Jiang Huaichu arrived at Yixian Teahouse.
Rushi had already arranged everything for him. After settling in at the inn, Jiang Huaichu went to Yixian Teahouse, the closest teahouse to his lodgings.
With the Spring Imperial Examination just a few days away, the teahouse was livelier than usual, filled with candidates staying at nearby inns, as well as curious onlookers from the common folk.
In this season of renewal, the candidates in the teahouse were all brimming with energy, engaging in loud debates, gesticulating wildly, and vying for attention.
Jiang Huaichu found a quiet corner to sit down. The middle-aged woman dressed as a servant following him took a seat opposite him.
Jiang Huaichu asked softly, “Is Your Highness well in Beining?”
The Consort Dowager, wearing a human-skin mask, smiled and said, “I’m doing just fine. Although the men of Daning aren’t as pleasing to the eye as those from our Nanzhao, they’re surprisingly capable.”
“…” Jiang Huaichu, thinking of her running a brothel, fell silent for a moment. “That’s good, that’s good.”
The Consort Dowager said, “You’re just too reserved, child. Your brother has really kept you under his thumb.”
Jiang Huaichu gave a light cough.
The Consort Dowager stopped teasing him. “Speaking of serious matters, that man is too vigilant, with unfathomable cunning. Many of our well-trained spies have fallen into his hands. Even beauties are shown no mercy. He’s not someone who can be swayed or deceived by mere looks. If you truly intend to get close to him, be careful not to expose your identity.”
A trace of worry appeared in the Consort Dowager’s expression. “If anything were to happen to you, I wouldn’t be able to face your brother… But then again, with your current plan, even if I help you, I still wouldn’t be able to face him.”
Jiang Huaichu: “…”
“I’m aware of all this,” Jiang Huaichu said calmly.
The Consort Dowager asked, “Have you thought through exactly how you plan to proceed?”
Jiang Huaichu replied, “With the Metropolitan Examination and Palace Examination in a few days, I must find a way to become the Zhuangyuan.”
The Consort Dowager frowned. “You want to enter the Hanlin Academy?” In Daning, only the Zhuangyuan was guaranteed entry into the Hanlin Academy.
Jiang Huaichu nodded.
The Hanlin Academy in Daning was responsible for drafting imperial edicts, serving as tutors to the royal family, and other duties, making its members close confidants of the emperor, the people by the emperor’s side.
Given Xiao Yun’s status, only by entering the Hanlin Academy could Jiang Huaichu hope to see him frequently. Otherwise, with his newly appointed official rank, he wouldn’t even have the qualifications to attend court sessions in Jinluan Hall.
He only had half a year and couldn’t afford to wait for seniority to accumulate.
“That’s true. If you were assigned to a local post, it would be over,” the Consort Dowager said, her brow furrowed. “In terms of literary talent alone, you would undoubtedly be the Zhuangyuan. But Daning is nothing like our Nanzhao.”
“I’ve been in Daning for many years. There are too many influential families here, with their relationships deeply intertwined. They also collude to suppress those from Hanmen backgrounds. Passing the exam is easy, but achieving a high rank depends entirely on the ‘soft’ factors beneath the surface, especially if you’re aiming for the Zhuangyuan title…”
“The emperor is biased. For years, he has only appointed Zhuangyuan from prestigious families. He’s the legitimate son of an empress from a noble clan, and with that kind of background, he probably looks down on those from humble origins… Ah, this is truly difficult.” The Consort Dowager grew more and more troubled as she spoke.
Jiang Huaichu smiled, his expression unchanged.
In truth, there was more to it than that. If he were to be completely honest, he had offended Xiao Yun three years ago by rejecting him.
He just didn’t know if Xiao Yun held a grudge or would refuse to appoint him.
Of course, he wouldn’t mention this to avoid causing the Consort Dowager unnecessary anxiety.
“You have no idea how many candidates have booked private rooms in my establishment these past few days to secretly entertain high-ranking officials and nobles. Many of them are relatives of the chief examiners. They indulge in all kinds of pleasures, hiring groups of girls at once. How can you compete with that? The exam is in just a few days…” The Consort Dowager looked anxious.
“Your Highness need not worry for me,” Jiang Huaichu said calmly. “There is always a way.”
The Consort Dowager glanced at him twice, now quite calm. The young prince’s appearance and temperament were always too deceptive, evoking pity and affection, making people forget his scheming nature.
The Consort Dowager sighed: “You wrote to me before asking for advice. I’ve taught you all I can, but these are things I teach the girls in my establishment. It’s true they might not work on Xiao Yun. It’s not like he hasn’t visited our brothel incognito before, and it’s not like I haven’t sent the best girls over. The problem is he didn’t touch a single one—and I don’t mean the kind of ‘not touching’ you’re thinking of, but the kind where he didn’t even let them touch the hem of his robe. He’s practically like he has some issue. Don’t go through all this trouble only to find out he’s… incapable.”
Seeing he didn’t respond, the Consort Dowager knew he was embarrassed again and couldn’t help but chuckle: “I’m being serious here.”
“I’ll do my best, regardless of success or failure,” Jiang Huaichu said. “There are always unexpected twists in everything. I don’t expect everything to go according to plan, nor do I think it will definitely succeed. If he really is… that’s just another kind of unexpected. I’ll adapt as needed. I’d regret wanting to do something but not doing it.”
The Consort Dowager thought for a moment: “That’s fine too. If you encounter any problems along the way, just give up anytime. If he has any bad habits or makes you feel uncomfortable or miserable, don’t force yourself. We don’t need him.”
Jiang Huaichu lowered his head in distress.
The Consort Dowager laughed outright: “If it doesn’t work out, just treat it as a trip to Daning. Daning is much more fun than our Nanyue. Don’t spend all day buried in books or worrying about this and that for your brother. Thinking about it this way, coming to Daning is actually a break for you. Otherwise, I hear you’re so busy every day that no one can find you.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“Xiao Yun is in the imperial palace. You won’t see him before the Palace Examination anyway. If you have nothing to do these next few days, come find me. I’ll show you around and help you get familiar with Beining.”
Jiang Huaichu acknowledged with a sound.
The Consort Dowager smiled: “If you encounter anything you don’t understand about that matter, come ask me anytime. No one understands men better than I do.”
Jiang Huaichu nodded slowly.
“Why be shy with me? I bathed you so many times when you were little. There’s nothing I haven’t seen. You were fair, clean, and pretty even back then. I even told your brother back then that his little brother was prettier than a little girl, and when you grew up, women would pine for you, and men would too.”
Jiang Huaichu looked up at her with a slightly pleading expression.
“Alright, I’ll stop, I’ll stop,” the Consort Dowager said, unable to laugh anymore. “Talking about the distant future is pointless. You haven’t even become the Zhuangyuan yet. By the way, when did you come to Beining to take the Imperial Examination? I actually didn’t know.”
“I’ve been living near the border of Beining. I had nothing better to do, and I thought knowing your enemy and yourself is important, so I went. I didn’t think too much about it. I didn’t expect it to be useful now—”
“In my opinion, the current emperor is the number one handsome man in the world!” A loud voice from over there drowned out Jiang Huaichu’s words. Jiang Huaichu and the Consort Dowager looked in that direction.
Several young examinees were gathered around a table, clearly having had a bit to drink, talking animatedly.
“What’s the emperor of Nanyue? How is he worthy of being mentioned alongside our Beining emperor?”
Jiang Huaichu’s gaze suddenly turned cold.
“If our great Daning’s iron cavalry truly marched over, would Nanyue even exist? Would Nan Huaiyi even exist?”
The examinees burst into loud laughter, enthusiastically agreeing.
Jiang Huaichu’s face was as dark as water, his slender fingers gripping the teacup tightly, struggling to restrain himself.
Arrogant examinees, always having to debate everything—major state affairs, trivial matters—just to attract attention and curry favor with specific people. After over a decade of studying, this is all they’re capable of.
Consort Dowager pressed Jiang Huaichu’s hand and whispered, “People from Great Ning are a bit arrogant.”
After all, it was the largest country in the world, so it was normal for its citizens to be proud and haughty.
Jiang Huaichu said coldly, “Do they often insult my elder brother?”
Consort Dowager fell silent.
Jiang Huaichu remained expressionless and said nothing.
Consort Dowager said, “You’ll get used to it. There’s nothing we can—”
Over there, more examinees chimed in, laughing and joking, when a clear, elegant, and indifferent voice suddenly rang out: “Nan Huaiyi is certainly worthy.”
Many people had already been glancing in this direction from time to time. Upon hearing this unexpected remark, they all stared over in astonishment.
Upstairs, Xiao Yun had just finished casually observing the crowd and was about to turn away when he heard this. Instantly intrigued, he narrowed his eyes.
Downstairs, silence fell abruptly.
In the territory of Northern Ning, someone had actually openly defended the emperor of Southern Ruo—and in the crowded, gossip-filled Yixian Tower, no less, on a topic concerning the emperor himself. This person was simply audacious to the extreme.
Examinees from various regions wore expressions of schadenfreude.
Although this person did not have an unfriendly appearance or temperament, his looks were overly threatening. The current emperor placed particular emphasis on appearance when selecting officials. Since this person was in Yixian Tower at this time, he was likely also an examinee—a competitor. Naturally, they would not look kindly upon him and were eager to see him bring trouble upon himself.
The examinee who had been praising the emperor snapped out of his shock and shouted, “Who are you? As a citizen of Great Ning, you actually side with Southern Ruo! What crime do you think you’ve committed?”
Consort Dowager secretly worried for Jiang Huaichu.
“Who I am is unimportant,” Jiang Huaichu sat calmly, unperturbed. “I spoke not to side with Southern Ruo, but for the sake of the emperor and for you, sir.”
“You’re talking nonsense!”
The surrounding crowd burst into laughter, and more and more people gathered to watch the spectacle.
Jiang Huaichu remained neither angry nor annoyed, exuding an air of grace and composure. “‘Nan Huaiyi, the Northern Emperor’—this saying merely refers to the two most handsome men publicly acknowledged in the world. Northern Ning is strong, and Southern Ruo is weak—this is obvious to all. But strength has no bearing on appearance. If you insist on saying this, then if there were a country even stronger, wouldn’t the emperor no longer be the most handsome man? Would you then shout, ‘The emperor is nothing’?”
The examinee paled in fear. “You…”
Jiang Huaichu smiled. “Of course not. Regardless of a nation’s strength, the emperor is still the most handsome.”
Xiao Yun curled the corner of his mouth slightly.
Jiang Huaichu continued, “The world has its own judgments. The common people keep to themselves, not speaking openly, but they discern in their hearts. Do you think that by speaking of His Majesty in a certain way, the world will follow your wishes? To openly belittle a mere weak country and elevate our Great Ning in front of everyone—isn’t that just making His Majesty and our Great Ning disliked by the world, losing the people’s support?”
The man was both frightened and furious. “This is sophistry! What are your intentions, openly praising the emperor of an enemy nation?”
“Is this considered high praise? Then you, sir, truly have a narrow mind.”
The surrounding crowd paused for a moment before bursting into laughter again. The man angrily said, “You’re looking for death!”
Jiang Huaichu replied, “How can a man of stature be judged solely by appearance? Do you truly believe His Majesty is unaware of such idle talk among the people? His Majesty is all-knowing. He does not punish because he cherishes the people and has a broad mind, not bothering with such trivial matters. His Majesty’s civil and military achievements make him an emperor for the ages—does he need to compare appearances with others? Or do you think His Majesty has only his looks to compete with others?”
The man flustered, “You… I, of course I don’t—”
Jiang Huaichu sneered, “Let alone whether His Majesty has any intention of attacking Nanruo, if His Majesty were to attack and Nanruo became part of our Beining’s territory, your words would be an insult to the people of Nanruo who have already submitted and pledged allegiance.”
“If His Majesty does not attack, given the strength and prosperity of our Beining, should Nanruo seek our protection and become a vassal state, your words would sow discord between Beining and its vassal state. Can you bear the responsibility for such a crime?”
The examinee’s face turned ashen, and he began to tremble.
“Why indulge in momentary verbal victories at the expense of personal virtue and the dignity of His Majesty? The world is won through conquest and governed through administration, not through empty words! Insulting others harms oneself and tarnishes the nation’s honor. Why act in such a manner?”
“A great nation is one that is strong yet does not bully the weak. The nation belongs to a single lineage, but its people belong to the world. As scholars and pillars of the state, your words and actions represent the dignity of our Great Ning. As a vast and mighty nation, can we not show tolerance in trivial matters? Do we lack such magnanimity? If word of this spreads, would it not invite ridicule from the world?”
The entire hall fell silent, filled with shame and remorse.
“What a line—’the world is won through conquest and governed through administration, not through empty words!'” Xie Zhe exclaimed from the private booth.
His heart stirred, and his eyes shone with profound admiration.
Xiao Yun smiled. “What a sharp tongue.”
Seeing that Xiao Yun remained unmoved, even wearing a somewhat enigmatic smile, Xie Zhe felt puzzled and cautiously asked, “Does Your Majesty think what he said is wrong?”
After a moment of silence, he coughed lightly. “He praised Your Majesty in every sentence.”
His Majesty had nurtured many sycophants, but this man’s words hit the mark with every sentence, more precise than those trained flatterers. He had praised His Majesty to the heavens. In the past, His Majesty would have been pleased, laughing heartily and declaring this man truly understanding.
Xiao Yun chuckled and settled comfortably to the side. “Xie Zhe, you are still too inexperienced. When listening to someone, you must not only hear what they say but also what they deliberately avoid saying.”
Xie Zhe was taken aback. “Your humble servant is dull-witted.”
Xiao Yun looked up at him, a hint of roguish charm on his handsome face, tinged with an ambiguous meaning. “He doesn’t think I am the most handsome man in the world.”