He lifted his eyes to look directly at the Son of Heaven, his voice ringing clear. “Your servant is not acting on a whim, nor is this a lighthearted joke. Asking for a marriage decree is precisely because my parents value ritual and law above all else; without an imperial decree, they would never allow it.”
“Scholar Xie.” Yuan Zhuo tapped the dragon desk. “You realize that if this decree is issued, your career…”
“Your servant knows.” Xie Shaoling interrupted without hesitation. “Your servant studied for ten years to assist a brilliant monarch and bring peace to the country. If I am dismissed due to my private feelings, your servant will accept it gladly.”
Yuan Zhuo’s eyes shifted, his voice carrying a trace of hidden meaning. “We grant it. If that Master Plum is found, and he is willing…”
The hall broke into an uproar once more.
The Minister of Rites knelt directly on the floor. “Your Majesty, please reconsider! This… this violates the ancestral laws!”
Yuan Zhuo stood up abruptly, the sleeves of his dragon robe brushing coldly against the desk. “Ancestral laws? They are in love; what does it matter if it violates ancestral laws?”
Eunuch Xu hurried to pick up his fly-whisk, his heart pounding like a drum. He knew better than anyone that while the Emperor seemed to be supporting Scholar Xie, in reality…
Xie Shaoling didn’t give the Minister of Rites another chance to argue. He bowed deeply. “Your servant thanks Your Majesty for your boundless grace.”
At the same time, on the eastern side of the Meridian Gate.
Dong Danyu stood at the end of the crowd. The seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth stood as straight as a fresh bamboo shoot, his lips pressed together with a stubbornness unique to his age.
The announcement of “Xie Shaoling, Top Scholar” still echoed in his ears.
He hadn’t dared to hope for a place in the First Class, but when the five words “Third Scholar Dong Danyu” pierced the air, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning, freezing in place.
He made it?
He looked up sharply. On the Golden List, the character “Dong” was written with iron-like strokes, the ink so deep it seemed ready to pierce his eyes.
“Third Scholar Dong Danyu!”
His heart hammered against his ribs, and his fingertips felt cold and numb. Dong Danyu had lived his whole life in his father’s shadow; everyone only saw him as “Grand Preceptor Dong’s son.” But today, he had stood in the Hall of Gathered Heroes on his own merit!
He turned, intending to find his father’s old subordinates to share the news, when he heard a soft call from behind: “Third Scholar Dong, please stay your steps.”
He turned to see a pale, beardless young eunuch smiling respectfully.
“Eunuch Xu has a message for the Third Scholar.” The young eunuch’s voice was very low. “Your rank was personally fished out of the pile of discarded scrolls by Chancellor Gu.”
Dong Danyu’s expression froze, and his fist tightened inside his sleeve.
“Originally, your name wasn’t in the top three,” the eunuch said with a thin smile. “It was because the Chancellor spoke well of you before the Emperor that your name could appear on the list.”
Without waiting for a response, he turned and left.
Dong Danyu didn’t move for a long time.
Though he had never met Gu Huaiyu, the man’s name followed him everywhere. At ten, he first heard the name Gu Yu; that night, his father had roared in his study, “If this villain Gu Yu isn’t removed, Great Chen will never know peace!”
At twelve, when he entered the Imperial Academy, the Chancellor of the Academy had warned him tremblingly, “Master Dong must remember, there is a smiling tiger in the court named Gu Yu. He is ruthless and harms the loyal and upright; he is a man of great evil!”
Even the kindest old housekeeper in the manor would change his face at the mention of the Chancellor. “Does the Young Master know how the Master’s students disappeared? They were all dealt with by Chancellor Gu…”
Over the years, the name “Gu Huaiyu” had been a blade hanging over his head, the irredeemable traitor in his elders’ mouths, the national enemy that every member of the Pure Stream Faction sought to destroy.
He was Grand Preceptor Dong’s son, a natural thorn in the side of the “Gu Faction.” He had expected this man to use the palace exam to suppress him, yet he hadn’t expected the man to speak for him instead.
Dong Danyu looked toward the distant, magnificent palace gates and couldn’t help but narrow his eyes. “You… just what are you after?”
As twilight fell, the blue stone paths of the Chancellor’s Manor were lit with glazed lamps.
The refugees from Jiangzhou had arrived in the capital. Shen Jun had been busy all day and hurried over without even changing his official robes. From a distance, he saw a tall figure standing under the eaves.
Pei Jingyi leaned against a red lacquer pillar with his arms crossed. Several servant girls hurried past him, suddenly covering their mouths and giggling, their laughter fluttering like flowers as if they had remembered something amusing.
Shen Jun, unaware of the absurd scene from a few days ago, simply gave a cold, distant salute. “General Pei.”
Pei Jingyi returned the greeting lazily, without even changing his posture. “Master Shen.”
Shen Jun brushed the dust from his sleeves. “Is the General on duty at the manor? Why are you following the Chancellor so closely?”
Pei Jingyi heard the faint sourness in those words and squinted at him. “I am favored by Chancellor Gu; he insists on keeping me by his side.”
Shen Jun’s gaze sharpened, but his tone remained casual. He shifted the topic. “How many years has the General been in the capital?”
“Two years.” Pei Jingyi raised an eyebrow.
Shen Jun said warmly, “What a coincidence. Two years ago was the Late Emperor’s final birthday. The palace was very lively.” He smiled deeper. “The General must have seen the great gift the Chancellor gave to the Late Emperor?”
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