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Chapter 491: A Stunning Victory
Chapter 491: A Stunning Victory
The crowd carefully recalled the examination process, and suddenly, two bold speculations emerged.
The Emperor's eldest grandson, the Crown Prince, had been slow to start writing, not because the exam was too difficult, but because it was too easy.
When he said, "Even if I win, what does it matter? It's not a fair victory," he wasn't referring to the Prince of Jian, but to himself.
If they hadn't seen the exam paper, they would have thought he was being overly arrogant and self-confident.
But after reading it, everyone had only one thought—if they had such talent, they would definitely be more arrogant and self-assured than the Crown Prince!
The Crown Prince seemed to have restrained himself.
The faces of the Prince of Jin and his son turned extremely ugly, and the Prince of Rui and the Prince of Qi were no better.
Even before they arrived at the Prince of Qin's mansion, the two had been steadfast followers of the eldest brother.
Firstly, the Prince of Jin was the eldest son.
Secondly, Empress Hu had a noble background.
Thirdly, the Prince of Jin was both wise and brave, clearly surpassing his other brothers.
They had no objections to the Prince of Jin becoming the Crown Prince.
As for Lu Zhaoyan, the legitimate firstborn, his mother was merely a lowly servant. What merits or abilities did he have to surpass them?
To put it bluntly, this was deep-rooted jealousy, something they would never admit.
More and more officials pushed forward, eager to see the exam papers of the two imperial grandsons.
The first officials to see the Prince of Jian's paper thought it had been marked incorrectly. If such a performance only earned a second-class fourth-grade, how incredible must the top five papers be?
Impossible, absolutely impossible! Then they were collectively proven wrong.
The two imperial grandsons were not just outshining each other; it was a complete and utter crushing defeat.
To be fair, the Prince of Jian's paper wasn't bad at all. In fact, it was excellent. Many of the examiners were known for their strictness, and several of them had experienced this firsthand with their own talented sons.
Every official's outstanding son had endured scolding from the examiners.
Indeed, there were always greater talents beyond one's horizon.
The white-haired, hunched-over Meng Ge Lao, the Southwest's top scholar, held Lu Yuan's paper, tears streaming down his face: "Fengcai Luanzhang, Fengcai Luanzhang! To see such a paper in my lifetime, I can die without regret!"
Meng Ge Lao was the top scholar in the Southwest, and his status among literary talents was no less than that of the Witch of Wushan in the hearts of the Miaojiang people.
After the Liang Emperor recognized his grandson, the first teacher he invited to tutor Lu Qi was Meng Ge Lao.
However, Meng Ge Lao politely declined, citing his advanced age, frail health, and inability to teach wholeheartedly, fearing that it might hinder the Prince's future.
At the time, everyone believed him, but now it seemed that Meng Ge Lao probably didn't think highly of Lu Qi!
As more and more officials gathered to witness the paper that made Meng Ge Lao lose his composure, the Prince of Qi and the Prince of Rui were pushed to the side.
The Prince of Jin suddenly regretted his decision.
If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have reviewed the two grandsons' papers.
He clenched his fingers, barely suppressing his anger, only to be abruptly bumped into by a tall and sturdy figure.
Just as he was about to get angry, the person had already disappeared into the crowd.
The newcomer was none other than the disgraced Duke of Jiang.
He didn't intentionally bump into the Prince of Jin.
He moved quickly and blended in with the officials, evading the Emperor's gaze.
The Prince of Jin closed his eyes and, just as he was about to express his anger, the person had vanished.
The Duke of Jiang was swift and graceful in his movements, seamlessly merging with the officials and escaping notice.
The Prince of Jin clenched his fingers, barely containing his anger.
"This..."
The Grand Tutor was also in a dilemma.
When he reviewed the Prince's paper, he thought the Prince had it in the bag. But after seeing the Crown Prince's paper, he finally understood what it meant to be astonished.
Given his understanding of the examiners, he was certain it would be a top-tier paper.
If he gave it a lower grade, it would seem like he was deliberately suppressing the Crown Prince's score.
He couldn't afford to make a mistake in such a matter, risking his reputation.
"It's just that..."
He wanted to say more but stopped.
"What do you mean, 'just that'?" The Prince of Jin asked calmly. "Do you mean that Qi'er pales in comparison?"
"Your Highness, I assure you, I had no such intention!" The Grand Tutor's voice quivered with fear.
Prince Lu Zhaoyan, Prince Ming, and Prince Fu approached them.
The Grand Tutor stepped aside, feeling it prudent to yield.
The six brothers exchanged intense glares, their eyes locked in a silent battle.
Lu Zhaoyan, with a meaningful tone, spoke, "Victory and defeat are common in military affairs, big brother. There's no need to be disheartened."
Prince Ming, with a smile, added, "Indeed, big brother. Your son only lost two rounds. Perhaps in the next rounds, he might draw questions that even Yuan doesn't know?"
His words struck like a dagger to the heart.
Prince Jin's gaze turned cold.
Prince Qi, exasperated, retorted, "Sixth brother, by your logic, if Yuan knows it, Qi'er will lose to him every time?"
Prince Ming, ever the confident one, boasted, "Isn't it obvious? Qi'er's strength lies in his studies. If he loses even in academics, what else can he compete with Yuan on?"
The youngest, Prince Qi, couldn't hold back his frustration and blurted out, "You're just stirring up trouble!"
Before Prince Jin and the others could respond, Prince Ming continued, "Qi'er is a good child. Even when he was in the Crown Prince's Mansion, he studied day and night with unwavering diligence. It's just that some things are a matter of natural talent."
Bringing up this topic only made the situation worse for Prince Jin's side.
Even when Prince Qi was studying by lamplight, he couldn't match Yuan, who spent his days playing with cats and dogs in the palace. Despite being 'nursing his injuries,' Prince Qi never neglected his studies.
If it weren't for this dedication, he might have had an excuse, claiming that his recent illness had affected his studies.
But now, he had no valid excuse!
Prince Qi was so enraged that he wanted to punch Prince Ming, but Prince Rui held him back.
Prince Rui whispered, "Fourth brother, don't be impulsive. He's trying to provoke you into striking him, which will only anger Father Emperor."
Prince Ming was a magnet for beatings among the six brothers, but at least half of the time, he managed to drag Prince Rui and the fourth brother into the fray as shields.
While others fought a thousand battles and suffered a hundred injuries, he fought a hundred battles and suffered a thousand wounds, yet he never tired of it.
Prince Qi glared at Prince Ming with contempt, "You troublemaker!"
Prince Ming raised an eyebrow, "Hey, at least I'm a stick, better than you lot of shit!"
"You—" Prince Qi was fuming.
Prince Rui, quick as lightning, pulled Prince Ming out of the Jinluan Pavilion.
Prince Jin, maintaining his composure, turned to Prince Fu, "Fifth brother, why haven't you been visiting big brother's mansion lately?"
"Fifth brother is now a guest at the Crown Prince's Mansion," Prince Fu replied.
Prince Ming had completely forgotten about his earlier attempt to distance himself from Prince Fu.
Prince Fu paused, "Oh."
The civil officials' excitement upon seeing the ultimate exam paper was no less than that of martial generals encountering the finest weapon in the realm. The officials, who had previously appeared exhausted, now seemed invigorated as if they had been injected with chicken blood.
Emperor Liang observed their reactions with a steady gaze and asked, "Any objections, my lords?"
"None!" the civil officials chorused.
The head scholar of the Hanlin Academy clicked his tongue, "Grand Tutor, you're being foolish! If they don't attend your lectures, why not take the initiative to invite them? By letting such a student slip through your fingers, you're being foolish!"
"With his meager abilities, what qualifications does he have to be the Emperor's Grandson's tutor?"
In the entire Imperial City, only Elder Meng dared to speak so disparagingly about the Grand Tutor.
After all, he had once been the Grand Tutor's teacher.
Elder Meng, supported by a young eunuch, took a few shaky steps forward and addressed Emperor Liang, "Your Majesty, this old subject believes that I might still be able to take on another student."
Emperor Liang: "..."
That wasn't what you said before.
Emperor Liang stood up, his gaze sweeping across the Jinluan Pavilion, the might of the Emperor reverberated through the eight directions, "For the second trial, the Four Books, Lu Lin Yuan wins!"
The civil officials prostrated themselves in unison, "Your Majesty is wise!"
The martial generals huffed and puffed.
They despised those pretentious scholars with their fancy writings. In their eyes, a single punch could take them down. Why were they being praised to the skies?
Hahaha, in the next trial, the martial generals: (⊙o⊙)!
Please vote!
(End of Chapter)
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