Becoming a widow for the sake of good fortune? The short-lived prince lived a hundred years

The second prince hurriedly left the capital for his fiefdom, but the matter was not over yet.

Those who depended on him were liquidated one by one.

Many officials were immediately cleared out of the court.

The emperor had originally handpicked one chief examiner and three deputy chief examiners for the Spring Examination, including officials from the Ministry of Rites and Grand Secretaries. However, when the examination was finalized, two of them turned out to be the Second Prince's associates, and were naturally dismissed.

The Spring Examination was approaching, and the chief examiner suddenly had no suitable candidate.

The co-examiners can be a little careless, but the chief examiner cannot be careless at all. If the person is not suitable, the selection of talents for the court will become a formality.

This concerns the future foundation of the court. The selected talents will serve as officials in the future and shoulder the heavy responsibility of governing the country. Therefore, the chief examiner must be both morally and professionally qualified, honest and upright, and able to judge the merits and demerits of each candidate impartially.

"Do any of you gentlemen have any candidates to recommend?" Emperor Yongxi sat on the dragon throne with a solemn expression, scanning the ministers in the court.

The court officials all lowered their heads and dared not breathe, for fear that this difficult task would fall on them.

After all, they had just experienced the complete liquidation of the Second Prince and his gang. At this critical juncture, any mistake would lead to eternal damnation, and no one wanted to take this risk.

Emperor Yongxi's gaze swept across the court officials and then fell on the princes.

His eyes moved.

The man standing in the front right is handsome, elegant, and has an air of leisure. He seems a little out of place in this court. Is he the third brother?

The third brother never participated in court affairs, although the rule in Nanxia was that the prince could attend court once he turned fifteen.

Apart from the fifth brother who never comes, the third brother also comes very rarely.

Even the fourth brother, who had a broken leg and walked with a limp, came more often than the third brother.

He directly named: "King Qi!"

The Third Prince stepped out and saluted: "Father!"

"Chief Examiner of the Spring Examination, are you qualified?"

The third prince looked stunned, his eyes slightly widened, as if he had never thought that this task would fall on him.

He stepped forward and said, "Father, I have never been exposed to these things, so I dare not boast!"

The Left Vice-Chief Censor immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty is wise. The Third Prince is an outstanding scholar and a profound reader of poetry and literature. He is well-known in the capital and renowned among scholars. It is most appropriate for the Third Prince to preside over the Spring Examination!"

Two others stepped forward and echoed, "The Spring Examination is a matter for scholars. Your Highness is a role model for scholars all over the world. Your Highness is indeed the most suitable candidate!"

Emperor Yongxi nodded slightly: "If that's the case, then it's settled!"

The third prince seemed hesitant and embarrassed.

Emperor Yongxi stared at him: "Why, Third Brother, you don't want to?"

Under the solemn imperial majesty, the Third Prince bowed and said, "Your son obeys the order!"

Emperor Yongxi then nodded with satisfaction and called another Hanlin to join him.

The court officials looked at each other in bewilderment. Many people had not expected that the third prince would suddenly become the chief examiner of the Spring Examination.

After all, this prince likes poetry and books and does not participate in state affairs.

But the emperor personally appointed him in the court. Is this a forced move?

But think about it, among the princes, the most talented one is undoubtedly the third prince. He has no intention of participating in government affairs, so he will definitely not do unfair things for the sake of interests.

The Sixth Prince smiled slightly.

They chose to expose this matter now, not only because the time was ripe, but also because they didn't want the Second Prince to gather another group of talents in the Spring Examination. Now that the Third Prince had taken over, it was also within their original expectations.

The much-anticipated Spring Examination has finally begun.

The candidates were searched early in the morning and entered the Imperial Examination Hall to begin the three-day examination.

A lecture by a great scholar held in Zhuangyuan Building a few days ago was particularly successful.

When this place was called Meishanlou in the past, it did good business, but not as popular as Zhuangyuanlou today.

Yan Xining would go there every few days.

The room on the third floor is still preserved. She sometimes spends the night here and sometimes goes back to Prince An's Mansion.

The Zhuangyuan Building at night is completely different from the bustling daytime, it is quiet and secluded.

Lights were still on in the inn just across the wall, and the sound of the scholars' chattering could be heard, making the place seem even quieter.

There were some papers and drawings spread out on Yan Xining's desk, and she was writing and drawing on them.

"Click", the subtle sound made Yan Xining pause.

She waved her hand to turn off the light, and darkness fell all around.

At the same time, she moved.

The door opened silently. The hallway was silent, the moonlight dim, and no one was visible. She moved to another position, taking advantage of the shadows in the corner.

In the darkness of the night, a black shadow was agile, turning around on the second floor, and at this time, it had already reached the third floor.

Yan Xining was so angry that she laughed: "You think it's fun to be a knight on the beam every night, right?" It was the same person she saw that day.

The black figure paused and looked at Yan Xining who slowly walked out of the darkness. His deep eyes were filled with gloomy emotions, and he stood there without moving.

Yan Xining hasn't lived here for a few days, but there is someone guarding the first floor.

If someone saw it, the rumor that Zhuangyuan Building was haunted would spread again.

She was furious and spoke without being polite. "Why on earth are you staring at my Zhuangyuan Building? Were you sent by the rival to ruin my business?"

The man was silent for a moment, then looked up at her: "Brother, I don't mean to disturb you, but there is something I must understand!"

"What is it that you need to clarify from me?"

The man was silent again, and after a while he said, "Three years ago, a brother of mine disappeared. He was last seen in this restaurant. I think he must have left some clues here!"

Yan Xining: "Why don't you report it to the authorities?"

Three years ago, it was still the Chu family's restaurant.

The man shook his head: "What's the point of reporting it to the police? I have no evidence!"

"So you came here to look for it before, and since you didn't find it, does that mean it doesn't exist?" Yan Xining frowned slightly. "Are you sure you're going in the right direction? How can you be sure there are clues left behind? You're so determined to keep going to the Champion Building, but have you ever thought that if anyone sees you, they'll think my place is haunted again. How can I still do business?"

The man pursed his lips and remained silent stubbornly, but from his expression it could be seen that he had no intention of giving up.

"Brother, my brother is missing and I don't know whether he is alive or dead. I have to continue!"

"Didn't you check it numerous times before I took over? Do you think those so-called clues will just fall from the sky? You should know that I'm the current owner of Zhuangyuan Building. And before I took over, I renovated the entire building. Even if there were the clues you mentioned, they won't be there anymore!"

The man's eyes dimmed a little.

Yan Xining said coldly, "Don't come again. If you come again, I will arrest you and send you to the authorities!"

The man stood there for a long time before leaving without saying a word.

Yan Xining rubbed his forehead. What was going on?

This guy's behavior is really inexplicable. The person disappeared three years ago, and he was not at the scene at that time. How did he know that he must have disappeared in this restaurant?

This is not the 21st century. There are eyes in the sky everywhere and no one can hide.

He found that the clues ended here. Maybe someone just left through another way?

Return to your residence and light the lamp again.

Yan Xining suddenly had an idea.

The room she was in now was an original one with a good layout and new walls, as if it had been renovated. Because of the excellent view, she set up a temporary residence here.

During the renovation, this place will not be open to the public. Secondly, since it is so new, there is no need to renovate it. Therefore, this is the only place in the entire restaurant that has not been touched.

If there really is any clue, could it be in this room?