"What does Father intend to do?"
Upon hearing Song Shihuan's words, Song Yu gave a helpless smile. To be honest, he didn't even want to bother with Prince Qi anymore.
Once his own identity was revealed to the world, Prince Qi wouldn't be able to make a fuss on his own.
At that time, His Majesty would probably just go with the flow and send Prince Qi off to his fiefdom.
The more Prince Qi jumped around now, the poorer his future fiefdom would be—that was the only difference.
"The problem now is, if I don't expose that person, Zheng Fang and the others... they don't believe me."
Song Yu felt heartbroken. He had argued until he was blue in the face, but no one believed him.
"It seems Father does not intend to expose that person." Song Shihuan quickly understood. "Why doesn't Father propose tomorrow that you don't wish for special treatment and simply join one of the larger groups?"
In those larger groups, no one would dare to teach everyone incorrect etiquette.
"That seems the only way for now. I must go to the palace."
Song Yu left in a hurry. Song Shihuan couldn't help but curve her lips into a smile. "Baoxia, do you know what Father is going to do?"
"This servant knows. His Highness is going to lodge a complaint."
Baoxia giggled. She understood this routine, having seen it countless times.
Zichen Palace.
For the first time, Song Yu was stopped outside the palace hall.
"Am I not allowed to enter?" Song Yu was somewhat surprised. Had his father's heart turned to someone else?
In the past, when he came to Zichen Palace, that old eunuch Wu Qi had never barred his way.
"Your Highness, Grand Tutor Shen is inside discussing matters with His Majesty. It is not convenient for you to enter at the moment." Wu Qi was sweating bullets. "Someone, bring a chair for His Highness at once!"
"Not convenient..." Song Yu rolled the words on his tongue. "Wu Qi, it's been a long time since I've heard that phrase."
"Your Highness, they are discussing the topics for the Palace Examination inside."
Song Yu's expression froze.
Wu Qi also wore a look of someone who had thrown caution to the wind.
Song Yu gave an awkward laugh.
"I see. My timing is unfortunate."
Song Yu suddenly felt it was awkward to either sit or not sit.
The Palace Examination usually had only one policy question. He wondered what kind of topic the old man would choose.
Song Yu felt as if ants were crawling in his heart, wishing he had ears that could hear through walls.
Finally, the doors of Zichen Palace opened.
Seeing Song Yu outside, Shen Mingwen hurriedly bowed. "I have yet to congratulate Your Highness on placing first in the Metropolitan Exam."
"Thank you, Grand Tutor Shen."
Song Yu stared at Shen Mingwen's face for a good while, trying to find some clue.
But all he saw were the wrinkles on Shen Mingwen's face.
"Summon Prince Qin inside."
Emperor Yuanyou's voice rang out. Song Yu nodded at Shen Mingwen and entered Zichen Palace.
......
"Heh heh." Song Yu chuckled a few times first.
Before he could even start speaking, Emperor Yuanyou cut him off. "If you're here to ask about the Palace Examination topic, you'll find out on the day of the exam."
He was a principled emperor, after all.
"Father underestimates your son." Song Yu immediately spoke up, feigning indignation. "I came today only to tell Father one thing, nothing else."
"Out with it, then."
Emperor Yuanyou had no desire to argue with Song Yu. A parent knows their own child's mind all too well.
And so, Song Yu once again gave a heavily embellished account, attacking Prince Qi.
"That fool!"
Emperor Yuanyou angrily rebuked.
"Father, please don't be angry. If you are truly upset, you can simply find a barren place for Fourth Brother's fiefdom in the future." Song Yu put on the appearance of a good elder brother. "I will handle such matters properly."
By comparison, Emperor Yuanyou's gaze towards Song Yu immediately softened.
"Fourth Brother is still far behind you."
At that moment, in Prince Qi's Mansion, Prince Qi inexplicably sneezed several times in a row and felt a chill all over his body.
"If there's nothing else, your son will take his leave."
Song Yu scurried out eagerly. Seeing this, Emperor Yuanyou curved his lips into a smile. He'd bet this rascal was going to find that Third Young Master Shen.
Sure enough.
"Shen Qingping, can you wheedle any information out of your father?"
"No." Shen Qingping knew his own limitations well.
"Forget it. I couldn't get anything out of the old man either." Song Yu wore a melancholy look. "Others have tutors giving them private lessons, but I have none."
This made him feel quite sad.
......
The next day.
Song Yu directly stated that he wished to listen to the explanations with everyone else. Although Zheng Fang and the others didn't fully understand his reasoning, they followed Song Yu and joined the other larger groups.
In just half a day, the group noticed something amiss.
The official surnamed Zhao who had taught them before had indeed been teaching them incorrectly.
Under Song Yu's meaningful glance, they all pretended nothing had happened and continued listening. Seeing this, the official surnamed Zhao also breathed a sigh of relief, grateful they hadn't caught on.
Prince Qi's Mansion.
"Failed again..."
Prince Qi looked at the cricket in its cage. "That Guo Feng is just too lucky."
"Your Highness, is there anything else this servant needs to do?"
"No need."
Prince Qi spoke slowly. "I cannot contend with the will of Heaven."
Time passed day by day. The new Metropolitan Exam graduates all learned the procedures for the Palace Examination, and everyone awaited that day with full hearts and eager anticipation.
To strive for the position that all scholars in the realm coveted.
......
The fifteenth day of the third month. A spring chill still lingered in the air.
People had not yet shed their winter clothes, and walking on the road, one would still rub their hands from the cold.
On such a day, the Palace Examination of the thirty-ninth year of the Yuanyou reign officially began.
The Palace Examination generally did not eliminate candidates; it only ranked them.
The top rank was the Zhuangyuan, the Number One Scholar.
At dawn, all the new Metropolitan Exam graduates, carrying their prepared items, were guided by officials through the palace gates. They lined up neatly in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Except for Song Yu, all the other graduates were setting foot inside the palace for the first time. Almost all of them had been too excited to sleep well the night before.
Beneath the uniform graduate robes beat hearts full of vigor and anticipation. The day they had dreamed of day and night had finally arrived!
Song Yu, as the top graduate of the Metropolitan Exam, stood at the very front, his posture straight and tall, his expression calm. Behind him, the other new graduates were arranged in order of their exam ranking.
The civil and military officials, also dressed in their court robes, had long been waiting outside the hall. Everyone stood quietly until the voice of Wu Qi rang out:
"His Majesty the Emperor arrives—"
Everyone knelt down, performing the three kneelings and nine prostrations, paying respects to the most revered person in the Great Qi.
The moment their foreheads touched the ground, tears glistened in the corners of many new graduates' eyes. With this bow, they had become disciples of the Son of Heaven.
"Rise, all of you."
Emperor Yuanyou's voice sounded, looking out from within the great hall towards the outside.
Emperor Yuanyou's gaze was instantly drawn to Song Yu at the forefront of the crowd. His fingers trembled unconsciously beneath his sleeves.
So this was how his son looked in a graduate's robe—so handsome and upright, like a sharp sword about to be drawn from its sheath.
The morning light spilled over him, as if casting a layer of pale golden radiance upon Song Yu's blue robe.
Emperor Yuanyou was somewhat spellbound.
