Before the Storm, Hearts in Shadow

"Qiu Yan, let's settle this in the exam hall."

Wen Zhizhen looked at Qiu Yan and smiled faintly, revealing a confident demeanor. He had just walked from the area where the candidates from Jiangnan Circuit were located to the gathering place of the candidates from Jiannan Circuit, attracting the attention of countless people along the way.

Now that these words have been spoken, dozens of eyes have fallen on the two of them at the same time, and finally focused on Qiu Yan's face. To these people, Wen Zhizhen is already a very familiar person, but Qiu Yan's face is a little unfamiliar, so they can't help but discuss and ask some questions.

Since his moment of glory at the literary gathering that day, Wen Zhizhen has been frequently invited by talented scholars, officials, and dignitaries in the city to participate in poetry gatherings and literary collections, where he would compose poems and essays. For a time, Wen Zhizhen has become quite prominent in the literary circles of Prosperity Capital, and has gained considerable influence.

Of course, there were also people who helped behind the scenes; otherwise, this situation wouldn't have been possible.

"That person is Qiu Yan? He doesn't look like he has any superhuman abilities, yet he's been hyped up like that."

In a teahouse some distance from the Examination Hall, Xu Ran, Pang Qianru, Song Qian, and Ji Zheng, dressed as men, sat around a table, observing the crowd from afar.

The teahouse where they were located seemed to be prepared for those seeing off the examinees; from this angle, they could just see Wen Zhizhen and Qiu Yan.

However, despite the fact that the four women were clearly dressed as men, no one else dared to approach them, because of the two guards standing on either side.

These two men were not particularly tall, dressed in shorts, and stood upright, looking no different from ordinary servants. However, anyone who looked at them felt a tremor from the bottom of their hearts, as if they were seeing some kind of ferocious beast rather than people!

The instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm will cause other people accompanying students to the exam to keep their distance.

The four women seemed oblivious. Upon hearing Xu Ran's whisper, the other three smiled slightly but did not respond. They knew, of course, that Xu Ran was deeply in love with Wen Zhizhen. In recent days, to help Wen Zhizhen establish herself in Prosperity Capital, she had mobilized many people to make arrangements for Wen Zhizhen. Otherwise, how could Wen Zhizhen have received so many invitations in such a short time? Even some prominent families had shown some goodwill.

The cultivation of this reputation was actually a process of building momentum and Cultivating Prestige. During the half month that Qiu Yan devoted himself to studying, Wen Zhizhen had already cultivated a certain level of People's Prestige in Xingjing Imperial City. Every move he made attracted attention. Today, on the day of the Metropolitan Examination, he chose the moment when everyone was watching to come to Qiu Yan. With just a few words, he immediately stirred up a huge wave of discussion.

As word spread, everyone came to know the name Qiu Yan.

In fact, as Wen Zhizhen's reputation grew in Prosperity Capital, the events of that literary gathering also spread. Some people ridiculed him, while others felt indignant. But in any case, Wen Zhizhen had demonstrated his true talent and abilities, earning both fame and substance. Qiu Yan, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen, yet his reputation was already widespread. How could he possibly win people's hearts?

Throughout history, there has never been a clear first place in literature. We are all scholars, and unless we are truly overwhelmed by pressure, how many of us would consider ourselves inferior to others?

"Is this Qiu Yan? Judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem to have anything special about him."

"That's not how it works. That day, Chancellor Zhang paid close attention to this person. After I returned, I visited many relatives and friends and finally got some information. That's when I realized that this person's background was extraordinary."

"Hmm? He has connections?"

This discussion eased the tension many people felt about the Metropolitan Examination.

"That's right! I heard that when Qiu Yan was in Jiannan Circuit, he Chancellor Ma!"

"Now that you mention it, it's quite possible. Chancellor Ma did indeed go to the Southern Border a couple of years ago."

Immediately, someone said in a strange tone, "Well, I knew it. Wen Zhizhen is incredibly talented, which is why he has such a reputation. This Qiu Yan hasn't accomplished anything, yet he seems to be on par with him. So he's a protégé of the Prime Minister. My apologies for my oversight."

"We study hard for years, decades, or even longer, but we still can't compare to a famous teacher and his outstanding student," someone else complained indignantly. "No wonder even the Chancellor Zhang favored this person! Qiu Yan is, by all accounts, his nephew or niece."

The person who spoke these words was not far from Qiu Yan and the others, and their voices came over intermittently.

Wen Zhizhen smiled calmly, turned to face the crowd, and wanted to say a few words of reassurance to show her magnanimity and composure. Zhou Guan, on the other hand, was indignant and felt that public opinion was a powerful force, so he was about to speak up to defend Qiu Yan.

On the contrary, Qiu Yan, the person involved, narrowed his eyes, stared at Wen Zhizhen's back, and remained silent.

However, before the two could speak, a cold laugh came from the side, accompanied by a word—

"Madness!"

These two words came abruptly, and were pronounced clearly. As soon as they were spoken, those around them instinctively stopped talking and looked in the direction of the sound, only to be met with a face full of mockery.

Feng Zhao!

Upon seeing that face, Qiu Yan immediately recognized the person.

This man's name was Feng Zhao. He lived in the same inn as Luo Jiayun and others, but he was not a sociable person. Qiu Yan had met him once when he first went to the Book Hoard Inn. At that time, the man poured cold water on Wen Zhizhen amidst cheers, giving people a cynical feeling.

Unexpectedly, the other party spoke up at this moment.

"Ma Yang and Zhang Lian are both from the Old Party, while Wang Fu, who is in charge of the reform, is from the New Party. If Qiu Yan is really Ma Yang's disciple, then he will face greater risks in this Imperial Examinations than ordinary candidates like us."

Feng Zhao sneered, looking at the crowd with eyes full of sarcasm and mockery. "Tell me, if you were the examiners, would you have chosen such a person as an official?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.

It's perfectly fine for people to discuss the New and Old Parties in private, but here we are, just steps away from the Examination Hall, with imperial soldiers nearby, and the prime minister himself in charge—one of the key figures from New and Old Parties. Under such circumstances, who would dare to interfere in state affairs?

Moreover, Feng Zhao uttered the names of Ma Yang and the others without any embellishment or respect, which terrified everyone who heard it.

On the other hand, Feng Zhao's words were the most in line with reality, causing the surrounding discussions to come to an abrupt halt.

"Brother Feng, you..." Luo Jiayun looked at Feng Zhao with surprise. In his memory, Feng Zhao was always taciturn and had never spoken up for anyone before. Why was he now speaking up for Qiu Yan?

Noticing the gazes directed at him, Feng Zhao sneered, glanced around, and finally fixed his gaze on Qiu Yan's face. He shook his head and said, "Don't misunderstand. I have no intention of currying favor with the powerful. I just can't stand some people's intentions. How many of you here don't understand what I'm saying? If you really don't understand, then you've been studying too much and become stupid. How could you possibly pass the provincial examination and have the mind to participate in the Metropolitan Examination?"

It was not easy for a scholar to pass the Xiucai examination and become a successful candidate. In addition to testing their own knowledge, they also needed to be able to understand people's hearts. There were certainly bookworms who were so engrossed in their studies that they became foolish, but if they did not understand human relationships, it would be difficult for them to go very far on the path of the Imperial Examinations.

"You've seen through it all, yet you still said those things. Your intentions are questionable. Are you perhaps trying to find excuses for failing the exam? Or are you keeping some backup plans?" Feng Zhao sneered, but the surroundings were completely silent.

After a while, Wen Zhizhen finally spoke, "What this brother says makes sense. I appreciate everyone's good intentions, but I believe that Brother Qiu is not that kind of person, and the court will not allow such a thing to happen." His voice was a little hoarse, but the smile on his face remained.

With these words, everyone had a way out. Their previous discussion of Qiu Yan's behavior was no longer out of selfishness or malice, but out of concern and care for Wen Zhizhen's reputation.

Just then, soldiers nearby saw the crowd gathering and came over to Rogue Person.

On the other side, suddenly the sound of firecrackers crackling rang out, and then someone came over to take attendance.

The scene fell silent instantly, with only the sound of firecrackers remaining.

Everyone knew that the Metropolitan Examination about to officially begin. After their names were called, they were organized into a line and walked towards the gate of the Examination Hall, where they were searched one by one.

The search is actually quite simple. In addition to preventing smuggling, it is also necessary to prevent impersonation. The search involves comparing the candidates' characteristics and ages against documents and files.

In fact, after registering in the city, candidates from the same province also need to go through a joint guarantee process, which is a form of joint responsibility, meaning they are vouching for each other. Qiu Yan, Luo Jiayun, and Zhou Guan acted as each other's guarantors.

When it was Qiu Yan's turn to go up, the officer in charge of the search, after checking the documents and recognizing his identity, had a cold glint in his eyes. Then he grabbed Qiu Yan, the veins on his wrist throbbing, and he suddenly grabbed his arm, his fingers curling like an iron hoop, trapping Qiu Yan's arm through his clothes, his Hidden Force surging!

The candidates present were all scholars, people of high standing, so of course they couldn't be searched by letting their hair down or stripping off their clothes. But being touched from above through their clothes was just as unpleasant, and there was actually an opportunity to do something underhanded, which could even affect the candidates' State of Mind and cause them to malfunction in the examination.

"This person is Qiu Yan! Lord Tian specifically instructed us to keep an eye on him." The constable's expression remained calm, but his mind was racing. "Scholar Qiu, oh Scholar Qiu, I have no grudge against you. You can only blame yourself for offending someone you shouldn't have."

Thinking this, he kept releasing his Hidden Force with his hand, trying to move it over Qiu Yan's body. Unexpectedly, when he transmitted his thoughts, his hand did not move at all, as if it had been disconnected from his mind! It was stuck to Qiu Yan's arm.

"Hmm?" The constable was taken aback. Before he could react, Qiu Yan said, "Your strength has reached Hidden Force level of internal energy, which is quite an achievement. However, you probably didn't supplement your diet during training, so although you appear strong, your body is actually full of hidden injuries. Moreover, you only train the external aspects and don't strengthen the internal ones. I imagine you experience sharp pains in your lower ribs every two or three days now, right?" (To be continued. Please search for the novel for better and faster updates!)