In a moment of impulse, I forcibly kissed my brother's best friend.

Before dawn, Madam Wang, the old lady of the Prime Minister's residence, went to the ancestral hall to burn incense. Prime Minister Cui Zhinuan also made the rare effort to go to the ancestral hall with her before going to court.

No sooner had they left than an elderly man in a silver brocade robe, with white hair and beard, secretly slipped in, bowed three times solemnly, and murmured, "May my ancestors bless my grandson Cui Yutang to pass the imperial examination."

As dawn broke, crowds thronged the east wall of the South Courtyard of the Ministry of Rites in Chang'an.

Every year, the imperial court had thousands of candidates taking the imperial examinations, but only a handful were admitted, sometimes even as few as a single digit. After ten years of arduous study, the fierce competition was unimaginable, and those who passed on their first attempt were extremely rare.

Cui Yutang had originally planned to enter the fray two years ago, but he fled to Donglin City because of his refusal to marry, which led to his first appearance this year.

Zhou Xuan'an hadn't slept well since last night and was extremely nervous. When he arrived at the scene, he even felt a bit timid.

"Brother, don't be nervous. Believe in yourself. You can do it." Xie Yige encouraged her from the side while protecting her sister-in-law.

Zhou Xuan'an nodded, feeling a little relieved, when he heard someone shout, "They're out! They're out!"

All three of them immediately felt their hearts race.

"I'll go see it myself." Zhou Xuan'an looked in the direction where the Spring Festival Announcement was posted, then glanced back at Xie Wanrou. "Yige, you stay here with your sister-in-law and wait. Don't go to crowded places." After saying that, he quickly squeezed into the crowd.

The area ahead was completely blocked, and people could be heard crying loudly and shouting "I won!" in a heart-wrenching voice.

Zhou Xuan'an started reading from the very last name—

Thirty-sixth place, Zhang Shen.

Fortunately, thirty-six people were admitted this year, not a single digit.

He quickly looked to his right, and his heart beat faster and faster as he looked.

No.

No.

Twenty-first place, Zhang Zhiyi.

Zhang Yizhi passed the high school entrance exam! Zhou Xuan'an was filled with mixed emotions of joy and sorrow, and before he could reflect on it further, he quickly looked at the next name.

until--

Ninth place: Zhou Xuan'an.

He was struck by a huge surprise, and he was stunned. Suddenly, large tears welled up in his eyes.

"I won, I really won," he murmured, hardly believing his good fortune.

Suddenly, Zhang Zhiyi, dressed in a pale yellow brocade robe, rushed towards him: "Brother Xuan'an, I won! We all won!" His excitement was palpable.

Zhou Xuan'an finally recovered and immediately hugged Zhang Yizhi back. The two of them jumped up and down excitedly several times, almost knocking over the people around them.

"Let's go to the front and see who's at the top!"

Most of those crowding at the front were students from the Imperial Academy; there were simply too many to get in. Zhang Zhiyi anxiously grabbed a classmate and asked, "Brother, have you seen who's at the top of the list?"

"Who else could it be but Cui Yutang from the top class of the Imperial Academy?" The classmate said, half envious and half melancholy.

"Haha, it really is Brother Cui! Brother Xuan'an, let's quickly squeeze in and take a look!"

As the two approached, they saw Cui Yutang, who was squeezed in the very center and looked quite disheveled.

A few strands of hair hung messily over his forehead. He was always aloof and disliked being around people, and this was the first time he had encountered such a situation. He was completely devastated and had already begun to regret sending Baoyu back to deliver the good news first.

He was surrounded by a group of classmates from the Imperial Academy, scholars who came to watch the spectacle, and relatives of some unknown person. Some were excited to hug him and congratulate him, some wanted to touch him to share in the good fortune, some wanted him to leave his mark on them, and some even wanted to find a son-in-law through the results of the exam. The middle-aged men dressed in red and green had their eyes shining and wished they could snatch him back on the spot.

In his panic, he saw Zhou Xuan'an and Zhang Zhiyi, and his heart was filled with joy.

"Excuse me, I need to get out. I'll host a banquet for you all another day." He pushed his way out and finally met up with the two who were desperately trying to squeeze in. With the three of them working together, their energy was significantly greater, and they soon broke free from the crowd.

Seeing the two disheveled individuals, the carefree Zhang Zhiyi couldn't help but burst into laughter.

How wonderful, the light boat has already passed ten thousand mountains.

"Brother Cui, Brother Xuan'an, shall we go for a drink? I can't wait." Zhang Zhiyi's family was not in the capital, and there was no one to share the good news with.

"My wife and sister are still waiting over there, I have to go now," Zhou Xuan'an refused directly.

"No, let's go and congratulate your sister-in-law and Yige together."

When Cui Yutang heard the words "Yige sister", his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly nodded in agreement.

So Xie Yige and Xie Wanrou saw the three people coming together in high spirits from afar, and they couldn't help but feel happy.

Zhou Xuan'an grabbed Xie Wanrou's hand tightly and said, "Wanrou, Yige, I passed the imperial examination and ranked ninth." Zhou Xuan'an couldn't help but be excited as he said it again.

Upon hearing this, Xie Wanrou burst into tears of joy. Xie Yige's beautiful peach blossom eyes crinkled into crescent moons with laughter.

"Brother, I knew you could do it! Let's write to Father and Mother right away."

"And me, Yige, I'm number twenty-one." Zhang Zhiyi couldn't help but squeeze in front of Xie Yige, unfolding her fan and striking what she thought was her best pose.

"Congratulations, Young Master Zhang." After saying this, Xie Yige looked straight at Cui Yutang, her eyes sparkling in the morning light.

Cui Yutang, thinking of his disheveled hair and his inappropriately grabbed appearance, suddenly felt a little lost. He subconsciously raised his hand to straighten his clothes, but then felt it wasn't quite right, so he simply lowered his hand.

"I...I passed the exam too." Hearing his own words falter, he felt even more frustrated.

"Brother Cui, what do you mean you passed the exam too? You were the top scorer, okay?" Zhang Zhiyi couldn't help but complain, and Zhou Xuan'an laughed out loud as well.

Xie Yige simply looked at him, a slight smile playing on her lips, her eyes shining like the rising sun.

Cui Yutang's heart skipped a beat, and a blush quickly crept up the tips of his ears.

Just then, several middle-aged men suddenly appeared out of nowhere, shouting loudly, "The top scholar is over here! The top scholar is over here!"

The crowd surged forward again. Zhou Xuan'an was terrified and quickly shielded the pregnant Xie Wanrou, pulling her back.

Xie Yige wasn't so lucky. She was standing on the outside when the crowd surged towards her like a tide. She was pushed and stumbled, losing her footing, and was about to be swept away by the crowd.

A long, strong hand firmly grasped her wrist.

"Let's run!" Cui Yutang's voice rang in her ears.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xie Yige grasped his warm hand tightly. The instant their hands clasped, she felt the warmth of his palm and the frantic pounding of his heart.

The two turned around and ran in the opposite direction of the crowd.