CHAPTER 434: CHAPTER 402: YUANBAO TAKES THE PROVINCIAL EXAM, TOP SCORER IN THE SPOTLIGHT (20TH UPDATE)

As soon as his biological mother mentioned it, Zhao Xi understood what she meant. His mother likely thought he wasn’t adept enough in handling affairs with Emperor Guangxi.

Princess Consort Qi continued, "Understanding human nature is a compulsory course for everyone, and as a Prince and a candidate for the Crown Prince, this is essential. I admire your indifferent nature, but it doesn’t mean that approach will work with your father, the Emperor.

Remember, he is the Emperor, and his dignity and majesty cannot be infringed upon. What you need to do is comply, not jump onto the dragon’s back and scrape its scales.

The consequences of angering him are severe, and I believe I don’t need to say more as you’ve already deeply felt them. From now on, remember not to be so reckless, think thrice before acting, and leave yourself a way out. This is the correct way for a Prince to survive, understand?"

Zhao Xi didn’t really agree with his biological mother’s words, but to avoid conflict, he nodded and pretended to agree.

Princess Consort Qi could see through her son’s perfunctory attitude but couldn’t bear to blame him. She just poked his head with her finger, "Ah, you are so stubborn, just as hard-headed as your father was when he was young."

It was the first time Zhao Xi had heard anyone say that, so he looked curiously at his biological mother, "Isn’t it better to be like my father?"

Princess Consort Qi shook her head, "Not necessarily a good thing."

——

Song Yuanbao was entirely unaware of Zhao Xi being scolded by Emperor Guangxi, even to the point of falling ill because he proposed bringing Lu Xingzhou out of seclusion. He had been at home, immersed in — no, indulging in eating, drinking, and playing during this period.

Unlike the rigorousness and correctness of Song Wei in his youth, Song Yuanbao had a very casual attitude towards his first provincial examination.

It wasn’t arrogance, but he felt stifled for too long at Yutang Palace. Finally having a few days of freedom, he didn’t want to return to the nerve-wracking days; it was truly exhausting.

Seeing this, Song Wei said to him, "With such an attitude, do you think you can pass as a scholar?"

Song Yuanbao replied, "In the Study Room, I’ve experienced all sorts of tension-filled exams. The teachers were simply inhuman.

Father probably doesn’t know our exams varied greatly. There was one particularly brutal kind where we were given only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. I calculated the time, including reading the questions, grinding ink, and writing, and it would take at least that amount of time. Meaning, as soon as you read the questions, the answers must surface in your mind immediately.

The most brutal part was, I took such an exam for a whole year!"

By the end, Song Yuanbao had a bewildered look, as if questioning "Who am I? Where am I?"

Song Wei had heard about the Study Room’s unique teaching style that was vastly different from elsewhere. Song Yuanbao used to describe the teaching speed as "like a starving ghost reborn," giving no time for respite. If you wandered off slightly, you might not understand what was taught next.

It really tested the students’ attention.

Later, Yuanbao mentioned this teaching mode was requested by His Highness himself, aiming to constantly challenge his own limits.

Now, hearing about the incense stick timed exams, Song Wei could easily guess it was probably also requested by the Eldest Prince.

Seeing his son’s expression of utter resignation, Song Wei didn’t force him to study further and just said, "You’re already fourteen; there are many things you should be aware of without parental reminders."

"Don’t worry, Father," Song Yuanbao lifted his head from the desk, "I may not guarantee being the top scorer, but I can confidently say I won’t fail."

His expectations of himself weren’t that high, unlike Zhao Xi. If he were to take the imperial examinations, his goal would definitely be to achieve a consecutive top ranking.

However, thinking about those brutal, inhumane exams at the Study Room, Song Yuanbao felt that the provincial, municipal, or even imperial exams would be a breeze for Zhao Xi.

After sitting together for a while, Song Yuanbao suddenly asked Song Wei, "Father, with the Eldest Prince being so outstanding, why doesn’t the Emperor just declare him the Crown Prince?"

This was a sensitive topic. Song Wei glanced around, seeing no one, and then whispered, "Whether at home or in Yutang Palace, don’t discuss such matters in the future."

Song Yuanbao closed his mouth, but in his heart, he felt wronged on behalf of Zhao Xi.

Having been in the palace for over a year, he wasn’t always just stuck in Yutang Palace reading endlessly. He did understand some situations within the palace.

The servants all said that the Emperor favored Princess Consort Duan, who bore him a son. Especially after the Empress Dowager’s recent passing, only the chubby Second Prince Zhao Nuo seemed to comfort Emperor Guangxi, making him frequently visit Princess Consort Duan’s Yonghe Palace.

There were even more rumors that the Emperor secretly favored the Second Prince, and no matter how hard the Eldest Prince tried, the throne would ultimately be left for the Second Prince.

When Song Yuanbao heard this, he felt a block in his heart.

If the Emperor truly intended for the Second Prince to be the Crown Prince, then he was blind!

Not just blind, but heartless too!

Not talking about dynasties all over history, but at least in the last two or three dynasties, there was no prince as driven as Zhao Xi, pushing himself to the brink of omnipotence at such a young age.

Others whispered, saying the Eldest Prince was so hard on himself at such a young age. If it continued, his body wouldn’t hold up, leading to a likely short life. Hence, his efforts would be in vain, serving only to pave the way for the Second Prince.

At that time, Yuanbao was grinding his teeth in anger, thinking that Zhao Xi had at least three routine check-ups every month without any issues found by the Imperial Physician. How dare these little rascals curse for the Prince to die young?

Of course, Yuanbao didn’t spare any of those gossipers. He reported them to the Imperial Household, and those who needed to have their tongues cut or be put to death were dealt with accordingly.

During that period, some servants inexplicably disappeared from the palace. Zhao Xi asked Yuanbao if he knew the reason, to which Yuanbao shrugged, "Servants, you know, the old ones leave and the new ones come."

Zhao Xi knew he was always so unreliable, so he didn’t ask further.

——

On the eighth day of September, Yuanbao sat for the exam, starting the first major examination of his life.

The original date for the autumn examination was in August, but due to the recent passing of the Empress Dowager and the ongoing war in the Northwest, Emperor Guangxi postponed the exam by a month.

Yuanbao didn’t know if this affected other candidates, but for him, he slept just as usual.

He wasn’t sure who came up with the provincial exam questions, but they felt somewhat similar to some test questions he’d encountered in the Study Room.

It felt like a big meat pie had fallen from the sky and landed right on him.

He had been trained by Zhao Xi to the point of instantly having the answers flood into his brain as soon as he scrutinized the questions.

When the exam papers were handed out, he finished answering within the time of a single incense stick.

Then he started to sleep soundly on the answer board.

Like the metropolitan exam, the provincial exam consists of three rounds over nine days, giving candidates ample time to ponder their answers from when they receive the paper until the submission deadline at dawn the next day.

When the chief examiner saw Yuanbao sleeping soundly while patrolling, he got closer to look at his seat number and name, recognizing him as the son of the third-place scholar Song Wei and a companion of His Highness. He immediately shook his head in disappointment.

A spoiled rich kid is a spoiled rich kid, relying on the Eldest Prince’s backing to treat the exam venue as his home. With such an attitude, how could he achieve anything significant?

Shortly after the chief examiner left, Yuanbao woke up once, moved the exam paper pressed under his elbow to the side under the inkstone, then tilted his head and continued to sleep.

From the first round to the third, Yuanbao followed the same answering pattern: upon receiving the paper, he ground ink, stared at the questions, and quickly organized answers in his mind. All three processes worked in tandem, completing everything in just one incense stick’s time.

Then he slept peacefully.

Until the exam ended, several chief examiners gathered, whispering, feeling that the Emperor’s choice of a companion was substandard. After the provincial exam, they planned to take the opportunity to advise the Emperor that putting such an unlearned person next to the Eldest Prince was ruining a royal pupil, and such a person mustn’t be retained.

When the provincial exam results were released half a month later, the chief examiners, after initially being dumbfounded, found themselves feeling embarrassed, as if someone had stepped on them and twisted their feet.

Looking at the list of provincial exam results, the officials glanced at each other, fell into collective contemplation without a word.

——

Yuanbao had never expected he would "sleep" his way to becoming the top scorer.

When the government officials from the Ministry of Rites came to their house to deliver the good news, he was still in shock.

"Mr. Official, you didn’t make a mistake, did you?" Yuanbao looked bewildered, recalling that he just focused on sleeping in the exam room. Could sleeping really win first place?

The officials cupped their hands, "Young Master Song, a teenage prodigy! It was Prime Minister Mr. Yang who personally nominated you as the top scorer. Congratulations, Mr. Jie Yuan!"

After sending the officials away, Yuanbao stood at the doorway holding the congratulatory announcement, remaining motionless for a long time.

Previously, upon returning from the exam, he had proactively confessed to having spent just one incense stick’s worth of time answering questions, before using the remaining time for the "crime" of sleeping.

Wen Wan and Song Wei knew his ways and were just thankful he didn’t fail. Who would have thought he would emerge as the top scorer?

Upon hearing the news, Granny Song felt like she couldn’t catch her breath, patted her chest twice, then looked at her daughter-in-law, "Am I dreaming?"

Wen Wan joyfully replied, "Mother, it’s true. Yuanbao topped the exams as the top scorer."

"Oh my precious grandson." Granny Song was so excited she could barely string a sentence together. "How did you sleep your way to such results?"

Yuanbao held the bright red congratulatory letter in one hand, scratching his head with the other.

To others, this might seem a bit unbelievable, but to him, the person involved, it was all too clear.

The reason he managed to combine speed and quality, completing the provincial exam paper in one incense stick’s time, was all thanks to the Eldest Prince.