A bushel of pearls meant nothing to wealthy families, but an imperial gift carried different significance. This wasn’t just tremendous honor—it also meant leaving an impression with the Emperor!

The atmosphere among the talented scholars immediately became tense and charged.

Han Baocheng clapped Yang Zhe on the shoulder. “Brother Yang, the rest of us have no chance. We’re counting on you.”

Zhang Liangyu at the side wasn’t pleased. “Says who? I think I can still ponder it some more.”

Li Lan said nothing but racked his brains thinking about the answer.

Among the five, Yang Zhe was calm and composed, Han Baocheng cheerful, Wen Feng upright, Zhang Liangyu mischievous, and Li Lan the most competitive.

Unfortunately, some things couldn’t be achieved through competitiveness alone. Like this lantern riddle—if you couldn’t guess it, you couldn’t guess it.

Yang Zhe’s gaze, calm as water, swept across the crowd and settled on the young lady in a bean-green jacket and honey-colored gauze skirt.

“Then I’ll give it a try,” he said.

“Go on, go on!” Han Baocheng and Zhang Liangyu laughingly pushed him forward.

Though Li Lan made no move, his previously furrowed brow relaxed.

Better for a friend to guess it than for someone else to.

Seeing Yang Zhe step forward, a wave of discussion rippled through the crowd.

“It’s Scholar Yang, the top scholar.”

“That’s Scholar Yang? So young and handsome!”

“Didn’t you see him when the top scholar paraded through the streets last year?”

“See what? It was packed with people—I only saw the back of heads.”

Some from the same examination year felt sour and muttered quietly, “Solving lantern riddles isn’t composing eight-legged essays. What does being top scholar have to do with it?”

The triennial spring examinations—all the glory had been taken by Yang Zhe alone. It had been a year already—why couldn’t he give others a chance?

A nearby woman overheard and rolled her eyes. “Then you can go try too.”

The man was about to retort when a friend tugged his sleeve. “Don’t argue—be careful these young ladies gang up on you.”

Were these bright-eyed young ladies only admiring Yang Zhe’s talent? No—clearly it was that face!

The man sullenly shut his mouth.

Failing to solve the riddle wasn’t shameful, but being mobbed by a group of women would be too embarrassing.

Yang Zhe walked before the minor official and politely cupped his hands. “I’d like to try.”

The minor official recognized him at a glance as last year’s newly appointed top scholar and immediately perked up. “Please state the answer.”

Yang Zhe smiled. “One life, one world.”

His voice was clear and mellow, his enunciation distinct. Many young ladies couldn’t help squealing upon hearing it.

One life, one world!

For a man like Scholar Yang to earnestly speak these four characters—what woman’s heart wouldn’t be moved?

In the crowd quietly separated by guards, Princess Yian gazed at the young man before the lantern mountain, a gleam flashing in her beautiful eyes. “Ninghua, is he last year’s newly appointed top scholar?”

The triennial spring examinations were undoubtedly attention-grabbing. On the day the top scholar paraded through the streets, she had to accompany the Empress Dowager and couldn’t go watch, but she had heard the newly appointed top scholar’s surname was Yang.

“Yes.” Qi Qiong’s tone was flat.

Having two extraordinarily handsome elder brothers, she couldn’t get excited about a top scholar. Not that Scholar Yang was inferior to her brothers, but what did his handsomeness matter to her? He wasn’t family.

Princess Yian pressed her lips together, once again feeling that she and Qi Qiong weren’t compatible.

At a time like this, shouldn’t Qi Qiong talk more about the top scholar, like those women around them?

“Ninghua, do you think Scholar Yang guessed correctly?”

“I don’t know. You’d have to ask the minor official who saw the answer.”

Princess Yian: “…” Did she really need to say that!

The minor official’s excited shout rang out at just the right moment. “Correct! It is ‘one life, one world.'”

Many people couldn’t understand immediately and asked one after another, “Why is it ‘one life, one world’?”

The minor official looked toward Yang Zhe. “Scholar Yang, could you explain?”

Yang Zhe nodded slightly and explained unhurriedly. “The first line ‘spring rain continuous, wife sleeps alone’—’rain continuous’ means no ‘sun,’ ‘wife sleeps alone’ means no ‘husband.’ Remove ‘sun’ and ‘husband’ from the character ‘spring’ and you get the character ‘one.’ The second line ‘waking at the hour of the dog, moon just emerges’—’the hour of the dog’ means past the hour of the rooster, ‘moon just emerges’ still means no ‘sun.’ Remove ‘rooster’ and ‘sun’ from the character ‘waking’ and you get the character ‘life.’ The third line ‘husband once departed, still not returned’—’one person’ hasn’t returned. Remove ‘one’ and ‘person’ from ‘husband’ and you’re left with the character ‘one.’ The fourth line ‘butterfly now breaks cocoon, though branches wither’—breaking the cocoon to become a butterfly means no ‘insect,’ withered branches mean no ‘wood.’ Remove ‘insect’ and ‘wood’ from the character ‘butterfly’ and you get the character ‘world.’ Therefore, the answer to this lantern riddle is ‘one life, one world.'”

Riddles were like that—when you didn’t know the answer, you racked your brains, but once you heard the explanation, sudden enlightenment dawned.

“It really is ‘one life, one world!’ Why couldn’t I think of it just now!”

“Truly worthy of being the top scholar—such quick thinking.”

The young ladies’ focus was different.

“Who do you think the top scholar will give the glazed lantern to?”

“The top scholar seems to have come with friends. I don’t see a female companion.”

“Ah, so he might give it to a stranger?”

Other lanterns could be given to anyone, but the glazed palace lantern on the ninth tier, according to unwritten custom, could only be given to a young woman.

Just as the talented scholars had become tense and charged upon hearing that solving the riddle would earn an imperial reward of a bushel of pearls, the young ladies suddenly grew nervous.

That was the glazed palace lantern, and it was being given by the top scholar!

Either of these points alone was enough to inspire anticipation.

The bailiff had already climbed up to retrieve the glazed palace lantern. The minor official received it and carefully handed it to Yang Zhe. “Scholar Yang, take care with it. Congratulations.”

Normally, guessing this riddle correctly would bring great prestige but wouldn’t necessarily warrant congratulations. But this time was different. Besides winning the glazed palace lantern, there was also the Emperor’s reward, and his reputation for talent would reach the Emperor’s ears.

For a young man just embarking on an official career, this was extremely beneficial.

Scholar Yang’s future was boundless!

Liu Chuan also walked over and offered several sincere compliments.

For him, talent or no talent—what mattered most was not disappointing the Emperor.

“You’re too kind, Eunuch.” Yang Zhe held the glazed palace lantern, his face showing not a trace of self-satisfaction.

“Then this old servant will go report back.”

“Please go slowly, Eunuch.”

The minor official watched Liu Chuan walk toward the crowd, then kindly reminded Yang Zhe, “Scholar Yang, according to custom, this glazed palace lantern must be given to a young lady—”

The spectators thought to themselves that the minor official knew how to do his job. They were dying of anticipation!

Even Liu Chuan, returning to report, paused mid-step and slowed his pace.

He would wait and see who Scholar Yang would give the palace lantern to—the Emperor might be interested.

“There’s such a custom?” Yang Zhe instinctively looked toward his several friends, then saw countless people nodding.

“I see—” Yang Zhe pondered as he surveyed the area, then lifted his feet and walked in one direction.

Zhu Jiayu fiercely tugged at her nearby friend. “I don’t know if it’s my imagination, but Scholar Yang seems to be coming our way!”

Time felt very short, yet also very long. When Yang Zhe stopped, many people still hadn’t recovered their senses.

“Second Miss Lin, I think this glazed lantern suits you very well. Please accept it.”

Lin Hao looked at the young man holding the lantern with a smile, momentarily stunned.