"The 460th place, Yang Zhen, a student of the National Academy. The 459th place, Li Zhuming, from Hu Shui County in Qingzhou..."

The official standing under the "Fame Wall" loudly announced the rankings, and at the moment he spoke, the previously noisy crowd suddenly quieted down.

Thousands of students listened attentively, shedding tears of joy or cheering loudly when they heard their own names.

"Er Lang, why haven't you heard your name yet?" Auntie asked anxiously.

"Mother, we're only at number 100." Xu Lingyue comforted, "Didn't you say that Second Brother will be among the top scorers?"

Auntie glared at her daughter. How dare this little brat make fun of her?

"Er Lang, it's not your turn yet."

When it reached the fiftieth place, Auntie became even more anxious, her brows furrowing.

"Just wait a little longer." Xu Er Lang frowned.

By the time the rankings reached the top ten, Auntie's face turned pale, feeling that her son was most likely going to fail the exam.

Xu Xinnian's eyes revealed a mix of anxiety and excitement. This was a trend of either success or death. Thinking of his eldest brother's poem "The Difficult Road" and his own accumulation, Xu Er Lang still had some confidence in his heart.

Finally, when the announcement came, "This year's top scorer, Xu Xinnian, a student from Yunlu Academy in the capital city."

Auntie's ears rang with a loud boom, causing her whole body to tremble.

This "thunderous boom" also echoed in the ears of thousands of students and the Nightwatchers around them. Their first thought was: it's impossible!

How could a student from Yunlu Academy become the top scorer? The struggle for orthodoxy in Confucianism had been going on for two hundred years, and students from Yunlu Academy had always been suppressed in the officialdom, which was an undeniable fact.

In such a context, how could a student from Yunlu Academy become the top scorer?

The last student from Yunlu Academy to become the top scorer was the hermit Ziyang twenty years ago. But who was Ziyang?

He was a great scholar of the fourth rank.

Twenty years later, it was reasonable for him to become the top scorer, and even the champion. After all, he was a hidden dragon.

But looking at it from a different perspective, this student from Yunlu Academy, who had fought his way through thousands of soldiers and horses, became the top scorer.

Did this mean that he also had the potential to become a great scholar?

For a moment, many people were moved.

These people were either wealthy families looking for a son-in-law or scholars.

Although the tradition of "catching a son-in-law from the bottom of the list" was not popular in the era of The Great Feng, there were still many families who waited by the list to find a son-in-law.

They were waiting for a talented scholar with the potential of a hidden dragon, like the current top scorer, Xu Xinnian.

"Catching a son-in-law from the bottom of the list" was a joke. The wealthy families waited by the list and once they found a scholar they liked, they would send someone to propose marriage, competing for time.

Once the proposal was successful, the marriage would be set, and no one else could snatch it away.

In an era where rituals and laws were highly valued, it was not as simple as having pressure from the elders of the sect and giving a Gathering Qi Pill to break off a marriage. Unless one didn't want a bright future.

"Who is Xu Xinnian?"

"Who is Xu Xinnian, the master of the Xu family?"

In the crowd, there were occasional inquiries.

A student turned his head and looked around. Through the vast sea of people, he saw Xu Xinnian's stunned face and immediately shouted, "Ci Jiu, congratulations! Xu Xinnian is over there."

Whoosh... The first ones to rush over were not the students, but the people who were interested in catching a son-in-law. They surrounded Xu Xinnian with their entourage.

"Does the top scorer Xu have a marriage arrangement? I have a daughter at home, twenty-eight years old, beautiful as a flower. I'm willing to marry her to you."

"I also have an unmarried daughter at home, skilled in qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting."

Xu Xinnian kept retreating.

Chun'er, standing on her tiptoes, looked for a moment and said happily, "Catching a son-in-law is really interesting, Miss. I didn't expect the top scorer to be that handsome scholar."

As soon as she finished speaking, the curtain suddenly lifted, and Miss Wang, who had a sweet and hidden beauty, with a gentle temperament and slightly chubby cheeks, peeked out and looked around, saying, "Chun'er, let's go back."

On the other side, Xu Xinnian, who had never seen such a scene before, furrowed his brows.

Just as he was about to speak and drive away these impudent people, he suddenly saw several martial artists with ill intentions rushing towards them, trying to take advantage of his mother and sister.

The entourage was forced to retreat again and again, and Auntie and Lingyue screamed in fear.

"Stop!"

Xu Er Lang shouted.

But it was useless. He couldn't stop so many people.

"Heh, these ruffians are useless, but they are good at taking advantage of chaos." A middle-aged swordsman saw this scene from a distance and sneered.

However, he didn't pay too much attention to it. This small disturbance would soon be stopped by the Nightwatchers and the officials. However, those two beautiful women were probably frightened.

"Stop!"

Suddenly, a deafening voice resounded. This time, it wasn't a psychological thunder, but a real thunder that shook the crowd, making them dizzy and ringing in their ears.

The commotion came to a sudden halt.

On the wall of the examination hall, there stood a young man dressed as a Nightwatcher, with a silver gong embroidered on his uniform. He held a sword in one hand and his sharp gaze swept over the troublemakers.

At the same time, the officials and Nightwatchers pushed through the crowd and finally arrived.As soon as Xu Qi'an appeared, his aunt felt relieved, as if she had found someone to rely on. The mother and daughter both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Take those troublemakers away." Xu Qi'an pointed out several people from the martial arts world, and several guards immediately went up to arrest them.

The students below recognized Xu Qi'an and were pleasantly surprised, shouting, "It's Xu Shikui!"

"We've seen Xu Shikui!"

Many students in the capital greeted him respectfully, as if they were meeting a senior or a teacher.

In fact, Xu Qi'an deserved such treatment. With his several masterpieces, even the arrogant scholars dared not show arrogance in front of him.

But the foreign students didn't know Xu Qi'an's identity and called him a Nightwatcher, which they originally looked down upon. However, the attitude of the scholars in the capital made them realize that this young Nightwatcher was extraordinary.

"Brother, who is this person? He seems like a martial artist."

"You don't know him... Oh, you're not from the capital. This gentleman is Xu Qi'an, the Xu Qi'an who brings out the fragrance of flowers at dusk."

"...So it's him. Truly talented and extraordinary, a dragon and phoenix among men, worthy of respect."

Now, the foreign students knew who he was. Xu Qi'an had many "stans" who admired him for his copied poems, gaining a large number of fans among the scholars in The Great Feng.

For a while, countless students greeted him respectfully and called him "Xu Shikui."

"Truly impressive..." Xu Lingyue murmured.

"Truly impressive..."

In the distance, Miss Rong looked at the young man on the wall with admiration in her eyes.

"I'm supposed to be the protagonist..." Xu Xinnian muttered quietly.

......

Not only did Xu Xinnian pass the imperial examination, but he also became the top scorer: Huiyuan!

This was something the whole family hadn't expected.

His aunt was so happy that she almost fainted, like a cross-dressing Fan Jin.

Uncle Er was also very happy and decided to hold a banquet at home to invite relatives and colleagues to celebrate. Now that the Xu family was wealthy, they could afford a feast for three days and nights without any pressure.

After finishing lunch, Xu Erlang put down his chopsticks and looked at Xu Qi'an, saying, "Big brother, are you going to patrol the streets today?"

Xu Qi'an shook his head.

As a Nightwatcher, patrolling the streets was usually based on his mood, not mandatory. Moreover, now that the examination results were announced, thousands of students had returned home, and the pressure on maintaining public order was not as great as in the morning.

Xu Erlang nodded, got up, placed one hand on his abdomen and the other behind his back, and said calmly, "Then, big brother, please take care of guarding the house. There will definitely be annoying flies bothering me in the afternoon, and I won't see anyone!"

This posture was usually seen in respected old scholars or officials.

Heh, this little brother is pretending... Xu Qi'an's mouth twitched.

Xu Xinnian's tsundere personality was inherited from his aunt. However, the poisonous tongue attribute was his own creation. His aunt's skill in cursing was average, otherwise Xu Qi'an wouldn't have been so annoyed.

Xu Qi'an returned to his room and sat at the desk, worrying about Xu Erlang's future.

"Erlang became Huiyuan, which I never expected. Next is the palace examination in a month. After the palace examination, I can activate the hidden move I planted (Zhao Langzhong of the Ministry of Personnel's Wuxuan Division)...

"Staying in the capital is just the first step. If I want Erlang to become someone useful to me, I have to find him a backer. Otherwise, with his identity as a student of Yunlu Academy, he will only be able to work in the Qingshui Yamen for his whole life...

"Wei Gong is now the Left Censor of the Dachayuan, I don't know if he can regain such an important position. However, Erlang cannot rely on Wei Yuan, nor can he have any connection with him, otherwise he will be branded as a member of the eunuch party like me.

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket. I must find a way to find him a backer. Only then can our brothers have hope of joining forces and dominating the court."

Xu Qi'an had said before that he wanted to cultivate Xu Xinnian into the prime minister of The Great Feng, which was obviously a joke, but he did have the idea of "promoting" Xu Erlang.

After experiencing so much and offending so many people, this idea became even clearer and more profound.

First of all, Xu Erlang had excellent talent and followed the orthodox Confucian system. His scheming and methods were also quite good. After a few years of experience in the officialdom, he would definitely be an amazing teammate.

But the shortcomings of being from the orthodox Confucian background were also obvious - being an orphan!

"Huai Qing Princess is just a woman. I suspect she is secretly cultivating her power, but Erlang needs a solid backer, not to become an underground party member.

"As for the Crown Prince, I broke off ties with him after the Fufei case, so he is not a consideration. Moreover, the Crown Prince's position is too low, not worthy of my Erlang. For the same reasons, the Fourth Prince is also a pass."

After going through it in his mind, he realized that he couldn't find a suitable backer among the civil officials.

Sigh... forget it, this matter is not urgent. After the palace examination, Erlang's situation will temporarily come to an end. Next, I need to be vigilant about the Buddhist envoy group, as well as the celestial battle between Li Miaozhen and Chu Yuanzhen... sigh, this kind of struggle for orthodoxy is the most troublesome. Xu Qi'an pinched his brow and said softly."And for me, the most important thing is to quickly advance to the Copper Skin and Iron Bone realm."

After washing his face, Xu Yinluo went out. He was too busy to spare any time to guard the door for Xu Erlang.

Riding on a small mare, Xu Qi'an hurriedly entered the imperial city with the two books given by Zhong Li, and took out the waist jade bestowed by Lin'an. Under the guidance of the Imperial Guards, he arrived at the Shao Yin Garden.

Lin'an expressed her delight at Xu Qi'an's sudden visit and had the palace maid serve the best tea and delicious pastries to entertain him.

"How has Your Highness been recently?" Xu Qi'an asked.

Lin'an sighed, her peach blossom eyes no longer charming, and she lowered her head sadly. "My mother cries to me every day, saying that she is being bullied by the empress in the harem and can't bear it anymore."

What about the people behind Empress Chen? Aren't they going to help? Well, Empress Chen is a qualified player in the palace struggle. She shouldn't be so helpless. She must be deliberately pretending to be pitiful in front of Lin'an, trying to find a way out. Xu Qi'an asked in surprise, "The empress is treating others so unfairly, and you just watch as Consort Chen is humiliated in the harem?"

"I can't fight against Huai Qing, and besides, I don't think my mother is as miserable as she claims." Lin'an said with a grievance.

"Why don't you go to the emperor?" Xu Qi'an suggested.

"You all can leave now." Lin'an dismissed the palace maids.

The hall fell silent, and no one spoke for a long time.

"Dog servant..."

She weakly called out.

"Yes, Your Highness, what is it?" Xu Qi'an responded.

"When the Crown Prince was imprisoned in the Dalisi, I went to beg Father Emperor, but he refused to see me. I stood in the cold for two hours, and it was Huai Qing who drove me away..." Lin'an said with sadness, lowering her head. "At that time, I thought, maybe Father Emperor doesn't love me that much. After the Crown Prince's incident, my brothers and sisters no longer played with me, and I realized that they didn't really like me..."

Her eyebrows furrowed, her peach blossom eyes lost their luster, and she slightly lowered her head. She was not a princess, but a girl who was wronged and pitiful.

Xu Qi'an knew that Lin'an had entrusted him with her utmost trust, so she showed him her vulnerable side instead of her princess's pride. She was not too foolish, but not very clever either.

She must have kept these things in her heart for a long time... At least after the Crown Prince's incident, she realized this reality... But she didn't show it and still maintained her princess's pride.

Until the Fu Consort case was over, she realized the truth behind the case... How did she feel at that time? Sad, helpless, disappointed?

This princess may appear willful and spoiled on the surface, but she is actually a paper tiger. When she is wronged, she only knows how to shout and scream, but she silently endures the real grievances.

In essence, she is a woman who accepts her fate, beautiful but also strong.

When you're just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

Lin'an's eyes gradually became blurred. Saying these words made her feel much better. Although the dog servant couldn't give her much, he hesitated even to help her in front of Huai Qing, and Lin'an was already very happy in her heart.

Suddenly, a hand pressed on her head and rubbed it.

Lin'an raised her head in surprise and found that the dog servant had come to her side without her noticing. There was a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

"Your Highness, I will accompany you." Xu Qi'an said.

Lin'an's face blushed little by little, and she weakly said, "You, don't touch my head... I will get angry."

Xu Qi'an went against Princess Lin'an's order and rubbed her head forcefully, messing up her hair.

Lin'an widened her peach blossom eyes and glared at him, seemingly trying to intimidate the dog servant with her princess's authority. However, her eyes, although charming and affectionate, lacked any real power.

Lin'an lowered her head again.

Well, dealing with a girl with this kind of personality, being a little domineering and persistent is the best way... If it were Huai Qing, I might have been stabbed to death with a sword...

An ambiguous atmosphere fermented between the two of them.

Xu Qi'an quickly withdrew his hand and took out the book "The Great Saint of Love" from his pocket, placing it in front of Lin'an with a smile.

"I came across this book by chance. It's quite interesting. Since the princess likes listening to stories, I believe you will also enjoy reading it. But please don't mention that I gave it to you."

Lin'an's attention was immediately drawn to "The Great Saint of Love".

"If you find it boring to stay in the palace, you can consider moving to the Lin'an Mansion. That way, I can visit you every day and secretly take you outside."

After chatting for a while, Xu Qi'an took his leave.

"Xu Qi'an!"

Lin'an called out to him, puffing her cheeks and threatening in a fierce manner, "Today's matter must not be spread, otherwise... otherwise..."

She wanted to say "otherwise, I'll chop off your head," but she hesitated a bit.

"I understand," Xu Qi'an said.

...

Xu Qi'an left the Shao Yin Garden and said to the Imperial Guards, "I still have to meet the Princess Chang. Lead the way."

"This is against the rules." The Imperial Guards shook their heads."I can wait outside the palace city, that would be in accordance with the rules." Xu Qi'an calmly handed over a silver note worth ten taels.

The Imperial Guard agreed and led Xu Qi'an out of the palace, asking him to wait outside while he went in to pass the message.

Less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the Imperial Guard returned, saying, "Princess Huai Qing invites you."

A smirk appeared at the corner of Xu Qi'an's mouth, his hand resting on his chest. He thought to himself, 'Huai Qing, oh Huai Qing, prepare to witness the power of a domineering female boss and a naive and sweet scholar.

This will surely hit your sweet spot.

...........

PS: Update first, revise later.