My younger sister insisted on marrying me and made me the Marquis' wife.

Chapter 694 A Journey to the North

When it comes to the imperial examinations, no scholar is uninterested; they all hold their breath, waiting for what's to come.

At this moment, Scholar Wu paused briefly, looked around at everyone, and asked, "Do you know why?"

Why?

Wu, the scholar, said, "Qin Siyuan's poems are mediocre and lack any inspiration. The Grand Master of Ceremonies has tried countless methods to teach him, but none of them have improved him in the slightest."

At first I didn't believe it, but after seeing his poem I did.

Qin Siyuan couldn't help but lower his eyes.

The crowd was in an uproar.

Poetry and lyrics carried significant weight in the imperial examinations. If one did not perform well, no matter how solid one's knowledge was, it would be difficult to achieve a good ranking. It would be a blessing if one did not fall into the ranks of the top scholars.

Everyone felt a little regretful.

But soon someone realized what was going on and said, "How could that be? Qin Siyuan's poems only became widely known after they were included in the 'Poems of Yuyuantan,' and the ones included in 'Firefly Collection' are even better."

Wu, the scholar, said, "That's exactly right. Those of us who are familiar with Qin Siyuan's studies are all very surprised. When did Qin Siyuan suddenly discover the secret to poetry and become so talented?"

Lin Ziqi immediately said sternly, "I wonder what it is. I know very well that Siyuan was enlightened by the young master of Nantang and opened his heart to poetry. On the day we visited Yuyuantan Park, there were also Master Gu from the Dingbei Marquis's Mansion and me. We saw Siyuan composing poetry with our own eyes."

What a wonderful experience to see it with one's own eyes!

Qin Yuan couldn't help but slightly twitch the corners of her lips.

Sure enough, Scholar Wu sneered, "You saw him compose the poem with your own eyes, but did you see Young Master Nantang give him pointers on how to compose a poem?"

Lin Ziqi was taken aback: "What do you mean by this?"

"What do you mean?" Wu, the scholar, exclaimed. "His poetry is worlds apart from what it used to be. And Young Master Nantang has always disliked seeing people. How could he have improved like this after just a few pointers? If he had this kind of comprehension, why couldn't Master Qin teach him no matter what he tried?"

“What you’re saying,” Lin Ziqi immediately said, “is it because Young Master Nantang taught me well and made it clear?”

Qin Siyuan interjected, "Regardless of what Brother Wu says, I was indeed fortunate to receive guidance from Young Master Nantang, which opened my eyes to poetry."

Wu, the scholar, sneered a few times: "Not entirely. I'd rather believe that you and Young Master Nantang are colluding to deceive the world and steal a reputation."

When this statement came out, everyone was lost.

The accusation of deceiving the world and stealing a reputation is far too serious.

Lin Ziqi stood there blankly, seemingly too frightened to speak.

Lord Gu was furious, and Mr. Songshan quickly said, "Lord Gu, please calm down and don't fall into their trap."

Qin Yuan also said, "I won't stop you even if you break his teeth in the future, but not now."

"Hmm," Lord Gu responded heavily through his nose, his eyes fixed on the two people below the stage.

Those who dare to provoke him are truly audacious!
Princess Fuyun's face was pale, her almond-shaped eyes filled with worry as she asked Prince Qi, "How could this be?"

How can these intellectuals be so ugly?

If the young master of Nantang wanted a worldly reputation, why would he choose to live in seclusion?

King Qi frowned and said, "This matter is aimed at the Qin family, and I'm afraid it's also aimed at the Marquis of Dingbei's residence. Unfortunately, there's a traitor within the Qin family..."

Princess Fuyun asked in surprise, "You mean...them?"

King Qi nodded.

Princess Fuyun, with tears in her eyes, said, "They...they've gone too far."

"This is going too far!" King Qi couldn't help but laugh.

The younger sister is still young, and the struggle for the throne has always been like this.

As the saying goes, the victor is king and the loser is a bandit. The defeated lose not only their lives and property, but even in death they will be distorted and ridiculed by future generations, never finding peace for eternity.

"Please calm down. Chief Minister Qin is an upright man and the leader of the righteous faction. His nephew is probably no less so. Young Master Nantang is exceptionally talented. How could he possibly join forces with others to do such despicable things?"

Princess Fuyun was still full of sorrow: "But people are foolish and often believe whatever others say. The rising fame of the young master of Nantang has already aroused jealousy, and this turmoil of the scholar Qin was ultimately caused by us."

If I were to implicate them, I would have no peace of mind.

After a moment of silence, King Qi said, "If even the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion can't protect them, I'm afraid you and I..."

The alliance with the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion became a joke.

When you're at that point, you'll be struggling to survive, so how can you possibly think about others?

Princess Fuyun's eyes reddened slightly, and she remained silent.

King Qi then said calmly, "A few days ago, I read the outer chapter of Zhuangzi, 'Knowing the North,' and there was a sentence that resonated with me: 'Your body is not your own; it is a form entrusted to you by Heaven and Earth. Life is not your own; it is a combination entrusted to you by Heaven and Earth.'"

The body is merely a temporary shell borrowed by heaven and earth, and life is the harmonious energy of heaven and earth. When these conditions come together, they form me.

Fu Yun, our relationship in this life is but a fleeting connection. Even if we are destined to meet again in the next life, we will not be the same people we are now.

In this way, the scene appears even more desolate against the backdrop of such a bustling and opulent streetscape.

Princess Fuyun looked at her brother blankly, clearly not understanding why he would say such a thing at this moment.

King Qi looked up at the pavilion and said, "Everyone here is here because of this fate. You only need to have a clear conscience. You should not be timid or hesitant. Being timid and hesitant will not change the outcome in the slightest."

In a fierce battle, some will win and some will lose. Even in defeat, it is deserved, so why be sad?

Princess Fuyun also turned her head to look at the pavilion and sighed softly.

After a long pause, he finally said, "Yes."

Upstairs, Qin Siyuan asked, "What evidence does Scholar Wu have to support his claim that I and Young Master Nantang are deceitful and fraudulent?"

Everyone agreed, "That's right, such an important matter cannot be discussed without any evidence."

Wu, the scholar, sneered, "Although we have not been roommates for long, you should know that I am not such a frivolous person. If I did not have real evidence, why would I say it in public?"

Qin Yuan whispered a few words to Qin Siyuan.

Qin Siyuan said, "It's really simple to tell the truth from the falsehood... but since you say you have solid evidence, please show it to everyone."

Lin Ziqi hurriedly said, "This matter is of utmost importance, and we are all classmates and friends. How can we let it escalate to this point? Why don't you two do this for my sake..."

Wu, the scholar, said sternly, "Lin, the scholar! Were all those words you just said nonsense? Just now in front of everyone you said you would never protect Qin Siyuan because of marriage ties, and that you would help the right side! How come you're trying to smooth things over now that I'm about to produce solid evidence?"

Lin Ziqi angrily said, "You really don't appreciate kindness. You're just a lowly scholar, yet you've made such a big fuss. What exactly are you trying to do? Are you being instructed by someone else?"

On the surface, they are protecting each other, but in reality, they are drawing criticism.

Qin Siyuan's gaze toward Lin Ziqi grew increasingly disappointed.

Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately erupted in protest, saying, "What do you mean a mere scholar has made such a big fuss? Are we all forbidden to speak?"

"Yes, that's because you're just a lowly scholar!"

Someone brought up the old story again.

"The Marquis of Dingbei's mansion just likes to suppress people's opinions. Just now, that Mr. Songshan kept saying that there are too many scholars, and the court can't even read all the memorials submitted to the government. That's exactly what he said."