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

Madam Feng, with her kind face, saw that it was her who had returned.

Her eyes lit up, and she called out "Bei Zhi" with a smile. Upon hearing her question, her expression softened as she replied:

"Your mother just said that she has obtained a wonderful poem and plans to go to Xiaoxiang Pavilion to have it appraised by Scholar Liu and the others. So she bid farewell to Prince Xin and hurried over there."

Ning Beizhi's eyes widened in astonishment. She lowered her voice and whispered, "She just left like that? Doesn't that mean our Jingbei Marquis's mansion is left without anyone?"

Madam Feng asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

Ning Beizhi said, "Wouldn't that be very impolite?"

Madam Feng laughed, "My child, why are you so reserved... Our Xun Gui family and His Highness are one family, inseparable. Today, of course, we're here to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with Prince Xin, but naturally, we can come and go as we please. Your mother wants to visit Xiaoxiang Pavilion; that's what she likes. Who can blame your mother?"

Ning Beizhi gasped and asked Madam Feng, "Would it have been alright if my mother had taken me with her?"

"Of course it's alright!" Madam Feng said with a smile, then added, "Of course, you still have to tell Prince Xin."

Ning Beizhi rolled her eyes and let out an "Oh".

He thanked her nervously, then ran to the back, circled around to the head of the table, and asked a young eunuch to go and inform her.

After about ten breaths.

Prince Xin invited her over for a chat.

At this point, the only undecided outcome on the nineteen-line chessboard remains to be determined.

Gongsun Shanzhang refused to resign, still pondering with his eyes closed whether there was still a solution to the game, which is why the game did not end.

On the right-hand veranda, a group of female musicians and dancers in gorgeous costumes are waiting, ready to come up and perform a dance to the moon as soon as the game of Go ends.

Ning Beizhi walked lightly, head bowed, to the side of the dignified and noble Prince Xin.

To the left of Prince Xin, the Northern Dynasty prodigy sat obediently. He was still short, his feet not touching the ground, swaying back and forth. On his knees was a brocade box, which was divided into several compartments.

Ning Beizhi glanced at it and saw that there were about twelve compartments inside, each containing a jade rabbit of a different shape and exquisite carving.

The child prodigy's eyes sparkled as he played with a jade rabbit that seemed to be shyly covering its head, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Ning Beizhi felt a pang of envy.

After being momentarily blinded by the light flashing from the jade rabbit, she immediately realized what was happening and quietly brought up the important matter with Prince Xin, saying that she wanted to go to Xiaoxiang Pavilion to keep her mother company.

"Hmm, young lady of the Ning family, please come closer." Prince Xin smiled slightly, his voice as warm and gentle as spring water.

Ning Beizhi's face flushed red instantly, down to the tips of her ears. She said "Yes," lifted the beaded curtain, and walked in with small, quick steps.

Before the beaded curtain was lowered, Prince Xin's porcelain-white hand pulled her wrist and led her to sit down on the right.

Ning Beizhi was filled with trepidation, unsure of what the soon-to-be-crowned prince meant.

She lowered her gaze and suddenly noticed something strange... it was Prince Xin's hand... why did she feel like she had seen it somewhere before?

She couldn't help but look up.

A flawless white face instantly came into view, the profile reflecting the white light, and a pair of phoenix eyes that were excessively beautiful and extremely expressive, with long eyelashes... Hmm... Prince Xin... is very handsome.

This is strange... She didn't show it on her face, but her heart was instantly filled with doubt... She had never seen the other person before, but why did the other person's hands feel so familiar?

Zhu Cuiwei glanced at the other person's gaze and noticed that when the other person's eyes were on her hands, the corners of their lips curved into a smile, and she couldn't help but chuckle... Yes, the other person might indeed recognize her hands.

When she married the young doctor, she was sitting in the room with her veil covering her face when this little aunt from the north slipped into the bridal chamber.

She slipped a silver note containing one thousand taels of silver into her hand, saying that she was Ningnan's aunt and this was a wedding gift for the newlyweds.

Zhu Cuiwei's face burned intensely, a far cry from her usual composure after being married for some time. She managed only a barely audible "thank you."

The other party chuckled and said with a grin that she had also slipped the young doctor a five-hundred-tael silver note, and that his niece-in-law could ask him for it tomorrow.

The next day, she thought to herself that her aunt was so generous that she gave out a thousand taels of silver so directly, it was unlikely that she would only give five hundred taels to the doctor.

She then tried to trick him, saying, "Your aunt said she gave you 1,500 taels." The young doctor's eyes widened, and he immediately said indignantly, "She only gave you 1,000 taels."... Ha... Zhu Cuiwei's lips couldn't help but round slightly.

She subtly withdrew her hand from Bei Zhi's wrist.

When she was a child, her father was worried that her health would be as poor as her elder brother's, so he ordered Master Lu to teach her martial arts. Her hands were covered in calluses from wielding swords and knives.

After suffering a serious injury a few months ago, he stopped practicing martial arts in order to recuperate.

After getting married, soaking my hands in warm water for fifteen minutes every day gradually removed the calluses. Master Lu had said that his innate constitution had been restored, and that weapons were inauspicious objects, for a true ruler should control his people; therefore, he no longer needed to wield weapons.

"Does the young lady of the Ning family want to go to the poetry gathering at Xiaoxiang Pavilion?" Zhu Cuiwei asked with a faint smile.

"Mmm." Ning Beizhi nodded, her face flushed.

She wanted to explain that she liked poetry, but not that she was a talented poet... She wanted to be a talented woman and be praised by others.

However, if Prince Xin had not thought of this at all, his explanation would only deepen the misunderstanding, so he became troubled again and dared not say more.

"Have you prepared any poems or lyrics?" Zhu Cuiwei asked.

"I was ready, but my mother took it away..." Ning Beizhi's lips twitched slightly, she shook her head, forced a smile, and said, "Your Highness, my mother is ready. I'll go take a look."

Zhu Cuiwei hummed in agreement, raised her eyes slightly, and then took out a piece of paper from a brocade pouch behind her and handed it to the other party.

Ning Beizhi's eyes widened in surprise. She took it blankly, opened it, and... Huh? Lyrics?! "Prelude to Water Melody"?!

Zhu Cui smiled and said, "Well... I am actually good friends with your nephew's wife. This poem, well, it is a Mid-Autumn Festival poem written by your nephew in his early years, which your nephew's wife gave to me. I am currently unable to leave, but since the young lady of the Ning family wishes to visit Xiaoxiang Pavilion, I would be grateful if she could deliver it there for the Grand Scholars to appreciate."

call.

Ning Beizhi took a breath and opened her mouth wide.

Zhu Cuiwei frowned, feigning concern, and said, "Oh, right, this poem, 'Shuidiao Getou,' doesn't have a name yet. I'll trouble Beizhi to write one down on a piece of paper and bring it over later..."

"Name?" Ning Beizhi closed her mouth and swallowed.

Zhu Cuiwei pondered for a moment, then, noticing the other woman's sparkling eyes, smiled and said, "Since this was made by your nephew, and you, his aunt, are troubling him to take it to Xiaoxiang Pavilion..."

"Mmm..." Ning Beizhi kept nodding her little head.

"Then I think..." Zhu Cui smiled slightly, "How about we call it 'A Poem Presented to Ning Beizhi at the Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet in Prince Xin's Mansion'... What does Miss Ning think?"

Ning Beizhi seemed to have grown a little tail from an itch, and quickly got up, patting her small chest, her eyes sparkling like stars as she said:

"Your Highness, rest assured, this name couldn't be more fitting, Bei Zhi... um... Bei Zhi guarantees to complete the task Your Highness assigns..."

At this moment, a young eunuch stepped forward and reported, "Your Highness, Jia Songling, Li Xing, and Li Sanzhuang have all been brought here."

Zhu Cui smiled and said, "Take them forward."

……

On the drill ground.

Ning Nan slowly exhaled.

San Zhuang and Li Xing were initially quite excited.

Upon seeing so many people in the room, all of whom had gleaming eyes and were dressed in fine clothes, it was clear that they were either rich or noble.

Behind the beaded curtain hanging at the very front sat a dignified future crown prince.

The two village treasures' legs trembled.

Even San Zhuang, who had personally killed many people, broke out in a cold sweat on his forehead, just like Qin Wuyang when he entered the palace.

Li Xing was in an even worse state, his head bowed low, looking just like a quail.

The two, one big and one small, followed closely behind Ning Nan.

Ning Nan stepped across the training ground and into the banquet hall, passing by a chessboard with nineteen vertical and horizontal lines.

He stopped in front of the chessboard where Nalan Ruo and another old man in white were playing chess, without passing them.

This was his second audience with Prince Xin, and he was naturally much more relaxed than the two village treasures.

He bowed and said, "This humble subject... Jia Songling greets Prince Xin." Sanzhuang and Li Xing immediately followed their elder brother's example, calling out their own names and bowing as well.

……

……

at the same time.

Xinwangfu, west across the courtyard.

The underground wine cellar in the backyard was cool and shady.

Qin Yuanyao, who had recently been promoted to the rank of Commander, was expressionless, his hands gripping his embroidered spring knife, staring blankly at the four corpses on the ground.

Dark red blood flowed from beneath the four men, spreading across the ground like a spiderweb.

Qin Yuanyao remained silent, her eyes fixed on the slowly flowing blood until it touched the scabbard, splitting the flow, and then continued forward until it disappeared under her shoes. The female assistant did not move an inch!