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

When Ning Nan rushed over, the snow outside the palace had already been swept clean by the palace servants. Seeing the successful candidates of this year's imperial examination waiting obediently outside the palace for their names to be called, he felt a chill in his heart.

The names are announced in the Golden Hall from back to front, and we've now reached the 37th place in the second class... Master Ning's mouth suddenly went dry. He estimated that his ranking was not high, and he didn't know if he had already missed it.

"What will happen if I miss it? Will my academic achievements be revoked?"

"Oh shit!"

Mr. Ning hurriedly ran to the back of the line, gritted his teeth, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath.

With eunuchs present, the official from the Court of State Ceremonial, responsible for maintaining order among the scholars, glanced at Ning Nan, who was late, and said nothing more than:

"Jiangning County, Ningnan?" Even knowing Ning Baixuan's aloof and unassuming name, the official still asked in a businesslike manner.

Ning Nan quickly agreed and asked, "May I ask, sir, what are the solfège names...?"

The official in the green robe laughed and said, "Ning Huiyuan, there's no need to worry. It's not your turn yet."

Ning Nan felt a sense of relief and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

There were some people in front of him, so he turned to the side and looked ahead.

Everyone was wearing "Jinshi scarves" and silk robes, so it was impossible to recognize Tang Lianbin and Li Yanting.

However, among a pile of Jinshi hats, he noticed a man wearing a melon-shaped hat and a red and yellow striped mandarin jacket, who stood out. It was none other than Hongfeng, the Beile of the Northern Dynasty.

Although he participated in the Southern Dynasty's imperial examinations and pretended to be a candidate for officialdom in the Southern Dynasty, at the crucial moment, he naturally still dressed as a person from the Northern Dynasty.

Master Ning withdrew his gaze.

"..."

"Chen Yi, ranked thirty-second in the second class of this imperial examination, from Min County, Fuzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, is hereby granted an audience with the emperor!!"

"..."

"Feng Changlong, ranked twenty-fifth in the second class of this imperial examination, from Taihe County, Ji'an Prefecture, Jiangxi Province, is hereby granted an audience at the palace!!"

"..."

"Liu E, the seventeenth-ranked candidate in the second class of this imperial examination, from Shanyin County, Shaoxing Prefecture, Zhejiang Province, is hereby granted an audience with the emperor!!"

"..."

One after another, the names of the singers resounded from the Golden Hall.

As more and more people went in, fewer and fewer people went out.

Ning Nan's mouth was dry, and she waited quietly outside with a feeling of unease.

The names of the newly chosen officials were called out in reverse order, and to his surprise, his name has not yet been called.

Unlike the provincial and metropolitan examinations, which had a system of announcing the results, the palace examination did not have a system of dismissal.

In other words, the later the rank is announced, the better, as a later announcement indicates a higher ranking.

There were still more than ten people outside the hall, and they couldn't help but feel happy.

Even the usually calm and collected bookworm and Tang Lianbin, Ning Nan noticed the excitement in their eyes, but out of courtesy, they didn't whisper to each other or peek inside.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

When each successful candidate in the imperial examinations entered the palace to pay homage to the emperor, their names were announced not only in the Golden Palace.

At this moment, a dense array of guards stood waiting in the square in front of the Fengtian Hall. After each name was called, three cannon salutes were fired in the square.

If it's the top three, their names will be called out three times, and there will be a nine-gun salute.

The chanting of names was relayed from the Golden Palace to the square, where eight laborers took turns chanting with all their might.

Then officials called out names outside the Meridian Gate.

Outside the palace, a constant stream of greetings and congratulations could be heard, such as "Congratulations to the Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination)!", "God of Literature!", and "May you achieve the highest honors!"

That was the cheering of the onlookers outside after they heard the names of the successful candidates being called out.

Besides the families of the successful candidates waiting outside, there were also many students waiting to take the exam, as well as ordinary people holding their children hoping to absorb some of the scholarly atmosphere. The commotion outside the city grew louder and louder.

"Hongfeng, the tenth-ranked candidate in the second class of this imperial examination, from the Northern Dynasty's Prince Yi's residence, is here to have an audience with the emperor!!"

"Huh?" Ning Nan was taken aback. "The Tartars only got tenth place?"

Only ten people were standing outside the hall.

Thinking that this Tartar might have a chance of becoming the top scholar, he deliberately stood far away from him.

Unexpectedly, this person only came in tenth place... In fact, being in the top ten is already extremely impressive, and the chances of passing the imperial examination for a junior official in the Hanlin Academy are very high. But this is naturally not the Tartars' goal.

Ning Nan glanced at him and noticed that the Tartar seemed to be somewhat stunned as well.

The other person paused for a moment before pursing his lips, silently stepping over the threshold, and entering the golden palace to pay homage to the Empress.

Master Ning exchanged a few gloating glances with Li Yanting and Tang Lianbin.

All three were somewhat pleased.

Surprisingly, all three of them made it into the top ten.

Master Ning was overjoyed. He thought that with his calligraphy skills, he would be lucky to not be at the bottom, but he actually made it into the top ten.

"The examiners in Daliang do know their stuff!"

He felt a sense of relief.

By this time, the nine of them had arrived in front of the hall.

Although everyone was standing facing east, they could still see what was happening inside the hall out of the corner of their eyes.

The scholar, dressed in a silk robe, strode inside as the long, drawn-out announcement of his name was made.

One must walk at a steady pace, stopping before the Empress's throne platform.

He kowtowed and bowed, saying:

"Your humble servant, so-and-so, pays his respects to Your Majesty! I humbly acknowledge that with the Holy Emperor still alive, we are fortunate to be granted the throne by His grace... I am filled with trepidation and wish to offer my meager strength to the nation..."

After lengthy eulogies, the Empress would order the person to rise and say something like, "You are a pillar of the Liang Dynasty, may you live up to the high reputation of the sage's disciple..."

Hundreds of officials in scarlet robes within the court would surge like waves, forming a crimson tide, as they chanted in unison:

"...Now that we have such a talented person...Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!"

The newly appointed scholars then stood at the front of the two lines according to their ranking, whether it was odd or even.

In this way, the newly appointed scholars who took the lead got closer and closer to the Empress, becoming just a drop of water in the crimson tide at the front of the Emperor's steps.

The whole process was very ceremonial.

As Master Ning glanced at the rising redness, his anxiety grew.

Including him, there were only five people left in the room.

He didn't know what place he would get.

If he was delighted when there were only ten people left, he couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive and uneasy when there were only five left.

I desperately hope that I will be the next one to be called out.

As for the top three scholars in the imperial examinations, I would sometimes joke with my wife, Cui Cui, about how it was impossible for me. I had indeed secretly thought about it, but I still didn't dare to hope for it.

Seeing that he was still sixth in line, he couldn't help but have a terrifying thought... Had he set a precedent in the dynasty by failing the imperial examination?

My heart skipped a beat, but when I remembered that I had just announced "sixth place in the second division," which matched the number of people in the room, I felt a little relieved.

Inside the Golden Hall, after completing a set of rituals, the "Sixth Place" retreated to the even-numbered side on the right.

In front of the Empress's throne are eight golden pillars with coiled dragons.

When the sixth-ranked player moved to the front of the even-numbered side of the line, they were already close to the Golden Dragon Pillar, and the front of the line was very close to the Queen.

At this moment, Ning Nan's eyes widened in surprise.

He suddenly realized that the Empress on the high platform and dragon throne was not covered by a beaded curtain today. Unfortunately, he was too far away to see her face clearly. He could only wait until he went up to the hall to take a good look.

"Qian Shan, fourth in the second class of this imperial examination, from Nancheng County, Jianchang Prefecture, Jiangxi Province, is hereby granted an audience at the palace!!"

Upon hearing the announcement, a palpable sense of disappointment appeared on the face of Qian Shan, the scholar standing beside Ning Nan… Fourth place… just a hair’s breadth away from the top three!

After Qian Laosi, whose spirits had somewhat collapsed, stepped into the Golden Hall.

The three people outside, Master Ning, Li Yanting, and Tang Lianbin, exchanged glances. Even though they were all people who were good at maintaining their composure, they couldn't help but reveal a burst of joy in their eyes at this moment!

Tang Lianbin, in particular, had ranked quite low in the provincial examination, and his carefully crafted essay for the palace examination was on the "debate between the Chinese and the barbarians." He never expected that he would actually be among the top three!

Ning Nan held his breath, his heart surging with emotion.

The top scholar should have been Li Yanting, a scholar with a natural talent for learning. However, whether he got the third or second place, it was already a stroke of good fortune.

At this moment, the name of the third-ranked scholar was announced from inside the Golden Hall.

"Li Yanting, the third-ranked candidate in the first class of this imperial examination, from Jiangning County, Yingtian Prefecture, Southern Zhili, is hereby granted an audience with the emperor!!"

Such sounds came together.

Ning Nan's eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat, while Li Yanting's face was flushed and his eyes were gleaming.

With two quick steps, as they passed Ning Nan, the bookworm whispered excitedly, "Congratulations, brother-in-law!"

This brother-in-law of Ning's is either number one or number two.

If he is first, then he will be the first person in the dynasty to achieve the "Triple Crown" since the southward migration!

After saying that, Li Yanting strode confidently across the threshold of Fengtian Hall.

The title of Tan Hualang (third-ranked scholar) was bestowed upon him three times.

Both Ning Nan and Tang Lianbin were breathing heavily, and their hearts were pounding violently.

"Second place? I'm the second place?" Ning Nan's eyes didn't blink for a few breaths, his mind in a state of utter confusion.

He was somewhat dazed, and didn't even realize that Tang Lianbin had walked past him at some point...

After a moment, in his dazed and numb state, he suddenly heard a call to arms...

"The top scholar of this imperial examination, from Ningnan County, Yingtian Prefecture, Southern Zhili, is hereby appointed to change into his scholar's robes and proceed to the palace for an audience!..."

As his head began to throb, the announcement seemed to have been repeated several times... because several eunuchs had come forward carrying a set of scarlet, brand-new clothes, a crown, shoes, and socks.

He whispered to him:

"Scholar, scholar... hurry, hurry... come with me... go to the side hall to change into your scholar's robes... then go to the main hall to pay homage to Her Majesty the Empress..."

"Oh... Oh..." Ning Nan's face was pale. His mind and eyes recovered from the numbness. After saying "Oh" a few times, he finally got up and followed several eunuchs. His footsteps were a little dragging.

It was the exact time of Chen (7-9 AM), the sky was clear and bright, and Ning Nan's steps were unusually slow. A cold wind blew by, but he no longer felt cold.

The side hall was not far away, and there was a stove inside. The moment you entered, you were greeted by a wave of heat, which was very warm.

The eunuch asked him to open his arms and helped him remove his clothes.

This brand-new scholar's robe, I don't know if it was custom-made, is surprisingly very form-fitting, a crimson round-necked silk robe.

The eunuchs meticulously dressed him for a long time before helping him put on his clothes, then tugged at them and tied a plain silver belt around his waist.

He sat obediently in the chair, and two eunuchs knelt down to help him change into court boots and felt socks.

Ning Nan's eyes were somewhat dazed. He leaned against the hard chair and listened to the sounds of cannons and cheers outside before gradually coming back to his senses.

"Top scholar?...I became the top scholar...?"

The eunuchs whispered, "Please rise, Scholar," and helped him to his feet.

The crown was a two-tiered crown with gold trim. A eunuch helped him put it on his head and laughed:

"Your Excellency, this is a crown of the same standard as that worn by a first-rank official."

Inside the warm, spring-like side hall, Master Ning's pupils contracted repeatedly. He softly hummed in agreement and then said:

"Thank you, thank you all..."

Push open the door to the side hall.

The cold wind blew against my face again, and my eyes couldn't help but well up with tears.

He walked with slightly heavy steps, and with each step he seemed to take a deep breath and blink hard in order to feel his own substance.

"Summon the top scholar of this imperial examination to the palace!"

The eunuch called out in a drawn-out tone.

……

The threshold of the Fengtian Hall is about nine inches high, and you can step over it in one step.

A vermilion carpet was laid on the floor. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see two rows of recent graduates standing close together on either side, all dressed in dark blue robes.

On either side of the successful candidates were several rows of officials dressed in blue robes.

As he walked, he transformed into an official dressed in a scarlet robe.

After walking a few dozen steps further, I caught a glimpse of Li Yanting and Tang Lianbin out of the corner of my eye.

The two men seemed to be looking up at the Empress on the dragon throne, but their eyes looked somewhat puzzled and shocked.

"What's wrong?" The thought flashed through his mind. After taking a few more steps, he caught a glimpse of two golden dragon pillars on the left and right sides.

"Top scholar..." a eunuch standing below the high platform said softly, "Halt."

"Thump." Ning Nan stopped abruptly.

"Hoo..." He took a deep breath.

The crimson tide that had been seen outside the palace rose and fell slightly again. Ning Nan could feel that their gazes were all fixed on him, and the newly crowned top scholar couldn't help but swallow.

At this moment, just nine feet away from him was the high platform with seven steps directly in front of the Fengtian Hall.

On the high platform, there was a dragon throne, symbolizing the supreme authority of the Great Liang Dynasty.

Sitting on that dragon throne is the current Empress of the Great Liang Dynasty.

The top scholar of this year's imperial examination gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with fear, and several blood vessels were visible in his eyes.

After calming himself down, he took another deep breath and, following the instructions given by the eunuch in the side hall, said in a deep voice:

"The top scholar of this imperial examination... Ning Nan... pays respects to Your Majesty... Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!"

Just then, as he was about to kneel and kowtow.

A familiar, clear, and absolutely unique voice descended from the dragon throne...

"No need to kneel anymore..."

The voice was somewhat urgent, somewhat gentle, and seemed... to contain a hint of nervousness, just like his.

"Um?"

Ning Nan's eyes suddenly froze, a chill ran down his spine, and his limbs became stiff and mechanical.

"That voice...that voice..."

Before the questions in his mind could even ferment...

The voice from above came down softly again:

"Top scholar...you...you raise your head..."

Upon hearing the voice again, the newly crowned top scholar felt a chill rise from his tailbone, slowly spreading throughout his body, making his fingers tingle and his heart pound.

Slowly, very slowly, he raised his head and looked up at the Empress, who sat high above him... His pupils widened...

The Empress on the dragon throne... wore a bright red round-necked dragon robe, a twelve-tassel crown on her head, an oval face, and fair skin like white porcelain reflecting white light. Her hands were folded in front of her...

At that moment, the other person's pair of clear, watery eyes also looked towards him...

The two locked eyes.

Ning Nan's blood seemed to freeze in the cold air, and he stood there completely stunned...

……

……

"The top scholar..."

This time, the Empress did not have the eunuch beside her speak for her; her words were somewhat hesitant.

His tone carried a mixture of certainty and uncertainty, while his expression held a blend of shyness and composure...

"You..." she began, paused, and continued, "Are you...married...?"