I Can't Bear to Have Your Head Cut Off

"Ranked 460th, Yang Zhen, a student of the Imperial Academy. Ranked 459th, Li Zhuming, a native of Hushui County, Qingzhou."

The official standing under the "wall of merit" loudly announced the list of names, and the moment he spoke, the originally noisy clamor fell silent.

Thousands of students listened intently, and when they heard their names called, some wept with joy, while others raised their arms and shouted excitedly.

"Erlang, why haven't we heard your name called yet?" Auntie asked anxiously.

"Mother, it's only a little over a hundred." Xu Lingyue comforted her, "Didn't you say that Second Brother was the top scholar?"

The aunt glared at her daughter; the brat dared to tease her.

"Erlang, it's not your turn yet."

When she was in the fiftieth place, my aunt became even more anxious, her brows furrowed.

"Wait a little longer." Xu Erlang frowned.

When the list reached the top ten, the aunt turned pale, feeling that her son was most likely to fail.

Xu Xinnian's eyes revealed a mixture of trepidation and excitement. It was a do-or-die situation. Recalling his elder brother's poem "The Road to Shu is Hard" and his own usual accumulation of knowledge, Erlang felt somewhat confident.

Finally, the announcement rang out. "Xu Xinnian, the top scholar of this year's imperial examination, a student of the Cloud Deer Academy, from the capital."

A loud "boom" rang in her ears, like a thunderclap, and her whole body trembled violently.

This thunderous sound also reverberated in the ears of thousands of students and the night Nightwatchers around them. Their first thought was: Impossible!

It is impossible for a student from the Cloud Deer Academy to become the top scholar in the imperial examination. The struggle for Confucian School orthodoxy has lasted for two hundred years, and it is an indisputable fact that students from the Cloud Deer Academy have been severely suppressed in officialdom.

Given this background, how could Huiyuan possibly be a student of the Cloud Deer Academy?

The last scholar from the Cloud Deer Academy to become a "Huiyuan" (top scholar in the provincial examination) was Layman Ziyang twenty years ago. But who Layman Ziyang?

That was a high-ranking scholar of the fourth rank.

Looking back twenty years later, it was perfectly reasonable for him to become the top scholar in the imperial examination, and even the top scholar in the palace examination. He was a hidden dragon all along.

However, looking at it another way, this scholar, who also came from the Cloud Deer Academy, fought his way through the fierce competition and became the top scholar.

Does this mean he also possesses the qualities of a great Confucian scholar?

For a time, many people were captivated.

These people were either wealthy men who had found husbands through the imperial examinations or members of the scholar-official class.

The practice of choosing a son-in-law based on the list of successful candidates in the imperial examinations has existed since ancient times. Although it was not popular during the Great Feng Dynasty, there were still quite a few Lineage who looked for sons-in-law by following the apricot-shaped list.

What they were waiting for was a scholar with outstanding talent and the potential to become a dragon among men, such as the current "top scholar" Xu Xinnian.

"Catching a son-in-law under the list of successful candidates" is a humorous term. Wealthy families would watch the list of successful candidates and send someone to their home to act as matchmaker, racing against time to find the right person.

Once the matchmaking is successful, the marriage is settled, and no one else can take it away from the other.

In an era where etiquette and law were paramount, one couldn't simply use pressure from elders and a single pill of Qi-gathering powder to annul an engagement. Unless one wanted to ruin their promising future.

Who is Xu Xinnian?

Who is Master Xu Xinnian?

From time to time, questions could be heard from the crowd.

A student turned around and looked around. Across the vast sea of people, he spotted Xu Xinnian, who had a blank expression. He immediately shouted, "Congratulations on your Cijiu! Xu Xinnian is over there!"

Whoosh! The first to rush over weren't the students, but those who intended to catch a husband after the exam results were announced, who, along with their entourages, surrounded Xu Xinnian.

"Is Xu Huiyuan married? I have a daughter, sixteen years old, beautiful as a flower. She wishes to marry you, sir."

"My family also has an unmarried daughter who is proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting."

Xu Xinnian retreated repeatedly.

Chun'er stood on tiptoe and watched for a moment, then said happily, "It's really interesting to find a husband among those who passed the imperial examination! Miss, I didn't expect the top scholar to be that handsome young man."

As soon as she finished speaking, the curtains were suddenly lifted, and Miss Wang, with her refined demeanor, slightly chubby cheeks, and a sweet, hidden charm, peeked out for a moment and said:

"Chun'er, let's go back."

On this side, Xu Xinnian, who had never seen such a scene before, frowned deeply.

Just as he was about to hurl insults at these tactless fellows, he suddenly saw several martial arts practitioners surging forward with ill intent, breaking through the "protective wall" formed by the guards, intending to take advantage of his mother and sister.

The entourage was forced to retreat repeatedly, and Aunt and Lingyue screamed in fright.

"Stop!"

Xu Erlang roared.

But it was no use; he couldn't stop so many people at all.

"Ha, such a rogue, no skill at all, but adept at taking advantage of trouble." The middle-aged swordsman watched this scene from afar with considerable disdain.

However, he didn't pay much attention to it. This minor disturbance would soon be stopped by the Nightwatchers and the soldiers, but the two stunningly beautiful women would probably be quite frightened.

"Stop!"

Suddenly, a deafening sound rang out. This time, it wasn't a psychological shock, but a real thunderclap that made the more than a thousand people present dizzy and their ears ring.

The riot was stopped immediately.

On the wall of the examination hall stood a young man dressed Nightwatchers, embroidered with a silver gong. He placed one hand on his sword, his sharp gaze sweeping over the group of troublemakers.

At the same time, the soldiers and Nightwatchers pushed through the crowd and finally arrived.

The moment she saw Xu Qi'an, the aunt felt a great weight lifted off her shoulders, as if she had found someone to rely on. The mother and daughter breathed a sigh of relief.

"Take those troublemakers away." Xu Qi'an pointed out several martial arts figures one by one, and the surrounding constables immediately went to arrest them.

The students below recognized Xu Qi'an and were pleasantly surprised, shouting, "It's Xu Shikui!"

"Greetings, Xu Shikui!"

Many students from Beijing greeted him with clasped hands, their attitude extremely respectful, as if they were paying respects to their seniors or teachers.

In fact, Xu Qi'an truly deserved such treatment. Based on his several masterpieces, even the most arrogant scholars would not dare to show arrogance in front of him.

However, the visiting students did not know Xu Qi'an's identity. Seeing that he was a Nightwatchers, they were initially quite disdainful. But the attitude of the scholars from the capital made them realize that this young silver gong player was no ordinary person.

"Brother, who is this man? So arrogant, he looks like nothing more than a brute."

"You don't know him... Oh, you're not from the capital. This gentleman is called Xu Qi'an, the Xu Qi'an whose fragrance lingers in the twilight."

"... So it was him. He is indeed a handsome and extraordinary man, True Person men, inspiring awe in all who behold him."

Now, students from other places know who he is. Xu Qi'an has a lot of "sasaeng fans" (obsessive fans), and he has gained a huge number of fans among the scholars in Great Feng by using the poems he copied.

In an instant, countless students bowed and greeted him, shouting "Xu Shikui!"

"How impressive..." Xu Lingyue murmured.

"How impressive..."

In the distance, Rongrong gazed at the young man on the wall with admiration in her eyes.

"I'm clearly the main character..." Xu Xinnian muttered to himself.

Xu Xinnian not only passed the imperial examination but also achieved the top rank: Huiyuan!

This was something the whole family hadn't expected.

My aunt was so happy, she was like a cross-dressing Fan Jin (a character from Journey to the West), and she almost fainted.

Uncle was also very happy and decided to hold a big banquet at home, inviting relatives and colleagues to drink. Now that the Xu Household is wealthy, they can easily hold a banquet for three days and three nights.

After finishing lunch, Xu Erlang put down his chopsticks, looked at Xu Qi'an, and asked, "Brother, are you still patrolling the streets today?"

Xu Qi'an shook his head.

He was the Silver Gong, and his street patrols were usually based on his mood, not mandatory. Moreover, now that the results of the exams had been announced, thousands of students had returned home to their mothers, so the pressure on public security wasn't as great as it had been in the morning.

Xu Erlang nodded, stood up, placed one hand on his stomach and the other behind his back, and said calmly, "Then I'll have to trouble you, elder brother, to guard the door for me. There will definitely be some annoying flies bothering me this afternoon, but I won't see them!"

This posture is usually seen on highly respected old scholars or officials.

Hey, this little buddy's putting on an act. Xu Qi'an's lips twitched.

Xu Xinnian's arrogant personality was inherited from his aunt. However, his sharp tongue was something he created himself. His aunt's ability to scold people was not very good, otherwise she wouldn't have been so angry at Xu Qi'an.

Xu Qi'an returned to his room, sat at his desk, and worried about Xu Erlang's future.

"My Erlang passed the provincial examination with top honors, something I never expected. Next, there's the palace examination a month from now. After that, my backup plan can be put to use (Zhao, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel)."

"Staying in the capital is only the first step. If I want Erlang to become someone useful to me, I need to find him a powerful backer. Otherwise, given his status as a student of the Cloud Deer Academy, he'll just spend his whole life in a low-level government office."

"Duke Wei is no longer the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and I don't know if he can get back such an important position. However, Erlang must not side with Wei Yuan or have any dealings with him, otherwise he will be branded as a member of the 'eunuch faction' like me."

"We can't put all our eggs in one basket. I must find him a powerful backer so that we brothers can one day join forces and dominate the court."

Xu Qi'an once said that he wanted to groom Xu Xinnian to become the Grand Secretary of the Great Feng Dynasty. Of course, this was a joke, but he did have the idea of "promoting" Xu Erlang.

After experiencing so much and offending so many people, this idea has become increasingly clear and profound.

First of all, Xu Erlang himself is extremely talented, follows the orthodox Confucian School system, and has decent shrewdness and skills. After several years of experience in officialdom, he is definitely a great teammate.

However, the drawbacks of being born into Confucian School orthodox family are also obvious—like a child without a mother!

"Princess Huaiqing is a woman, and I suspect she is secretly cultivating her own power, but Erlang wants a solid backer, not to become an underground party member."

"As for the Crown Prince, I broke ties with my mother-in-law, Consort Chen, after the Consort Fu case, so I'm not considering him. Besides, the Crown Prince is too low-level and not good enough for my Erlang. For the same reason, the Fourth Prince is also out."

After going through the options in his mind, he realized that he couldn't find a suitable backer within the civil service.

Sigh. Never mind, this isn't urgent. After the palace examination, Erlang's matter will be temporarily settled. Next, I need to be wary of the Buddhist School delegation and the Celestial Person between Li Miaozhen and Chu Yuanzhen. Sigh, these kinds of disputes over lineage are the most troublesome. Xu Qi'an pinched his brow and muttered:

"For me, advancing to the Bronze Skin and Iron Bones Realm as soon as possible is the most important thing."

He washed his face and went out. Xu Yinluo was busy with thousands of Xu Erlang every day, so how could he have time to guard the door for a mere Xu Erlang?

Mounting a mare and carrying the two novels Zhong Li had written, Xu Qi'an spurred his horse into the imperial city. He then took out the jade belt bestowed upon him by Lin'an and, led by the Imperial Guards, arrived at Shaoyin Garden.

Lin'an was delighted by Xu Qi'an's unexpected visit and ordered palace maids to serve the best tea and the most delicious pastries to entertain the lackey.

"How has Your Highness been lately?" Xu Qi'an asked.

Lin'an sighed, her peach-blossom eyes losing their charm, and she hung her head dejectedly. "My mother cries to me every day, saying that she is being bullied by the Empress in the harem and is on the verge of not surviving."

"Where are the people behind Consort Chen? Aren't they going to help her? Hmm, Consort Chen is a skilled palace intrigue fighter; she shouldn't be this incompetent. She's probably deliberately feigning helplessness in front of Lin'an, trying to achieve her goal indirectly. "Xu Qi'an asked in surprise.

"The Empress is going too far! Your Highness, are you just going to stand by and watch Consort Chen be humiliated in the harem?"

"But I can't beat Huaiqing, and besides, I don't think Mother Consort is as miserable as she says," she said, feeling wronged.

"You're looking for His Majesty?" Xu Qi'an asked tentatively.

"You may leave now," Lin'an waved away the palace maids.

The hall fell silent; no one spoke for a long time.

"Dog lackey"

She let out a weak, feeble cry.

"Yes, Your Highness, please speak."

"When my elder brother, the Crown Prince, was imprisoned in the Dali Temple, I went to plead with my father, but he wouldn't see me. So I stood in the cold for two hours until Huaiqing sent me back."

Lin'an lowered her head sadly, the little beast with a hint of inferiority. "Back then, I thought, maybe Father Emperor didn't love me that much. After my brother, the Crown Prince, had his accident, my brothers and sisters stopped playing with me, and I realized that they didn't really like me after all."

Her eyebrows drooped, her once clear and charming peach blossom eyes were now dull and lifeless, and her head was slightly lowered. She looked nothing like a princess; she was clearly a wronged and pitiful girl.

Xu Qi'an knew that this was because Prince Lin'an trusted him immensely, which was why she had shed her princess pride in front of him and revealed herself to be nothing more than a girl who wasn't too stupid, but wasn't particularly clever either.

These things must have been bottled up inside her for a long time; at least she realized this reality after the Crown Prince's incident. But she didn't show it and maintained her princess pride.

Even after the Consort Fu case concluded, she belatedly realized the truth behind it. What were her feelings at that time? Sadness, helplessness, disappointment?

This princess appears spoiled and willful, but she's actually a paper tiger with a fierce exterior. When she's wronged, she just yells and screams, but she silently endures the real hurt.

She is essentially a submissive woman, beautiful, but outwardly strong but inwardly weak.

Lin'an's eyes gradually blurred. Saying these words made her feel much better. Although the lackey could not give her anything, and even hesitated to help her seek justice in front of Huaiqing, Lin'an was already very happy that he was willing to offend Huaiqing for her sake.

Suddenly, a hand pressed down on her head and rubbed it.

Lin'an looked up in surprise and realized that the lackey had somehow walked up to him, his eyes filled with a helpless pity for his misfortune and resentment at his lack of resistance.

"Your Highness, I will stay with you."

Lin'an's face gradually flushed red, and she whispered, "You, you shouldn't touch my head, I'll get angry."

Xu Qi'an defied the princess's orders and vigorously ruffled her hair, making it messy.

Lin'an opened her peach blossom eyes wide and glared at him, seemingly trying to intimidate the lackey with her princess's authority. However, although her eyes were charming and amorous, they were actually not dangerous.

Lin'an lowered his head again.

Well, the best way to deal with a girl with this kind of personality is to be appropriately domineering and persistent. If it were Huaiqing, I probably would have been stabbed to death.

An ambiguous atmosphere began to develop between the two of them.

Xu Qi'an withdrew his hand in time, took out the novel "The Great Sage of Love" from his pocket, placed it in front of Lin'an, and smiled:

"This is a book I came across by chance. It's quite interesting. The princess enjoys stories, so I'm sure she'll like it too. But please don't tell her it's a gift from me."

Lin'an's attention was immediately drawn to "The Great Sage of Love".

"If you find staying in the palace boring, why not move to Lin'an Prefecture? That way, I can visit you every day and even secretly take you outside."

After exchanging a few words, he said goodbye and left.

"Xu Qi'an!"

Lin'an called out to him, puffing out his cheeks, and threatened fiercely, "What happened today must not be told to anyone, otherwise, otherwise..."

I wanted to say, "Otherwise, I'll chop off your head," but I was also a little reluctant.

"Understood," Xu Qi'an said.

Xu Qi'an left Shaoyin Garden and said to the Imperial Guards, "I have important business to discuss with the Princess. Please lead me there."

"This is against the rules." The Imperial Guard shook his head.

"I can wait outside the palace; that would be in accordance with the rules." Xu Qi'an casually slipped her a ten-tael silver note.

The Imperial Guards agreed, took Xu Qi'an away from the palace, and told him to wait outside while they went in to inform the Emperor.

Before an incense stick had burned, the Imperial Guards returned, saying, "Princess Huaiqing requests your presence."

Xu Qi'an smirked, placed his hand on his chest, and thought to himself, "Huaiqing, Huaiqing, witness the power of a domineering female CEO and a naive, innocent scholar."

It's sure to hit your sweet spot.

PS: Updated first, revised later.