PDLP Chapter 223 Catching a Son-in-Law from Under the List
Chapter 223 Catching a Son-in-Law from Under the List
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This person was taken away.
The tribute scholars in the hall did not cause much of a commotion.
Those who finished their papers continued to rest and recharge, while those who hadn't finished their papers pressed on with renewed vigor.
The other party is not wronged.
The CEO handled the situation very well.
Without the status of a tribute student, it could be said that he failed the imperial examination this year. However, on the contrary, the emperor did not strip him of his academic title and instead promised him to come back in a few years.
This clearly shows that they don't believe he cheated; he simply got in by chance and then couldn't finish the exam due to exhaustion.
Come to think of it, with the expansion of enrollment this year, those who made the list already had barely enough cultivation to qualify.
He came up as a substitute, and with his vital energy and true qi being one step behind that of a Grand Martial Master, it's no wonder he was frozen stiff by the Frost Iron Pen after being suppressed by the palace's formation.
Yang Silang glanced a few more times at the two old eunuchs standing next to the CEO.
He guessed in his heart that this must be a confidant of Emperor Yongchang, otherwise the CEO would not have consulted with him and then made a decision so decisively.
Presumably, the emperor's bestowal of the gold medal also granted the CEO the relevant authority.
It seems that Emperor Yongchang was quite clever. Knowing that this rebellion was tedious and time-consuming, and that things might go wrong along the way, he simply didn't bother to come at all.
Yang Silang simply closed his eyes to conserve his energy, wondering what Consort Hu was doing now.
The two should not be far apart now, but he is currently in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which belongs to the outer court, while the empress should be in the inner palace, which is heavily guarded.
Under normal circumstances, it's impossible for someone to ever wander into the imperial harem in their entire life.
And so, time passed.
Another half hour passed.
As Zhou Mingxuan and the others, drenched in sweat and covered in a thin layer of ice, put down their pens, the debate finally came to an end.
A eunuch collected the students' exam papers.
The CEO and the two head eunuchs checked the number of papers and names in public, then placed the papers on the golden tray and turned to leave. The CEO and the invigilators would review the papers together elsewhere.
The main hall was instantly emptied, leaving only the scholars who had come to offer their tribute.
Several eunuchs filed in, each carrying a tray with teacups, snacks, and a damp cloth on it.
The young eunuch at the head bowed and said.
"My esteemed guests."
"Everyone can rest for a while longer."
"Please have some food and drink to restore your strength and energy."
"The top thirty will be having their martial arts demonstration outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony Square later. They can't go on stage on an empty stomach."
So the scholars drank tea and ate snacks, and some even took out pills from their sleeves to nourish themselves.
These teas and snacks alone won't fill you up.
Everyone has been up and working since dawn, and the sun is already high in the sky. The little food and medicine they ate when they set off have long been digested, and with the answers they just gave to the policy discussion, they are really hungry.
One stick of sandalwood incense stick after another was replaced in the hall.
Wait until the third stick of sandalwood incense burns out.
The CEO emerged from behind, holding a yellowed scroll and coughing.
"Students, those whose names are called, prepare to perform martial arts for His Majesty."
"Jin Yunyi, Mo Qingchen, Xie Yuzheng..."
He read out thirty names in a row.
Yang Silang noticed that the candidates sitting at the front stood up and bowed one by one, and the order of the list and the seating order were generally correct.
Sure enough, the rankings were already determined before the palace examination essays.
"Those whose names have not yet been called," the Grand President looked to his left and right, "will join the martial arts students in paying homage to the Emperor..."
"Please follow me, everyone."
He led the way with several eunuchs.
Four hundred and fifty-three... Now one person is being dragged out of the palace, and four hundred and fifty-two tribute students are following behind him in a grand procession.
Leave the hall, descend the steps, turn the corner, and proceed forward.
Yang Silang's eyes lit up.
A square appeared ahead, paved with blue flagstones.
Behind the square is a large hall, with a dragon throne already placed in the front porch, and behind that is a large nine-dragon screen.
However, it is still empty, obviously His Majesty the Emperor has not yet arrived.
On either side of the dragon throne were several chairs, and further away were embroidered stools, presumably some imperial relatives would accompany His Majesty to watch the martial arts performance.
on the square.
Five arenas were built with rough wood, arranged in a plum blossom pattern, and could be seen from the front porch of the hall.
The top thirty candidates will practice their martial arts skills on the platform, but they will not use long weapons.
First, the sight of swords and blood is considered ominous; second, in previous dynasties, there was a treacherous scholar who, harboring ill intentions, used a long weapon to launch a daring assassination attempt on the emperor.
So nowadays, they only fight with fists and feet, and they stop when one side has made a move; if one side bows, it means they have lost.
This martial arts demonstration felt more like a performance than a real battle, and it was almost like going through the motions.
Putting aside other things, if it were a real tournament, the candidates would bring their own weapons when they entered the palace. However, the palace required everyone to take off their weapons and leave them outside. How much of their fighting power could they exert if they were empty-handed?
And far behind the arena.
Hundreds of prayer cushions were placed in the square.
Yang Silang glanced at it and figured that he and his group would just be sitting there as background figures, which he considered a favor.
after all.
The emperor is sitting above, and you are sitting too. If this isn't a favor, what is?
Later.
On both sides of the square, a hundred or so civil and military officials entered.
They were all seasoned veterans, walking with a calm and composed demeanor. Occasionally, their eyes would sweep over the candidates as if they were looking at a group of greenhorns, their gazes filled with scrutiny.
The military officers, in particular, had sharp eyes, which even contained a hint of the true essence of a grandmaster. Many people lowered their heads when they were swept over by their gazes.
The officials stood below the palace, positioned on both sides. This viewpoint was less favorable, as some arenas were obstructed from view and could not be clearly seen.
After a while.
Suddenly a bell rang.
A tall yellow canopy appeared in everyone's sight, below which eunuchs carried a palanquin. The emperor, who had reigned for seventy-two years and was now ninety-five years old, sat on it, surrounded by a group of close attendants and palace maids, all of whom bent over and tiptoed quickly.
Behind him followed a procession of palanquins, mostly carrying women, presumably imperial concubines. Some of the women appeared to be very young, wearing veils, suggesting they were princesses.
I've heard that the Emperor dotes on his daughters. It seems so. Hmm... Could it be that he's taking this opportunity to let his daughters find someone they like?
Once he sat upright on the dragon throne, a round yellow silk canopy with tassels above his head provided shade and protection from the dust. Gold-edged jade ornaments hung down, and layers of curtains were spread out, making him appear extremely majestic.
On both sides stood palace maids holding dazzling peacock fans, and a row of attendants also stood there.
Then, the palace generals, holding golden maces and axes, stood at the four corners.
Down the steps were two rows of ceremonial guards, with yellow dragon flags and heavenly horse flags flying, and warriors carrying halberds, bows and arrows, five-colored banners, peacock cloaks, and other items.
In addition, his concubines and princesses sat down on both sides.
Everyone heeded the teachings and did not look directly at the king, but some people still secretly glanced at him. After all, they weren't standing in the front row, so staying in the back was the only advantage.
Yang Silang was one of them. He wanted to see what this Emperor, Hu Jiaoniang's cultivation partner, looked like.
Although he was 95 years old, his skin was fair and rosy, his figure was still in good shape, and he looked like a 50-year-old man. His hair was black and shiny, with only his temples slightly white.
He had a dignified appearance, but his lips were thin, his eyebrows were thick and black, his eyes were bright and sharp, and his eyelids seemed to have a touch of light purple, which may be related to his cultivation techniques.
This person doesn't look easy to get along with.
In addition, the three strands of white beard under his chin were trimmed very neatly.
After all, he was an emperor who had reigned for seventy-two years, and his majesty was so profound that it seemed almost tangible.
Yang Silang glanced at it a few times before looking away.
At this moment, the head eunuch shouted "Kneel!"
So everyone in the hall, from the imperial concubines to the civil and military officials and the newly appointed scholars, knelt down and kowtowed three times and nine times, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"
Yang Silang, bored, followed suit and bowed. He had already looked around with his keen eyes and found no trace of Hu Jiaoniang.
That's true. I'm not going on stage today, so what's the point of watching her?
Conversely, with Hu Jiaoniang absent, Yang Silang couldn't muster any enthusiasm for these people, even the emperor.
Another boring and unbearable day.
-
Two days later.
Yang Silang lay lazily on the bed, with Fu Hongying fanning him, She Nu serving tea, and Wang Daniu spinning around on the floor.
He seemed quite relaxed and at ease.
These past two days, he felt as if he were a puppet on strings, participating in a series of rituals.
First, there was a martial arts demonstration in front of the palace.
The top thirty contestants had their qi and blood suppressed and could not use long weapons. They had to stop their fist and foot fighting on the arena.
What's the point of watching then?
Without surging internal energy, without heated battles, and without any display of individual martial arts skills, it was more like everyone going up to perform a set of boxing moves.
The so-called competition was both dull and boring.
Even the emperor sitting on the dragon throne covered his mouth and yawned, but his concubines and princesses on either side watched with great interest and enjoyment.
Well, they probably weren't looking at martial arts skills, but rather at the candidates' upright posture and handsome faces, right?
After the martial arts demonstration.
Another day passed.
The candidates entered the hall again, and it was time for the names to be called out.
As expected, the top scholar was Jin Yunyi, the second-place scholar was Mo Qingchen, and the third-place scholar was Xie Yuzheng, and so on, almost identical to the list of successful candidates.
The only difference.
Zhou Mingxuan must have had some incredible luck; despite finishing the policy essay last, his ranking jumped by a hundred places to 350th.
Yang Silang suspected that it was that damned charm attack of his again.
Does this thing even affect the emperor?
The names of the three top scholars were announced three times in succession, and they knelt on the imperial road to receive His Majesty's summons.
As for the names of the second and third place winners, they are only called out once, and they do not need to stand out individually or kowtow in gratitude.
After the names were called out, all the successful candidates knelt three times and kowtowed nine times to express their gratitude for the emperor's great favor.
Yang Silang had just returned from the palace. After taking off his official robes, he just wanted to rest. Perhaps it was because he had practiced Taoist arts, but every time he entered the palace, he was suppressed by the formation, as if he were fighting a battle against an unseen opponent. He was exhausted afterward.
"Master, the notices should be posted outside now... Aren't you going to take a look?" She Nu asked curiously.
"Yes, Master, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event, let's go take a look..." Fu Hongying pleaded softly.
The door creaked open.
Zhou Mingxuan, dressed in white and looking energetic, walked in with a beaming smile.
"Oh dear, Brother Yang, why are you still lying down?"
"The list of successful candidates will be posted outside the East Chang'an Gate soon; it's time for us to set off."
Wang Daniu also said anxiously.
"Yes, Fourth Brother, you've come all this way. It's great news that you passed the exam, how could you not go and see me?"
Yang Silang waved his hand.
"Go if you want. The rankings are already set, the Jinshi degree is already in hand, what's there to see?"
"It's too crowded, it feels cramped."
Several people couldn't persuade him.
Finally, Zhou Mingxuan, Wang Daniu, and Fu Hongying couldn't resist and went out together.
The room became quiet.
Yang Silang practiced the Turtle Breathing Technique while half-asleep and half-awake.
Suddenly, the courtyard gate was kicked open with a bang.
Wang Daniu's panicked voice rang out.
"Oh no, Fourth Brother! The 'Marriage Selection' campaign has been launched! Zhou Mingxuan has been arrested!"
Yang Silang laughed heartily.
"Given his appearance, he still deliberately tries to get on the lower end of the list; he deserves it. Let's just ignore him..."
Zhou Mingxuan's ranking has improved dramatically; someone in the palace must have taken a liking to him. If we don't help him, someone else will.
Wang Daniu continued in a panic.
"It's not just him."
"Fu Hongying was also arrested by the same group of people."
"They said she's beautiful, and it just so happens that the young master needs a concubine to warm his bed..."
whoosh...
Yang Silang quickly sat up in bed, feeling a terrible headache.
Just so you guys could join in the fun!
Alright, both of them have been arrested.
He glared at Wang Daniu with annoyance.
"Why are you back?"
"Why weren't you arrested?"
Wang Daniu was taken aback and said with great grievance.
"Nobody arrested me, it's not my fault..."