"I thought this way, and I acted this way."
So said Jiang Wang.
True indeed!
How he had conducted himself these past days had been seen by every attentive observer.
With the status of a duke or marquis, he had traveled between several offices each day, inspecting and supervising examinations across dozens of cities. Disregarding anyone's background and taking no relationships into account, he had cut down malpractice with his sword.
He truly could speak those words with a clear conscience.
On the high platform, Su Guanying and Shi Mingcheng had fallen silent. Their gazes dropped toward the examination grounds, their expressions turning grave.
At this moment, the atmosphere at Tiger Terrace was strange.
Jiang Wang was earnestly explaining how he had approached this official examination, as though he truly wished to tell Zhao Zi of his feelings, his choices, and his actions.
Zhao Zi was earnestly listening to Jiang Wang's explanation, as though she truly cared about it and truly needed that explanation.
Meanwhile, throughout Tiger Terrace, everyone went about their own tasks—those regulating their breathing did so, those standing guard stood guard, and those patrolling patrolled. At present, the official examination itself was the most important matter. What the two of them were talking about was not important, even if one of them was the Marquis of Wu'an.
When no one cared about it at all, the seriousness of the two of them instead seemed exceedingly absurd.
"I believe you truly thought this way, and truly acted this way. We have seen much of it these past days." Zhao Zi sat before the desk, speaking neither quickly nor slowly, with the air of a scholar. "But such fairness cannot last. It exists only within your personal will. What happens after you leave?"
Jiang Wang said, "I have always