The Prime Minister’s Darling-Chapter 506 - 254 Topping the Honor Roll (First Update)_2
Chapter 506: 254 Topping the Honor Roll (First Update)_2
Chapter 506: 254 Topping the Honor Roll (First Update)_2
“Yes.” Grand Tutor Zhuang bowed.
Minister Li tactfully said, “Then we ministers will retire first.”
“Mmm.” The Emperor agreed.
Minister Li and others left the Imperial Study Room, but did not go far. They took tea in a side hall nearby.
The Emperor’s gaze fell again on Grand Tutor Zhuang’s face. “What is so urgent that it cannot wait for me to finish reviewing the test papers?”
Grand Tutor Zhuang surreptitiously glanced at the test papers on the table. Seeing Xiao Liulang’s paper appearing as the second one to be reviewed, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He stepped forward and said, “I suddenly remembered on my way back home that the Empress Dowager’s birthday is in a few days. I… intend to visit the Empress Dowager in the palace.”
The Emperor’s expression paused, he put down his brush, took a sip of tea, and then looked at Grand Tutor Zhuang. “The imperial physician has diagnosed my mother as unwell. She is not fit to be exposed to the wind, nor to receive visitors. I will send someone to check on her in the palace later, and then inform you, Grand Tutor.”
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“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Grand Tutor Zhuang bowed deeply. As he rose, he appeared to accidentally bump the table with the examination papers, causing a stack of papers to knock over the Emperor’s teacup. The cup spilled over and the papers scattered on the floor.
“I deserve to die!” he quickly knelt to apologize, and hastily began picking up the papers.
Eunuch Wei busily checked to see if the Emperor had been scalded by the tea, whilst the Emperor also lowered his head to brush droplets of water from his robes.
Seeing that both men were preoccupied, Grand Tutor Zhuang took the opportunity to hide Xiao Liulang’s exam paper in his left sleeve and extract Xiao Liulang’s original copy from his right sleeve, tucking it back into the pile.
…
After leaving the Imperial Palace, Grand Tutor Zhuang met with the Duke of Xuanping, who kept his hands insolated in a hand warmer.
It was April, and Grand Tutor Zhuang could not understand why the man was still using a hand warmer.
The Duke of Xuanping had cold eyes and an austere demeanor, but when he saw Grand Tutor Zhuang his eyebrows lifted in unrestrained amusement. “Oh, Grand Tutor, you move rather swiftly. Your sword hasn’t lost its edge yet.”
Choked with anger, Grand Tutor Zhuang couldn’t retort. “I’ve placed the test papers back, now release the prince!”
“I’ll release him.” Duke Xuanping turned his head and said lazily, “Chang Jing.”
Chang Jing promptly threw Prince An from the carriage—
Grand Tutor Zhuang: “…”
The Zhuang family’s driver was also released. He quickly carried Prince An into their carriage. Prince An was injured, his leg bleeding profusely.
Grand Tutor Zhuang’s fists clenched audibly.
Duke Xuanping said, “Hurry and tend to his wounds, do you want him to become a cripple? Tsk tsk tsk, how do you even act as a grandfather, showing no concern for your own grandson.”
Grand Tutor Zhuang almost lost his composure.
Do you not know how my grandson got injured? How could you have the audacity to utter those words?
Maddening! This man is truly infuriating!
“Hmph, do you really believe he would definitely come first?” Grand Tutor Zhuang had read Xiao Liulang’s paper and, truth be told, it was well written.
But unfortunately, the topic that was set had been discussed earlier by Prince An with the King of Chen. At that time, Prince An did not know this question would be included in the imperial examination. He was just listening to the King of Chen talk about governing a nation peacefully.
Xiao Liulang is indeed a man of considerable talent and learning. His writing is impressive, his arguments are substantial, and he convincingly argues his case with precedent. But he is not a true politician, he lacks the experience of a ruling monarch in matters of governance.
So what the minister of the Honglu Temple has proclaimed is true, the two papers are not significantly better or worse than the other. Moreover, the papers from Ning Zhiyuan, a talented scholar from Jiangnan, and Yuan Yu, the direct grandson of the First Assistant Yuan, are also excellent.
If the Emperor does not raise my family’s fortunes, does it mean he won’t raise the status of Assistant Yuan either? The Assistant Yuan is a three-time veteran, after all.
Grand Tutor Zhuang scoffed and said, “Don’t congratulate yourself too soon, the top scholar may not be that young man!”
Duke Xuanping remained composed, “I hear nothing, I hear nothing, a tortoise reciting sutras.”
Grand Tutor Zhuang: “…!!”
You’re the tortoise!
What kind of person is this man!
Grand Tutor Zhuang could not stay any longer. If he remained, he would lose years of his life.
Grand Tutor Zhuang fluttered his sleeves and stormed off!
Duke Xuanping cocked his head and curled his lip, “Goodbye, without seeing off.”
At this time, in the Imperial Study Room, the Emperor was indeed hesitant about how to rank the top three candidates. Grand Tutor Zhuang, faithfully serving the Emperor for many years, still had a certain understanding of the Emperor- if we look at the depth of the papers, Prince An’s paper is the most thought-provoking; in terms of literary talent and broad view, Xiao Liulang’s paper was more to the Emperor’s taste. But the papers of Ning Zhiyuan and Yuan Yu were not at all inferior.
Among these four people, Xiao Liulang was the youngest at eighteen. Prince An was nineteen, Yuan Yu twenty-five, and Ning Zhiyuan was the oldest at thirty.
