Today was the day the results of the palace examination were announced.
Inside the Golden Dragon Hall, over a hundred successful candidates stood in formation. Ten years of rigorous study had led to this very moment. Each face was filled with a mix of excitement and anxiety, awaiting the proclamation of the results.
Master the arts of literature and martial skills, to serve the emperor’s house.From humble beginnings, one may ascend to the emperor’s hall by nightfall.
Whether one could rise to fame in a single stroke would all be revealed today.
On the throne, the elderly emperor, clad in a bright yellow dragon robe, scanned the candidates before him. His dim, golden eyes flickered with satisfaction. He raised a hand, signaling his personal eunuch to read aloud the list of first-class honors.
"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: This palace examination gathers the finest talents and the most beautiful jade, and my heart is greatly comforted..."
"The candidate from Xunyang County, Jiujiang Prefecture, Ji Xiu, is hereby named Zhuangyuan (First Place). The candidate from Wu County, Kuaiji Prefecture, Shi Zhang, is named Bangyan (Second Place), and the candidate from Quzhou County, Handan Prefecture, Hu Guang, is named Tanhua (Third Place)..."
"So decreed!"
The proclamation echoed. The three rose to receive their decree and bow in thanks.
At the forefront was Ji Xiu, dressed in his scholar’s robe. Around twenty years old, tall and upright, elegant and refined, with a face worthy of poetry. Among the crowd of frail, pale scholars, his presence was unmatched; even the poised Tanhua beside him seemed overshadowed.
The emperor’s eyes brightened. “Wait a moment.”
The three had just received their decree and were about to return to their places. They paused, waiting for the emperor to continue.
The emperor studied Ji Xiu, smiling with satisfaction. “Young minister, you are promising and refined. I have a daughter, currently seeking a husband. Would you consent?”
A murmur ran through the Golden Dragon Hall.
Everyone knew that the emperor was in the process of selecting a husband for his most beloved daughter, Princess Dongzhu.
Princess Dongzhu, born to the late Empress, was noble in rank and exceptional in beauty. After the Empress’s difficult childbirth and subsequent death, the emperor, unable to bear the loss, poured all his affection onto his daughter, pampering her to the extreme.
Because of this, the emperor had been reluctant to marry her off. Now, at eighteen, she had yet to be betrothed.
Recently, the Empress Dowager had intervened, leaving the emperor no choice but to begin selecting a husband.
Yet by this time, most eligible young men of the capital were already married. The emperor and Empress Dowager sifted through potential candidates, but none met their expectations.
Even if someone did, the princess’s pride often led her to reject them.
After much deliberation, the timing coincided with the metropolitan examination, and a group of candidates arrived in the capital.
The emperor and Empress Dowager decided to select a young, exceptional husband from among these candidates.
Naturally, the young, handsome Zhuangyuan stood out as the best choice.
The emperor asked, confident that the Zhuangyuan would not refuse.
In this dynasty, there was no rule barring a prince consort from official service. Marrying the princess meant instant elevation to royal kin, wealth, and influence—no one would reject such an offer.
Other candidates thought the same, casting envious glances at Ji Xiu.
But Zhuangyuan Ji Xiu, calm and composed, bowed slightly and declined: “I am fearful, Your Majesty. I married four years ago and have a son and a daughter. My wife and I are devoted; I dare not covet the princess’s favor. Please forgive my transgression.”
The hall fell silent.
Was the Zhuangyuan mad? Such an opportunity, and he refused it before the emperor! Did he not wish to serve in court?
Even with a wife and children at home, one could always discreetly divorce—marry the princess, and wealth and glory would follow naturally. Why hesitate?
In the silence, the emperor’s expression cooled.
He had assumed the handsome, youthful Zhuangyuan was unmarried. To find that Ji Xiu was already wedded with children, a wrinkle of displeasure furrowed his brow.
Yet as emperor, his word was law, and nothing could excuse a direct refusal. To decline in front of him was a challenge to imperial authority.
Anger flickered in the emperor’s eyes, but he restrained himself: “Very well. I shall not force the matter.”
He withdrew his gaze from Ji Xiu and turned to the Bangyan and Tanhua, praising them warmly.
After the commendation, the ceremony continued. Only Ji Xiu received no praise.
The other candidates were dismayed, convinced the emperor now disliked the Zhuangyuan.
“How could you refuse such an offer?” they murmured.
Yet Ji Xiu remained composed, watching as the emperor appointed official positions and returned to his seat with calm indifference.
Next came the reading of the second-class rankings, which included over a hundred names. It would take some time.
Shi Zhang, who was friendly with Ji Xiu, nudged him and whispered: “Are you mad? Why did you refuse the princess?”
Ji Xiu’s expression remained unchanged. His lips moved faintly: “I have a wife and children.”
“Which matters more, your family or your career? You embarrassed the emperor in front of the court. Ten years of study wasted! Yet you stubbornly persist?”
Ji Xiu sighed silently, glanced at Shi Zhang, and remained silent.
“Heroes often face betrayal; scholars often prove unfaithful.”
The formal ceremony concluded, moving to the most important part: official appointments based on the rankings.
According to tradition, the Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua were to enter the Hanlin Academy. The Zhuangyuan would be granted a Sixth Rank Xiuzhuan position, while Bangyan and Tanhua would receive Seventh Rank Bianzhuan positions.
But Ji Xiu had angered the emperor, forfeiting this privilege.
The originally prepared decree was withheld. Coldly, the emperor personally announced that Bangyan and Tanhua would enter the Hanlin Academy as editors, but the young Zhuangyuan, lacking maturity, would begin in the Ministry of Works as a Sixth Rank official.
Ji Xiu received the decree calmly.
Technically, a Sixth Rank official in the Ministry of Works outranked a Seventh Rank editor in the Hanlin Academy—so he had still gained something.
“What nonsense are you saying!”
After the ceremony, as the others exited, Shi Zhang trembled with anger: “No Hanlin, no inner court! How can a Ministry of Works official compare to the prestige of the Hanlin Academy? You, the Zhuangyuan, should have been first in Hanlin, progressing naturally to the inner court! Now you’ve angered the emperor, lost this chance, and yet joke about it?!”
Ji Xiu lightly smiled. “You seem more anxious than I am.”
Shi Zhang fumed further, exasperated beyond measure, while Ji Xiu remained unbothered.
Ji Xiu chuckled, patting him on the shoulder: “I know you mean well. But a man cannot forsake his wife and children for mere rank and wealth. I dared to refuse the emperor, and I have confidence in my choice.”
He turned toward the palace, his expression calm and self-assured. “Rest assured. In at most three years, I will reclaim what I have lost by my own merit.”
No matter the emperor’s displeasure, with talent and effort, he would eventually earn recognition.
Shi Zhang sighed, realizing he could not sway Ji Xiu, and let it go.
Ji Xiu smiled quietly and spoke no more.
In this world, sitting in the Ministry of Works for a time—a brief stint on the “cold bench”—was enough to change the course of this timeline and save this world. Truly, a bargain beyond measure.