Chapter 490: The Top Scholar's Talent! (Updated)

Chapter 490: The Top Scholar's Talent! (Updated)



Lu Zhaoyan glared at Ming Wang, "Can't you do it?"

Ming Wang glanced at the real and fake Qilin sitting in the center of the grand hall, "I can't, so it's not my exam today. If he passes, he must know it!"

Lu Zhaoyan asked coldly, "Who told you that you'd know it if you pass?"

"So, he really doesn't know it?"

Ming Wang's heart ached to the point of breathlessness.

His 10,000 taels! He had bet his entire fortune!

He had hoped to make a big profit and recover his previous losses...

Now, it was all over.

Lu Zhaoyan had no time to console her brother's pain over his silver. From her perspective, she could see her son and Lu Qi's situation clearly.

Although she couldn't read Lu Qi's answers, seeing him write with the agility of a flying dragon, she knew he was handling it with ease.

Why wasn't her son starting to write?

Her son wasn't an idiot, absolutely not.

Could there be a problem with the exam paper?

That shouldn't be the case.

In front of His Majesty and the ministers, no one dared to tamper with the exam papers.

When the court officials brought out the papers, she had carefully inspected them, and they were sealed with three different fingerprint wax seals.

There were five papers in the wax seal, and since they were the Four Books, Lu Zhaoyan guessed that the questions were similar to the annotation classics.

Lu Qi's writing was as if guided by a divine force, and his serious expression only enhanced his aura.

Soon, he finished writing two papers, while Lu Yuan just stared blankly at his paper.

Zhang Qufeng slowly straightened his back, which had been bent under the pressure from Ming Wang, and said in a not-so-subtle sarcastic tone, "We agreed on one hour, and it's only been a short while. The Prince has already finished half, why isn't the Imperial Grandson writing? Don't you want to write?"

It was clear he couldn't write!

The little credibility he had gained through agriculture was gradually diminishing as he hesitated to start writing.

Neutral officials were subtly leaning towards Lu Qi.

"Your Highness, Qi'er's studies..."

Prince Jin asked the Grand Tutor behind him with a meaningful look.

The Grand Tutor replied softly, "Your Highness, please rest assured. With the Prince's talent, he can handle this exam."

Prince Jin said calmly, "I don't want him to just handle it, I want him to win."

The Grand Tutor said, "The Prince will definitely win."

Prince Jin kept his thoughts to himself.

In the previous agricultural test, Qi'er didn't lose by much, and his competition with Lu Yuan could be considered a back-and-forth battle.

Qi'er was naturally intelligent, and if necessary, he could always follow the Grand Agricultural Commissioner in the future.

On the other hand, what use were Lu Yuan's survival skills in the civilian world? He couldn't even hold a pen, a complete idiot. How could he learn to govern a country or study military strategy?

Prince Jin whispered to Gongsun Yanming beside him, "National Teacher, Qi'er is going to win."

Gongsun Yanming remained silent.

His understanding of Lu Yuan came from two people: one was Xun Xiangguo, and the other was Yan Hanshuang.

The reason he trusted Xun Xiangguo was because of Yan Hanshuang.

However, Yan Hanshuang had betrayed him.

When did she betray him?

If it was earlier, how much of the information she conveyed to him was true, and how much was false?

"Why aren't you writing yet?"

Yu Gonggong was also puzzled.

He thought for a moment, walked down the steps, and came to Lu Yuan, asking softly, "Your Highness, is there a problem with the writing tools? I can get you a new set."

Lu Yuan took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, "No need, I'll just write like this."

Yu Gonggong and the civil and military officials were all stunned.

What did "I'll just write like this" mean? It sounded like he was forcing himself.

The Minister of War said, "I understand, he can't answer it, so he's going to write randomly."

The Minister of Rites said, "It's fine as long as you understand in your heart. Why say it out loud and embarrass His Highness?"

Ming Wang said irritably, "Hey, what are you all chattering about? This is an exam hall, do you understand the need for silence?"

The two ministers glared at him speechlessly, thinking that His Highness was the one making the most noise.

There were a total of five exam papers.

From the moment Lu Yuan picked up his pen, he started sighing, sighing after each paper.

He never expected that even after leaving the Great Zhou and becoming the Imperial Grandson of Liang, he would still have to write the exam questions from ten years ago. Who was so lazy? They should have gathered questions from various sessions and selected a few, not just copy them verbatim.

This wasn't the proper way to reuse old questions.

It was absurd enough to encounter the same questions from ten years ago, but what Lu Yuan never expected was that his great-grandfather's officials were even more absurd.

The last two papers were questions he had set for the palace exam after becoming the Grand Duke, and they had already gone beyond the scope of the Four Books.

That wasn't the key point.

The key was, was it really okay for him to answer his own questions?

Wouldn't that be considered cheating?

"Your Highness, are you feeling unwell?"

Yu Gonggong thought Lu Yuan was sighing because he was having difficulty writing.

Lu Yuan shook his head in dismay, "What's the point of winning? It's an unfair victory, an unfair victory!"

Yu Gonggong: What... is this? Going crazy over exams?

Lu Qi gave Lu Yuan a strange look but ignored his disruption and continued answering the questions.

Lu Yuan wrote swiftly, two exam papers behind Lu Qi, but when Lu Qi was on his fourth paper, he had already started on the last one.

"He's just writing nonsense!"

The Minister of War was stunned, "He's got guts!"

Everyone saw that Lu Yuan was practically writing with his eyes closed, not thinking at all, and combined with his words 'unfair victory', they suddenly understood.

The Crown Prince was implying that the victory of the Xian County King was unfair.

The Qi King sneered, "Strange, when he wins in his specialty, he's amazing, but when Qi'er wins in his specialty, it's an unfair victory. Third brother, do you think there's someone so shameless in this world?"

The Rui King said, "You can't blame Yuan'er either. Although the first exam is his specialty, Qi'er isn't weak either. They're evenly matched, but in terms of knowledge, Qi'er has been taught by the Grand Tutor."

The Qi King said, "Didn't the Grand Tutor teach him? From the first day he entered the Crown Prince's Mansion, Qi'er asked to study with the Grand Tutor, but he didn't go. Who can you blame?"

The Ming King angrily said, "Third and fourth brothers, if you two want to give away your eyes, you can give them to others. Did you eat the long exam papers of the first test? Evenly matched? You have the face to say that! Raising one's status isn't done like this, do you really think everyone is a fool?"

The Liang Emperor calmly said, "If you guys keep arguing, I'll have you all kicked out."

The three princes closed their mouths.

Five exam papers, Lu Yuan completed them in one go, without a pause.

He put down his brush, arranged the papers neatly, and weighed them down with a paperweight.

Oh, he even wrote his name on it.

For some reason, the civil officials found the whole process familiar.

"Back then... when we went for the imperial exams... wasn't it like this?"

"It seems... so."

When the Xian County King was answering the questions, they only felt it was a competition.

But when this young man started, he turned the Jinluan Pavilion into an imperial examination hall.

Lu Qi also finished writing, put down his brush, and waited for the palace attendants to collect the papers.

Yu Gonggong collected the two exam papers and turned to the Liang Emperor, "Your Majesty."

The Liang Emperor said, "Please trouble the Three Dukes and the two Five Classics Doctors to grade the papers."

The civil officials who had taken the imperial exams in the neighboring country exchanged glances.

Grading on the spot felt more like an imperial examination.

They couldn't help but feel nervous, as if they had returned to their younger days when they were taking the exams, and the passion in their hearts couldn't be controlled, bubbling up.

Yu Gonggong arranged for the palace attendants to bring in tables and let the five officials sit opposite the two imperial grandsons.

Lu Yuan pointed at Lu Qi's exam paper, "Hey, write your name."

Yu Gonggong turned to look at the Liang Emperor.

The Liang Emperor nodded.

Yu Gonggong took the papers downstairs, wrote the names, and brought them back to the Jinluan Pavilion.

The Grand Tutor had taught Lu Qi, and he recognized Lu Qi's handwriting.

Coincidentally, the first paper he graded was Lu Qi's.

His student didn't disappoint him; the first three papers were answered flawlessly, all receiving the highest grade, the fourth was slightly lower, but as a firm supporter of the County King, he gave it the highest grade without hesitation.

As long as this paper received three highest grades, the final result would be the highest grade.

Naturally, this was the grade he gave.

There were also the other four officials.

The other four officials didn't recognize the handwriting of the two imperial grandsons.

When they received the first paper, they were amazed by the handwriting.

The ink penetrated the paper, the characters were like iron and silver hooks, and the strokes were like willow branches, almost comparable to a calligraphy master.

The four officials already had their answer in their hearts.

This paper must be the Xian County King's.

When they finished reading all the questions, they became even more certain of their guess.

"Old Yang, how does this compare to ours back then?"

The two officials had also taken the imperial exams in the neighboring country.

Elder Yang stroked his beard, "I'm ashamed, the County King has great ambitions and a deep understanding. We dare not compare ourselves to him."

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In the end, all four officials gave the highest grade.

A hint of arrogance flashed in Lu Qi's eyes.

The Jin King's smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, and he couldn't suppress it no matter what.

The Jin King wasn't surprised that the officials could recognize Lu Qi's paper.

That fool probably wrote like a child's scribbles, answering randomly, making it too easy to identify.

"This one... isn't too bad."

Elder Li said.

Elder Yang nodded, "Yes, there are some good points, and the handwriting... is passable."

Everyone present was a sharp individual; how could they not hear the reluctance in their words? It was clear they were grasping at straws, forcing themselves to praise.

Zhang Qufeng scoffed, "The two officials are really giving the Crown Prince face. In my opinion, it's unnecessary. The Crown Prince knows how to farm, which is already a skill. He's surpassed many of the pampered young masters in the Imperial City."

Lu Yuan smiled, "Thank you, Zhang, for your praise.

"The Ming Wang's face darkened, 'You fool, didn't you realize he was mocking you?'

Lu Yuan replied lightly, 'I know how to farm, and I'm proud of it. How could Zhang Da Ren mock me? Does he look down on the common folk who toil in the fields? Everything we eat, use, and wear comes from the people. To eat from the bowl and then curse the provider is an act of ill-will. Surely, Zhang Da Ren wouldn't do such a thing.'

Zhang Qufeng was left speechless.

The Ming Wang sighed, 'If you can speak, then say more.'

Lu Yuan: '...'

The Jin Wang and Lu Qi no longer paid attention to the remaining examination papers.

Only Gongsun Yanming kept observing the examiners.

The expressions of the four officials were largely unchanged, except for the Taifu, who looked perplexed.

'Honorable officials, His Majesty asks if you have finished reviewing the papers?' asked Yu Gong Gong softly.

Unbeknownst to them, an hour had passed, and it was already afternoon. The aged officials were struggling to stay alert, their bodies starting to sway.

All four officials turned to the Taifu simultaneously.

They had already finished their reviews, leaving only the Taifu with one paper in hand.

The Taifu took a deep breath, wrote a 'Jia Zhong' on the paper, and handed it to Yu Gong Gong.

Yu Gong Gong carried the paper up the steps, embracing it, 'Your Majesty.'

The Liang Emperor took the paper, glanced through it, and after a moment, spoke solemnly, 'Read it.'

'Yes.'

Yu Gong Gong removed the seal, revealing the name, and announced to the crowd, 'Xian County King, Jia Shang, Si Yi Zhong...'

Lu Qi frowned, 'Only one Jia Shang?'

The Jin Wang wasn't worried, 'The officials are strict; Jia Shang is already impressive.'

He didn't care about the number of Jia Shangs; as long as Lu Yuan was outdone, that was enough.

'Let me guess, you only got Jia Si Yi, and he didn't invalidate your paper, right?'

Jia, Yi, and Bing, three levels.

Jia Shang was the best, and Bing Xia was the worst.

Below that was invalidation.

Everyone turned to Lu Yuan, their eyes unconcealedly flashing with sympathy.

Of all things to compare, why Four Books?

No wonder Jian County King was the Qilin.

Zhang Qufeng's words were true.

This was indeed fate.

'It seems we must congratulate the nephew early.'

The Qi Wang smiled at Lu Qi.

Lu Qi politely responded, 'Fourth Uncle, they haven't announced my brother's results yet.'

The Rui Wang said to the Liang Emperor, 'Father Emperor, perhaps it's best not to announce it, to save face for Yuan'er and my brother.'

Lu Zhaoyan spoke sternly, 'Do you presume to instruct the Father Emperor on how to act?'

The Rui Wang shrugged, 'I meant well, but if my brother doesn't appreciate it, so be it.'

Lu Yuan looked at his foster father with amusement, 'What if I truly embarrass you?'

Lu Zhaoyan said seriously, 'A child's fault is the father's responsibility. If you embarrass me, it's my fault.'

Lu Yuan turned away and hummed.

The Qi Wang laughed, 'Since someone wants to humiliate themselves, Yu Gong Gong, read it boldly!'

Yu Gong Gong looked at the paper in his hand, his expression complex as he sighed, 'Huang Changsun, Wu Jia.'

The sound of a dropped tablet echoed.

Lu Qi's brows furrowed deeply.

Wu Jia? How was that possible?

The Qi Wang exclaimed, 'Did you make a mistake? Is the name wrong? Qi'er should be Wu Jia, right? But that's not right either, that fellow answered randomly, how could he only get one Jia?'

The Jin Wang asked, 'May I see the paper?'

The Liang Emperor waved his hand.

Yu Gong Gong held the paper and walked down the steps.

The Jin Wang, Lu Qi, Rui Wang, and Qi Wang each took a paper.

Zhang Qufeng and several other skeptical officials hurriedly gathered around.

'Is this your handwriting?'

The Jin Wang asked Lu Qi.

Lu Qi nodded, 'Yes.'

Zhang Qufeng looked at the paper and asked in disbelief, 'The County King answered well, even I couldn't have done better. Why only one Jia? This... this... were you bribed?'

Li Boshi spoke indignantly, 'The papers were sealed, how could we know who wrote what? Moreover... we also thought this was the County King's paper!'

Li Boshi added, 'Yes.'

The Jin Wang asked, 'Were you praising this paper earlier?'

The four officials nodded.

'What about Lu Lin Yuan's?'

The Jin Wang asked gravely.

Yu Gong Gong handed Lu Yuan's paper to him.

Although the Jin Wang wasn't as talented as his son, he had read many books. When he saw the handwriting, he was stunned.

'Do you have any objections?'

The Liang Emperor asked.

Everyone fell silent.

This examination was even less suspenseful than the farming competition.

The County King had exceptional knowledge, but the Huang Changsun had the talent of a zhuang yuan!

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(End of Chapter)

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