Chapter 703: Big Exam

Zu An comforted her, saying that the King of Qi's faction might be gaining ground, but His Majesty would not simply stand by and do nothing, so the Crown Princess need not worry too much. However, he also understood that if it could cause such a powerful minister of the Crown Prince's faction to lose composure, it was certainly no minor matter.

The Crown Princess sighed softly, explaining that it was not that simple. She recounted that during the morning court session today, their faction's officials had challenged the King of Qi, as the previous assassination attempt was inextricably linked to him. She added that they originally had ways to counter whatever explanation the King of Qi's side offered to clear their names, but they never expected the King of Qi to be so ruthless; he directly confessed to all the charges, only to shift the blame entirely onto Cheng Xiong and his son.

Although many on their side raised doubts afterward, they lacked crucial evidence. The King of Qi also had many officials, and more and more people came forward to speak on his behalf, so the matter was left unresolved.

Zu An asked curiously why they were so disheartened, as this should have been expected.

The Crown Princess sighed again, saying that if only it were just that. She continued that soon, the King of Qi's faction began to counter-attack aggressively on this very topic, with someone raising the point that if the Crown Prince couldn't even protect himself, how could he inherit the empire in the future.

It was important to remember that the Great Zhou Dynasty was founded on military prowess, and one's status in the nation was determined by their cultivation level.

Although the Crown Prince was somewhat useless, he had an unbeatable father, so despite people's dissatisfaction, they couldn't say much.

However, this time, during the assassin incident, the Crown Prince was almost conveniently eliminated by the attackers, and people finally began to confront this issue.

Ironically, members of the Crown Prince's faction, who had previously exaggerated how perilous the situation was and how many times the Crown Prince's life hung by a thread in order to attack the King of Qi, inadvertently provided evidence that supported the King of Qi's faction's viewpoint.

All of it ended up bolstering the King of Qi's faction's arguments.

Many neutral ministers in court had already been quite dissatisfied with the foolish Crown Prince as heir apparent, and after this incident, they finally reached their breaking point.

Imagine if the Crown Prince became emperor in the future, only to die from a casual assassination attempt—wouldn't the entire nation plunge into chaos?

Those individuals were not speaking on behalf of the King of Qi but out of public concern, which made it difficult for the Emperor to reprimand them.

Of course, the Emperor was not a pushover. At first, he swiftly ordered the most vocal agitators to be publicly flogged, intending to suppress this burgeoning sentiment.

However, those people seemed to have made an agreement; they came forward one after another, unafraid of death, instead considering being publicly flogged a great honor.

The Emperor, who cared deeply about his reputation, naturally understood what these individuals were thinking: they wanted to leave their names in history.

The Emperor himself had done so much, and the immortality he sought was merely to be remembered in history. How could he be willing to let these people receive the same recognition just for enduring a beating?

Moreover, if this incident were truly recorded in historical texts, it was uncertain whether the Emperor would be remembered favorably or condemned for eternity.

Therefore, eventually, with the condemnation from the King of Qi's faction and the cooperation of the neutral party, the Emperor had no choice but to adopt a compromise.

An examination would be held for the Crown Prince. If he could pass it, it would prove his qualification to inherit the throne and his ability to govern the nation in the future.

If he failed, he would have to abdicate in favor of a more capable successor.

The King of Qi's faction was very satisfied with this outcome because they knew that, given the Crown Prince's capabilities, it would be absolutely impossible for him to pass the examination. In that case, the King of Qi would legitimately become the Imperial Younger Brother.

The Emperor agreed to this proposal because as long as the examination was administered by people, there would be room for manipulation.

He had been caught off guard in court today, but now he could use the examination to buy himself a little time and search for a solution.

But for the Crown Princess, hearing this news felt like the sky had fallen.

Others might only know that the Crown Prince was somewhat simple-minded and foolish, but she knew perfectly well that he was utterly imbecilic. All day long, he did nothing but eat, relieve himself, and indulge in trivial pursuits.

Even his recreation consisted of playing idiotic games, like the Gobang (Connect Five) he had recently become obsessed with, which she found utterly crude and wondered who had invented such a thing.

You could pull anyone off the street—no, even any child—to take the exam, and they would undoubtedly perform much better than the Crown Prince.

After listening to the Crown Princess's explanation, Zu An finally understood why they were all so worried. It was impossible to have confidence in that large, corpulent man.

Zu An immediately grasped the crucial point, asking what this examination would test.

The Crown Princess shook her head, stating that the specific examination content wasn't clear yet, but it would be nothing more than things like cultivation and state governance, and what exactly would be tested still needed to be debated between the two factions.

Her heart felt heavy; no matter what was tested, the Crown Prince wouldn't pass.

Zu An comforted her, telling her not to worry too much, as the Crown Prince was, after all, the Emperor's eldest legitimate son, and His Majesty would not abandon him.

The Crown Princess said she hoped so, though she held no real hope in her heart, for she couldn't imagine what solution the Emperor could possibly have.

Rallying her spirits, the Crown Princess asked if he had heard that the Shi family members had caused trouble for him at the palace gates.

Zu An replied that it was a minor matter which he had already handled, so Her Royal Highness need not worry.

The Crown Princess hummed in acknowledgment, then told him he might withdraw.

It was somewhat regrettable that the incident involving Shi Kun had completely offended the Shi family, likely pushing them towards the King of Qi's side. However, she truly didn't have the mental energy to deal with such matters now, so she let it be.

Watching Zu An's departing back, she sighed softly to herself. How wonderful it would be if the Crown Prince could be as effortlessly competent as him.

After Zu An left the Eastern Palace, a young eunuch came running to summon him, saying the Emperor wished to see him.

He couldn't help but wear a helpless expression. While the imperial consorts in the harem longed for even one more glimpse of the Emperor, he, who wished not to see His Majesty, found himself summoned every few days. What karmic debt was this?

Complaints aside, circumstances were stronger than personal desires, so he could only follow to the Imperial Study.

Upon entering the Imperial Study, noticing the Emperor's grim expression, he immediately and tactfully bowed, offering his greetings to His Majesty.

Since the Emperor was clearly in a foul mood, it was best not to provoke him.

The Emperor grunted dismissively in response, then picked up a memorial and stated that someone had impeached him today for assaulting Shi Jun at the palace gates, the official responsible for overseeing the decorum of all civil and military officials. He then asked if this was true.

Zu An was about to explain that he was innocent, that he clearly had no issues, yet Shi Jun had deliberately targeted him, when the Emperor interrupted him.

The Emperor stated that he was curious about something else. He asked why Shi Jun's trousers fell when Zu An said they would. He added that, according to reports, during Zu An's last fight with Han Fengqiu, Zu An had also said something and Han Fengqiu's trousers had fallen off. The Emperor's gaze instantly sharpened as he asked if Zu An possessed the bloodline of the Dragon Clan, with their 'Word Spirit' abilities.

Zu An hastily explained, imploring His Majesty to see clearly, that there were even members of the Dragon Clan trying to kill him on his way to the capital. He stressed that he could not possibly be related to them or understand any 'Word Spirit' abilities.

These skills were absolutely something he could not tell the Emperor about. Otherwise, he would surely meet a terrible end. No emperor would ever trust someone beyond their control.

The Emperor asked coldly why their trousers had fallen off, staring at him and stating that he did not believe in such coincidences. He questioned how the trousers of a ninth-rank peak expert and a seventh-rank could simply fall off just by being mentioned.

Zu An hastily explained that he was still puzzled as to how Han Fengqiu's trousers had fallen off. However, he continued, that incident had given him an idea. Since Shi Jun was using decorum to pressure him, when he approached to slap him, he had secretly cut his belt. At the time, Shi Jun was in extreme shock and rage and had not noticed.

The Emperor was momentarily stunned, then couldn't help but burst into laughter, remarking that Zu An was quite the trickster. He added that Shi Jun had truly been humiliated by Zu An, and he was afraid Shi Jun would never have the face to serve as the official overseeing the decorum of civil and military officials again.

Seeing him laugh, Zu An secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he was quick-witted.

However, the Emperor was truly cold-hearted. The Shi family had rendered great services to the Great Zhou Dynasty, and the Shi family head was one of the esteemed Eight Dukes in court. Yet, the Emperor showed no concern for the Shi family's reputation. He probably resented them for siding with the King of Qi.

At this point, the Emperor spoke again, stating that Zu An must have heard about the Crown Prince's grand examination. He then asked Zu An, who had always been full of clever ideas, if he had any solutions.