long time without saying a word."How come you've forgotten to thank me now" Li Chen said calmly.Zheng Bao-rong awoke as if from a dream, and eagerly kowtowed, joyfully exclaiming: “Your humble servant...Chapter 123: The Imperial Examination and Another Question

Here comes a young scholar, elegant and refined.

Clad in a plain blue-green scholar's robe, he held a folding fan. There were no extravagant decorations, and his clothes were made of common fabric. However, he possessed a gentle and elegant air, giving off a feeling of warmth and approachability.

At this moment, he fixed his gaze on Li Chen, who was holding Su Jinpa's wrist, his eyes flickering with disbelief.

Su Jinpa turned her head and saw him, smiling softly. "It's Young Master Hou."

Hou Yushu's gaze fell on Li Chen. He asked Su Jinpa, "This young master seems unfamiliar. He came out of the General's Mansion with Miss Su. I wonder if he is a relative of Miss Su"

Hou Yushu's questions were very insightful.

Although she was clearly probing Li Chen's identity, it didn't feel unpleasant at all.

Clearly, he cared about how he appeared in Su Jinpa's eyes and knew that Su Jinpa despised wastrels.

Su Jinpa was about to answer, but when Li Chen reached out and half-hugged Su Jinpa in his arms, he calmly looked at Hou Yushu and said, "I'm not her relative, I'm her fiancé."

Upon hearing this, Hou Yushu's face was filled with disbelief.

"Miss Su, when did you get married!"

Su Jin was furious, but before she could retort, Li Chen snatched her words away and said, “It was just decided a few days ago, and General Su has already agreed. It’s all a coincidence and fate. My father and General Su have known each other for many years, and the betrothal had been arranged long ago. Now it's just officially confirmed. In a few days, there will be dowry and marriage documents sent to our house.”

Upon hearing this, Hou Yushu could no longer contain his refined and gentle demeanor. He exclaimed angrily, "Miss Su has always cherished her freedom, how could she possibly accept a marriage arranged by her parents years ago!"

"Behave yourself!"

Li Chen let out a cold snort, his face expressionless. "Marriage is a serious matter, not to be trifled with. It has always been arranged by matchmakers and decided by parents. When did it become your turn to make the decisions And as an outsider, you have no right to speak. With your scholar's attire, have you even achieved any fame"

Li Chen has long held a high position, and now he controls the core of imperial power. He only needs to wait for the emperor to die, and Zhao Xuanji bows his head, allowing him to immediately ascend the throne and rule the world. Such a majestic demeanor is beyond comparison to Hou Yushu, a mere scholar.

His aura was instantly crushed. Hou Yushu, terrified, subconsciously replied, "I have passed the township examination and obtained the qualification for the provincial examination. I just need to wait until after the opening of the year in March for the provincial examination to be held."

"Speaking of which, Hou Yushu seemed to regain a bit of confidence and proudly said: "Although I am not well-educated, I am confident that I can pass the imperial examinations and achieve the honor of becoming a jinshi!"

"Passing the township examination and obtaining qualifications for the metropolitan examination is indeed quite good."

Li Chen's voice suddenly rose, "After passing the township exam, one can enter the capital to serve as an official and be called 'master,' but you don't even understand that marriage is arranged by one's parents, I think all those books of sage teachings you've read are for nothing."

Seeing Hou Yushu's defiant expression, Li Chen said calmly: "Even if you pass the provincial examination, it's nothing. If you have the ability to enter the top ten of the provincial examination and get qualified for the palace examination, then you have the capital to stand before me."

The imperial examination, or *hui*, is the national exam that takes place in the capital for scholars who have passed the county and prefectural examinations (the *xiang* test).

Only those who ranked in the top ten on the Huìshì examination could be called "jinshi," and only these ten jinshi were eligible to take the Dìngshì, where the emperor himself set the exam questions. This was even more prestigious than determining the Zhuangyuan (first-ranked), Bangyan (second-ranked), and Tanhua (third-ranked) scholars.

Now that Emperor Taixing is no longer able to preside over the next imperial examination, it must be Li Chen who takes his place.

That's why Li Chen said that Hou Yushu had to pass the palace examination before she was eligible to speak with him.

Ke Hou Yushu obviously misunderstood.

"May I ask, sir, with such bold pronouncements, considering all the talented scholars in the world as nothing Since you are so confident that you can place within the top ten of the examination, you must not be an unknown person. Please tell me your esteemed name!"ow many It's only the area within the capital region, West Mountain, and South River, plus half of Liaodong.""As for other territories, the old minister can control one-third, another third is in the...