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

Seeing Wu Shangmei, whose face looked as if it were disfigured, approaching Gongsun Heng like a madwoman, Li Yanting and the others quickly stepped forward to stop her, their eyes filled with hostility.

Yang Gu stood at the very front, hands behind his back, exuding an air of authority. He frowned, glanced at him, and said:

"Brother Shangmei, my junior sister saved you, what? Are you going to repay kindness with enmity?"

Originally, when I saw this person cursing everyone, especially cursing Ning Baixuan—that junior sister who inexplicably recognized some kind of master.

Yang Gu felt a sense of satisfaction.

He had vaguely heard that the other party and his junior sister were childhood sweethearts and that the two were going to get married. When this news came out, he disliked Wu Shangmei very much.

But after the other party seemed to be intentionally chosen by the Tian family, he naturally had no objection to Wu Shangmei anymore.

Today, the other party went mad, and Yang Gu, with his keen mind, naturally guessed a thing or two.

With the Tartars causing trouble these past few months, there's been no news from the imperial family. Wu Shangmei must have been feeling very anxious these past few months.

Today, by chance, Wu Shangmei saw this Tartar swaggering around in the Crane Cry Tower, waiting for the results to be announced. After getting drunk, Wu Shangmei thought, "This is intolerable!"

Despite the questions and stares from the crowd, Wu Shangmei ignored them and just stared blankly at Gongsun Heng.

He was originally heartbroken and only wanted to vent his bitterness, but Hengmei, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, suddenly appeared and saved him. A warm current flowed through his heart, and he felt as if he had survived a disaster.

The pain in his wrists and face caused him to break out in a cold sweat.

But the thought of being able to rekindle her romance with Gongsun Heng made the pain seem insignificant.

Wu Shangmei stared blankly, his steps suddenly halting. At that moment, when he looked at Gongsun Heng, what he saw in those phoenix eyes... was a look of utter disgust towards him...

Wu Shangmei was stunned for a moment, then felt a chill run through her body.

Already drunk, and with her head throbbing from the beating by the Tartars, Wu Shangmei felt a sudden, sharp pain in her heart when she saw Hengmei's eyes. Her anger surged, and though she opened her mouth, no sound came out before her vision went black.

With a "whoosh!" he fell straight down!

"Bang!"

He fell straight down to the floor in an instant!

"Brother Wu!"

"Brother Shangmei!"

"The third-ranked scholar!"

A variety of greetings arose, and Qian Huang and several others who were closest stepped forward to help Wu Shangmei.

After checking the other person's breathing, Qian Huang breathed a sigh of relief and said loudly:

"It's alright, it's alright, she fainted from the pain... Take her to the hospital, take her to the hospital..."

The manager of Heminglou had already called for a carriage, and several people carried the unconscious Wu Shangmei out the gate.

When Gongsun Heng heard that Wu Shangmei was still alive, he couldn't help but pat his chest and breathe a sigh of relief.

The scene was noisy and chaotic.

With the Crane Cry Tower in chaos, she and the other students of White Deer Academy naturally lost interest in staying there any longer.

Yang Gu said, "Junior sister, everyone, why don't we go and find a teahouse along the Qinhuai River..."

Before Yang Gu could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a clear voice.

"Miss Gongsun!"

Gongsun Heng and Yang Gu turned their heads and saw that it was Lu Jing who was speaking.

Lu Jing smiled and said, "Miss Gongsun, our Prince just let Wu Shangmei off the hook because of your esteemed reputation. It's a matter of returning the favor..."

Lu Jing reached out and pointed to the square table in front of him.

Perhaps having just received instructions, several waiters had already put the stove, wine set, and a few snacks back on.

"Miss Gongsun, why don't you sit here, have a drink, and wait with us for the results of the imperial examination to be announced... what do you say?"

The students from Bailu Academy were momentarily stunned.

Gongsun Heng frowned.

She hadn't said anything yet.

Yang Gu then raised his chin and shook his head, saying:

"Young master of the Northern Dynasty, Miss Gongsun was just speaking up for justice. You spared Wu Shangmei because of righteousness and your kindness. If you say it was because of Miss Gongsun's sake, then you are being quite disrespectful."

Lu Jing narrowed his eyes, and without wasting words, turned to Hong Shan and said:

"Hongshan! Chase after her and chop off one of Wu Shangmei's hands!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was immediately shocked.

"Yes!" Hong Shan's eyes flashed like lightning as he strode forward, about to burst out the door.

"Wait!" Gongsun Heng suddenly raised her hand and shouted.

She stared at Lu Jing, a chill running through her, and said, "Lu Jing, what do you mean?!"

Lu Jing smiled slightly, pointed to a glass of wine on the table, and said:

"I just wanted Miss Gongsun to have a drink with me."

He didn't say he was accompanying "Prince," he just said "Lu."

Gongsun Heng felt a chill run through her heart and her body stiffen as she looked at the smile on Lu Jing's face.

"Miss Gongsun drinks a cup of wine in exchange for Scholar Wu's hand. Is this deal really so unwise?"

"This is outrageous!"

"You bastard!"

"What does Wu Shangmei's life or death have to do with us?"

"Do you really have the guts to commit violence in the street?!"

Lu Jing shouted, "Guess if I did or didn't?!"

Gongsun Heng's ears rang, his heart clenched, and his body trembled slightly.

Wu Shangmei and she had long since severed ties, and she wanted to leave.

But the thought of Wu Shangmei, after losing her arm, clutching her severed arm, covered in blood, walking towards her, crying and asking her:

"Why won't you drink a glass of wine to save my life?"

Her face turned deathly pale, and a chill ran down her spine.

Yang Gu coldly retorted, "Outrageous! How dare they bully my White Deer Academy like this!"

Lu Jing smiled, glanced at him, and said:

"Brother Yang, how about we have a drink together?"

Yang Gu said, "What's the harm in drinking it?"

Lu Jing said, "I am naturally willing to spare Wu Shangmei's life."

Yang Gu flicked his robe and strode forward to the square table.

On the square table, there was a small stove, and on the stove, a wine pot was warming wine.

On the square table, there was a porcelain bowl filled with wine.

Yang Gu snorted and reached out to take the bowl of wine.

Just then.

Lu Jing glanced at the Prince beside him, then at the Prince's face, which was red from the wine Wu Shangmei had splashed on it, and the blisters that had appeared. He then slowly stopped him, saying:

"Brother Yang, this isn't the wine you're looking for..."

That's all.

He flipped over a bowl, took the bamboo wine pot, reached into the wine pot, took a cup of wine, and poured it into the bowl.

The water was flowing and splashing.

The steaming yellow wine swirled in the bowl.

"Brother Yang, if you drink this cup of wine within ten breaths, I guarantee I will not pursue Wu Shangmei any further!"

……

……

"Wu Shangmei?"

At this moment, not far from the examination hall, on the banks of the Qinhuai River, there was a black, inconspicuous carriage parked.

A woman's startled cry came from inside the carriage.

Yan Yuqing, dressed in a simple blue robe and with a full head of white hair, sat upright in the left side seat of the carriage. She gave a wry smile and addressed the woman in blue in the main seat:

"Your Majesty, it's Wu Shangmei. He got into a fight with that Prince Hongfeng from the Northern Dynasty, causing a huge disturbance at Heming Tower... He was beaten, his wrist was broken, and he's been taken to a clinic now."

Zhu Cuiwei frowned slightly.

A look of annoyance appeared on his fair face.

I spent the morning reviewing memorials, and at noon I only ate a bite of snack before my eyes started to ache. I finally managed to squeeze out some time today to see the results of the imperial examinations, but unexpectedly, this kind of accident happened.

His gaze swept across the area.

Yan Yuqing was sitting on the left.

Sitting to the right is Wang Bing, the eunuch of the Bureau of Assassination.

Wang Bing lowered his eyes, remaining respectful and silent.

The Jinyiwei commander, well past sixty, wrinkled his face, his expression somewhat worried, and continued speaking to the Empress:

"Your Majesty... Lu Jing has threatened to retaliate and is currently making things difficult for the students of Bailu Academy. I have already sent people to follow Wu Shangmei, so they cannot retaliate."

"However, Wu Shangmei was at fault to begin with. If the Northern Dynasty can stop here, it's not appropriate for us to continue to accuse them..."

"As for the Crane Cry Tower, I have arranged for Shang Jiuyang to keep an eye on things. He will not interfere with minor disturbances, but if things escalate, Shang Jiuyang will step in to stop them and order the Northern Dynasty people to return to the Northern Dynasty embassy. Your Majesty need not worry."

Hearing that Yan Yuqing had made the arrangements, Zhu Cuiwei nodded, breathed a sigh of relief, and stopped worrying about the matter.

She reached out and lifted the side curtain of the carriage, letting in a gust of cold wind from the Qinhuai River. She glanced at the sea of ​​people outside the examination hall, frowned, and said:

"Has the son-in-law not arrived yet?"

She told the young doctor last night that she was going to the examination hall to see the results of the examination today, and asked him to come as well... but unexpectedly, he still hadn't arrived at this hour.

Yan Yuqing shook her head and said:

"Not yet, but with Qian Sijin and the others there, the young master will surely be safe and sound, and should arrive soon."

Zhu Cuiwei hummed in agreement. After a moment, she pursed her lips and suddenly said:

"Hmm... I've heard the imperial examination this year is very difficult, um... I wonder if he'll be able to pass..."

The young empress glanced at Yan Yuqing, then at Wang Bing:

"Minister Yan, Eunuch Wang... what do you think?"