Poet Immortal, Poet Sage, Duke of the State!

Qing Shuang and Princess Zhao Yue walked into the backyard side by side and saw Chen Chang'an sitting alone on a stone bench, lost in thought.

This was the first time Qing Shuang had seen Chen Chang'an like this in all the time she had known him.

She slowed her pace, walked to his side, peeked at him, and whispered, "Hey, are you alright? Were you scared, or are you captivated by Gu Qingcheng?"

Chen Chang'an snapped out of his reverie, looked up at the two women, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly asked, "What's the proper path to becoming an official in Da Ning?"

"To become an official?"

Qing Shuang paused for a moment, then said without thinking, "To become an official, you either need to pass the civil service exam or the military exam. The civil service exam is the formal imperial examination, held every three years. If you pass, you can enter the court. As for the military exam, our Great Ning values ​​military prowess over civil service, so it's held every year. If you pass, you can directly become an officer. Another way is to start as a common soldier. As long as you accumulate enough military merits, you can gradually rise through the ranks..."

After she finished speaking, she suddenly realized what she was doing and asked, "Why are you asking this?"

As if realizing something, she exclaimed happily, "You want to be an official?"

Princess Zhaoyue stood behind Qing Shuang, her face expressionless, but her gaze was fixed on Chen Chang'an.

Chen Chang'an looked up at the two of them and nodded: "Mm."

Qing Shuang was taken aback for a moment, then immediately sat down next to Chen Chang'an and asked, "Why do you suddenly want to become an official?"

Chen Chang'an didn't explain further, but simply smiled and said, "I just suddenly realized something."

Today in court, the magistrate of Wannian County can decide a person's life or death with a single strike of his gavel.

This made Chen Chang'an realize that without power and influence, no matter how much money he had, it would still belong to someone else.

Those in power and influence can easily find a reason to crush him if they ever dislike him.

Although he has a friend like Qing Shuang, Qing Shuang isn't always there for him.

His destiny must be in his own hands.

This is something that can only be accomplished by becoming an official.

The higher he climbs in the officialdom, the fewer people can control his fate.

Even though this path is difficult and fraught with risks, he was given this life by chance, so why not take a chance? He never wanted to live the life he used to be, where he was at the mercy of others and manipulated by them...

Princess Zhaoyue looked at Chen Chang'an, and in that brief moment, some changes had occurred in him that she couldn't quite explain.

She looked at Chen Chang'an, smiled slightly, and said, "Others have to go through countless hardships to enter the imperial court as officials, but you don't have to..."

Chen Chang'an was slightly taken aback and asked, "Why?"

Princess Zhaoyue explained, "That time, when the Yan envoy provoked us, you not only restored the dignity of the court, but also won a border city for Da Ning. With such a great achievement, shouldn't you be rewarded with an official position?"

Qing Shuang nodded repeatedly and said, "I will go to the palace right away and report to His Majesty that you were actually the one who composed the couplet last time, and ask His Majesty to appoint you to an official position..."

She acted on her idea immediately, and was about to leave in a hurry when Princess Zhaoyue grabbed her wrist and said, "Don't rush. Go to court tomorrow morning, in front of all the civil and military officials. That way, all the courtiers will know about his achievements, and His Majesty can then rightfully bestow an official title upon him..."

……

early morning.

Qinzheng Hall.

The morning court session proceeded as usual. Emperor Daming sat on the dragon throne, listening to several ministers report in turn on matters concerning border military affairs and the autumn grain harvest.

His expression remained unchanged, revealing no particular emotion. Occasionally, he would pick up a vermilion pen and write a couple of words on a memorial, his gaze sweeping over Chen Wenyuan in the ranks of civil officials.

He already knew what was about to happen and was now somewhat looking forward to Chen Wenyuan's performance.

Chen Wenyuan stood in the ranks, his eyes fixed straight ahead, as if he were concerned about matters of state.

In fact, he hadn't slept a wink last night because of Chen Chang'an's matter, and was now extremely exhausted.

Just after an official from the Ministry of Revenue finished reporting, a eunuch entered the hall, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, Xiao Qingshuang, the daughter of General Zhenyuan, is requesting an audience outside the hall, saying she has important matters to report..."

The Emperor of Da Ning put down his vermilion brush, having already anticipated this. A slight smile curved his lips as he nodded and said, "Summon."

"Yes, sir!"

The eunuch responded, then turned around and shouted loudly towards the outside of the hall, "Summon Xiao Qingshuang into the hall!"

The officials in the hall all turned their heads and began to whisper among themselves.

The last time Xiao Qingshuang came to the Golden Palace was when the Yan Kingdom's envoys provoked her. That time, she single-handedly faced three opponents and turned the tide, making everyone remember her.

She has come here again today, but I don't know why.

Qing Shuang strode into the main hall, stopped, and respectfully bowed, saying, "Your subject, Xiao Qing Shuang, greets Your Majesty."

The Emperor of Da Ning nodded slightly: "Rise, Qing Shuang. What brings you to see me today?"

Qing Shuang straightened up, cleared her throat, and said, "Your Majesty, I have come today to discuss the matter of the couplets I composed for the Yan envoy in the Golden Hall that day. To be honest... those couplets were not composed by me."

The hall was silent for a moment, then a murmur of discussion immediately broke out.

In fact, the officials and civil servants had long suspected this.

On that day, Qing Shuang went in and out of the palace three times, each time panting heavily before reciting the second line of the couplet. Anyone who saw it knew that the couplet was definitely not something she had composed on the spot.

Everyone tacitly agreed that since she had saved face for the court, it didn't matter who was right.

Hearing her admit it herself now isn't too surprising.

A high-ranking scholar stroked his beard and chuckled, "It seems there is indeed another master behind those couplets..."

The scholars all breathed a sigh of relief.

This at least shows that they, who have studied all their lives, have not lost to a little girl.

Someone immediately chimed in, "If that's the case, then the poem 'Though the Tortoise Lives Long' probably wasn't written by her either."

"Perhaps the two excellent poems she composed at the Wangyue Tower poetry gathering that day were not her work either..."

"Who is this person? He is proficient in both couplets and poetry. Could he be a reclusive scholar?"

……

Emperor Da Ning leaned back on his dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials before turning to Qing Shuang. Knowing full well the answer, he asked, "Since you didn't compose these couplets, who wrote them? He has rendered such a great service to the court, relieving it from a predicament. I will reward him handsomely!"

Qing Shuang's face lit up with joy. She straightened her back and said, word by word, "Your Majesty, those couplets and the poem 'Though the Tortoise Lives Long' were written by a friend of mine named Chen Chang'an."

After Qing Shuang finished speaking, the hall was silent for a moment before erupting into chaos.

"Chen Chang'an? Isn't he Lord Chen's son?"

"Is that the eldest son who was kicked out of the house?"

"Did he compose the couplet for the State of Yan, and also write 'Though the Tortoise Lives Long'?"

"Wait a minute, isn't that Shen An, who wrote 'Clouds remind me of her clothes, flowers remind me of her face' at Qunyu Tower that day?"

"It's him. Shen An is his alias."

"Just how many other skills does this person possess? He's excelled in everything – couplets, poetry, business – to the extreme?"

"The Chen family has produced a prodigy..."

……

The officials around Chen Wenyuan snapped out of their daze, their faces breaking into smiles as they clasped their hands in greeting, "Lord Chen, congratulations, congratulations!"

"With such a prodigy, how could Lord Chen still keep him hidden away..."

"Lord Chen has a worthy successor..."

……

Congratulations were offered one after another. After Qing Shuang finished speaking, Chen Wenyuan stood there blankly, as if struck by lightning.

Were all those couplets composed by Chen Chang'an?

Did he also write "The Tortoise's Longevity"?

In other words, on that day in the Golden Palace, the son on whom he had placed so much hope had utterly disgraced him in front of His Majesty and the entire court... while his eldest son, whom he had banished, had single-handedly turned the tide and rendered unparalleled service to the court...

In that instant, Chen Wenyuan's world fell silent...

His gaze was somewhat unfocused, his thoughts no longer wandering in the main hall. He was in a daze, as if floating in the void, with only Qing Shuang's words echoing in his mind.

"His name is Chen Chang'an..."

"Chen Chang'an..."

"Chang'an..."

Chen Wenyuan closed his eyes and collapsed. His colleagues rushed to support him, shouting, "Lord Chen has fainted from excitement..."