"There was more to the prince's death than meets the eye."
Uttering these words seemed to drain Bing Shi of all his strength. Withholding information—especially concerning the death of a prince—meant his life was as good as forfeited.
"But I don’t know the exact culprit."
A flicker of terror crossed Bing Shi’s face as he recalled those days. "Ever since the princess consort married into the Ping Prince's Mansion, she kept a close watch on Prince Song Ling’s daily routines, forbidding even attendants like me from approaching him outside designated hours."
"Especially around the time the Crown Prince was deposed, the princess consort and several Imperial Grandsons took turns guarding the prince. There was no way for me to learn anything beyond what they allowed."
"Then tell us what you do know. For instance, on which day did Song Ling’s health suddenly improve, and when did it deteriorate again?"
Song Yu was instantly certain that Shen Hua'er was involved.
Marrying a disgraced and bedridden prince, yet displaying unusual devotion—so much so that even a longtime servant like Bing Shi was barred from attending to him?
There was no doubt: something sinister was afoot.
Bing Shi spilled everything he knew. The guards recorded his testimony and presented it to him for verification.
"If there are no discrepancies, affix your seal."
After stamping the document, a dark stain spread beneath Bing Shi—he had wet himself in terror.
"Lock him in the dungeon for now."
That very night, Bing Shi’s testimony was secretly dispatched to the capital. Given the gravity of the matter, Liu Xi repeatedly stressed that it must be delivered directly into the hands of Young Master Shen.
"I remember when Song Ling first suffered his stroke, Song Yanzheng was excessively attentive, hoping for his recovery," Song Yu mused, narrowing his eyes. "So it’s unlikely he initiated this plot."
Whether Song Yanzheng became involved later, however, was another question.
"Song Yanchao and Song Yanming lack the nerve for such a scheme," Song Shihuan added, analyzing the situation. "And Song Xiyan was already a discarded pawn—no one would heed her words."
"That leaves only one person."
Shen Hua'er, Song Ling’s newly wedded princess consort.
"Shen Qingping’s earlier report stated that all apothecaries in the capital were investigated. None sold poison to the Ping Prince's Mansion. He also checked underground channels—nothing there either."
Song Yu let out a cold laugh. "The poison must have come from the Shen family."
The moon hung bright in the night sky, its soft glow bathing the world below.
Good and evil would always meet their reckoning.
Song Ling had cast aside Lady Chang, demoting her to a concubine, which allowed Shen Hua'er to enter the Eastern Palace as his rightful consort. Yet this very decision had cost him his life.
"Father, it seems the Shen family must be investigated from top to bottom."
What fate awaited them once all their crimes were tallied?
......
After interrogating Bing Shi, eight days remained until the release of the provincial exam results.
The weather grew increasingly sweltering. Inside the examination hall, the graders worked in tense silence, their focus locked onto the papers before them.
Ye Shijie glared at one particularly nonsensical submission, its answers bordering on delusional. Without hesitation, he slashed a thick red X across it.
He’d sooner let Ji'an Prefecture produce no passing candidates than allow such drivel to tarnish his reputation.
After reviewing several equally abysmal papers, Ye Shijie’s frown deepened enough to crush a fly.
Yes, he’d made the questions challenging—but this bad?
He didn’t deserve this torment!
Suddenly, one of the junior officials shot to his feet, trembling as if he’d stumbled upon a trove of gold. "Chief Examiner Ye! I’ve found a paper worthy of being the top candidate!"
"Worthy of the top spot?"
The room buzzed with curiosity.
Typically, exceptional papers were flagged for collective review before final rankings were decided. But to declare one a potential top contender outright? This was a first.
"Let me see it."
Ye Shijie rose and accepted the paper. The other examiners, itching with curiosity, crowded behind him, craning their necks for a glimpse.
What they saw left them spellbound.
"The sage’s concern is not for his own drowning alone, but for the drowning of all under heaven; the noble man’s ambition is not to conform blindly to the world, but to align with the eternal Dao."
"Thus, Yu’s thoughts on drowning embodied benevolence; the scholar’s refusal to engage in idle debate embodied righteousness."
The response, grounded in Confucian virtue, flawlessly dissected Ye Shijie’s deliberately convoluted question.
"Brilliant!" one examiner exclaimed, unable to resist clapping.
"The other essays and poem are equally outstanding. Chief Examiner, this candidate’s skill could rival the top honors at the imperial exams!"
After enduring an onslaught of incoherent answers, the graders clung to this flawless submission like parched travelers to an oasis.
A balm for their weary eyes.
"Admirable indeed," Ye Shijie conceded, stroking his beard. "But it’s premature to declare it the winner before all papers are assessed. We’ll finalize the rankings after thorough deliberation."
Still, he carefully placed the paper on his desk, weighing it down with a jade paperweight. A flicker of excitement stirred within him.
With such a candidate, Ji'an Prefecture could finally present something worthy to the court.
......
Meanwhile, in the Purple Dawn Hall.
"Magnificent!"
Emperor Yuanyou beamed at the exam paper in his hands. "Minister Shen, this was truly written by my son?"
"Beyond doubt, Your Majesty. The handwriting is unmistakably Prince Qin’s."
Shen Mingwen had pored over Song Yu’s paper daily since obtaining it. He’d intended to wait until the results were official before sharing it with the emperor, but his excitement had gotten the better of him.
"Your Majesty, with Prince Qin as heir, the Great Qi Dynasty gains a wise successor. Heaven has blessed us!"
The emperor’s earlier annoyance over Song Yanzheng’s disastrous exam performance evaporated. To outsiders, it might have seemed like the dynasty’s fortunes were waning.
But clearly, misfortune had merely settled over the Ping Prince's Mansion—not the nation itself.
"Remarkable work. Honestly, Minister, I never imagined Qin’er could progress so far." The emperor felt lightheaded, as if floating on clouds. "If not for his occasional mischief, I’d suspect an imposter had replaced him."
Shen Mingwen hastily dismissed the notion. No one could replicate Prince Qin’s… unique temperament.
"Excellent, excellent. Our Song lineage has produced Yu’er, Ah Huan—each generation shines." The emperor reverently folded the copied exam script. "At this rate, I might witness Yu’er at next year’s palace exams."
A crown prince as the top scholar?
A spectacle unparalleled in a thousand years of history.
"Your Majesty, after this triumph, Guo Feng’s name will resonate across Great Qi."
Shen Mingwen’s chest swelled with pride. Soon, he would be hailed as the mentor of the future emperor—the imperial teacher!
"How many days until the exam results are posted?" The emperor’s impatience was palpable.
"Typically ten, Your Majesty."
Ten days?
Emperor Yuanyou clicked his tongue. Still far too long.
