Chapter 158

Rong Mo's injury had been a false alarm, leaving Rong Xi both amused and exasperated.

He had merely acted on a whim, yet Rong Mo had tirelessly pursued the truth. Rong Xi felt heartache, but also gratification.

Thinking of this, he remembered Guo Zigui.

He wondered whether the fleet was safe and sound by now.

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, the Palace Examination ended, and Rong Lian was indeed named the Top Scholar by the Emperor.

He was young and handsome. Having spent so long with Rong Xi, his thoughts and ideas had been influenced by Rong Xi and happened to suit the Emperor's tastes.

Moreover, he had originally been the Metropolitan Laureate, and his talent was far from ordinary. The Emperor was pleased on a whim, so naming him the Top Scholar was only natural.

When the news reached Linxi, Madam He was overjoyed. Even Rong Weijing's expression softened considerably.

They had assumed Rong Lian would spend several years training at the Hanlin Academy, but unexpectedly, he requested an external posting.

An external posting was acceptable; he could treat it as a chance to accumulate experience.

But no one could have imagined that he would request a post in Great Wei's Southern Frontier.

Great Wei's northern and southern territories were both vast, but in terms of prosperity, the south could not compare with the north at all.

In the court's eyes, the south was a land of barren mountains and treacherous waters, its people unenlightened and exceptionally difficult to govern.

Rong Lian's decision astonished everyone.

By rights, although Rong Weijing was no longer a minister, Rong Xi's reputation remained strong. He was valued by the Emperor and close to Prince Qin, so Rong Lian's future official career was bound to be smooth sailing.

Why would