After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

"Uh... okay!" Ning Nan paused for a moment, then nodded.

The white horse galloped away, raising a cloud of dust, followed by a squad of Imperial Guards.

Seeing the emerald green figure disappear at the end of the street, Ning Nan withdrew his gaze and instructed Qi Dongsheng to continue driving towards the Zhenguo Marquis's residence.

Just then, he discovered that Qin Yuanyao was still following him.

The female commander calmly answered his question, saying that she would personally go to the Marquis's residence to offer her congratulations on behalf of the Imperial Guard Commandery.

"Oh..." Ning Nan's expression froze for a moment, then he showed a look of understanding.

That's true. He glanced at the female commander in her dark blue casual clothes. The eldest son of the Marquis of Zhenguo was the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and his seventh son, Shangguan Xiu, was a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and also Qin Yuanyao's subordinate. It was perfectly normal for Qin Yuanyao to be there to offer her congratulations.

He looked back and saw that Qian Sijin was there too.

This Imperial Guard carrying a two-section spear was originally just an ordinary captain, but this time, together with Xu Tong, he made great contributions and has been promoted to a junior officer, able to lead ten men.

Now, Qian Sijin is leading their banner, following Qin Yuanyao.

When the group arrived at the Zhenguo Marquis's residence, it was almost noon.

In those days, transportation was inconvenient, so in order to accommodate guests who came from afar, wealthy families often ate their main meals in the evening and only received guests one after another during the day.

The Hou Mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers on both sides, and the main gate was wide open. Guests were coming and going in an endless stream, and the carriages parked in front of the gate were more and more luxurious than the last.

Ning Nan carried a long brocade box containing his calligraphy work, "Qing Yu An," with his name affixed to the outside. He walked slowly toward the main gate with Qin Yuanyao and the others.

At the main entrance, several young men and some stewards were politely greeting the guests, accepting their gifts, and then inviting them inside.

"What gift did you give?" Ning Nan asked Qin Yuanyao.

The other party took a red brocade box from the guards behind him and said that he hadn't prepared much and only planned to send a thousand-year-old ginseng.

A thousand-year-old ginseng... it must be worth at least a thousand taels of silver...

Ning Nan blinked and said, "Then you really didn't prepare properly."

Qin Yuanyao glanced at him sideways: "What gift did Young Master Ning send this time?"

Ning Nan tilted his head slightly and said, "A piece of calligraphy."

"Oh... I wonder which master wrote this?" Qin Yuanyao frowned... Sending calligraphy as a gift is indeed an elegant affair. Perhaps His Highness Prince Xin was afraid that this person would disgrace the Prince's Mansion, so he asked a master to buy a piece of calligraphy that was appropriate for the occasion.

The relationship between the imperial family and the Shangguan family was extraordinary; Prince Xin and the emperor did indeed attach great importance to the Shangguan family.

Ning Nan said softly, "Mine."

Qin Yuanyao didn't quite hear her, and her brows furrowed even deeper, asking him to repeat himself.

Ning Nan smiled and said nothing more... If someone overheard, it would be embarrassing, so it was best to send it secretly.

I imagine Xiuxiu would really like it... Enough for Xiuxiu to go to a brothel and pretend to be a talented scholar for twenty years.

Just as they were about to step onto the steps of the Marquis of Zhenguo's mansion.

Just then, a somewhat familiar voice came over.

"Brother Ning?"

Ning Nan frowned. The voice sounded familiar, but why... was it somewhat unpleasant?

Turning my head, I realized... not only was the other person's voice unpleasant, but they were also unattractive.

About ten steps behind him, a young man dressed in brocade blue robes was patting a folding fan and smiling at him.

This young master was handsome and had an extraordinary demeanor. He was followed by many people, giving the impression of being surrounded by a retinue. But upon closer inspection, the most important figures were the two people standing beside him.

On the left was a young man wearing a melon-shaped hat, his face somewhat pale; on the right was a middle-aged man dressed as a wealthy landowner. This middle-aged man possessed an imposing, dignified air, appearing to be an official.

"Heh, hello Young Master Qin." Ning Nan smiled and greeted him.

He remembered that the man's name was Qin Yun, courtesy name Baixia.

I met him at the last North-South Poetry Gathering. Xiuxiu told me that he is the grandson of the Grand Secretary.

This young master Qin was born into a prominent family and enjoyed a life of luxury and ease from a young age, but he was not the kind of spoiled brat who would just laze around and do nothing.

In the eyes of the people of Nanjing, this young master Qin had studied diligently at the Imperial Academy for more than ten years, possessing a vast knowledge of literature. He also had a wide circle of friends, was an excellent poet, and was humble and sincere, living up to his ancestors' reputation. Among the scholars, he was always known as the "wise grandson of the prime minister." Last year, he also passed the provincial examination and became a Juren, showing great promise and a bright future.

"I never expected to see Brother Ning again today in front of the Marquis's mansion. I am truly honored."

"Heh, Brother Qin, you flatter me." Ning Nan smiled.

"Brother Ning, are you also here to attend the ceremony?"

"Ah, yes."

Qin Yun smiled and said that at the last poetry gathering between the North and South, Brother Ning dominated both sides, enjoying immense glory and making him, Qin, extremely envious.

Ning Nan laughed and said, "Most of the poems are by reclusive scholars from the mountains and countryside; I am merely borrowing their works to present to the Buddha."

Qin Yun feigned dissatisfaction and said, "Brother Ning, you are just taking advantage of their ignorance. If there really is such a worthy man, how could he not be willing to serve the Emperor when the Holy Emperor is in power?"

Alright, so quick to frame someone. Last time, this guy tried to outdo Xiuxiu and the other nobles, but after he interfered, not only did he fail to suppress them, but he also lost face and slunk away. It seems the prime minister's grandson is petty and holds grudges... Ning Nan waved his hand and laughed:

"Brother Qin, you jest. The Holy Emperor holds the reins of power, assisted by the Grand Secretary, who has led the cabinet for over a decade. The court is filled with upright officials, the country is peaceful and prosperous, and our Great Liang is thriving, rich and strong... Those many virtuous scholars who taught me poetry and literature are already serving the Great Liang and the Holy Emperor by cultivating the fields, clearing wasteland, planting beans and seedlings. Why should they need to take up official positions?... Or perhaps..."

Ning Nan asked with a smile, "Does Young Master Qin think that spending time composing poems with you is more important than farming and sericulture?"

Qin Yun's eyes flashed, and his smile immediately became somewhat stiff.

"ha--"

Before Qin Yun could speak, the middle-aged man to his right burst out laughing.

When the middle-aged man spoke, Qin Yun not only didn't feel offended, but instead remained silent and pursed her lips.

"What a sharp-tongued brat." The middle-aged man's smile vanished, and he looked at Ning Nan with a sharp gaze. "What is your official rank now?" he asked coldly.

"Ning has no official rank or title, is a commoner, and usually farms at home."

"A rural farmer?"

"Exactly."

"Ha," the middle-aged man sneered, "No wonder your words are full of resentment towards the court and His Majesty! You've written a few pretentious poems, yet you've repeatedly failed the imperial examinations, so you're filled with resentment. You look down on all the civil and military officials, and you look down on us scholars. You're also delusional about becoming an official, so you try to curry favor with the sons of noble families, hoping to use that as a stepping stone to advancement. Humph!"

The middle-aged man coldly flicked his sleeve, "Someone like you should never even dream of passing the imperial examinations... As you say, being a farmer for life is serving the Great Liang Dynasty and the Holy Emperor!"

"Ha ha…"

"Lord Wu is right!"

"That makes perfect sense..."

"Young Master Qin gave him some face... and he really thinks he's someone important!"

"He has no integrity whatsoever as a scholar... He clings to the powerful and wealthy, hoping they'll give him a scrap of food..."

Suddenly, the people behind Qin Yun, who looked like scholars, started denouncing him one after another for no apparent reason.

Ning Nan was stunned for a moment, but after thinking about it for a while, he understood the key to it.

A sense of melancholy washed over me... This was the downside of the imperial balancing act.

Learning from the lessons of the former Liang dynasty, the Southern Liang abolished the Eastern and Western Depots. With the eunuchs no longer a target in the court, and fearing that military generals would repeat the mistakes of the Five Dynasties, the court had to suppress them completely.

In this way, the heavy responsibility of checking and balancing the civil service fell once again on Xun Gui, nearly two hundred years after Emperor Yingzong had buried the founding heroes.

This time, however, the honorary title belongs to the newly emerging honorary title of the Southern Liang Dynasty.

This group of people, who were clearly civil officials, saw that they were friends with Xiuxiu and that they had helped Xiuxiu outdo Qin Gongzi, so they tacitly expelled themselves from the scholarly community.

At this point, the more talented you are and the better you write poetry, the more likely you are to become the reason for others to be jealous and attack you.

Ning Nan shook his head and smiled inwardly, feeling somewhat helpless. Even with the North and South having reached this point, they still couldn't escape this routine… He smiled and asked the other person, "May I ask who you are?"

"Wu Yanchou, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue of Daliang, Rank 5." Before the middle-aged man could answer, Qin Yuanyao, the female commander, had already coldly announced his official rank and identity.