Chapter 248 - 108: A Loving Hug
The exam papers from the examination hall had all been collected by the proctors. The one in his hand was clearly not from the hall.
"Where did this come from?"
Song Yunzhao heard the suppressed fury in Feng Yi’s voice. Afraid she might genuinely anger him to the point of illness, she quickly rose and went to him. She grasped the Emperor’s hand tightly and said softly, "Your Majesty, please calm down. If anything were to happen to you, I could never atone for it."
Feng Yi felt Song Yunzhao’s hand trembling. Looking up, he met her frightened, pale face. He took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and squeezed her hand back. "I’m not angry. Take your time and tell me."
Song Yunzhao sat down next to the Emperor, their fingers intertwined. Only then did she begin to speak softly. "My eldest aunt sent a message requesting to visit me in the palace. I was missing my family, so I allowed her to come. But after she arrived, she gave me this. I don’t understand these things, so I had no idea why she was giving me a few sheets of paper. It wasn’t until she explained it carefully that I learned this was a paper my eldest cousin bought at a high price from a friend a few days before the examination. The seller claimed it was a practice test with questions predicted by a great scholar. My cousin bought a copy with the intention of studying it. After all, even if it didn’t predict the actual questions, a paper created by a great scholar would still be very valuable."
Song Yunzhao paused, taking a deep breath to steady herself as she looked at the Emperor’s grim face. She then continued, "But who would have thought that when my eldest cousin entered the examination hall, he discovered the exam paper was identical to the one he had bought. He was terrified. How could there be such a coincidence? After careful thought, he concluded that the so-called practice test from a great scholar was, in fact, the real exam paper. The questions had been leaked."
"My eldest cousin was frantic and afraid. He is an upright scholar who has dedicated years to arduous study. How could he be willing to win fame through such deceit? In a fit of righteous anger, he turned in a blank paper without writing a single word. After leaving the examination hall, he had my eldest aunt come to the palace to tell me the whole story."
"I was frightened as well and didn’t know what to do. Although I am just a woman of the inner chambers, I understand the gravity of this matter, so... I came to find Your Majesty."
After she finished, Feng Yi remained silent, his eyes fixed on the paper, his thoughts unreadable.
Song Yunzhao sat quietly. ’My story should be seamless. But I forgot to mention my cousin-in-law. It’s fine, I’ll just add him in later.’
’In this affair, the leaked questions aren’t the most important thing. What matters most is my eldest cousin’s upright character—the unbroken pride of a true scholar. The Emperor is in need of capable men right now, so he will surely appreciate a true gentleman like my cousin, especially a talented one.’
’When the Emperor chooses his officials, talent isn’t the most important factor; character is. I have to seize upon this point and do my utmost to build up a favorable impression of my cousin.’
"What else did your cousin say?" Feng Yi asked, looking at Song Yunzhao.
Song Yunzhao looked away, a guilty expression on her face. "N-nothing else."
"Tell me the truth," Feng Yi said again.
Song Yunzhao put on a look of resignation, as if she had no other choice. "My cousin doesn’t tolerate injustice. Since he knows this is unfair, he certainly won’t suffer it in silence. My eldest aunt said that before she came to the palace, my cousin was already preparing to rally all the scholars to demand justice over this matter. He said that after so many years of arduous study, filled with so much bitterness and hardship, he cannot let scoundrels steal the future of truly talented people."
Feng Yi’s mood improved upon hearing this. Now calmer, he looked at Song Yunzhao’s anxious expression, fearing he had frightened her earlier. "Your cousin’s temperament is quite a bit like yours," he remarked.
As soon as the words were out, he was reminded of Song Nanzhen, who had turned the southern officialdom on its head. Tsk. ’This temperament really runs in the Old Song Family. They’re all cut from the same cloth.’
However, as the Emperor, Feng Yi had long grown tired of the conduct of the old guard at court. The Song Family’s way of doing things was much to his liking, so he naturally found them more and more agreeable.
Hearing the Emperor’s words, Song Yunzhao thought, ’It seems my eldest cousin’s persona is now firmly established in the Emperor’s mind.’ She then said with a worried expression, "But such a rigid and upright temperament... If he passes the exam and becomes an official, I don’t know how many times he’ll stumble in his political career."
"You say that as if you’re certain your cousin will pass."
"Of course! My eldest cousin studies extremely hard and is often praised by his teachers. Through the blistering heat of summer and the freezing cold of winter, he never slackens for a single day. His teacher said that with such perseverance, success is only a matter of time."
Seeing the vibrant and proud look on Song Yunzhao’s face as she spoke of her cousin, Feng Yi felt a pang of envy.
This was a kind of sibling bond he would never be able to experience in his lifetime.
"I am aware of this matter now. You may go back and rest." Feng Yi could see Song Yunzhao’s unease and couldn’t bear to see her remain on edge, so he offered a few words of comfort. "I will handle this. You can rest assured."
Song Yunzhao nodded quickly. "The Emperor is a wise and brilliant ruler; you will certainly not let a matter like this pass lightly. But while the grand affairs of the realm are important, Your Majesty’s health is also crucial. Great anger harms the body. Please take your time."
Feng Yi gazed at Song Yunzhao.
Song Yunzhao felt a tingle run through her as he watched her. ’That was a tender thing to say, wasn’t it? It was. But the Emperor’s gaze is making me a little flustered.’
Before she could figure it out, the Emperor pulled her into his arms.
Song Yunzhao let out a sharp breath of relief. ’Oh, he just wanted a loving hug. That scared me to death.’
She wrapped her arms around the Emperor in return. ’The Emperor really doesn’t have it easy.’
’But no matter how hard things are for the Emperor, he’s still the male lead who will ultimately triumph.’
’I, on the other hand, am a cannon fodder supporting character. I have it even harder than he does.’
Leaving Taiji Palace, Song Yunzhao walked under the sunlight, her steps growing steadier.
With her eldest uncle and her father leading the charge, and talented young men like her eldest cousin and cousin-in-law behind them, the Song Family had worthy successors and would not fall easily.
As long as she didn’t fall in the palace, and the Song Family remained united with the Emperor outside it, their position would be secure.
’So what if the female lead has a Grand Tutor for a father?’
’Grand Tutor Qin is old, in the twilight of his years. This time, for the sake of Qin Xiyue’s promotion, he also has to please the Emperor and support his policies.’
’I am walking the same path as Grand Tutor Qin. There’s no question of who is base and who is noble.’
’If there was any difference, it was the status of the Qin and Song families. Grand Tutor Qin occupied a high position, while the Song Family was more than just a step below. We can only strive to catch up, or we’ll be reduced to cannon fodder.’
’I’ve done all I can within the palace. Everything outside now depends on my eldest cousin and my cousin-in-law.’
Song Yunzhao walked back to Wangyou Palace one step at a time, bathed in sunlight, her expression resolute and her stride powerful.
From the day she transmigrated as a cannon fodder character, she had been fighting to survive. In the future, she would continue to do just that.