Chapter 1: First Meeting, Reunion – The Cute Male Lead Finally Meets His Owner…

On March 17th of the third year of Zhengde’s reign in the Great Qi Dynasty, the imperial examination results were announced.

First place in the first rank: Qin Shu

Second place: Jiang Si

Third place: Qiu Shuzhi

The entire capital was in an uproar!

Qin Shu, the legitimate daughter of the powerful Qin clan, was known as a spoiled good-for-nothing, yet she surprisingly won first place.

Jiang Si, the daughter of the King of Dian, had mediocre literary talent, yet she managed to secure second place.

On the other hand, Qiu Shuzhi, who had the highest reputation among the people and was known as the “Number One Talented Woman of Great Qi”, was actually placed behind these two.

It was simply laughable!

………………………………………………

After the golden list was announced, the Empress held a Qionglin Banquet in the Imperial Apricot Garden to entertain the successful candidates.

The officials accompanied the triumphant Qin Shu and Jiang Si, chatting and laughing, but their gazes kept glancing outside the garden from time to time.

They were all waiting for one person—Lady Tanhua*, Qiu Shuzhi.

This year’s imperial examination scandals were severely criticized by the people, and the examiners were also well aware of it.

Among the top three this time, only Qiu Shuzhi had true talent and learning, but unfortunately, she came from a humble background and could not compare to the imperial relatives and nobles.

If it weren’t for Her Majesty’s appreciation of talent and protection, the third place would probably have gone to another high-ranking official’s legitimate daughter.

But in the examiners’ hearts, she was the true Number One Scholar.

“Qiu Shuzhi has arrived—” the attendant loudly announced her name.

Everyone looked towards the outside of the garden, intending to catch a glimpse of this “Lady Tanhua’s” true appearance.

It was the time when apricot flowers had just started to bloom, with red calyxes and pale stamens clustered together, the apricot grove was like clouds and rosy dawn, the pure white flowers pressing the branches into a slant.

A woman in light clothes slowly approached, her light dress and pleated skirt like thin mist and piled snow, her lustrous black hair loosely coiled with a hair ribbon, revealing her beautifully shaped fair neck, her plain clothes unable to conceal her ice-like skin and jade-like bones, elegant and peerlessly beautiful.

Her appearance was too outstanding, attracting everyone’s attention as soon as she entered, there were even faint gasps of admiration.

Qin Shu’s limelight was stolen and she looked displeased, despite her noble birth, she was actually inferior to a humble woman in plain clothes.

She gave Qiu Shuzhi a sidelong glance and mocked: “Pretty boy!”

Beside her, Jiang Si withdrew her amazed gaze and softly said: “Qiu Shuzhi has the reputation of being the ‘Number One Talented Woman of Great Qi’, her future prospects are limitless, we should befriend her.”

Qin Shu snorted disdainfully: “A lowly commoner, and she still dreams of being friends with me? So what if she got third place, without the support of a powerful clan, she’ll only be a petty official for life!”

Jiang Si smiled faintly and said no more, but her gaze kept lingering on Qiu Shuzhi.

After the previous Emperor passed away, the Great Qi Dynasty had a brutal battle for the throne, the world was in chaos, the people could not make a living, and there were even imperial princes who suffered after being reduced to commoners.

The young Emperor, who was only ten years old, ascended the throne with the support of his maternal clan, power fell into the hands of others and the imperial household declined, the Emperor was like a puppet, young officials could only rise in court by attaching themselves to powerful clans.

“But if she’s willing to serve others with her beauty, she might have a smooth official career.” Qin Shu’s attitude suddenly changed.

After the battle for the throne, morals and etiquette collapsed, the trend of keeping female favorites was prevalent in the capital.

Jiang Si was about to speak when she heard the attendant’s loud voice from outside the garden: “Her Majesty has arrived—”

The officials all knelt down in unison and shouted long live, the imperial entourage was lavishly escorted from the front and back.

“Rise!” a young voice came from the high seat.

Qiu Shuzhi slowly stood up.

Sitting on the high seat was a little girl of fourteen or fifteen years old, wearing a bright red robe, her doll-like face had a hint of baby fat, her lips tightly pressed into a line, her brows slightly furrowed, looking like a precocious youth.

This was the current Zhengde Emperor—Yue Shen.

According to tradition, the Emperor would bestow famous flowers to the successful candidates at the Qionglin Banquet.

The top three stepped forward in turn.

Qin Shu was bestowed the king of flowers, the peony, while Jiang Si was bestowed the peony’s minister, the peony.

‘Peonies, peonies, and roses all bloom on the caps of a thousand officials.’ According to usual practice, Qiu Shuzhi should be bestowed a rose.

Sure enough, the young Emperor held a rose and sized her up, her eyes deep as a lake.

So this was the scholar she had protected? Her appearance was indeed as beautiful as the rumors said.

“Your article was very good.” the young Emperor’s soft voice sounded above her head.

“Thank you for Your Majesty’s praise, this commoner is overwhelmed with fear.” Qiu Shuzhi lowered her slightly bowed body even further, her long hair cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall.

Yue Shen stared at her straight back, although lowly in status, she had a proud bearing, and Yue Shen’s fondness for her grew.

“No need to be fearful, this is what you deserve.”

The words ‘what you deserve’ were not known whether they were meant for Qin Shu and Jiang Si to hear, or for the hundred officials below.

“Come forward, I will pin the flower for you.” Yue Shen said in a soft and sweet voice.

Qiu Shuzhi lifted her skirt and ascended the steps, the edges of her plain white skirt slowly spreading out, she knelt in front of Yue Shen, the cold fragrance emanating from her body drifted to Yue Shen’s nose with the spring breeze.

Unlike the heavy scent of any perfume, the vague and faint fragrance made Yue Shen can’t help but stare at Qiu Shuzhi’s loosely coiled hair and take a few more sniffs.

With hair like spilled ink, how dazzling would it be to pin a vivid rose on it? Yue Shen thought to herself.

She held the flower and was about to pin it in her hair when suddenly a shrill voice pierced the sky.

“The Empress Dowager has arrived—”

The officials all knelt down in a flurry, even Qin Shu, who had been disrespectful when kneeling to the Emperor, became solemn, only the young Emperor Yue Shen had a trace of disgust flash through her eyes.

The current Empress Dowager Qin Qing was the legitimate son of the Qin family and the previous Emperor’s next consort. The previous Emperor had died of illness not long after marrying him, so this Empress Dowager was only in his thirties.

Despite his young age, his power was extremely high. Together with the Qin family, they had rendered the Emperor powerless and governed from behind a screen. Officials could disrespect the Emperor but did not dare to disrespect Empress Dowager Qin Qing.

Qin Qing’s grand entourage entered the apricot garden, even more magnificent and dignified than the Emperor’s entourage, looking like it was suppressing everything.

Qiu Shuzhi knelt beside the seat and saw a piece of ink-black gold-embroidered robe pass by her eyes.

Qin Qing glanced at the rose in Yue Shen’s hand.

“This must be Lady Tanhua, raise your head and let me have a look!” a low male voice flowed steadily like water.

“Yes!” Qiu Shuzhi slowly raised her head.

The man in front of her was wearing a black gold-embroidered robe, his long hair tied up with a jade crown, his face handsome and deep, his slender and gentle eyes carrying a hint of a smile.

Qiu Shuzhi saw a flash of admiration in his eyes.

But what attracted Qiu Shuzhi’s attention the most was the man standing behind Qin Qing.

He was wearing an official robe with a four-clawed python on it, a ferocious beast resembling a dragon raging on his chest, bone-chillingly sinister, a jade belt restraining his waist, under his gold-threaded black gauze hat was his pale skin that almost had no blood color, his features coldly beautiful, his thick lashes casting a shadow under his eyes, like a deity looking down on the world from a snowy mountain.

From beginning to end, he kept his eyes lowered and did not say a word, nor did he even glance at Qiu Shuzhi, his hand gripping the embroidered spring knife had protruding blue veins, exuding coldness and danger that kept people thousands of miles away.

“Imperial Father, the flower-pinning ceremony is not yet finished, let your subject give her the flower-pinning ceremony first.” Yue Shen said.

Qin Qing looked at the rose in her hand and slowly said: “The flower-pinning ceremony should be performed, but this rose is inappropriate.”

“What is inappropriate about it?” Yue Shen imperceptibly frowned.

The flowers bestowed on the top three had been passed down from the previous Emperor, and every third-place winner had always worn a rose. Qin Qing’s words were suppressing her imperial power.

Qin Qing lightly pointed to the pale apricot blossoms in the distance: “Apricot flowers are the flowers of success, pinning them on Lady Qiu’s hair is most fitting. What do you think, Yi’er?”

The snowy mountain-like beauty moved his eyelids, his cold eyes looking towards Qiu Shuzhi, but when he discovered that Qiu Shuzhi was also looking at him, he quickly looked away as if he had seen some ferocious monster, his hand gripping the embroidered spring knife turned white: “It is up to Imperial Father to decide.”

A glimmer flashed through Qiu Shuzhi’s eyes, was she that scary?

As soon as these words were spoken, without waiting for the Emperor’s consent, an official had already broken off a beautifully blooming branch of apricot blossoms and flatteringly presented it.

*Tanhua: The title given to the person who placed third in the imperial examination.

Qiu Shuzhi was closest to that cold and aloof handsome man, and she saw his hand hidden in his brocade sleeve tightly clenched, his fingertips turning a pale color.

The flower branch was inserted slantingly into her hair, like snow and jade.

Qin Qing smiled slightly, elegant and beautiful: “As expected, apricot blossoms suit you better. What does Your Majesty think?” Yue Shen tightly pressed her lips together, and only after a long while did she say: “Very good.”

“I have long heard that Lady Qiu has the appearance of a divine goddess and immortal, and today I see that the rumors are indeed true. Even the apricot blossoms have to be ashamed of themselves in comparison. You truly are the epitome of liveliness and beauty,” Qin Qing said softly.

The officials took this to heart. The current Empress Dowager held great power in the court, and if Qiu Shuzhi could gain his appreciation, her future prospects would be limitless.

“The Empress Dowager exaggerates in her praise,” Qiu Shuzhi calmly said.

If it were anyone else, they would have already been overjoyed and taken the opportunity to ingratiate themselves.

Seeing her neither servile nor overbearing demeanor, Qin Qing smiled and turned to ask Yue Shen: “Has Your Majesty bestowed official positions on the scholars?”

“Not yet.”

“I think the Number One Scholar Qin Shu has a talent for political discourse and could enter the cabinet. The Number Two Scholar Jiang Si could enter the Ministry of Personnel. What does Your Majesty think?”

Yue Shen sneered coldly in her heart. Qin Shu’s mother, Qin Zheng, was already a cabinet elder, and now with Qin Shu also entering the cabinet, it was clear they intended for the daughter to succeed the mother’s position.

After a moment of silence, she smiled and said: “Very well, let it be as Imperial Father says. As for Qiu Shuzhi, I think her literary talent is outstanding, so let her enter the Hanlin Academy as an Imperial Tutor.”

Imperial Tutor was a fifth-rank official position.

Historically, the Number Three Scholar usually started as a seventh-rank editor in the Hanlin Academy, so this showed the Emperor’s favoritism and could also be considered compensation for Qiu Shuzhi’s examination ranking.

After the banquet ended, the Emperor bestowed the grace of allowing the top three to ride horses through the streets of the capital. The spring breeze blew, causing apricot blossoms to float down like rain. The people of the capital gathered around, wanting to snatch the flowers pinned on the scholars’ heads.

There were even young gentlemen who pushed open the windows along the street and waved their embroidered handkerchiefs at Qiu Shuzhi.

Qiu Shuzhi took the apricot blossom from her head and threw it into the air. The crowd fought to grab it, wanting to take it home to bring their daughters good luck. In the end, a young boy snatched it and ran off with the apricot blossom like a treasure.

As she rode on a tall horse, her gaze swept through the apricot blossom rain and unintentionally caught sight of the retreating figure of that icy snow mountain beauty. The ferocious beast embroidered on his back stared at her with piercing eyes.

“What, are you interested in him?” Qin Shu had ridden her horse to Qiu Shuzhi’s side at some point and whispered in her ear.

“Please don’t joke like that.”

Qin Shu laughed and said: “Lady Qiu is now a fifth-rank official. What man can’t you get? There’s no need to waste your thoughts on him. He’s not worth it.”

Qiu Shuzhi smiled faintly: “I merely glanced at him. You’re overthinking it. But from your words, it seems like you’re quite familiar with him?”

Qin Shu’s tone carried a hint of disdain: “He is the Crown Prince Yue Guanyi, the current Emperor’s only legitimate brother and also the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. A man doing work more bloody than a woman’s. No one who enters his prison can come out intact.”

Yue Guanyi.

Upon hearing his name, Qiu Shuzhi suddenly remembered this vicious man known as the “Living King of Hell” among the people. She didn’t expect him to be so good-looking.

Having entered officialdom, Qiu Shuzhi had to be cautious in her every word, so even after hearing Qin Shu say this, she still had to make up for it to avoid being schemed against by those with ill intentions.

“For the Crown Prince, as a man, to be able to reach such a position is truly admirable.”

Qin Shu’s eyes froze: “Do you really think so? A man being so high-profile, don’t you think it’s detrimental to morality?”

“Men and women are essentially no different. The capable should take the position.”

Having transmigrated from the modern world, Qiu Shuzhi was not influenced much by the feudal etiquette here.

Qin Shu’s eyes darkened: “Lady Qiu is indeed different from ordinary people. I admire that.”

“But you’d better stay far away from him. He is no longer a virgin. During the battle for the throne, he was reduced to a commoner and sold to a brothel by human traffickers. He even had the word ‘slave’ carved on his body. His personality has greatly changed, becoming extremely ruthless. Even the cabinet elders have to give him some leeway.”

Qiu Shuzhi didn’t know what to say. After all, he was also a prince of the country, yet he was being discussed like this by a minister. However, this world was always harsh on men. As long as she was cautious in her words and actions, it would be fine.

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The horse carriage slowly drove through the streets of the capital. A teenage boy quickly lifted the heavy curtain and crawled inside. High-quality incense was burning, and in the dim light sat a man with cold eyes.

“Your Highness!” The boy respectfully presented an apricot blossom branch carefully wrapped in a handkerchief.

Yue Guanyi’s slender and fair hand took the flower. His coldly colored eyes stared at the elegantly blooming apricot blossom branch, and the image of that person wearing it on her head appeared in his mind.

He lowered his head and gently sniffed. The faint fragrance of the flower stamens still carried that person’s familiar clean scent, and his breathing involuntarily quickened.

He held the flower branch to his heart, wanting to be closer to that person, but afraid that using too much force would damage the delicate flower. This was the flower that had been pinned in Qiu Shuzhi’s hair!

He held the flower like a rare treasure, even his breathing was cautious and extremely reverent.

“Finally, finally waited for you.”