Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Chapter 264: Supervision is Simple, Just Check the System (1 / 2)

The examination was a major event. Once it started, the doors of the Examination Hall could not be opened under any circumstances—not even in the event of a fire.

—This had actually happened in a previous dynasty. When the Examination Hall caught fire, the examiners had stubbornly refused to unlock the gates, leading to the tragic deaths of over ninety examinees.

Because of this, even when someone was caught cheating, they couldn’t be escorted out of the hall immediately.

Xu Yanmiao turned to the substitute examinee and the person he was impersonating. “You two will stay in the Zhigong Tower until all the other candidates finish their exams. You’re not allowed to leave before that.”

Then, tearing a blank sheet from a notebook, he handed it to the substitute examinee.

“Do you want to confess? Write down every exam you’ve taken for someone else over the past fifteen years. Be honest, and the consequences will be lighter. Lie, and they’ll be worse.”

“Ah?!” The examinee jolted, then grabbed the brush. “Alright! I’ll write it all down!”

[Perfect! Now I can hand over a legitimate list to the old emperor without anyone questioning where it came from.]

Feeling completely satisfied, Xu Yanmiao stepped down the stairs and continued inspecting the examination hall.

—Whether or not the names on the list were real didn’t matter. He would verify them himself.

---

Of course, Xu Yanmiao was quite pleased. But outside the Examination Hall, the old emperor looked like he had just been struck by lightning.

“Tempted?! What does he mean, tempted?!”

The old emperor slammed the table in frustration. “Is being an official under me really that miserable?! If he wants meat, haven’t I already given him meat?!”

Princess Xiangyang muttered under her breath, “But meat isn’t the only thing people care about… Besides, you only gave mutton. I’ve noticed that Xu Yanmiao also likes pork, beef, donkey meat, chicken, and fish…”

“…”

The old emperor cursed, “That brat sure knows how to eat!” He took a sip of his warm wine—then froze. He turned to Empress Dou in confusion. “Empress, why is my wine only half-warm?”

—Empress Dou had always paid attention to this in the past, making sure to replace his wine before it got cold so he wouldn’t upset his stomach.

She glanced at him sideways. “Oh? So only you know how to eat?”

The old emperor was both surprised and puzzled. “What?”

Empress Dou said calmly, “You used to be able to drink cold wine just fine. But now, after becoming emperor, you can’t even handle half-warm wine? Getting more delicate, aren’t we?”

The old emperor blinked in shock, then finally realized what she meant. Smacking his forehead, he downed the rest of the lukewarm wine in one go and gave her an apologetic smile. “Empress, don’t be mad. I was talking nonsense just now. I know Xu Yanmiao isn’t actually tempted—he just likes to talk back. And besides, him eating more meat? That’s only right. He should.”

Empress Dou reached out and took his rough, calloused hands in hers. He had suffered a lot in his younger years, and even now, his palms, the backs of his hands, and his fingers still bore traces of those hardships.

“Wulang,” she said gently, holding his hands tightly, “any words—maybe they start as jokes, not meant from the heart. But if you say them a thousand times, ten thousand times, they become real.”

At first, scolding Xu Yanmiao might just be affectionate banter, a sign of closeness. But if the scolding continued too often, there would come a day when the thought slipped in—Xu Yanmiao really is ungrateful!

And then resentment would follow. Bitterness. Distance.

The crown prince and Princess Xiangyang both fell into thoughtful silence.

The old emperor, too, reflected seriously. “You’re right, I really haven’t been—”

[Ugh, so boring! Let me see some gossip instead!]

[Oh ho! Two sixty-six-year-olds holding hands so sweetly in front of their children!]

[The emperor and empress have such a good relationship! How cute!]

Empress Dou’s face turned red, and she tried to pull her hand away.

Suddenly, she felt something lightly brush against her palm. She paused, then glanced at the old emperor.

[Oh ho! Oh ho! The old emperor just secretly traced his finger across the empress’s palm! Tsk tsk tsk! The world is really changing fast!]

Empress Dou’s face turned even redder.

The old emperor spat out his drink and laughed. “You little brat! What are you peeking at?!”

[Scolding others for peeking, huh? Tsk tsk tsk, as if he’s not the one shamelessly flirting with his wife in front of his children.]

[Though I wonder who he’s scolding… The crown prince or Xiangyang?]

Princess Xiangyang giggled beside the table. The crown prince, grinning, leapt to his feet. “Father, go ahead and keep being affectionate with Mother—I’ll go borrow a bowl from the cupboard to warm your wine!”

A discarded eggshell flew his way. He dodged it effortlessly, laughing. “Alright, alright, I’m going now!”

---

Xu Yanmiao watched several rounds of royal gossip before returning to invigilating the examination with patience.

When Xu Yanmiao wasn’t patrolling the examination halls, imperial censors roamed the venue frequently, ensuring order. Armed guards stood at the entrance of each examination room to prevent cheating.

• February 9: The first round of the metropolitan exam.
• February 12: The second round.
• February 15: The third round.
• February 18: Candidates left the examination hall, while the examiners remained inside to grade the papers.

While the examiners were busy marking, a particular young official’s keen eye—one that could instantly detect hidden cheat sheets—became a topic of discussion in the capital.

People soon learned that his name was Xu Yanmiao, courtesy name Yaohai. At just over twenty, he had already attained the rank of Wai Lang (Assistant Director) of the Ministry of Personnel (fifth rank) and was also a close attendant to the emperor, highly favored by His Majesty.

Naturally, admiration followed.

“Master Xu is young yet deeply trusted by the emperor. His abilities are exceptional, and his eyesight is truly godlike. He is practically omniscient!”

Thus, a new nickname emerged—”Xu Shentong” (Xu the All-Knowing).

When the Crown Prince heard this, he clapped his hands and laughed. “They say there are no wrong nicknames, only wrong names. ‘Xu Shentong’ suits him perfectly!”

And so, the name stuck.

Yet, those who truly understood Xu Yanmiao’s abilities had a different name for him in private—“Little Baize”.

Xu Yanmiao paid little attention to these rumors, as grading was an intense mental task.

To prevent bribery, the Daxia Dynasty had strict rules—the chief examiner was not allowed to grade papers. His duty was solely to review the top five candidates selected by other examiners and finalize their rankings.

Still, while he didn’t grade the exams, he was responsible for supervising the examiners to prevent corruption, favoritism, or negligence.

—And supervision was simple. All he needed to do was check the system.

Days passed. Outside the examination hall, the Xifu crabapple trees bloomed in elegant profusion. Meanwhile, the stacks of exam papers dwindled until only a few remained.

At last, an official approached Xu Yanmiao, handing him a paper.

“Master Xu, this is my choice for the Jing Kui (Top Classicist). Do you think it’s suitable?”

Xu Yanmiao looked up and saw that the speaker was Wu, the Grand Rector of the Imperial Academy. Nodding, he called to the other examiners.

“Come, let’s review his answers on the Book of Rites. Does he qualify for Jing Kui and the model essay selection?”