The day the results were released, the entire capital city was in an uproar.

Before dawn had even broken, the wide street in front of the Examination Hall was already jam-packed and impassable.

A sea of people, the clamor shaking the heavens.

"Brother Su, look quickly! There are too many people, we can't possibly squeeze through!"

Xu Qing was so anxious that sweat was pouring down his face. He was not tall, and was being jostled and shoved all over the place in the crowd. He tried several times to charge forward, only to be pushed back by stronger men.

Su Ming stood on the periphery of the crowd, his expression still calm.

He patted Xu Qing's shoulder. "No rush. The list is right there, it's not going anywhere."

"How can I not be in a rush!" Xu Qing's face flushed red. "This is the moment that decides the fate of our remaining years!"

Su Ming smiled but said nothing more.

He knew Xu Qing was right.

For the vast majority of scholars under heaven, this golden list was their life.

"Boom—Boom—Boom—"

At high noon, the Ministry of Rites' gong officer struck the bronze gong.

The noisy crowd instantly fell silent for a moment.

Several government runners were seen carrying a huge imperial proclamation, escorted by armored soldiers, slowly walking out of the Examination Hall and posting it on the high results wall.

"It's out!"

The crowd, like a powder keg ignited, instantly exploded.

Countless people surged toward the proclamation wall like a tide, cries, screams, and cheers all mixing together.

"I made it! I made it! Third Class, seventy-second place! Father! Mother! I made it!"

"No me… how could there be no me… ten years… ten years…"

Xu Qing had long since disappeared from sight. Relying on his slight build, he had somehow squeezed his way to the very front.

Su Ming was jostled by the crowd. He didn't try to push through, just waited quietly.

A long time later, when the first, most frantic wave of the crowd had receded somewhat, he unhurriedly walked over.

He spotted a familiar figure at a glance.

Xu Qing was standing dumbly beneath the proclamation, head tilted back, staring at the imperial list, motionless.

Su Ming walked over, about to speak, when he saw two clear trails of tears slide from the corners of Xu Qing's eyes.

Su Ming's heart sank.

Failed?

He followed Xu Qing's gaze.

On that golden list densely packed with names, in the Second Class section, a line of characters stood out clearly.

"Second Class, thirty-fifth place, Xu Qing, native of Qingshi County, Southern Metropolitan Region."

Su Ming let out a sigh of relief.

Top of the Second Class, bestowed the status of Presented Scholar.

For Xu Qing, from a poor family, this was a result already sufficient to change the fate of his entire clan.

"Brother Xu, congr…"

Before the word "ratulations" could leave his mouth, Xu Qing suddenly let out a loud "wah" and squatted on the ground, wailing like a child.

He cried, pounding his chest with his fist, muttering indistinctly through his tears.

"Father… Mother… I did it… I did it…"

The people around them seemed used to this sight, even casting glances of envy.

At the moment of having one's name inscribed on the golden list, how many could truly maintain their composure?

Su Ming stood quietly by his side, shielding a small space for him, not disturbing this long-overdue release.

Only when Xu Qing's emotions had calmed somewhat did Su Ming speak. "Congratulations."

Xu Qing wiped away his tears and stood up, an unprecedented brilliant smile on his face. He clapped Su Ming's shoulder vigorously.

"Brother Su! Same to you! Same to you! Hurry, find your name!"

Su Ming shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the end of the list, the Third Class section.

He estimated his ranking should be somewhere in the middle-to-lower part of the Third Class, an inconspicuous position.

However, he searched meticulously from the back to the front.

Nothing.

Su Ming's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Could it be, he didn't even make the Third Class?

Impossible. Given the quality of his examination paper, even if it was mediocre, it shouldn't have resulted in his name being absent from the list.

"How can it not be there?" Xu Qing also grew anxious. "Brother Su, look more carefully! Did you miss it?"

Su Ming took a deep breath, suppressing the ripple of unease in his heart, and slowly moved his gaze upward.

Second Class…

End of the Second Class… not there.

Middle of the Second Class… not there.

His gaze, inch by inch, scanned over those neat names written in the official script.

Then, his pupils suddenly contracted.

It was as if a basin of ice water had been poured over his head, sending a chill through every limb and bone.

In a highly conspicuous position on the imperial proclamation, at the very forefront of the Second Class section, a name clearly entered his field of vision.

"Second Class, tenth place, Su Ming, native of Qingshi County, Southern Metropolitan Region."

Xu Qing saw it too.

He froze for a moment, then erupted with cheers even louder than when he saw his own name.

"I knew it! I knew it! Brother Su! Second Class, tenth place! Heavens! You were just a hair's breadth away from the First Class!"

He excitedly grabbed Su Ming's arm, shaking it forcefully, his words tumbling out incoherently.

"Too wonderful! This is truly too wonderful! When Teacher Zhou finds out, he will surely be proud of you!"

The surrounding crowd also cast looks mingled with envy, jealousy, and astonishment.

Second Class, tenth place. This was already a result worthy of entering the Hanlin Academy, becoming a candidate for future chief ministers, a prestigious and pure choice!

Su Ming's body stiffened where he stood, letting Xu Qing shake him.

Not a trace of joy showed on his face.

His heart, like a calm lake surface, had a massive boulder thrown into it, stirring up monstrous waves.

It's over.

This was the only thought in his mind.

"Something's wrong!"

Lin Yu's voice exploded in his mind, carrying unprecedented vigilance and gravity.

"Extraordinary events must have extraordinary causes! Disciple, our plan has run into a major problem!"

Su Ming forcibly suppressed the massive shock in his heart, forcing a smile onto his face that was uglier than crying, and said to Xu Qing, "Brother Xu, I… I feel a bit dizzy. Let's go back first."

"Right, right, right! We should go back! We must celebrate properly!" Xu Qing, still immersed in immense joy, didn't notice Su Ming's abnormality.

As the two turned to leave, Su Ming felt a familiar gaze land on his back.

He glanced subtly out of the corner of his eye.

On the periphery of the crowd, under a large locust tree, a middle-aged man dressed in the servant attire of the Yongchang Marquis Manor was quietly watching him.

That person's eyes no longer held the previous scrutiny and hostility.

In its place was a complex, somewhat calculating amusement.

As if appreciating a tool that was thought to be scrap iron but unexpectedly discovered to be good steel.

That gaze caused a layer of cold sweat to instantly break out on Su Ming's back.

......

Returning to the Penglai Inn.

Xu Qing excitedly made plans to book a feast at the best restaurant, but Su Ming stopped him, citing physical discomfort.

Closing the door, cutting off all outside noise.

Su Ming sat by the table, poured a cup of tea that had long gone cold, and drank it in one gulp.

"Master, what on earth is going on?" His voice carried a tremor he himself hadn't noticed.

This ranking had completely disrupted all his plans.

He was like someone who only wanted to move quietly underwater, but was suddenly and inexplicably thrust to the surface by a mysterious force, exposed to everyone's sight.

"Don't panic. Let your teacher sort this out."

Lin Yu's voice was also unusually serious.

In Su Ming's mind, he quickly pieced together and deduced all the information fragments.

Zhou Wenhai's past, the Yongchang Marquis Manor's domineering ways, the existence of the upright officials faction, the personality of the chief examiner, Minister Wang…

After a moment, Lin Yu let out a long sigh.

"Disciple, we… have been used as pawns."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it, who had the greatest power in grading the papers this time?"

"The chief examiner, Minister of Personnel Wang Deyou."

"Right. What kind of essays does this man, who believes 'avoiding mistakes is achievement,' like best?"

"Perfectly balanced, flawless." Su Ming instantly understood something.

"Exactly! Your examination paper perfectly catered to his aesthetic! Elegant prose, solid foundation, arguments so steady they were unassailable! So, during the initial selection, your ranking absolutely could not have been low!" Lin Yu's voice carried a hint of regret. "We both overlooked that 'hiding one's talent' is not the same as 'writing poorly.' What you submitted was a perfect 'exemplary model essay,' not an ordinary 'passing paper.'"

"But that still shouldn't have pushed me up to Second Class, tenth place." Su Ming remained puzzled.

"The key lies in the subsequent maneuvering!" Lin Yu's voice grew heavy. "The final rankings of the palace examination, especially the top twenty, have never been just about the essays. They are the result of struggles between various factions!"

"Think about it. In this imperial examination, the aristocratic faction represented by the Yongchang Marquis Manor and those upright civil officials all wanted to place their own people in the First Class and the top of the Second Class. But the chief examiner, Minister Wang, is an old fox who wants to smooth things over, offending no one."

"When they fought fiercely over the three First Class spots and the top few Second Class spots, with neither side willing to yield, what happens?"

Su Ming's eyes sharpened. "Compromise."

"Bingo!" Lin Yu snapped his fingers. "To break the deadlock and show so-called 'fairness,' they would each take a step back, ceding a few of the most contentious spots to some 'clean background,' 'truly excellent essay' third-party candidates. That way, everyone saves face."

"And you, Su Ming," Lin Yu's tone became extremely complex, "are that most perfect 'compromise product'!"

"First, your essay, even Minister Wang couldn't find fault with it. No one could say a single 'no.'"

"Second, your identity is too perfect. 'Zhou Wenhai's student!' In the eyes of the upright officials faction, Zhou Wenhai was one of their own who was persecuted by the aristocrats back then. You naturally carry a sense of closeness. And in the eyes of the Yongchang Marquis Manor, Zhou Wenhai has been retired for over a decade, posing no threat. Promoting his student both gives the upright officials faction face and doesn't create an enemy for themselves."

"The most important point is, you have no foundation! A poor kid from a remote little county. Even if you enter the Hanlin Academy, you won't be able to stir up any waves. You can only be manipulated by them!"

Lin Yu's analysis was like a bolt of lightning, cleaving through all the fog.

Su Ming's face turned deathly pale.

He finally understood. He hadn't reached this position by talent.

He was a commodity placed on a shelf, selected by two powerful factions in tacit agreement to fill a shelf they couldn't agree on and couldn't leave empty, because he was of "good quality" and "harmless."

He wasn't chosen.

He was sacrificed.

"Then… what should we do?" Su Ming's voice was somewhat hoarse.

Becoming Second Class, tenth place meant he would almost certainly enter the Hanlin Academy.

Enter that most prestigious, yet also most perilous, power center of the Great Xing Dynasty.

"What else can we do?" Lin Yu's voice carried a fierce, reckless determination, like smashing a pot already broken.

"Since we're here, we might as well make the best of it. So what if we're pawns? Who's afraid of whom!"

"If they want to manipulate you, they'll need the capability! From today onward, our 'Way of Survival' needs an upgrade."

"Before it was 'the hidden dragon does not act.' Now, we must learn 'the dragon appears in the field'!"

Su Ming raised his head, looking out the window at the sky dyed red by the setting sun.

He knew that from this moment on, that smooth official road leading to the capital had come to an end.