Night had deepened. The lights in both the eastern and western halls of the Plum Blossom Envoy Pavilion had been extinguished.
The candidates recommended by Meng Guanlou occupied the newly built western hall. This place was embraced by pine and cypress trees—quiet and serene. One could hear the sound of melting ice dripping from the eaves, making it very suitable for rest.
Wang Xi was one of those eighteen candidates.
A day ago, he’d received news that he’d been selected for the retest. Yet this night, he lay on his bedding tossing and turning, his brow furrowed with worry.
Seeing a figure moving outside the window, he tightly shut his eyes, but that person gently tapped on the window lattice.
After a moment’s hesitation, he put on his padded coat and opened the door. His expression showed slight alarm—the visitor was not Yumei, but rather a strange young lady wearing palace attire.
He warily moved to close the door, but it was blocked by a slender hand.
“There’s already a curfew in the palace. I don’t know who you’re looking for—please conduct yourself with propriety, young lady,” Wang Xi said with lowered eyes.
But the next moment, his eyes showed the wariness of facing a great enemy, because Qun Qing held in her hand a corner of an incompletely burned fragment with writing still visible on it. Just now he’d clearly seen Yumei throw it into the brazier to burn—he hadn’t expected it hadn’t burned completely.
Qun Qing glanced at him: “Did someone just enter the Plum Blossom Envoy Pavilion and tell you all something?”
Wang Xi couldn’t distinguish the female official’s rank. Seeing that Qun Qing could actually call him by name, worried that Yumei’s matter would be exposed, cold sweat immediately poured out: “Just now I went to relieve myself. No outsiders entered. The young lady must have seen wrong.”
Qun Qing looked straight at him. Her eyes reflected the moonlight, very cold and deep. She didn’t expose him, but instead said, “You’ve been intelligent since childhood. You entered county school at age five. If not for family poverty and your mother’s illness forcing you to help with the family’s farming for several years, you wouldn’t still be waiting to take the provincial examination now.”
“You’d rather withdraw from school to scrape together money than accept charity from classmates—you should be a person of self-respect and independence. How is it that now you accept others leaking exam questions and feel so at ease about it?”
Her words made Wang Xi’s expression change dramatically, his eyes revealing a look that intertwined anger and shame.
Seeing his emotional fluctuation, Qun Qing instead breathed a slight sigh of relief. On that list, her impression of this person alone was the best. In her previous life, he’d held high position yet still held fast to his original intentions. In this life, even if he’d been recruited by Meng Guanlou, he didn’t necessarily agree with their methods. She led him to a place away from others.
Wang Xi said coldly and quietly, “Since you know so much, you must know other things as well. Wang is merely a commoner in plain clothes, driven by great personages. If you want me to turn myself in, that will destroy my future prospects. Even a fool wouldn’t make such a choice. While I haven’t told others yet, you should leave quickly. There are people outside the Plum Blossom Envoy Pavilion. If I shout to summon them, you’ll be in danger.”
As he spoke, his expression cold and solemn, he turned around. But Qun Qing grabbed his sleeve: “You passed the preliminary selection, but you haven’t passed the provincial examination. Without Yumei’s help, whether you could win—you know in your heart. If you weren’t conflicted, you wouldn’t have trouble sleeping at night, and you wouldn’t have come out wanting to speak with Yumei. You’re not at peace inside.”
Wang Xi didn’t want to bother with a young lady, but Qun Qing’s words were really too direct. He couldn’t help but become annoyed: “How is what I do any of your concern?”
“If you’re selected relying on Yumei, with this handle falling into Meng Guanlou’s hands, would you still be able to disobey them in the future?” Qun Qing said, “Your mother’s and mentor’s teachings would probably come to nothing.”
The look in Wang Xi’s eyes paused. He coldly pulled his sleeve free. “My mother is ill. Only by becoming an official can I show filial piety to her. The great principles in books, the teachings of Confucius and Mencius—can those be exchanged for money? As for any handle, how can a mere scholar like me refuse?”
“I can find you a way out,” Qun Qing’s expression didn’t change. Her gaze held some sincerity in the moonlight. “A way that both preserves your principles and doesn’t offend the Meng family. Consider it yourself.”
Then, regardless of whether Wang Xi was listening, she leaned close. Her lips moved slightly as she forcibly explained her method and tucked a brocade handkerchief into his sleeve.
Qun Qing keenly heard footsteps at the grove. She threw a pebble from her hand. Wang Xi had already glanced at her once, then fled back to his chamber out of fear.
Qun Qing pushed aside the grove and confirmed that young eunuch was far away, unable to hear their conversation. Only then did she step over the ground covered in dead branches and leave with peace of mind.
—
The next day at the palace examination retest, Qun Qing rose early, dressed in her outer robe, and waited inside the hall.
The candidates filed in one after another, quietly waiting before the arranged desks and tables. Eight people in total, not one missing.
Wang Xi had also come. She stared at his back for a while, still standing in her original position, her fingers pinching the edge of her outer robe.
To the side, Zhang Qiru and the others hung their heads low, occasionally wiping cold sweat, appearing nervous and anxious, as if they hadn’t slept well.
Facing this scene, the other people in the hall showed no unusual reaction.
Compared to the preliminary examination, the retest had more examiners. There might be princes and princesses observing, and with on-the-spot grading, for scholars from the provinces, nervousness was inevitable.
Four examiners wearing official robes sat upright behind the wide platform, their expressions stern. Several people turned sideways to show deference to a person wearing red robes seated in the center.
Qun Qing recognized this person with the surname Lin, holding the rank of fifth-grade grand academician.
This Academician Lin was a student of Minister Meng. Su Run had mentioned that when they’d served as examiners together that year, he had watched helplessly as Su Run was demoted to the Lateral Courts for exposing Meng Guanlou, without saying a single word.
Qun Qing vaguely felt this person’s face was detestable.
At this time, everyone in the hall paid their respects. It was Princess Danyang entering slowly with a household retainer wearing a gold foil mask. When Princess Danyang observed the selection, she still held onto her male favorite. When Academician Lin bowed, his gaze held some contempt.
Princess Danyang only pressed with her fan, indicating the examination should begin. Because this retest was extremely long and extremely quiet, halfway through answering, she extended her arm before Su Run.
Su Run remained silent for several breaths before beginning to massage it.
A young eunuch struck the bronze bell. Qun Qing and several other female officials stepped forward to collect the answer sheets and deliver them to the examiners.
She saw the smile on Academician Lin’s face slowly fade. He looked at those answer sheets for a long time, then raised his eyes to look at her. Two faint gazes fell on her face, as if wanting to pierce through it.
“Why does Academician Lin show such an expression?” Princess Danyang’s voice came from behind. “Are this year’s candidates’ standards too poor?”
“Reporting to Princess Danyang, they’re not too poor—they’re too good.” After Academician Lin spoke a few words with the person beside him, a young eunuch came out and grasped Qun Qing’s wrist. “典仪, please wait.”
Academician Lin held the answer sheets and stood up, saying, “Princess Danyang, this retest appears to involve leaked examination questions.”
Once these words were spoken, you could hear a pin drop in the hall. Zhang Qiru and the others turned pale, needing to support themselves on the table to maintain their seated posture.
Yesterday they’d been preparing to sleep when a message flew in through the window crack. When they unfolded it to look, it was nothing other than several examination questions.
Naturally they didn’t believe these would be the actual essay topics—they thought it was a prank. But having seen them, lying in bed they unconsciously began constructing essays.
They hadn’t expected that when they received the examination papers, the essay topics would be exactly identical.
Academician Lin’s words hammered heavily on their hearts: “Taking Zhang Qiru as an example, the several policy questions were answered perfectly without flaw. The essays seemed even more confident, as if they’d been constructed in advance.”
Academician Lin paused, his dark pupils glancing toward Qun Qing. “Yesterday a young eunuch reported seeing Examination Official Qun go to the Plum Blossom Envoy Pavilion for a nighttime conversation with one of the candidates.”
“This official originally didn’t want to speak, but seeing today’s results, I must ask—Examination Official Qun, as an examination supervisor of the inner quarters able to access examination papers, why would you still engage in such suspicious behavior?”
Immediately, the shocked gazes of the surrounding female officials fell on Qun Qing’s face.
“Did you truly go to the Plum Blossom Envoy Pavilion last night?” Princess Danyang’s expression changed slightly. She summoned Qun Qing over. “What were you doing there?”
What made Danyang anxious was that Qun Qing walked forward, looked at the candidates, then looked at her, and lowered her eyes, appearing to hesitate to speak: “This subject did go to the Plum Blossom Envoy Pavilion, but absolutely did not leak examination questions. This subject is merely an examination supervisor. Without entering the document repository, I cannot access examination topics, and the key is with Zhu Shangyi. This subject never touched it.”
Qun Qing said, “Leaked examination questions are a grave matter. Just because someone answered well, must it be said that this subject leaked questions? May I ask, don’t the two publicly recommended candidates also answer well?”
Another examiner said, “They’re slightly inferior compared to Zhang Qiru’s group of five, but at least commensurate with their abilities. This old man believes they didn’t borrow others’ hands.”
Qun Qing’s heart sank slightly. Last night she’d copied down the characters from the fragment and sent the message by flying letter to the eastern hall, thinking that if questions were to be leaked, they should be leaked evenly.
She’d thought that with the two publicly recommended people receiving Yumei’s complete answers, they would certainly perform better. She hadn’t expected them to hold back.
Before she could expose their question leaking, Minister Meng had used this matter to drag her into the water instead.
Having reached this step, she turned to Princess Danyang: “Since Academician Lin accuses this subject of leaking questions but cannot produce evidence, this subject absolutely will not accept this accusation. There is one more method—please have the princess pose questions on the spot for an additional examination of these eight candidates to prove innocence.”
The candidates exchanged glances, their expressions varied.
Academician Lin was about to speak when Princess Danyang smiled and clapped her hands: “Excellent! What this palace most enjoys is watching scholarly drama. This palace doesn’t understand literature—how dare I interrogate the nation’s future important ministers? Go invite the sage here. Let the sage pose the questions.”
Immediately, several young palace maids pulled over plain screens while others prepared brush and ink.
Before long, Emperor Chenming stepped into the hall. The small hall suddenly seemed crowded. Behind Emperor Chenming followed the Crown Prince, Prince Yan, and several close ministers. They’d originally been discussing matters in the Government Affairs Hall. Hearing the palace examination retest had problems, Emperor Chenming had brought them all over.
Li Xuan had already heard about what happened earlier. Seeing Qun Qing kneeling before Princess Danyang being accused by everyone, he wanted to speak but hesitated. However, Emperor Chenming was speaking, so he could only glance to the side.
Li Xuan suddenly noticed that Lu Huating was also looking at Qun Qing.
Lu Huating stared at Qun Qing expressionlessly, as if trying to read from her face what scheme she was plotting.
Qun Qing raised her lashes. She saw Lu Huating had followed Emperor Chenming to walk among the candidates who were currently wielding brushes to compose essays.
Several plain screens were filled with flowing ink marks. The hall was full of ink fragrance. Emperor Chenming walked before each plain screen, observing carefully.
The group came behind Wang Xi. They heard Lu Huating suddenly speak: “Did you write your essay yourself?”
Wang Xi’s back stiffened: “This was done by myself. I don’t know what the chancellor means by this question?”
Lu Huating tilted his head to look at the plain screen and smiled: “This small section about Emperor Chu Xuan governing mulberry trees—this person seems to have seen it somewhere.”
Emperor Chenming looked sideways. Wang Xi’s head lowered further: “It’s reasonable for examinees to prepare familiar material in advance. Please don’t deliberately make things difficult, Chancellor.”
Li Xuan said, “Yunming, if you don’t have scholarly credentials yourself, don’t speak.”
“This subject has no credentials, but that doesn’t mean I’m illiterate,” Lu Huating smiled. “This person saw it at last year’s palace examination.”
Once these words came out, Wang Xi’s brush suddenly fell from his sleeve. He picked up the brush, stammering repeated apologies.
“Last year?” Princess Danyang said, “But he didn’t come to participate in the palace examination last year.”
“Turn around and let this person take a look,” Lu Huating said to Wang Xi.
Li Xuan: “What are you trying to do?”
Lu Huating stared at Wang Xi’s profile: “Replying to Your Highness, this person saw those eighteen candidates on the flower boat. Though I only glanced at them from afar, this person has a photographic memory. I remember Wang Xi as an upright gentleman. Why does he keep his head lowered today? Is there something on his face that he dares not raise his head to meet this person’s gaze?”
Saying this, he inadvertently glanced at Qun Qing.
Lu Huating’s eyes tilted upward, containing a smile. His gaze was extremely sharp.
This glance seemed almost like a reminder.
Having hinted to this extent, Qun Qing stared at Wang Xi’s back. Her lashes trembled slightly. The uncertain part in her heart suddenly became clear.
“Sage, this subject has something—I don’t know if I should report it,” Qun Qing’s hesitant voice came from another corner.
“Speak.”
Qun Qing looked at Li Xuan: “This subject did go to the Plum Blossom Envoy Pavilion last night. That was because during the preliminary examination, several tiger head wasps entered the hall. Candidate Wang Xi was unfortunately stung on the shoulder by a wasp. This subject heard he developed high fever, fearing it would affect today’s performance, so I delivered specially prepared medicinal ointment to him.”
Princess Danyang said, “Then you probably don’t understand tiger head wasps. If someone has already developed fever, it means the toxin has entered the body. The person must remain unconscious for three days, vomiting and having diarrhea. Ordinary medicinal ointment applied topically would be useless.”
“What Your Highness says is true.” Qun Qing said with wonder, “When this subject saw him yesterday, he’d already developed fever and was dehydrated, unable to walk. This subject was worried he couldn’t come today. Yet unexpectedly he not only came today, but is in excellent spirits—simply like a completely different person from yesterday.”
Once the four words “completely different person” came out, the candidates’ faces changed color. Countless gazes looked toward Wang Xi. Lu Huating smiled: “Yesterday still dehydrated and unable to take the examination, today able to take it—did he encounter Hua Tuo reborn, or did someone simply substitute for him? Examination Official Qun, why don’t you come forward to verify whether this person is Wang Xi or not?”
Once these words came out, the hall erupted. To dare use a substitute at the palace examination—this was truly audacious beyond measure!
And that “Wang Xi” ultimately couldn’t bear such pressure. His knees went soft, his face deathly pale as he knelt on the ground: “This commoner did not.”
Qun Qing’s heart stirred: Last night she’d wrapped the tiger head wasp in a handkerchief and given it to Wang Xi, hinting he should feign illness to avoid the retest. It seemed he’d indeed chosen to feign illness last night.
Meng Guanlou was even bolder than she’d anticipated.
Seeing Wang Xi develop high fever and delirium early in the morning, curled up on the bed unconscious, unable to go take the examination even with support, he’d actually directly ordered Yumei to substitute for Wang Xi in the examination!
The information Qun Qing received said this Yumei had been raised in the Meng residence since childhood, grinding ink and passing paper for Meng Guanlou, acting discreetly, rarely seeing outsiders. This person was extremely skilled at imitating others’ mannerisms and handwriting. Seeing him today left her sighing in admiration. If she hadn’t deliberately paid attention to Wang Xi, others wouldn’t have discovered the substitute examination matter.
Very quickly, she connected this to another matter. Her heartbeat accelerated.
How had Meng Guanlou completed the substitute examination under everyone’s watchful eyes that day? Was it also like today, with Yumei’s participation…
Then she heard Lu Huating say: “Doesn’t Princess Danyang have a household administrator skilled in calligraphy and painting at her side? Have him authenticate whether this person’s handwriting from the preliminary examination and now is the same.”
Danyang looked to her side. The gold foil mask covered Su Run’s face. When he knelt down, his hands were already trembling uncontrollably.
Emperor Chenming glanced at Su Run kneeling on the ground, his expression displeased: “What, do you also have a birthmark on your face that needs concealing?”
He was dissatisfied that Su Run still covered his face before the sage.
Upon hearing this, Su Run slowly removed the gold foil mask. The face revealed nearly made Academician Lin fall from his chair in fright—he could only point at him with his hand.
Behind Li Xuan, Shouxi also retreated a step in shock, urgently whispering to Li Xuan.
Due to grief and tension, Su Run’s entire face was flushed red. He kowtowed: “Criminal subject Su Run, last year during the spring examination entered service at the Hanlin Academy, specializing in calligraphy and painting. This person recognizes this person’s handwriting. This person is indeed a substitute, and moreover, with last year’s substitute for Meng Guanlou—they are the same person!”
“What are you saying?” Li Xuan looked down, his expression stern. “Meng Guanlou has quick wit—why would he need a substitute?”