Heartstrings Resonance: The Beloved Princess of the Female Power

However, Princess Yongle in this life was completely different from her previous one. She had become strong, decisive, and even a little cold. The tenderness in her eyes was gone, replaced by a firmness and determination, and she approached things more rationally and calmly.

Ouyang Yi slowly regained consciousness, his eyes gradually clearing. He gathered his consciousness and looked at the vague figures outside the room, a sense of doubt and alarm welling up in his heart. These figures seemed to be moving back and forth, as if busy with something.

He frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and decided to get up and investigate. He carefully pushed open the door, trying not to make any noise. As he stepped out, a guard immediately approached and respectfully informed him, "Sir, the princess is concerned for your safety and has sent us to protect you."

Hearing this, Ouyang Yi sneered inwardly. How could he not know Princess Yongle's true intentions? The so-called "protection" was just a cover; in reality, it was just a form of surveillance on him.

Ouyang Yi nodded slightly to express his understanding and gratitude.

In reality, he truly didn't care. He presented those things to Emperor Qing Zhao not because he was afraid of death. It was simply that after living again, he had seen clearly the cruelty of Youdu. If Youdu truly took control of Zhao State, he didn't believe his father and his cruel eldest brother could rule the country. Not exposing Youdu's pure bloodline was his last act of kindness.

In a blink of an eye, the Spring Examination is here.

The Spring Examination was held in the Imperial Academy in the capital, a spacious and stately building. Surrounded by high walls and guarded by soldiers at the gate, the complex was heavily guarded. Candidates arrived at the academy the day before the exam to prepare for it.

On the day of the exam, before dawn, candidates were already lining up at the entrance to the Imperial Examination Hall. Dressed in neat robes and scarves, they held stationery in hand, their expressions filled with nervous anticipation. As the entrance slowly opened, the candidates entered the examination hall one by one.

Inside the examination room, neat rows of test rooms were arranged, each with a table and a chair. On the wall of the test room was a wooden board with the examinee's name and test number written on it.

The Spring Examination mainly examines the candidates' cultural knowledge and talents, including classics, poetry, essays, etc.

Meaning of the classics: Examines the candidate's understanding and mastery of Confucian classics.

Poetry and prose: candidates are required to have certain literary talent and creative ability.

Policy essay: mainly examines the candidate's political insights, problem analysis and problem-solving abilities.

The Spring Examination is usually a written test, which candidates must complete within a specified timeframe. The exam is quite difficult and the competition is fierce.

The results of the Spring Examination had a significant impact on the candidates' future and destiny. Those who passed the Spring Examination were awarded the title of Jinshi (Jinshi), becoming a candidate for officialdom. Jinshi was one of the highest academic degrees in ancient Chinese society, conferring high social status and prestige. The Spring Examination, a joint examination within the ancient Chinese imperial examination system, typically took place in the spring of the following year after the provincial examination. After the Spring Examination, candidates were required to take the Palace Examination.

The Palace Examination was the final stage of the imperial examination and the highest level of the test. It was usually held within the imperial palace and presided over by the emperor himself. The examination primarily consisted of policy questions, in which the emperor posed questions on politics, economics, and culture, and candidates were required to answer them based on their knowledge and insights.

The results of the palace examination were divided into three categories. The first category, with three candidates (named "Zhuangyuan", "Bangyan", and "Tanhua"), were awarded the title of Jinshi (Jidi). The second category, with a number of candidates, was awarded the title of Jinshi (Chuanshi). The third category, with a number of candidates, was awarded the title of Tong Jinshi (Tong Jinshi). The results of the palace examination directly determined the candidates' official positions and future prospects, making it the most important stage of the imperial examination.

In addition to the Palace Examination, candidates also had to participate in the Ministry of Personnel's selection process. This process was the process of selecting officials based on the candidates' Palace Examination scores and other qualifications. The selection primarily focused on four aspects: physical condition, speech, calligraphy, and judgment. These included the candidate's physical condition, verbal expression skills, calligraphy proficiency, and judgment. The results of this selection process directly determined the candidate's official position and future prospects, making it a crucial component of the imperial examination.

During these three months, after the initial 100 spies were discovered in Zhao, another 100 were captured throughout the country, and from these individuals, over 300 more were identified. However, these arrests were all carried out in secret, without alerting the people of Zhao. Only a few close officials knew about it at the beginning, including the Duke of Rong and the Prime Minister's residence.

To completely eliminate this hidden power, Emperor Qing Zhao made a swift decision. He dispatched the most elite intelligence officers and warriors from the Zhenfu Division, specially trained and established after his ascension to the throne, to conduct secret investigations and track down the spies. Like hounds, they followed every clue, penetrated deep behind enemy lines, and vowed to capture these spies in one fell swoop.

After months of painstaking effort, the investigation finally achieved a breakthrough. Emperor Qing Zhao was once again shocked to discover that Youdu's spies had infiltrated every corner of Zhao State, their numbers exceeding imagination. To date, the number of confirmed spies has reached 600!

This news came like a bolt from the blue. Emperor Qing Zhao knew full well that the existence of these spies was not only a threat to Zhao's security but also a violation of its dignity. He issued an edict, "No matter the cost, these spies must be completely eliminated to maintain the peace and dignity of Zhao."

After the palace examination, a vigorous capture operation was launched across Zhao State. Emperor Qing Zhao personally commanded the operation, mobilizing the most elite troops and intelligence personnel to launch a comprehensive campaign against the confirmed spies. In this war without the smoke of gunpowder, the soldiers of Zhao State displayed astonishing courage and wisdom. They engaged in a desperate struggle against the spies, defending the safety and dignity of the nation with their blood and lives.

After months of arduous struggle, the capture operation finally achieved brilliant results. Numerous spies were successfully apprehended, their conspiracy completely thwarted. Under the leadership of Emperor Qing Zhao, the people of Zhao finally emerged from this dark period and ushered in long-awaited peace and tranquility. Emperor Qing Zhao thus became a wise ruler in the hearts of the people of Zhao. His wisdom and decisiveness will forever be remembered by future generations.

From then on, the people of Zhao would ask strangers, "Where are you from? Are you a spy from another country?"

Also, wherever spies are caught, whether in towns or villages, everyone will sneer at them; even if local officials personally testify against them, they will still stay away.

In this spring examination, Ouyang Yi was selected as the third place in the imperial examination by Emperor Qing Zhao.

The Duke of Qi's Mansion and the Liu family were all arrested, as well as his brothers-in-law, none of them had clean hands.

At first, the Duke of Qi cried out in innocence, but after Emperor Qing Zhao read out the evidence in public, especially the clear and concise account of the incident that framed Princess Yongle, the Duke of Qi finally understood. The Emperor had long been targeting their Qigong Mansion. The evidence even implicated distant relatives in bullying. All these years, he had been complacently believing that the Emperor valued his Qigong Mansion, but it turned out to be a case of praise first and then killing. Because of her plea for mercy, Concubine Shu was demoted to a concubine by the Emperor and banished to the cold palace. The two children were raised by the Empress. Emperor Qing Zhao also held a grudge. When Yongle was captured by those thieves, this woman had also taken action. If it weren't for her help, the drug would never have reached Yongle's female guards. Because Yongle's female guards were all close protection and could not leave easily.

After everything calmed down, Emperor Qing Zhao looked at the court again and felt clear-headed.

But Ouyang Yi in the princess's mansion was not having such a good time. In the past few months, Youdu had sent people to assassinate him more than once.

That night, he leisurely drank tea in his room, while outside, there was the sound of swords and sabers. A moment later, a woman in gorgeous clothes slowly approached. She was Princess Yongle. Looking at the corpses outside and the badly damaged door, Princess Yongle said calmly, "This is the seventh time. It seems they won't stop until they kill you! I've already repaired this princess's mansion six times." She then looked at Ouyang Yi, a hint of helplessness in her eyes.

Ouyang Yi smiled slightly, seemingly not caring about the attacks of these killers.

Princess Yongle covered her nose to block out the pungent smell of blood, shook her head and said, "If it weren't for the royal father sending more people, I'm afraid this princess's mansion wouldn't be able to protect you." She was very tired of these killers' frequent attacks. But she had to protect him now.

Ouyang Yi turned to look at her, slowly stood up, and bowed respectfully, his eyes full of smiles: "I'm sorry to have caused you so much worry, Princess!"

Yongle found an empty seat and sat down, his eyes as calm as water, looking at him without the slightest fluctuation: "Your marriage with me has been decided, and it will be next month. However, if you regret it now, there is still a chance."

Ouyang Yi stood quietly aside, silently gazing at Yongle, as if deep in thought. Yongle was about to speak when he heard Ouyang Yi ask, "Princess, why do you insist on marrying me? I have been pondering this question for the past few months. I know I am no longer of any special value, and the princess's feelings for me are long gone. However, the emperor and the princess still keep me, and are even willing to let me become the princess's consort. I am really puzzled, and I hope the princess can help me clear up my confusion." After saying this, he clasped his hands together and bowed deeply.

Yongle chuckled and said softly, "Don't be confused. In the future... you will naturally know."

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, Yongle's wedding day arrived. In the name of frugality, she generously donated 200,000 taels of silver to the army and held a simple wedding banquet, no different from those held by wealthy families in the capital. Compared to the grand weddings of her previous life, this one was quite modest. Although the Emperor and Empress hoped for a more grand wedding for Yongle, she firmly stated that Ouyang Yi was not worthy of such lavishness.

In fact, Emperor Qing Zhao had already informed the Empress of Yongle's love for women. Initially, the Empress strongly opposed this, but when Yongle threatened to commit suicide in front of her, she was forced to accept the reality. Now, seeing Yongle's insistence on holding such a simple wedding, the couple knew that this might be a compromise and a helpless act deep in her heart.