Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

At dawn, a burst of sunlight poured down, illuminating the hazy sky and gilding the roof tiles with a golden edge.

Beneath the red steps of the Wenhe Hall, nearly five hundred scholars, dressed in round-necked blue robes and wearing Confucian caps, stood respectfully, awaiting their final leap over the Dragon Gate.

The candidates were arranged on both sides according to their ranking in the metropolitan examination, with odd-numbered candidates on the left and even-numbered candidates on the right.

The palace stood majestically, and everyone kept in mind the rules and etiquette, lowering their eyes and holding their breath.

When Pei Lian entered the ranks, he glanced at the candidates around him out of the corner of his eye, but did not see "Jiang San" at all.

He couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

At the Mangshan Poetry Gathering, they only competed in poetry and playing the zither. The essay competition was stopped by Jiang Daru, so they couldn't determine who was better.

But he knew in his heart that the gentlemen all tacitly agreed that his policy essays were not as good as "Jiang San's".

He was unwilling to accept this, and originally thought that if "Jiang San" also entered the palace examination, it would be a good opportunity to have a fair and square competition.

However, he had specifically inquired and found that there were no Jiang-surname scholars ranked high on the list.

He wondered if even the surname "Jiang" might be fake, but he couldn't find this person under the imperial steps.

I don't know if "Jiang San" didn't participate in this year's imperial examination or what.

With a clear and melodious chime, the officials from the Ministry of Rites began to call out the names.

The scholars filed in, like a blue tide, surging into the Wenhe Hall from both side gates.

The newly appointed tribute scholars lowered their heads and looked down at the three inches below their feet, not daring to look directly at the emperor's face. They could only vaguely see an incomparably noble figure sitting high on the throne.

"kneel--"

Their foreheads touched the ground, and their blue sleeves spread out like butterfly wings on the gleaming floor tiles, their movements perfectly synchronized.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The roar of cheers echoed through the majestic palace, fueled by the youthful enthusiasm and passion of those just entering officialdom, and resounded like ocean waves, making one's eardrums ache.

As the echo faded, accompanied by the sound of fingers lightly tapping the armrest of the throne, a young voice rang out: "Rise."

It was just a single word, yet it carried the imposing aura of someone who had long held a high position. Even when they were in the same hall, it gave people a sense of distance, as if they were being looked down upon from above by a towering mountain.

Qin Ji's gaze swept across the hall, and several familiar faces, like nails, jumped out from the dense crowd of hundreds of tribute scholars, piercing his eyes and making his nerves twitch slightly.

Although no one dares to look up at his face now, it's uncertain whether the scholars will be able to do so once they're seated.

After all, for many of them, there may only be a few opportunities to meet the emperor in their lifetime, and who wouldn't be curious about what the emperor looks like?

If you glance at it discreetly during the exam, as long as you're careful enough, who could possibly notice?

Qin Ji made a tyrannical decision in his mind: anyone who spied on the emperor's countenance and showed any sign of abnormality would be killed!

"Take your seats—" an official from the Ministry of Rites announced loudly.

The eunuchs filed out and led the tribute scholars to kneel and sit behind low tables.

His Majesty's voice reached the ears of the tribute scholars once again.

"Today's palace examination will test your knowledge of teaching and current affairs. Do not be reserved; answer freely."

"Distribute the exam papers and prepare for the exam."

With a command given, the exam papers and writing materials were distributed and laid out on the desks. The candidates sat upright, waiting for the bell to ring to signal the start of the exam.

Previously, he had only heard one word and hadn't heard it clearly, but when this command came down, Fang Yanqing twitched his ears and felt that it sounded very familiar.

How strange, why does this little emperor's voice sound familiar?

That shouldn't be the case...

Not only him, but several other people had similar thoughts.

Gu Zhenhe lowered his head, his hands clenched into fists and pressed against his legs, analyzing which person's voice the emperor's was similar to.

Actually... you'd know if you just took a quick look.

Gu Zhenhe restrained his desire to spy on the emperor's face.

We can't be too blatant. Even if we want to look, we should wait until after the exam starts and try to conceal it.

Fu Xingjian frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed. He kept his eyes fixed on the small area in front of him, showing no extra curiosity.

Pei Lian's mind was filled with thoughts of "I must perform well today." If he could get into the top class, not only would his teacher be proud, but he could also prove himself to "Jiang San" and to those teachers who previously thought his strategy was inferior to "Jiang San".

Most importantly, if he can get into the top class, the teacher will be happy, and he might be able to put in a good word for his senior and ease the tension between the teacher and his senior.

Chen Han's heart pounded like thunder. He had only heard his savior say one sentence, but that voice was deeply engraved in his mind. Although His Majesty's two sentences were short, they triggered his memories and resonated with the voice in his memory.

After returning from Mangshan that day, he sent people to investigate clues about his savior, but after two whole months, they found nothing.

Could it be... no, that's impossible. He must be dreaming, or he's gone crazy trying to find his savior?

He had never seen his savior's face, only a glimpse of his jawline. Even if he could see his face, it would be difficult to tell if it was the same person.

But at that time, "Jiang San" went up the mountain with Gu Zhenhe.

Chen Han glanced furtively in Gu Zhenhe's direction out of the corner of her eye.

Liu Qinghong kept his eyes down, seemingly focused on his own thoughts, but his hands trembled almost imperceptibly beneath his sleeves.

Although his sister had reminded him that the young master who had arrested him earlier was His Majesty, the feeling was still different from seeing and hearing it with his own eyes and ears.

Good heavens, not only did he sneak over the city wall at night, but he almost "risked his life" for the foreign race and ended up running right into His Majesty's hands.

Although his head is still on his neck, the hundred strokes of the Emperor's decree still cause him occasional phantom pain.

Does this count as a prior offense?

If I were to become an official in the future, would I have to be extremely cautious and humble?

Amidst the chaotic thoughts of the crowd, a powerful chime resounded through the Wenhe Hall.

The master of ceremonies announced, "The examination begins; candidates, please answer—"

The candidates untied the thin red strings binding their exam papers and spread the questions out on the desk.

The sounds of pages turning and brushes being lifted from their holders rose and fell.

At the same time, a restless gaze, disguised by flipping through exam papers, landed on the face of someone who shouldn't have been there.

With a "thud," the calligraphy brush fell to the ground, the crisp sound particularly jarring in the hall.

All eyes turned to him from all directions.

While dropping a pen during the imperial examination wasn't as serious as "staining the exam paper," it was still enough to be considered an immediate and devastating mistake.

Not only would they be scrutinized by the scholars, but they might even leave the Emperor with the impression that they are "impulsive and unfit for important tasks."

Gu Zhenhe didn't care about anything else. His back was covered in cold sweat, and he just tucked his stiff hands into his sleeves and lowered his eyes.

Her mind raced through every single moment of her interactions with "Jiang San."

He's not dead, he's not dead. He just tried to pay His Majesty to fight for him, and he stole some of His Majesty's men a few times...

What is this?

How many people are listed in his family tree?

What was his father's name again?

Dead brain, why can't I remember all of this suddenly?

...

First update delivered, goal achieved! Second update will be after midnight, the palace examination everyone has been eagerly awaiting is here!