Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death? Why did this powerful cousin love him so much?

The lingering chill of early spring had not yet completely faded when the imperial examinations were held again.

Outside the examination hall, carriages and horses bustled about, and crowds thronged below the list of successful candidates. When the list was finally displayed, the name at the top was none other than Xie Yao, the third young master of the Xie family.

"The top scholar! It's Xie Sanlang again!"

"Incredible! He's already won the top two spots in the provincial and metropolitan examinations; isn't that like achieving the triple crown?"

"The Xie family is truly blessed with literary talent! First there was Master Xie, a man of both literary and martial prowess, and now this Third Young Master Xie has surpassed him even further!"

Xie Yao sat in the carriage, listening to the storyteller and casually returning messages. His peach blossom eyes were slightly raised, revealing a smile that seemed both mocking and hateful.

Even if he could achieve the highest honors in all three categories, in everyone's eyes he would only be comparable to Xie Jue.

On the day of the imperial examination, the young candidates held their breath and wrote furiously.

Xie Yao's article is excellent; his arguments are well-organized and every word is precious.

After the examiners in the hall passed the papers around, they all nodded in approval, thinking that the Xie family was indeed producing talented people. Back then, Xie Jue passed the imperial examinations at the age of sixteen and achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations. Although Xie Yao started a little later, his talent was still enough to make him the top scholar in the imperial examinations.

Emperor Jingyuan flipped through his scroll, then looked up at Xie Yao. His peach blossom eyes were slightly lowered, exuding an indescribable charm.

Strictly speaking, Xie Jue and Xie Yao were his nephews, but Emperor Jingyuan had many sisters and nephews.

A useful nephew is a good nephew.

Xie Yaosheng had the appearance of a philanderer and a heartless man.

These words were not spoken by Emperor Jingyuan, but were spread by the girls in the capital who had seen him.

When he was still living in Tianxiang Tower, surrounded by beautiful women, someone secretly drew his portrait and circulated it among the ladies, saying that if Xie Sanlang's face were on a girl, it would be stunningly beautiful. But it just so happens that it was on a man.

His eyebrows and eyes were strikingly beautiful.

Her peach blossom eyes were slightly upturned, with a natural hint of red at the corners. When she wasn't smiling, her eyes carried a touch of nonchalant laziness. But when she smiled, her eyes seemed to flutter down like falling peach blossoms.

It's said that Xie Sanlang never rejects women, yet he never lets any woman have a second glance. Extreme passion becomes a callous indifference towards everyone.

But now, not a trace of his former philandering nature can be seen on that once fickle and heartless face.

Those peach blossom eyes were still upturned, but the light in them was cold, as if frozen by something and could never be thawed. The jawline was sharper than before, and that already bewitching face had gained a sickly cold beauty.

Xie Yao's essay was excellent, and his talent was genuine, but his face—Emperor Jingyuan closed the paper, picked up his vermilion brush, and lightly marked him on the list of candidates for the palace examination, designating him as the third-ranked scholar.

On the day of the grand ceremony of announcing the results of the imperial examinations.

In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies loudly announced the names:

"The top scholar in the first class, granted the title of Jinshi, Zhuangyuan—Tang Nian!"

"The second-place winner in the first class, granted the title of Jinshi (进士) and the second-highest scorer—Shi Chao!"

"Third place in the first class, awarded the title of Jinshi (进士) and Tanhua (探花)—Xie Yao!"

When the words "third-place scholar" echoed in the main hall, Xie Yao's mind went blank for a moment, and he couldn't hear anything else.

Xie Yao's slightly upturned lips froze on his face before the smile could even fully bloom. His fingers, hanging at his sides, clenched tightly, making his knuckles crack.

Tanhua?

How could he be the third-place finisher?!

However, reason still allowed Xie Yao to suppress his almost bursting anger. Xie Yao stepped forward according to etiquette and kowtowed to express his gratitude for the emperor's grace.

After the palace examination, his classmates gathered around to congratulate him.

"Congratulations, Brother Xie, on your third-place finish in the imperial examination!"

"Brother Xie is both talented and handsome; the title of Third Scholar is truly well-deserved!"

Congratulations to the third-ranked scholar!

The title of Tan Hua Lang (探花郎) was an honor coveted by countless scholars, representing the pinnacle of the emperor's students and bringing glory to one's ancestors.

But to Xie Yao, these congratulatory remarks sounded incredibly harsh, like sharp mockery.

Xie Yao forced a smile, his expression stiff and devoid of warmth, instead appearing rather gloomy and unpleasant: "Thank you all."

He didn't look like a top student in high school at all; instead, he looked like someone who had failed the exam.

With a gloomy face, Xie Yao nodded slightly, then pushed through the crowd and walked straight out. The oppressive aura surrounding him made those who wanted to approach him unconsciously slow down and fall silent.

After Xie Yao had walked away, the remaining classmates looked at each other, and the atmosphere became somewhat stagnant and awkward.

"Why does Brother Xie look so pale?" A slightly plump scholar couldn't help but mutter under his breath, breaking the silence.

"Yes," another tall, thin man chimed in, his face full of confusion, "that's the third-ranked scholar! He was the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination! So many students study hard for years and still struggle to even pass the examination. He's so young and already a third-ranked scholar, and he comes from a family with the Xie lineage. Why is he... so unhappy?"

"Alas, you all don't know this," one of the more well-informed people said in a low voice, with a hint of regret, "Xie San is aiming for the triple crown! First in the provincial examination, first in the metropolitan examination, and now he's just waiting for the palace examination to be the top scholar!"

"I see!"

Everyone suddenly realized, "No wonder! Losing the chance to achieve the highest honors in the imperial examinations, which was so close, would be disheartening for anyone. Besides..."

The speaker paused, his voice lowering further, "I've heard that this Third Young Master Xie is extremely arrogant, and he's probably always harbored the ambition to compete with Lord Xie. This defeat will likely make him even more..."

"But it's only natural that His Majesty would appoint him as the third-ranked scholar!" A scholar with some knowledge of officialdom analyzed. "The top scholar title sometimes tests not only literary skills but also the emperor's ability to weigh power. The Xie family is already at the top of the nobility, and there is also Lord Xie in the court. If the Xie family were to produce another top scholar who achieves the highest honors in all three categories and becomes famous throughout the country, that... is probably not what His Majesty wants to see."

"That makes sense!" Everyone nodded in agreement.

"As for the third-ranked scholar..." The man's tone shifted, a hint of barely perceptible teasing creeping into his voice, "Don't you all think the title of 'third-ranked scholar' is tailor-made for Young Master Xie? The third-ranked scholar is always chosen from the youngest and most handsome among the top-ranked scholars. Brother Xie's appearance, demeanor, refined elegance, those captivating eyes... tsk tsk, you won't find another person in the entire capital more deserving of the title!"

"Haha, that's very true! Brother Xie, you truly deserve the title of third-place scholar! But perhaps he himself... isn't content with just being a third-place scholar?"

"Sigh, his ambitions are too high..." someone shook their head and sighed. "But being the third-ranked scholar is already quite prestigious! Tomorrow he will parade through the streets on horseback, and all the young ladies in the capital will probably be smitten with him. Even the top two scholars may not have this kind of prestige."

The crowd started discussing it amongst themselves.

……

Xie Yao slowly walked down the stone steps. The spring sunlight fell on his shoulders, making his handsome face look even more beautiful. However, he only pursed his thin lips, and there was no trace of romance in his peach blossom eyes. Only cold anger and surging humiliation remained.

"The third-ranked scholar..."

Why was Xie Jue able to achieve the highest honors in all three categories?

Why is it that no matter how hard I try, I can never be as good as Xie Jue?

Shuxian and Xunfeng saw his expression from afar and didn't dare to say a word of congratulations.

Xie Yao got into the carriage but didn't return to his residence. He simply leaned against the carriage wall and closed his eyes.

A spring breeze swept past the window, lifting a corner of the carriage curtain. When those peach blossom eyes opened again, there was only a deep, unfathomable calm.

He only ever wanted one thing; he didn't care about being the top scholar or the third-ranked scholar.

But he was one step behind Xie Jue, and that one step meant a lifetime.