After their minds were read, the entire court trembled with fear.

Chapter 94 Governor Wang, you've been tricked!

Wait a minute?

Shen Zhiyi rubbed her eyes, somewhat flustered.

[Did I see that right? Am I sure I didn't? What's going on here?]

The old emperor, with his hands behind his back, subtly sided with Shen Zhiyi.

The other court officials present also subtly sided with Shen Zhiyi.

Therefore, a strange scene appeared inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The most capable people at the top of this dynasty all leaned in one direction.

Those candidates who noticed this couldn't help but start to wonder, is this the unique standing posture of important people?

This also led to the fact that these officials would always stand sideways when they went out in the future.

Is that Prefect Wang's brain made of the Sichuan Basin?

Pour some water in, shake it, and the brain matter will be mixed evenly.

The courtiers who were initially puzzled by the "Sichuan Basin" now understood.

Shen Zhiyi was implying that the governor was out of his mind.

So, to whom did the governor marry his daughter?

[I had to read it several times before I could believe it and confirm it: that Prefect Wang did indeed marry his daughter to the magistrate of a county in Haozhou, Henan Province!]

[I wouldn't say anything if you married your daughter to a prefect or his son, or a handsome man, or a person of good character, but what is this idiot magistrate thinking, marrying his daughter to a morally corrupt magistrate who likes to gamble?]

[You're so obsessed with family background, aren't you? Then what kind of magistrate are you?]

[A county magistrate is usually an eighth-rank official. If Fang Zhang becomes the top scholar in the imperial examination, his starting position will be a sixth-rank official. Can't he even understand such a simple arithmetic problem?]

Shen Zhiyi expressed her incomprehension, utter incomprehension.

The other courtiers present also expressed their bewilderment.

Didn't they say that even a prime minister wasn't good enough for his family? Then what kind of person is this county magistrate?

Everyone felt a burning pain in their faces.

Having been an official for so many years, this is the first time I've felt like someone is defecating on my head.

This matter needs to be clarified; it's no longer a simple matter of the scholar and the governor's daughter falling in love.

The old emperor was also furious, and his mood was extremely low.

【Found it! Found it!】

The county magistrate, surnamed Cui, proposed marriage to the prefect, surnamed Wang, saying that his ancestors were from the Cui clan of Qinghe.

Everyone: Ha! Another fallen aristocratic family.

[When the previous dynasty was first established, it ruthlessly suppressed the aristocratic families. By the time of the old emperor, the arrogance of those families had been almost completely eradicated. Those from aristocratic families who were active on the grand stage of this dynasty were now few and far between. There were certainly some, but they were all very low-key.]

[I can't believe there are still such fools after all these centuries. Your ancestors intermarried for profit, but what's the point of a prefect marrying a county magistrate?]

[To pay off that county magistrate's debt?]

Shen Zhiyi's cold laughter was so intense that it attracted the attention of many test takers.

Because of Shen Zhiyi's actions at the examination hall, many people have some impression of her.

Did they answer very poorly?

The result was so bad that the chief examiner of the imperial examination actually gave a cold laugh.

Many test takers wiped their foreheads in apprehension, their initial confidence turning into a sense of unease.

[How incredibly stupid! Prime Minister Wang's surname is Wang, but his ancestors weren't from the Wang clan of Taiyuan.]

Prime Minister Wang stared wide-eyed at Shen Zhiyi.

No, you know his ancestors weren't from the Wang family of Taiyuan, so why are you bringing him up?!

If it weren't for the need to maintain silence in the hall, Prime Minister Wang would have loved to bang his cane on the ground a few times to express his dissatisfaction.

So, although that magistrate's surname is Cui, his ancestors weren't from the Cui clan of Qinghe! You've been fooled, Prefect Wang.

No, it's fine if you got scammed, but don't ruin your own daughter's life. If you want to marry, why don't you go and marry him yourself?

Everyone: What a stupid governor.

The old emperor: How can someone like this be appointed governor? Is there no one else capable in Da Ye?

Fang Zhang, who was spitting blood, answered the questions quickly, but at the same time he also noticed that the old emperor was lingering around him.

Could there be something wrong with what he wrote?

He checked it carefully several times. The handwriting was neat, and the content was, in his opinion, not bad. So where exactly did the problem lie?

He looked up, somewhat puzzled.

It would have been better if he hadn't looked up, but once he did, things got really messy.

Many ministers were secretly watching him.

Is there something on my face?

The old emperor coughed lightly and asked, "Finished writing?"

Fang Zhang stood up, trembling with fear: "Your Majesty, I have finished answering."

As soon as these words were spoken, a commotion arose inside the hall.

"That's it? You're just pretending."

"Exactly, that's right, where else can you write this fast?"

Generally speaking, the palace examination lasts until sunset. It's only noon now, so there's still a long afternoon ahead.

Human potential is limitless; perhaps this is the power of love. Normally, he wouldn't be able to answer so quickly, but now he's anxious, extremely anxious.

The old emperor picked up Fang Zhang's answer sheet and asked, "You seem to know quite a lot about farming."

"After the family declined, he returned to his ancestors' land to farm. He grew up in the fields and was naturally familiar with it, but he was no match for His Majesty."

[Hahaha, is he mocking the old emperor for his farming background?]

If Fang Zhang could hear Shen Zhiyi's inner thoughts right now, he would be so frightened that he would kowtow several times on the spot.

"I think your writing is quite good. How about this, appointing you as the magistrate of Mengcheng County in Bozhou?"

Fang Zhang was visibly stunned.

[Wow, that's your rival's official position! The old emperor really knows how to play games.]

The old emperor, taking a break, glanced at Fang Zhang's expression and found no change.

Didn't he get an official position?

There's been no change!

Does it require an official seal?

He gave it to me.

However, if Fang Zhang were to rush back now, he might still be able to stop them.

The old emperor looked at it carefully again, but still did not react.

So the local officials couldn't hear Shen Zhiyi's true feelings?

Can it only be central government officials?

The old emperor had a headache.

"Do you want to wait until everyone has finished the exam, or do you want to take this county magistrate position now?"

These words sounded strange, but Fang Zhang inexplicably understood them.

His pupils contracted and then dilated.

It's impossible for His Majesty to bring up the matter of the magistrate of Mengcheng County in Bozhou without a reason.

So the Emperor knew about what happened to him?

If you suddenly force him to choose between waiting and leaving immediately, there's only one possibility.

His sweetheart has likely been married off by her father ahead of schedule.

Fang Zhang panicked and immediately made a choice.

"Your Majesty, I have selected Mengcheng County in Bozhou as your magistrate."

The old emperor couldn't immediately tell whether he was disappointed or not.

Despite having a strong chance of becoming the top scorer, the person in front of me chose love.

That's fine. At least he's a person who values ​​relationships and hopes to resolve matters of love and not be limited to this.

Doing practical things for the people is what a county official should do.

"Alright, go take up your post. Remember to run fast."

Upon hearing the Emperor's words, Fang Zhang became even more certain and ran away without saying another word.

[What's going on? This might be the strangest imperial examination they've ever held. Quickly, write it down.]