The journey of the only child of a peasant family to take the imperial examination

"Oh, really?" Zhou Ziming's eyes were deep and unfathomable, but he clearly didn't quite believe this explanation.

Zhang Ping'an was prepared to be questioned.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Ziming seemed very tired, and waved his hand to dismiss Zhang Ping'an.

After everyone had gone far away, Liang Fucai went into the hall to deliver the medicine.

Zhou Ziming lifted his eyelids and asked calmly, "Do you think he's telling the truth?"

Liang Fu respectfully said, "In my opinion, it is not very credible."

“Yes, I don’t believe it either,” Zhou Ziming smiled.

"My godfather has been gone for so many years. I have wanted to ask this question many times, but I was afraid of hearing some unbelievable answer, so I kept the question buried in my heart. Today I asked it again and suddenly realized that no matter what the answer is, there is nothing to be afraid of. I am now the emperor, the supreme ruler. No trick can escape my control."

"Your Majesty means..." Liang Fu asked cautiously.

Zhou Ziming closed his eyes, tapped the armrest of his chair, and after a long while said, "Summon the Prince of Qin to the palace for an audience."

"This servant understands," Liang Fu replied respectfully and withdrew.

As the door closed, the afterglow of the setting sun streamed in, enveloping Zhou Ziming's face and obscuring the expression of the emperor leaning on the dragon throne.

But Liang Fu knew that the final storm was coming, and on the way to clear the obstacles for the Crown Prince, countless bones would be buried.

Zhang Ping'an, having maintained a composed demeanor, returned to the Privy Council, greeted his colleagues, and then sat down in his room.

Only then did he realize that his legs were weak.

He knew that no matter what his answer was, his fate was probably already sealed.

He wasn't too worried about what might happen to himself; based on his understanding of Zhou Ziming, he figured it wouldn't implicate anyone else.

His biggest worry was his son. If he were to touch it, it would inevitably mean eliminating the root of the problem, and Little Fish would certainly suffer.

My heart felt like it was being fried in oil. What could I do? How could I find a way to save my son's life amidst the intricate web of royal power?

Running away is neither the best option nor a wise move. Under the whole sky, all land belongs to the emperor; where can one escape to?

Besides, even a little fish can't stand living in hiding its whole life.

After sitting for who knows how long, it was time to finish my shift, and almost everyone in the Privy Council had left.

When the palace servants came to knock on the door, Zhang Ping'an realized that it was already so late.

"Lord Zhang, you are truly diligent, still not back to rest so late," the palace servant flattered with a beaming smile.

Zhang Ping'an forced a smile and replied gently, "I'll be back now."

After saying that, he stood up and left.

After finishing his meal, he was a little puzzled as to why it was so late today. He was about to ask Zhang Ping'an a few words of concern, but seeing that Zhang Ping'an had his hands behind his back and his face was tense, he remained silent.

Outsiders might not be able to tell, but having followed Zhang Ping'an for nearly twenty years, he could tell at a glance that Zhang Ping'an was in a bad mood beneath his calm exterior.

The rumble of wheels filled the air as Zhang Ping'an sat in the carriage, recounting his experiences from meeting Zhou Ziming to the present.

I found this person to be very composed; no wonder he was able to force the previous emperor to abdicate and ascend to the throne as the supreme ruler.

The saying "Character determines destiny" is sometimes very true.

And what about that Ninth Prince? Zhou Ziming could have figured it out, so why didn't he come looking for him after visiting his sixth brother-in-law? What was he thinking?

Regardless of his inner thoughts, Zhang Ping'an composed himself upon arriving home and presented a flawless demeanor to his family so as not to cause them worry.

After finishing his meal, Xiaoyuer was about to go to his study to continue reading when Zhang Ping'an called him back.

"Let's rest for today, and my son and I can have a chat."

"Ah? Okay then," Little Fish readily agreed.

Then, with a touch of arrogance, he said, "Dad, is there something you want to tell me? You always force me to study, and suddenly you're letting me take a day off. I'm not used to it."

"It's nothing, just chatting. I'm your father, it would seem like I have ulterior motives if I talked to you for a bit," Zhang Ping'an shook his head in annoyance.

After the father and son sat down in the study, Zhang Ping'an got down to business: "Son, I've been thinking about this today, and what your uncles said before wasn't entirely unreasonable. You're sixteen now, so if you find someone suitable, you can start looking into it."

"You want me to get married?" Little Fish was so surprised that he almost coughed up the tea in his mouth.

"Father, you're so fickle! You just told me to study hard, prepare for the imperial examination, and we'd talk again once I passed. Now you've changed your mind again?"

"It's not that I'm forcing you to marry me, I'm just discussing it with you. Ultimately, it's up to you," Zhang Ping'an explained gently.

Little Fish wasn't stupid. He sat up straight, put down his teacup, and asked seriously, "Has something happened?"

“You’re sixteen now, and I won’t hide it from you. There’s something wrong. Things haven’t been very stable in the court lately, and I have a bad feeling about it. I’m not at ease. Since ancient times, the struggle for the throne has always been bloody. Although I’ve always followed the middle way and haven’t formed any factions or sought personal gain, I’m still in the court and have no choice in what I do. There are some things that I can’t avoid just because I don’t want to,” Zhang Ping’an sighed, not hiding anything from his son.

"So you want to escape this calamity by arranging a marriage between me and my maternal grandfather? Is it to marry my maternal grandfather's cousin?" Xiaoyuer asked.

Zhang Ping'an nodded and then shook his head: "Having a capable wife's family to help can save a lot of trouble. However, you should not marry a girl from the Qian family. Don't be fooled by your maternal grandfather and your uncles. They treat you well usually, but if something really happens in the court, they will prioritize their family interests. They will not abandon their families to protect you. What I want to tell you is the girl from the Prince of Qin's mansion."

When Zhang Ping'an returned, he pondered for a long time and finally thought of Qin Qingshan. He was the only king of a different surname in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and also Zhou Ziming's most trusted confidant. Although he had kept a low profile in the court for the past two years, everyone with discerning eyes knew that he was a hidden backer.

Although he appears unassuming, he actually wields considerable influence in the imperial court.

Zhang Ping'an continued his analysis: "The Prince of Qin's residence happens to have a second daughter of similar age to you. I want the matchmaker to go and propose marriage in the next couple of days, and also to see what the Prince of Qin's attitude is. If the Prince of Qin avoids seeing her, then I guess I'm really in trouble this time. The situation is not good, so we will have to use the second plan. In any case, you can't be hurt!"

"Is it that serious?" Xiaoyuer thought at most it would be a demotion, but judging from his father's tone, which sounded like he might lose his life at any moment, the situation might be much more serious than he thought.

“It’s that serious,” Zhang Ping’an nodded. “Fortunately, Dad wasn’t completely unprepared. Let’s try the first method first, and if it doesn’t work, we’ll try the second one.”

At this moment, Zhang Ping'an was extremely grateful that he had been prepared for the worst and had started preparing an escape route as soon as Zhou Ziming first asked the question.