Chapter 8

Chapter 8

After the New Year festivities passed, it was time for the Spring Imperial Examination in the second lunar month.

Unlike previous years, the Emperor was gravely ill, so the Crown Prince presided over the Spring Imperial Examination.

The Emperor deeply loved his first wife, and as the eldest son of the Empress, the Crown Prince held a position of great honor. Unfortunately, the Late Empress had passed away early, and the Crown Prince’s maternal family had little influence.

Consort Liu, on the other hand, hailed from a prestigious noble family and had given birth to several princes in succession. She watched the throne with predatory ambition. Rumors had previously circulated among the common folk that the Emperor favored the Second Prince and intended to replace the heir. However, now that the Emperor had appointed the Crown Prince to preside over the Spring Imperial Examination, it was clear that such talk was nothing but baseless nonsense.

These grand affairs of state had little impact on ordinary citizens.

As the Spring Imperial Examination drew near, candidates from all over the empire flocked to the capital. This year, however, wealthy candidates shunned the guildhalls in the east and west districts, insisting on trying their luck at the Golden List Tower first.

Regrettably, the wealthier a candidate was, the harder it was to enter the Golden List Tower.

“Please leave, young master. That pearl on your head alone is worth more than a thousand gold pieces. I’m afraid our humble establishment cannot receive you.”

“Please leave, young master.”

“Young master…”

During the Spring Imperial Examination period, the Golden List Tower only accepted scholars who had come to the capital for the exams, and they had to be from impoverished backgrounds. In just one day, the manager of the Golden List Tower had spent himself hoarse turning away scholars who clearly came from wealth.

Yet, even after turning most away, it wasn’t enough.

The small Golden List Tower could not house all the poor scholars in the world, nor could it shelter all the hardworking commoners under heaven.

Uncle Li’s house had excellent feng shui; three years ago, it had produced a Zhuangyuan. A wealthy family had long since bought it for a high price to provide a place for their own disciples to study and prepare for the exams.

But even without the Li family, there were others. The communal bunks at Uncle Zhao’s, Auntie Qi’s, and Auntie Qian’s were also packed with scholars who had come for the exams. They were still the same dim rooms with sour-smelling bedding. For just ten copper coins, one could stay the night.

Early the next morning, Song Zhu Wonton opened for business, its fragrance drifting for miles.

At the familiar street corner, several people stood surreptitiously, craning their necks to look toward the shop.

I sighed and, just as I had done three years ago, beckoned to them.

“Come on over. You can pay me later.”