The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 166

Chapter 166

Wei Shao startled, but his reactions were remarkably quick. Before Xiao Qiao could unfold it, he snatched the scroll right out of her hands.

Xiao Qiao cast him a glance, then extended her fair, delicate hand toward him, palm open.

Wei Shao tucked the hand holding the scroll behind his back and gave an awkward laugh. "This piece isn't well-written. Look at something else..."

"I want to take a look."

Xiao Qiao gazed at him with a smile.

Wei Shao remained unmoved.

Xiao Qiao reached behind his back herself, trying to pull the scroll from his grip.

Wei Shao held on tight.

The smile on Xiao Qiao’s face vanished.

"Let go!"

Wei Shao loosened his grip, and the scroll was snatched away by her.

Watching her open the scroll and lower her head to browse through the essay, her gaze eventually settling on the signature column, she seemed lost in thought. Suppressing the bubbling sourness in his heart, he said, "This essay by Gao Heng is merely a pile of flowery rhetoric, devoid of any real substance. What does Manman think?"

Xiao Qiao set the scroll down.

"On my way here just now, I happened to run into Scholar Fang, and I casually asked about the grading for the imperial examination. The scholar’s opinion is actually the exact opposite of yours, Your Majesty. According to him, Gao Bohai’s answer was the top-ranking paper, deserving of the title Dingyuan."

Wei Shao felt embarrassed and gave a dry cough. "I’m not disparaging the previous dynasty! But how did people like Fang Xi manage to become scholars of the Imperial Academy? It was clearly a jumbled mess, yet they insist on calling it a Dingyuan quality essay! It’s only because of that bit of fame Gao Heng has; even if he wrote dog shit, they would still smell it as..."

He had been full of indignation, but seeing Xiao Qiao watching him, his voice gradually grew quieter until he finally stopped.

"Go on, then!"

Xiao Qiao was still sitting sideways on his lap. Seeing him stop, she urged him on, raising one of her delicate eyebrows.

Wei Shao locked eyes with her for a moment before suddenly blurting out, "You’re doing this on purpose to spite me, aren't you? Let me put it plainly! I just can't stand this Gao Heng! What's more..."

He looked at her sideways. "What's more, him coming to take this exam clearly shows he has ulterior motives! Do you dare say you don't know that?"

Xiao Qiao stared at him for a moment. She had been trying to keep a straight face, but suddenly she couldn't hold it anymore and burst into a giggle.

"What ulterior motives? Explain yourself!" she said with a smile.

Wei Shao had let his tongue slip in a fit of pique. He had been worried Xiao Qiao might be annoyed, but seeing her smile—her beauty as radiant as a hibiscus—he took the opportunity to pull her into an embrace. "You asked me to say it, so don't blame me! I knew long ago that this Gao Heng had ulterior motives toward you! You were clearly already my wife, yet he called you his 'soulmate.' That was bad enough, but he even had the audacity to invite you to visit the Cloud Gate Cliff Carvings! How is that not having ulterior motives? I had thought that after so many years, I wouldn't hold it against him! Who would have thought he would come again now..."

He paused.

"Come again to do what?"

"To draw your attention!"

The more Wei Shao thought about it, the angrier he became. "With the reputation of the Bohai Gao clan, if he wanted to be an official, he could have done so back in the previous dynasty! He didn't come out early, he didn't come out late, but he just had to show up now to take the imperial exam. It’s obvious he heard that this examination system was proposed by you, so he’s deliberately playing to your preferences to catch your eye!"

"Aren't you ashamed! That’s old history from years ago, and Feifei is already three! To think you’re still holding onto such a sesame-sized matter and making a mountain out of it! When the imperial examination system was first introduced, the world’s noble clans opposed it. I know you are wise and martial, Your Majesty, and don't care to rely on old local clans to stabilize the empire. But if they really band together and resist fiercely, the regions won't be stable. You can't just go around chopping off their heads, so you have to find a way to smooth things over, right? Gao Bohai not only publicly supported you, but he also withstood the pressure to participate in the exam, which effectively silenced the noble clans. What is the purpose of the Great Yan opening the imperial exams? It is to gather talent from all over the world, regardless of their background! Now that he has reached the metropolitan examination through his own talent, you are not only failing to reward him but also making unreasonable trouble!"

Xiao Qiao extended a finger and poked his chest. "I think your heart is no bigger than the eye of a needle!"

"That’s just how I am; it’s not like you’re finding out for the first time!" Wei Shao said gloomily. "No matter how those noble clans stir up trouble, if they annoy me, I have plenty of ways to destroy them. I don't need Gao Heng playing the good guy for me!"

Xiao Qiao frowned slightly. "Why do I feel like you have the potential to be a tyrant?"

"A tyrant is a tyrant then!" Wei Shao didn't even blink. "No matter what you say, in short, I just don't like the look of this Gao Heng! No matter how well he writes or how capable he is of governing, don't expect me to pass him!"

Xiao Qiao stared at him for a moment, then pulled away the two hands he had wrapped around her waist. She stood up, looking at him with a half-smile. "As long as Your Majesty is happy. I shall take my leave first."

She turned and headed toward the door.

When the Emperor and Empress were in the same room, there was an unspoken rule in the palace: unless summoned, the servants would always stay outside.

Therefore, at this moment, the grand room was occupied by only the two of them.

"Stop right there!"

"Come back!"

"Wait—"

Xiao Qiao reached the doorway, and the sound of footsteps followed her. Wei Shao chased after her and grabbed her hand from behind.

"I will record him as the second place! Is that fine now?"

Xiao Qiao looked back.

"I cannot give him the top spot! While opening the imperial exams doesn't mean shutting out the sons of noble families, the intention of this first exam was to show the world the imperial court's determination to recruit talent without bias—those were your words to me! Even if Gao Bohai’s essay is good, naming him the top scholar would go against the original intention of the new policy! I will place him second and, at worst, give him some extra rewards as compensation for taking away his first-place spot!"

"Are you satisfied now?"

He wore a sour expression.

Xiao Qiao slowly broke into a smile. She wrapped her arms around his waist, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him. Leaning to his ear, she whispered, "My husband is clearly as wise as Yao and Shun, yet just now he insisted on being jealous—aren't you afraid people will laugh at you..."

Wei Shao’s expression softened.

"In Manman’s eyes, there is only Your Majesty. As for other men in the world, let alone those who can't surpass you, even if one really did exist, Manman would never spare him a second glance..."

Finally hearing such sweet words from his beautiful wife, Wei Shao felt his resolve melt away. The sulkiness vanished instantly, and he pulled her back into an embrace. As they nuzzled, he suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said, "Manman, I know you’ve always wanted to see those Cloud Cliff Carvings. I told you before I would take you, but I was never able to get away until now. How about we put things aside for a bit? I’ll take you and Feifei out of the palace!"

Xiao Qiao was stunned and shook her head with a smile. "The cliff carvings can be seen whenever; you don't need to go to such great lengths and undertake a pointless tour just for me."

Wei Shao agreed vaguely at the time, but he kept the matter in his heart. The next day, he summoned Gongsun Yang, showed him the proposed top three candidates for the imperial examination, and then emphasized his desire to leave the palace for a period of time.

Who would have thought that before he could even finish speaking, Gongsun Yang blocked him with a barrage of very reasonable-sounding excuses.

The Emperor felt stifled and had no choice but to suppress his idea.

Half a month later, the imperial list for the Great Yan's first imperial examination was released.

The most eye-catching result was that Gao Heng of Bohai had taken the position of Bangyan (second place).

In the top three of the first imperial examination, two were scholars from humble backgrounds and one was from a noble clan. This result could be considered a happy ending for all.

Although Gao Heng failed to take the top spot, he had achieved his original goal and had no regrets.

On the day of the imperial banquet, when the Emperor and Empress arrived together, Gao Heng was extremely excited to finally see the woman with whom he had painted and inscribed poems at the Temple of the Queen Mother of the West many years ago.

In his mind, Empress Qiao had long since become a goddess-like existence, and he held no disrespectful thoughts toward her at all. Besides, given her status, how could he dare to be irreverent?

He originally had no intention of entering the bureaucracy. Furthermore, at the time, the Emperor didn't necessarily hold scholars from noble backgrounds like Gao Heng in high regard. However, the Lady of the Marquis of Yan, who had made such an unforgettable impression on him, was different. She was now the Empress. He had also heard that the new imperial examination system was first initiated by Empress Qiao, and upon learning that the noble clans were opposing it, he had immediately become hot-blooded. Without a second thought, he stepped forward to show his support.

Being able to contribute even a meager effort for Empress Qiao was a matter of great pride for Gao Heng.

Therefore, at the palace banquet that day, as he knelt to receive the wine offered by the Empress and saw her smile, nod, and speak to him kindly, he was overwhelmed with excitement. For a moment, he forgot the Emperor entirely, leading to a loss of composure, and he could not help but say, "I possess rubbings of the ten greatest cliff carvings in the world, especially the rubbings of the Cloud Cliff Carvings, which I made personally; they are not the slightest bit different from the originals. If the Empress would not find it offensive, I would like to offer them to you as a token of my loyalty."

The Emperor’s face darkened slightly. The Empress politely declined with a smile, saying she dared not take his prized possession. Gao Heng looked regretful, but the Emperor’s expression finally improved a little.

Half a month later, when the Emperor bestowed official positions, he sent Gao Heng far away from Luoyang, finally feeling much more comfortable.

However, there was one thing that kept nagging at him.

One day, two months later, a massive object arrived at the south gate of Luoyang. It was packed inside an enclosed wooden box, thirty feet high and forty to fifty feet long, pulled by six horses and escorted by a group of soldiers under the stern command of Jia Si.

This massive, incredibly heavy-looking box was paraded through half the imperial city, creating such a grand spectacle that it attracted half the city's residents, who watched as it was finally delivered into the palace gates.

What exactly was inside the box?

The onlookers speculated endlessly. In the end, most agreed on one theory: judging by the weight and the level of the guards, the box must be filled with gold, silver, and precious treasures.

When this heated discussion reached the ears of Jia Si, his tightly drawn face almost cracked.

He was deeply worried: if the people of Luoyang knew that the box actually contained a giant boulder—which had been chiseled from a mountain by dozens of stone masons working day and night, ignoring the angry glares of the local people—and that it had been transported across land and water, consuming countless manpower and resources, all just so the Emperor could please the Empress, would they secretly mock the Emperor as a tyrant who was likely to lose his country within a generation?