Spring left and autumn came, and winter and summer changed seasons.
On the outside, Nie Yang looked like a young child, but on the inside, he was an adult with deep schemes.
He helped the Headmaster manage the private school while absorbing the knowledge of this era like a whale sucking in a dragon. The Headmaster saw it but did not stop him. He even gave Nie Yang some advice occasionally. In his eyes, Nie Yang was destined to be an extraordinary person. If he had a good future, he would also benefit.
When Nie Yang was ten years old, the Headmaster suggested him to try his luck by participating in the County-Level Exam.
The County-Level Exam was divided into three stages: the County Exam, the County Exam, and the Academy Exam. If he passed, he would receive food from the government every month.
Even if he could not go further, he would still be much better than an ordinary person.
Nie Yang said humbly, "I don't have a good foundation. I'm afraid I won't pass."
The Headmaster said, "The County-Level Exam is not as difficult as you think. With your current foundation, you should be able to pass."
Participating in the County-Level Exam required complicated procedures. The Headmaster told him to focus on his revision and ran around to complete all the procedures.
Nie Yang watched from the side with an indescribable sense of melancholy.
Whether it was Nie Qing or this teacher, they did not know what kind of bullshit the real Nie Yang was.
The Headmaster lent Nie Yang some money and gave him a lift to participate in the County-Level Exam.
As the Headmaster expected, the County-Level Exam was not difficult. It was not a challenge for Nie Yang at all.
He passed the first exam and became a gifted student. At the same time, he became the youngest in that year and was known as a genius.
Nie Yang's life improved a lot since he was a gifted student. He stayed in the private school to make a living and spent more time studying every day.
After preparing for the exam for several years, Nie Yang took the Autumn County Exam at the age of sixteen and passed the Top Scorer. Then he took the Spring Exam and passed the Top Scorer. He performed very well in the Palace Exam and the Emperor wanted to help him pass three Top Scorers in a row. Thus, Nie Yang was promoted to the Top Scorer.
He passed three Top Scorers in a row before he was twenty. Suddenly, Nie Yang's social status rose and many people tried to rope him in.
Outsiders all thought that Nie Yang would become arrogant because of this. Who would have thought that this little zhuangyuan would be able to keep his composure and conduct himself with the demeanor of a great family? If he was thrown into the crowd of nobles in the capital, just by looking at his temperament, it would be hard to tell that Nie Yang was once a beggar. He would look more like a naturally born rich noble.
Nie Yang didn't get carried away because he knew very well that being the top scholar was only an entrance ticket to the officialdom, not a ticket to the finish line.
How high he could climb in the future and how much power he could control all depended on his future management.
At the Jasper Forest Banquet, many people wanted to see what this Zhuangyuan, who had yet to reach the age of twenty, looked like.
Nie Yang wore a clear and harmless smile on his face as he walked among the nobles with ease. His every movement didn't seem like that of a bookworm who had studied hard, but more like that of an experienced official. Before the court examinations, Nie Yang had tried his best to gather information about the situation in the court.
The current Emperor's surname was Nie. He was thirty-two years old when he ascended the throne in the first year of Taikang. He had five sons and three daughters. The first four princes had already reached adulthood. Only the fifth prince, who was also the Crown Prince born by Empress Yuan, had yet to reach adulthood. Counting them, he was half a year older than Nie Yang.
A few years ago, Empress Yuan had died of illness. The Emperor had the intention of suppressing Empress Yuan's paternal family, the Duke of Zhenguo. In addition, the four older princes had entered the court one after another after coming of age. There was a faint tendency to surround and attack the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince was only the heir to the throne of the empire. His privileges were only one level lower than the Emperor's. However, he was still not the Emperor and his life was in danger. Nie Yang had a faint smile on his face. In his heart, he was calculating which prince had the upper hand.
However —
His calculations still fell through when he heard the name of the Crown Prince.
Nie Qing …
It was actually Nie Qing!
Nie Yang was very surprised. His hand trembled and wine spilled out.
After the Jasper Forest Banquet began, the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the other four princes appeared one after another. Nie Yang's expression changed over and over again.
There was no other reason. The Crown Prince's face, figure, manner of speech, and temperament were almost identical to his cousin Nie Qing from his previous life!
The difference was that his cousin Nie Qing was a bright and elegant scholar. Like the bright moon, he always had a faint smile on his lips. His every move was a role model for nobles. The Crown Prince in front of him was indeed similar, but there was a faint hint of melancholy between his brows.
Nie Yang suppressed his wildly beating heart and kept his breathing steady. However, he could not bear to look away from the Crown Prince.
Why were they so similar?
Could it be that the Crown Prince was the reincarnation of his cousin Nie Qing?
That was also possible. Nie Qing was born rich and did not do evil. It was reasonable for him to be reincarnated into the imperial family and become the Crown Prince.
Nie Yang swallowed nervously. His hands hidden in his sleeves were sweating profusely. His fingers were almost twisted into a ball.
Cousin —
Nie Yang murmured, his eyes welling up with tears.
The others only thought that he was young and could not hold his liquor. After a few teasing words, they turned their attention to the Ranking Eye and Tanhua.
In the middle of the Jasper Forest Banquet, Nie Yang caught a glimpse of the Crown Prince getting up to leave. He found an excuse to follow, but was blocked by someone.
"Why is the top scholar here?"
The Crown Prince revealed a suspicious look, but the vigilance in his eyes made Nie Yang instantly sober — he was not Nie Qing!
No, it should be said that he was not the Nie Qing he knew.
Nie Yang's heart raced, but he showed an embarrassed expression. He lowered his head and said in a low voice, "I … can't hold my liquor. I drank a little too much just now, but I couldn't find a place to change, so I couldn't ask, so … cough, Your Highness, please forgive me for my lack of manners."
The Crown Prince's expression eased. This was also Nie Yang's fault for looking so harmless that people could not raise their guard. Perhaps it was an ill-fated fate, but Nie Yang looked exactly the same in this life as in his previous life. He naturally knew how to show his harmless side.
The Crown Prince's expression eased after hearing this, and he called for a palace maid to lead the way for Nie Yang.
As Nie Yang watched him leave, an indescribable feeling welled up in his heart.
He owed so much in his previous life, could he pay it all back in this life?
After the Jasper Forest Banquet, Nie Yang was appointed to the Hanlin Academy as a Secondary Class Sixth Rank. He was in charge of the nation's history, compiling records, and recording the Emperor's words and deeds. Simply put, he was a secretary. This position was considered a high starting point for Nie Yang, who had a poor background. If he did not work hard, he would probably squat in this position for the rest of his life. If he did well and won the Emperor's favor, then the role and power of this position would not be small.
In fact, there were records of top scholars in the past who were Secondary Class Sixth Rank for their entire lives.
The imperial examinations were just a ticket. After entering this officialdom, how high one could climb in the end depended on one's own ability.
Nie Yang smiled and narrowed his eyes, not worried about his future at all.
Even though Nie Qing said his temperament was not good, he had to admit that only people with this kind of temperament could do well in the officialdom.
In comparison, he was more concerned about the Crown Prince.
"Nie Qing …"
Nie Yang murmured, a trace of determination flashing in his eyes.
Regardless of whether this Crown Prince was the reincarnation of his cousin, he had to help him ascend to the throne. This way … perhaps they would not owe each other anything.
Nie Yang's temperament was born for officialdom. In other words, he was born for this bowl of rice.
In just half a year, he had seen through the Emperor's thoughts and became a trusted official of the Emperor. His future was limitless.
The nobles in the court tried to rope in this new noble, and the four adult princes also tried to extend an olive branch to him.
Nie Yang did not refuse, nor did he give a definite answer. He obediently did his job.
Because he had become a Hanlin Academy scholar, Nie Yang and the Crown Prince had more opportunities to meet. Because they were close in age, they had more topics to talk about than others, and they could occasionally talk. After some contact, Nie Yang had a deeper understanding of the Crown Prince's position.
In short, it was not optimistic.
Empress Yuan was dead, his mother's family was continuously suppressed, the four older royal brothers were pressuring him step by step, and the Emperor's attitude towards the Crown Prince was becoming more and more ambiguous … in such a situation where he was besieged on all sides, not to mention this Crown Prince, anyone else would be forced to become irritable.
Nie Yang waited for the Crown Prince to recruit him, but after waiting for half a year, the Crown Prince did not even let out a fart.
He really could not wait any longer, so Nie Yang took the initiative to attack, hinting that there was a problem with Nie Qing's camp.
The Crown Prince was dazed for a moment, then smiled warmly. "I heard that Zong Yi had refused four royal brothers in succession. This Solitude was curious and guessed that Zong Yi had other plans, such as wholeheartedly loyal to Imperial Father … I did not expect that Zong Yi would like this Solitude? This Solitude's current situation will disappoint you. "
The Crown Prince was the heir to the throne and was outstanding in all aspects. In Nie Yang's view, he was no different from his own cousin.
If not for the surrounding scene reminding him, he would have thought that the two of them had returned to their previous life.
Nie Yang's heart moved slightly. He had not thought that the Crown Prince would be so clear about his situation.
Since it was so, why didn't he think of a way to save himself?
In Nie Yang's view, the Crown Prince's recent attitude was somewhat passive.
"Your Highness's words are incorrect. You are the Crown Prince, the legitimate son of Empress Yuan, the heir to the throne, the rightful successor. " Nie Yang said word by word, "As long as Your Highness is patient and wholeheartedly serves the Emperor, Father, the court, and the people, how can the four princes surpass you?"
This was not passive resistance, this was called not changing, not fighting was fighting.
Nie Qing's heart surged with waves of warmth, his eyes filled with rare sincerity.
"Grand Tutor, Grandfather and the others also said similar things, but at that time … this Solitude felt distraught and did not listen. When Zong Yi said these words, this Solitude had a different experience. "When the Crown Prince met his gaze, he felt an indescribable sense of familiarity.
He had not been in frequent contact with this Hanlin Academy cultivator, but he unconsciously trusted the other, as if they were old friends from a previous life.
"If Your Highness pays attention to the fight for the throne, you will be at a disadvantage." Nie Yang said, "You are the heir to the throne, this is what you were born with, why do you need to fight endlessly with the princes? There is no harm in looking at the world, the people, the people's livelihood, this is the breadth of mind of an Emperor. This subject thinks … His Majesty may be using this to train you. The foreign forces are powerful, they can help Your Highness now, but in the future they will be a hindrance … "
The Crown Prince's brows furrowed, showing some anger.
"Nie Yang, do you know what you are saying?"
Sowing discord between him and his mother's family?
Nie Yang said, "I know very well."
The Crown Prince said, "Then you still dare to say it?"
Nie Yang said, "There are some things that I know should not be said, but I still have to say them. This subject serves the Emperor wholeheartedly, you are the legitimate heir, naturally I have to plan for you. "
The Crown Prince choked, but he could not deny that Nie Yang's words swept away the anxiety of recent years, calming his heart.
"I don't know why …" The Crown Prince looked deeply at Nie Qing, "This Solitude has a feeling that you seem to be looking at someone."
Nie Yang's smile became more difficult, and he said awkwardly, "This subject will say something offensive, this subject has a cousin, he is also called 'Qing'. Last year at the Jasper Forest Banquet, this subject heard Your Highness's name and couldn't help it … Thus, this subject feels especially close to Your Highness, please forgive me, Your Highness. "
The Crown Prince did not expect this reason, and raised a hand to help Nie Yang, who was bowing in apology, up.
"It's not a big deal," the Crown Prince said, "Where is your cousin now?"
Nie Yang said, "This subject made a mistake, and my cousin unfortunately died young. Before he died, he said to this subject, 'Our friendship is severed, and we will not meet again on the road to the Yellow Springs'. "
The Crown Prince was not angry at being offended, but rather curious what Nie Yang had done to make his cousin say such harsh words.
"No … it is not my cousin's fault. Although this subject has a clear conscience, to my cousin, this is indeed an unforgivable crime … "
"Zong Yi is like a woman, crying just like that?"
Probably because the matter had been explained, the Crown Prince's attitude towards Nie Yang became much gentler.
Nie Yang was shocked to find that he had unknowingly shed tears, and he immediately felt somewhat embarrassed.
"Actually … I will not hide it from Zong Yi, when This Solitude first saw Zong Yi, there was a faint sense of familiarity."
When Nie Yang heard this, his eyes widened in shock.
Regardless of whether this Crown Prince was speaking the truth or not, Nie Yang decided to bet all his chips on him.
As the Emperor grew older, the fight for the throne became more and more serious, and Nie Yang took advantage of this "demonic wind" to soar. His official career was smooth, and the speed of his promotion was as fast as a rocket. At a young age, he sat in the position of Yuanfu, the head of the civil officials.
Although his relationship with the Crown Prince was good, it was limited to a personal relationship. When it came to politics, they still fought. The civil and military officials were confused by this.
The Crown Prince's presence was still very low, and his position seemed to be on the verge of collapse, but the old Emperor did not show any intention of removing him.
He was not anxious, but the four older princes were.
Nie Yang smiled coldly as he watched on. He had secretly schemed, causing the First Prince, who had military power, to repeatedly make stupid moves, framing … well, it could not be said to be framing. The First Prince did have the intention of forcing the Emperor to abdicate, but Nie Yang had just materialized his thoughts and put them into practice.
When the Second Prince supervised the imperial examinations, Nie Yang had exposed a huge case of cheating in the examination that year, and successfully removed him from the imperial examinations.
The Third Prince was the son of the Imperial Concubine, so he had some influence in the imperial harem and the court. Nie Yang had started with the Imperial Concubine's mother's family.
In this world, there were only stains that had not been found, and there were no clean, clean, and dignified nobles.
The Fourth Prince was even simpler. Nie Yang himself was an Oscar winner, so how could he not see that the Fourth Prince, who seemed uncompetitive, was actually very scheming and scheming? Nie Yang would not be merciful to his own kind. In just a few years, he had defeated all the princes. He had eliminated his political enemies at the front, and the Crown Prince, Nie Qing, had taken care of things for him from behind, so that the old Emperor would not find out.
After two years, the old Emperor abdicated as the Crown Prince. The court was shaken, and Nie Yang was stunned.
On the eve of his ascension to the throne, the old Emperor had looked at him meaningfully, but the Crown Prince had asked Nie Yang if he had any plans for the future.
Nie Yang thought for a long time.
"First, I will be a powerful official."
"Second, I will block my cousin on the road to the Yellow Springs."
"He said that we would not meet again on the road to the Yellow Springs, but I insist on seeing him."
Nie Yang looked into the Crown Prince's eyes and said lightly, "Whether he admits it or not, I have repaid what I owe him."
The Crown Prince laughed involuntarily. "What if he doesn't admit it?"
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