Report to the Empress and the Eldest Princess: They're using the system to poach your men.

September 18th.

After undergoing rigorous screening, candidates from various regions entered the examination hall in an orderly manner.

After all the supervisors and imperial guards had made arrangements, the gates were closed and locked.

In the past, when the chief examiner in charge of setting the questions tried to take out the previously prepared test questions, he was stopped by the supervisor.

"What is your intention, sir? The examination hall is now locked, and it is already the time set by His Majesty for the examination to begin. Why has it not started yet?"

Before the inspector could speak, the leader of the Imperial Guards, with a long sword at his waist, strode forward and said, “This year, the provincial examinations have been added, and His Majesty has personally set the questions. This box contains the questions. To ensure fairness and impartiality, the questions will be revealed in front of all the scholars today.”

The chief examiner and the officials in charge of the inspection behind him stared at each other, having not received any information from above. How did it suddenly become His Majesty's personal question at the last minute?

Suddenly, he turned his attention to the supervisory department, wanting to find out the reason.

Not wanting to waste time, the leader of the Imperial Guards placed the examination paper box in front of the examiner's desk. Ten Imperial Guards then moved the mechanisms on the box, and finally the leader opened the examination.

"The imperial examination system is the foundation of the nation. His Majesty has decreed that all scholars can answer the questions with confidence. No talented person will be overlooked, nor will any fraudulent person be let off the hook."

The team leader's voice was loud and powerful, resounding throughout the entire examination hall.

It is now September, and the weather is getting colder. The examiners and officials felt a chill running through their bones.

Previously, Prime Minister Wen had instructed them to continue selling exam questions, but they were very brazen and had collected money from several families to ensure that his son could be shortlisted. Now, what are they supposed to do?

They were all stunned for a moment. With this additional provincial examination, they had all made a fortune.

Because of Shen Yuchen's actions, they were unable to explain themselves to their superiors or properly handle the situation for those who had accepted bribes.

They are all powerful and wealthy people. One or two wouldn't matter, but more than ten households have already sold the exam questions. If they all make a fuss at the same time, the higher-ups might not protect them. In the end, they will lose both their money and their reputation.

I suddenly felt a chill on my neck, but there was nothing I could do about it.

At this moment, the team leader spoke again, urging, "The exam questions have been opened. Please, Your Excellency, quickly copy down the questions and distribute them. Do not delay the scholars' time to answer the questions."

With slightly trembling hands, he took out the test questions stamped with the imperial seal from the box. Although he was extremely unwilling, he dared not act rashly in the face of the Imperial Guards who were holding long swords and speaking sternly.

He ordered the officials behind him to quickly copy it down and then distribute it.

The entire process was open and transparent from beginning to end, and no one dared to show favoritism.

"This year, after all the scholars have finished their papers, they will seal them up and send them to neighboring cities for peer review instead of having them reviewed by officials in their own prefectures. The five prefectures will be grouped together, and the final score will be the average of the scores."

"After all the scholars have received the exam questions, they must not whisper to each other, make loud noises, or leave or enter the examination hall. After the exam is completed, you will all be allowed to leave. In the days to come, you can focus on answering the questions."

The team leader's voice rang out loudly, some people looked worried, while others looked delighted.

The eyes of the poor student, who had studied hard for years and failed the exams time and time again, were now filled with hope.

However, some noble children still didn't take it seriously.

The current emperor is young, and there has been no news about the provincial examination before, so it is easy to guess that his level is not high. If his family can manipulate things a little, it will be a simple matter for him to pass the exam.

But when half an hour later, when the officials distributed the test questions to them, gasps of surprise rippled through the examination hall.

It was only when the guards on patrol inside the courtyard reminded them that the scholars covered their mouths.

These are questions you'd never encounter in the provincial examinations.

It's one thing to be tricky, but why set a word limit for the answer?

Not long after the exam began, some candidates couldn't keep going. The questions were too torturous, pushing them to the brink of collapse.

This time, Shen Yuchen will not only test the scholars' knowledge, but also their adaptability and ability to withstand pressure.

The examination was intense inside the examination hall, while outside, people in teahouses and taverns were buzzing with discussion.

Shen Sangwan and Wen Yuening, disguised as men, sat in a private room by the window on the second floor.

The reason why the two appeared in Wuzhou can be traced back to the end of August when the secret passage was repaired, and Wen Yuening knocked on the secret door of the Princess's mansion every day.

And every day, shortly after nightfall, the sound of bells could be heard coming from the study next to the inner room.

They were always talking about the political situation or historical records. Sometimes Shen Sangwan was so bothered by their constant chatter that she wanted to hide in Shuyan's courtyard.

After the inspectors set off from various places on the first day of the ninth month, Wen Yuening came to the Princess's residence again. Instead of talking about boring topics, she invited her to go to the prefectures far from the capital to see the situation of the provincial examinations.

However, since the Thousand Autumns Banquet was on September 21, if they went to a faraway place, they might not be able to make it back in time. So Shen Sangwan chose an old place that the two of them were familiar with - Wuzhou.

"Hey—, did you hear? Someone was just carried out of the examination hall and taken to a clinic in the city. They said he was so frightened that he fainted."

"This has never happened before. It's a good thing that the provincial examinations have been added this year. Are you just too excited?"

"What? You don't know, I have a cousin who works as a student at a clinic. I went to get medicine for my parents and heard from him that the provincial examination policy has changed this year. Instead of the prefectural government setting the questions as in the past, His Majesty the current emperor is setting them. Apparently, the questions were too difficult, so he couldn't take the exam."

"Is your information accurate? It doesn't seem very reliable to me."

"Exactly, exactly. In the past, every time there was a massive amount of money being sold before the exam, and in the end, it was always rich kids with connections who made it in, while students who had studied hard for years failed. No doubt, this year will be the same result."

"It's a pity about Scholar Li from last year. He died with resentment because of this unjust world."

"Although this new emperor's ascension to the throne included an extra imperial examination, it's probably just a formality. Why do you all take it so seriously?"

Downstairs, the people were chattering away, and Shen Sangwan and Wen Yuening upstairs were also listening intently.

Wen Yuening picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Shen Sangwan. "I wonder what Your Highness thinks of what they said?"

Raise your hand to stop the other person's arm from withdrawing.

"It seems you've long been aware of the corruption and filth in officialdom."

Wen Yuening switched hands, picked up the teapot and placed it on the table, and said calmly, "Your Highness, sometimes being sober is a sin."

"Ah--!"

Shen Sangwan snorted coldly, glancing sarcastically at the entrance of the examination hall outside the window, and remained silent for a moment.

"If Your Highness is determined to reform the court and restore order to the people, it is probably not something that can be solved by a simple imperial examination. The matter of the examination questions can only temporarily lull the two prime ministers into a false sense of security. During the grading of the examination questions, they can easily manipulate the process behind the scenes and replace the questions."

"The scholar Li they just mentioned is a precedent."