On Our Wedding Night, I Discovered the Crown Prince's Hidden Illness Chapter 552: 552: The Name of the Top Scorer

Chapter 552: Chapter 552: The Na of the Top Scorer

Ye Yiheng spoke indifferently again, “At that ti, the Seventh Prince of Beiliang mocked the Commandery Princess for only being able to answer questions on female precepts and female education; it was then that I had those remarks.”

As soon as the words were out, many nodded in agreent.

“Speaking does require considering the context. The Crown Prince and Princess Beilan share a deep and aningful relationship, so such remarks are a form of protection!”

Li Yuyue hated it when people spoke about his sister. Even though he was in the spotlight at the mont, he couldn’t care less.

So, he stepped forward with a bow, “Emperor, people think that turtles are slow and fearful, reacting slowly. For example, if soone now ntioned painting a turtle, everybody would scornfully laugh.”

“But I want to ask those present, have you forgotten the turtle’s ability to endure humiliation and persevere, its steadfast character?”

“Those who have obtained rankings in the Imperial Examination are all exceptional beings, dragons and phoenixes, so to speak. Those present here are dragons and phoenixes as well. Why do we hear laughter when soone talks about painting a turtle?”

“Turtles are known for their stable longevity; ‘may you live as long as turtles and cranes’ is a blessing wishing soone a long life. Why would anyone laugh at that?”

Listening to the Crown Prince and her elder brother defending her in this way, Leng Yu Yan was very comforted.

These two were skilled in debate and argunt.

Even though both of them seed to think she was only fit for painting turtles, they had turned the situation around, and she truly admired them for that.

What Leng Yu Yan did not know was that, in the eyes of Ye Yiheng and Li Yuyue, her learning and talents were unparalleled.

Be it about turtles, or making jokes about semi-turtles, they were rely having a bit of fun.

Suddenly hearing about longevity, the Emperor imdiately sat up straight with a serious expression, “Heir Lei is absolutely correct!”

With the Emperor speaking so, the tide of the mont quickly shifted.

The ministers and examinees who were called dragons and phoenixes by Heir Lai quickly agreed.

Yu Haoqiong’s face showed embarrassnt upon being ntioned by the Crown Prince in connection with achieving success through trickery.

Ye Yiheng accused him of intentionally distorting the truth, which was sothing Yu Haoqiong really couldn’t tolerate.

Even at this mont, Leng Yu Yan’s ability to participate in the Imperial Examination as a woman was still sothing that irritated him.

Yu Haoqiong quickly gathered his spirits and, facing the Emperor, bowed a fist, “Emperor, as for who will be crowned top scorer, please announce it.”

The Emperor sighed inwardly, knowing that the announcent of the top scorer was not sothing he could put off any longer.

Reluctantly stretching out his hand to bring a tray closer, his finger paused on the red paper with concealed nas; the Emperor lifted his hand and said to the Minister of Rites, “You tear it.”

Upon hearing the command, the Minister of Rites trembled.

If he were to reveal another na from Beiliang, he feared he would not be able to leave the Imperial Palace today, and even if he did, he doubted he could return ho.

But an Emperor’s command cannot be disobeyed, so the Minister of Rites tremblingly moved his hand forward.

The red paper was securely stuck.

He scraped with his fingernail several tis, but could not make even a slight tear.

The Emperor, sowhat casually, pointed to the Minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs, “You help tear it.”

The Minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs cracked a smile that was almost indistinguishable from crying.

The Emperor said, “The Ministry of Rites oversees the Imperial Examination, and the Advanced Scholars processed from it are assigned official positions by the Ministry of Personnel; it is not wrong to call on you for this task.”

With such a high-sounding excuse from the Emperor, the Minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs had no choice but to steel his nerve and approach.

It never seed to him that the imperial desk in Xiande Hall was so close to where he stood.

In a short while, he had reached the side of the Minister of Rites.

The two ministers exchanged a glance, reading in each other’s eyes the shared understanding of troubled brethren.

It’s unclear if it was due to a trembling hand or so other reason, but the Minister of Official Personnel Affairs also couldn’t tear open the red paper.

The Emperor’s imposing aura surged as he demanded, “Can’t even tear a small piece of red paper?”

The Minister of Official Personnel Affairs hurriedly explained, “Your servant fears that tearing the red paper might damage the top scorer’s written na.”

The Minister of Rites quickly nodded in agreent, “Precisely, your servant shares the sa sentint!”

The Emperor glanced at them, thinking that he understood the reason why they could not tear the red paper apart.

At this mont, he did not wish to tear it either.

How embarrassing!

But no matter how firmly attached the red paper was, it could ultimately be torn, and the Emperor said in a deep voice, “Tear it.”

As soon as these words fell, the Minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs and the Minister of Rites each lifted a corner of the red paper.

When two corners of the red paper had been lifted, the two officials looked at each other and simultaneously swallowed hard, as sweat began to bead on their foreheads.

It could be said that the nas on the red paper affected not only their lives and careers but the lives of hundreds of their family mbers!

Even the Emperor stared at the red paper with bated breath, not daring to breathe too heavily for fear that the na on the test paper belonged to a Beiliang person.

Not a few Tiancheng people in the hall held their breath along with the Emperor.

Only the entire Beiliang Envoy group seed to hold an air of unrivaled prominence.

Neither the Minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs nor the Minister of Rites dared to take action first, and the Emperor ordered coldly, “Both of you, tear it together!”

Upon this command, the two ministers raised their heads, closed their eyes, and each pinched a corner of the red paper, slowly peeling it back.

The Emperor, too, did not dare to watch, quietly leaning back in his chair, closing his eyes to pretend to rest, and beckoning an eunuch to massage his temples.

The two ministers, each holding a corner of the red paper, felt a pause, signaling that the na-stamped red paper was fully unwrapped.

Only the eunuch beside the imperial desk could see clearly what the Emperor and the two ministers were doing; everyone else simply thought the top scorer’s red paper was indeed too firmly stuck.

Now, seeing that the red paper had been torn, everyone craned their necks in anticipation.

Only then did the two ministers open their eyes one after the other, and to their surprise, the na that t their gaze was that of Leng Yu Yan, who had just caused a verbal dispute!

With a collective sigh of relief, they signaled the eunuch to tell the Emperor to open his eyes.

The eunuch rubbing the Emperor’s temples exerted a bit more force.

The Emperor, taking the hint, suddenly opened his eyes and imdiately burst out laughing, repeating, “Good, good, good!”

Seeing the Emperor laugh so heartily, the ministers below knew that the top scorer was a Tiancheng scholar and began to bow and request the Emperor to announce the top scorer’s na to the public.

The Emperor, delighted, lifted his hand, and the eunuch then bellowed in a loud voice, “The top scorer, Leng Yu Yan!”

There was an eerie silence in Xiande Hall.

After the silence, various praises, congratulations, and a mixture of other voices arose.

Among them, the most emphatic was the challenge from Yu Haoqiong, “How could a woman beco the top scorer?”

The Emperor lifted Leng Yu Yan’s test paper high and announced, “If the Seventh Prince of Beiliang does not believe, he is free to see for himself how Princess Beilan answered on the test paper!”

Yu Haoqiong quickly stepped forward to the imperial desk, and not only that, but he also brought with him five staff mbers who had taken part in the Imperial Examination.

The group of six scrutinized every answer provided by Leng Yu Yan.

Zheng Liqi was completely stunned that the top scorer turned out to be Leng Yu Yan.

A woman surpassed so many n to seize the title of top scorer!

Her heart surged with disbelief and dissatisfaction, but to her surprise, deep within her, there was a faint sense of pride.

Could it be as Leng Yu Yan said, that won are no less capable than n? If Leng Yu Yan could achieve this, why couldn’t she, Zheng Liqi, do the sa?

With this in mind, Zheng Liqi’s inexplicable hatred towards Leng Yu Yan dissipated sowhat.

To be fair, at this mont, she truly felt a bit of admiration for her!

Ye Jiu laughed heartily and imdiately hugged Leng Yu Yan, “Ah Yan, you are so amazing!”

Leng Yu Yan joined in the laughter.

Just then, the Sacrificial Officer approached Leng Yu Yan and made a deep bow, “Your grace is imnse, Commandery Princess!”

His old life entirely depended on the Commandery Princess!