During the day, Qun Qing stood in the hall with several female officials from the Bureau of Palace Attendants, but her mind was still pondering that roster.

Li Xuan had her look at it. She found an excuse to take the roster back and study it carefully several times, until her eyes even showed a hint of dark circles.

She confirmed one thing: besides her and Lu Huating, Minister Meng’s side apparently had someone else who knew about future events, who knew which people Prince Yan had recruited.

In the previous life, those people hadn’t all become officials in the same year or batch, so the Meng family came up with this method, changing the original provincial examination to “public recommendation,” precisely to facilitate bringing Prince Yan’s people into the Crown Prince’s camp ahead of time.

What the candidate Zhang Qiru who fell in the water that day said was not difficult to understand—this spring examination was originally a purposeful selection. She didn’t know how Lu Huating could respond.

Qun Qing understood this point but didn’t make it public.

If the Crown Prince truly selected scholars according to this roster, Prince Yan’s chances of usurping the throne as in the previous life would immediately decrease by more than half. For her, this actually counted as a good thing.

But doing it this way also had problems.

First, those future important ministers, recruited early in this life—who knew if their character would change? Among them was even a corrupt official named Wang Kuan who was executed in the third year of the Sheng Lin era.

Second, candidates like Zhang Qiru who should have been palace-selected this year would lose their examination opportunity for nothing…

Director Zhu’s stern voice pulled Qun Qing’s thoughts back.

“According to palace regulations, the spring examination palace selection will be held in Delin Hall. Matters of supervising papers, collecting papers, transcribing, and sealing names will be handled by female officials transferred from the inner chambers to the Bureau of Palace Attendants, called ‘examination officials.’ First, female officials are meticulous. Second, it prevents new candidates from colluding with the previous dynasty.”

Qun Qing, like the others, wore white coveralls. After reciting palace regulations, they began arranging the examination hall. Qun Qing placed incense seals on the empty tables in the hall. Thinking of her own state of mind when taking the Six Bureaus examination, she suddenly raised her eyes and asked Director Zhu: “Has the candidate roster been finalized? Is there still a possibility of changing it?”

“What kind of question is that?” Director Zhu glanced at her with displeasure. “The new candidates have already entered the palace and moved into Yimei Hall beside the Hanlin Academy. How could it be changed?”

Qun Qing said nothing more—

When Xiao Jingxing entered Prince Yan’s mansion, he saw Lu Huating washing his hair in the courtyard.

Even in weather where breath turned to ice, he just washed when he said he would, immersing his raven-black long hair in a gold basin while listening to Xiao Jingxing’s words.

“I sent people to check memorials from the past few days. There indeed were candidates causing trouble in Jiannan Circuit. A local registrar named Xue reported his fault, saying that Jiannan Circuit’s publicly recommended candidates should only number six people. Because his eyes were dim with age, when posting the list he accidentally copied six extra names, resulting in Jiannan Circuit actually having twelve people selected.”

“These six extra people were wildly celebrating being able to go to the palace selection one moment, only to be told in the next moment it was a copying error. Naturally they didn’t believe it, insisting they had been replaced. Zhang Qiru was one of those candidates who actually forged his identity to make it to Chang’an. That Registrar Xue has already memorialized the Sage to confess his crime and request dismissal. Since there’s a culprit, the Crown Prince’s side can conveniently dispose of the matter.”

“Accidentally copied six extra people?” Lu Huating rubbed his hair, silent for a moment before saying: “Have Prince Yan memorialize to preserve these six people for the Chang’an palace selection. Also protect this Registrar Xue—he’s a good person.”

“Why? This would be directly opposing the Crown Prince.” Xiao Jingxing said. “Do you suspect that the public recommendation replacement matter is indeed real?”

Lu Huating said: “That Registrar Xue worked as a registrar his whole life—could he not know that Jiannan Circuit sends six candidates to the palace selection every year? What kind of dim eyes would copy six people as twelve?”

Xiao Jingxing continued: “I’m afraid this person’s dim eyes are just a pretext. He deliberately made a huge mistake to show dissatisfaction with his superiors’ arrangements, exposing the matter… But this move will probably implicate him in losing his position.”

Lu Huating wrung the water from his hair: “Meng Guangshen holds great power at court because he’s the Sage’s strategist, a founding minister of Great Chen. But locally, not everyone fears the powerful. At his age, still able to resist injustice—if this person doesn’t become an official, who should?”

Hearing this, Xiao Jingxing’s lips moved slightly. After a long while he said: “Your thinking is perfectly clear—why not go tell His Highness yourself?”

Only then did Lu Huating raise his head, looking at him with innocent dark eyes. The black hair at his temples curled slightly, the hair ends quickly forming white frost, water droplets dripping down. He joked: “This isn’t mine to say. Young Minister Xiao, you’re a loyal minister. I’m a treacherous minister.”

Xiao Jingxing looked at him for a long while, then said solemnly: “The palace selection is about to arrive. Even if we can get those six people here, it may not work. Isn’t Miss Qing an examination official? Why not ask her to help?”

The smile on Lu Huating’s face slowly disappeared, only calm remaining in his dark eyes. He reminded: “Miss Qing is not on our side.”

What he could think of, Qun Qing, enjoying the Crown Prince’s trust, should already know in advance. She truly hadn’t told him any information. Because if Prince Yan’s mansion suffered a setback, it would benefit the Crown Prince.

He also understood that aside from jointly dealing with Meng Guangshen and Li Pan, he and Qun Qing had no other relationship. She had her own agenda, and he had never had expectations.

Who would have expectations of a political enemy?

Moreover, this woman was accustomed to appearing weak while actually being ruthless. In the future he had plenty of time to contend with her.

Xiao Jingxing couldn’t accept this for a moment: “Not on our side? Then you… slept with her?”

Lu Huating seemed to have lost patience, coldly pushing him straight out the door: “Whatever I tell you, just do it.”—

Arranging the examination hall continued for three days, then came the day of palace selection.

When dawn barely broke, Ruo Chan was still in her dreams. Qun Qing struggled to climb out of bed, breathed on her frozen fingers and rubbed them, quietly dressed, walked a stretch of ice and snow-covered road, and knocked on the palace gate of Changqing Palace.

When Song Chun saw her, she was always full of joy, taking out new embroidery patterns to ask for her guidance.

Qun Qing came once every few days, borrowing the opportunity of guiding Song Chun’s embroidery to observe Consort Chen De: “How has Your Ladyship been recently?”

Song Chun said: “The Sage had the imperial physicians prescribe some calming medicine. Your Ladyship can sleep well at night now without needing to pray.”

Although Consort Chen De still sat at the bedside like a clay idol or wooden statue, Qun Qing still held a thread of hope, hoping she would wake and provide a clue.

When the young eunuch brought the medicine bowl, Qun Qing picked up the bowl to feed Consort Chen De. Consort Chen De kept her mouth tightly shut. Qun Qing thought of something and drank a spoonful herself first.

Somewhat bitter, but the medicine was fine.

Consort Chen De’s pitch-black eyes reflected Qun Qing’s pale, calm face like a mirror. When fed again, Consort Chen De opened her mouth.

Qun Qing fed the medicine spoonful by spoonful. When she raised her eyes, she saw Song Chun reading by the window light: “Are you preparing for the internal selection?”

Song Chun smiled: “Ever since Dianyi Qun said those words to this servant, I vowed to properly prepare for next year’s Six Bureaus examination. Holding books while sleeping at night, I have a feeling I’ll definitely pass next year.”

Time was about up. Qun Qing prepared to leave but felt someone tugging at her hem. She turned around—Consort Chen De had pressed something into her hand.

Qun Qing opened her palm—it was just a piece of ginger candy. She wasn’t disappointed. Instead her heart warmed as she wrapped up the half-melted ginger candy.

Walking in the snow, she remembered that in the past when she drank bitter medicine, her mother would also prepare ginger candy for her…

Upon reaching the hall entrance, Qun Qing’s steps suddenly quickened.

She discovered commotion inside the hall.

The reason for the commotion was that besides today’s examination candidates, young eunuchs had brought in six more people, saying they carried Prince Yan’s edict allowing these six to take the examination together.

The candidates originally scheduled to test naturally didn’t want this, pointing at those people and causing an uproar. The several chief examiners seated behind the screen were also puzzled.

Those six candidates faced the crowd with alarmed expressions. No wonder they were mortified—their hair hung in greasy strands, crumpled cloth robes dripping water. That Zhang Qiru was even thinner than when Qun Qing had seen him last, also suffering from a cold and coughing incessantly. Compared with the examination candidates in snow-white robes and wide sleeves in the hall, they looked like refugees.

Qun Qing only heard the female official beside her whisper: “They say they came by fishing boat and even capsized midway. Presumably they rushed here without time to change clothes.”

“Dianyi Qun, what do you say we should do?” The Dianyi Chen beside her studied Qun Qing.

Qun Qing looked at those people, expression calm: “You and I are merely performing our duties. If there’s still chaos when the bell rings, wouldn’t that be the examination officials’ fault?”

With that, she moved an empty table outside.

With her setting the example, the female officials quickly moved. Dianyi Chen glanced outside: “I’ll go get them coveralls so they don’t wet the examination papers.”

Those six people donned the coveralls and took their seats, faces showing gratitude. The others, however unwilling, could only kneel and sit, facing their examination papers.

The copper gong sounded, incense seals burned. Those six candidates picked up their brushes, their demeanors already different. In the hall remained only the sound of brushes racing across paper.

Qun Qing quietly watched them answer papers. Presumably Lu Huating had expended considerable effort getting the people here.

In any case, they all had to take the examination. Since the people had come, she had no reason to obstruct them.

Little did she know there was still a young consort with golden hairpins at the doorway.

This person was Prince Zhao’s secondary consort, Ruan Shi, also Li Pan’s most favored concubine. Her gaze looked deeply into the hall.

Qun Qing suddenly heard a buzzing sound. Other female officials were also surprised: “Flies? Could it be those people’s rancid smell is too strong and attracted flies?”

She saw that around the six candidates seated at the back, several had black insects and flies circling. They shook their heads. Some waved their hands, clearly disturbed. But those insects kept circling around them.

Dianyi Chen looked back at the window gap and reproached: “Dianyi Qun, it seems you didn’t close the window tightly. You go drive them away.”

“Exactly. Director Zhu arranged everything clearly. If the candidates are affected, the examination officials will be punished.”

Qun Qing watched intently for a while, her heart sinking. Those insects with pointed stingers weren’t flies at all—they were hornets!

If not driven away in time, hornet stings were extremely painful and could cause dizziness and disorientation. If they truly stung a candidate, that person’s examination would be finished.

But if she went to drive them away and disturbed the candidates, someone would surely pin blame on her.

Dianyi Chen stared fixedly at Qun Qing, but Qun Qing walked directly toward the incense burner in the corner: “Dianyi Qun, where are you going?”

Qun Qing pinched some rosemary with her fingers, touched it to the back collar of her coveralls, then walked wordlessly toward the aisle between the two rows of tables.

Qun Qing’s footsteps were light and steady, her bearing dignified—precisely the posture of patrolling an examination.

According to palace regulations, examination officials patrolled once every quarter-hour. The candidates paid no mind, instead feeling this female official brought past them an extremely faint fragrant breeze, refreshing to heart and mind.

Dianyi Chen stared at Qun Qing but saw that she never reached out to disturb candidates, merely passing slowly by those candidates. The seven or eight hornets originally circling the candidates actually flew over and gathered on her back collar.

Seeing the last hornet also fly over, Qun Qing lowered her eyes and quickly returned behind the screen. Several female officials, seeing clearly she carried a collar full of bees, all retreated in alarm.

Qun Qing nimbly removed the coveralls in reverse, wrapping the hornets in the clothing. Just at this moment, Dianyi Chen reached out to touch it. A hornet flew out and stung Qun Qing’s neck. Qun Qing pressed it under her palm.

Any young lady stung like this would cry out. Dianyi Chen looked in astonishment at Qun Qing’s eyes—those eyes with upturned corners looked coldly at her, actually enduring it alive.

“Is Dianyi Qun all right? I only wanted to help you…”

“I’m fine.” Qun Qing opened her palm to show her, breaking into a smile. “Look, it’s dead.”

Dianyi Chen nodded with a pale face, eyes somewhat suspicious, completely missing that Qun Qing’s fingers had extremely quickly placed half a piece of ginger candy coated with rosemary on her back collar.

“I’ll take it out to burn it.” Qun Qing said, carrying the bundled hornets.

Dianyi Chen nodded.

Qun Qing left the hall, walked to a concealed spot, flicked her hand to release the hornets, and returned to the hall as if nothing had happened.

A moment later, Dianyi Chen hurried out to report privately to Prince Zhao’s secondary consort Ruan Shi.

Ruan Shi’s expression darkened. She had naturally come at Li Pan’s request. A mere ceremonial official—she hadn’t expected her to be so difficult to deal with, actually escaping unscathed.

Before finishing her words, Dianyi Chen saw Ruan Shi’s beautiful eyes reveal a look of terror. Without turning her head, she heard buzzing. She saw several hornets fly from who-knows-where, attacking their faces. Both women cried out in alarm. They desperately tried to drive them away but couldn’t. Dianyi Chen was still stung several times, the pain making her cover her cheeks.

Ruan Shi’s coiffure was even more disheveled, completely losing her composure.

Director Zhu heard the commotion and came, wanting to scold Dianyi Chen, but seeing Prince Zhao’s secondary consort, she only had several young eunuchs help catch the bees. Ruan Shi departed amid the chaos.

Someone shook out half a piece of ginger candy from Dianyi Chen’s clothing. Dianyi Chen smelled the rosemary scent on it—truly unable to explain her suffering: “This item, this item can attract hornets. I had Dianyi Qun drive away the bees, but she actually…”

A moment later, Qun Qing was called out. She glanced at Ruan Shi and said to the furious Director Zhu: “Director, someone released bees deliberately to disrupt the spring examination. If we let this person succeed, the Bureau of Palace Attendants will bear great blame.”

Director Zhu broke out in cold sweat.

“Where would there be so many hornets outside in winter, just happening to run into the room? They could only be specially purchased from a beekeeper and released indoors. Dianyi Chen is so afraid of bees—she probably wouldn’t dare transfer them on her own. The bee cage is on her person. One search will reveal it.”

“There’s just one thing I’m curious about—why did they only circle those six newly arrived candidates?” Qun Qing said coldly. “Then I remembered—it was the coveralls Dianyi Chen prepared just now. I just don’t know whose orders she was following to ruin those six candidates’ spring examination.”

“Say no more.” Director Zhu had already made up her mind. The tug-of-war between the Crown Prince, Prince Zhao, and Prince Yan—how could the Bureau of Palace Attendants get involved? “Dianyi Chen, go back and accept punishment. Qun Qing, you rest for a while too.”