Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!-Chapter 652: Palace Examination_1

Zhulan managed to contain her anger and continued reading. The investigation she had ordered was thorough. After she finished, she closed her eyes.

When Zhulan opened her eyes, she thought that if she was the one switching the prince, she would definitely have killed to avoid leaving any trace. The safest course would have been to eliminate the source. It was fitting that Rongchuan came close to dying.

However, none of these could prove that it was Rongchuan, especially since the child didn’t resemble the Emperor or the Empress at all. Those unaware might think the Ning Residence was scheming something!

In Zhoujia village, as Xue Mei watched her husband play with the children, she couldn’t contain her doubts any longer and said, "Recently, Zhang Datie and his wife have been lingering around our doorstep. Every time they see me, they seem like they want to say something but stop themselves. Don’t you think that’s strange?"

Because of them, she had been incessantly reminding her mother-in-law to keep a close watch on their children. She had not forgotten that Zhang Datie knew many brokers, and she didn’t confidently believe that Zhang Datie wouldn’t work for others. Ever since her father joined the civil service, she had been extra careful!

Jiang Sheng put down his son. "There’s been such a matter? Why are you only telling me now?"

"Haven’t you been resting continuously in the school? Zhang Datie and his wife haven’t done anything out of line, so I’ve just been keeping it to myself."

Now that she had spoken about it, she felt much more relieved.

Jiang Sheng asked, "Has something happened in Zhang Datie’s family?"

Xue Mei shook her head. "No, I specifically asked mother to inquire, and there’s nothing going on in Zhang Datie’s family."

Jiang Sheng was puzzled. "Could it be about Zhang Datie’s son and his studies?"

Xue Mei replied, "Isn’t his son already in the clan school?"

"I can’t be blamed for forgetting; there have been quite a few children entering the clan school recently. What could it be then?"

Xue Mei couldn’t figure it out either. "Let’s not think about it anymore. I should pay more attention to Chang Lian and Rongchuan."

Jiang Sheng calculated the days. "The palace exam is in two days."

A smile crept onto Xue Mei’s lips, as they had just received the list for the top scholars. "Chang Lian and Rongchuan have done us proud."

Jiang Sheng also smiled. "It’s not just about pride. Even the Clan Leader, who was having some trouble with his legs, walked faster than I did upon hearing the news—he was practically carried by the wind."

Xue Mei beamed. "These past few days have kept me very busy."

In the capital, the palace exam was just around the corner. Before dawn at the Zhou residence, Zhulan also got up early, as Chang Lian and Rongchuan needed to hurry to the palace for the exam.

Chang Zhong got up as well, yawning, "Big brother, brother-in-law, do your best."

Chang Lian kissed his little brother’s chubby face. "I’ve received your encouragement, brother."

Chang Zhong’s eyes widened, and he perked up, looking at Rongchuan expectantly, as if asking for a kiss too.

Rongchuan, who was quite nervous, saw the little one’s cute expression and forgot his nerves, quickly giving him a kiss. "Thank you for the encouragement, Chang Zhong."

Zhulan reminded them both, "Don’t be too nervous, just stay calm."

Chang Lian responded, "Mother, please rest assured."

Rongchuan smiled, "Auntie, I and big brother will maintain a good mindset."

Zhulan personally escorted the two to the gate, and only when the carriage had gone distant and the lantern hanging on it was no longer visible did she turn back with her own lantern.

On her way back to the rear courtyard, Zhulan felt the breeze. "The temperature has risen quite a bit these past few days; it’s time to put away the heavy capes."

Granny Song, "The tree branches have sprouted buds these past few days; soon, we’ll be able to eat wild greens."

Zhulan reminisced, "I remember, back when I was in Zhou’s Village, it was still quite cold around this time of year, and it didn’t turn green as quickly as here. In the blink of an eye, I haven’t been back for many years."

Her stay in Zhou’s Village was indeed short, but being a new place, it held a different significance.

Granny Song, "This time, the third young master and young master Rongchuan made it onto the golden list, and they need to return home to pay homage to their ancestors."

Zhulan stepped over the threshold, "Indeed, it’s time to go back and pay homage to the ancestors."

She and Zhou Shuren were outsiders, but Chang Lian was a true descendant of the Zhou family; different from Zhou Shuren, who was a fake offering ancestor worship. Besides, the last time Zhou Shuren didn’t perform the ancestor worship, it was old Zhou who did it on his behalf.

The Zhou family’s carriage arrived at the palace gate, where many had already gone through the inspection. Chang Lian got off the carriage first, then extended a hand to assist Rongchuan.

Ever since Chang Lian fully accepted Rongchuan in his heart, he always took care of him subconsciously, given that he was older.

Jinyan led the way with a lantern, Rongchuan stood on tiptoes for a glance, "This line is rather long."

Chang Lian stretched out his hand to feel the temperature, "Fortunately, it’s not too cold today."

It wasn’t long before it was Chang Lian and Rongchuan’s turn. The sky was growing brighter as the two related by family entered the palace gate together.

They soon found their respective places, both being fairly near the front.

Once everyone had arrived and queued up properly, they entered the grand hall.

Inside the hall, there was a moment of exceptional silence until the Emperor arrived and they performed their salutations.

The Emperor sat on the Dragon Throne with the Crown Prince standing by his side. Since the candidates all bowed their heads, and with the hall being somewhat dim, the Emperor didn’t look closely, and spoke indifferently, "Rise and be seated."

After that, they all took their seats in succession. The Emperor posed the questions, and soon enough, people began to write.

The Emperor also didn’t walk around but closed his eyes to rest. It was just the beginning and there was no rush.

The Crown Prince Yuguang watched his father, wishing he could sit down and rest too!

As time ticked by, Rongchuan and Chang Lian began to write only after carefully planning their essays in their minds.

Chang Lian was grateful to his biological father, who taught pragmatically, leading one through various observations in an essay—insights seen by his own father. Being the son of someone who had served as both prefect and magistrate, his father always paid great attention to the wellbeing of the people, and he, as a dutiful son, naturally heard more.

Rongchuan’s writing was nimble. Indeed, his uncle was an excellent mentor. It was only after receiving his uncle’s guidance that he understood how formidable his uncle was. freewebnσvel.cøm

Rongchuan thought of Shi Qing, who ranked twelfth. Shi Qing had followed his uncle for over a year, and his uncle had held nothing back. If it weren’t for Shi Qing’s frail health affecting his test performance, he could have made it into the top ten.

Soon, the light inside the grand hall brightened significantly, and the Emperor opened his eyes, his gaze moving from the top scholar on to each one in turn. When he reached the sixth-ranked, his gaze became especially profound, lingering a bit longer than on the others.

Shen Yang found it impossible not to notice; his hand trembled, ruining the work he had painstakingly written. He had to start over but couldn’t make any conspicuous movements, so he could only hold the brush rigidly, not daring to stir.

The Crown Prince was constantly observing his father, and following the direction of his gaze, he was stunned. The profile resembled that of the Emperor, prompting him to scrutinize more carefully, and with that scrutiny, his attention focused even more sharply.

The intense attention from both the Emperor and the Crown Prince made Shen Yang swallow nervously, with sweat rolling down his forehead. His mind, previously filled with the drafted essay, was now blank, and his heart pounded heavily.

The Emperor withdrew his gaze, thinking that this psychological quality really wasn’t up to par, he couldn’t withstand the pressure.

The Crown Prince, however, thought of many things. If the fifth prince was not an imposter, even if he met someone who looked even more like his father, he wouldn’t think too much about it. But now, he couldn’t help but wonder.