Poet Immortal, Poet Sage, Duke of the State!

After the morning court session ended, the court officials walked out of the palace gates one after another.

Many officials smiled and clasped their hands in congratulations as they passed by Chen Wenyuan.

"Congratulations, Lord Chen!"

"The Chen family has truly produced a prodigy."

"We eagerly await the day when Lord Chen and Young Master Chen will serve as officials in the same court..."

"Lord Chen is a man of noble character and integrity, always thinking of the court and the greater good. He even declined the opportunity for his son to enter the Hanlin Academy. He is truly a role model for us all!"

……

Hearing everyone's congratulations, Chen Wenyuan felt very uncomfortable.

But he could only bow apologetically and respond politely.

As Qing Shuang passed by him, she had a sullen face, gave a heavy "humph," and then strode towards South Street.

A moment later, in the backyard of Qing Shuang Fang.

Qing Shuang stood with her hands on her hips, looking at Chen Chang'an and Princess Zhaoyue, and said angrily, "His Majesty had already agreed to let Chen Chang'an enter the Hanlin Academy directly, and no one else objected. But Chen Wenyuan stood up at this time, saying that it violated ancestral rules and would discourage the students of the world..."

Chen Chang'an smiled calmly and said, "What he said does make sense."

Qing Shuang was stunned for a moment, then said angrily, "He just doesn't want you to be happy, and you're still speaking up for him!"

Chen Chang'an shook his head; he wasn't speaking up for Chen Wenyuan.

Although Chen Wenyuan's motives were impure, his reasons were quite valid.

Only the top three in the imperial examinations could enter the Hanlin Academy. Each year, there were tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of candidates. It was truly a case of thousands of troops crossing a single-plank bridge. So many people had to go through several rounds of examinations to compete for just a few dozen Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations).

At this time, if someone could become an official without going through the imperial examination and directly enter the Hanlin Academy, rising to the top in one step, what would those candidates think?

This will directly lead to students' distrust of the imperial examination system. Perhaps there will be no serious consequences in the short term, but in the long run, the harm to the country will be enormous and irreversible.

Once trust collapses, it is not so easy to rebuild.

Princess Zhaoyue understood Chen Chang'an. She shook her head at Qing Shuang and said softly, "Although Chen Wenyuan's motives were impure, what he said was not without reason. Once this precedent is set, the consequences will be irreversible. Fortunately, His Majesty has granted him special favor, allowing him to directly participate in the provincial examination without having to take the previous exams, which can be considered as saving him a lot of effort..."

After saying that, she sighed softly and said, "His Majesty values ​​him too much. If His Majesty had not let him enter the Hanlin Academy, but instead let him start as a minor official of the seventh or eighth rank, perhaps there wouldn't have been so much opposition..."

Chen Chang'an smiled and said, "It's alright, this result is already very good. There are still three months until the imperial examination, that's enough..."

Qing Shuang immediately looked at him and asked, "Are you sure?"

Chen Chang'an smiled and said, "Let's give it a try first."

He had just asked Miss Gongyue about the details of the imperial examination.

The imperial examinations in Daning consisted of three sessions, testing essays, poetry, and policy discussions.

He didn't need to prepare any poems; his mind contained the essence of thousands of years of Chinese poetry culture. Any poem he picked out would be a game-changer for the Da Ning imperial examinations.

As for articles, Chen Chang'an also had quite a few on his mind.

For a PhD in Chinese language and literature, memorizing those well-known ancient masterpieces is just routine. If he were to write his own, although he couldn't compare to those great talents who have shaken the ages, his work would still be passable.

The final policy essay will usually test practical strategies for governing the country.

In this respect, Chen Chang'an's knowledge as a modern person can easily surpass that of these "ancient people".

He wasn't worried about the imperial examinations at all. He stood up, dusted off his sleeves, and said, "This is good news. Let's go to my house. I'll cook some extra dishes, and we'll celebrate..."

Qing Shuang and Princess Zhao Yue followed Chen Chang'an back to the small courtyard he had just rented.

Before long, the aroma of food wafted from the kitchen.

Meanwhile, a piece of news, like a drop of ink falling into water, began to spread rapidly throughout the capital.

This news came from various government offices.

It is said that during the morning court session, Xiao Qingshuang, the daughter of General Zhenyuan, admitted that the person who defeated the Yan envoy in the Golden Palace and won a city for Da Ning was none other than Chen Chang'an, the talented scholar who has recently been making waves in the capital.

Moreover, the poem "Though the Tortoise Lives Long" was also written by Chen Chang'an.

After hearing this, His Majesty decided to promote Chen Chang'an to the Hanlin Academy as a special honor to reward his contributions to the court.

However, this proposal was rejected by Chen Chang'an's biological father, Chen Wenyuan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

His reasoning was that promoting someone who hadn't even achieved the title of Xiucai (a lower-level scholar) to the Hanlin Academy without going through the imperial examinations would discourage scholars from all over the country.

After discussion, His Majesty and his court officials finally decided to let Chen Chang'an participate directly in the provincial examination in two months. If he can pass the imperial examination, he will be able to enter the Hanlin Academy regardless of his ranking.

The news caused an uproar throughout Beijing.

"Wasn't it Miss Qing Shuang who opposed the Yan Kingdom's envoy back then?"

"You're only just finding out? Back then, Miss Qing Shuang would always go out for a long time before returning, which clearly meant she was seeking help from someone."

"No wonder they co-founded Qing Shuang Fang..."

"Since 'The Tortoise's Longevity' was written by Chen Chang'an, then the two poems at Wangyue Tower must also be from Chen Chang'an's hand?"

"Is that even a question? I never believed that a woman from a military family could possess such literary talent..."

"Could that maidservant who was with Miss Qing Shuang that day be...?"

"Now that you mention it, I remember now. The maid's figure that day seemed quite similar to Young Master Chen's..."

"I used to think that women from military families had to be so aloof even when writing poetry, having their maids write it for them. Turns out, it's like this!"

……

Xiao Qingshuang was originally recognized as the most talented woman in the capital.

Now, although they know the inside story, nobody cares about whether she's a talented woman or not anymore.

The literary scene in Daning had been quiet for a long time, and now such a talented person has emerged.

When the nation was insulted by an enemy country, he stepped forward and turned the tide. Not only did he humiliate the enemy country and make its envoys so ashamed that they threw themselves against a pillar, but he also won a border city for the nation.

When the veteran generals in the court were despondent and gave up on themselves, he used only one poem to inspire them to continue to serve the court. Countless people were encouraged by the poem "Though the Tortoise Lives Long".

His line, "I force myself to write new poems to express my sorrow," made subsequent literati dare not write the word "sorrow" again. His line, "Don't laugh at me lying drunk on the battlefield," stirred the blood of countless people, and the number of people signing up for the army almost broke down the threshold of the Ministry of War.

Originally, because of that poem "Clouds think of clothes, flowers think of faces," Chen Chang'an's name had already circulated in a small circle of literary circles in the capital city, especially in brothels.

From this day forward, this name will resound throughout the capital, reaching a point where everyone knows it...