Audacious beyond measure.
Though the warmth of her fragrance still lingered on his left cheek, only these four words flashed through his mind. Lowering his gaze, he met her sparkling, liquid eyes—clear and untainted by any impurity.
Though he knew she desired something from him, he never expected her to be so brazen!
For a moment, he was too stunned to react, failing even to push her away.
Seeing his lack of resistance, a flicker of fire seemed to dance in her eyes. She leaned in again, gently pressing her lips to his thin ones.
A vein throbbed at his temple. He lowered his eyelids, as if finally snapping back to reality.
Her tongue, moist and tentative, traced the seam of his lips, cautiously seeking entry.
His body remained rigid, unmoving, and he made no move to shove her aside. Yet his gaze pierced into her like a blade, sharp and scorching, cutting straight into the depths of her eyes.
...
It wasn’t as if he had never been with a woman.
At twelve, palace maids had been sent to attend to him. As his father, the emperor, had put it, this too was a field of study—how could a future ruler lack virility?
He only remembered his mother, the empress, spitting out a laugh at that, her cheeks faintly flushed.
Yet he found no ecstasy in the act, treating it as a mere ritual—a declaration that he had come of age and could henceforth observe ministerial discussions in the Grand Secretariat.
Years later, when he mentioned it casually to Zhishu, she had laughed and remarked that he must be innately cold and detached, utterly unlike his father.
...
He hadn’t pushed her away because he wanted to see just how far she would dare to go. But he never imagined she would actually have the audacity to press her advantage, wrapping her arms around his waist.
Her heart had been trembling wildly.
She must have gone mad—how else could she have been so bold as to act like this toward him in the palace hall...
Yet this man she had yearned for over the years was truly allowing her to behave this way toward him...
Perhaps, as the Crown Prince—esteemed and handsome—he was accustomed to female officials throwing themselves at him over the years, or perhaps he even enjoyed such indulgences...
At this thought, she abruptly stopped.
He finally raised his hand, gripping her wrist tightly. His voice was as cold as the deepest abyss: "Meng Tinghui." But he only uttered her name, leaving the rest unspoken.
She gazed at him silently, without a trace of fear.
She thought he was about to do something, but little did she know he was too shocked to even decide how to deal with her.
Suddenly, the hall door was knocked twice from outside. A Yellow-robed Attendant pushed it open a crack. "Your Highness, His Majesty just..."
The words trailed off, the rest swallowed back.
The attendant stared dumbfounded at the scene inside, frozen in place—unable to advance or retreat, as if nailed to the ground, even forgetting to lower his head.
The Minor Proclamation Ceremony before the grand announcement of the final examination results was merely a formality. The Crown Prince summoning the ten female candidates designated as First and Second Class Candidates was simply following the tradition of the Jinshi examinations. Everyone had assumed Meng Tinghui would have withdrawn by now. Who could have imagined... who could have imagined...
Her right hand was still tucked against his lean waist, while his right hand tightly clasped her left.
She pressed against him, and he leaned in—the space between them no thicker than a sheet of paper, their intimacy enough to make one blush.
Outside, officials from the Court of Imperial Entertainments were waiting. Through the wide-open door, they caught sight of the scene inside and immediately dragged the stunned Yellow-robed Attendant away.
With two loud bangs, the hall doors were frantically shut from outside.
The interior suddenly darkened, the slender flames of the palace candles in the corners trembling faintly.
An icy aura emanated from his entire being. Even without a word, it made her scalp prickle.She was clearly taken aback by being discovered, her mind racing as she struggled to decide what to do—
Their posture would undoubtedly appear to onlookers as if he were bullying her.
How could his years of sterling reputation as Crown Prince be ruined by her today?
Suddenly anxious, she disregarded his fury and looked at him, saying, "I have overstepped my bounds. Your Highness need only strip me of my honors."
"Meng Tinghui," he suddenly spoke, his expression softening slightly though his eyes remained cold, "the top position in this year's Female Scholar Examination belongs to none other than you."
She was mildly astonished that he could still say such words at this moment.
He turned and walked toward the golden table in the hall, where large and small golden scrolls along with writing implements were prepared—originally intended for him to inscribe the scholars' names after the Minor Proclamation Ceremony. Now, the mounted golden scroll seemed particularly glaring.
Her eyes fixed on his retreating figure, she watched him bend to pick up the brush, dip it in ink, and actually write her name at the very top of the list.
She stood stunned, growing increasingly bewildered.
After such audacity from her, instead of punishing her, he still granted her the top honors?
People said the Crown Prince's mind was unfathomable—
Indeed, the saying held true.
Outside the hall, lush trees stood tall, birds sang softly—spring had passed, and summer had arrived.
·
On the twentieth day of the fifth month of the twenty-fourth year of Qiande, the palace examination results for the Female Scholar Examination were announced. Meng Tinghui, the top candidate from Chaoan North Circuit and the metropolitan examination, once again claimed the highest position, becoming the first female scholar in the history of the Great Peace Dynasty to achieve triple honors.
Subsequently, an imperial decree was issued, appointing Meng Tinghui to the Imperial Academy as a sixth-rank Compiler, permitting her to serve as Lecturer of Classics in the Eastern Palace, compile histories of previous dynasties, observe Imperial Academicians drafting edicts in both academies, and additionally bestowing upon her the privilege of wearing a silver Fish Pouch.
This decree poured oil onto the already boiling capital, instantly causing an uproar.
In all previous imperial examinations, when had such honors and preferential treatment ever been seen?
Naturally, what had transpired that day in the Hall of Preserved Harmony inevitably spread.
Rumors and gossip grew wildly like unchecked weeds and vines.
The Crown Prince, who had never shown interest in women, was said to have been captivated by Meng Tinghui from Chaoan North Circuit during the palace examination, then met with her alone in the Hall of Preserved Harmony on the day of the Minor Proclamation Ceremony. As for Meng Tinghui, she was no simple character—knowing exactly how to climb the ladder, her fawning behavior beyond ordinary imagination.
A sycophantic favorite, a sycophantic favorite.
The Imperial Academy and the National University, the two most prestigious institutions in the court, utterly despised such ministers. Immediately, waves of Public Criticism emerged, all claiming Meng Tinghui was truly a wicked and cunning individual.
Yet rumors remained merely rumors. No matter how loud the Public Criticism grew, not a single person could actually submit a memorial to the Emperor requesting revocation of the already issued decree.
But how could the veteran officials of the Imperial Academy tolerate Meng Tinghui's direct entry? Naturally, they began privately scheming about how to deal with this woman who had managed to enter the Imperial Academy through such means.
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