As soon as that inner voice rang out, an eerie silence fell over the front rows of the Golden Hall.
Emperor Deyuan: *?!*
The First Imperial Prince was stealing the examination papers?!
They were kept in the Imperial Study. How was he going to steal them?!
The officials in the front rows: *!!*
They had already gotten a juicy mouthful of gossip before even invigilating. If they went, wouldn't they gorge themselves to bursting?!
The Minister of War: You've all been chief examiners before, but I haven't. None of you had better fight me for this?!
The Minister of Works: Not fight? Impossible?!
Six people, one position. How could they not fight until heads split and blood flowed?!
The Six Ministers of the Six Ministries lowered their eyelids, their gazes darkening as they squared up, ready to get down to business.
Storm clouds gathered over the front rows of the Golden Hall, with dark currents surging beneath.
The officials in the back rows: What exactly was happening up front? They kept going mute.
It made those in the back think something momentous had happened.
Someone grumbled quietly, "Exactly. It's exhausting."
More exhausting than servicing five rich women at once!
[Let me see. Has the First Imperial Prince gotten his hands on the examination papers yet?]
[Oh, oh, he hasn't stolen them yet. He's planning to do it tonight!!]
[For this, the First Imperial Prince not only trained hard in lightness skills to scale walls and flit over rooftops, but secretly learned needlework too, all so he could make himself a set of Night Clothes!]
[The First Imperial Prince... works so hard!]
[While I was sleeping, the First Imperial Prince was already embroidering with a needle in hand!]
*[Damn it, I kind of hate him, so why do I also kind