Chapter 45: Betting on Exam Topics

Hearing this, Meng Xueqiao abruptly stood up, kicking his chair over backward. He pointed at Cui Xiucheng’s face and shouted, "Cui Xiucheng, what on earth do you mean? You really think Young Master here is going to let you walk all over him!"

With that, he made a motion as if he were going to teach Cui Xiucheng a lesson.

Cui Xiucheng flicked his fan open and chuckled, "What? Are you about to resort to violence? Your Meng family truly possesses such petty limits of tolerance."

Meng Xueqiao raised a foot to kick him, but Meng Yuqi pulled him back just in time.

Meng Yuqi smiled and said, "It is fine. No matter how much literary talent a scholar possesses, there are bound to be moments when words fail them."

Cui Xiucheng naturally looked down upon Meng Xueqiao with utter contempt and was about to say something to Meng Yuqi when a voice, sounding as though someone were casually murmuring right beside his ear, announced, "Will all candidates please be seated. The examination is about to begin."

Although the voice was not loud, it clearly carried a tremendous distance. Meng Yuqi saw clearly that the numerous candidates outside the Meng residence had already sat down one after another, taking out their writing brushes, inkstones, paper, and ink. Evidently, the person who spoke possessed an immensely profound level of internal energy.

Cui Xiucheng smiled at Meng Yuqi and then walked over to take a seat right in the middle of the front row. Only after he sat down did his fellow disciples find places to sit. Chen Zhiwei deliberately chose to sit right next to Meng Yuqi, as if intending to supervise him to see whether he would cheat later on.

Cui Xiucheng had made such a huge scene earlier precisely so that he could plant Chen Zhiwei—this absolute nuisance—right beside Meng Yuqi during the examination, disgusting him and preventing him from concentrating. But Meng Yuqi had long since seen through the trick and completely ignored Chen Zhiwei, treating him as nothing more than a passing fart.

Meng Yuqi nodded at Meng Xueqiao, signaling him to calm down and focus on the exam. Glancing at the delicate young master, who had already taken out her writing brush, Meng Yuqi sighed inwardly—Meng Xuexian was truly out of her mind.

"His Majesty has decreed the topic. The literary style for this examination is poetry. Listen carefully: the theme for composing the poem is *First Encounter*. Be meticulous yet bold, and do not be constrained. The paper must also be written neatly. Very well, the topic has been made clear. Once everyone understands, you may begin your answers. The examination time remains one shichen."

Having participated in numerous examinations ranging from middle school to college entrance exams, Meng Yuqi understood deeply that the shorter the prompt, the more difficult the question. The Emperor's prompt before them had been shortened to the absolute extreme—it consisted of only two characters.

Listening to the surroundings, not a single person had yet ground their ink or put brush to paper; everyone was lost in deep thought, trying to figure out how to write depth and emotion into these two short characters. Because this examination was personally reviewed by the Emperor, no one dared to be careless or write recklessly.

Meng Xueqiao, on the other hand, felt completely blank and let out a long sigh of despair. Using his cheat sheet was now entirely out of the question; he would simply have to cobble together a few sentences from whatever fragments remained in his memory after copying the crib notes earlier. He didn't expect his answers to make any sense, praying only that the writing would look somewhat decent—though even recalling a few passable lines proved to be exceedingly difficult.

Meng Yuqi closed his eyes, entering the palace of his memory to frantically search through all the books he had ever read for any words related to meetings and encounters.

Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, half a *shichen* had elapsed. People around him were already starting to write. After deep contemplation, Chen Zhiwei also began to write down his composition. Refusing to lag behind, Meng Xueqiao rolled up his sleeves and began to write as well.

After a little while longer, the only two people across the entire examination hall who had yet to put pen to paper were Meng Yuqi and Cui Xiucheng.

As the remaining time dwindled down to the span of a single stick of incense, Cui Xiucheng suddenly raised his brush with a flourish, flowing ink spilling freely as he began to compose his essay.

Meng Xueqiao had already finished writing his own piece. Seeing that Cui Xiucheng had already started writing while Meng Yuqi’s sheet of white xuan paper still bore not a single drop of ink, he involuntarily grew anxious and whispered urgently, "Fourth Brother, hurry up! There's no time left."

Chen Zhiwei, sitting beside Meng Yuqi, sneered, "Heh, I wonder how I should spend all that silver."

Meng Yuqi remained with his eyes closed in deep thought, feeling that this prompt was exceptionally ingenious. The Emperor's prompt was somewhat strange—did it really just mean the literal first meeting between two people? If it truly was just *First Encounter*, with such a simple theme, why would there be so many verbose requirements for composing the poem? That jade pendant was a hidden-head poem; could this topic be a hidden-head puzzle as well?

However, this was merely a guess. Besides, would anyone really have the audacity during an examination personally graded by the Emperor to produce an answer completely different from the given theme of *First Encounter*?

Meng Yuqi hardened his heart, brought his brush down, and wrote furiously. Since he already had a hunch, he might as well take a bold gamble. If he was going to remain true to his original aspiration, then so be it!

*Outside the post station, by the broken bridge,*
*Lonely blossoms bloom unowned.*
*At dusk, she suffers solitude and sorrow,*
*Assailed further by wind and rain.*
*Without intent she strives not for spring’s beauty,*
*Content to let a hundred flowers envy.*
*Withered and fallen into mud, ground to dust,*
*Only her fragrance remains as true as of old.*

The poem Meng Yuqi had borrowed could not be said to have no relation whatsoever to a first encounter; rather, it had absolutely nothing to do with it. The entire page was filled with plum blossoms that, even when turned to dust, radiated a faint fragrance—the sentiment of staying true to one's original intent leaping off the paper.

"Collect the papers!"

Just as Meng Yuqi finished writing and the ink had yet to dry, the time was up.

Several eunuchs hurried forward to gather all the examination papers uniformly.

"Will all candidates please remain in your seats and not move while His Majesty reviews them."

Regardless of whether the candidates had urgent personal needs, by the Emperor's decree, everyone had to stay put right where they were.

"By imperial decree, the top three rankings for the *First Encounter* poetry examination are, respectively: Cui Xiucheng, Guo Jingyuan, and Yu Feixuan."

That voice, sounding as though someone were casually murmuring right beside his ear, sounded once again. But this time, following the announcement, a wave of chaotic murmurs erupted both inside and outside the Meng residence.

Some people were congratulating Cui Xiucheng on winning the top honors of the imperial examination yet again, while many scholars from Suzhou found it utterly incomprehensible and scandalous that Meng Yuqi, the pride of the Suzhou literary world, had failed to even place in the top three. They broke into animated discussions.

Chen Zhiwei laughed out loud directly, "Meng Yuqi, how about that? Is this true gold or just dog shit? A fierce fire reveals the truth instantly. If your funds aren't enough to pay off the debt, you can just use your Realm in the Sky to compensate for it. But Qinglian has already left, so your Realm in the Sky probably isn't worth much anymore anyway, hahaha!"

Cui Xiucheng said, "Ah, Brother Meng, it is truly a pity. We didn't get to witness your graceful demeanor in composing poetry."

Meng Yuqi closed his eyes and remained silent. He accepted these cold jeers and mockery; since he had chosen to gamble, he had to be willing to accept the loss if he lost.

Meng Xueqiao clenched both fists tightly. Once this imperial examination was dismissed, he was going to knock every single tooth out of Chen Zhiwei's mouth.

Outside the Meng residence, some candidates had already stood up. Since they had failed to secure a ranking and were not in the front rows to receive an imperial summons, they might as well pack up their things and leave early.

"Brother Meng, why don't you apologize to us scholars from Shenzhen? Perhaps if they are in a good mood, I can put in a good word for you and help you avoid paying that astronomical gambling debt."

Cui Xiucheng flicked his fan open and spoke with an expression that feigned deep consideration for Meng Yuqi's welfare.

"Silence!"

The moment this voice rang out, everyone felt a shock strike their hearts, as if a giant bronze bell were tolling deeply within their chests. Every single person shuddered and sat back down in their seats, waiting for the imperial decree to follow.

"In this imperial examination, regarding the literary section, only a single person attained the top grade. We are deeply disappointed."