After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

The first official Chen Yuezhi looked at was Liu Zhi, a graduate of Bailu Academy.

Liu Zhi stood up, his expression complex. He bowed to Prince Xin at the head of the table and sighed, "As for poetry... well... I'm afraid it's still up to Grand Scholar Liu to take the stage."

Xu Long frowned and said, "With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching and so many poetry gatherings in the capital, haven't any good poems emerged yet?"

Someone chimed in, "I heard that Xu Yang and Shang Duo wrote a few poems, and they're quite popular. Besides, Chen Yuanhan and Du Xiangqing are close in age to Nalan. Chen Yuanhan's 'Partridge Sky' from last year's Lantern Festival is considered a literary masterpiece, and Du Xiangqing's 'Reduced-Character Magnolia Flower' is also famous throughout Sichuan. Don't they want to come?"

"Xu Yang and the others are certainly talented," Liu Zhi said with a wry smile, "but let alone comparing them to Nalan Ruo, who is in his forties, they are probably no match even for Nalan Ruo, who was the same age as them twenty years ago. As for the two talented men, Chen Yuanhan and Du Xiangqing..." Liu Zhi looked at Lu Machang, who was shorter and fatter on the other side, and said, "I'll have to trouble their fellow Sizhi Lang to say something about that."

Sizhilang Lu Machang was also around forty years old. He passed the imperial examination in the same year as Chen and Du, but the latter two resigned after serving as officials for a few years and indulged in the beauty of nature, while he continued to struggle in the officialdom.

Lu Machang was short and stout, but when he stood up, he exuded the air of a great Confucian master. Lu Machang said in a deep voice, "Liu Zhongyun, Shao Zhanshi, gentlemen, I did indeed go to invite my two friends Chen and Du on Liu Zhongyun's orders. But last Mid-Autumn Festival, after they saw Emperor Wenzong of the Northern Dynasty's poem 'Pipa Fairy,' they said they would not compose any more poems for the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Lu Machang's brows furrowed with regret as he said, "Although Chen and Du are also in the capital and are willing to attend the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet at Prince Xin's residence, I'm afraid they won't make a move. They're only here to catch a glimpse of the Northern Dynasty's literary emperor."

Upon hearing Lu Machang's words, a chorus of regretful sighs immediately filled the hall.

Chen Yuezhi couldn't help but frown.

Although the Southern Dynasty still had Grand Scholar Liu, he was nearing sixty. Although he could write a Mid-Autumn Festival poem to save face for the Southern Dynasty, it would be quite difficult for him to even come close to Nalan Ruo's Mid-Autumn Festival poem, let alone surpass the Northern Dynasty.

This was even the case of a Grand Secretary who was loyal to the country; an ordinary person, to preserve their reputation in their later years, would probably have simply refrained from taking action. Just like the two gentlemen Chen and Du.

It was already dark outside.

The atmosphere inside the main hall was also terrifyingly oppressive.

Half an hour passed.

Xu Long shrugged and said, "So, in that case, our Great Liang is left with nothing but desolation."

Cold and desolate, Ning Baixuan.

Xu Long's gruff voice called out the name again. The prince and his ministers exchanged awkward glances, but their embarrassment lessened somewhat after they looked at Chen Yue, the Junior Chamberlain. It seemed the Junior Chamberlain himself was more embarrassed. Someone even chuckled, "Luckily, he wasn't beheaded."

Chen Yuezhi said expressionlessly, "Ning Baixuan has been placed under house arrest by His Majesty."

"Isn't it enough if the words are perfect but the person isn't?" someone clapped and said.

"That's right," someone else said, "He can simply submit a poem to His Highness Prince Xin; there's no need for anyone else to come."

Chen Yuezhi sneered and said, "Ning Baixuan has too much of a murderous aura, which is different from the festive atmosphere of Mid-Autumn Festival."

Xu Long retorted sharply, "Then we'll have to have many Grand Tutors personally participate?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuezhi pursed his lips.

A mocking expression appeared on everyone's faces as they began to discuss who should ask Leng Lengqing to take action.

Some suggested sending "Grand Scholar Liu," while others suggested sending Xu Zanshan and Liu Zhongyun, as they would be the ones to take over Baiyufang from Ning Baixuan. But the discussion had barely begun when...

Zhongyun Liu Zhi sighed and said, "Everyone, I have already thought of a way... Ning Baixuan will not take action. He has stopped writing lyrics."

Everyone was immediately stunned.

What does that mean?

Liu Zhi shrugged, his eyes filled with complex emotions, and said, "To be honest, a month ago, I asked Grand Scholar Liu and other renowned scholars to invite Leng Leng Qingqing to write a Mid-Autumn Festival poem. But no matter what they said or how they invited him, although they didn't threaten him, they tried all sorts of inducements—gold, silver, money, famous books and paintings, antiques…—but Leng Leng Qingqing firmly declined them all. He simply said he wouldn't write one."

Liu Zhi said this.

Chen Yuezhi's complexion immediately improved.

The courtiers fell silent. Zhu Cuiwei, seated at the head of the table, pursed her lips, seemingly lost in thought.

Chen Yuezhi smiled slightly and said, "It's alright. In the realm of poetry, since we have Scholar Liu to oversee things, even if we are a notch below Nalan Ruo, we won't lose by much."

Then, he looked up at a handsome young official with refined features and smiled, "Shangmei, how are your chess skills now? Have you ever surpassed your uncle?"

Following Chen Yuezhi's gaze, everyone's eyes shifted to a young official.

The young official Wu Shangmei immediately stood up awkwardly. Judging by appearance alone, Wu Shangmei was undoubtedly the most outstanding person in the capital, if not the most outstanding in the court.

The assembled officials all looked at the shy young official with amicable expressions.

Last year, His Majesty selected Wu Shangmei as the third-ranked scholar in the palace examination and appointed him as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. Later, His Majesty personally appointed him to assist in governing the Eastern Palace.

The meaning is self-explanatory.

Your Majesty has taken a liking to this young man.

This kid's name contains the character "Shang". If he were to marry a princess, I'm afraid any civil official with aspirations for a career in government would be quite unhappy.

But if the Empress Shang, who is about to ascend the throne, becomes the Grand Prince Consort of this dynasty... that would naturally be a different matter altogether.

The Wu family was also aware of His Majesty's intentions. After Wu Shangmei became the third-ranked scholar, no matter how high-ranking an official wanted to arrange a marriage, they kept their handsome son a closely guarded secret.

With such a handsome face constantly before one's eyes, what woman wouldn't be tempted?

Therefore, the court officials all treated this young scholar with kindness and pleasantries.

Only Xu Longdao and Liu Zhi had strange expressions and sighed inwardly, but naturally they didn't show it outwardly.

Wu Shangmei secretly glanced at the bright and dignified Prince Xin at the head of the table, her face slightly flushed.

He cupped his hands to Chen Yuezhi and said, "Reporting to the Junior Chamberlain, my chess skills... my chess skills... um... my uncle said that my chess skills are slightly better than his."

"Phew..." Upon hearing the young scholar's words, the officials in the hall visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

Wu Shangmei's second uncle was none other than the chess master Wu Yanchou. In terms of chess skills, apart from the Marquis of Jingbei, no one in the Southern Dynasty could surpass him.

Unfortunately, just a month ago, Wu Yanchou narrowly lost to the Northern Dynasty chess fanatic.

Fortunately, Nalan of the Northern Dynasty only started learning chess a year ago. Although he swept across the north in three months, he was still slightly inferior to the chess saint and chess fanatic of the Northern Dynasty.

Wu Shangmei's chess skills were previously only known at the Imperial Academy.

That day, Liu Zhi wanted to find a young and outstanding person to rival Nalan Ruo, but unexpectedly, after searching around, he ended up finding Wu Shangmei!

This was the biggest unexpected joy for the Crown Prince.

Later, the ministers of the Eastern Palace took turns playing, but all were defeated by this young chess master. Everyone sighed and said that it was fortunate that his uncle was still there, otherwise he would have no rivals in the Southern Dynasty.

At this moment, the young scholar lowered his eyes and stammered shyly, "Uncle, Uncle... Uncle actually passed away half a year ago."

……

……

The candlelight was dim and yellow.

The sound of the pieces falling was like rain pattering on banana leaves.

Cannon moves to the second rank, chariot moves horizontally east and west, horse sweeps across the northern frontier.

Ning Nan picked up the black jade chess piece and slammed it onto the chessboard opposite him!

"Snapped!"

Ning Nan let out a "ha" sound, looked up and smiled, saying, "Brother Nalan,"

"General!"