"The emperor has so many things to do every day, how can a humble minister bother the emperor with trivial matters?"
The emperor looked at Xia Qing intently for a long time, making Xia Qing sweat on his back. However, his face remained calm and composed, he only bowed his head, not daring to look directly at the sky.
"Oh? Already old? I remember that Xia Aiqing is not older than me, right?"
The emperor's cold voice sounded in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, lifting Xia Qing's heart to her throat.
He regretted it as soon as he said this. He was possessed today, how could he say such a thing? He is several years younger than the emperor. If he is old, it means that the emperor is also old.
Among all the civil and military officials throughout the dynasty, who didn’t know that Emperor Huiming hated being called old? Emperors of all dynasties refused to accept old age. Who is willing to leave this dragon throne? Who is willing to leave behind the glory and wealth in the world?
The officials standing behind could not help but break out in cold sweat on their foreheads. They did not even dare to raise their heads and wished they could hide their heads in their necks.
At the same time, he was cursing in his heart, how could Xia Qing make such a mistake? Could it be that he had been occupying the court for many years, and even the emperor no longer noticed it?
"How come Weichen remembers that the emperor is much younger than Weichen?" Xia Qing raised his eyes and glanced at the emperor, and then seemed to be confused.
"Your Majesty, you look so young that you make your ministers look older."
Xia Qing didn't expect that one day he would say such glib words. He was the powerful Xia capital, and today he flattered the emperor in front of several officials behind him. His face was considered to be
Lost all.
The officials behind him were also calmed down by Xia Qing's words. It turned out that the emperor was angry, and Xia Capital had to try its best to please him. This scene made them feel very comfortable.
When the emperor heard this, his expression softened a little. Xia Qing usually handled cabinet affairs for him, and he could be considered as doing his best.
There is no credit, but hard work. Although he has been a little dissatisfied with Xia Qing's frequent actions recently, Xia Qing is still a pure minister at the moment, and he can use it very smoothly.
The matter was temporarily turned aside, and the emperor talked about the examination papers again, "My beloved sirs, do you also think that among these three examination papers, you can't choose the first one?"
Several officials below were silent, no one dared to take the lead, for fear that the emperor's wrath would be unleashed on them.
When the emperor saw this, his face turned livid again. He originally wanted to call them by name and ask them to explain themselves. However, De'an, who was standing aside, spoke, "Your Majesty, it's getting late. Don't miss the auspicious time!"
When the emperor heard this, he remembered that there was still a grand ceremony, and he could only choose the top three first.
"I think Qian'er did a great job when he saw Gu Chengyu's advice, and he looks great too."
The emperor has read Gu Chengyu's test paper, and all the officials know it. What does the last sentence mean?
Since Emperor Huiming ascended the throne, the number one candidates chosen every time have been older ones. Unfortunately, those who can go all the way to the palace examination are already very young.
This year, so many young talents suddenly emerged, which is rare in decades. It can be regarded as the heyday of the imperial examination.
There is also a test paper among the top three. They have already guessed who it is. It is most likely Fu Yanshan.
These three people are all young talents, but Gu Chengyu is the youngest and the best looking.
The top pick needs to be older, and the one who looks the best and is young may be selected as the top pick.
Could it be that the emperor wanted Gu Chengyu to be the flower hunter? Didn’t the capital of Xia deliberately plant flowers that don’t bloom, but unintentionally planted willows to create shade?
Gu Chengyu stood outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony and looked at the majestic palace in front of him, but his mind was thinking about the emperor who would meet him later. During Qian'er's palace examination, although the emperor had come to the Hall of Baohe for inspection, he still stood behind him for a long time.
But he didn't see the emperor's true face.
I heard from the teacher that the emperor sometimes took elixirs made by himself. Those elixirs were all heavy metals and contained erysipelas. I don’t know what the emperor’s complexion was like and whether it could be seen from his face.
When Xia Qing heard the emperor's words, she was very excited. It seemed that the emperor was going to appoint Gu Chengyu as the man of love. He couldn't be blamed for this. Who said Gu Chengyu was too good-looking? It was because of his appearance.
After a while, just when Xia Qing thought the matter was a foregone conclusion, the emperor spoke again.
"However, Gu Chengyu is very talented in literature. Whether he is reciting poems, composing poems, or giving advice, he does an excellent job. He also knows the current affairs of the government very well. Since he has the talent of being the number one scholar, it would be unavoidable if he is just a prodigy.
What a pity."
As soon as the emperor finished speaking, the ministers below him twitched their lips. It turns out that the emperor also likes to breathe loudly when speaking. Since he said that Gu Chengyu has the talent of number one scholar, then the position of number one scholar must naturally belong to Gu Chengyu.
These three test papers had just been opened, and the emperor now planned to rank these three people.
"Gu Chengyu is already a Jie Yuan and a Hui Yuan. If he wins the top prize again, he will be a third-level scholar, and he is a young talent. If he parades on horseback in the capital, wouldn't it just show that our country is rich in talents?"
The more the emperor thought about it, the more he felt that such a ranking was very good. Since Gu Chengyu was young and pretty, and had already gained a good reputation before, it was just right for him to be ranked number one.
"The number one winner is Gu Chengyu, the second place is Fu Yanshan, and the third place is Min Feng. Do you have any objections, dear ministers?" the emperor said, then looked at the ministers below, especially Xia Qing.
When Xia Qing heard that the emperor actually placed Min Feng in third place, he couldn't help but feel a little dissatisfied. Min Feng's talent and learning were not as good as Gu Chengyu's, but he was slightly better than Fu Yanshan. What did the emperor mean by this move?
?This is to give him a warning?
The officials standing behind Xia Qing were also very puzzled. They had also read Fu Yanshan's test paper. Although it was good, it was not as good as the other two. It was Xia Qing who came here to make up for it. Unexpectedly, he was still ranked.
In front of Min Feng, is the emperor dissatisfied with Xia Qing?
In fact, they were really right. Xia Qing's relationship in the court was complicated. Although the eldest prince's lineage could also contain him, Xia Qing has been too rampant recently and has completely lost his previous caution. It seems that he has been in a high position for a long time.
It made him forget who the emperor was and his duty as a minister.
The emperor just wants to make Xia Qing understand that even if he uses all his tricks, just one word from him will make him lose everything. This is the emperor!
Xia Qing's mind was finally clear at this moment, and he could only keep his dissatisfaction in his heart. His face was expressionless, and he allowed the emperor to look at him. He took the lead in flattering the emperor and said: "I have no objections, the emperor is wise!"
The officials behind also hurriedly seconded the proposal, fearing that they would fall behind others. Yu Zheng couldn't help but feel lucky at this moment. He hesitated on Gu Chengyu's test paper for a long time, and finally drew a circle. He was extremely lucky at this moment.
The emperor seemed to pay special attention to Gu Chengyu. If he drew a triangle on it, the emperor would not be so easy to talk to.
No one made any noise among the tribute students outside the palace. Everyone stood in line according to their ranking, waiting for the emperor to call the top ten.