Part 2
The Imperial Examinations were set for the beginning of the second lunar month. Since the end of the first month, the court had been busy with preparations.
There were many subjects for recruiting scholars, but the Jinshi category was the most prestigious and the most difficult to pass. Every year, only ten to twenty people passed, and at most, no more than thirty or forty. Therefore, most of the court’s attention was naturally focused on the Jinshi exams.
The case in Henai had involved many officials. Although most vacancies had been filled by idle officials or through hereditary privilege (menyin), Gu Zhen couldn’t help but ask before the rankings were finalized: “Are there any outstanding talents in this year’s examinations?”
One of the chief examiners this year was Chancellor Zheng. Upon hearing this, he reported, “Yesterday, a subordinate presented a ‘Policy Essay on Current Affairs’ to me. The calligraphy is elegant, and the arguments are unique and clear, citing classics and historical precedents. I also looked up his ‘Classic Interpretations’ and ‘Miscellaneous Prose.’ All ten sections of the classics were accurate, and the prose was incredibly refined.”
Gu Zhen gained a bit of interest. Gripping the armrest of his chair, he raised an eyebrow. “Who is it? If Chancellor Zheng has time, bring his essay for Zhen to see.”
Chancellor Zheng said, “The candidate’s surname is Lu, given name Xianshan. He was the top scorer (Jieyuan) in the provincial exams in Chang’an last year. When I was in Chang’an last year, I met him once.”
Before he could even finish his sentence, Chancellor Zheng saw the Emperor’s face suddenly turn cold.
He froze, his heart skipping a beat. With a trace of anxiety, he looked up, opened his mouth, but dared not say more.
Gu Zhen suppressed his agitation and said flatly, “Zhen understands.”
After a moment, seeing that the Emperor had no further instructions, Chancellor Zheng bowed and retreated.
The Grand Princess of Ru’nan entered immediately after.
The Emperor’s face was grim, and the atmosphere in the hall was at an absolute low. The moment Ru’nan stepped inside, her legs felt a bit weak. She looked at the man on the throne and called out softly, “Your Majesty.”
Gu Zhen was currently irritated, and seeing her didn’t help. He said coldly, “Zhen has given Aunt so much time to reflect. How much have you considered by now?”
Ru’nan’s heart hammered against her ribs. She whispered, “This subject has failed in her duty to educate her son. I hope Your Majesty will show mercy.” She hesitated, then added, “My salt ponds in Shannan Circuit…”
“Aunt should first explain what these are,” Gu Zhen interrupted. He threw several official gazettes down, his face icy.
The papers fluttered and scattered before her. Ru’nan bent down to pick them up, and when she saw the contents, she was instantly shocked.
The gazettes recorded the history of her correspondence with the executed, deposed Prince of Wei. The items she had sent to the Prince of Wei’s place of confinement, her various private interactions—every single detail was written clearly.
She had misunderstood; the Emperor’s move against her was likely due to this all along. He had remained silent just to make her panic so she would confess more. Her nephew really knew how to bide his time. Ru’nan’s breathing quickened. As she weighed her words, the Emperor spoke in a deep voice, “Aunt, don’t you owe Zhen an explanation?”
Ru’nan’s heart sank to the bottom, and she broke out in a cold sweat. The deposed Prince of Wei was the current Emperor’s political enemy. Even for a Princess, there was no good end for getting involved in the struggle for the throne.
After a brief moment of panic, Ru’nan quickly steadied herself. She knew that the Emperor had kept her around until today and waited patiently only because of the Empress. At this moment, she couldn’t help but feel a secret relief—that move she made back then had been the right one.
“Your Majesty, this was because before the late Emperor passed away, he commanded me to look after him,” Ru’nan explained softly, her head bowed.
Gu Zhen tapped his index finger on the armrest, watching her indifferently without saying a word.
He knew everything Ru’nan was saying. It was because he had investigated this far that he learned his father had felt a moment of compassion for Gu Li before he died. Worried that Gu Zhen would mistreat him, the late Emperor had specifically found a trusted person to look after him.
The man had been cold-hearted his entire life, yet he chose to soften at that moment.
Gu Zhen’s anger wasn’t directed at his father’s lack of trust—he knew himself well enough to know he was indeed capable of mistreating Gu Li. Since his father had felt compassion, it wasn’t surprising he would do such a thing. However, the person on the throne now was him; he was the Emperor of Great Chu, and he would not tolerate any official acting behind his back.
Even if the act was based on the late Emperor’s command.
Furthermore, the reason Gu Li was able to contact Consort Dowager He was precisely because Ru’nan had frequently sent things to his place of confinement, leaving a loophole for him to exploit.
Since the Emperor didn’t speak, Ru’nan grew even more anxious. Her body was stiff as she whispered, “I admit my guilt.”
Gu Zhen said calmly, “Since Aunt knows her crime, I assume you know what must be done.”
When he arrived at Yande Hall, Zhao Yiyi was sitting by the window painting. With a few strokes, a fluttering butterfly appeared on the snow-white paper. The afternoon light shone on it, warm and glowing.
“You’re up so early? Why didn’t you sleep more?” Gu Zhen approached slowly, lowering his voice.
Zhao Yiyi didn’t turn around. As she dipped her brush in ink, she said, “If I sleep any longer, it will be night, and then I won’t be able to sleep at all.”
Gu Zhen gave a low laugh. He stepped forward and lightly pressed his hands on her shoulders. “It’s just as well if you can’t sleep.”
Zhao Yiyi paused and tilted her head to look at him.
Gu Zhen leaned down, a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. “Zhen saw how tired you were yesterday. If you can’t sleep tonight…”
The words that followed didn’t need to be said; the meaning was self-evident.
The husky, deep voice by her ear caused the tips of Zhao Yiyi’s ears to turn red instantly, a burning heat rising. She immediately turned and gave him a push. “What nonsense are you talking about?”
Her cheeks were flushed. Gu Zhen chuckled, grasping her slender hand that was pressed against his chest. “How did it become my nonsense, hmm?”
Zhao Yiyi’s face was beet-red with anger. She gave him a sharp glare before saying, “You never have anything serious to say the moment you arrive.”
Gu Zhen softened his tone, pulling her hand and playing with it gently. “Then, let Her Majesty tell me—what counts as serious business?”
As he spoke, he had already trapped Zhao Yiyi between the desk and his arms. A warm current of air brushed past her ear, making her instinctively want to pull away.
By the time she had softened into a puddle of water, her gold hairpins fallen and her hair slightly tousled, leaning weakly in his arms, Gu Zhen’s heart had also softened. Even though he was still displeased, he instinctively thought—forget it, I shouldn’t tell her about Lu Xianshan.
The more he cared, the more Yiyi would take it to heart. There shouldn’t be an outsider between them, and no one had the right to get in between.
The jade hairpin was on the verge of falling, catching the last strand of her beautiful hair. Before it could drop, Gu Zhen caught the head of the pin and gently slid it back into her dark tresses.
The candidates selected by the examiners for the Jinshi category had to have their papers reviewed by the Emperor first. Gu Zhen glanced over them, and his brow suddenly furrowed.
Since it involved the Imperial Examinations, Wu Mao didn’t dare speak out of turn and stood to the side, his heart in his throat.
“Where is the person Chancellor Zheng mentioned last time? He’s not in here?” Gu Zhen asked.
Chancellor Zheng said, “Replying to Your Majesty, he is placed slightly further back.”
Initially, all the examiners agreed that Lu Xianshan should be the top scorer for this year’s Jinshi exam. However, after seeing the Emperor’s face turn sour when the name was mentioned in Zichen Hall, they didn’t dare place him at the front.
Still, there were those who cherished talent. After careful consideration, they still submitted his policy essay, just further down the pile.
Gu Zhen flipped through and indeed found Lu Xianshan’s essay. Compared to those at the front, it was truly brilliant. He read it carefully. No matter how much he loathed the man, he had to admit this essay was perfect; even the prose at the bottom was something one couldn’t help but read several times.
Not to mention, many of the views in the essay coincided perfectly with his own.
Gu Zhen asked, “This paper is excellent. Is it not better than the ones you all placed ahead of it?”
As he spoke, his hand gripping the scroll tightened, the veins on the back of his hand bulging. He used immense self-control to suppress his irritation. It felt as though a fire was burning in his chest. It was a restless anxiety he had never felt before. Yet, he had to acknowledge Lu Xianshan’s talent.
Chancellor Zheng and the others were speechless for a moment. They couldn’t mention a word about their previous attempts to guess his thoughts, so they could only say, “It was our stupidity.”
Gu Zhen closed his eyes and exhaled. His hand gripping the paper tightened and loosened, loosened and tightened. After a long while, he said, “In that case, the rankings should be adjusted.”
Everyone complied. They had been busy in Zichen Hall all morning, and because they had guessed the Emperor’s intentions incorrectly, they were all trembling, sweat seeping from their foreheads.
As noon approached, they walked out of Zichen Hall with unsteady steps. Various rumors began to spread along with them. The most eye-catching rumor was that the eldest son of the Lu family possessed extraordinary talent and had been personally selected by the Emperor as the top scorer.
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