At the tender age of eight, he was hastily dragged out and made emperor!

"Your Majesty, the newly appointed scholars have already gone to Chengtian Gate."

In front of Tai Chi Hall.

A member of the Imperial Guard bowed his head and approached the Emperor, reporting the truth with utmost respect.

"understood."

Looking down at the assembled officials in the hall, Chu Ling spoke expressionlessly.

The Imperial Guard officer withdrew silently.

Chu Ling had been preparing for today's grand ceremony for a long time, and he was very familiar with every step of it.

But for the court officials who were unfamiliar with all of this, and for the newly appointed scholars, it was all an unknown entity.

'I hope that all the newly appointed scholars I selected can withstand this kind of stimulation.' Seeing that there was more and more whispering among the court officials, Chu Ling narrowed his eyes and thought to himself.

In this grand ceremony of announcing the successful candidates in the first imperial examination of the Great Yu Dynasty, they undoubtedly faced the greatest pressure.

In a rush, I saw that I had made the list of high schools.

In haste, he was taken to the outside of Chengtian Gate to await the announcement of his succession.

In haste, he knelt before the Emperor of Great Yu in front of the entire court.

In such a situation, even the most mentally strong person will inevitably feel uncomfortable, but they have to face it head-on.

From the moment they entered the examination hall to participate in the postponed imperial examination selection, they unknowingly shouldered a heavy burden. If they could bear it, it would add a mark to their resume; if they couldn't, it would make their resume much less impressive.

Yes.

This might not be fair to them.

But what can we do about it?

A career in government is not the same as a career in the imperial examinations!

In the imperial examinations and the tribute examinations, Chu Ling did his utmost to maintain and ensure fairness, so that true talents could stand out among thousands of students.

But the moment they pass the imperial examination and enter officialdom, this fairness disappears. Being favored by the emperor's students will bring them many advantages, but it will also make them the target of everyone's criticism. The temptations, calculations, and attempts to win them over are all inevitable.

There are gains and losses in everything.

These two are interdependent.

"Mother~"

Huang Hua, who was sitting behind the dragon throne, saw that the discussions among the court officials in front of the palace were getting louder, but his son had not moved yet. He couldn't help but say to Sun Li with some concern.

"Watch quietly."

Sun Li flicked his sleeve and said calmly, "The emperor knows what he should and shouldn't do. We just need to do what we're supposed to do."

"Yes."

Huang Hua lowered his head slightly and said.

To be honest, this was the first time Huang Hua had experienced such a grand occasion. Yes, she had experienced it before, during the emperor's wedding, but that was different from today.

Of the six hundred newly appointed candidates who participated in the palace examination, only two hundred and seventeen were ultimately selected as the new Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations). When this total was announced by Chu Hui, Huang Hua noticed the changes in the expressions of some of the civil and military officials in the court.

It was precisely because of this that Huang Hua finally understood what his son had been facing.

'Ling'er, you've really suffered.'

Huang Hua looked at Chu Ling, who was sitting on the dragon throne, with a complicated expression.

Unbeknownst to Huang Hua at that moment, her actions had solidified Sun Li's resolve.

The Empress Dowager of Dayu must be sensible and compassionate!

Otherwise, how can the emperor be expected to confront the complexities of the world?

Thinking of this, Sun Li's cold gaze turned to the civil and military officials in front of the hall.

"Kaou!!!"

Under these circumstances, upon seeing the signal from below, Yin Yu, the Grand Master of Ceremonies who had been silent, suppressed his nervousness and unease, took a few steps with a blank expression, and spoke loudly.

As soon as this sound appeared, the musicians gathered in front of the Taiji Hall began to move, following the music they had rehearsed countless times beforehand.

As solemn music began to play, the civil and military officials gathered in front of the palace fell silent, their gazes all fixed on the area in front of the emperor.

"By imperial decree, His Majesty, summon the newly appointed scholars who passed the palace examination to an audience!!!"

It finally started.

Standing before the emperor, Chu Hui clenched his fists tightly upon hearing Li Zhong's voice from the Daxing Supervisor. He knew that what followed was the most important thing.

besides? !

In contrast, many of the civil and military officials gathered in front of the Taiji Hall showed astonishment upon hearing the words sung by the Imperial Guards and the Imperial Assassins.

The sudden act of posting the imperial edict in the Taiji Hall was already quite unexpected, especially since there were only 217 new Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations). Some ministers were relatively calm when they heard familiar names, but those who didn't hear familiar names had various thoughts.

"Lord Xiao, how does this talent selection ceremony in the fourth year of the Zhengtong era compare to the year you passed the imperial examination?" Bao Yuan, who was standing next to Xiao Jing in the court, looked at the musicians playing music and said in a low voice.

"Thrilling".

Xiao Jing said without looking to the side.

"I'm really curious to see what kind of talent this year's top three scholars will have," Bao Yuan said with a slight smile.

"We'll see."

Xiao Jing spoke succinctly.

What Bao Yuan thought was exactly what Xiao Jing thought.

Xiao Jing had a clear view of how each person in the court was behaving. Now, he only hoped that the newly appointed scholars, especially the top three scholars (Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua), would perform well and at least not do anything embarrassing in front of everyone.

Ok?

As Xiao Jing pondered these things, when he saw Li Zhong and Yin Yu bowing their heads and walking towards the Eighth Prince Chu Hui in the direction of the Emperor, he knew that there was more to come.

"Your Highness, please read this aloud."

Li Zhong handed something to Chu Hui and said in a low voice.

Upon receiving the item, Chu Hui instinctively turned to look at his elder brother, the Emperor.

Chu Ling smiled faintly and nodded slightly in response to Chu Hui's gaze.

"understood."

Upon seeing this scene, Chu Hui spoke calmly.

Under the tense gazes of Li Zhong and Yin Yu, Chu Hui took two steps forward, glanced at what he had written in his hand, and then said in a firm tone, "Xia Rui, the first place winner of the first class, will be in the Taiji Hall!!"

"Xia Rui, the first-place winner of Class A, is here in the Taiji Hall!!"

"Xia Rui, the first-place winner of the first division..."

As Chu Hui finished speaking, the Imperial Guards and elite soldiers responsible for chanting the names took turns calling out names. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the chanting began in front of the Taiji Hall and ended on both sides of the red carpet at the Taiji Gate, with the Imperial Guards guarding the area chanting the names until they reached Chengtian Gate...

"Su Qi, the second-place winner of the first class, is here in the Taiji Hall!!"

"Lu Jun, third place in the first class, is here in the Taiji Hall!!"

"First place in the second division..."

In this tense atmosphere, Chu Hui suppressed his nervousness and read the text clearly and distinctly. Sun Li, sitting behind the dragon throne, was thrilled when she saw this scene.

That's good!

That's great!

Overwhelmed with excitement, Sun Li looked at Chu Ling again, her gaze changing. She had considered countless scenarios, but none of them were what she had imagined. This would be an unforgettable experience for the newly appointed Jinshi, selected by the central government through a talent-picking process!