Chapter 44: The Guest Outshines the Host

Meng Xueqiao lowered his head upon hearing the sound, quickly covering his sleeves with a look of embarrassment. "Fourth Brother, please don't mock me. It’s just that if I rank at the very bottom in this special imperial examination, I won't know how to answer to Father."

"Fourth Brother, for people like us who aren't exactly scholars, this examination is just a formality. If we didn't sign up, it would look like we lack ambition. Since the Emperor didn't place any restrictions on whether candidates must have passed the provincial examinations, every wealthy family in the South has registered. Even I, who have never passed a provincial exam, have signed up."

Hearing this, Meng Yuxi realized that the candidates in the front rows were likely carrying cheat sheets. He figured that relying solely on notes wouldn't be enough to rank in the top three, especially since the Emperor was setting the topics himself. No one knew what the questions would be, so these notes were likely just to make their essays look more polished; whether they actually addressed the prompt was another matter entirely.

Meng Yuxi smiled faintly and said to Meng Xueqiao, "I understand. Just be careful not to get caught. Otherwise, you’ll be like the man who tried to steal a chicken only to lose his rice, and it will be even harder for you to face the old man back home."

"I know, Fourth Brother. I won't let the Meng family lose face. I'll add a few lines if I can, but if they’re being too strict, then it’s just fate." Meng Xueqiao wasn't a fool; he understood the weight of these matters well enough.

"But if you've already prepared cheat sheets, why sit in the front row? Wouldn't it be more convenient to sit in the back?" Meng Yuxi asked, puzzled.

Meng Xueqiao glanced around to ensure no one was paying attention before whispering, "Fourth Brother, you don't know this, but after the exam, the Emperor might call over those sitting in the front to chat about local specialties or the lives of the people in the South. Regardless of the topic, being summoned by the Emperor is a tremendous honor—enough to brag about for a lifetime."

Hearing this, Meng Yuxi suddenly understood. It was, perhaps, the "celebrity effect."

While Meng Yuxi was still chatting with Meng Xueqiao, a commotion broke out outside the Meng estate gates. Three of the tiger-leopard guards went to investigate.

Outside the gate, people were shouting one after another, "The Top Scholar Cui is here! Top Scholar Cui has arrived!"

Meng Yuxi thought to himself that Cui Xiucheng was rather slow; he had been waiting for quite some time.

Meng Xueqiao scoffed, "Damn it, Cui Xiucheng has such airs. Does he think this is his father Cui Yufan’s jurisdiction?" He turned to Meng Yuxi, "Fourth Brother, wait here for a moment. I’m going to take him down a peg."

Meng Yuxi furrowed his brows. Cui Xiucheng was at the Qi-Refining stage, and he had no idea what level his fifth brother was at. He feared that if things turned hostile, Meng Xueqiao would suffer an immediate setback. He himself knew almost nothing about martial arts—aside from a complicated set of footwork taught by Zhang Tiantai, which was not a method for exerting force but merely something he had memorized through his superior memory. If he truly faced Cui Xiucheng, he could only rely on the Qi-Repelling Bead gifted by Zhang Tiantai; as for the rest, he would have to take it one step at a time.

He said firmly, "Fifth Brother, do not be reckless. Let’s observe for now."

As the fifth son of the Meng family, Meng Xueqiao was well-respected in Su City. He had heard rumors of the bet Meng Yuxi had made at the "Heavenly Realm" establishment; had he not been grounded at the time, he would have made Chen Zhiwei and the other students from Shen City pay.

Hearing the commotion, he had been itching for a fight, but since his Fourth Brother had spoken, he nodded with visible reluctance.

"Move aside! What are you all gathering here for? Go find your seats and take the exam."

Meng Xueqiao initially thought this was one of the guards speaking, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was a servant by Cui Xiucheng’s side. He cursed immediately, "Damn it, this Cui Xiucheng is arrogant. Who is in charge here? It’s certainly not his servant from Shen City."

"That’s not his servant. That’s Cui Xiucheng’s junior fellow apprentice, Chen Zhiwei," Meng Yuxi said coldly. He remembered very well that Chen Zhiwei owed him a debt, and today was the day he would collect.

Not wanting to watch any longer, Meng Yuxi sat in his seat and closed his eyes to conserve his energy for the upcoming examination.

"Move! Move! A bunch of rich young masters who think a few copper coins entitle them to front-row seats? It’s laughable. If you’re smart, go sit in the back. At least there, if you pull out a cheat sheet, you won't be caught red-handed and embarrassed on the spot."

Meng Yuxi could close his eyes, but he couldn't block his ears. Just by the sound of his voice, he knew it was Chen Zhiwei again. He wondered if the man was just a mouthpiece for his senior or if he was simply used to acting like a dog leaning on its master’s power. Given that Cui Xiucheng didn't stop him, it was likely both.

"Go to hell, Chen Zhiwei! What business is this of yours? You arrived late, yet you want to sit in the front? By what right?"

"Cui Xiucheng, can't you keep your dog on a leash? He’s snapping at everyone here."

"We are all students from the South. What makes you and your masters from the Capital so special?"

The front row was filled with sons of wealthy and official families, and several of them began to lash out.

"Zhiwei, you shouldn't speak like that. It’s a waste of all the years you’ve spent studying," a young voice said, unhurried and calm.

"See? That’s more like it. At least you aren't blind, Cui Xiucheng." A few people who felt satisfied by Cui Xiucheng’s comment chimed in.

"Zhiwei, you must remember that money is never 'stinking'; what stinks are the clowns who are ignorant and incompetent yet insist on trying to cheat their way through," Cui Xiucheng continued. "Zhiwei, trouble yourself to keep an eye on things during the exam. See who dares to use a cheat sheet, write down their names one by one, and I will personally report them to the Emperor after the exam."

Chen Zhiwei sneered, "Understood, Senior Brother Cui. As for weeding out the dregs of the literary world, it is my duty."

"Damn it!"

"Screw you, Chen Zhiwei!"

Meng Yuxi kept his eyes closed, but he could hear the rustling as the young masters in the front row began to pack their things and leave.

"Oh? Why aren't you leaving?" Chen Zhiwei’s arrogant, overbearing voice rang out again.

Only then did Meng Yuxi open his eyes. He noticed that apart from himself, only two others remained. One was his brother, Meng Xueqiao, who was still sitting stubbornly in his chair. The other was a person sitting in front of him with a more slender frame. Though she never turned back, Meng Yuxi recognized who she was at a glance.

Chen Zhiwei dared not provoke the glaring Meng Xueqiao, so he marched toward the slender scholar instead.

Meng Yuxi stood up and said loudly, "Brother Cui, there are eighteen empty seats here. Isn't that enough for you and your fellow apprentices to sit?"

Although Meng Yuxi spoke to Cui Xiucheng, his eyes remained fixed on Chen Zhiwei. If Chen Zhiwei made a move against the slender scholar, he would have to flip the table and intervene. A woman dressing as a man to take the imperial exam was a capital offense, and Meng Yuxi had no intention of being implicated.

Fortunately, Chen Zhiwei stopped when he heard Meng Yuxi’s voice. He walked back behind Cui Xiucheng and whispered something in his ear.

Meng Yuxi observed Cui Xiucheng. He was dressed in a purple silk robe and looked quite handsome, with delicate features, though his lips were thin and his eyes were long and narrow.

After listening to Chen Zhiwei, Cui Xiucheng snapped his landscape-carved fan shut, revealing ivory ribs as white as frost.

"Heh heh. I have long heard of the talent of the Meng family’s young master from Su City. To see you today, well, hmm, ah..." Cui Xiucheng looked apologetic, while Chen Zhiwei behind him wore a sinister grin. "Forgive me, Young Master Meng. I am simply so moved that I find myself at a loss for words."