Chapter 120: The Emperor’s Inquiry
“What did you say?”
The Emperor sat in the carriage, thinking he had not heard clearly, lifted the curtain, and asked the secret guard standing in front of him again.
He had set out earlier than expected, but unexpectedly, the National Academy exam results had also arrived earlier than expected.
Just after leaving the City Gate, the secret guard arranged at the National Academy had delivered the results.
The results were unbelievable.
“What did the Princess get? Grade A, second place?”
The eunuch traveling with him also anxiously scolded the secret guard: “What’s going on? Isn’t Grade A the highest, first place? How is it second? If you don’t understand, don’t speak nonsense.”
Although the secret guard was not a scholar, becoming a secret guard required reading and literacy, so of course he understood.
“Grade A is divided into Top Grade A and Lower Grade A. One person got Top Grade A, the Princess got Lower Grade A, so the Princess ranked second.” He said again.
It was really second place. The eunuch was stunned, then panicked. Had the National Academy gone mad, letting the Princess be second?
He did not dare to look at the Emperor’s expression.
The Emperor had been overjoyed, halted his official duties, traveled in plain clothes to personally visit the National Academy, preparing to give the Princess a surprise.
Moreover, the banquet in the Imperial Palace tonight was also prepared. The Prince of Donghai had been summoned back, and the Marquis Yichun’s entire family, old and young, had been invited…
Now it was said that the Princess had gotten second place…
What was to be done?
“Your Majesty.” The eunuch stammered, “There must be a mistake. Let us go to the National Academy to see…”
If it were someone else, there might be a mistake.
Wang Zaitian would absolutely not make a mistake in scholarship.
The Emperor sat in the carriage, his mind in turmoil, but what had happened? How could Pingcheng not be first?
Pingcheng was so intelligent, Pingcheng was so diligent.
Pingcheng must be so heartbroken now.
The Emperor’s hands on his knees clenched tight.
That old man Wang Zaitian!! Had he gone senile!
Who could be more intelligent than Pingcheng?
“Who got first?” he demanded.
The secret guard hurriedly said: “Yang Luo.”
The Emperor’s expression froze.
Worried that he had said too simply and His Majesty did not know who this was, the secret guard hurriedly added: “It is that Miss Yang from Duke Ding’an’s Mansion, the companion reader young lady of Princess Wuyang, who just recently helped the Princess expose Sun Nu Shi and received His Majesty’s commendation, that Miss Yang.”
No need to say so much; he knew this Miss Yang. The Emperor’s face stiffened.
It was her who had surpassed Pingcheng and gotten first place.
……
…….
“It is Yang Luo.”
“Yang Luo actually did better on the exam than the Princess?”
“Could it be cheating—”
Whispers buzzed in front of the notice. When Yang Hui’s voice emerged, all gazes instantly converged on her.
Disdainful and impatient gazes.
“Yang Hui, if you have nothing to say, shut your mouth.”
“Can’t you see who graded it?”
“She got Ding grade; no wonder she’s spouting nonsense.”
This time, without Yang Luo or Liu Chan speaking, the other young ladies had already angrily scolded and mocked sarcastically.
Yang Hui’s face flushed red. She indeed knew her words were absurd, but this matter was too absurd.
How could that countryside maid get first place? Better than Princess Pingcheng?
“Yang Luo—come quickly and look—you got first.”
“Ah, A Luo got first!”
A loud young girl’s voice came from the outskirts.
At this moment, the name Yang Luo made the surrounding scholars instantly look over, seeing two young girls walking from the Library direction, with one young girl hurrying forward to meet them.
The three soon arrived in front of the notice, the young girl in the middle looking at the highest place.
Her fine brows slightly raised, a smile spreading at the corners of her mouth.
“I got first place. What good luck.”
……
…….
Good luck.
Princess Pingcheng also looked at the answer sheet on the notice, her expression calm, a smile at the corners of her mouth, as always.
This Yang Luo was truly amusing. If she had done well on the exam, fine, but to come up with such words about good luck—what, afraid she would be jealous of her?
The dodging gazes around her were also amusing—what, afraid she would be angry for not getting first place?
The voice of “Yang Luo” was still coming.
“This time luck was good; next exam, it might not be so lucky.”
Hearing this, Princess Pingcheng turned her head to look at her and smiled: “As long as one truly studies hard, one will always be lucky.”
Mo Zheng looked at her, smiling and nodding: “The Princess is right. I will certainly redouble my efforts and study even harder.”
Seeing the Princess smile and speak, the companion reader young ladies hurriedly began chatting and laughing, changing the topic from first place.
“I only got Propylene; I’ll get scolded when I go back.”
“I got Yi; thank heavens.”
“I don’t care about that; the Libationer praised my use of that allusion, and I’m satisfied.”
“I had it worse; the Libationer couldn’t find anything praiseworthy and praised my handwriting.”
“Hey, your handwriting is indeed good.”
It became noisy and lively in front of the notice.
At this time, the instructors hurried over, took down the answer sheets, but did not distribute them to everyone.
“Please wait a moment, Princess and young ladies,” they said. “The Libationer wants to present the exam papers to His Majesty for review.”
His Majesty also wanted to see them. The companion reader young ladies were stunned, then became even noisier.
Yes.
Princess Pingcheng’s hand at her side clenched.
Father Emperor was waiting for her good news today.
The result…
The result!
It was not yet time for the true result!
Yang Hui, who had been thrown into confusion by “Yang Luo” getting first place, heard this and suddenly straightened her back.
There was still His Majesty.
This exam was to weed out these three people.
The Libationer was unaware and gave this Yang Luo first place. When His Majesty met the Libationer and told him the truth, he would surely drive these three away!
Wait and see the show!
So, the Emperor had come?
Amid the noise, Yang Luo looked toward the National Academy gate.
This trip to the National Academy had truly been worthwhile; she had met the Empress and Imperial Consort Li.
Now she was to meet the Emperor too.
She reached out and gently touched her cheek.
……
…….
An unremarkable carriage stopped not far outside the National Academy.
But Imperial Guards surrounded it, preventing anyone from approaching, revealing the extraordinary identity of the person inside.
Looking at the approaching Wang Zaitian, the eunuch standing beside the carriage pulled a long face, as if he had not seen him and had no intention of announcing him.
But Wang Zaitian did not stand outside respectfully waiting like others; instead, he went directly forward, saying “Your Majesty, why have you come” as he reached out to grab the carriage and climb up.
The eunuch was startled: “Oh, Libationer, you, keep your voice down. His Majesty does not want to alarm others…”
He moved to pull and stop him.
Wang Zaitian flung his hand; the eunuch stumbled, crying “oh” — this old man was surprisingly strong.
“Keep your voice down, eunuch.” Wang Zaitian turned back and said, “I will speak with His Majesty up close.”
This old man turned the tables — was this the demeanor of a scholar? The eunuch’s face flushed red, about to say something when the Emperor’s voice came from inside: “Libationer, come in.”
Wang Zaitian sat down inside, and the Emperor felt the carriage compartment become cramped.
He did not know if it was because Wang Zaitian was as tall and large as he was, or because of the stack of answer sheets in Wang Zaitian’s hands.
Sigh, thinking of Pingcheng being graded second, the Emperor felt a heaviness in his heart, his face even more sullen.
“Wang Zaitian!” he said in a low voice, “Pingcheng is devoted to learning; how could you grade her second!”
Facing the angry Emperor, Wang Zaitian was not afraid, smiling as he said: “Your Majesty, the sea of learning is boundless; one mountain is higher than the next.”
With that, he put down the dozen or so answer sheets in his hand, pointing to the top two.
“These are the Princess’s and Miss Yang’s answer sheets. Your Majesty, please look personally.”
The Emperor lowered his head, his gaze sweeping over the answer sheets, but he did not pick them up; instead, he lifted his gaze to look at Wang Zaitian.
“I do not need to look.” He said, “The Libationer deems this Yang Luo’s scholarship superior; I will not argue with you, but Yang Luo is deficient in virtue. Libationer, expel her from the National Academy.”
