In the spring examinations of the third month, Duan Jinxing indeed achieved what Jiang Zhaohua had heard in her past life—he topped the list once again, earning the title of Huiyuan (first-place scholar in the metropolitan exams)!
This time, Duan's mother had learned her lesson. She didn’t jostle through the crowds at the announcement site but instead sat primly in the main hall of their home, waiting for the messengers to arrive with congratulations.
Jiang Zhaohua looked down on Duan's mother’s behavior, but her belly was now so large that she couldn’t possibly compete with her mother-in-law. She could only watch as Duan's mother fumbled through receiving the well-wishers, not even serving them a proper cup of tea.
With a hand supporting her aching back, Jiang Zhaohua retreated to her bedroom.
After all, none of the neighbors and relatives who came to offer congratulations today were worth maintaining ties with. Once her husband rose higher in rank, these people wouldn’t even be fit to step over her threshold.
For now, they weren’t worthy of her hospitality—let the old woman handle them.
Jiang Zhaohua lay on the bed while a maid knelt beside her, massaging her swollen legs.
Pregnancy was truly exhausting. These last two months, her legs and feet had been painfully swollen, and her back ached terribly.
But today, Jiang Zhaohua was too overjoyed to feel any discomfort. Her husband had become the Huiyuan!
Jieyuan (first-place scholar in the provincial exams)—Huiyuan—Zhuangyuan (first-place scholar in the palace exams). Her husband had already secured the first two titles!
The coveted "Triple Crown" was within reach!
The child in her womb seemed to share her excitement, kicking and punching wildly inside her.
"Ouch… ouch…" Jiang Zhaohua winced in pain, yet she laughed through it.
"You’re happy for your father too, aren’t you?"
She stroked her belly, speaking to the unborn child. "When you’re born, your father will teach you to read."
"Your father is on the verge of achieving the Triple Crown, and your mother is a renowned talent in the capital. Who knows how brilliant you’ll be when you arrive…"
"When you grow up, you’ll follow in your father’s footsteps—achieve the Triple Crown and rise to become Chancellor!"
Jiang Zhaohua’s eyes glazed over, lost in a beautiful dream.
A father and son, both Chancellors—such a legacy would be recorded in history, celebrated for generations.
Her husband as Chancellor, devoted only to her, sharing a lifetime of love and loyalty.
Her son as Chancellor, filial and reverent, always putting her first.
She was lost in this fantasy until a sharp kick from the baby against her ribs jolted her back to reality with a gasp.
She gently rubbed her belly. Her son becoming Chancellor was a mother’s hopeful dream—but her husband’s rise was already a certainty.
He had secured two of the three titles. All that remained was the palace examination in the fourth month, where the Emperor would name him Zhuangyuan in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Wait… Jiang Zhaohua suddenly realized a glaring problem.
The current Emperor was just a babe in arms. Who would appoint the Zhuangyuan?
Surely they wouldn’t let an infant decide such an important matter?
Her smile froze. The first person that came to mind was the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord, who had held the Emperor during the coronation ceremony.
But could such a monumental decision truly be left to a eunuch?
Jiang Zhaohua dismissed the thought, yet unease gnawed at her.
Jiang Yunshu was currently favored by the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord, and she harbored deep hatred for the Marquis of Xiping’s Mansion. What if she whispered in the eunuch’s ear?
What if the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord deliberately denied her husband the title out of spite?
Restless, Jiang Zhaohua waited for her husband to return and shared her fears with him.
Duan Jinxing was seething inside. Jiang Zhaohua pretended to care for him, but her true concern was her own wealth and status.
He had even tolerated the bastard in her womb, all for the support of the Marquis’s household.
Yet instead of aiding him, the Marquis’s family had drawn the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord’s ire—now threatening to ruin his future!
If the palace examination results were truly decided by the eunuch, then over a decade of grueling study would be for nothing.
Duan Jinxing thought of his years of hardship. As a scholar from a humble background, his struggles far surpassed those of privileged students.
In the bitter winters, without money for charcoal, his hands had cracked with frostbite, fingers swollen like tiny radishes. Writing had been agony, yet he never missed a day of study.
His mother had suffered even more, washing clothes for wealthy families to fund his education. The icy well water had left her with chronic ailments…
If marrying Jiang Zhaohua cost him his future, he would never forgive her.
Fortunately, Duan Jinxing had heard that Grand Tutor Xu would oversee the palace examination.
Grand Tutor Xu had been the late Emperor’s mentor, the leader of the upright scholar-officials.
It was said that when the late Emperor neglected governance and the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord manipulated power, Grand Tutor Xu had openly condemned them both.
Now, with the new Emperor too young to rule, Grand Tutor Xu stood as the only figure capable of opposing the eunuch’s influence.
Everyone knew Grand Tutor Xu and the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord were sworn enemies.
Had anyone else been in charge, Duan Jinxing might have worried about the eunuch’s interference.
But with Grand Tutor Xu presiding, he had no fear. The Grand Tutor would never bow to the eunuch’s whims—he would choose the most deserving candidate.
Duan Jinxing had absolute confidence in himself.
Heaven was on his side. The Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord, enamored with Jiang Yunshu, might resent the Marquis’s household—and by extension, him—but with Grand Tutor Xu in charge, the eunuch’s meddling was impossible.
Soon enough, the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord would lose interest in Jiang Yunshu.
A man of such power wouldn’t dote on a woman of questionable status for long—it was merely a passing fancy.
Once Jiang Yunshu fell from favor, the Marquis’s household would no longer be a target, and he would remain unscathed.
In time, the Marquis’s influence would still serve him in his career.
So, though Duan Jinxing despised Jiang Zhaohua, he masked it perfectly.
He patiently reassured her, "There’s no need to worry, my lady. Grand Tutor Xu is overseeing the palace examination."
Jiang Zhaohua exhaled in relief, her smile returning. "I overthought it."
"At the coronation, the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord held the young Emperor, borrowing his authority."
"But something as sacred as the palace examination won’t be left to a eunuch’s whims."
Duan Jinxing frowned. "Be careful with your words, my lady."
"The Eastern Depot excels at surveillance. Have you forgotten? The moment the Marquis’s household punished Concubine Qiao, the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord arrived."
Jiang Zhaohua shuddered, recalling that day—seeing Jiang Yunshu alive, and the even more terrifying Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord, as if confronting vengeful spirits.
She knew all too well that spies from the Eastern Depot must lurk in the Marquis’s household, reporting every move to the eunuch.
After the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord’s departure, the Marquis hadn’t dared investigate which servants might be informants.
Still, Jiang Zhaohua dismissed Duan Jinxing’s caution as excessive.
"Our household is simple. There’s no need to fear Eastern Depot spies here."
Jiang Zhaohua's eight personal maidservants had grown up alongside her since childhood, and she trusted them absolutely.
The ten maidservants purchased by the old woman were all brought from her desolate hometown, where they wouldn’t even know which direction the gates of the Eastern Depot faced—let alone be possible spies planted there.
Among those ten, the most beautiful one, Furong, knew nothing but to flatter the old lady.
Jiang Zhaohua had quietly observed that whenever Furong appeared in front of her husband, Duan Jinxing never spared her a second glance.
Her heart swelled with sweetness—her husband truly remained steadfast and devoted to her alone.
The Marquis of Xiping's Mansion employed a large staff, with first, second, and third-tier servants numbering over two hundred in total. For the Eastern Depot, slipping in a spy would have been effortless.
But the Duan household had only a handful of servants, making it impossible for any Eastern Depot informants to infiltrate.
Hearing Jiang Zhaohua’s words, Duan Jinxing nodded. "I was overthinking it."
Jiang Zhaohua quickly added, "Your caution is only natural, husband. At home, I share everything with you, but outside, I will be vigilant."
Duan Jinxing was destined to become the Chancellor, and she refused to be a burden to him.
Before long, April arrived—the day of the palace examination.
Jiang Zhaohua had prepared Duan Jinxing’s attire for the occasion well in advance and had the most skilled hairdressing maid style his hair. Once he was impeccably dressed, she escorted him to the door, one hand resting on her waist.
Her gaze was filled with adoration as she looked at him.
Her husband was already handsome, but today, meticulously groomed, he appeared even more refined and dashing—a true scholar with the grace of jade and the bearing of the wind.
"I will await your good news at home," she said.
Guided by palace attendants, Duan Jinxing entered the imperial palace. Ten candidates had been summoned for the palace examination, and as the top scholar of the metropolitan exam, he stood at the head of the group.
The ten men entered the Taiji Hall with utmost reverence and performed the grand ceremonial bow.
"Rise, gentlemen," came the voice of Grand Tutor Xu.
Duan Jinxing stood, but as his eyes flickered toward the figure seated further back in the hall, his entire body stiffened in shock.
Grand Tutor Xu was indeed presiding over today’s examination—but why was Xie Lin lounging so casually in the rear?
