Her voice suddenly changed. What had been purely a youthful male voice was now several degrees clearer and brighter.
Li Yuncheng’s eyes flew wide open.
He shot to his feet.
He had been crouching with Miss Li crying against his knees, but his sudden movement sent her tumbling back into the dust with a thud.
Li Yuncheng couldn’t spare a thought for his distant relative’s wails and stepped forward, shouting: “Don’t—”
Before he finished speaking, Tie Ci flicked her finger and knocked off the crude mask covering her entire face.
Beneath the mask was revealed a face with exquisite, gentle features, jade-like skin, and thin red lips.
At the same time, Murong Yi also flicked off his mask, revealing a face of stunning beauty.
The two had been slightly disguised while moving about Leaping Carp Academy, but now appeared in their true forms—like spring flowers and autumn moon, twin jade discs shining together, taking one’s breath away.
But Li Yuncheng’s vision went black.
He suddenly bent at the waist.
“I pay my respects to Your Highness the Crown Princess!”
“…”
The previously noisy scene instantly fell into deathly silence.
Many thought they had misheard and looked at each other in confusion.
But Li Yuncheng’s words had been both loud and clear—it was impossible to think one had misheard.
The Maritime Educational Commissioner, who had been walking at the front, suddenly stopped dead, feeling cold sweat break out on his back. He instinctively turned to look at the Maritime Supervisor—he had never seen the Crown Princess before, while the Maritime Supervisor had been transferred to Maritime Province from the capital and had taken his leave before the throne at the beginning of the year, having seen the Crown Princess.
Seeing the Maritime Supervisor’s head covered in cold sweat, he understood everything.
His heart suddenly sank to the bottom.
Prefect Qingyang had been rolling up his sleeves and directing the constables, but now his sleeves remained rolled up while his arms wouldn’t come down.
The chief constable looked at him, then at Tie Ci, at a loss. He poked him: “Prefect…”
Prefect Qingyang’s arms finally dropped, and he gave himself a fierce slap across the face.
The sound was loud, finally breaking the rigid atmosphere. Then he dropped to his knees in a sliding motion, suddenly appearing at Tie Ci’s feet: “I pay my respects to Your Highness! Long live Your Highness, long live, long live!”
With his cry, everyone was finally awakened and knelt down raggedly: “We pay our respects to Your Highness!”
Tie Ci stroked her chin, looking at the crowd prostrated before her like wheat blown by wind, and said to Murong Yi with tears in her eyes: “Oh my goodness, I finally get to enjoy the dignity of a Crown Princess for once…”
Murong Yi said coolly: “Remember when you used to be chased around like a stray dog.”
With a thud, everyone turned back to see Miss Li, who had just managed to get up, collapse to the ground again.
The students had yet another reaction entirely.
Jian Xi stared wide-eyed at Tie Ci in disbelief. She had come for the Crown Princess but had never imagined she would actually see her in person. Walking through Leaping Carp Academy, she had smelled the fragrance of silk trees in Lovers’ Grove, stroked the smooth feathers of swans at Lingering Fragrance Lake, lit candles in the library tower to copy out volumes, eaten wild mountain delicacies from the cafeteria takeout. She felt her life was complete—whether she participated in the competition or not, she could never possess that woman’s limitless radiance, but having walked in her radiance, she too had once been bright.
She had never imagined that the Crown Princess had been by her side these past few days. She had helped her tie a wish ribbon on the peach tree, asked her questions in the lecture hall, encouraged her to apply, called her onto the martial arts field, giving her the chance to display her talents.
She had been so close, so close, bathed in light.
“I finally get to see her in person. I think I might never want to marry anyone in this lifetime…”
She almost thought she had spoken her inner thoughts aloud, but turning, she saw a young woman beside her murmuring dreamily.
Not just this one—many of the women around her wore the same entranced, dreamy expressions.
Even the female warrior was propping her chin up, eyes darting about, thinking who knew what.
The men showed more excitement—the Crown Princess was right before them! The Crown Princess had arrived early! So the rumors that she would personally select people weren’t false! She had actually hidden among the crowd, quietly observing for several days!
How had they performed? Had they made mistakes? Had they shown anything outstanding? Had the Crown Princess secretly noticed them?
Suddenly everyone straightened their backs, tidied their clothes, combed their hair with their fingers, looked around, and quietly edged forward.
Intense emotions surged through the crowd as countless eyes sparkled with brightness.
Some had weak knees. With a thud, the Maritime Educational Commissioner suddenly knelt down stiffly.
Tie Ci was standing right in front of him, leaning down slightly with her hands on her knees, saying with interest: “Why were you so arrogant before but so humble now?”
The Maritime Educational Commissioner’s head was pressed firmly to the ground, not daring to answer this humiliating question, his hands clawing into the dust.
Prefect Qingyang was rather adaptable. After his initial shock, he had already knelt down and was now kowtowing loudly: “Your Highness! This humble official and others were blind! Moreover, intimidated by the Li family’s power, we failed to distinguish right from wrong and aided the wicked. Please punish us, Your Highness!”
Tie Ci rather admired this. He reacted quickly, was thick-skinned, and dared to present a forthright attitude before her. Whether genuine or not, he at least had enough courage and clear thinking, or else understood her character.
Either way, it indicated he was talented.
Slippery, money-loving talent was still talent. When water is too clear, there are no fish—Tie Ci never demanded that all her subordinates be upright, clean officials.
Between honest but incompetent officials and capable, practical corrupt officials, she would choose the latter.
This improved her mood somewhat. Walking past several trembling officials, she smiled: “Go back and report today’s events to the court yourselves. Wait for the Cabinet’s handling.”
This meant she wouldn’t deal with them on the spot, leaving room for maneuver.
Anyone who could be appointed to Maritime Province as a powerful official had backers in the capital.
Several people breathed sighs of relief. Over there, Rong Pu had already sent for chairs, requesting Her Highness to handle the affairs here. The officials who had been so haughty moments before now obediently turned to face Tie Ci while kneeling, not daring to rise.
In the dust, Miss Li slowly regained consciousness. Her first reaction was to scream, but her maid immediately covered her mouth, nearly suffocating her.
Her mouth was covered tightly by three or four hands, leaving only her terrified eyes visible, staring fixedly at Tie Ci.
Tie Ci paid her no attention, gesturing for everyone to rise and offering seats to the academy heads, elderly scholars, and officials. The scholars had backbone—they thanked her for the seats and sat naturally. Only the officials dared sit with just half their buttocks touching the chairs.
Tie Ci didn’t mention anyone’s disrespectful crimes, asking directly: “The competition has reached its end. Is the preliminary list ready?”
Rong Pu stepped forward to present the list. Tie Ci flipped through it and after a moment said: “Why isn’t Jian Xi on it?”
At this question, even Rong Pu was stunned.
Hadn’t they already discussed this privately, mentioning that this woman was scheming and unsuitable to serve at the imperial side?
The Mingquan Academy head said: “Your Highness, Jian Xi fell outside the top fifteen in the three rounds of examination.”
“Oh right, I almost forgot to tell you all.” Tie Ci pulled a slip of paper from her robes: “I haven’t voted on that last round yet.”
Everyone: “…”
“Previously, because it wasn’t time to reveal my identity, and my vote carries different weight than ordinary ones, I didn’t vote immediately and waited until now.” Tie Ci displayed the paper: “I vote for Jian Xi.”
Silence fell.
After a long moment, Rong Pu said quietly: “Your Highness’s one vote equals twenty votes.”
Still silence.
This meant that the one truly eliminated should be Fang Huai’an.
But why?
Why did Her Highness regard Jian Xi so favorably?
Because she was female?
Countless gazes turned to Jian Xi. The young woman was obviously confused herself, her mouth slightly open.
Rong Pu, who always knew what to do when, had already sent someone to fetch Jian Xi’s previous poem.
Tie Ci held the ink scroll and read softly: “Blue sun, shadowed ridges beautiful; accumulated snow, floating cloud peaks. Forest tops show clear weather; in the city, evening cold increases.”
She asked Jian Xi: “When you wrote this poem, you should have had your own interpretation.”
Jian Xi met her gaze. The Crown Princess was just as the rumors said—her eyes gentle, her smile warm, but under such a gaze, anyone would seem to have nowhere to hide.
After a long moment, she said quietly: “In response to Your Highness: this poem’s meaning is complete and needs no embellishment.”
Light stirring occurred in the gathering.
An elderly scholar repeatedly recited the poem and after a while said: “Indeed.”
Everyone present was accomplished—they naturally knew that when a poem’s meaning was complete, even one more word would be like adding a dog’s tail to a sable coat. This poem about snow-covered mountain peaks was emotionally and thematically complete from scenery to feeling to meaning, from distant mountains to nearby forests to the city.
Writing it as regulated verse with six tonal patterns wasn’t impossible, but would inevitably repeat meanings and seem cumbersome.
The great scholars present thought about it themselves and felt that not adding was better than adding. Being principled literati, they couldn’t speak against their conscience and thus remained silent.
However, someone below whispered: “But it doesn’t even follow the proper format…”
Tie Ci said: “In poetry, adhering to rhyme and meter is indeed important. But isn’t it more important to write clear, rigorous, memorable good poetry? Rigidly following format—aren’t you afraid of becoming a mere versifier?”
No one dared speak anymore.
Tie Ci asked Jian Xi: “Why didn’t you explain this before?”
Jian Xi was silent for a moment before answering: “Brother Fang has shown this commoner kindness…”
Tie Ci laughed: “Women act without being bound by small courtesies. Yet you’re somewhat confused. There are countless ways to repay debts of gratitude—why must you use your aspirations and ambitions to redeem them?”
Jian Xi lowered her head and bowed: “This commoner was mistaken. Your Highness’s reproof is correct.”
Tie Ci looked at the crowd again: “Although I voted for Jian Xi, it was after the fact and doesn’t follow proper procedure. Moreover, I believe Fang Huai’an’s answer wasn’t necessarily inferior to Jian Xi’s. Therefore, my intention is that for true talent, we needn’t be constrained by who ranks above whom—let both be included on the list.”
The Deer Chasing Academy people breathed sighs of relief and repeatedly praised her wisdom.
The Mingquan Academy head couldn’t help saying: “Then Your Highness, our Chu brothers…”
“I said to look at talent first, then rules. Chu Xingbai was innocently injured—elimination would be unfair to him. He may be included among the ten.”
The Mingquan Academy people joyfully bowed in gratitude, but suddenly someone said: “Thank… Your Highness… but this commoner dares not accept Your Highness’s grace.”