Zheng Fang glanced at Song Yu, his mind filled with doubt.
He had no idea where Brother Guo got his confidence from; the imperial palace wasn't a place just anyone could enter.
"Once today passes, we will have done all we can. What comes next is in the hands of fate," Feng Kuizhi looked at the sky and sighed. "How about we go for a couple of drinks tonight?"
"Excellent idea."
Zheng Fang and Ling Ming turned their heads in unison towards Song Yu, awaiting his response.
Song Yu forced a somewhat stiff smile. "Sure, of course."
They really are a bunch of men without daughters, who don't understand the urgency of a heart yearning to return home.
The group eventually ended up at the residence Zheng Fang had rented.
After just a few cups, they inevitably began discussing the day's palace examination questions.
Seeing them heap praise on the questions set by Emperor Yuanyou, a smile touched Song Yu's eyes. "Brother Zheng, how did you answer?"
"Naturally, one must give consideration to both aspects, so benevolent governance must be implemented in stages."
Zheng Fang downed the fine wine in his cup in one gulp. "Rescue efforts should be carried out in batches, letting those rescued first help rescue those later."
The group burst into laughter.
"This is how I wrote it..."
"And I..."
Under the clear glow of moonlight, several newly selected tribute scholars, their brows filled with lofty aspirations, drank merrily, recited poetry, and composed verses, seemingly wanting to pour out all the grand ambitions in their hearts.
Suddenly.
"Eh? Where's Brother Guo?"
"Yeah, why isn't Brother Guo here?"
At the same moment, Song Yu hurriedly jumped into his carriage. "Back to the Prince's Mansion, and make it quick."
Ah Huan was still at the mansion waiting for him.
......
"Ah Huan, your father is back."
Song Yu strode in on his long legs. Seeing Song Shihuan sitting on the swing in the courtyard, he swiftly walked over to it. With a push of his hand, he sent Song Shihuan soaring high into the air.
"Congratulations, Father, on finishing the final examination."
A silvery, bell-like voice rang out. Song Yu's face still bore a faint flush from the wine. "Yes, it's all about to be over."
It had taken a full two years.
"The results will be reviewed in two days, followed immediately by the proclamation ceremony. Only two days remain until the final verdict is sealed," Song Yu murmured softly.
The swing came to a stop, and Song Shihuan stepped down from it.
"I believe in you, Father. You will surely come out on top as the Number One Scholar."
Emboldened by the wine, Song Yu raised an eyebrow. "Back then, you asked me if I was better than Song Ling in every way. I haven't let Ah Huan down, have I?"
Song Shihuan nodded emphatically.
Seeing this, Song Yu crouched down. His long legs, finding no comfortable place, led him to simply kneel on one knee, bringing himself eye-level with Song Shihuan:
"Then, Ah Huan... have you ever regretted choosing me as your father?"
"Never."
Song Shihuan reached out and touched Song Yu's face. "That day at the birthday banquet, when you agreed to be my father, I still feel to this day that it was heaven looking out for me."
"If only I... if only I hadn't been late that day."
Song Yu smiled at Song Shihuan, but this smile inexplicably made her heart ache.
That day at the birthday banquet, Song Yu had arrived very late, so he missed the scene where she, having just appeared before everyone, was met with scorn and rejection.
By the time Song Yu arrived in the hall, she had already been taken away by the palace attendants to change her clothes.
Her thoughts returned to that birthday banquet, to those moments she once found utterly agonizing, yet now Song Shihuan felt surprisingly calm inside.
She still held hatred, but it no longer affected her life.
Just then, Song Yu's voice sounded again:
"If I hadn't been late, would Ah Huan have chosen me directly? Could I have protected you even sooner?"
These wild thoughts proliferated madly in Song Yu's mind. He couldn't bear the thought of Ah Huan tasting any flavor of abandonment.
Song Shihuan stretched out both hands, gently pushing up the corners of Song Yu's slightly downturned mouth, molding them into a smiling curve.
"Father, I am already very content."
Song Yu embraced Song Shihuan, his hand gently smoothing the strands of her hair lifted by the wind.
Ah Huan, in your past life... did it hurt?
He thought of the dream where he saved the little girl pushed into the lake, her body so thin it was nothing but skin and bones.
Song Yu released Song Shihuan and chuckled softly:
"You need to eat more. Ah Huan looks best when she's fair and plump."
......
The imperial audience and policy questioning was only the first step of the palace examination.
After the candidates finished answering, all examination papers would have only the names concealed; they would not be recopied. Therefore, the candidates' calligraphy became extremely important.
For a palace examination paper to ultimately reach Emperor Yuanyou, it needed to pass through the collective review of nearly ten officials. These officials would select the ten most outstanding papers from all submissions to present to the emperor.
Then, Emperor Yuanyou would personally designate the Number One Scholar, the Second Place, and the Third Place.
Early the next morning, Emperor Yuanyou sent a messenger to relay that Song Yu need not come to the palace these two days.
After sobering up, Song Yu was so angry he could only glare. "That old man's temper is getting more and more peculiar. What's the harm in me just going to the palace to look around?"
It's not like I could press the heads of those reviewing officials and force them all to rate my paper as outstanding.
"And I haven't even commented on the question the old man set. It's just because I emptied his treasury, isn't it? This is blatant targeting."
Song Yu ranted in the room, his spittle practically flying.
Meanwhile, Song Shihuan and Shen Qingping were engrossed in delightfully arranging the flower pots in the courtyard.
The two groups coexisted in unusual harmony.
"Shen San, tell me, am I right or not?"
Shen Qingping nodded. "Your Highness is correct."
But in reality, he only spared Song Yu a second of attention before turning back to fiddle with the flower pots.
Seeing this, the corner of Song Yu's mouth twitched. He had a feeling Ah Huan and Shen San were starting to find him a bit annoying.
Could it be an illusion?
Song Shihuan, however, pursed her lips. The tutor was right; Father will be a powder keg these two days.
Elsewhere.
Taking advantage of a break in grading papers, Shen Mingwen stretched and cast a glance at Ye Shijie, who looked serious beside him.
Remembering what was about to happen, Shen Mingwen felt like teasing Ye Shijie.
"Lord Ye, do you remember the incident back then when Prince Qin made you so angry you spat blood?"
Ye Shijie shot Shen Mingwen a glare.
"Prince Qin is very different from how he used to be now. If you have the chance, Lord Ye, you should go take a look at the Qin Prince's Mansion," Shen Mingwen offered very earnestly.
"Hmph!"
Ye Shijie snorted coldly. Go take a look at the Qin Prince's Mansion? Did they think he had a death wish?
Having read for a long time without coming across any particularly brilliant policy essays, Ye Shijie couldn't help but feel nervous, afraid his prized disciple might have underperformed.
If he underperforms in the palace examination, it would be such a pity...
This nervousness quickly drained the color from Ye Shijie's face.
"Lord Ye, what's wrong?"
Shen Mingwen noticed something was amiss and hurried over to Ye Shijie.
Ye Shijie waved his hand. "It's nothing. Just a bit of heart trouble from old age. A drink of water will fix it."
"Heart trouble..."
Shen Mingwen stared blankly at Ye Shijie, his eyes holding an expression Ye Shijie couldn't decipher.
Just as Ye Shijie couldn't resist asking if there was something dirty on his face, Shen Mingwen spoke up:
"Then... this heart trouble of yours, can it withstand a shock?"
