558 Time and Night Descends (1/2)
A moment later, after Chen Feihua cast her glance through the entire palace, she retracted her gaze and swung her arms to release some tension before walking down the castle wall.
”Inform Vice Domain Chief Bai that he will be on shift tonight!”
'Yes!” The guard nodded and answered immediately after receiving the command. He then quickly ran to report the message.
Chen Feihua then slowly walked deeper into the palace. After half an hour, she finally arrived at an elegant antique room.
The moment the few guards standing near the room saw Chen Feihua, they stood up in respect and pushed the door open carefully.
Chen Feihua then walked into the room.
A few female servants closed the door and helped Chen Feihua remove the armor on her body. They then helped her change into a dress before placing a pot of freshly brewed tea and a scroll in front of her.
”Is your Highness not on duty tonight?” The female servant lightly asked.
”No.” Chen Feihua shook her head.
”Then do you want me to inform Eunuch Wei, to call the Emperor here tonight?” The female servant nodded before asking.
”There is no need to. Please leave me. Without my command, do not let anyone disturb me.” Chen Feihua once again shook her head.
”Yes!” The few female servants then immediately retreated out of the room.
Chen Feihua's eyes had never left the scroll that was passed to her. She used her porcelain-like fingers to gently flip the scroll.
In the palace filled with deceit, bribery, and schemes, Chen Feihua strived to do her best and fulfill her responsibility, as though nothing else mattered.
Within the Imperial Academy.
The Imperial Examination had already started. Countless candidates stared at the paper in front of them and were burying their heads in their essays. This Imperial Examinations contained six parts, as usual, and were as difficult as its predecessors.
All the candidates frowned upon seeing those questions.
”It is too difficult!”
”I've heard that in the previous examination, Fang Zhengzhi completed all six parts in four hours. I have no idea how he could have done it!”
”It is incredible!”
After experiencing the difficulty of the paper first-hand, all the candidates had a newfound respect for the Chief Examiner Fang Zhengzhi.
If their image of Fang Zhengzhi only came from rumors before this.
For example, he was a shameless individual born in a peasant family in the wilderness. He paid no attention to decorum and had never received any formal education growing up.
However…
Staring at the six-part paper in front of them, they knew that it was this exact person that did what they could never do in their lifetime. This was the person that became the Chief Examiner of the Imperial Examination, the Chief Imperial Messenger of the Imperial Academy and the mentor of the scholars before he even turned 18 years old.
Gong!
The sound signaled that it was nearly time to hand in the papers.
All the candidates were flustered. They stared at their half-completed paper and felt despair and dejected.
It was too difficult, they were not even close to completing the paper. The time given to them was merely four hours. It was too difficult to complete all the questions within the time limit.
Not to mention checking their work or paying attention to the nuances of the questions.
Were they really going to hand in their paper like this?
A decade of studying beside the cold and lonely window frame, just for a moment of fame in the Imperial Examination.
However, if they did not even complete the paper, how could they possibly make it to the roll? How could they then, gain fame and power?
”Three circles!”
As though struck by an epiphany, all the candidates with empty spots on their papers thought of this line Fang Zhengzhi said. As long as one drew three circles on the paper, they would have a chance to be conferred the title of champion in the Imperial Examination.
But, how should we draw these three circles?
Where then, should we draw them?
This was another difficult problem!
”Let's go!”
”I am considered to be an exceptional artist, three circles is by no means difficult! Did he think this will be difficult enough to stop me?”
”I am going to draw the three most beautiful circles in this examination hall!”
As all the candidates put down their pens, the circles on their papers started appearing on by one. Following which, the sound signaling the candidates to hand in their papers rang.
Gong!
The candidates heaved a sigh of relief and looked at the circles on their paper with satisfaction. They then stared at the time and realized that it was almost noon.
Handing in a collecting the papers did not take too long.
As the candidates handed in their papers and sealed it with their names, a thick stack of exam papers were collected by the invigilators and kept into a secure room.
More than ten Imperial invigilators were already sitting in front of the table and looking at the thick stack of exam papers while rubbing their palms. It was time to showcase the results of their decades of study.
Fang Zhengzhi, Ping Yang and Yan Xiu then sat above them.
Normally, the moment the Imperial Examination concluded, the busiest procedure of script checking would begin. After all, it would not be long before they had to release the results. They only had time until the following day to do so. This meant that by sunset tomorrow, they had to finish vetting all the hundred over scripts.
Time could be said to be very tight.
”Master Fang, shall we start vetting right away?” An invigilator stared at the collected scripts before asking Fang Zhengzhi.
”There is no rush, let's eat first.” Fang Zhengzhi had already sat down for long enough. He even felt an ache in his thighs and butt region. It would be impossible for him to begin the vetting procedure right away.
”This… Master Fang, vetting of the exam scripts had been an important and rushed event in the past years. If we deliberately set aside time to eat, I'm afraid time-wise…” The invigilator then stopped talking.
In the past, the vetting procedure was extremely insane. Eating was the least of their worries, all the invigilators had merely four hours to sleep each day.
To think that Fang Zhengzhi would suggest eating…
This undoubtedly raised doubts and worry in the minds of the invigilators. After all, they were not Fang Zhengzhi and would not be able to withstand the wrath of the Emperor. If the vetting of the scripts were indeed delayed, they would be the one getting punished.
”Relax, we have enough time,” Fang Zhengzhi said as shook his head, seemingly unworried.
”This…” The invigilators stared at each other as though they wanted to say something. However, once they cast their glance back at Fang Zhengzhi, they swallowed their words.
As for Ping Yang…
She looked like she was not able to stand it anymore as well.
Her aim of accompanying Fang Zhengzhi to the Imperial Academy was merely to experience what it was like to invigilate an Imperial Examination. As for the vetting of scripts, she had no interest in that.
”Yan Xiu, I am slightly hungry as well. Where are we headed to for lunch?” Ping Yang rubbed her stomach and stared at the nonchalant Yan Xiu.
”Unravel Restaurant,” Yan Xiu answered without any delay.
”Unravel Restaurant? Hm, not bad, although that place is slightly further away, their stewed pork appeals to my taste buds. Let's go to Unravel Restaurant for lunch then. I am treating!” Ping Yang nodded in satisfaction before waving to the invigilators cheerily.
”Then let's go to the Unravel Restaurant for lunch. All of us.” Fang Zhengzhi agreed with Ping Yang's decision and walked towards the entrance.
All the invigilators stared at the three of them, dumbfounded. They were planning to go to the Unravel Restaurant which was so far away just to have a meal when the time was so tight?
This was something that was unprecedented.
However, the Chief Examiner had already spoken. They naturally could not go against his orders. After all, Fang Zhengzhi was the Chief Imperial Messenger of the Imperial Academy, that was to say, their boss.
Therefore…
All of them headed out of Imperial Academy.
Under the horrified and perplexed gazes of the candidates who just left the academy, they head towards the Unravel Restaurant.
”What is happening? The invigilators are not going to vet the scripts?”
”They went out together?”
”Are they actually going to eat?”
”That cannot be. In the past, weren't the invigilators extremely busy? How can they have time to go out for a meal?”
All the candidates had an incredulous expression on their face.
After which, they saw a bunch of invigilators led by Fang Zhengzhi and Ping Yang walked a total of an hour before they stepped into a place called Unravel Restaurant.
”They are really going to eat!”
All the candidates stared at the scene with widened eyes.
At the same time, the candidates who were celebrating the end of their examinations in the Unravel Restaurant also stared at the scene with shock. They were staring at Fang Zhengzhi and the invigilators entering the restaurant.
”Am I seeing things?”
”I think I am too!”
”The invigilators are actually coming to such a far place just to eat. Shouldn't they be vetting the scripts in the academy?”
No candidates believed what they saw. However, the truth was that the bunch of invigilators, Fang Zhengzhi and Ping Yang included just brazenly walked into a room on the second floor.
Then…
The Flame Capital City burst into a fanatical discussion once again!
Almost all the courtiers received the same news. After the Imperial Examination, not only did Fang Zhengzhi not vet the scripts, he even went to a restaurant in the South of the city called the Unravel Restaurant to have lunch.
”What is Fang Zhengzhi thinking? Isn't he afraid that he would not have enough time?”
”The Majesty gave him such an important job but he is making a fool out of himself! Heading halfway across the city just to have lunch? I have to reprimand him for this!”
”Forget it, he is now protected by the Emperor. Even the Crown Prince cannot do anything to him, you reprimanding him? Do you still want to live?”
”Just what, I want to see if he truly can finish vetting all the scripts in the allocated time. If he doesn't, how is he going to explain to the Majesty?”
The courtiers felt that Fang Zhengzhi's actions were unruly and disrespectful. However, under such circumstances, they could do nothing to change the situation.
Therefore…
They could only wait.
...
Fang Zhengzhi took his time with the meal. After the main course, he even ordered a plate of fruits and only finished his meal after two hours.
The invigilators were already extremely anxious and some could not even sit still. By the time they exited the restaurant, the sun was already setting and the sky had begun to turn dark.