Chapter 336: Oh, So They’re the Stakes

The banquet was nearly over, so Xiao Li rose to leave.

An Emperor must maintain a sense of distance and mystique. The rest of the evening was for the officials of the Six Ministries and the young newcomers to get to know one another.

The moment Xiao Li left, Song Junzhan put down his cup and rose to follow.

The new officials had all heard the gossip about the Emperor and the Prime Minister, but this was their first time witnessing it firsthand.

Although the Empress and the Prime Minister had both been present during the examination, the Empress had been stern and the Prime Minister aloof. The newcomers, preoccupied with the stressful exam, had no mental energy to spare for such things.

But now that their rankings were decided, they were physically and mentally relaxed. Seeing the Prime Minister follow the Empress the moment she departed instantly awakened a primal human instinct—the spirit of gossip!

They remained relatively restrained, however, holding a reverent awe for the magnificent Imperial Palace and not daring to make a racket.

It was just that their eyes, pair after pair, glinted like those of a wolf pack—bright, yet strangely unsettling.

And yet, while they were being so cautious, they turned to see a group of senior ministers already placing bets.

"I bet the Prime Minister will stay in the palace to attend to Her Majesty tonight."

"I bet he won’t!"

"A bet, then. Loser lets me have first pick of the new recruits."

"Fine. Winner picks first. I’ll wager two."

"I’ll wager three."

"I’ll wager ten!"

"Get outta here. You were only allotted five spots. Where are you going to get ten from?"

Another person stood up. "I’ll wager ten."

The crowd hooted. "Well, well, if it isn’t Minister Tang! So generous!"

"Alright, alright, one at a time! Let me just write this down!"

The group of greenhorns stared dumbly as the ministers chattered away, completely bewildered by what they were hearing.

Jiang Zhou asked the aloof Wang Wanqing in confusion, feeling certain she would know, "What are they betting on?"

’It doesn’t seem to be Silver, but they sound so passionate. And are you even allowed to gamble in the Imperial Palace?’

Wang Wanqing’s heart had followed Her Majesty out the door, but she still spared a moment to answer Jiang Zhou.

"There’s a new rule for the imperial examination this time. The top one hundred selected candidates will be sent to the Six Ministries for practical experience in addition to their formal training, and each ministry has a limited number of spots."

A group of people nearby pricked up their ears to listen, and a wave of realization washed over them. ’Oh, so *we’re* the stakes!’

A moment later... ’Wait, *we’re* the stakes?’

’Something feels off about this.’

As Jiang Zhou listened to the ongoing wagers, the thought that he and the others were the prizes to be picked and chosen made him instantly uncomfortable.

He humbly asked Wang Wanqing, "Are the Six Ministries that short-staffed? Also, does Her Majesty just let them do this?"

Xin Yuan, standing to the side, offered a calm analysis. "Though we now have official status, we’re still newcomers. It will be some time before we can truly join the Six Ministries, so it’s impossible that they’d be fighting over us so fiercely. Besides, the fact that one person holds several spots means these aren’t official positions. Going to the Six Ministries for ’practical experience’ on top of our training... that just means we’ll be gofers."

Jiang Zhou looked to Wang Wanqing, waiting to see what she would say.

But Wang Wanqing only glanced at Xin Yuan with approval, a clear sign that he was correct.

The others were bewildered. ’Gofers? Well, going to the Six Ministries for training as gofers... that doesn’t sound so bad, I guess.’

Having done odd jobs for years, becoming not only highly proficient but a paragon of overachieving diligence, Wang Wanqing remained completely unfazed.

But Jiang Zhou, who had already witnessed the tip of the iceberg and had only just survived a round of torment, felt his world come crashing down.

’It can’t be, can it?’

Clinging to a final shred of hope, he asked Wang Wanqing in a low voice, "Grand Champion Scholar, Mr. Wang, the Six Ministries have so many people... even if we’re just doing odd jobs, it can’t possibly be as busy as it was before, can it?"

Remembering how he had been worked like a spinning top, nearly driven to death by Wang Wanqing’s relentless pace, Jiang Zhou couldn’t help but feel a creeping dread.

’It was terrifying!’

However, Wang Wanqing mercilessly shattered his last remaining fantasy.

"The Six Ministries don’t suffer idlers. There’s no such thing as ’busiest’—only ’busier.’ My pace is the normal operational speed for the Six Ministries: efficient, precise, and comprehensive."

She glanced sideways at Jiang Zhou. "Of course, if you can’t handle it, you’re free to not be busy. There are, after all, countless others waiting to take your place."

Jiang Zhou: "..."

He could already foresee the living hell his future days would become.

-------

Song Junzhan caught up to Xiao Li and walked beside her. "Your Majesty, I brought a jar of Hundred Flowers Brew. Might I ask Your Majesty to grace me with your company in tasting it?"

Xiao Li hadn’t had much to drink that night, and she was in a good mood. Since the Prime Minister was asking, she felt she should indulge him.

Her gaze swept around, landing on the highest palace—Qiong Snow Palace.

"We’ll go there."

Hong Yue immediately ordered the palace attendants to go and make arrangements.

Xiao Li and Song Junzhan strolled slowly along the White Jade Corridor.

After they had walked a good distance, Song Junzhan finally gathered his courage and took Xiao Li’s hand. His face remained serene, but his heart hammered like a drum.

Even though he and Her Majesty had grown quite close, he was still terrified of rejection.

But all the way to Qiong Snow Palace, Her Majesty never pulled her hand away. It was his own palm, in fact, that grew damp with nervous sweat.

The palace attendants moved with lightning speed; by the time the pair arrived, a small table with wine had already been arranged.

The location was high up, offering a panoramic view of the entire Imperial Palace. You could even faintly make out the lights of the Wan Family beyond the palace walls. It was a wonderful spot for appreciating the night scenery.

Song Junzhan dismissed Hong Yue and the others, personally poured the wine for the Empress, and offered the cup to her.

His shimmering eyes watched Xiao Li with anticipation. "Please, Your Majesty, have a taste."

Xiao Li accepted the cup and took a sip. ’It’s decent,’ she thought, ’just a bit sweet.’

Song Junzhan poured himself a cup and drank absently. When he saw the Empress showed no sign of speaking, he took the initiative to start a conversation about the day’s examination.

However, since they had both been involved in the examination, they knew how it went. There wasn’t much to discuss.

Song Junzhan felt his conversation was growing dull. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, "Your Majesty, do you remember our first meeting?"

Xiao Li raised an eyebrow. "What is our Young Master feeling so sentimental about?"

The title instantly made Song Junzhan smile.

"I haven’t heard that title in a long time."

He paused after he said it. "No, that’s not right. It hasn’t been so long."

He looked at Xiao Li. "Previously, when I thought I was dying, I went to the border in a dream and saw Your Majesty..."

When he woke up, it felt unreal, like a dream. And yet, it had all been so vivid—so real that he refused to believe it was false.

He had read tales of spirits and strange phenomena before. Though they were baseless, he felt his experience was much like what they called ’soul separation.’

Because he longed for her day and night, his soul had rushed to her side, heedless of all else, after leaving his body.

’He just didn’t know if Her Majesty had seen him...’

’He remembered drinking with Her Majesty just like this. Then he had kissed her, and afterward... they had whispered intimately and shared the same bed.’

’How could it have been fake?’

He stared unblinkingly at the Empress’s face, searching for the faintest trace of surprise that would prove it had not been a mere deathbed delusion.

But Xiao Li simply watched him calmly, as if waiting for him to continue.

’This is... Does she not know?’

An indescribable disappointment filled Song Junzhan’s heart. In the end, he couldn’t be so shameless as to speak of those intimate acts. He dejectedly lowered his gaze and looked away.