Poet Immortal, Poet Sage, Duke of the State!

Upon hearing them reveal their names, Chen Chang'an finally remembered that these were the courtesans for whom he had composed poems tailored to their names.

It is said that courtesans are heartless and ungrateful, but the fact that these girls got up early today to see him off to the exam in such cold weather warmed Chen Chang'an's heart.

He clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Thank you, ladies."

Princess Zhaoyue's gaze swept across the faces of these courtesans, but she said nothing.

Qing Shuang rolled her eyes at Chen Chang'an, but didn't say anything.

Although she disapproved of Chen Chang'an always being surrounded by various women, they were there to see him off for the exam, hoping for good luck, so she couldn't say anything.

The world is vast, but today, Chen Chang'an, the one conducting scientific research, is the greatest.

Moreover, since the princess didn't object, she couldn't say anything.

Princess Zhaoyue glanced at the women, nodded slightly, and said, "Let's all go together."

She and Qing Shuang walked on either side of Chen Chang'an, while Gu Qingcheng and the other courtesans followed half a step behind them, forming a special escort team that headed grandly towards the Imperial Examination Hall in the capital.

……

At this moment, at the entrance of the examination hall.

Just past half past 5 a.m., the square in front of the examination hall was already packed with people.

Nearly 10,000 candidates gathered from all over the capital and stood in the designated positions in the examination hall according to their place of origin.

One after another, candidates continued to enter the examination hall. Some walked in groups of three or five, some were accompanied by family and friends, and some were escorted by entourages.

The streets were bustling with noise.

Suddenly, a commotion arose from the crowd in the distance, followed by shouts of "Make way! Make way!"

Soon, a passageway parted in the crowded crowd.

A group of neatly dressed servants in blue robes jogged to clear the way, each holding a long stick, shouting as they herded the crowd to both sides.

Then, four burly men carried a huge plaque and slowly came into view.

The plaque was wrapped in red silk, and in the center were four large gilded characters: "Jinbang Timing" (meaning "passing the imperial examination with flying colors"). The characters were strong and powerful, and gold powder was sprinkled on the strokes, making them sparkle in the morning light.

Behind the plaque, a young gentleman rode atop a tall horse, wearing a brocade robe and a jade belt, his chin held high, his brows exuding an air of nobility.

They don't look like they're here to take an exam; they look more like they've passed and are being paraded through the streets.

Behind him followed a large entourage, numbering at least thirty or forty people.

The candidates in front of the examination hall watched this scene and discussed it among themselves.

"Who is this person, making such a grand entrance?"

"Isn't that a bit too pretentious?"

"You don't even recognize him? This is Zhang Huaiyu, the eldest son of the Zhang family in Fengzhou, a strong contender for the top scholar title in this imperial examination, and very likely to enter the Hanlin Academy directly..."

"So it's the Zhang family from Fengzhou. They're one of the top five prestigious families in the entire Daning region. No wonder they have such a grand display..."

……

Zhang Huaiyu rode his horse to the gate of the examination hall, dismounted cleanly and nimbly, stood at the gate, and glanced at the crowd with a smile.

His entourage followed him respectfully, each with their heads held high and chests puffed out, as if their young master had already passed the imperial examination.

The next moment, a commotion arose in the distance.

A burst of gongs and drums approached from afar, their lively rhythm like that of the New Year, causing the crowd to stir once again.

A group of musicians, dressed in bright red and green, walked over, beating drums and gongs.

Following the band was a large sedan chair carried by eight men, decorated in a magnificent manner. The curtains were made of brocade with gold thread embroidery, and tassels hung from the top of the chair, swaying back and forth, exuding an air of nobility.

The murmurs of conversation resumed.

"Who is this? Is this an exam or a wedding?"

"Judging from this sedan chair, it should belong to Qian Baiwan, the young master of the Qian family. His father is Qian Wanguan, whose family owns a money exchange and is the richest family in Da Ning, with shops all over the world..."

"No wonder, the son of the richest man always has such a grand entourage, with all the fanfare..."

"They have money, so they can show it off however they want. If you have money, you can too."

"Forget it, I can't afford to lose face like that."

……

The magnificent sedan chair stopped at the entrance of the examination hall. The curtain was lifted, and a plump young man emerged from the chair.

He wore a brocade robe, a longevity lock hanging on his chest, and a golden crown that gleamed brightly, clearly made of pure gold, exuding an air of wealth and power…

He casually raised his hand, and the sound of gongs and drums stopped abruptly. The musicians put away their instruments and stood obediently behind him.

Although the candidates who came after them had some grand send-offs, they were far from being able to compare with Zhang Huaiyuan and Qian Baiwan.

Not long after, another commotion broke out in the crowd.

This time, there was no gonging or drumming, nor were there any attendants clearing the way, but the crowd spontaneously made way for a wider passage.

The scene before them was so exaggerated that the candidates even forgot to discuss or exclaim in surprise.

At the end of the crowd, a group of people were walking slowly towards them.

Three figures were walking in front.

A handsome young man walked in the middle, with two young women beside him.

The woman on the left, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, is Xiao Qingshuang, the daughter of General Zhenyuan. The woman on the right, although wearing a veil, can be easily guessed from her figure and the parts of her face outside the veil that she is also a beauty.

But what's truly awe-inspiring is what's behind them.

Behind them followed a group of women.

Leading the way was Gu Qingcheng, the top of the ten most beautiful courtesans in the capital and also the most beautiful woman in the capital.

She was unusually not wearing a veil today, and looked as beautiful as if she had stepped out of a painting.

The woman behind Gu Qingcheng was familiar to many people here.

Caiwei Girl, Peony Girl, Warm Jade Girl, Yingying Girl… not long ago, the top ten courtesans selected by the brothels of the capital based on popularity were all present…

Each of these courtesans was a stunning beauty. The ten of them stood in a row, as if they had gathered all the most beautiful scenery in the capital and were walking towards this direction.

The students participating in the imperial examination looked back and forth across their faces, unsure of which one to look at first.

Some people dropped their examination papers on the ground without even noticing.

Someone had their mouth open and forgot to close it for a moment.

Zhang Huaiyu and Qian Baiwan, who had just been the center of attention, were now completely ignored.

After a moment of silence, the crowd erupted into a deafening uproar.

"Girl Picking Ferns, Girl Peony, Girl Warm Jade..."

"Have all ten of the capital's most beautiful courtesans arrived?"

"Who is so capable as to invite the top ten courtesans to escort them to the exam?"

"Even Miss Gu has come! This is a sight to behold, a once-in-a-century event!"

……

The ten most beautiful courtesans in the capital belonged to different brothels.

Normally it would be difficult to see any of them, so no one expected that they would be able to see all of them at the same time. Many students stared at them, unable to look away for even a moment.

However, they quickly realized what was happening.

These courtesans have come to see the examinees off!

Who on earth had the ability to invite the top ten courtesans to accompany them to the exam?

It's important to know that these top brothels in the capital all have impressive backgrounds. What kind of connections would it take for the top ten courtesans to accompany the students to the imperial examination?

All eyes turned to the young man at the very front.

With so many people watching, even Chen Chang'an, who had a thick skin, couldn't help but feel embarrassed, and he slowly stopped in his tracks...

He glanced back at the breathtakingly beautiful courtesans behind him and finally realized that his procession for the exam seemed rather ostentatious…