Poet Immortal, Poet Sage, Duke of the State!

When Qing Shuang saw Chen Chang'an at home, she was completely stunned.

Shouldn't he be taking the imperial examination at the examination hall right now? Why is he at home? Did he give up the exam?

Even Princess Zhaoyue showed a rare expression of shock.

Chen Chang'an placed his examination certificate and household registration certificate on the table, stretched his body, and said, "You're back now that the exam is over? The food at the examination hall is awful, just steamed buns and pickled vegetables. The beds in the cells are so small you can't even stretch your legs out. Am I supposed to sit there and eat steamed buns and pickled vegetables for three days straight?"

"Finished the exam?"

Qing Shuang still stared at him in shock, saying incredulously, "This is only the first day—no, only three hours have passed! Others take three days to take the exam, and you finished in three hours?"

Chen Chang'an shrugged and said, "The questions for this imperial examination are very simple; three hours should be enough."

Qing Shuang said anxiously, "Why don't you check it more thoroughly? This is the imperial examination, it only happens once every three years, why are you in such a hurry..."

It wasn't that Chen Chang'an didn't want to get checked, but rather that there was no need for an examination.

Adding even a single word to Xunzi's writings or the poems of Li Bai, Wang Wei, and Su Shi would be superfluous.

As for those three policy essays, he had already done his best, and there was nothing to change. He might as well come back sooner rather than suffer in the cell.

Qing Shuang wanted to say something more, but Princess Zhao Yue tugged at her sleeve and said, "Never mind, as long as you've finished answering, it's fine. The imperial examination isn't about who takes the longest..."

Then, she looked at Chen Chang'an and asked, "What are the topics for the essays and policy proposals this time?"

She didn't ask about poetry, because for him, poetry was the last thing he needed to worry about.

Chen Chang'an said, "The essay topic was 'Encouraging Learning,' and the policy questions covered salt administration, imperial examination reform, and commercial tax reform—all areas I'm good at, so I answered relatively quickly..."

He let out a long sigh of relief and said, "Finally, it's over. Let's go out and buy some groceries, and celebrate at home tonight..."

He hadn't cooked for almost two months and was itching to get back to cooking.

Qing Shuang instantly stopped worrying about Chen Chang'an handing in his paper early. She hadn't eaten Chen Chang'an's cooking for two months and was craving it terribly. As soon as Chen Chang'an finished speaking, she ran to the kitchen and grabbed the vegetable basket...

Just as the three of them finished shopping and returned home, news about Chen Chang'an abandoning the exam had already begun to circulate in a small circle in the capital.

Although the candidates inside the examination hall could not leave, there were many family members and attendants of the candidates waiting outside.

They saw Chen Chang'an the moment he came out of the examination hall.

In recent days, the imperial examination has undoubtedly been the most talked-about topic.

After the news spread from these people, it quickly spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the streets and alleys.

"Have you heard? That Chen Chang'an left the examination hall after only three hours of the exam."

"Oh, isn't the exam going to last three days?"

"The exam didn't start until noon, but he came out at dusk. He probably couldn't finish it and just gave up..."

"Tsk tsk, I thought he was something special, the number one scholar in the capital, the poet of courtesans, and this is all he is?"

"What's the use of writing good poetry? The imperial examination tests essays and policy discussions. His brothel poems are hardly worthy of serious consideration..."

"That's true. There are plenty of people who can write poetry, but how many of them can pass the imperial examination?"

……

People always enjoy watching a spectacle. They love to see an unknown person rise to fame overnight and become powerful, and they also love to see a renowned talent fall from grace and fall from grace...

The rumors about Chen Chang'an became increasingly outrageous. Some said he fainted during the exam, others said he was caught cheating and kicked out by the examiners, and still others claimed he could only write poetry and lyrics, not essays or policy discussions, and couldn't come up with a single line no matter how hard he tried, so he gave up the exam...

Despite the numerous rumors, the consensus is that this renowned scholar in the capital has likely failed the imperial examination.

Of course, there were also those who spoke up for Chen Chang'an.

"You people are speaking too soon. What if the other person has already finished writing and handed in their paper?"

"What can you write in three hours? You probably can't even finish one article."

"I think he just can't write it, so he might as well give up on the exam."

"Tsk tsk, you're usually quite good at writing poetry, lyrics, and plays, but you're exposed when it comes to serious exams."

"Of course! Poetry and couplets are mere pastimes; true skill lies in writing essays and political strategies. What does a businessman know about governing a country?"

"Then he's wasted the special imperial examination slot His Majesty granted him?"

……

The Chen residence.

Side hall.

Upon hearing Chen Fu's report, Zhao suddenly stood up from her chair, completely ignoring the tea that had spilled on her clothes, and exclaimed excitedly, "What did you say? That bastard skipped the exam?"

Chen Fu bowed and said with a smile, "Reporting to Madam, it is absolutely true. Many people at the entrance of the examination hall saw him leave the examination hall three hours after the exam began..."

Zhao sat down again, and a genuine smile finally appeared on her face. A ray of light finally shone into her heart, which had been gloomy because of Chen Chang'an these past few days.

These days, the name Chen Chang'an has been like a boulder weighing on her heart, making it hard for her to breathe.

That woman's son was a talented poet and writer of couplets, made a fortune in business, and was even granted special permission by His Majesty to participate in the imperial examinations...

Each and every one of these things caused her immense distress.

His own son was hopeless, while that woman's son was always getting attention; he couldn't have been more upset...

Now look what happened. He was a disappointment; he skipped the provincial exam on the very first day. With so many eyes watching, he finally lost face in front of everyone...

Zhao felt much better. She picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and said disdainfully, "I thought he was some kind of remarkable person, but he's just all show and no substance. He thinks he can pass the imperial examinations by writing a few pretentious poems and composing a few couplets. He's a lowly bastard. Once he's actually in the examination hall, he immediately shows his weakness..."

A moment later, in the study.

Chen Wenyuan sat by the bed, holding a book in his hand. After listening to Chen Fu's story, he was not as happy as Zhao Shi, but fell into a long silence.

Logically, he should be happy.

If Chen Chang'an fails the imperial examination, he will not be able to enter the Hanlin Academy or become an official. In the future, he will not be able to serve as a minister alongside him in the imperial court, and they will not have to face each other every day.

This was the reason he opposed Chen Chang'an's exceptional admission to the Hanlin Academy.

Now that he has achieved his goal, upon hearing this news, he feels no joy at all, but rather a sense of emptiness and melancholy.

That was his son, the son he had once held and on whom he had placed great hopes.

This conflicting feeling of not wanting him to pass the exam, yet also wanting him to pass so as to bring honor to the Chen family, left him in a state of extreme inner turmoil…

at the same time.

The Imperial Palace of Daning.

The Imperial Study.

As the Emperor of Da Ning listened to Yun Zhan's report, he slowly put down the memorial he had just picked up, a hint of doubt and disappointment on his face. He murmured, "Could it be that I misjudged him?"