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

"The renewal of an old nation depends on the old; the achievement lies in its preservation, not in abandoning the old and seeking new branches..."

"Well……"

Zhu Cuiwei's breath hitched, her eyes dimmed, and she felt a pang of self-mockery.

"As expected... this one isn't from a quack doctor either..."

A smile, a mixture of disappointment, relief, and helplessness, appeared on her lips.

From the palace to the examination hall, she had been thinking the whole way about what she would do if one of the two articles was about a young doctor.

If she chose the young doctor, given his sensitive and suspicious nature, he might resent her in the future, as if she were the one who selected him as the top scholar.

But if she chose someone else, and the young doctor finds out later, well… given his sensitive and suspicious nature, he'll probably be jealous again… The young empress bit her cheek, thinking about it for a long time on the way.

Seeing that neither of the two articles was correct, I breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, I felt a little empty inside.

I originally thought that the article by the young doctor would be more conservative and less flexible.

If it were a choice between Sun and Li, Li Xiangsong should have chosen his piece.

In fact... she also intended to recommend the article chosen by Li Xiangsong as number one.

It's not that this article is particularly good, but with the Northern Expedition imminent, choosing a conservative article as the first choice would help to garner support from local gentry throughout the Liang Dynasty.

Knowing that the Great Liang Dynasty was different from the Northern Dynasties, and would not "imitate the Northern Emperor" or "compete with the people for profit," they actively donated grain and did not hinder the court's war efforts...

Zhu Cuiwei glanced absentmindedly at the article presented by Eunuch Liu.

Both Sun and Li were exceptionally talented individuals. Although their political views differed, the articles they selected were far superior to their peers in terms of diction, allusion, and writing style.

It's impossible to determine which of the two articles is better based on these factors alone.

She didn't intend to show off her limited knowledge.

Ultimately, it depends on whether the Empress currently favors 'reform' or 'conservatism' more.

"good!"

Zhu Cui smiled and pursed her lips, mimicking the words and tone of voice used by Grand Tutor Gu when he taught her to read, and said,

"The texts selected by Grand Secretary Li are sharp and incisive, yet also upright and harmonious, perfectly in line with the principles of the Spring and Autumn Annals of the sages. He is truly a man of great talent! The so-called reform... is indeed not about discarding the old for the new..."

The Empress's voice was clear and crisp as she commented on the article with measured precision.

The people present were somewhat surprised.

I originally thought the Empress was only eighteen years old. Although I could see her skill and temperament in handling state affairs, I thought that the Emperor Emeritus was probably doing the work behind the scenes.

Today, the matter has come to the Empress's attention. Everyone's thought is that the Empress will try to smooth things over, order the two to stop arguing, and then ask the Emperor Emeritus to make a decision.

But as it stands, the Queen's words are sharp and incisive, hitting the nail on the head. Her profound understanding of the classics has left even the examiners speechless.

It seems that the Queen intends to settle this case herself.

It can make judgments and assessments.

Everyone's eyes lit up, and they couldn't help but look at this very young empress with new respect.

Sun Chengshan and Lu Machang remained calm and unsurprised.

Even when she was still the Crown Prince, the Empress already handled state affairs with the demeanor of an retired emperor, which impressed all the officials in the Crown Prince's court.

Today, the Empress commented on the two articles, pointing out their brilliance, which is only natural.

The crisp voice finished commenting on the two articles.

A moment of silence fell over the room.

Zhu Cuiwei also pondered for a long time.

Finally, she glanced at Sun Chengshan, her gaze complicated, and carefully considered her words.

After scanning the crowd, her clear voice took on a hint of composure as she spoke loudly:

"Gentlemen, in my opinion,"

The Empress sighed inwardly, but chuckled softly.

"The essays selected by Vice Minister Sun are like those of a valiant swordsman; the essays selected by Grand Secretary Li are like those of a gentleman swordsman… I think it would be better to select…"

"Huiyuan?!"

Before Zhu Cuiwei could finish speaking, someone gasped.

Upon hearing this voice, which was clearly full of questions, Zhu Cuiwei paused, her voice trailing off.

Looking in the direction of the questioning voice, they saw it was Chen Hanlin, who was no more than thirty years old.

Upon meeting that gaze, Chen Hanlin realized that he had unintentionally interrupted the emperor's words, and was instantly shocked!

"I have misspoke!" Chen Hanlin immediately bowed his head and admitted his guilt.

Zhu Cuiwei frowned slightly, glanced at the others, and seeing their puzzled expressions, smiled and said:

"Lord Hanlin, whether it was you who misspoke or I who misspoke is still unknown. What? Could it be that you are not the top scholar?"

Chen Hanlin paused for a moment, unsure of what the emperor meant, and his eyes showed a hint of fear.

Sun Chengshan and Li Xiangsong were also stunned for a moment before they realized that His Majesty did not know that the two of them were actually competing for second place.

For a moment, the two of them looked hesitant and embarrassed.

Seeing that the Hanlin scholar was speechless, and knowing the Emperor's temperament as a former official of the Crown Prince, Lu Machang stepped forward and bowed.

"Your Majesty, the selection of the top scholar, Sun Gong and Li Gong, has been agreed upon, and both have no objections. The one they have chosen is the second-highest scorer in this year's imperial examination!"

Has the selection of the councilor been agreed upon?

Zhu Cuiwei's expression froze for a moment, then she nodded faintly and chuckled softly:

"The head of the imperial examination has been chosen; that's wonderful."

She looked at Sun and Li and joked:

"It seems that our Great Liang still has capable people who can win the favor of both Vice Minister Sun and Grand Secretary Li."

Sun and Li's expressions grew increasingly awkward, and they both stood up and bowed.

"The Great Liang is full of talented people, thanks to Your Majesty's great blessings."

Zhu Cuiwei smiled, feeling relieved.

Once the two quarrelsome individuals agree on the second place, the pressure on their shoulders will naturally be less heavy.

She frowned and thought for a moment.

I was thinking, maybe I should take a look at Huiyuan's article first?

If the top scholar leans towards reform, the second-place winner should choose the essay by Grand Secretary Li; if the top scholar leans towards conservatism, the second-place winner should choose the essay by Vice Minister Sun.

That balances things out... she thought to herself.

Her Majesty the Empress smiled slightly and said:

"Now that the top scholar has been determined, I have no grounds to interfere with the imperial examinations in the slightest."

She held up the two articles in her hand:

"Then I will act as a mediator for you two and suggest that the second-place candidate be chosen. As for whether or not to choose him, that is up to you two examiners to discuss and decide."

Everyone naturally agreed, saying, "We are deeply ashamed that Your Majesty has had to leave the palace to make such a wise decision."

Immediately.

Eunuch Liu handed over the essay written by the top scholar with both hands.

Zhu Cuiwei let out a soft breath, her fair fingers taking the exam paper filled with the fragrance of ink. She thought that as long as she knew the direction of this year's exam, this public trial could be over.

She frowned slightly and looked down.

On the exam paper, the official script was neatly written, and it was precisely the person's answer to the question that the minor official had copied down:

"An old nation is bound to be renewed, for the new maintains the old; if the old nation ceases to exist, how can the new be a tree without roots?"

Upon seeing this opening statement... her eyes widened in surprise, and her breath caught in her throat.

After a few breaths, and after silently repeating the question a few more times, she suddenly tightened her grip on the exam paper, and her incredibly beautiful eyes contracted involuntarily!

"Young doctor!"

……

……

"Whoosh...whoosh..."

A howling north wind swept by.

Thin snowflakes fell softly from the branches, slamming the clumps of yellow grass on the ground, causing them to sway violently.

The old coachman, sitting in the carriage, tightened his cotton-padded coat, rubbed his hands together, and soybean skins kept falling from his rough palms.