The Imperial Study.
On the imperial desk lay the examination papers from the spring imperial examinations this year. Of course, these papers had already been graded by the examiners, and only the ten best were presented to the Emperor.
The Emperor personally reviewed them, while the three officials from the Ministry of Rites waited below with bated breath.
At this moment, an eunuch on duty outside gently pushed open the door and bowed, saying, "Reporting to Your Majesty, Prince Ding'an requests an audience."
The Emperor, without looking up, said, "Let him in."
The three officials from the Ministry of Rites exchanged glances, muttering to themselves, "What is Prince Ding'an doing here at this hour?"
Xiao Yun entered the Imperial Study. The Emperor looked up at him and asked, "Why are you here at this hour? Is something the matter?" His tone was affectionate and casual, as if speaking to his own son.
Xiao Yun bowed, then walked to the Emperor's side with a smile. He glanced at the examination papers on the imperial desk, and instead of answering the Emperor's question, he said, "Imperial Uncle is selecting talent!"
The Emperor smiled. The Empress Dowager was also from the Fang family of the Zhongyong Duke's mansion, and was the full sister of Xiao Yun's mother. By common reckoning, he was indeed Xiao Yun's maternal uncle. However, Xiao Yun rarely called him that, and if he did, it usually meant he had something to ask of him.
The Emperor grunted and spread out the papers for him to see, "Do you recognize anyone?"
Xiao Yun scanned them quickly and indeed, the papers of Tian Yu, Wang Zijing, and Zeng Huai were among them.
"I know these two," he said, pointing to the names of Tian Yu and Wang Zijing.
"Oh?" The Emperor raised an eyebrow, signaling him to continue.
Xiao Yun then said without reservation, "This Tian Yu has poor character. He was originally my Princess Consort's fiancé, but later got involved with her cousin. Imperial Uncle, you know about this, don't you? Minister Wang was even impeached by the Censorate because of it!"
The Emperor nodded, "I know."
The three officials below were secretly startled. So Prince Ding'an had come at this precise moment to vent on behalf of his future Princess Consort. But hadn't this matter passed more than a month ago?
The three officials exchanged glances again. "Ah, we must not offend Prince Ding'an. He holds a grudge."
Xiao Yun also nodded, "So, a person with such character issues, no matter how talented, cannot be brought into the imperial court. Don't you agree, Imperial Uncle?"
The Emperor nodded in deep agreement, "A'yun speaks with reason." He then actually set aside Tian Yu's paper, "Let him fail the examination and study for another three years as a lesson."
Xiao Yun smiled, "That's not necessary. I'm not that harsh. Just place him in the third rank." He put on an air of magnanimity.
The three officials' hearts tightened. This was intended to ruin Tian Yu!
If he were to fail the examination, it would be fine. With his talent, he would surely be in the top rank after three more years of study, and by then the Emperor would have forgotten these messy affairs. But those in the third rank, having achieved the title of *Tong Jinshi*, could not retake the examination. This young Master Tian would forever be a *Tong Jinshi*! His future and prospects would be ruined!
One of the officials, unable to bear it, wanted to speak up in protest, but found no valid reason to support his plea. Tian Yu's matter was not something his parents had forced him into; rather, he had defied his parents' wishes and acted on his own. To put it bluntly, his behavior was improper and unrestrained.
He retracted his outstretched foot.
"Very well, then place him in the third rank," the Emperor said.
With this exchange, the two of them, as if joking, decided Tian Yu's future.
"And this one?" the Emperor asked, pointing to Wang Zijing's name.
"This is my Princess Consort's cousin, the elder brother of that cousin."
"This matter has nothing to do with him," the Emperor said. "Moreover, his essay is steady and well-reasoned, showing his own insights."
Xiao Yun, sensing the Emperor's favor towards him, said, "It has nothing to do with him, but his family's conduct is not upright. His parents are biased and immoral, so it's hard to say if he himself is not of bad character..." This statement also implicitly criticized Minister Wang.
When the Wang family forced Wang Qingyao to break off her engagement, they must not have imagined that one day their family's petty affairs would reach the Emperor's ears and be seriously discussed by a Prince and the Emperor.
One official quickly reported, "This young Master Wang, this old official has met him. He is of noble character, meticulous in his work, and has his own principles."
The Emperor "Oh"ed and said to Xiao Yun, "Then let's observe him further?"
"Alright." Xiao Yun knew when to stop. "As I said, I can't be the judge. Everything is up to Imperial Uncle."
"You scoundrel!" The Emperor playfully cursed him.
Xiao Yun said, "When the Xiao family's merchant ships return from sea, I'll bring Imperial Uncle a novel item."
The Emperor waved his hand, "You may go."
Soon, it was the day the results of the spring imperial examinations were posted.
Families with candidates were extremely anxious, sending people to guard the posting boards early in the morning. The Wang family was no exception. Minister Wang even canceled all his social engagements, waiting for the messenger to return with news. Madam Bai was even more restless, twisting a handkerchief almost to shreds. Not only did they have a son taking the exam, but also a son-in-law. Naturally, they were more nervous than other families.
Wang Qingyao also sent Yin Zhu to wait in the front hall to report back to her as soon as there was any news. After all, this concerned her hundred taels of silver.
Before long, Yin Zhu ran back excitedly, her face flushed with excitement.
"Miss, Miss, it's a hit, it's a hit!" Only after entering the Lengxiang Courtyard did Yin Zhu dare to shout loudly, "Young Master Zeng has become the top scholar! Miss, you're going to be rich!"
Wang Qingyao exclaimed, "Ah!" and excitedly stood up from her chair, counting on her fingers how much money she had made. Young Master Zeng's popularity had not been as high as Tian Yu and Wang Zijing, so his odds were higher. Wang Qingyao had bet a large sum of one hundred taels, no one had bet more than her.
Calculating, after deducting the principal, she would earn approximately...
"Nine hundred taels!" In RMB, that would be about 1.8 million!
So much!
Yin Zhu could barely stand steady, and even Zhi Zi's face showed surprise.
Nian Mama said, "Miss now has dowry silver for her wedding."
Wang Qingyao was so happy she couldn't stop smiling, "Everyone gets a share, everyone gets a share. Yin Zhu, give everyone extra food tonight. Tell me whatever you want to eat, Miss will treat."
Everyone in the room laughed for a long time. Wang Qingyao then remembered to ask about the others.
"What rank did Eldest Young Master get?"
"Third place in the first rank."
Oh, a young *Tanhua* (third place in the imperial examination), that was quite remarkable.
"Eldest Young Master is a bit disappointed, but Eldest Master and Eldest Madam are overjoyed. They immediately gave out lucky money to the servants, and I even received a string of coins."
"What about Tian Yu?"
Yin Zhu showed a schadenfreude smile, "Miss, guess."
"Second place?"
Yin Zhu shook her head.
"First place in the second rank?"
Yin Zhu shook her head again, unable to hold back any longer, and laughed heartily, "Nineteenth place in the third rank, hahaha!"
Wang Qingyao was stunned, then also burst into laughter, "Oh my, wasn't he supposed to be a top scholar? How did he end up in the third rank?"
Wang Qingyao had read many ancient novels in modern times and knew that those in the third rank were granted the title of *Tong Jinshi* (fellow jinshi), their seniority was significantly lower than their peers, and they would start their official careers as county magistrates in the provinces.
Yin Zhu said, "I don't know about that."