Chapter 2189: Joy and Heartache (Patreon)

Chapter 2189: Joy and Heartache

Meng Yunzheng could clearly sense the tension of the candidates around him. All of them kept their heads low.

He also lowered his head slightly, and from the corner of his eye, he noticed a bright yellow robe gradually ascending the high platform.

The Emperor was seated on the dragon throne and turned his head to observe the candidates in the hall. The other officials assumed he was just examining the mental state of the candidates, as this was the first time since he ascended the throne that he presided over the palace examination. Therefore, they remained silent, letting the Emperor finish his observation.

The Emperor's gaze quickly found its target in the crowd, not because of his sharp eyesight, but because Meng Yunzheng was too eye-catching; he couldn't be ignored.

Once the Emperor had found his target, he withdrew his gaze. The eunuch by his side then called for everyone to bow.

Meng Yunzheng was among the crowd that paid their respects to the Emperor. The Emperor couldn't help but glance at him again, then nodded and said, "You may rise."

After everyone had taken their seats, the Emperor delivered some encouraging words, and the examination officially began.

The palace examination primarily focused on policy questions. After the questions were distributed, the hall was filled with the sound of rustling papers.

Meng Yunzheng looked at the questions; just the title of the first question alone had about eight to nine hundred characters. The main topics for this examination were related to people's livelihood and economics, followed by military matters, with a total of four questions.

For Meng Yunzheng, this wasn't a difficult task, so after a moment of contemplation, he was the first to begin writing.

While others were still reviewing the questions, his writing movements appeared abrupt.

The invigilating ministers noticed that the Emperor was looking in his direction and immediately whispered, "Your Majesty, that's Meng Yunzheng, the top scholar of this provincial examination."

The Emperor responded with a simple "Hmm."

The ministers were somewhat puzzled by the Emperor's subdued reaction, as they couldn't determine whether he truly valued Meng Yunzheng or was simply indifferent to him. In any case, his expression didn't match either possibility.

The Emperor knew Meng Yunzheng was the top scholar; he was informed of the results of each examination. He felt both happiness and sorrow. He was happy because his judgment was accurate, and the talent he recognized truly stood out. However, he was also sorrowful because such a talented individual didn't seem to aspire to climb higher but rather wished to return to teaching, which he saw as a waste.

He knew Meng Yunzheng's performance in the palace examination would undoubtedly be outstanding.

The more he thought about it, the more he lamented the missed opportunities for growth. Frustrated, he couldn't sit still any longer and stood up, walking towards the examination hall.

Upon hearing the footsteps, the candidates' hearts tightened instantly. Their hands holding brushes involuntarily trembled, and they silently prayed that the Emperor wouldn't approach them.

Fortunately, their prayers seemed to work. The Emperor didn't move elsewhere but walked calmly toward the seventh row and fifth seat.

He stopped there and stared at Meng Yunzheng, who was answering the questions.

Feeling the shadow above his head, Meng Yunzheng raised his head and saw the Emperor's interested gaze fixed on him.

After a moment of silence, Meng Yunzheng realized that making any abrupt movements, such as standing up to bow, would be inappropriate. However, maintaining a complete lack of acknowledgment wouldn't be suitable either. Therefore, he gave a slight nod of his head to the Emperor and continued to lower his head to write.

The Emperor, "..."

The ministers who had been watching the situation closely, "..."

Meng Yunzheng, do you know what you're doing? Do you realize that you're facing the Emperor? Aren't you afraid at all?

They turned their attention to the Emperor's expression once again, but there was still no significant change.