Half an hour later.

Thanks to Jiang Chen's strong leadership and decisive handling, the impact of the imperial examination scandal was nipped in the bud.

In some ways, it could even be said that the crisis had been turned into an opportunity.

Jiang Chen's fair and dignified attitude, along with his tolerant spirit, greatly improved his reputation among the common people. Some of the more sentimental scholars from humble backgrounds even privately hailed him as an unparalleled enlightened ruler.

Of course, Jiang Chen himself was unaware of these minor details.

At this moment, he had already led his ministers back to the Jinluan Hall (Hall of Golden Bells).

This was the venue he had personally selected for the palace examination, overriding all objections.

Firstly, it was to facilitate the grading and invigilation, ensuring his control over the appointment of the top three candidates and preventing any favoritism.

Secondly, it was to expose these imperial examination candidates to the aura of imperial power, establishing his authority, winning hearts, and making them proud to be disciples of the Son of Heaven.

Returning to the Dragon Throne, Jiang Chen looked down upon the assembled masses, the emperor's might surrounding him, making it impossible for them to meet his gaze directly.

He was surrounded by several key ministers.

On this special day, they had been exceptionally granted chairs. Although simple in design, this honor filled them with trepidation and gratitude. Not only did they not complain, but they were also filled with gratitude.

To facilitate the candidates' palace examination, the layout of the Jinluan Hall had also undergone several changes.

The originally spacious hall was now filled with desks and tables, and the candidates were arranged according to their rankings in the provincial examination. The higher their ranking, the closer they were to the emperor.

Of course, for security reasons, even the foremost position was still a considerable distance from the emperor.

Moreover, there were screens and other partitions in between, preventing the candidates from glimpsing the imperial countenance. However, Jiang Chen could observe the candidates from an overlooking perspective.

At this moment, the auspicious hour had arrived.

The examination question had also been announced: an essay on governance.

Personally set by Jiang Chen, the theme was: "Inquire into the politics of an emperor, and the heart of an emperor!"

This topic carried a strong personal style and was almost heretical, shocking many candidates and leaving the court officials dumbfounded, hesitant to speak.

Jiang Chen could see what the old fogeys under him were thinking, but he didn't care, or rather, he didn't care at all.

He had put so much effort into organizing this imperial examination to promote talents who aligned with his own views.

Now that he was just one step away from success, he wouldn't let these old guys sabotage it!

The sundial in the hall slowly moved, and the passage of time prompted the candidates to pick up their pens and begin answering the questions.

Regardless of whether their answers were correct, filling the paper was always better than submitting a blank one.

As the scholars buried themselves in their writing, the rustling sound of pens filled the solemn hall.

In contrast to the quiet candidates, the atmosphere among the high-ranking officials at the head of the hall was much more relaxed. Some even began to flatter each other.

"Lord Zhang, your son truly deserves to be called the literary champion of the imperial capital!"

"Looking around, your son is the fastest to pick up his pen and the most composed in his posture. It seems that the top scholar position is definitely within his grasp!"

"Haha, thank you for your kind words! However, the Great Wei has many talented individuals. Before the dust settles, no one can say for sure who the victor will be!" Zhang Liming stroked his beard modestly, but his beaming face betrayed his true thoughts.

Hearing their conversation, Jiang Chen frowned and followed their gaze.

He saw a young man in brocade robes sitting in the front row, his face oily and powdered, his brow full of arrogance.

This candidate, who could be identified as a noble son at a glance, was Zhang Liming's eldest son, Zhang Yongsi.

Jiang Chen scrutinized the man for a few moments, his frown deepening.

He was promoting the imperial examination to suppress the aristocratic families. What would it mean if he chose such a young master as the top scholar?

Just as Jiang Chen was feeling agitated, a figure in cloth suddenly caught his eye.

It was Song Xun!

Knowing that this poor scholar was able to sit in the front row because of Shi Ping's arrangement, Jiang Chen felt his resentment towards the Minister of Rites lessen somewhat. He decided to give Shi Ping a chance to redeem himself when dealing with the local imperial examination fraud case later on.

After all, Song Xun was the one he admired most in this imperial examination.

It would be even better if he could defeat Zhang Yongsi!

However, as the saying goes, "There is no first in martial arts, but there is no second in literature."

To win the top scholar position, Song Xun's essay had to be outstanding enough to overpower the crowd... Could he do it?

Just as Jiang Chen was considering whether to manipulate the results behind the scenes, Mei Wenshi spoke up.

"Your Majesty, Lord Zhang's eldest son has been intelligent since childhood. He was a child prodigy renowned throughout the city at the age of six. His *Ode to the Willow* poem at the age of twenty even made paper scarce in the imperial capital. He is a popular candidate for the top scholar position in this imperial examination."

"I wonder, who has more talent, him or the scholar specially pardoned by Your Majesty?"

Mei Wenshi's expression was gentle, and his tone was casual, as if he were simply chatting. If the provocative intent in his words wasn't so obvious, Jiang Chen would have thought that this old fox had changed his nature and learned to speak human language.

However, Zhang Liping's writing skills were very mediocre, even inferior to those of some minor officials.

Was this 'prodigy' son really his biological son?

It wasn't that Jiang Chen was maliciously speculating about his ministers, but Zhang Liping was Mei Wenshi's lackey, and had often tripped him up in the court in the past. It was impossible to think of this guy in a positive light.

"Ahem, Your Majesty, Lord Mei, my son does have some talent. It's a bit condescending to compare a country scholar to him!" Zhang Liming interjected.

His voice was somewhat displeased, as if comparing his son to Song Xun was an insult.

However, his attitude was met with the approval of most of the court officials.

In the Great Wei, one's background basically determined one's future.

All the court officials came from famous families.

Their glory, power, and status all came from their families, so they were very disdainful of commoners like Song Xun who came from ordinary backgrounds.

"That's right, how can this Song Xun, a commoner, compare to Lord Zhang's eldest son, a scion of a noble family?"

"That's right, even if a country bumpkin happens to learn some writing, he will never be able to enter the hall of elegance!"

Jiang Chen sat on the Dragon Throne, listening coldly, his heart filled with dissatisfaction.

Song Xun was someone he had personally and exceptionally recruited. These ministers were calling him incompetent and lowly, who's face were they slapping?

To put it bluntly, you have to look at the owner when you beat a dog.

In a situation where he, the emperor, had already made his attitude clear, they still dared to publicly go against him. Wasn't that a provocation? He had to teach these old folks a lesson!

Thinking of this, Jiang Chen sneered, "It seems that you ministers have a lot of free time. The results of the imperial examination haven't even been released yet, and you've already started discussing the candidates for the top scholar. How interesting."

Mei Wenshi cupped his hands, his attitude respectful, and said, "Your Majesty, it's not that we are idle, but that young master Zhang is so talented that the other candidates simply cannot compare to him, making it impossible not to praise him!"

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow, "Is that so? Since you ministers are so confident, why don't we make a bet?"