AMBTMS Chapter 16

Regardless of what achievements they may make in the future, they were now a group of newcomers about to step into the officialdom. In various aspects, they were quite inexperienced. The Emperor’s simple words could ignite their passion, instill ambitious aspirations, and make them willing to sacrifice for the glory of Great Zhou.

Li Shu stood at the forefront. Even though he felt the malicious gazes behind him, he couldn’t turn around to check, so he had to suppress his doubts.

Unlike the palace exam in Li Shu’s original world, this meeting with the emperor didn’t require them to make speeches in the main hall. The Emperor gave some encouragement, followed by a few simple questions.

This eased the tension among the candidates.

Because of Grand Academician Zhang Min, the Emperor was curious about Li Shu, and was inevitably a little biased when asking him questions. Others couldn’t help but envy this special attention. Even though they hadn’t entered the officialdom yet, they knew how crucial it was to gain the emperor’s favor.

For a moment, many envious eyes were directed at Li Shu.

‘Here it is again.’ Li Shu frowned unconsciously. Who was so hostile toward him? While the emperor was questioning Yu Rongxiu, Li Shu glanced back with his peripheral vision but found nothing unusual.

[The third to last person standing on the right.] 1314 prompted the host.

Li Shu quickly glanced in that direction and then withdrew his gaze.

“I heard you had a serious illness a few days ago. Are you feeling better now?” After saying a few words to Yu Rongxiu, the emperor shifted the topic back to Li Shu.

“Your Majesty, the student is now in good health.” Li Shu took a step forward and bowed respectfully.

The Emperor was referring to Li Shu’s recent fever. He was initially worried that Li Shu would be impacted, but as expected of someone who could write such an article, his demeanor and eloquence were impressive enough.

“Take care of your health. The future of Great Zhou relies on the efforts of young people like you. Eunuch An, go to the storage room and pick some supplements. Let Zi Shu take them to replenish his body and serve Great Zhou in the future.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

This was a blatant favor. With the emperor’s actions, it was the same as explicitly saying, “I have high hopes for Li Shu and am ready to promote him”. How could everyone not be surprised?

Now, the way everyone looked at Li Shu seemed a bit off. Those chosen to face the emperor in the palace were all talented individuals. If everyone were treated equally, they wouldn’t feel uneasy. However, with one person being singled out, it easily created a sense of imbalance.

‘Why did he catch the emperor’s eye when I’m just as capable?’ Such thoughts flooded the minds of many.

Li Shu was somewhat speechless. He suspected the emperor did this intentionally, deliberately saying these things to attract hostility towards him.

“To be honest, I envy the way His Majesty treats you.” After leaving the palace, Yu Rongxiu squeezed onto Li Shu’s carriage, deliberately holding his chest as if he was heartbroken.

“Don’t say that. I’d rather not have this favor. If you want it, I can give it to you.” Li Shu’s lips curled slightly, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

“No, no, no,” Yu Rongxiu quickly waved his hand. “But the way His Majesty is doing this… you should be careful in the future.”

He didn’t say the middle part of the sentence out loud, but both understood its meaning. Walls have ears, and certain things, though understood, couldn’t be explicitly mentioned.

The smile in Li Shu’s eyes disappeared, and he said, “I know.”

Li Shu was well-prepared for this situation, because the original plot unfolded just like the current development. The original owner gained the emperor’s favor before even entering the court. After saving the emperor on one occasion, he rapidly rose in prominence, becoming a significant force in the court and standing at the same level as other established powers.

It could be said that the original owner was cultivated by the emperor from the beginning. From the moment he was selected, he was destined to face hostility from all directions while standing at the forefront.

Choosing such a path, the road ahead was inevitably filled with thorns.

“Li Aiqing does have a way of teaching children,” the Emperor, assisted by Eunuch An, strolled in the imperial garden. “Seeing him today, the eldest son of the Li family seems a bit different from the rumors.”

“Your Majesty has said it; rumors passed from mouth to mouth tend to have some distortion, which is normal.”

“True, but where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Such rumors won’t be groundless. I heard that after the child’s biological mother died, he was neglected by Li Aiqing for a while. Tell me, who would be more important to him – his monarch or his biological father, who once ignored him?”

The Emperor walked at a leisurely pace, slowly moving through the myriad of flowers. While speaking, his expression remained unchanged. However, Eunuch An was surprised. Thinking about the Emperor’s unusual behavior today, his heart skipped a beat.

“Your Majesty is the monarch, and is naturally the most important.”

“I hope that child won’t disappoint my expectations.” He picked a delicate flower and held the bright flower in his hand, as if he was holding a vibrant life.

The entire world belonged to him, and since there are people harboring unwarranted thoughts, they had to prepare for the impending downfall. Beneath the gloomy sky, the Emperor squinted, a killing intent flashing in his eyes.

On the fifth day of April, the results of the 27th imperial examination were announced. After the results came out, some were happy while others were sad. To Li Shu’s surprise, he directly secured the top spot this time, pushing aside Yu Rongxiu, who was supposed to be the top scholar, to the second place. The third position also changed, and the development of things once again deviated from the original plot.

Li Shu was no longer surprised and calmly accepted this fact, and prepared for the upcoming Lu Ming Banquet. The next plot point was about to unfold.

[What is the female protagonist doing recently?]

After returning from Xian Guo Temple, Li Xinuo occasionally came to find him. Calculating the days, it had been over a month since they last met. If it weren’t for the system reminding him that the next plot point was about to begin, Li Shu would have almost forgotten about this matter.

[Same as before, but a bit strange. The female protagonist has severed ties with two handkerchief friends and made two new ones. She also brought back a little maid from the northern suburbs.]

[Are these actions really strange?] Children often make new friends and change preferences; it’s a normal phenomenon.

[No, the key is that both people she severed ties with stabbed her in the back in the future. The new friends she made are those who helped her later. Moreover, the child she brought back will be involved in a major event about to happen, the corruption case in Jiangnan.]

[Are you suggesting that the female protagonist might know about certain future events?]

1314 speculated that, judging by the female protagonist’s behavior, she might have been reborn from the future. If her rebirth point was after the end of the plot, the difficulty level of the world’s tasks would rise by more than one level.

Li Shu also seemed to have thought of this issue: [Can’t you find out when the female protagonist was reborn?]

[This… can’t be determined. The conclusion that the female protagonist was reborn is deduced, it may not be accurate.]

Whether the female protagonist was truly reborn or not, the mission still had to be carried out.

Just as Li Shu was discussing the female protagonist with the system, he turned around and saw Li Xinuo walking towards him.

“Big brother.”

In the bright spring, a young man in a light blue robe stood amidst a myriad of flowers. Against the backdrop of the beautiful scenery, his demeanor became even more extraordinary.

In fact, she had very little interaction with her half-brother Li Shu. Although they grew up in the same household, their meetings were few and far between. In her impression, Li Shu had always carried an air of frailty, with a somewhat gloomy temperament, not as impressive as he was now.

“Sister, is there something you need from me?”

Li Shu was in a small garden not far from his courtyard, a place rarely visited by others in the mansion.

‘Indeed, things had changed.’ A complex emotion flashed in Li Xinuo’s eyes. She had very complicated feelings towards Li Shu, her eldest brother. On one hand, Li Shu treated her very well, taking care of her in every aspect. On the other hand, he was the driving force behind the destruction of her family. She had always wanted to ask her eldest brother why he did this, but unfortunately, she had never found the opportunity.

“I’ve come to congratulate Big Brother for passing the imperial examination.”

Many things are different now. This time, she won’t let those tragedies happen again. She’ll protect the ones who matter to her.

Her eldest brother successfully won the top spot, and this time, Father didn’t interfere. This life will surely be better than the last!

And that person, this time, she doesn’t want any connection with that person!

Li Shu would never imagine that one of his mission targets had unilaterally decided to give up her relationship with the male protagonist.

Shortly after the results were announced, the Lu Ming Banquet took place. The events that occurred this spring made the ministers confirm the emperor’s attitude towards the imperial examination. This time, the Lu Ming Banquet was livelier than previous years.

In addition to the successful candidates, various ministers from the court also attended. Several princes also attended in person to express their stance.

To show how important this banquet was, the emperor allocated an imperial palace as the venue for the Lu Ming Banquet. In addition, he made it clear that he would come to see it. In this way, the ministers who initially didn’t want to attend had to change into fine clothes and come prepared. Otherwise, the emperor attends and you did not come. Wouldn’t it be a blatant disrespect to the emperor?

Regardless of their inner thoughts, everyone had smiles on their faces, toasting and conversing in a joyful atmosphere.

Li Shu strolled around the courtyard and was called over to a southern corner by Yu Rongxiu. “Brother Li, come over here.”

Yu Rongxiu had good social skills, and a small group had gathered around him. When they saw Li Shu looking over, they showed a friendly smile.

Li Shu didn’t know many people in this world, and Yu Rongxiu was one of them, so he didn’t refuse and prepared to go in that direction.

“Hey, isn’t this our top scholar?”

The mockery from behind made Li Shu pause. When he turned around, he saw several young men dressed like young masters approaching. These people’s eyes clearly showed malice, and they all looked like they were watching a good show. The leader signaled those around him, forming a circle centered around Li Shu. The Lu Ming Banquet hadn’t officially begun, and there weren’t many people around, providing these individuals with an opportunity.

“What do you want?” Li Shu calmly took a step back, contemplating the possibility of resolving the situation without disturbing others.

“We…” The leader’s words were interrupted before he could finish.

“What are you doing by surrounding him?” A deep male voice came from behind.

“What’s it to you? Mind your own…,” the remaining words were stuck in his throat. He opened his eyes wide and looked at the person coming from behind Li Shu.

The others he brought with him knelt down the moment the man arrived: “Greetings to His Royal Highness, Prince Qin!”