As the gates of the examination hall swung open, the crowd surged forward desperately, sweeping Song Yu along with them.
"Slow down, everyone! No pushing! If anyone falls outside the gates and misses the imperial exams, they’ll have no face left to return home to their parents," Song Yu shouted, shielding his face with his hands.
This face of his was far too precious.
It absolutely must not hit the ground.
His booming voice actually caused the crowd to slow their steps, drawing a nod of approval from Ye Shijie, who was observing from the shadows. "This man is Guo Feng? The infamous Yong'an County playboy? He doesn’t seem the type to me."
Tall and upright, with a commanding voice—nothing about him fit the image of a wastrel.
The magistrate’s clerk beside him twitched his lips. "Perhaps he’s turned over a new leaf."
The things Guo Feng had done in the past... he didn’t even want to recall them.
If he told the magistrate, Guo Feng might not even be allowed into the examination hall.
The clerk mused that he ought to make Guo Feng treat him to a good meal someday.
......
Inside the examination hall, unlike the other candidates shivering with cold and rubbing their hands for warmth, Song Yu sat comfortably in his seat, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Last month, Ah Huan had specially ordered thick robes and a pair of knee pads to be made for him. Now, wrapped in warmth, he felt as cozy as if he were under a quilt.
Just as Song Yu was marveling at how easy the imperial exams seemed, the exam proctor arrived with the question board. The moment Song Yu saw the questions, his smile vanished entirely.
This... was the county-level exam?
The first round consisted of two essays on the Four Books and a regulated poem.
From his elevated seat, Ye Shijie surveyed the pale-faced candidates below and nodded in satisfaction.
Difficult?
Good!
Yong'an County was the ancestral home of the emperor. The selection of talent here had to be exceptionally rigorous, ensuring that those who left would not disgrace this land of outstanding people.
The grueling ordeal lasted an entire day. Only when night fell again did the gates of the examination hall finally reopen.
Candidates staggered out, their legs trembling. Some burst into tears the moment they stepped outside, others collapsed to the ground, and a few... pointed at the examination hall and cursed Ye Shijie for being inhuman...
Song Yu returned to the Guo residence grinding his teeth the entire way.
The moment he entered the courtyard, he could no longer hold back. "Someone, fetch me paper and ink! If I don’t submit a scathing memorial against that old fox Ye Shijie today, my name isn’t Song Yu!"
Song Shihuan, who had slipped into the Guo residence unnoticed, felt her eyelid twitch at the sight.
This reaction... didn’t bode well for his exam performance.
Inside the room, Song Yu wrote furiously, his anger lending an uncharacteristic sharpness to his strokes. Song Shihuan quietly sent Liuxi to gather information about that day’s exam.
Upon hearing the questions, her lips twitched.
Magistrate Ye had played dirty.
"Father, the difficulty of this exam wasn’t just for you—it was the same for everyone," Song Shihuan said, well aware of Song Yu’s capabilities and not overly concerned. "The harder the questions, the more room there is to shine. With your skills, passing is guaranteed."
An incense stick’s time later, Song Yu finished his memorial—only to suddenly realize something, his face twisting in fury.
"Liuxi, when sending this to the capital, have someone inquire about Song Yanzheng’s exam results along the way."
If Song Yanzheng scored higher than him, he’d blame it all on that old man Ye Shijie.
......
The capital.
Unlike Song Yu’s solitary exam journey, the Prince of Ping’s household made an ostentatious display.
Before the exam, Shen Hua'er and Song Xiyan personally escorted Song Yanzheng to the examination hall. Though the exam lasted only a day, Song Yanzheng brought bundles of supplies, even including a hand warmer.
The chief examiner could only smile politely, not daring to utter a word of disapproval.
Throughout the exam, the Prince of Ping’s carriage remained parked outside the hall, with imperial physicians standing by in case Song Yanzheng suffered any mishap.
After the first round, Song Xiyan spotted her brother’s triumphant expression and sighed in relief.
"Yanzheng, how did you find the first round?" Shen Hua'er asked eagerly the moment he boarded the carriage.
Song Yanzheng smiled confidently. "The questions weren’t difficult, and they happened to align with my strengths. I’m confident about the remaining four rounds—I might even rank first this time."
Shen Hua'er’s heart burned with excitement at his words.
First place... the first step toward the "Little Triple Crown."
Song Yanzheng’s participation in the imperial exams had become the talk of the capital. Even looking back through history, it was rare for royalty to take the scholarly path.
Now, the entire city waited eagerly for his results.
Days later, Emperor Yuanyou received Song Yu’s memorial. The emperor chuckled at the handwriting—after two months apart, the characters had gained some structure.
But after reading the contents, his amusement faded.
"I knew Ye Shijie and Yu would clash," Emperor Yuanyou said, handing the memorial to Shen Qingping with a frown. "Look at these questions! This is just the first round of the county exam—meant to test the future pillars of the Great Qi, not his enemies!"
Who started with such difficulty right out of the gate?
Shen Qingping couldn’t help but smile, imagining the prince’s furious, red-faced expression.
"Your Majesty, if His Highness passes under these conditions, wouldn’t it prove his knowledge is even more solid?"
The emperor’s expression faltered momentarily.
He couldn’t fathom why Shen Mingwen’s youngest son had such unwavering faith in his own son’s success.
"True, but if he fails, wouldn’t Yu be devastated?" The emperor sighed, pulling out another sheet of paper. "Look at Yanzheng’s exam—his questions were far simpler."
Song Yanzheng had already visited the palace multiple times these past few days.
"He rewrote his answers for me to review. A mid-to-high ranking is within his reach."
Shen Qingping’s eyes sparkled with amusement.
"I have faith in His Highness."
With his father’s annotations and the princess’s diligent supervision, how could the prince—who had studied so hard—possibly fail?
Perhaps swayed by Shen Qingping’s certainty, the emperor’s heart settled as well.
He picked up his brush to console his poor, beleaguered son in Yong'an County.
"Your Majesty, the results will be announced soon. Why not have the messenger stay in the capital a few more days and bring back the eldest imperial grandson’s results as well?"
Shen Qingping’s suggestion made the emperor’s heart skip a beat.
Wouldn’t this worsen his already strained relationship with that rascal of a son?
