The Eunuch's Declaration of Loyalty

Chapter 43

In the Southern Dynasties, a spring imperial examination was held every three years in March. This year happened to be the year the imperial examination was held, so Liu Qingtang was very busy throughout March.

To govern the country well and make the Southern Dynasty stronger, it is essential to make good use of more talented people. Liu Qingtang understood this, which is why he always valued the imperial examinations and personally handled many matters.

Although she harbored resentment towards the emperor, she always knew how to handle matters of state with discretion and would not use such matters to spite or compete with the emperor and the two chief ministers. After all, the Southern Dynasty was also the place where she was born and raised, and since she had the ability, she had a responsibility to do something for the entire country.

On the last day of March, when the Minister of Rites presented her with the list of twenty-five candidates who would participate in the palace examination, Liu Qingtang saw her brother's name on it.

Her father, Su Shu, and Wei Zheng had all conspired to keep this from her—were they perhaps planning a surprise for her? Liu Qingtang ran her hand over the three characters 'Liu Qingrong' in the document, a warm smile in her eyes. Her brother still came. Even though she said she was grown up and didn't need him to take the blame for her anymore, he still resolutely entered this cesspool after hearing what her father had said.

In truth, even though she spoke so eloquently at first, she knew in her heart that her brother wouldn't abandon her. She just hadn't expected him to ultimately choose the path of a civil official. Although her brother appeared to be a gentle scholar, he had grown up under their father's strict tutelage and was definitely not the weakling he seemed. Liu Qingtang dared to say that if her brother had participated in the martial arts examination, he would certainly have won the title of martial arts champion.

Liu Qingtang still clearly remembers watching her brother go from being chased and beaten by a single guard to handling a dozen or twenty guards with ease when they were training in the martial arts field as children. The hardships he endured are indescribable, and it was only then that Liu Qingtang realized that her brother, whom she always bullied, was actually quite outstanding.

The palace examination began in mid-April.

The imperial examination was held in Ronghe Hall. Liu Qingtang sat solemnly at the head of the table, watching her brother and the others enter the hall together. Suddenly, a strange sense of pride and anticipation arose in her heart, as if a son of her family was beginning to show his talent.

The palace examination required candidates to write an essay on the topic of "cultivating oneself, regulating one's family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world," and to express their views in the palace. Finally, the civil officials would ask questions, and the candidates would have to debate with the examiners using their own ideas.

Throughout the entire palace examination, Liu Qingrong was the most dazzling one. Unlike the others who were somewhat restrained and nervous, he was calm and composed when writing his policy essays, and composed when discussing his own views. When asked by the examiners, he was gentle yet assertive, and his reasoned rebuttals left them speechless. From beginning to end, he exuded an unparalleled confidence.

Without a doubt, the title of the new top scholar fell to Liu Qingrong. Liu Qingtang was not surprised by this decision at all, whether it was because of her brother's own talent or because of his status—the son of the Duke of Zhenguo, the elder brother of the Empress Dowager, and the emperor's maternal uncle. He was destined to be the top scholar.

The second-place candidate was an older man. Although his policy essay lacked originality, it was clear he was a conservative scholar, but his strength lay in his thorough and meticulous consideration of all aspects. Liu Qingtang didn't actually like this type of person, but most officials needed someone like him.

The third-place scholar was a young man of similar age to Liu Qingrong. He was probably the one Liu Qingtang admired most among the twenty-five candidates in the palace examination, besides Liu Qingrong. In his policy essays, he had his own unique views on many things, which was similar to his brother. Unfortunately, he lacked experience and liked to take unconventional approaches. In some aspects, he was not as experienced and mature as his brother and the second-place scholar.

In his previous life, he hadn't achieved the third-highest rank in the imperial examinations; instead, he was ranked last among the top three, a decision made by Chief Minister Wang. However, this time, Liu Qingtang didn't give Chief Minister Wang any face, directly stating, "This young man deserves the highest rank." Thus, the officials naturally understood her meaning and granted him the third-highest rank. Liu Qingtang knew that if this person could be properly trained and honed, he would definitely be a valuable asset—unfortunately, in his previous life, when this third-highest rank scholar later distinguished himself, he was won over by the two chief ministers. Of course, this time, things wouldn't be like that.

With an empress dowager who was willing to appreciate and value him, it was not certain that Grand Secretary Wang could use his trick of first demoting and then promoting to smooth out his rough edges and subdue this proud scholar.

Three candidates were selected for the first rank, and the remaining twenty-two scholars were divided into ten for the second rank and twelve for the third rank. The results of the palace examination would be announced on the spot, and the Minister of Rites would draft and submit a memorial to the emperor. Liu Qingtang affixed his seal to the memorial and then handed it to the young emperor standing beside him.

After her rebirth, Liu Qingtang became increasingly distant from her imperial nephew. Aside from exchanging a few words with him when he came to pay his respects, and occasionally dining with him on the first and fifteenth of the month, she had no other interaction with him. The daily routine of calling someone to inquire whether he had eaten and slept well after finishing her work was no longer possible. She would also stop worrying that he didn't have his own loyal followers, and the practice of finding people to train for him would cease.

After she told those things, her father no longer took the initiative to talk to the emperor about the ways of being a ruler and how to employ people. He no longer treated her like his own son and nephew, and he remained silent unless asked about many things. As a result, the military generals led by her also became much quieter.

The emperor himself seemed to sense their growing distance and became increasingly respectful and affectionate towards Liu Qingtang. However, Liu Qingtang was no longer the Liu Qingtang who treated the emperor like a son; how could he not see through his sincerity? He was merely thinking that he currently lacked the power to do so and had to rely on the Liu family, hence his humble demeanor. If one day he were to seize power in the court, he could instantly crush the Liu family, leaving them no chance of recovery.

In her previous life, the emperor, in order to quickly take over the Liu family and its soldiers, replaced most of the generals who had connections with her father and maternal uncles. To make an example of them, he also killed a squad of two hundred Liu family guards who had fought alongside her father to defend the borders. Liu Qingtang knew almost every one of them; they were elders who had watched her and her brother grow up. That emperor truly used incredibly bloody methods.

"Mother, the top scholar is indeed my uncle Qingrong. It seems I should get closer to him and learn from him. We, the sons of the Liu family, cannot be incompetent."

Just as Liu Qingtang was thinking about the guards who should have been enjoying their retirement in the Liu family but were unjustly implicated, seeing the emperor speak so happily and proudly, a surge of anger welled up inside him. A son of the Liu family? He wasn't just any son of the Liu family; he was a perfectly qualified member of the imperial Xiao family.

Seeing that the Empress Dowager did not answer, Xiao Huaixu stopped smiling and asked innocently, "Did Huaixu say something wrong?"

Liu Qingtang didn't look at him, suppressing the hatred in her heart, and replied indifferently, "Brother has only read a few more books for leisure, what is there to learn? The emperor should learn more from the two chief ministers."

The emperor paused and then laughed, “Although the two chief ministers are talented and virtuous, they are ultimately not as close as my maternal grandfather and maternal uncles, who are family. My mother also told me before she passed away that I should be close to my family.”

Liu Qingtang was impatient with his probing, but had no choice but to deal with him. She said again, "The two chief ministers are just like our Liu family, all serving the emperor. There is no distinction between close and distant relatives. The emperor doesn't need to be so particular. Since you said we are all your relatives, why would relatives care about such things?"

"Yes, Mother Empress said so, Huai Xu is aware of it." The Emperor then smiled and stamped his seal on the memorial.

The emperor sent the second and third-ranked scholars out of the palace to return home first, leaving only the top three scholars (the first-ranked scholar, the second-ranked scholar, and the third-ranked scholar) in the hall. Liu Qingtang and the emperor gave each other some words of encouragement. After they finished speaking, Wei Zheng came to the hall to report that the martial arts examination had also ended.

Like the civil service exam, the martial arts test was also divided into three ranks, with the first rank consisting of three people: the top scholar, the second-place scholar, and the third-place scholar. The three from the first rank were summoned to the hall. Liu Qingtang vaguely recognized the last two; they were likely sons of generals under her father, who had later followed in their father's footsteps and remained under his command—part of the Liu family faction. However, she had never seen the black-clad youth at the very front in her previous life, and she couldn't help but glance at him a few more times out of curiosity.

The boy looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old, about the same age as Qin Shu. He had the appearance of a handsome young man, even somewhat effeminate, but his eyes were firm and bright, his figure upright, and he seemed very steady and reliable. Liu Qingtang watched him for a while, feeling that he was somewhat familiar, but she couldn't remember when she had seen him before. It wasn't until Liu Qingtang's gaze unconsciously swept over her father that she suddenly realized that the boy's temperament was indeed somewhat similar to her father's, especially since her father was also dressed in black at the moment.

If it weren't for the fact that the two didn't look alike at all, and that the father was deeply in love with the mother, Liu Qingtang would have really suspected that the boy was her father's illegitimate son.

Liu Qingrong, who was waiting to the side, also sighed as he looked at the boy and then at his father, feeling that his position as the only son of the Liu family might be in jeopardy.

Feeling annoyed by the stares from his daughter above and son below, Father Liu glared at his son before turning to the young man in black. After a few glances, he gave the boy an approving look. Then Liu Qingtang saw the young man in black, who resembled his father and had maintained a blank expression since entering the hall, suddenly become excited at his father's approving gaze, looking as if he were being praised by an idol. His back seemed to straighten even more.

Just moments ago, I was pondering how to win over this black-clad youth I'd never met in my previous life, but seeing this scene instantly put my mind at ease. In truth, many people in the Southern Dynasty idolize their fathers, and almost all those participating in the martial arts competition came because of his reputation. So, it wasn't surprising that this youth idolized his father and even imitated him.

It seems Father is about to have another capable assistant. Father has always valued talent, and he'll be happy to find someone worthy of his guidance. Liu Qingtang's lips curled slightly, and she became even happier after seeing the two chief ministers frown.

Two-quarters of the Southern Dynasty's troops were with the Liu family, including Wei Zheng and others. A quarter were with the Su family—the Su family where Liu Qingtang's mother lived, her maternal family. However, the Su family's troops were mostly stationed on the frontier, so she and her family rarely returned. The remaining quarter were scattered among many different factions.

The main reason the two prime ministers have been tolerating her is because she has the backing of the Liu and Su families. They have also been trying to seize military power and are placing increasing importance on the martial arts examinations. Unfortunately, all the capable and knowledgeable martial arts examinees have come from the Liu family, making it impossible for them to intervene.

Now that they've finally found someone who isn't from the Liu family's camp, and who actually came because of the Liu family's reputation, the two prime ministers are truly distressed.

Author's Note: Spoiler alert! The boy in black is a girl—Liu family brother's future wife!

Liu Qingrong: Father, am I your son or is she your son? [Lamenting]

Liu Shaodi: Are you stupid? She's a daughter. [Stares blankly]

Liu Qingrong: No, she's your daughter-in-law. [Lamenting]

Xi Lan: Don't talk back to Dad (my idol). [Stares blankly]

Liu Qingrong: qaq

[An era where winning a wife required relying on one's father's connections] [Not really]

Ada threw a landmine. [See below]

This lazy person has thrown a landmine: [You and the girl above, Ada, have already made your presence felt enough in my eyes, no need to make it feel like that anymore _(:3∠)_]

nnptahh threw a landmine: [Thanks for the landmine, girl~ New girl? Hmm~ Come join my harem~ (Goes away)]