"There's no need for that." Shen Yu refused without hesitation. He could already imagine the reactions of the officials if Shang Junlin openly brought him to the Great Hall.
Shen Yu felt that for the sake of the hearts of the officials, it was better for him not to join in the fun.
"What is A Yu worried about?" Shang Junlin caressed Shen Yu's delicate neck. "Are you worried that the officials will object? Don't worry, they won't say anything. "
Shen Yu finally understood that when Shang Junlin said that he wanted to bring him to the Palace Examination, it was not on a whim. Instead, he had already decided. He was a little confused. "Why does Your Majesty insist on bringing me there?"
"Ah Yu, have you forgotten that we still have a bet between us? Doesn't A Yu want to see the results first? "Shang Junlin coaxed in a low voice.
Shen Yu glanced at him. "Of course I didn't forget. Your Majesty has already asked for the bet in advance. It doesn't make much of a difference whether the results are good or not."
Shen Yu thought of the scene that day and his face heated up.
The beauty's eyes were shy and there was a light pink on her face. Shang Junlin's heart was moved.
He leaned closer and kissed A Yu. "It's my selfishness to bring A Yu. Take it that A Yu is accompanying me, en?"
"Your Majesty," Shen Yu tried to reason with him. "Since ancient times, the imperial harem has never been allowed to interfere in politics. Your Majesty is already giving me preferential treatment by discussing the matters of the imperial court with me. The Court Examination is not like other things. No matter how you look at it, as a noble, I shouldn't set foot in it."
"Husband and wife are one. A Yu and I should not be separated. A Yu can do anything and go anywhere that I can."
Shang Junlin intimately rubbed Shen Yu's cheek. "I know that A Yu is very talented. It's unfair for you to be trapped in the harem. I can't accept it because I'm covering up A Yu's talent."
Shen Yu was stunned. He didn't expect Shang Junlin to say such words. His heart ached, and an imperceptible sweetness slowly rose.
He opened his mouth, and his voice was inexplicably bitter. "I don't care about these things. Your Majesty, you don't have to do this for me."
Shang Junlin held her tightly in his arms. "Just take it as satisfying my selfish desires, A Yu."
His A Yu should have been an eagle soaring in the sky, but because of him, because of Duke Zhenbei's stupidity, it was trapped in the harem. Because of his selfishness, he did not want to let go. His A Yu could only stand by his side and could only belong to him!
Shen Yu had no choice but to agree.
Shang Junlin happily hugged her and whispered, "Actually, it's very boring to sit on the throne. You can't do anything for more than two hours."
Shen Yu touched the man's drooping hair. "So, Your Majesty, you want me to accompany you to relieve your boredom?"
"A Yu can think of it this way."
Shen Yu chuckled and held the man's face with both hands. "Your Majesty, you don't have to feel that you're holding me back. It's my own choice to enter the harem. No one forced me. I'm very happy that Your Majesty treats me so well. Your Majesty, you don't have to think of letting me go to the imperial court to show off my skills. I don't like it."
Shen Yu stared straight into Shang Junlin's eyes as if he wanted to see into his heart. He emphasized again, "What I like is to be free and unrestrained, not to be endlessly deceived, Your Majesty."
When he was with Shang Junlin, he experienced peace. It didn't matter if he was selfish or cowardly. He was really tired of the feeling of having to carefully calculate every step he took and every word he said in his previous life. When he first entered the harem, he didn't plan to stay for long. It was Shang Junlin who showed him another way of life.
— — So this is what it feels like to have someone to shelter you from the wind and rain.
Shang Junlin's eyes darkened. After a while, he suddenly laughed. "A Yu, even if you want to, I won't give you the chance to escape from me."
His A Yu, since she was in front of him, she would never be able to leave his side!
The news that Shang Junlin wanted to bring Shen Yu to the court examination was discussed in advance with the ministers present. A few of them knew Shang Junlin's temper very well and didn't raise any objections. They calmly accepted this matter. A few others who were dissatisfied naturally didn't dare to speak up when they saw that the Prime Minister and the others didn't say anything.
After that, someone was puzzled. "Even if His Majesty dotes on His Highness, there should be a limit. How can he bring His Highness to the court examination?"
"Yes. Why didn't you persuade His Majesty and let him do as he pleases?"
The Prime Minister slowly tidied up his sleeves and answered without raising his head, "Do you think His Majesty is asking for our opinions when he is talking to us?"
A few of them thought about it and their faces turned ugly.
"Obviously, you know that. No, His Majesty has already made up his mind. If we oppose him, it will only make His Majesty unhappy. What can we do?"
"But … … since ancient times, the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics. Shouldn't His Highness avoid suspicion on such an important occasion?"
The Prime Minister thought of the young man who proposed the new commercial law and the flood-control method. He sighed. "His Majesty has his reasons for doing this. We don't need to worry about it."
If it weren't for Count Bei's muddle-headedness and being trapped in the harem, the young man would have been able to shine in the court.
Seeing that the Prime Minister was firmly on His Majesty's side, the officials had no choice but to shut their mouths. They would never dare to talk to His Majesty about this.
The students who failed the metropolitan examination had left the capital one after another. They either found a job or returned to their hometowns to prepare for the examination. They would take the examination again in three years.
Jiang Huaiqing and He Chengyu were the top few students in the metropolitan examination. After dealing with all the guests, they went into seclusion to prepare for the court examination.
Yingxing Tower also quieted down for a while.
After the Minister of Works received His Majesty's permission, he sent someone to find Yan Zheng to discuss the sponsorship.
After hearing what the person from the Ministry of Works said, Yan Zheng put away his fan. "This method is too beneficial for us businessmen. I didn't expect to get such a great benefit."
"Young Master Yan, you don't have to say that. If it weren't for your kindness, we would still have to worry." The person who came had a good impression of Yan Zheng and spoke with a hint of intimacy.
As they exchanged cups, the atmosphere became more and more lively. Yan Zheng had been a businessman for many years and was able to twist black into white. The person from the Ministry of Works had never seen such a scene. After a few words, he was able to get a lot of information out of him.
However, Yan Zheng was used to being strict. He only asked about trivial matters. Even if the person sobered up, he wouldn't think that there was anything wrong with what he said.
"Did His Majesty come up with the idea of 'sponsorship'?" Yan Zheng looked up. The servant beside him hurriedly poured wine for the two of them.
The wine was of the highest quality. It tasted fresh and fragrant. It was a good choice for welcoming guests.
The person from the Ministry of Works was already a little drunk, but his mind was still clear. He knew what to say and what not to say. He lowered his voice and reminded Yan Zheng, "The higher-ups may be making a big move. Young Master Yan, you have to seize the opportunity."
After getting the information he wanted, Yan Zheng knew when to stop and naturally changed the topic.
Seeing that he didn't ask any more questions, the person from the Ministry of Works was relieved. He became more satisfied and thought to himself, "He knows how to behave. He's someone we can cooperate with for a long time."
Late at night, Yan Zheng sent someone to send the person from the Ministry of Works away. He stood by the roadside and watched the carriage go away. His eyes were obscure.
"Young Master, you can go in." The servant brought a cloak and put it on Yan Zheng.
"I made the right decision to come to the capital." Yan Zheng chuckled.
The servant didn't understand. "Young Master, what are you talking about?"
"Those people probably didn't expect it. They thought that they were banishing me, but they didn't expect that they would give me a path to heaven. Compared to what they are about to get, what is the treasure they are guarding?"
Fortune and misfortune really depended on each other. He originally thought that he would need to spend more effort, but now that an opportunity had come knocking on his door, the time needed to achieve his goal would be greatly reduced.
Yan Zheng didn't sleep for the whole night. He was readjusting his plan. He had to make good use of the help that fell from the sky.
"Young Master." The servant came in with a bowl of hot porridge. "I've inquired about the people you asked me to. It's very strange. I couldn't find any information about them."
After parting ways with Shang Junlin and Shen Yu that day, Yan Zheng sent someone to inquire about the two people. It wasn't that he wanted to do anything, but he simply wanted to get to know them. There were really too few people who were extraordinary in conversation and had perfect looks. Not to mention other things, it would be good if he could make friends with them.
One of the main principles of a businessman was to make as many friends as possible.
"Oh?" Yan Zheng stopped writing. "You couldn't find anything? What about the other family? "
"I've asked carefully. The other family should be Lord Fang and his family. As for the two people that Young Master is looking for, I really couldn't find any clues."
"I understand. Ask your men to come back. Don't look for them anymore. Pretend that this never happened in the future."
Lord Fang was the favorite person of the Emperor. Yan Zheng had paid attention to him that day. Although he tried to hide it, from his actions, it didn't seem like he was pretending to be respectful towards the two people that he was looking for. How many people could make Lord Fang treat them with such respect?
Yan Zheng smiled. That was why it was said that his luck was unparalleled.
Yan Zheng's actions couldn't be hidden from the Hidden Dragon Guards. Not long after, Shang Junlin received the news. However, the Court Examination was about to start and this matter could only be dealt with later.
Shen Yu woke up early and changed into a more formal outfit. Shang Junlin was still wearing the Emperor's ceremonial robe. It was black and had golden embroidery on it.
There was no cover or screen. Shang Junlin held Shen Yu's hand and sat on the high seat.
The officials were informed in advance. When they saw the two of them sitting together, they looked forward and prepared to start.
After the candidates bowed to the Emperor, they lowered their heads and sat down one by one.
Under the rule of not looking at the Emperor directly, no one dared to look up.
The Court Examination didn't just test one's knowledge. It also tested one's mental endurance. Shen Yu sat on the high seat and the reactions of the candidates were obvious.
Some of them were obviously nervous. In fact, most of them were nervous. Shen Yu looked around. He Chengyu and Jiang Huaiqing were in a good state. They were writing their answers in an orderly manner. The other person who was acting differently was Fang Jiayi.
Fang Jiayi was wearing the uniform of a student. Her back was straight and she was concentrating on the answers in front of her.
Time passed slowly. Finally, it was time.
The candidates stopped writing and someone came forward to collect the answers. Everything was about to come to an end. Those who didn't perform well were already pale.
The candidates entered the side hall to wait. The officials picked up the answers and flipped through the answers. Without exception, the new bloodline of the Imperial Court would be born here.
After sitting for more than two hours, Shen Yu stood up and stretched his arms and legs. When he thought about how the officials looked at him a few times, Shen Yu felt happy.
"A Yu, how do you feel?" Shang Junlin walked down the stairs with her in his arms.
"Your Majesty is right. These two hours were really hard to endure." He couldn't make any big movements or speak. Shen Yu felt that he shouldn't have agreed to Shang Junlin's request.
However …
"Your Majesty, do you think Jiang Huaiqing and the others will be surprised when they see us?"
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