Pei Xuan’s face darkened, and he said nothing.

The Duke of Shou spoke kindly and patiently: “That’s why I think this matter needs to be carefully considered over the long term.”

Hearing this, Pei Xuan’s expression grew even more gloomy.

Before going to the capital, he had already told Qingyan that after informing the elders, they would marry.

“Actually, I am very supportive of your marriage,” the Duke smiled and said. “You’ve always been a lone, solitary type since childhood, close to no one. On top of that, you’re involved with the royal family — your background is complicated, and you have no one you can truly confide in.”

“Xiao Xuan Xuan finding someone who understands him makes me genuinely happy,” he added warmly.

Pei Xuan relaxed his furrowed brows slightly. “Then why do you oppose it?”

“It’s not opposition,” the Duke replied, “but I believe marriage is a serious matter that should be treated with even more care — no, with solemnity.”

This clearly touched a nerve with Pei Xuan.

The Duke snatched back his teacup and took a sip to calm his nerves.

“As far as I know, that boy is only sixteen this year. He’s still young, full of ambition, eager to accomplish something great.”

Mentioning Gu Qingyan, Pei Xuan’s gaze softened: “Qingyan is exceptionally talented, studies diligently, and has passed the county and provincial exams with top marks. He will certainly succeed in the imperial exam this time.”

“So according to his plans, he intends to take the autumn provincial exam and then head to the capital next year to compete?” the Duke asked.

Pei Xuan nodded.

“Set the engagement. When he passes, you can marry.”

The Duke was momentarily speechless.

He quickly took another sip of tea and asked, “Does that boy know about your plans? Does he agree?”

Pei Xuan frowned, displeased: “We love each other, so of course he would agree.”

That meant: he didn’t know and hadn’t agreed.

The Duke sighed in his heart, feeling troubled. Although Pei Xuan implied the two were of one mind, he still sensed something was off.

“That’s good. But even if he enters the capital next year, he’ll only be seventeen.”

Pei Xuan snorted coldly: “Marrying at fifteen is common. When I was fifteen, you were already making arrangements throughout the capital. Why aren’t you anxious now?”

“Your own child is like grass, but others’ children are treasures. Since you want to marry, you must be extremely cautious — cautious a thousand times over. Isn’t that right?”

The Duke clearly knew how to handle him.

Pei Xuan remained silent.

The Duke cleared his throat and continued: “Although the Great Zhou does not forbid men marrying men, it does not encourage it either. Historically, marriages between men have been exceedingly rare.”

Pei Xuan interrupted, “Prince Huai and the Princess Consort Huai share a deep bond, and it’s well known.”

“That’s just an exception,” the Duke said. “If word spreads widely, even if Gu Qingyan tops the imperial exam one day, people will still gossip and point fingers.”

“There will inevitably be busybodies, malicious gossip behind his back, slandering that he lacks true talent and only succeeded due to our Duke of Shou’s connections. Xiao Xuan Xuan, can you bear to let him be criticized like that?”

Sure enough, Pei Xuan’s expression darkened further.

Suddenly, he drew his sword and slammed it on the table. “If anyone dares to slander him, I’ll cut out their tongue.”

His words were sharp with murderous intent, causing the Duke to frown.

For a moment, the Duke almost thought the person in front of him was not his grandson but that twin-souled body.

“You might be able to kill one or two, but you can’t silence the whole world. Not even the emperor can do that.”

Pei Xuan’s face grew even uglier.

The Duke poured him a cup of tea. “That’s why I say, don’t rush. You might as well wait a while.”

“Wait until the boy passes the imperial exam and enters officialdom, establishing a solid foundation. Then you marry — who will dare talk?”

“For his reputation, future, and honor, it’s better if you endure a little longer. Don’t you think that’s reasonable?”

Pei Xuan’s face was icy cold, his heart torn.

He wanted to bring Qingyan back right away, hide him in the Duke’s mansion. The thought of waiting made him restless.

But deep down, he knew the Duke was right. Qingyan was diligent and earnest; after ten years of hard study, how could his future be tainted by shadows?

“Anyway, he’s still young. You have plenty of time,” the Duke added. “By then, you’ll be older, and when you apply for the imperial decree for marriage, His Majesty might just approve.”

Pei Xuan snorted coldly and said no more.

The Duke knew this meant he had agreed.

“I promise you, if His Majesty and the Crown Prince still refuse, I’ll kneel before the palace and never rise until I secure the decree for you. How’s that?”

Pei Xuan narrowed his eyes: “That’s a promise from you.”

“I swear on the peach tree, I won’t go back on my word.”

“Good, it’s settled then.”

Pei Xuan drank the tea in one gulp, then rose and left.

Behind him, the Duke muttered angrily, “That brat—achieves his goal and leaves. Does he even respect me as an elder? I’m not even afraid he won’t drink tea with his future wife when the time comes.”

Once Pei Xuan disappeared, the Duke couldn’t sit still, rubbing his fingers anxiously. No matter how he calculated, he couldn’t feel at ease.

Especially since Gu Qingyan’s fate was very special: apparently destined to die young, but now he was living well beyond that fate, breaking free from destiny, making predictions difficult.

The Duke quickly summoned Zhang Menghuai.

On the way, Zhang Menghuai already guessed why, his heart uneasy.

He feared that upon entering, the Duke would chase him down and beat him, asking how a trip out led to the heir marrying a male spouse.

But to his surprise, the Duke’s first question was: “Tell me, did that Gu Qingyan agree to marry over?”

“Ah?” Zhang Menghuai was stunned. This was not what he expected.

The Duke pressed: “Did he or didn’t he agree?”

Zhang Menghuai could only truthfully say, “I don’t know.”

“Weren’t you with them the whole way? How could you not know?” the Duke asked.

Zhang Menghuai felt embarrassed: “I was following the master on official business, but I’m not hiding under the bed spying.”

“What? They’re already sharing a bed?” the Duke was shocked.

Then he realized something was wrong — looking at his grandson’s complexion, pulse, and the fact he still had his childhood powers intact.

Zhang Menghuai was shocked by the Duke’s sudden words and quickly explained, “No, no, I mean, the master and Gu Gongzi are close, but I really don’t know their private conversations.”

The Duke frowned tightly.

“Tell me everything — how they met, how they became close, what they did, what they said. One by one.”

Zhang Menghuai dared not conceal anything.

From beginning to end, after listening once, Duke Shou’s expression kept shifting unpredictably.

Suddenly, he spotted the problem: “You mean, at that time they were talking, and you interrupted them?”

“Yes. Back then, I was watching the young master’s expression—it didn’t seem good. It looked like he had some unspeakable troubles,” Zhang Menghuai said.

“The young master is kind to everyone, always nice—to his personal attendant, to me, to Xia Liu, even to Jiang Wan who came to provoke him, his temper was quite good, often joking with others.”

“But he really was very good to the elder. When the elder was attacked, he never left his side, sticking with him through life and death. He’s a loyal and righteous person.”

Duke Shou inwardly felt uneasy.

No wonder he always sensed something off. Listening to Zhang Menghuai, it seemed that Gu Qingyan’s relationship with Pei Xuan was clearly brotherly.

Otherwise, how could they be so open about it? If it had been a romantic relationship, they would have avoided others.

Duke Shou’s head throbbed painfully. How had he never known before? The eldest grandson was quite narcissistic—if someone treated him a bit better, he would immediately think that person liked him.

“Alright, you may leave now.”

Duke Shou wished he could fly out of the capital to see Gu Qingyan, to ask him if he truly cared about his foolish grandson.

In the end, Duke Shou only sighed deeply.

Touching the peach tree, he sighed: “It’s a pity, this old man will never leave the capital in his lifetime.”

Fortunately, the marriage proposal had been temporarily stopped by him. Waiting a few more years, perhaps youthful infatuation would turn into mutual dislike—it was not certain.

As long as the emperor didn’t find out, there was still room to turn things around.

Duke Shou really feared that Pei Xuan might storm into the palace demanding an imperial decree to marry. Given the emperor’s attitude toward him, who knew if the emperor might actually agree?

If that happened, there would truly be no chance for regret.

Whether a perfect match or a pair of resentful lovers, it all depended on fate.

---

Inside the imperial palace of the Great Zhou Forbidden City.

A secret letter was delivered to the emperor.

The emperor opened it, scanning through the lines quickly. His face remained unchanged, as if the letter was just some trivial matter.

“Your Majesty, Pei Shizi has returned to the capital. Should we summon him to the palace to meet Your Majesty?” the chief eunuch Wang Changde reported.

The emperor replied calmly, “No need. Let him rest first. It won’t be late to have him pay respects once he’s rested.”

Throwing the letter aside, the emperor suddenly chuckled.

Wang the eunuch bowed respectfully, not daring to peek at what the emperor had read or why he laughed.

Unexpectedly, the emperor handed the letter to him next: “Take a look yourself. Pei Xuan has been cold and solitary since childhood, with a difficult temperament and antisocial. Yet after this trip, he actually made friends. Truly rare.”

Wang the eunuch accepted the letter with utmost respect and, after reading, said, “Pei Shizi has grown up. With this, Your Majesty can be at ease.”

“Yes, twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye.”

The emperor’s expression was ambiguous: “Back then I ruthlessly sent him out of the palace, changing his surname to Pei. The boy was understandably resentful.”

“I only hope that when he grows up, he will understand my intentions.”

This was a secret known only to the powerful inside the Forbidden City, kept from the world.

If Gu Qingyan were here, he would surely notice the emperor and Pei Xuan shared some similarities.

However, Pei Xuan’s demeanor was cold and distant, keeping people far away.

Although the emperor was old and dignified, he appeared more like a refined, gentle enlightened ruler. His face still faintly showed the handsome youth he once was.

Wang the eunuch quickly said, “Your Majesty has bestowed great favor on Shizi over the years. People’s hearts are made of flesh and blood; Shizi surely appreciates it.”

The emperor smiled lightly, “Let’s hope so.”

“If he lives well, I can rest assured.”

After speaking, the emperor asked, “What do you think of Gu Qingyan?”

“To catch the eye of Shizi, he must be a talented and exceptionally handsome young man.”

The emperor nodded slightly: “To have topped the examination, he must indeed be outstanding.”

“Just that he is young and somewhat hot-headed. Were it not for the Pei family’s protection, his reckless defiance against the Hongshan Academy might have cut short his career in the imperial examinations.”

Wang the eunuch bowed his head further, unsure if the emperor’s words were praise or criticism.

He had served the emperor many years but still could not fully grasp his thoughts.

Yet Wang knew the emperor had some dissatisfaction with Hongshan Academy, especially those officials from it who entered the court, often forming cliques.

“Young people are energetic and fearless. That’s preferable to being too smooth and worldly,” Wang tentatively said.

As expected, the emperor laughed upon hearing this.

“Indeed, if he were too smooth and worldly, he wouldn’t have caught Pei Xuan’s eye.”

“Fearless of authority, with a righteous heart—such a young man entering officialdom can be of use to me. Not bad.”

Wang the eunuch breathed a sigh of relief; his flattery had hit the mark.

---

The same news reached the Crown Prince’s palace.

Unlike the emperor, the extraordinarily handsome Crown Prince scoffed upon reading the letter.

In his prime, the Crown Prince was stunningly beautiful, almost androgynous.

Compared to the emperor’s refined and handsome demeanor, Pei Xuan’s temperament was cold and rigid, while the Crown Prince’s appearance was like spring flowers. Only their eyes were similar—both carried a chill.

“Fool,” the Crown Prince cursed at someone unknown, quickly making some notes, then went to the window to release a carrier pigeon.

He stood by the window for a long time.

“Interesting.”

The autumn wind blew his hair, and the Crown Prince’s eyes were dark and unclear.

---

Far away in the capital, Gu Qingyan was completely unaware of the turmoil. He kept studying diligently, lost in reputation points and scores.

It proved true: once a person is busy, there’s no time for wild thoughts.

In the blink of an eye, the time for the academy exams had arrived.

At dawn, Gu Qingyan boarded the ox-cart and traveled to the entrance of Gongyuan Alley.

Upon arrival, he had to get off and walk because the alley was so crowded with carriages and carts that there was no room to pass.

Many families, like him, abandoned their carts midway and walked the rest of the way.

Zhang Nian, inexperienced, hadn’t expected such a blockade. Since there were only two of them, he felt uneasy leaving the cart unattended but also uneasy following on foot.

Gu Qingyan, holding his exam basket, jumped down immediately: “No need to see me off. I know the way well. After the exam, I’ll return by myself.”

Saying this, he quickly slipped through the car queue, giving Zhang Nian no chance to hesitate.

“Brother Zhang,” Gu Qingyan had just entered when he saw Zhang Cheng also walking to the exam.

Zhang Cheng was very happy to see him and whispered, “I thought the prefectural exam was crazy enough, but the academy exam is even more extreme—there are so many people.”

Gu Qingyan also felt that there were too many people.

But then he thought, the academy exam was the threshold for the imperial examination; once you passed it, you became a “xiucai” (cultivated talent), the first official title in ancient times — the ticket to entering the gentry class.

They said many “old students” spent their whole lives taking the prefectural exam after the county exam but never passed the academy exam, remaining candidates into their seventies and eighties.

Gu Qingyan couldn’t help but think of his deceased father, Gu Tongsheng, who was one of them.

He had once been a young prodigy, passing the county exam early, thinking he would have a smooth official career.

Who would have known he would remain just a “tongsheng” (county-level scholar) his whole life, leaving the world with regret and only able to pin hopes on his descendants.

As the two of them talked, they walked forward.

A long line had already formed outside the examination hall. Gu Qingyan stood in the queue, looking around and indeed saw many old “tongsheng” with white hair.

Some even trembled slightly as they walked but were still taking the academy exam.

Gu Qingyan shivered slightly, thinking that if he never passed, he might as well give up and wander the world with his sword.

Wherever he went, he could sign in there — wouldn’t that be more enjoyable than being an official?

All roads lead to Rome; you can’t just stubbornly stick to one path forever.

Lost in such thoughts, Gu Qingyan did not know that inside the academy, his name was being spoken about.

“I’ve heard that among the candidates of this region, there’s a scholar from Lingchuan County who is arrogant and disdainful, completely disregarding Hongshan Academy.”

The speaker was the Shan Zhang (academy principal) who was summoned to grade the papers.

Hongshan Academy was famous and frequently kept in contact with academies elsewhere.

Clearly, the matter with Director Lu had spread, and all the Shan Zhang and their aides grading the exams knew about it.

This Shan Zhang brought up an old case because the person in charge of the Qingzhou Prefecture academy exam was the local academic official, who was a student of Hongshan Academy.

In fact, still a student of Director Lu.

Having a scapegoat, someone quickly chimed in, “He just passed the county and prefectural exams, yet he’s so arrogant, with none of the humility and restraint expected of a scholar.”

“Although Prefect Ding found out the truth, and the culprit who poisoned the official took his own life, this case is quite strange.”

“Poor Director Lu, who dedicated his life to Hongshan Academy, was ruined by a small scholar.”

“When I heard it then, I also found it hard to believe and felt sorry for Director Lu.”

Their words were probing the academic official.

The academic official came from the Hanlin Academy, a trusted person close to the current emperor and a core member of the Hongshan Academy faction.

This student of Director Lu, now the chief examiner, could easily ruin Gu Qingyan’s career if he wished.

Naturally, none of them would go against the academic official.

Lu Hanlin quietly listened to their chatter, observing without interrupting.

As the time drew near, Lu Hanlin cleared his throat and said, “The time is almost up. Remember, you must remain impartial. The academy exam is a matter of the court and cannot tolerate personal bias.”

“Only grade the papers. Do not judge character.”

His words changed the expressions of those present.

But everyone understood Lu Hanlin’s meaning: they did not intend to deliberately make things difficult for Gu Qingyan or disqualify him.

Some speculated that Lu Hanlin was afraid of being too obvious because Gu Qingyan clearly had powerful backing, which could implicate them.

Others thought Lu Hanlin was cowardly, fleeing faster than anyone once Director Lu died.

Still others guessed there was a deeper meaning behind Lu Hanlin’s words.

With all sorts of ulterior motives in their hearts, the academy’s main gate opened, and candidates were searched and admitted one by one.

Gu Qingyan was in line and was glad the weather was warm enough to wear a thin shirt, making the search easier.

The academy exam rules were similar to the county and prefectural exams. Passing through the academy gate, he could vaguely see the exam setup.

The officers conducting the search were very thorough, almost wanting to strip the candidates completely to check.

The officer on Gu Qingyan’s right kept glancing at the line and lingered slightly longer when he reached Gu Qingyan.

The officer’s eyes showed inner conflict.

Just by slipping a cheat sheet to him, he could secure a lifetime of wealth and comfort. Thinking of the silver he’d already received, the officer was ready to take the risk.

He thought: “One gamble, and the rest of my life could be easy.”

Even if caught, he could deny everything; who would know the truth?

Suppressing his excitement, the officer waited for Gu Qingyan to come before him for the search.

In the queue, Gu Qingyan carefully moved forward, keeping an eye on those around him.

Everyone maintained distance and order because at this critical moment, being falsely accused would ruin their future.

Suddenly, Gu Qingyan sensed a wave of hostility.

He furrowed his brow and looked around, feeling a vague bad premonition.

He hoped he wasn’t so unlucky as to be targeted now.

He became even more cautious. Although the imperial examination was not the only path, being sabotaged and unable to take the exam was unacceptable.

He kept alert to those nearby but found no sign of ill intent as he reached the search station.

Once inside the academy, the chance of being framed was very low since bringing contraband in was difficult.

Gu Qingyan thought maybe he was just being paranoid—no one would really want to harm him.

“Raise your hands,” the officer said coldly.

Gu Qingyan obeyed and raised his hands for inspection.

Apart from a firm pinch that loosened his topknot, everything was normal.

Gu Qingyan stepped into the academy.

[Discovered academy exam sign-in point. Use 1 point to sign in?]

Gu Qingyan ignored it directly. One point was still a point, and he wasn’t willing to spend it on a test he was destined not to use.

The candidates who had already entered the academy had no idea that just moments ago, the officer conducting the search was called inside and never came back out.

In a room to the west, the officer was tied up tightly, gagged, and thrown on the floor. His cheat sheets were confiscated.

He wept bitterly, full of regret, but it was already too late.

After settling into his seat, Gu Qingyan heard the system notification again.

[Discovered the Imperial Examination test site. Consume 10 points to sign in?]

Another 10 points!

Gu Qingyan stroked his chin, feeling tempted.

The test site was an extremely special check-in point that only appeared when taking the imperial examination. It would only show up after Gu Qingyan entered the exam hall and sat in his seat.

Before this, Gu Qingyan had checked the map many times, but no check-in point appeared inside the Examination Hall.

It was like a limited-time event in a game, only appearing at special moments.

And each time, it cost 10 points!

The first time, it dropped a Fame system and unlocked the store.

The second time, it gave him a Resurrection Pill that saved Hongdou’s life.

What limited edition item would come out this third time?

Gu Qingyan rubbed his hands eagerly but still held back for now. After all, the rare drops were random, and if he passed out right away, all his hard studying would be wasted.

With a carrot dangling in front of him, Gu Qingyan smiled brightly, completely different from the worried or nervous looks on the faces of the other examinees.

Just as he was writing fluently, he suddenly felt a chill on his back.

He instinctively looked up and saw a person standing nearby — clearly the chief examiner.

Gu Qingyan’s brow twitched slightly but he kept his head down and continued answering the questions.

The chill on his back lingered, as if someone might stab him at any moment.

Gu Qingyan vaguely recalled that before leaving, Pei Xuan had said the local education official of Qingzhou Prefecture came from Hongshan Academy, was a disciple of Director Lu, and had close ties with the Lu family.

Could it be they want to cause trouble for me during the imperial exam? Gu Qingyan thought.

Would they accuse him of cheating? Of losing composure? Drag him out and beat him?

Gu Qingyan chuckled at his own imagination. The education official probably wasn’t that crazy. After all, if they actually made a scene in the exam hall, everyone would get into trouble.

Besides, Pei Xuan had said, “Lu Hanlin is very sensible and won’t make things difficult for you.”

Sure enough, the sensible Lu Hanlin stood for a while then slowly moved on to the next examinee, as if standing beside Gu Qingyan had just been an accident.

Only Gu Qingyan knew the strong hostility that guy had just emitted.

Lu Hanlin circled around before returning under the eaves to take a seat.

He took a sip of tea, expression calm and unreadable.

No one knew the panic and fear inside him when he learned of Director Lu’s death, nor did anyone know how deeply he despised Gu Qingyan.

Drinking his tea, Lu Hanlin slightly lowered his gaze.

He had already been appointed a sage’s eye; even if he hated him, he could not simply disqualify him.

Especially since this boy, with no remarkable background, had already gotten close to the Pei family.

Before leaving, Pei Xuan had given them a serious warning — no disguise, a clear and direct threat.

Anyone who dared to cause trouble would be opposing Pei Xuan himself, and he alone would be held accountable.

Lu Hanlin was furious but could not go against this powerful backer.

Around Gu Qingyan, a storm after storm brewed in Qingzhou Prefecture.

Only the eye of the storm remained calm.

Gu Qingyan had no idea what Pei Xuan had done for him before leaving, nor that he had been repeatedly framed. Ignorance was bliss — he even thought he was doing quite well.

After finishing the last exam, he put down his brush.

Gu Qingyan couldn’t wait to sign in.

[You have successfully signed in at the Imperial Examination test site and received a Millennium Peachwood Flute.]