CHAPTER 584: CHAPTER 489: GAME 2, DIVINE WILL

"Your Majesty!"

Zhang Qufeng, who had previously stepped forward to speak on behalf of Lu Qi, opened his mouth again, holding his tablet firmly. "The examination has only reached its midway point, ending it now seems rather improper, wouldn’t you agree?"

Although Emperor Liang was a martial emperor, he was not cruel, nor would he casually take someone’s head simply because a minister dared to speak their mind and risk offending him.

Emperor Liang listened to Zhang Qufeng’s words without showing anger. Instead, he turned his gaze to the gathered officials in Jinluan Palace: "Do my loyal subjects also believe my decision to be unjust?"

Zhang Qufeng kept signaling to his "colleagues" with his eyes, urging them to stand united and persuade the Emperor to rescind the decree.

However, the officials collectively seemed to suffer sudden blindness, each lowering their heads resolutely, refusing to meet his gaze.

If the Commandery Prince and Imperial Grandson had been evenly matched, it might have been possible to leverage advantage through factional arguments for a fair contest.

However, the Imperial Grandson won this round so spectacularly that all competing heirs were rendered speechless.

Both had spent years in the common folk’s world, yet it was evident that Prince Jian had long severed ties with that past. As a Prince of royal lineage, his poise, elegance, and knowledge were entirely appropriate.

If the Imperial Grandson hadn’t existed, Prince Jian alone would have been outstanding.

But the Imperial Grandson triumphed by staying grounded, winning by championing the people’s needs.

During his reign, the late emperor frequently said, "To rule by protecting the people is a feat no one can resist."

The examination tested not knowledge, but the capacity to apply it for the benefit of the people.

Bluntly speaking, had the Imperial Grandson been in charge of disaster relief back then, many of those tragedies might have been significantly minimized.

"Minister of Agriculture, what is your opinion?"

Emperor Liang handed this precious power of final judgment to the Minister of Agriculture.

The Minister of Agriculture placed the boiled seeds back into the burlap bag, bowed respectfully to Emperor Liang, and solemnly stated, "Your Majesty, Prince Changsun’s victory is well-deserved!"

Given that the exam was on agriculture, with this declaration from the Minister of Agriculture, who could argue otherwise?

Prince Jin furrowed his brow deeply and secretly clenched his fists.

Prince Ming slapped Prince Fu on the shoulder, excitedly shouting, "Victory! Victory! That kid won! The ten thousand taels are ours!"

Prince Fu clutched his nearly-broken chest and said through gritted teeth, "Sixth Brother, I understand you’re excited, but please, contain yourself."

I think... your silver is as good as gone...

Consort Jiang was always fiercely protective of her son—if he lost even a single hair, she’d go to war with someone over it...

Prince Ming basked in the joy of the victory and couldn’t help but revel in the sight of Prince Jin’s darkening expression, finding it more and more amusing. He wished he could find an artist to immortalize this moment on the spot.

Mr. Zimu stroked his beard and smugly said to Gongsun Yanming, "Nephew, no wonder you hesitated to compete yesterday. At first, I thought you were being modest, but it turns out you simply knew your own limitations."

Gongsun Yanming calmly replied, "This is only the first trial, and it just so happens to be on a topic set by my master."

The implication being, Lu Yuan succeeded purely because of luck.

Lu Zhaoyan seized the opportunity and chimed in, "My son truly is a Qilin. Even Heaven is lending him a hand!"

The crowd: "..."

Prince Ming asked curiously, "What does ’drawing a test question’ mean?"

Lu Zhaoyan replied, "The ministers who visited the Imperial Study Room yesterday each proposed exam questions for His Majesty to select from."

Prince Ming suddenly understood, "No wonder everyone reacted so strongly—because it was written by Mr. Zimu!"

Mr. Zimu: "It wasn’t."

Prince Ming asked oddly, "You didn’t write one?"

Mr. Zimu opened his mouth, "I did, but it wasn’t this one."

Prince Ming asked, "Then what did you write?"

Mr. Zimu: "Breaking stones on the chest."

Prince Ming: "..."

How much do you despise that kid exactly?

Prince Ming then asked Lu Zhaoyan, "Who submitted the agriculture-related question?"

Lu Zhaoyan thought for a moment and said, "Father."

Prince Ming: "...Forgot he could submit questions too."

According to the schedule, the examination would span one trial per day. Yet nobody anticipated Lu Yuan single-handedly finishing the agriculture trial in less than half an hour.

Emperor Liang contemplated and decided the competition should continue.

To accommodate the elder ministers, he called for a brief intermission of two quarters of an hour.

"Ah, hey!"

Prince Ming gestured animatedly to Eunuch Yu, signaling and beckoning him insistently.

At the time, Emperor Liang was deep in discussion with two senior ministers. Eunuch Yu pointed at himself in confusion, seeing Prince Ming nod fervently, silently inquiring about the matter.

Prince Ming gestured toward the sealed agriculture scroll, mouthing quietly, "Take a look."

Eunuch Yu glanced back at Emperor Liang and softly said, "Your Majesty."

Emperor Liang waved his hand dismissively, signaling permission for him to proceed.

Eunuch Yu exhaled discreetly in relief, grateful for avoiding overstepping authority.

Emperor Liang, though seemingly preoccupied, was actually fully perceptive and attentive.

Eunuch Yu brought the scroll to Prince Ming.

Prince Ming unrolled it and invited Lu Zhaoyan and Prince Fu to read along.

They had no idea what to expect, but upon reading, they were utterly stunned.

They had always assumed their father was only skilled in wielding swords and commanding armies, yet it turned out he had quite a bit of knowledge tucked away.

The agricultural examination question was comprehensive, even covering irrigation techniques, autumn harvest, and winter storage.