In his heart, Li Dajing was nothing more than his "biological father," someone who gave him life but never raised him.
Aren't you afraid of being discovered over there?
His nominal "stepmother," the real eldest daughter of Yutai Trading Company, was ruthless and merciless towards her sons.
Otherwise, Li Dajing would not have placed him far away.
Li Dajing, however, smiled calmly, as if he didn't care at all:
"It's alright. I came to the capital this time under the pretext of investigating the affairs of imperial merchants."
Besides, you are now a scholar who has passed the imperial examinations, no longer an ordinary person, so it's not so easy for anyone to mess with you.
Besides, this is right under the emperor's nose; Yutai is, in the end, just a trading company. My son, you can rest assured.”
Li Xuan almost rolled his eyes when he heard this.
Just a trading company?
Which ordinary merchant firm would help this ignorant fellow cheat in the imperial examinations, and do it so flawlessly?
He himself did not want to take this path, knowing that he was not cut out for studying and becoming an official, but for the sake of that secret thought in his heart...
I can't stay a nobody forever, can I?
To enter and leave the princess's residence, one must have a somewhat respectable status, right?
Joining the Sixth Princess's ranks is the simplest and most direct method at the moment.
Li Xuan glanced at his unfamiliar biological father across from him. "Did you really come here just for me?"
Li Dajing still smiled, "That's natural."
"Fengjing, the most virtuous district in the world, a place where great figures gather."
My son is making great strides here, so naturally, I, as his father, had to come and see what's going on.
...
Inside the Imperial Study, it was so quiet that one could hear the faint ticking of the water clock.
Empress Qin Minghuang sat behind her imperial desk, her fingertips unconsciously tapping lightly on the smooth rosewood tabletop.
Standing to the left was Chu Xinglan, the official in charge of the Ziwei Terrace. Her dark purple official robe accentuated her tall and straight figure, and her face was aloof.
"The magistrate must have heard about the fact that the provincial examination papers were switched."
Chu Xinglan nodded slightly: "Yes, I have heard of it, but I do not know the details."
The Empress's fingers, which were tapping the table, paused:
"Throughout the entire examination and grading process, I dispatched a third-rank Divine Martial Realm commander from the Xuanji Guard to monitor the situation from the shadows."
Inside and outside the examination hall, elite Xuanji Guards were deployed, forming a veritable inescapable net.
Sir, tell me, what ingenious and unparalleled methods did that person use?
How could they have secretly replaced the exam papers under this network, only to have it discovered after the results were posted and published?
Qin Minghuang paused, then raised his eyes and looked at Chu Xinglan. "I have thought of the simplest way."
He slowly uttered three words: "Second-grade realm".
Chu Xinglan lowered her eyes, her eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyes.
Upon hearing those three words, his expression remained unchanged, and he calmly replied, "Does Your Majesty suspect Jiang Wuyai?"
"I know that you once said that Jiang Wuyai is obsessed with cultivation and has long since neglected external affairs."
But so many years have passed; you know the sorcerer's methods better than I do.
Chu Xinglan nodded again, her tone as calm as ever:
"I understand Your Majesty's meaning. I will personally go to Jiang Wuyai to verify this matter."
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Officer." The Empress added, "Be careful."
Chu Xinglan's lips twitched upwards very slightly, yet it carried an air of powerful confidence:
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I have been based in Fengjing for fourteen years."
At least here at the foot of this imperial city, I... fear no one.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
