweat, thinking to himself that he was truly doomed this time.
The emperor was completely unaware of this, so he uttered a couplet and waited for a long time without hearing Xu Mingzhi's reply, which made him somewhat embarrassed.
"Xu Bangyan, you're right, aren't you?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Mingzhi knew he couldn't avoid it this time, so he gritted his teeth and gave a perfunctory reply. Whether it was neat or not is another matter. The emperor had given a couplet of five characters, but he actually came up with a seven-character response.
"Xu the second-place scholar?" The Emperor immediately became suspicious and ordered, "Someone, bring me Xu Mingzhi's exam paper."
Soon, Xu Mingzhi's exam paper was delivered.
The emperor took the paper, glanced at it, and immediately flew into a rage. He threw it at Xu Mingzhi's feet and said, "This is the paper you wrote? Even a seven-year-old child could write better than you. How did someone like you become the second-highest scorer in the imperial examination?"
He was furious. First, he stripped Xu Mingzhi of his academic honors, then he sent people to temporarily imprison him. The chief examiner also lost his official position. Falsifying results in the imperial examinations was the most intolerable thing.
...
At this time, Xu Yuehuai was unaware of Xu Mingzhi's situation and was instead thinking of visiting the Second Prince at Consort De's palace during lunch.
As soon as she entered Consort De's palace, she smelled that foul odor of food again. She couldn't help but frown and quicken her pace.
"Second Prince, eat quickly so you'll have the energy to do your homework later." Consort De was coaxing the Second Prince to eat.
However, the second prince still refused to eat, and even turned his head to the side and covered his mouth with his hand.
Seeing his attitude, Consort De couldn't help but get annoyed: "Someone, take all this food away."
She grew angrier the more she thought about it. This child couldn't tell right from wrong. If he wasn't going to eat, then let him go hungry. He'd only want to eat when he got really hungry.
When Xu Yuehuai heard this from outside, she thought, "This is outrageous! No matter what, we can't let the child go without food."
She hurried inside, but Consort De was still not satisfied: "You're not going to eat, are you? I'm telling you, no one is allowed to give him any food later."
The servants were at a loss for what to do. They dared not take the food away directly, for it would be their dereliction of duty if the Second Prince went hungry.
The palace maids had no choice but to step forward and pretend to clear the dishes. They desperately hoped that the Second Prince would suddenly realize his mistake and quickly apologize to Consort De before eating.
However, the Second Prince was also very principled. Especially after eating the food prepared by Xu Yuehuai, he would rather starve to death than eat such filth again.
Xu Yuehuai quickly stepped forward to defuse the situation: "Your Highness, the Second Prince is still just a child."
As she spoke, she walked over to the dining table, and sure enough, there was something wrong with the food.
She picked up the food and examined it closely, discovering that although the dishes were freshly cooked, the ingredients were indeed rotten.
Xu Yuehuai couldn't help but frown. "Your Highness, look." As she spoke, she handed over the dishes in her hand.
Consort De was puzzled, while the Second Prince, though silent, kept watching them.
Seeing this, Xu Yuehuai quickly explained, "The food was freshly made, but the ingredients used were indeed spoiled."
Upon hearing this, Consort De was instantly terrified. She frantically picked up her chopsticks and flipped the dish over to examine it.
"Who on earth wants to harm the Second Prince? What a vicious heart! They actually came up with such a ruthless scheme." Consort De began to think rapidly.
At the same time, she wondered how Xu Yuehuai had discovered all this so quickly upon arrival, and whether this matter was related to her.
Thinking of this, Consort De immediately turned her gaze to Xu Yuehuai: "How did you know there was something wrong with the food?"
“Your Majesty, those of us who cook have very sensitive noses,” Xu Yuehuai said frankly.
Consort De thought that what she said made sense, and then looked at the Second Prince.
Xu Yuehuai then asked, "Your Majesty, when did this strangeness in the food begin?"
"It was probably after the Crown Prince was found and brought back." Consort De carefully recalled that the Second Prince had lost his appetite since the Crown Prince returned.
Thinking of this, Consort De suddenly looked at the Second Prince: "Could it be that the Crown Prince did this to get rid of his brothers?"
Then she remembered that before the Crown Prince returned to the palace, he and Xu Yuehuai had spent every day together, and were like family.
"So you're her ally too?" Consort De pointed at Xu Yuehuai with a 'whoosh'.
Xu Yuehuai retorted directly, "Your Majesty, if that's the case, why would I bother to remind you?"
Consort De was stumped by Xu Yuehuai's question, and only then did she calm down, realizing that she had indeed acted too impulsively.
She pondered for a moment and felt that since Xu Yuehuai had come today, he must have wanted to help her, although she didn't know what his intentions were.
Thinking about this, she decided to ask Xu Yuehuai, "So what should we do next?"
“I am willing to cook for the Second Prince every day,” Xu Yuehuai said, looking at the mother and son.
The second prince nodded in agreement, then looked at Consort De, waiting for her instructions.
Consort De was naturally willing to help, but she couldn't understand why Xu Yuehuai wanted to help her.
Seeing her expression, Xu Yuehuai knew what she was thinking, so he said directly, "I want to know about what happened when Consort Jia miscarried."
Consort De no longer had any doubts, and she immediately admitted, "At that time, it coincided with the Sixth Princess's marriage to a foreign ruler, and I think the two events might be related."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com