Chapter 157: The Palace Examination

"Very well, since you have made up your mind, Young Master, I shall return immediately to report to the Second Prince."

Having received a definite answer from Gou Ye, the servant finally breathed a sigh of relief. No matter what, even though he knew Zhu Houzhao was backing them, he was well aware of the consequences if cheating in such an examination hall were to be uncovered.

Since Gou Ye had now refused him, there was naturally no reason to linger. He quickly sealed up the hole and quietly slipped away from the examination hall to return and report to Zhu Houzhao.

Once the servant had departed, Gou Ye collected his thoughts once more and waited in earnest for the impending policy essay.

Before long, the exam questions for the policy essay were distributed.

As he looked over the essay prompt, Gou Ye could not help a bright flash in his eyes.

How should relations with surrounding vassal states be handled, and how should one view the Great Ming's current policy of prioritizing civil officials over military generals?

"Goodness gracious! For a time-traveler like myself, this policy essay question might as well be a giveaway."

Studying the prompt, Gou Ye felt a stir of excitement. Although his academic foundations were poor, this particular essay question was clearly something he could answer. Without the slightest hesitation, and after a brief moment of reflection, he had already mapped out how he would tackle it in his mind.

Before traveling through time, he had been nothing more than a struggling online novelist, so he possessed a modest grasp of geography, history, and miscellaneous lore.

An examination question like this gave him a fighting chance, preventing him from suffering a humiliating defeat.

Having organized his thoughts, Gou Ye picked up his brush and earnestly set to work on the paper.

Roughly an hour later, several thousand flowing characters sprang to life upon the page.

Looking over the fruits of his past hour's labor, Gou Ye felt quite satisfied.

There was no helping it; writing with a traditional brush was truly arduous. It had taken a full two hours to produce this much text. Had he been equipped with a fountain pen or a ballpoint pen, he certainly could have written much faster.

Moreover, he was well aware that compared to the so-called literati of this contemporary era, he could never hope to compete in traditional policy essays. Yet this specific prompt happened to fall within his realm of expertise, ensuring he would not embarrass himself too terribly.

Upon finishing his answer, Gou Ye set down his brush and paper and walked out directly.

Just as he stepped out of the examination hall, his gaze immediately landed on Xuanyuan Changfeng waiting nearby.

"How did it go, my friend? Do you feel confident about this exam?"

Xuanyuan Changfeng wore a broad smile. Judging by his expression, success in this examination was a foregone conclusion for him.

"It went well enough, I suppose."

Hearing Xuanyuan Changfeng's inquiry, Gou Ye offered a gentle smile.

"Splendid! If it went well enough, that is quite sufficient. Come, let us go and find some wine. Now we simply await the posting of the results and prepare for the palace examination."

Possessing immense confidence in his own performance, Xuanyuan Changfeng threw an arm around Gou Ye's shoulders and led him off to find a tavern to begin drinking.

Three days slipped by in the blink of an eye, and the day for posting the results soon arrived. Early in the morning, Gou Ye was dragged out from beneath the covers by Xuanyuan Changfeng and hauled off to the site where the official rankings were to be displayed.

The very first thing that caught their eyes upon the bulletin was the name of Qin Ming, occupying the absolute pinnacle of first place! As for Xuanyuan Changfeng, he had been relegated to second!

"Good grief, this Qin Ming actually possesses some genuine talent!"

Witnessing these results, Xuanyuan Changfeng could not help a sigh of astonishment. He had been supremely confident in his own answers, yet discovering that this Qin Ming had surpassed him to seize first place in the examinations genuinely caught him off guard.

"Heh, indeed."

Hearing Xuanyuan Changfeng's remark, Gou Ye merely nodded dismissively. Deep down, however, he knew very well that Qin Ming had certainly not captured first place through genuine talent; some underhanded method must have been employed.

Although Gou Ye did not know Qin Ming intimately, ever since listening to the words of the servant sent by Zhu Houzhao, he had realized that the imperial examinations were far from simple.

Scanning further down the bulletin, Gou Ye discovered with surprise that his own name appeared at the very bottom!

In other words, he had passed the examination! Though he had squeaked through in last place, it was an undeniable fact that he could now officially be called a Juren, a recommended graduate!

"My friend, why on earth is your name all the way at the bottom?"

Noticing Gou Ye's ranking, Xuanyuan Changfeng immediately furrowed his brow. In his estimation, Gou Ye's literary talent was peerless, yet he had barely scraped by at the very tail end. Recalling Qin Ming's earlier identity and how Qin Ming had snatched first place, Xuanyuan Changfeng naturally began to suspect whether there was some dirty trickery at play behind these imperial examinations.

He knew that the Gou Ye standing before him possessed brilliant literary grace, yet lacked any formidable background. To have him ranked dead last seemed deeply suspicious.

"Ah, it's no matter. Passing is what counts."

Faced with Xuanyuan Changfeng's suspicions, Gou Ye offered a faint, cold smile. Naturally, he knew in his heart that the examinations were tainted with corruption; he himself had nearly resorted to cheating to get through, though his conscience had ultimately prevailed.

Even though he had only managed to secure the final spot, he was thoroughly content. After all, this was the result of his own genuine effort!

"All successful candidates, please inform one another. Gather in front of the palace gates in three days to attend the palace examination together!"

As the ranked lists were issued, the examining officials struck bronze gongs and shouted out to everyone present.

"We obey!"

After exchanging pleasantries with the officials, Xuanyuan Changfeng led a somewhat gloomy Gou Ye back to their lodgings.

Though he was keenly aware that something fishy must have occurred during the examinations, they possessed no concrete evidence and could only harbor suspicions.

"Very well, Brother Changfeng, take no-one's success to heart. Rankings do not equal everything. We shall settle the score at the palace examination in three days!"

Seeing Xuanyuan Changfeng's gloomy demeanor, Gou Ye hardly knew what comforting words to offer.

Yet he understood perfectly well that the palace examination three days hence would be personally presided over by the reigning Emperor.

In such a setting, no one could possibly cheat—not even Qin Ming himself!

"Ah, speaking of the palace examination... Tell me, my friend, when you face His Majesty, you must keep a level head! Even if your answers falter, you must mind your etiquette before the Emperor and absolutely not lose your nerve."

At the mention of the palace examination, Xuanyuan Changfeng turned back around and earnestly cautioned the man before him.