The imperial examination.
Because this was the first imperial examination after Gu Qingyan ascended the throne, not only Gu Qingyan, but all the candidates who came to take the exam were also looking forward to it. They had studied hard for decades, all for the sake of being fortunate enough to be selected by the emperor as the top scholar.
The topic of this palace examination was personally decided by Gu Qingyan: How to break the current deadlock of Daqing being divided in two, to fight or to coexist, and how to fight? How to coexist?
Inside the main hall, Gu Qingyan looked at the candidates who were engrossed in writing, his eyes darkening. Gu Heng was dead, leaving behind a Daqing court that was just as cowardly as he was. His father said that if he wanted to cleanse this kind of atmosphere, these candidates were the most crucial.
The palace examination lasted for a whole day, and Kui Ruo, dressed in white, stood out remarkably.
"Your Majesty, the one in white who just walked out was Kui Ruo," Qin Wei whispered to him. He had learned from a time when he accompanied the Emperor to Zhaoning Palace that the Empress Dowager had once saved Kui Ruo.
In other words, Kui Ruo could sow discord between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.
"I think it's him." Gu Qingyan smiled. "However, the candidates' names are to be covered on the examination papers. Whether I will appoint him as the top scholar depends on his own abilities."
"Your Majesty is right."
Just as Gu Qingyan was about to stretch and head to Zhaoning Palace, he saw Wanji's figure. "Does the Empress Dowager need me for something?"
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has fainted due to poisoning."
"What?" Gu Qingyan's expression changed drastically. He strode towards Zhaoning Palace, breaking out in a cold sweat along the way.
Inside Zhaoning Palace, Granny Ling was already waiting at the door for Gu Qingyan.
"How is Mother?"
"I'm fine." Hearing Jiang Yu's voice, Gu Qingyan's eyes widened. Hadn't Wanji just said that his mother had fainted from poisoning?
“Your Majesty, someone did indeed poison the Empress Dowager, but it was discovered first. The Empress Dowager then pretended to faint to see what other tricks the person behind it had up their sleeve,” Wanji explained. “I deserve to die just now.”
"Get up."
Gu Qingyan waved his hand, "Does Mother know who poisoned her?"
"You issued an edict to kill Jiang Dang and exile the Jiang family's sons. How could she be content with that?" A cold glint flashed in Jiang Yu's eyes. She hadn't expected that Consort Li, who was always subservient, would have such abilities.
"It is Consort Li."
A chill ran through him, and Gu Qingyan's eyes were filled with murderous intent.
After Gu Heng's death, his concubines were all moved to Qiuming Palace by order of Gu Qingyan, but they were not forbidden from moving around in the harem. Unexpectedly, this gave some people bad ideas.
“You came in such a hurry just now, she must think she has succeeded.” Jiang Yu twitched the corner of her mouth. “Let’s wait a few days and see if there is any movement from the previous dynasty.”
"The previous dynasty?" Gu Qingyan was a little confused.
"Logically speaking, the Li family should not have let Consort Li take action at this time, since they have been implicated by the Jiang family. So there must be something more to it than meets the eye."
Jiang Yu smiled and asked Granny Ling to serve Gu Qingyan a bowl of pear soup. "This matter is not urgent. You should go and take care of the palace examination first."
The kindness on Jiang Yu's face vanished completely after Gu Qingyan left Zhaoning Palace.
"Wanji, go and investigate the Wenchang Earl's Mansion."
She couldn't think of anyone other than the Fan family who hated her to the bone and wanted to kill her.
......
Because the number of candidates for this palace examination had increased considerably, Gu Qingyan was somewhat overwhelmed by the sheer number of exam papers. So he simply called Master Meng over to review them with him.
Master Meng then saw Gu Qingyan, who had been pecking at rice like a chicken, suddenly sit up straight with a start, his eyes shining brightly.
"Has His Majesty chosen someone?"
"Master, this person has the talent of a top scholar." Gu Qingyan presented the examination paper to Master Meng as if it were a treasure. After carefully reading it from beginning to end, Master Meng also showed a satisfied smile.
"Your Majesty has excellent eyesight."
He possesses sound logic, the courage to cite examples from previous dynasties to support his arguments, and is both brave and resourceful.
But when Gu Qingyan flipped through the next test paper, his expression suddenly changed.
After all the exam papers had been graded, Gu Qingyan ordered someone to tear off the strips of paper covering the candidates' names.
Beside the exam paper that Gu Qingyan treasured, Wei Ruo's name was clearly printed.
"I will appoint Kui Ruo as the top scholar."
On the other side, the Wenchang Earl's Mansion.
"Master, do you think Consort Li in the palace really succeeded?" Madam Fan clutched her handkerchief tightly, a sense of foreboding creeping over her.
"The palace only says that the Empress Dowager is unwell." Wenchangbo was also a little nervous. "Jiang Yu killed our Shen'er, causing my Fan family to die out. If I don't avenge this, how can I face my ancestors?"
As he spoke, Wenchangbo swallowed hard.
After Fan Shen was executed, he indulged in revelry, hoping to have another son. However, no matter what he did, none of the women around him became pregnant. In desperation, he consulted a doctor.
Only then did he realize that he had been given a drug that would prevent him from having an heir, and he was forced to adopt a member of the imperial family as his heir.
Jiang Yu wanted to make him childless.
"What's the panic!" Old Madam Fan pounded the ground with her cane. "The Li family is now being roasted on the stove, and the old tutor is bedridden and about to die. The rest of the Li family are nothing but fools."
"Also, you only went to visit the heartbroken Madam Li, and did nothing else, understand?" Looking at Madam Fan's fierce eyes, Madam Fan nodded blankly.
"Mother, I understand."
"Mother, what should we do next?"
"The results of the imperial examination will be announced soon, and Feng'er should pass with flying colors." Madam Fan's cloudy eyes flickered. They were taking this gamble simply to secure a future for Feng'er, who had been adopted.
"Mother deliberately chose this time to cause Jiang Yu's accident. The Emperor is also filial. After learning the news, he rushed to Zhaoning Palace. At this time, Feng'er only needs to mention the Empress Dowager more in the examination paper, and he will definitely win the Emperor's favor."
That's exactly the point.
Madam Fan looked out the window triumphantly. "Jiang Yu, once you've been manipulated by this old woman from the very beginning, you'll always be manipulated by her."
......
On the day the results of the palace examination were announced, all the candidates stood outside the palace, waiting for the announcement to be made.
"The first place in the first class, the champion, is Wei Ruo."
The eunuchs' chants echoed through the sky, and even the usually composed Kui Ruo couldn't help but feel his heart surge with excitement. He became the first top scholar of the new dynasty.
After Kui Ruo, the second and third place winners were announced one after another.
Fan Feng's face turned deathly pale, his arrogance vanishing. This was completely different from what his grandmother had told him; he had mentioned the Empress Dowager frequently while answering the questions...
Before Fan Feng could figure it out, guards with swords at their waists stepped forward and restrained him from both sides. "Fan Feng, the Emperor specifically requests to see you first."
Instead of meeting the top scholar first, they wanted to meet a failed candidate first.
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