"Your Highness!"
At the sound of the voice, both Song Yu and Song Shihuan turned their gazes toward Liuxi.
Liuxi's face was alight with genuine joy as he exclaimed excitedly, "Congratulations, Your Highness, for passing the county-level imperial examination—and this time, you’re not ranked last on the list!"
"Really?"
Song Yu had already braced himself for another last-place finish, so hearing Liuxi’s words, he couldn’t help but ask eagerly.
"Absolutely true! This time, though Your Highness’s rank is in the middle to lower range, it’s far from the bottom."
Song Shihuan also broke into a smile. "Father, this means Magistrate Ye saw significant improvement in your performance over the last four sessions, which is why he dared to move your rank higher."
Song Yu was so delighted he couldn’t stop grinning.
"I always knew Ye Shijie was a good man."
Definitely not the petty, grudge-holding type who would deliberately make things difficult for candidates.
Overcome with excitement, Song Yu ordered the kitchen to prepare hot pot for dinner. "Ah-Huan, tonight, the two of us must celebrate properly."
Only those who have been dead last know the true value of being second-to-last.
And even more so when leaping from last place to the middle-lower tier.
That evening, Song Yu and Song Shihuan sat under the eaves, enjoying the steaming hot pot. Song Yu, for once, indulged in a little wine.
"Come to think of it, it’s been two months since I last touched alcohol," he mused after taking a sip.
Meanwhile, Song Shihuan picked at her food, her eyes darting mischievously.
It seemed that despite the hardships her father endured under Magistrate Ye’s rigorous examination standards, his progress was undeniable.
With the county exam now behind them, what about the prefectural exam in April? Could Magistrate Ye possibly remain the chief examiner?
Unbeknownst to Song Yu, danger was already looming.
He continued savoring his wine with relish.
After the meal, Song Shihuan cleared her throat. "Father, shouldn’t you write to Grandfather and inform him of the county exam results?"
"The results will naturally be reported to the capital—no need for me to write personally," Song Yu waved it off. By now, the messenger was probably already on his way.
"But earlier, you wrote to Grandfather condemning Magistrate Ye. I wonder if that might have harmed his career."
Song Shihuan’s acting skills were impeccable—her face instantly fell.
"Grandfather’s reply even harshly reprimanded Magistrate Ye. If he ends up falling out of favor because of this, I’d feel... terribly guilty. Magistrate Ye clearly values you, doesn’t he?"
Her words struck a chord with Song Yu.
Now that he thought about it... he didn’t dislike Ye Shijie as much anymore.
"In that case, I’ll write another letter to clarify things on Ye Shijie’s behalf."
As Song Yu hurried off to his study, the "concern" on Song Shihuan’s face vanished, replaced by a sly grin.
...
Early the next morning, Song Yu’s letter was dispatched to the capital, along with a few lines Song Shihuan had slipped in for Shen Qingping.
Afterward, Song Yu threw himself into preparing for the prefectural exam with even greater determination. When news arrived that Song Yanzheng had topped the county exam, Song Yu merely chuckled.
"First place? Send my congratulations to Yanzheng on my behalf."
Liuxi’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. Was this really his master?
Noticing Liuxi’s stunned expression, Song Yu scoffed. "With an exam that simple, I could’ve aced it blindfolded. What’s so impressive about coming in first?"
Someone like him—who passed under Ye Shijie’s scrutiny—was the real future scholar!
"Besides, even with such a difficult exam, I wasn’t last."
Song Yu’s face was the picture of smugness.
Song Yanzheng topped the exam?
So what? Song Yu had not only earned Ye Shijie’s favor but also escaped the bottom rank!
His antics had everyone in the room laughing. Song Shihuan nodded vigorously in agreement:
"Exactly, exactly!"
Perhaps out of concern for Song Yu’s prefectural exam, Ye Shijie even summoned him to the magistrate’s residence.
"This humble commoner, Guo Feng, pays his respects to the County Magistrate."
With his identity now changed, Song Yu’s attitude improved immediately.
Ye Shijie studied Song Yu for a long moment, making him uneasy.
Had Ye Shijie noticed something amiss?
"Do you have confidence for the prefectural exam in April?" Ye Shijie cut straight to the point. "The chief examiner will be Ji'an Prefect Wang Shichun. Are you familiar with him?"
At the mention of Wang Shichun’s name, Ye Shijie frowned slightly.
The Ma Liang incident in Yong'an County should have implicated Wang Shichun—at the very least, a demotion, if not outright dismissal.
Yet with only two months left before the exam, there was no word from the court. It seemed the chief examiner wouldn’t be replaced at this critical juncture.
"This humble commoner is of lowly status—how could I possibly be acquainted with the Prefect?" Song Yu clasped his hands respectfully. "But I am confident about the prefectural exam."
Ye Shijie nodded inwardly, though his expression remained stern. "I know you started studying late, but it’s never too late to turn over a new leaf. The prefectural exam is far more challenging than the county exam."
Hearing "far more challenging," Song Yu’s lips twitched.
Unless the heavens were playing a cruel joke and made Ye Shijie the chief examiner again, he’d stake his life that the prefectural exam wouldn’t be harder than his county exam.
"I have some practice booklets here. Take them and study diligently."
Song Yu left Ye Shijie’s residence with several booklets in hand.
At first, he didn’t grasp Ye Shijie’s thoughtful intentions. But when he returned to the Guo residence and began flipping through the booklets, his eyes widened in astonishment:
"Ah-Huan, look at these annotations—they seem tailored specifically for me!"
Many of the notes addressed issues he currently struggled with.
"Father, you’ve encountered an exceptional examiner."
Song Shihuan’s almond-shaped eyes curved into crescents. "After all these twists and turns, Magistrate Ye has become your teacher."
Who would’ve thought that the prince who once skipped classes and made Ye Shijie furious would now pore over his booklets line by line?
With Ye Shijie’s guidance, Song Yu grew even more confident about the prefectural exam.
Until news arrived in Yong'an County.
"What? Wang Shichun was dismissed at this critical moment?"
Song Yu was instantly unsettled. First, Ma Liang’s scandal before the county exam, and now Wang Shichun’s removal before the prefectural exam—why was his path to the imperial exams so fraught with obstacles?
"Has the new Ji'an Prefect been decided?" he pressed urgently.
Beside him, Song Shihuan guiltily lowered her head. She knew nothing about this.
"His Majesty has ordered Magistrate Ye to assume the post of Yong'an Prefect immediately."
"Who?"
Song Yu felt as if he’d been struck over the head. He stood frozen in place, utterly dumbfounded.
Ye Shijie again?!
