After being jilted, the entire neighboring village was filled with deep regret.

After Liu Laosan led Shen Congrong out, Chu Heng and the others, led by the eunuch, lowered their heads and took small steps into the imperial study.

They obediently knelt on the ground.

The emperor's gaze fell on Su Yongzhang and Xiong Feng, his smile widening. "I always thought that a place like Lizhou couldn't produce any talented people, but you two have changed my opinion of Lizhou quite a bit. Not bad!"

Su Yongzhang and Xiong Feng quickly bowed in gratitude.

The emperor then turned his attention to Chu Heng and the others, focusing on examining their scholarship.

This question took up most of the day.

It was almost dark when this group of people came out of the Imperial Study.

Yang Yu, who brought them here, had already left. The palace servants saw them off from the palace but did not say how to settle them down, and everyone was worried.

Just then, an inconspicuous guard reminded them, "I heard that the Grand Tutor invited you all to rest at his residence. If you don't have a place to stay, you might as well ask. The Grand Tutor has always been kind and benevolent, and he will surely welcome you."

Chu Heng and the others all changed their expressions, unsure whether to agree or not.

Just as they were in a dilemma, the carriage from the Marquis of Yong'an's residence arrived.

The guard's smile suddenly vanished.

Shen Congrong stepped down from the carriage and waved to the crowd, "Cousin, Brother Xiong Feng, Sir! Come home with me!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, thanked the guards, and then walked towards Shen Congrong.

In the Second Prince's Mansion.

The steward hurried into the study and said, "Your Highness, the Grand Tutor went to the city gate to stop people today, but he failed. All those people followed the Marquis of Yong'an into the palace and stayed in the Imperial Study for most of the day. In the evening, I had someone remind them to go find the Grand Tutor, but the Marquis of Yong'an kidnapped them again."

Murong Xu slammed his fist on the table in anger, "What does Liu Laosan want to do? Is he going against me?"

The steward hesitated and said, "I don't know, but among this group of candidates is the grandson of the Marquis of Yong'an. The Marquis of Yong'an has not openly opposed His Highness, but he cherishes this grandson very much, treating him like the apple of his eye."

Unfortunately, the other candidates all had some connection to the grandson of the Marquis of Yong'an, and that boy was only ten years old, acting as he pleased, and there was nothing that could be done about him.

"Hmph! I think it was Marquis Yong'an who did this on purpose! That old scoundrel, since he can't be used by me, keeping him around is just a hindrance!" Murong Xu clenched his fist fiercely.

The butler asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, what should we do?"

Murong Xu pondered for a moment, then a cold smile appeared on his lips. "Since Marquis Yong'an is so ungrateful, he should be taught a lesson!"

If Liu Laosan hadn't been so obstructive and indifferent, Shen Tian's affair wouldn't have been snatched away by Murong Chen. Murong Xu already had a lot of resentment towards Liu Laosan, and now that he had ruined things again, it was simply unbearable.

The butler obeyed and left.

At this time, the people resting at the Yong'an Marquis's residence were also discussing the matter of the Grand Tutor.

“We ran into the Grand Tutor as soon as we entered the city today, and the soldiers mentioned him again when we left the palace. I have a feeling this isn’t a coincidence.” Zhou Ran rested his chin on his hand, looking at everyone thoughtfully.

Xi Mu nodded with emotion, "If you can notice this, others must have noticed it too. The Emperor has not established an heir apparent. The only adult princes are the Second Prince, the Third Prince, the Fourth Prince, and the Sixth Prince."

Although the Sixth Prince was born to the Empress, he was born with an illness and was destined to be ineligible for the position of Crown Prince. Thus, there were three princes left. Among them, the Second Prince was raised by the Empress since childhood and was considered the most favored of the three princes.

However, the Second Prince had only recently returned after being exiled to the border for having an affair with a woman at a Buddhist temple. The Grand Tutor's granddaughter is the Second Prince's wife, meaning the Grand Tutor is essentially part of the Second Prince's faction. If you accept the Grand Tutor's offer, it's tantamount to choosing sides prematurely.

Zhou Ran and the others felt a wave of fear wash over them.

Someone clutched their chest, saying anxiously, "We're all powerless and helpless. What will happen if we don't take sides?"

They all came from Lizhou, and in the capital they were like duckweed, rootless and without any connection.

Xi Mu looked at the man and said slowly, "This will test your intelligence and vision. If you want to be an official, you can't be alone, especially in the capital. Who doesn't have a few people behind them?"
Even today, we were able to escape perfectly thanks to the protection of the Marquis of Yong'an. However, the Marquis of Yong'an established himself in the capital with his own abilities. He has the Emperor behind him, and even the princes dare not force him to take sides. Cong Rong and Yong Zhang have the Marquis with them, and they are still young, so they don't need to worry about these things. But we are different.

Once you enter officialdom, people will always come knocking on your door; the choice is yours!

Zhou Ran's heart grew heavier as he listened, and he murmured, "This one careless mistake could implicate the entire clan! Brother Xi, Brother Chu, do you have a foolproof plan?"

The two men exchanged a glance and smiled. "We have a good relationship with Lord Tang. If we need protection, we will naturally follow Lord Tang."

Zhou Ran knew who the two men were referring to as Lord Tang, and immediately fell into deep thought.

Others also gathered in small groups, discussing the matter.

The next day, the imperial decree officially came down, and most of the officials were sent to other places and were required by the emperor to leave immediately. Only Chu Heng, Zhou Ran, and the young children were left in the capital.

Xi Mu was overjoyed. After receiving the decree, he immediately returned to his room to pack his luggage. With tears in his eyes, he looked at Chu Heng and Zhou Ran and said, "We will meet again someday. You must be very careful in the capital."

As he spoke, Xi Mu leaned close to Zhou Ran's ear and whispered, "Second Prince, this is not a good idea. Don't be tempted by interests."

Zhou Ran was stunned. Before he could ask any further questions, Xi Mu had already left the Yong'an Marquis's residence with his luggage on his back.

Chu Heng went to the Ministry of Justice, while Zhou Ran entered the South City Government Office. Neither of them held high positions or much real power. On the contrary, some of those who were sent to other places actually became sixth-rank local officials and held real power.

When the Grand Tutor received the news, he almost vomited blood, secretly resenting the Emperor's ruthless methods.

Meanwhile, Shen Congrong, Su Yongzhang, and Xiong Feng went to Bo Academy together.

The academy was located in the palace. The three of them followed the palace servants all the way and also met several noblemen.

The palace attendant led them to the Bo Academy, handed them over to Steward Qi, and then left.

Manager Qi was a serious middle-aged man. Looking at the three teenagers in front of him, a hint of contempt and mockery flashed in his eyes. He dismissed them after saying only a few words.

The three were at a loss.

Su Yongzhang, his face pale, asked, "What do we do?"

Shen Congrong led them to find other officials, but they only greeted them briefly before going about their own business, and no one paid them any attention.

Su Yongzhang couldn't help but feel deflated. "Brother Xiong Feng, cousin, are they all ostracizing us?"

Xiong Feng nodded slightly. "It's obvious. Never mind, since Steward Qi doesn't care about us, let's just do our own thing. Doesn't Cong Rong like reading? Let's go read!"

The three of them went to the archives, where there were not only various books that could not be found in the general public, but also many scrolls.

The three, who had been feeling quite down, instantly cheered up upon seeing the books. (End of Chapter)