When Song Shihuan arrived outside the study courtyard, she was met with the sight of Song Yu’s gloomy expression.
"Father, His Majesty the Emperor is favoring you!"
The words instantly left Song Yu bewildered.
Favoring him?
"You’ve been tutored by Lord Ye, so answering the exam papers will naturally come more easily to you. Moreover, your responses will align more closely with Lord Ye’s preferences."
Song Shihuan sighed heavily in her heart. No matter how hard she racked her brain, this was the only reasoning she could come up with.
"Ye Shijie isn’t the only one grading the papers," Song Yu said gloomily. "It’s true that I’d answer more smoothly—but only if I can actually answer them in the first place."
At this, Song Shihuan lowered her head.
Well, this was indeed a blow to her father.
"Liuxi," Song Yu suddenly called out. "Send someone to closely monitor the chief examiner for Song Yanzheng’s provincial exam. Find a way to plant the idea in that examiner’s head that the questions must be made extremely difficult. If I’m suffering, Song Yanzheng shouldn’t have it easy either."
Liuxi, who had been itching for an excuse to leave, quickly scurried off with eager compliance.
"I’ll make sure Song Yanzheng gets a taste of this torment too."
After giving his orders, Song Yu sighed and retreated into his chambers. Now he’d have to prepare for the provincial exam with the same intensity as he would for the imperial exams.
......
Meanwhile, in the capital.
Ping Manor.
"Song Yu’s examiner is Ye Shijie again. Your Highness, it seems the heavens are truly on our side this time," Censor Han said, his eyes gleaming. "Your examiner, Qiu Ri, is an old acquaintance of mine. I’m well aware of his preferences."
"This is truly excellent news."
Song Yanzheng couldn’t help but straighten his posture. "Master, this provincial exam is especially crucial for me. Only by attaining the rank of scholar can I secure a true foothold. If I fail this time, all my previous preparations will have been for nothing."
"Your Highness, as long as you cater to his tastes, achieving a high rank shouldn’t be difficult," Censor Han stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Qiu Ri is nothing like Ye Shijie. To put it plainly, examiners as strict as Ye Shijie are rare in this world."
"With your reassurance, I can set my mind at ease."
Little did Song Yanzheng know that, thanks to Song Yu’s "if I’m going down, you’re coming with me" mentality, his examiner was about to become just as stringent as Ye Shijie.
Once the examiners were announced, they were required to seclude themselves from visitors, with imperial guards stationed around them. Song Yu’s petty scheming couldn’t possibly escape Emperor Yuanyou’s notice.
"Let him be."
Emperor Yuanyou chuckled. "If Qiu Ri is stricter, it might actually be good for Yanzheng."
There wasn’t a trace of concern in his voice about whether Song Yanzheng would pass or not.
So what if he failed?
Shen Mingwen, who was playing chess with the emperor, paused at this. "Your Majesty, what if the prince fails..."
"If he dares embarrass me, I’ll beat him black and blue with my shoe."
As he spoke, he slammed a chess piece onto the board with emphasis.
Shen Mingwen feigned a helpless smile. Favoritism was truly something else.
......
Ping Manor, Li Garden.
"Aunt, why has Ah Shun been crying nonstop?"
Ever since Shen Hua'er and Song Yanzheng realized that Emperor Yuanyou held no affection whatsoever for Ah Shun, his so-called great-grandson, the child had been abandoned in Mei Xiang’s former courtyard.
It was Lady Chang who ordered the child to be brought to Li Garden to be raised.
Chang Ling'er often visited Li Garden to keep Lady Chang company, and over time, she grew fond of the scrawny little boy.
"He’s been crying frequently since yesterday and can’t sleep peacefully."
Lady Chang frowned and called out to the matron outside. "Matron, please inform His Majesty and see if Physician Mei can be summoned for a consultation."
"Why not have the House Physician examine him? We might not be able to get Mei Zhilin to come," Chang Ling'er asked, puzzled.
"I don’t trust the House Physician."
Lady Chang’s heart pounded uneasily—something felt terribly wrong.
To her surprise, Mei Zhilin arrived swiftly.
"Physician Mei, please examine Ah Shun. Children are so fragile—the slightest ailment could be disastrous." Though Lady Chang despised Song Yanzheng, the child was innocent.
Born without a mother, just like her own Ah Huan.
Mei Zhilin stepped forward to check Ah Shun’s pulse. His expression shifted from calm to grave. He looked up at Lady Chang. "Has the young master consumed anything unusual recently?"
Lady Chang hesitated. "Aside from the wet nurse’s milk, I only let him taste a bit of almond paste I made myself."
"May I see the almond paste?"
As Chang Ling'er led Mei Zhilin to the kitchen, Lady Chang felt a chill crawl up her spine.
She had prepared the almond paste herself—how could there be anything wrong with it?
......
Fifteen minutes later, Mei Zhilin returned.
"Please dismiss the others."
Once only Lady Chang and Chang Ling'er remained, Mei Zhilin spoke slowly. "The almond paste you made contains trace amounts of poison. Regular consumption wouldn’t cause immediate harm, but over time, it would accumulate. Once symptoms manifest, death would follow within half a year."
"It’s fortunate you took the young master in. Infants are more sensitive to toxins, so even a small taste made him ill."
Tears streamed down Lady Chang’s face as she gazed at Ah Shun, who had finally fallen asleep.
"The almond paste was poisoned?"
"Yes."
Her tears fell silently onto the floor.
"Will Ah Shun be affected?"
"He ingested very little. Once I prescribe medicine for the wet nurse to take, he’ll recover in a few days."
"Thank you, Physician Mei. I have one more request—please keep this matter confidential. I’ll handle the affairs within Ping Manor myself."
A fierce hatred burned in Lady Chang’s eyes. She didn’t even need to guess who in Ping Manor would poison her.
"I must report this to His Majesty. The final decision rests with him."
Mei Zhilin bowed and turned to leave.
"Wait."
Lady Chang’s voice stopped him. "Is there anything else, my lady?"
"Physician Mei, I recall when the prince suffered his stroke, you said there was a sixty percent chance of full recovery."
"Correct. Strokes strike fiercely, but they rarely prove fatal."
A metallic taste filled Lady Chang’s mouth. She swallowed hard. "It seems the prince was simply... unlucky."
After Mei Zhilin left, Chang Ling'er clung to her aunt. "Aunt, what... what do we do? They’re trying to kill you."
She no longer hoped for a harmonious marriage with Song Yanzheng—she just wanted to survive.
"Ling'er, don’t be afraid."
Lady Chang patted her niece’s back, her eyes hardening with resolve.
"This manor is full of monsters. But I may have found a way to destroy them all."
If they dared poison her...
Then surely... they could have poisoned the prince too?
