They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 52 Question
In the royal gardens beside Qujiang Pool, the flowers and trees stood silently. The newly appointed scholars stood with their hands at their sides, each holding their breath and concentrating intently. Even the chirping of insects and birds seemed to be silenced by the imperial aura.

Sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, casting dappled patterns on the ground, but it brought no warmth, only making the forest clearing appear even more desolate.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

The shrill chanting, like an icicle, pierced the suffocating silence.

In an instant, all conversations and glances froze as a group of people emerged from the depths of the tree-lined path.

The young Crown Prince Li Shimin was dressed in a reddish-yellow casual robe. His face was calm and composed, but his eyes held a sharp, all-encompassing control. His steps were steady and deliberate.

Half a step behind him was Prime Minister Yin Kaishan.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui stood a step behind on either side, Changsun Wuji remained expressionless, Cheng Yaojin's large eyes glared like copper bells as he surveyed the entire scene, and Li Jing deliberately positioned himself further back, glancing at Chen Guangrui in the center of the crowd with a complex expression.

In absolute silence, Li Shimin slowly walked to the main table that had been prepared beforehand and took his seat. No words were needed; an invisible pressure already enveloped the surrounding area.

The newly appointed scholars, including Zhang Changling and others who had been calm and composed before, all bowed their heads deeply, not daring to breathe, as if they felt thorns pricking their backs.

Li Shimin's gaze was like a deep, cold pool. When it swept over the newly appointed scholars with their heads bowed, the cicadas in the forest suddenly fell silent.

Standing in the crowd, Chen Guangrui clearly felt the weight of those gazes. It was not the arrogance of the "General of Heavenly Strategy" as depicted in historical records, but rather an absolute control over the situation.

His reddish-yellow casual clothes made his shoulders and back stand as straight as pine and bamboo. His face was so young that it was almost sharp, and his jawline was as taut as a bowstring. Yet, the imposing aura between his brows made all the flowers and trees in the garden seem to droop a little.

A strange sense of familiarity swept through Chen Guangrui's mind. How could this be the "sage ruler" and "enlightened monarch" that was admired in later generations?
Clearly, it was a sword yet to be drawn, unrecorded in history. The scabbard was magnificent, but the blade lay hidden beneath a calm surface, waiting for the right moment to sever all uncertainties.

Upon arriving in this world and seeing a human emperor for the first time, Chen Guangrui, though lacking the same reverence as others, still carefully observed Li Shimin from head to toe, and unconsciously shrugged off the formalities.

Finally, it was time for the questions to be asked, and Chen Guangrui noticed that everyone's expressions had become serious. At that moment, his gaze slowly spread outwards.

As soon as Li Shimin raised his hand, two eunuchs immediately and respectfully unfurled a long ink painting scroll about a foot wide.

All eyes were drawn to it. The painting's brushstrokes were simple, yet its meaning was profound.

The river was wide, and the wind whipped up turbid waves. A lone boat was lifted high by the waves, its hull drafted very deep, as if it would be swallowed by the waves at any moment. The boatman struggled to look up at the dark clouds on the horizon, his back revealing a sense of despair and defiance.

"Sentimental to the scene," Li Shimin said, his gaze sweeping across the room as he posed the question himself. "Gentlemen, take this painting as your topic and share your feelings, regardless of genre. You have one incense stick's time limit."

The instructions were simple and direct, yet they made all the scholars' hearts tighten.

As soon as the topic was revealed, many people's eyes immediately became subtle, exchanging expressions that only they themselves could understand.

Many people, even though they had a vague idea of ​​the question, still treated it with extreme caution when they saw it.

Looking at these scholars, Li Shimin seemed to remember something. "Prime Minister, I heard that your family is going to have a decorated pavilion for the selection process. Is that true?"

Yin Kaishan stroked his beard, nodded, then shook his head. "I did have that idea, but..."

Li Shimin smiled and said, "Why bother with all that? Look at these scholars below. Do you see anyone you like? Tell me later, and I'll help you find a match."

Yin Kaishan's face lit up with joy. He hurriedly stood up and bowed, his eyes filled with even more intensity. He said nothing more, waiting for the Crown Prince to ask so that he could reveal his choice.

The atmosphere grew even more tense and oppressive. Brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were quickly distributed, and the only sounds in the room were the turning of pages, grinding ink, and the faint scratching of brushes across rough paper. Everyone was racking their brains. Chen Guangrui also picked up a brush. But he wasn't actually writing poetry. He merely dipped the brush in ink casually, the tip hovering over the paper, but his gaze, like that of a hawk, used the opportunity of looking at the picture to subtly scan the entire room, especially the eunuchs, guards, and even some low-ranking officials attending Li Shimin.

The thieves will return to their lair to watch the fire burn.

This was the key point he had been calculating in the past few days.

Using Wei Zheng's suspicions and Li Jing's men, he kept the Daxingshan Temple under extremely close surveillance for the past few days, while he himself indulged in eating, drinking, and merrymaking in Chang'an, without making any other moves.

This effectively blocked the blue-faced lion's escape route, convincing it that the outside world was in turmoil, while the palace was temporarily safe. This way, it wouldn't ruin its final mission and could temporarily lay low. Furthermore, it gave the lion a desire to witness the full spectrum of human nature after committing its crimes.

How appealing it would be to return to the scene of the crime and witness the people's fury and anxiety!

And when it came back, no one recognized it—how satisfying that was!
Given the commotion today, it must be curious and want to see firsthand how Li Shimin will treat these scholars after his fury. At the same time, it also wants to confirm whether what it stole is still a secret!
At the same time, there was another reason, which was to see Chen Guangrui up close, his ultimate goal.

Did it come to Chang'an precisely to ensure the smooth birth of Jin Chanzi?

Therefore, Chen Guangrui felt that the blue-faced lion was most likely at the banquet!
So he hastily wrote two lines on the paper. Then he stopped writing, casually placing the pen beside the inkstone with a soft "tap." The handwriting on the paper was careless, as if he didn't care at all about this imperial examination question.

This "casualness" stands out starkly among the countless scholars who buried themselves in their thoughts and wrote with flowing strokes of their pens; it is almost arrogant!
Beside the Crown Prince's desk, Fang Xuanling had already witnessed the entire scene. He subtly pursed his lips, then bowed slightly and, in a soft, affected voice, just loud enough for the Crown Prince and his close advisors to hear, said…

"Your Highness, you see, everyone is doing their best to fulfill the requirements, except for that top scholar, who seems to be... writing very little and unable to continue? Could it be that this newly crowned top scholar has lost his inspiration and brilliance in the face of the turmoil in Chang'an?"

He spoke at a measured pace, but every word he uttered implied that Chen Guangrui was all talk and no action, and that he was arrogant and disrespectful of the exam questions.

Before the words were finished, Changsun Wuji's deep voice rang out, carrying the unique reserve and cold scrutiny of a prominent aristocratic family.

“A young man who has achieved early success is bound to be arrogant. But to treat the emperor with such disrespect is hardly the way of a subject.”

His gaze swept over Chen Guangrui, devoid of any emotion, yet as cold as ice water poured over his head.

Cheng Yaojin, unable to contain his fiery temper, raised his thick eyebrows and raised his voice so loud it could shake the leaves off the trees.

"Hmph! What airs are you putting on, little brat? His Highness setting the question is an immense favor! Do you expect me to carry you on a sedan chair to get you to write it?"

He glared at Chen Guangrui, his fists clenched slightly, remembering the day he argued with Li Jing and Wei Zheng, while this kid just watched the show from the sidelines.

Several senior officials spoke in succession, their dissatisfaction, whether subtle or direct, coalescing into an invisible pressure that weighed heavily on the isolated figure in the room.

Chen Guangrui, however, was completely oblivious to the discussions above. His gaze was casual, but he carefully observed the royal entourage, analyzing the unusual situation.

Li Shimin's expression remained calm, revealing neither joy nor anger. However, a barely perceptible hint of displeasure flickered deep within his eyes, which were as still as a deep pool. As the crown prince, he placed paramount importance on discipline and decorum within his rule. The newly appointed top scholar's disrespectful behavior at the imperial banquet was a grave injustice.

Equally displeased was the matter of the missing documents that had been troubling him these past few days.

That matter was related to Wei Zheng. This top scholar, I heard, also had a very good relationship with Wei Zheng. Hey!
Li Shimin remained silent, making it even more difficult to guess what he was thinking, but a hint of something was subtly revealed in his eyes...

This top scholar isn't answering my questions properly; his eyes are already wandering towards those eunuchs around him!

It can be assumed that this top scholar was simply inexperienced and was captivated by the scene.

However, what he didn't know was that Chen Guangrui's gaze was now sharply fixed on a person who was originally inconspicuous!
(End of this chapter)