This villain has become a ghost

Regardless of whether the threat was real or not, what they just said was not false and was the truth.

...but they kept arguing until they ended up in bed for some unknown reason, and that's when they finally stopped.

Yue Liuyun felt very confused. He took a deep breath, looked at him seriously, and sighed with a complicated expression:

"...Nangong Mingzhu, I think...we both need some time to calm down and reaffirm our relationship."

Nangong Mingzhu stared at her for a long while.

He suddenly lowered his eyelashes, covering his bottomless eyes, and chuckled softly. His smile was not joyful, but rather a bit cold. He said softly:

"No, you are always calm. I am the one who is not calm."

Yue Liuyun's heart trembled at his cold laughter, and she felt uncomfortable as if her heart was blocked.

Nangong Mingzhu slowly stood up, his long hair scattered on his purple-black robe, and his tall and slender back seemed a little lonely at this moment.

He said:

"Since you say that, I'll come back to see you after I calm down. Before that... let's not meet again."

After he finished speaking, the candlelight flickered, and with another "creak", his figure disappeared by the window. The lamp was out of oil, and the room suddenly fell into darkness. Only the occasional moonlight kept the darkness from being too dead.

Yue Liuyun: “…”

Did he forget that the palace examination would be held in a few days and they should meet again soon?

The rustling of clothes could be heard as Yue Liuyun tossed and turned in the silent night, thinking about the letter just now.

...That old letter was not written by her.

Who could that be?

This person not only knew that she was from the emperor's camp, but was also able to imitate her handwriting. So how much did this person know about her and Nangong Mingzhu?

And who leaked the letter intercepted from the palace?

Yue Liuyun felt vaguely uneasy.

Her intuition told her that the recent series of events were all connected, and that Dongdu and even the entire Daying... might be about to change.

-

Dongdu is peaceful and tranquil in spring. Being located in the most prosperous city in Daying, the people live and work in peace and contentment, completely unaware of the treacherous situation hidden beneath it all.

At dawn, when the morning light was dim, after the palace guards and relevant officials called out the names of the candidates according to the list, confirmed the identities of the candidates, and then conducted searches, Yue Liuyun and a group of palace examination students entered the Golden Palace in the palace.

The last time I came here was the last time.

Yue Liuyun, as the champion, walked at the front, but he adhered to etiquette and could not look directly at the emperor. He lowered his head and performed a series of court etiquette such as praising and bowing in the direction of the emperor.

After the ceremony, all candidates found their seats and sat down, waiting for the exam to begin.

Since Nangong Mingzhu ascended the throne, the rule of "no seats are allowed in front of the emperor" was abolished because it required candidates to kneel on both knees and not leave until the exam was over and they handed in their papers, which was obviously unreasonable.

Yue Liuyun tried his best to behave properly, sitting upright in his seat, waiting for the relevant officials to present the examination questions to the candidates.

She pondered in her mind.

The palace examination usually only tests policy questions, which usually focus on issues such as national governance, current political hot topics, culture and academics. Candidates are required to write a policy essay based on the topic...

Just as she was thinking about it, a hand with long, white knuckles reached out to her and handed her the test paper.

Yue Liuyun raised her eyes slightly and saw Shen Yue giving her a faint smile and nodding slightly, as if encouraging and cheering her up.

Yue Liuyun: “…”

My friend, you are quite busy with business.

At this moment, she suddenly felt a pair of eyes staring at her from a distance, which made her feel a little uncomfortable, but she didn't dare to look back.

It was not until Shen Yue left that the feeling of being watched slowly disappeared.

The palace examination lasts a long time, usually a whole day, and the papers are not handed in until dusk.

After Yue Liuyun finished answering the questions, he handed the test paper to the official who collected the papers. After the test paper was handed in, it was graded by a special examiner.

The setting sun shone on the palace, glittering between the glazed tiles like a golden pavement. The palace walls towered high, dusk deepened, and the sun sank to the west.

"Who is the champion?"

In the distance, Nangong Mingzhu's clear and pleasant voice sounded lazily. But when one listened carefully, it carried a certain inexplicable coldness and indifference.

Yue Liuyun stepped out of the group and knelt on the ground, his palms pressed against the carpet, his forehead resting on his fingertips, and he said in a clear voice: "Tribute Scholar Yue Liuyun pays homage to His Majesty. Long live the Emperor."

"Flat body."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The eyes of all the ministers were focused on Yue Liuyun, looking at and examining her.

Is this the female scholar who won the first place in the imperial examination?

She looks decent and graceful, but she is just a woman after all, without any background or strength, so it is unknown what kind of trouble she can cause.

Let's see how she performs and what His Majesty's attitude is.

Nangong Mingzhu looked at her calmly and said, "I ask you, when you founded a country and inherited a family, how do you uphold the foundation?"

Yue Liuyun searched his memory and replied carefully, "When one hears the teachings of the law of nature, one must follow the correct principles; when one establishes a nation and inherits a family, one must uphold the principles and glorify the original."

"I have heard that Heaven is the ancestor of all creatures. Kings receive their mandate from Heaven, and therefore Heaven assigns their duties. Heaven created mankind and appointed rulers to govern them. Without wisdom, sageliness, and profound wisdom, one cannot make people happy in life and their families peaceful in their work..."

She spoke eloquently, with powerful words and extraordinary insights. Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, but everyone present could hear it clearly.

Time passed by minute by minute.

Shen Yue listened to her fluent answers. She was able to give perfect answers to every question asked by Nangong Mingzhu, and his heart was completely at ease.

She was bound to be criticized as a woman. In such an occasion, if she did not perform perfectly, she would probably not be able to convince the crowd.

Fortunately, everything went well.

The ministers were also slightly apprehensive. They had originally thought that her winning the first prize was likely a chess piece used by His Majesty to blaze a trail, but now it seemed that she was indeed a person of real talent and learning.

"Not a bad answer," Nangong Mingzhu said calmly, then changed the subject, "...but it's too pompous."

The ministers were slightly surprised.

She had answered questions fluently just now. Even though they still felt that women were not worthy of being presentable, they had to admit that her performance was impeccable.

Could it be that His Majesty is deliberately making things difficult for her?

Even Shen Yue couldn't understand what he was doing. Her performance was clearly convincing enough, so why bother with this and add more trouble?

Nangong Mingzhu continued, "... 'Tools are made and plans are drawn up for use. If they are useless, even the finest tools and the best plans are useless.' Your answer is flawless, but too formal, and it doesn't address the shortcomings of my administration."