"What's wrong?"
Seeing that Gu Qingyan didn't speak but instead pulled at his right eyelid with his hand, Jiang He couldn't help but ask.
"For some reason, my right eyelid twitched violently a few times just now." Gu Qingyan frowned. "I have a feeling that something bad is about to happen."
"Your Majesty, do not believe these things."
Jiang He saw the examination hall doors slowly open and quickly reminded Gu Qingyan to come and take a look.
Gu Qingyan didn't even bother to rub his eyes. He only breathed a sigh of relief after seeing all forty-nine female candidates walk out of the examination room safely. "Now Mother should be at ease."
For a full nine days, the Empress Dowager was genuinely worried that the female examinees' bodies might not be able to withstand it.
"Let's go back and quickly put the Empress Dowager's mind at ease."
As expected, Jiang Yu was waiting for news from Gu Qingyan at Zhaoning Palace.
"Now I can finally relax. As for the outcome, that depends on their own abilities."
Jiang Yu relaxed and lay back on the recliner. The autumn examination had ended smoothly, and she truly breathed a sigh of relief.
"I specially invited Master Meng to review the papers, and the results of this autumn examination will definitely be fair and just." Gu Qingyan looked at Jiang Yu expectantly, "Mother, just wait for the good news."
"Master Meng personally reviewed the papers?"
Jiang He, standing to the side, couldn't help but widen his eyes. "His Majesty actually invited Master Meng to come out of seclusion. Now, in the entire Dayu, I'm afraid His Majesty is the only one who can persuade Master Meng to come out of seclusion."
But... this year's candidates for the autumn imperial examinations are probably in for a rough time!
When Master Meng was reviewing the papers, he would pick out even the smallest detail.
"Since the establishment of the Great Yu, the Master has intended to retire to the mountains and forests. This time, the Master came out of the mountains to review the papers because it was the first time that a woman had participated in the autumn examination."
Just then, Gu Qingyan's right eyelid twitched again.
Gu Qingyan stood up abruptly.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Yu immediately asked, sitting up straight.
"Oh, it's nothing, Mother. I just remembered that there are still some memorials I haven't approved." Gu Qingyan felt a sense of helplessness. Seeing this, Jiang Yu told Gu Qingyan to return to the Taihe Hall to review the memorials.
Jiang He followed Gu Qingyan out of Zhaoning Palace.
"Is Your Majesty's right eyelid twitching again?" Jiang He couldn't help but ask as they walked along the palace path.
Gu Qingyan nodded weakly. "Uncle, I have a feeling that something terrible is about to happen."
......
At the Hanlin Academy, Master Meng was intently grading the examination papers.
Gu Qingyan tiptoed into the room, and even so, Master Meng put down his pen, saying, "The Emperor has arrived."
"As expected, nothing escapes the Master's eyes."
Master Meng's hair and beard are now completely white, perhaps because he has been living in seclusion in the mountains for the past few years, making him look extraordinary.
“These past few days I have heard a lot about the Emperor. If there were any things I couldn’t let go of before, I have now let them go.” Master Meng’s face was full of kind smiles. Seeing this, Gu Qingyan pursed his lips and sat down next to Master Meng.
"Master, I miss you so much."
Gu Qingyan smiled broadly, "Has the teacher seen any amazing exam papers?"
Master Meng smiled and nodded upon hearing this, "Yes, more than one."
Gu Qingyan beckoned to Yingzhi at the door, and Yingzhi immediately brought over a chessboard. "Please, Master, play a game of chess with me."
The black and white pieces on the chessboard don't seem to be fighting each other; they seem to be surrounding each other.
"I once gave Your Majesty a brocade pouch, instructing you to open it in times of danger. Does Your Majesty still remember it?"
As soon as Master Meng finished speaking, Gu Qingyan immediately took out a brocade pouch from his chest. "I always carry it with me and have never forgotten Master Meng's instructions."
Master Mencius nodded. "Remember, you must keep it safe."
Night had fallen when Gu Qingyan came out of the Hanlin Academy, and his right eyelid started twitching again, making him extremely irritable.
"Yingzhi, please invite Doctor Mei to the Hall of Supreme Harmony."
"Your Majesty, is your health failing?"
Mei Chu rushed over almost immediately after receiving the news, panting as he asked.
"Doctor Mei, please take my pulse first."
Gu Qingyan was clearly listless at this moment, and Mei Chu did not dare to delay, so he immediately reached out to check Gu Qingyan's pulse.
"His Majesty's pulse appears to be normal."
"Then why does my right eyelid keep twitching?"
As he spoke, Gu Qingyan's right eyelid twitched violently a few more times.
"This..." Gu Qingyan's words stumped Mei Chu. After pondering for a moment, Mei Chu tentatively asked, "Why doesn't Your Majesty go and ask Chang Wuyou?"
Gu Qingyan's lips twitched upon hearing this. To have Chang Wuyou perform a divination just because of a twitching right eyelid?
Wouldn't people laugh at us if this got out?
"Never mind, perhaps it's because I didn't rest well yesterday. You should go back now."
Gu Qingyan lost interest in reviewing memorials and went directly into his inner room to rest.
For several days in a row, Gu Qingyan's unusual behavior made Gu Lin and Jiang Yu somewhat worried.
"What's wrong with Ayan lately? Yingzhi said it's because his right eyelid keeps twitching, but Meichu said Ayan is fine."
Jiang Yu frowned. Although it is said that a twitching left eyelid means good fortune and a twitching right eyelid means bad luck, A Yan's reaction to his right eyelid twitching had never been this obvious before.
"Perhaps there really is going to be trouble."
Gu Lin clearly knew some inside information, and as soon as he said this, he received a sharp look from Jiang Yu.
"what is going on."
Seeing that Jiang Yu was feigning anger, Gu Lin quickly told her about the news he had just received.
It took Jiang Yu a while to recover from the shock. "Is the information accurate?"
"Ling Hai sent the message personally; the person should be in Dayu territory soon." Gu Lin mentally marked Gu Qingyan as someone he couldn't help with; there was nothing he could do to assist him in this matter.
"This is really... a bit troublesome..."
Jiang Yu sighed and smiled wryly, it seemed that even Heaven was giving Ayan a warning.
......
The next day.
"What?!"
Gu Qingyan seemed somewhat incredulous at his ears, "Say it again!"
Yingzhi's body trembled violently. "Your Majesty... the palanquins of the Qin family's eldest daughter and the Sun family's eldest daughter have already entered the territory of Dayu."
"How could it be so fast?"
Just then, Gu Qingyan's right eyelid twitched a few times.
I thought the Qin and Sun families would take at least a few months to send the person over, but now the person has already entered the territory of Dayu?
Did they rush to Chongqing immediately after receiving the news? Isn't that a bit odd?
"Your Majesty, shouldn't we prepare accommodations for the two young ladies?"
Yingzhi spoke nervously, saying that the Emperor hadn't even prepared a place for the two noble daughters to stay.
"Preparation is necessary, of course."
Gu Qingyan gritted his teeth and spoke, finally understanding why his right eyelid had been twitching.
Trouble is brewing!
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