A Woman's Verbal Confrontation, an Official's Intent Born of a Paper

At the same time, Qiu Yan, who had just stepped out of the Examination Hall, felt the pressure of the Examination Hall on his heart dissipate the moment he stepped out of the threshold. After taking two more steps, he felt something and sensed that Dragon Qi was about to seep out and fall from the ground and the sky. The Myriad People's Heart Fire in his soul began to flicker, and a scene of a temple appeared in it.

"Hmm? This Metropolitan Examination seems to have brought progress to his understanding of the Human Path..."

However, before he could investigate further, the people waiting outside the door surrounded him, and the area immediately became noisy.

What happened in front of the Examination Hall?

In the teahouse, Xu Ran, who had been waiting for a long time, frowned when she heard the noise. She looked up and saw Qiu Yan surrounded by people.

"It's him? He's out so early?" Xu Ran's words contained a hint of displeasure.

At the same time, the other women around him and Qi Jiulian also saw Qiu Yan. They exchanged glances, and the three women stood up.

"Young master, may I ask how my son did on the exam? By the way, what is my son's name...?"

"We are servants of the Langya Wang Clan. Our young master is known as the Langya Prodigy, handsome and unforgettable. You must remember him, sir..."

"Young Master Qiu! Young Master Qiu! We're from the same hometown in Jiannan. My brother often mentions your name. His Duan Yi is Duan Yi, and his room should be not far from yours. Did you see how he did on his exam? Did he show any difficulty?"

Qiu Yan has now gained a reputation, and because of Wen Zhizhen, many candidates recognize him. However, he is still a relatively unfamiliar face among those who escorted him to the exam. Many people assume that he was able to get out early by writing haphazardly, so they don't care about his identity. They just intend to find out how their young master or son did through Qiu An.

However, the examination hall was crowded with candidates from all over the country. Qiu Yan was so focused on the exam that he had no time to remember what other people looked like, let alone observe their expressions while Metropolitan Examination exam.

This time was different from the past. Although the Metropolitan Examination hall was also a part of Human Path, it was suppressed by the Examination Hall Will, and Qiu Yan had no energy to care about anything else.

"Make way!"

Just then, a cold, hard voice came from the crowd. Two guards who were with the four women walked over. As they walked, their flesh trembled, generating an invisible force that pushed aside the people along the way, creating a path for the women behind them.

The people along the way were naturally unwilling to let the matter rest. Many glared at them angrily, but when their eyes fell on the two of them, they instinctively felt fear, as if they had seen wild beasts in the mountains!

"Such a heavy killing intent!"

Even from a distance, separated by the crowd, Qiu Yan noticed the two guards as soon as he heard the voices and saw their figures. Immediately afterward, he sensed something and felt as if he saw a thick Blood Qi on the two men, and behind them seemed to be mountains of corpses and Blood Sea!

A faint, pungent smell of blood could even be detected in the air!

"These two must be veterans of Military School Sand Battlefield!"

With just one glance, Qiu Yan guessed the origins of the two men, and a flash of Spiritual Light struck him. "That's it. Military School Sand Battlefield is also a part of Human Path. My essays and policy proposals for this imperial Metropolitan Examination have already touched upon many details of Human Path, but they were limited to the heart of the Central Plains and did not mention foreign wars. The matter of the Marshlands is also different from the military affairs of the dynasty. I should pay attention to that in the future. However, it's better not to bite off more than you can chew. Let's take it one step at a time."

Just as Qiu Yan was pondering, the two people had already reached him. The people along the way gradually became intimidated by their power and captivated by the beauty of the women, and they slowly retreated, leaving an open space around Qiu Yan.

"Qiu..."

Upon seeing Qiu Yan, Song Qian was about to speak. Ever since she saw the image of Qiu Yan appear in the Heart Ape at the literary gathering, she knew that Qiu Yan was in the city. Afterwards, she asked Pang Qianru to search for him and confirmed the location of the inn where Qiu Yan was staying.

However, Qiu Yan seemed to be focused on preparing for the exam at that time, so Song Qian considered it carefully and did not go to disturb him, waiting until now.

However, before she could speak, Ji Zheng stepped forward, bowed to Qiu Yan, and said with a smile, "Young Master Qiu, we meet again."

"So it's Miss Ji. Please forgive me for what happened that time." Qiu Yan showed no surprise and calmly returned the greeting.

"You're too kind, young master," Ji Zheng smiled. "It was I who said I wanted to repay your kindness. You didn't make any promises, so what crime have you committed?"

"It would be best if the young lady wouldn't blame me." Qiu Yan didn't stand on ceremony and nodded in agreement. Although he had considered it at the time, he hadn't left any definitive statement. The two of them were well aware of the situation, so it couldn't be considered a breach of promise.

However, his words aroused dissatisfaction among Xu Ran, who was standing behind Ji Zheng. Xu Ran already disliked Qiu Yan because of Wen Zhizhen, and felt that the other party had done nothing but could be on par with Wen Zhizhen. She was very indignant about this, and upon hearing these words, she couldn't help but sneer.

This sound snapped Song Qian out of her daze. She looked at Ji Zheng, who was talking to Qiu Yan, with a puzzled expression.

In recent days, due to Xu Ran's connection, Song Qian and Pang Qianru were aware of Ji Zheng's background. Although the other party reacted to the name Qiu Yan on the night of the literary gathering, she did not inquire about it afterward. Therefore, Song Qian and Pang Qianru were unaware that Ji Zheng and Qiu Yan had a past relationship.

Seeing the two chatting and laughing, Song Qian was immediately filled with suspicion and uncertainty.

Just then, Qiu Yan suddenly turned around and said to Song Qian, "Miss Song, how have you been? It's been quite some time since Lin Zhong that day."

"It's rare that you still remember, young master." Song Qian lowered her head slightly and whispered, then continued, "I have some things I'd like to say to you, young master, but it's inconvenient today. I'll have to visit you another day."

"Oh?" Qiu Yan's jade pendant trembled slightly. Thinking he had grasped Song Qian's thoughts, he nodded. "I will certainly await your reply."

At this moment, Ji Zheng seized the opportunity and said, "Perfect timing. I also have something to discuss with you, young master. With your abilities, you are sure to bring good news in this imperial Metropolitan Examination. However, there are some things we need to pay attention to. You should know that most of the newly appointed scholars will enter the Hanlin Academy." She stopped speaking at this point, but the content of her words made Qiu Yan narrow his eyes.

"Hanlin Academy?"

"Young master! Young master! You've come out?"

"Woof! Woof! Woof!"

Just then, a loud roar came from the back of the crowd, making many people's ears ring. Then Hu Qi and Dai Guo dragged a stray dog through the crowd, but the dog was in a pitiful state, being trampled on.

"Hmm?" The two guards let out a soft exclamation, their gazes towards Hu Qi and his companion filled with a hint of wariness.

As soon as he arrived, Dai Guo exclaimed, "Young Master, you're out so early? I was just chatting with some people, and they said that usually, candidates don't hand in their papers until after noon. Those who hand in their papers too early are either unable to continue or feeling tormented."

"Second brother, shut up!" Hu Qi's expression changed, and he quickly reprimanded him.

Ji Zheng smiled and said, "You two are overthinking it. With Young Master Qiu's talent and learning, such a thing would never happen."

Qiu Yan shook his head and did not reply. The ranking of the Metropolitan Examination was not determined by words. The actual order depended on the people in the Examination Hall. Now, taking advantage of the opportunity of the imperial Metropolitan Examination, he came into contact with the Dragon Qi and will in the city. He had some insights, but he was still wavering and eager to explore them.

"This fluctuation likely stems from the Fortune behind the rankings, which can be used to explore the vicissitudes of Human Path."

With this thought in mind, Qiu Yan made a decision.

"Gentlemen, let's talk another day. I have to go now." With that, he cupped his hands to the group and walked away. With Hu Qi and Dai Guo guarding him, no one pressed him for answers, though some people still gossiped.

"Who is this person? Is he acquainted with these women?"

"This is no simple matter. I've heard of these women; they all have extraordinary backgrounds, yet they're all enamored with that great scholar from Jiangnan Wen Zhizhen! But now it seems their relationship with this examinee is also quite unusual."

"Really? I heard that Wen Zhizhen is shamelessly pursuing that Miss Xu Clan? Anyway, there's bound to be a good show to watch. I just wonder, what's the background of this examinee?"

"He doesn't even recognize him? This man is Qiu Yan, the top scholar from Jiannan. He has beautiful handwriting and is a renowned talent in Jiannan Circuit, his reputation no less than Wen Zhizhen's."

"Qiu Yan? I know him. He made a bet with Wen Zhizhen at the literary gathering, saying they Metropolitan Examination the provincial examination! He came out so early, does that mean he's admitting defeat?"

"Qiu Yan will lose? Brother, have you never been to Jiannan? If you had seen Qiu Yan's abilities, you would never have such a thought."

The discussions among the crowd clearly contained elements of misinformation, a mix of truth and falsehood that was difficult to discern, yet Qiu Yan's reputation gradually spread.

However, Qiu Yan didn't take these things too seriously. He Hu Qi, Dai Guo, along with their stray dog, left directly.

After his figure disappeared into the streets, Qi Jiulian arrived late, but he still couldn't muster the courage to apologize to Qiu Yan.

However, when he reached the outer edge of the crowd, he heard Pang Qianru's coquettish laughter. Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw Pang Qianru staring directly at Ji Zheng.

"Miss Ji, you've kept this well hidden. It seems there are still many things you haven't told us," Pang Qianru said with a radiant smile.

Ji Zheng responded calmly, "Sister, you're joking. You didn't ask about this before, so how can you blame me for hiding it from you?"

Sensing the tension between the two women, Qi Jiulian shook his head, feeling increasingly annoyed.

"I don't know how to fulfill my grandfather's request."

Meanwhile, in the side room of the Examination Hall, Hu Yong and Luo Zhongjie returned with Qiu Yan's examination paper.

"What did the Prime Minister say?" Inside the room, the other examiners, upon seeing the two figures, all inquired, clearly very curious about Wang Fu's handling of the matter.

Hu Yong and Luo Zhongjie exchanged a glance, both with bitter expressions on their faces.

Then, Hu Yong cleared his throat and said, "The Prime Minister's intention is to handle this scroll as usual and not to dismiss it!"

"You're not allowed to dismiss him?"

The examiners were taken aback by what they heard, then realized the hidden meaning in the words.

Someone said, "So, the Prime Minister doesn't think that exam paper was smuggled in? Could it be that it was truly created under the impetus of the Examination Hall, combined with favorable timing and location, and influenced by the Literary Thought?"

Upon hearing this, the crowd's gazes immediately shifted, revealing a growing fervor. (To be continued. Please search for the novel for better and faster updates!)