After Scheming Against the Enemy Nation’s Emperor, I Got Pregnant Chapter 11

Liu Yun felt utterly humbled. Not only did this person have extraordinary talent in statecraft, but he also had an impressively sharp awareness of how to secure favor. What need was there for Liu Yun to worry about persuading the emperor?

If he entered the court with both talent and virtue—and could win the emperor’s favor—then given time, he would surely become a pillar of governance, the emperor’s right-hand man.

….

A few days later, on the day of the exam results announcement.

After the guards posted the results on the bulletin board and left, the crowd surged forward to see. Upon spotting the name in first place, a brief silence fell over them.

“Stop pushing! Stop pushing! It’s not Zhang Ninghan!”

“Xie Caiqing!! The top scorer is Xie Caiqing!!”

A servant sent by Zhang Ninghan’s family to check the results had been grinning smugly, but his expression froze. His face slowly turned red, and seizing the moment when no one was paying attention, he slipped away in embarrassment.

The news that Xie Caiqing, a scholar from a humble background, had outperformed the prestigious Zhang Ninghan and achieved first place in both the preliminary and metropolitan exams spread like wildfire. Within hours, every scholar and noblewoman in the capital knew about it.

People began placing heavy bets in gambling houses on Xie Caiqing securing the top rank in the final palace examination.

….

Three days later, the palace examination.

Jiang Huaichu and the other scholars were led into the imperial palace early in the morning, standing in order according to their ranking in the metropolitan exam.

The emperor had not yet arrived. Inside the grand hall were not only the scholars but also various court officials and members of the imperial family.

The hall’s doors were wide, allowing gusts of wind to sweep through. Gold and jade ornaments adorned the space, radiating opulence.

Jiang Huaichu’s expression stiffened slightly. This was his first time inside the imperial palace of Great Ning. He had always known that Xiao Yun had terrible taste, but he hadn’t expected it to be this bad—it was simply unbearable.

The hall was three or four times larger than the one his imperial brother had, the dragon throne was so wide it resembled a bed, and even the edges of the carpets were embroidered with gold and silver threads.

The whole place exuded just two words: extravagant dominance.

And this was just the great hall. If this was the standard, what would the jinluan hall look like?

After getting to know Xiao Yun better, Jiang Huaichu realized that under normal circumstances, Xiao Yun was the kind of person he would neither get along with nor want to interact with.

He preferred the company of people like Xie Zhe—his friends in Nanruo were similar.

On the side, Qi Wang lounged unceremoniously, idly munching on a bunch of grapes, swallowing them whole without spitting out the skins. His gaze lingered on a particular scholar at the front, gradually taking on an ambiguous quality. He beckoned a eunuch beside him and, smiling slyly, asked, “What’s his name?”

The eunuch glanced over, his heart sinking, but he still leaned in and whispered hesitantly, “…Xie Caiqing.”

“The one standing in the top spot? The first in the metropolitan exam?”

The eunuch nodded.

“Impressive.” Qi Wang clicked his tongue and mused, “That second-place candidate—isn’t he Zhang Ninghan? What, he couldn’t surpass this one?”

The eunuch nodded again.

“Fascinating. He’s quite young.” Qi Wang smirked, then frowned in confusion. “His surname is Xie? But as far as I remember, aside from the Commander, there are no prominent families with that surname in the capital.”

Qi Wang’s proclivities were well-known. The eunuch hesitated but ultimately forced a flattering smile and said, “He is from West City in Junzhou. I heard that his parents passed away, and he has no powerful relatives.”

Qi Wang’s eyes lit up instantly, and his smile deepened. “Oh, really?”

The eunuch hesitated for a moment before warning in a low voice, “But the Commander seems to favor him, Wangye may want to reconsider—”

Qi Wang scoffed. “That old fox? He wouldn’t risk offending me over a mere scholar. Besides, I’m doing him a favor. Many would dream of such an opportunity. What could the Commander possibly be unhappy about?”

When he said the word favor, the eunuch’s body tensed involuntarily.

“A man of such humble birth must be struggling to find a foothold in court,” Qi Wang continued with a chuckle. “He should be thanking me—”

“His Majesty arrives!” the chief eunuch announced.

The officials and imperial relatives immediately shot up from their seats, kneeling in unison and chanting, “Long live the Emperor!”

“Rise.”

Xiao Yun seated himself on the dragon throne, his gaze briefly settling on Xie Caiqing at the front before shifting away.

According to protocol, scholars had to keep their heads lowered and eyes averted, forbidden from directly looking at the emperor.

The young man before him stood with a straight back and relaxed shoulders, obediently casting his gaze downward. Compared to the several candidates beside him who were sweating profusely, his composure remained utterly unchanged.

Xiao Yun’s gaze lingered on the scholar’s waist for a fleeting moment before he shifted his eyes and gestured to the chief eunuch.

The eunuch understood and began announcing the rules of the palace examination.

The examination focused on policy responses.

Great Ning’s palace examination was extremely straightforward—almost to a shocking degree. The format was simple: the emperor asked questions, and the scholars answered on the spot.

The emperor disliked scholars who merely recited classics; he preferred those who were quick-witted, spoke plainly, and proposed practical solutions.

After all, those selected in the metropolitan exam might be assigned to the provinces, but those chosen in the palace examination would remain in the central government. The emperor needed capable officials for his own use, not bookworms or stubborn mules who would make his life difficult.

Many of the scholars were already sweating profusely.

In previous years, the exam questions had ranged from crucial matters of state to bizarre curveballs like “What did you eat last night?”

One year, an examinee had been so stunned by that question that he failed to answer at all.

The emperor casually selected a few questions to ask. Those questioned about current affairs let out a sigh of relief, while those asked strange and unexpected questions turned pale.

Finally, the emperor’s gaze fell on the two individuals in the front row. He glanced at Xie Caiqing with an unreadable expression, seemingly smiling slightly before turning to Zhang Ninghan. Lazily, he asked, “If the Man River floods again this year, do you think I should allocate funds to repair the embankment?”

Zhang Ninghan was momentarily stunned before feeling a surge of joy. This very question had been anticipated and rehearsed for him. He quickly responded, “No!”

“Why?” the emperor asked.

Zhang Ninghan spoke fluently and confidently: “The Man River is not of strategic importance to Great Ning. The surrounding population is sparse. It has suffered embankment breaches in the 9th, 14th, 17th, 23rd, 27th, and 31st years of Zhao’an, as well as the 3rd year of Xiwu. Yet, the number of displaced people has never exceeded ten thousand. Each time the court allocated funds for repairs, the costs were excessive and wasteful.”

“The terrain around the Man River is treacherous, with a narrow, deep channel and rapid currents. Repairing the embankment requires mobilizing tens of thousands of laborers, far exceeding the number of affected refugees. It is not worth the cost.”

“Moreover, the funds allocated by the court trickle down through multiple levels, leaving little for the actual embankment repairs. Every time we rebuild, it breaks again, ultimately harming the foundation of our Great Ning state.”

“Therefore, in my humble opinion, instead of repairing the embankment, it would be better to relocate the people living around the Man River!”

Many officials nodded in agreement. Indeed, Great Ning had many rivers, and losing one would not be a significant issue. Rather than repairing, relocating the residents would be a one-time solution.

The emperor gave two lazy claps.

Zhang Ninghan’s heart pounded with excitement. He barely managed to suppress his elation, stepping back slightly while casting a smug glance at Xie Caiqing.

Then, the emperor suddenly turned to Xie Caiqing. “And you?”

Zhang Ninghan froze momentarily before scoffing inwardly. He had already stated all the valid points. No matter what Xie Caiqing said, it would be mere parroting—he couldn’t surpass him.

Xie Caiqing’s brows furrowed.

Zhang Ninghan had already said everything necessary. If Emperor Xiao Yun only asked this, then his top scholar title might be at risk…

Did Xiao Yun not intend to grant him the title of top scholar? Otherwise, why ask him a question where there was nothing left to say?

That didn’t seem right.

Countless pairs of eyes in the hall turned to him, and the pressure bore down heavily. His mind raced. Suddenly, from the upper ranks of the court officials, someone subtly signaled to him, glancing at Zhang Ninghan.

Jiang Huaichu’s brows furrowed even deeper.

…Was he suggesting that he should play it safe and echo Zhang Ninghan’s answer to avoid unnecessary risks?

But why was he helping him…?

Then, Jiang Huaichu suddenly recalled a jade pendant and seemed to grasp something. The fleeting trace of a smile touched his lips. So that’s how it was.

Famed for his eloquence, Xie Caiqing remained silent for a long time in the grand hall.

Zhang Ninghan’s smirk deepened.

Xiao Yun’s gaze, resting on Xie Caiqing, carried a subtle scrutiny, tinged with amusement.

Seeing Xie Caiqing’s silence, the chief eunuch was about to call the next candidate when Xie Caiqing suddenly declared, “I believe the embankment should be repaired.”

The entire hall was momentarily stunned. Didn’t he know…?

Xiao Yun’s eyes gleamed with interest, his smile widening. “Why?”

Xie Caiqing smiled and raised his voice: “Our Great Ning has plenty of money and manpower—how could we not afford to repair a mere Man River embankment? If we abandon it, wouldn’t the whole world laugh at us? It’s true that it is difficult to maintain and costly to repair, but if it breaks, we fix it. Every time it breaches, we repair it again! If the court refuses to give up on even a minor embankment, how could we ever abandon the people in the face of other natural disasters? The people will trust the court, live in peace, and remain loyal to Your Majesty, who is wise and loves his subjects like his own children!”

Xiao Yun burst into laughter.

His response was full of flattery, lacking practical merit but undeniably pleasing to hear. Many officials couldn’t help but chuckle as well.

His words greatly enhanced the prestige of the Great Ning court and flattered the emperor. Though they contributed little to actual flood management, they were satisfying to hear.

However, when it came to genuine insight, Zhang Ninghan’s answer was clearly superior. Any discerning official could see that.

But the emperor was laughing…

Many seasoned officials lowered their heads.

Choosing the top scholar was, in the end, about selecting the emperor’s favored close aides…

Zhang Ninghan sneered inwardly.

A mere sycophant. There was no way the emperor would abandon him in favor of Xie Caiqing just because of such a bootlicking response. Otherwise, how could he justify it to the other scholars?

Xiao Yun’s laughter gradually faded as he turned toward Xie Zhe.

Xie Zhe immediately understood, stepping forward to whisper a few words into the Jijiu of the Imperial Academy’s ear.

The Jijiu, who had been watching Zhang Ninghan with satisfaction, instantly turned pale. His entire body began trembling, his gaze flickering toward the emperor but not daring to meet his eyes. His back slid lower and lower until he was nearly kneeling. “Your Majesty…”

The court officials all noticed this and began to sweat.

Xiao Yun smiled at the chancellor. “I am quite pleased with both of their answers. What does my learned Jijiu think? Who is superior?”

The Jijiu trembled like a leaf, stammering, “It is Xie Caiqing, without a doubt!”

Zhang Ninghan’s face froze in disbelief…

But they had agreed—he was supposed to be the designated top scholar…

Xiao Yun grinned. “And what about the other candidate? What do you think of him?”

The Jijiu turned sharply, pointing at Zhang Ninghan with a stern voice: “Nonsense! Deceitful rhetoric! How could the great authority of Great Ning be compromised over a mere Man River? What are your true intentions? What crime should you be charged with?!”

Zhang Ninghan felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss. His mind went blank, his body trembling. After a long moment, he finally collapsed to his knees with a thud. “Your Majesty, have mercy! This humble subject deserves ten thousand deaths!”

A suffocating silence filled the grand hall.

“What a simple policy question—why such dramatics?” Xiao Yun chuckled, turning to the chancellor. “My learned Jijiu, you are a highly respected scholar with students across the realm. If you say Xie Caiqing is superior, I have no objections. Rise.”

The Jijiu hesitated for a long moment before struggling to his feet, his legs weak as he was helped aside.

Xiao Yun frowned. “Such disruption in the court—it’s quite noisy—”

Before he could finish, Xie Zhe had already ordered the guards to drag Zhang Ninghan away.

The courtiers were drenched in sweat, their faces filled with fear.

Jiang Huaichu let out a breath, his heart still trembling.

So this was the silent trap.

The Jijiu of the Imperial Academy must have made some private dealings with Zhang Ninghan that violated the fairness of the imperial examination. That question about the Man River must have been something the Jijiu had hinted to Zhang Ninghan beforehand.

Xiao Yun posed the question, Zhang Ninghan answered as he had been instructed, and then Xiao Yun suddenly had Xie Zhe strike the Jijiu without warning. In his shock and terror, the Jijiu naturally abandoned his pawn to save himself, turning on Zhang Ninghan to show his loyalty and atone for his sins.

Xiao Yun had given him the jade pendant. If he hadn’t known that the true owner was Xiao Yun, he would have mistakenly assumed that the official who secretly signaled him was the pendant’s owner. He would have followed that official’s guidance and given a response similar to Zhang Ninghan’s—ending up just like him, condemned as someone “spreading deceitful words to confuse the masses.”

The Jijiu was needed but had to be taught a lesson. Zhang Ninghan was not needed, so he was dragged away.

As for himself—Xiao Yun had given him the jade pendant as both a malicious misdirection and a deliberate exposure of a flaw. Whether he would suffer a silent loss and return to Junzhou or rise as the top scholar would depend entirely on his own fortune.

A calm facade, but every step was a killing move. A plan that achieved multiple goals in one stroke.

This was indeed Emperor Xiao Yun of Great Ning.