Chapter 38: Inside and Outside the Examination Hall

For this selection of study companions for the Princess, the Emperor entrusted the task to Wang Zaitian, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.

Naturally, Wang Zaitian would not personally oversee the matter, delegating it instead to his two disciples.

Of course, if Ling Yu chose to intervene, they would have no objections whatsoever.

However, since the matter involved the Princess, the nobles within the palace had been privately sending messages.

"Third Senior Brother, here are some lists that have been requested by the Palace," the fifth disciple said.

There was no need to be secretive about this. While they were called "study companions," they were essentially playmates; a girl's companions could not be judged solely on academic merit, so the mothers of the prospective candidates naturally had to screen them.

Ling Yu merely gave a noncommittal hum. The youth did not react with trepidation upon hearing this; instead, he reached out to take the scrolls. He did not examine them one by one, but rather flipped through them until he pulled one out.

"This one is alright, isn't it?" he showed it to Ling Yu.

Ling Yu glanced at it and smiled.

The youth clicked his tongue. "Don't be too harsh." He studied the paper in his hand. "It's better than what was written a few days ago. There is progress every day; it's good."

Ling Yu smiled. "If you say so."

Having said that, she handed the remaining scrolls to the two disciples.

"You two take a look."

The two disciples were somewhat bewildered, but they soon understood; it seemed someone had made private arrangements with Ling Yu.

After all, for the families involved, this was a monumental opportunity. It concerned not only their daughter's future but the prosperity of their entire clan.

Ling Yu was the third disciple of the Chancellor; it was only natural that they would seek favors through her.

They wondered which family it was. They hadn't seen the name on the scroll, but to be able to make a request to Ling Yu—and to make this bookworm set down her books—the person certainly couldn't be ordinary.

One had to realize that sometimes, even the Chancellor himself could not command her.

Understanding the situation, the two disciples stopped talking and began reviewing the scrolls.

Ling Yu picked up a scroll regarding the *Classic Meanings* and handed it to Mo Zheng. This time, there was no need for dialogue. Mo Zheng took it and began searching; since this wasn't a formal examination, names weren't obscured, and were instead written at the very top. Mo Zheng quickly found Yang Luo's scroll.

"How is it?" Ling Yu asked proactively this time, turning her body slightly to look over.

But Mo Zheng did not offer a conclusion this time. Instead, she tucked the scroll behind her back. "I'll look through them more slowly." Having said that, she handed the remaining scrolls to Ling Yu.

Ling Yu smiled and did not press further, watching as Mo Zheng walked over to a nearby desk and sat down.

Mo Zheng studied the scroll.

It seemed that relying on a few days of frantic studying to debate the *Classic Meanings* truly wouldn't suffice.

Although this assessment wasn't actually meant to test how outstanding their knowledge was, that was precisely the point. Furthermore, the two disciples had explicitly stated that there were lists provided by the Palace, meaning that those who had no one to make requests for them had to possess exceptional knowledge to even stand a chance.

The subtext in this young lady's words suggested that she would die if she stayed in the capital; therefore, passing this assessment to become the Princess's companion must be her path to survival.

Mo Zheng set Yang Luo's answer sheet down, spread out a fresh piece of paper, ground the ink, picked up her brush, and after a moment of thought, began to write.

The two disciples over there were focused on grading, and Ling Yu's gaze returned to her books, though she occasionally looked up to see the youth sitting at the desk, writing with intense focus.

...

...

*Clink.*

A light sound rang out.

The arrow in Yang Luo's hand landed steadily in the quiver.

There were now seven arrows in the quiver.

As Yang Luo's arrow entered the quiver, cheers erupted all around.

Qin Ying's voice was the loudest: "Miss Liu, you hit them all!" As she spoke, she winked at Yang Hui, who was standing nearby.

Yang Hui had only managed to hit five.

"It was just luck," Yang Hui said unhappily, stroking her hand. "These hands are meant for playing the zither."

Qin Ying immediately asked, "Miss Liu, do you know how to play the zither?"

Yang Luo nodded.

Just as Yang Hui was about to say something, someone called her name.

"Yang Hui, Princess Pingcheng asks for you..."

Upon hearing this, the surroundings fell silent. Everyone turned toward the source of the voice. Princess Pingcheng sat above, accompanied by two women, and was currently looking in their direction.

Earlier, a palace lady had said they could rest and play, and the other three princesses had immediately left to rest. Only Princess Pingcheng remained, conversing with the ladies she was acquainted with.

Yang Hui was not actually among those acquaintances, but hearing this, she was overjoyed. With a hint of smugness, she shot a glance at Yang Luo and Qin Ying before straightening her back and walking briskly toward Princess Pingcheng.

Upon reaching the Princess, Yang Hui lowered her body and bowed respectfully.

"Yang Hui greets Your Highness."

Princess Pingcheng nodded. "Rise." She looked at the standing Yang Hui. "The young lady from the House of Duke Ding'an. I saw you at the palace banquet before, though we did not speak."

Yang Hui was even more delighted. "The Princess actually remembers me! Yes, I entered the palace with my father and mother to pay respects to His Majesty. His Majesty bestowed wine upon my parents and even had someone fetch a handful of delicious fruit candies for me."

The two women standing beside the Princess exchanged a glance, showing a hint of disdain. To remember even a handful of fruit candies showed how rarely she entered the palace.

However, since Princess Pingcheng had taken the initiative to call her, she clearly deserved some respect. The two women masked their disdain and looked at Yang Hui with intimate, smiling expressions.

Princess Pingcheng said, "They were pear juice candies. They are also my father's favorite."

Amidst the small talk, the resonant sound of a zither echoed through the room.

The people here looked over and saw a woman sitting before a guqin, playing.

Yang Hui curled her lip. That country girl from Fuzhou was actually playing the zither.

The playing was... not bad, but so what?

Did she truly think the Princess's companions were chosen based on skill and knowledge?

They were chosen based on lineage.

Yang Hui turned to look at Princess Pingcheng, only to see that the Princess had already returned to conversing with the women beside her, without sparing a single glance at the player.

For a royal princess, everything surrounding her since the moment she opened her eyes was the finest; it was far too difficult to capture her attention.

Yang Luo was not trying to capture the Princess's attention.

She was simply demonstrating a skill she had learned.

As the piece ended, a voice came from behind her: "This zither has been practiced for at least five or six years; it has reached a level of minor mastery."

Yang Luo turned her head and saw Jiang Rui standing there, having approached at some unknown moment.

Qin Ying let out an "Ah!" and asked, "Is she right?"

Yang Luo's expression was somewhat complex as she nodded. "Yes, I have been practicing for nearly five years."

Qin Ying praised Jiang Rui again: "Sister Jiang's musical skill is truly impressive; she can even tell when someone started learning." At this, she giggled. "I heard the Heir of the Count of Yongwu is also very skilled? Can he even hear when Sister Jiang plays a wrong note?"

A faint smile appeared on Jiang Rui's indifferent face. "His skill is slightly better than mine."

A woman nearby laughed and said, "That is because he cares for Miss Jiang. If anyone else played a wrong note, the Heir of Yongwu would ignore it, let alone offer guidance."

Yang Luo lowered her gaze, looking at the strings.

*Ignore and not offer guidance?* When Zhu Yunxiao first came to the Duke of Ding'an's manor, he had guided her in her playing.

Was that "caring"? That was calculation!

Yang Luo stood up and walked away.

Jiang Rui and the others were caught off guard, their expressions stunned.

"Did we upset her?"

"What, does she not like having her playing commented on?"

"She certainly has a big ego."

The girls spoke with dissatisfaction.

Jiang Rui also looked somewhat embarrassed. She had come specifically to show goodwill, as this young lady had previously shown great respect toward her father and the Jiang family.

It seemed she had overthought it.

...

...

"Oh, Miss Jiang is still worth befriending," Qin Ying whispered as she followed behind. "Everyone except Yang Hui is worth befriending."

Yang Luo looked back at her.

"Yang Hui is a muddled person. If you are good to her, she looks down on you; if you are not good to her, she holds a grudge. There is no benefit in associating with her, only frustration," Qin Ying explained. "But Miss Jiang is quite a good person."

Yang Luo smiled faintly. "No need." She looked at Qin Ying. "I am not like you; I am not here to make friends with others."

Having said that, she looked toward the front of the hall, where Princess Pingcheng was surrounded by several people.

The Princess wore a smile, but she was as aloof and untouchable as a deity.

Qin Ying's eyes widened. She had misjudged her; this lady from Fuzhou was quite arrogant, with eyes only for the Princess, looking down on everyone else.