The first subject was four questions on the classics, the second was on classics and history. The contents of the first two subjects were all the key points she had reviewed in recent days.

The last subject was different from previous years. It mainly tested policy discussion. The scope of the policy discussion was current affairs strategies.

Compared to previous years’ questions, the difficulty of this third subject had increased considerably, with the examiner focusing on testing the students’ ability to apply their knowledge.

Liu Changning’s eyes flashed with interest as she picked up the wolf-hair brush and began to answer on the exam paper.

Her writing flowed smoothly, without any hesitation.

Before dark, all three ink papers had been completed.

She rubbed her wrist and looked up at the darkening sky outside, reaching out to take the candle from her package.

Suddenly her expression tightened, and the tip of her ear twitched.

She reacted sensitively by turning sideways, but due to the narrow space of the examination shed, it was inconvenient to move. Although she dodged immediately, her right arm was still pierced by a silver needle shot through the door gap from the front.

The silver needle entered her cotton clothes, and there was only a slight tingling sensation on her arm. If not careful, one would not notice any abnormality in the body.

She narrowed her eyes and pulled out the thin needle from her arm with two fingers pressed together.

A flash of fierceness passed through her apricot eyes.

The imperial examination of the Golden Phoenix Dynasty was extremely strict. To prevent cheating, there was a narrow corridor between adjacent examination sheds.

For someone in the neighboring examination compartment to shoot a silver needle into her shed, there was only one way – the legendary blowgun technique from the jianghu.

Liu Changning lit a candle and held the silver needle over the flame. In less than a quarter of an hour, the needle head turned black.

At this moment, her body had no discomfort, except for drowsiness in her head, with no symptoms of poisoning.

If her guess was correct, someone was not trying to rob and kill her, but to cut off her path to officialdom!

The silver needle was poisoned, but the poison only made her head drowsy. Even if she reported to the invigilator, there would be no good outcome in the end.

The imperial examination held once every three years could not be terminated based on just a silver needle.

Moreover, since the person who set her up could be assigned to the compartment next to her examination shed, there must be someone among the invigilators who was in cahoots with them.

The person who made the move was certain that she would not dare to speak out about this matter!

Liu Changning’s face was cold, and sleepiness overwhelmed her mind. A cold smile escaped from the corner of her lips as she tucked the silver needle into her exam paper.

She extinguished the candle and fell asleep peacefully on the wooden table.

—

Liu Dong’s hand trembled as he blew the needle into the adjacent compartment. He was so nervous that he broke out in a cold sweat.

He broke the long blowpipe in half, attached rabbit fur to the front end, and put it in the brush holder. At a glance, it looked no different from a writing brush.

He took out a silk handkerchief from his bosom and carefully wiped his fingers clean.

His fingers had just touched the silver needle, which was coated with a potent sleeping drug that could make one drowsy for nine days after entering the skin.

The Duke of Dingyuan’s husband had specifically instructed that the sleeping drug was potent and should be handled with extreme caution. Therefore, he didn’t dare to be careless now.

Although his hands were still shaking, Liu Dong was extremely excited inside. Because after completing this task, the Duke of Dingyuan’s husband had personally promised that after this imperial examination, he would add a mansion for her Liu family and grant her a silver note worth fifty thousand taels.

Although she now had the status of a Juren and had climbed up the high branch of the Duke of Dingyuan’s mansion, because of her poor background, it was still extremely difficult to purchase a mansion in the inch-of-gold-inch-of-silver land of Jinling City.

A few days ago, there was a severe snow disaster in Xiqiao Village, and not a blade of grass grew in the farmland. Her mother brought her father and younger brother to Jinling City to seek refuge with her. A family of four all lived in the house she rented.

There was only one room, divided into two, with four people living together.

These days, the fire in her heart was bursting out. While other students were preparing for the exam with peace of mind, only she was suffering daily torment.

Fortunately, after helping the Duke of Dingyuan’s husband complete this task, even if she failed this imperial examination, with the few favors granted by the Duke of Dingyuan’s mansion, she could still obtain an official position in the capital, and her future prospects would be immeasurable.

While Liu Dong was secretly excited on this side, she never expected that her family’s good fortune had come to an end.

—

Examination Hall, Mingyuan Tower.

This year’s chief examiner was appointed by the Empress herself, the Grand Scholar of Wenyuan Pavilion, Elder Yang.

The rest of the people assisting in grading papers were all scholars from the Hanlin Academy.

The invigilating officials came to report the situation of the candidates every half hour.

Elder Yang sat at the head, angrily smashing the tea cup in her hand to the ground, glaring and saying, “She’s still sleeping?”

The invigilating official who came to report nodded, frightened and shrinking his neck.

Elder Yang was clearly very angry, she slammed her palm on the zitan wood desk.

She said with exasperation, “This girl… this girl! Is she trying to kill this old woman? A heaven-sent talent, with extraordinary abilities, and now… Inside the examination hall, she slept for a full eight days, tomorrow is the day to submit the papers, does she want to submit blank papers and fail the exam! She’s going to worry this old woman to death…”

Elder Yang had been amazed when she saw the “Lotus Sutra” written by Liu Cangyu that day.

When the Empress appointed her as the chief examiner this time, she gladly agreed. If she could read Liu Cangyu’s article as soon as possible, the labor of grading papers would be worth it.

Scholars admire each other, and Elder Yang was especially so.

But… that person had slept for a full eight days in the examination hall!

To write an excellent article is harder than ascending to heaven!

—

The ninth day of the imperial examination.

It started drizzling, and in the season of late spring chill, a cool breeze passed, making people shiver with cold.

Inside the examination hall, the students shrank their necks, with sallow faces, submitting their papers and withdrawing from the examination site in single file.

Liu Changning was at the very end of the crowd. If it wasn’t for the invigilator who couldn’t bear to watch anymore and woke her up, she might have continued sleeping.

As she walked to the entrance of Mingyuan Tower, she felt as if someone was glaring at her again? She turned her head but couldn’t see Elder Yang’s exasperated gaze inside.

She pretended to be drowsy, her eyelids drooping as she walked out. Her steps were unsteady, looking as if she could barely stay awake.

Seeing her so exhausted, others couldn’t help but look at her a few more times.

The effect of the sleeping incense had already faded by half, but she was committed to the act. Since someone dared to set her up, she wasn’t one to swallow her anger silently.

As long as the ink papers were submitted, that silver needle and her current performance in the exam hall would make the chief examiner suspicious when putting two and two together.

Someone dared to make a move against her during the imperial examination, challenging the fairness of the exam system. Whether it was a prince or a minister, she would make them pay!

A cold smile flashed in Liu Changning’s eyes as she staggered out of the examination hall entrance.

“Elder sister, why hasn’t senior sister come out yet? All the candidates have walked out of the Dragon Gate, only senior sister is nowhere to be seen… Could something have happened?”

A masked man in light yellow and white brocade complained to the lady who had just walked out of the examination hall.

His tone was gentle, and although his face was covered, his posture and bearing were of the highest quality.

One could tell at a glance that he had received excellent upbringing.

Jia Ziyun rubbed her slightly tired forehead and said indulgently, “Good little brother, stop shaking your sister, you’re making me dizzy.”

The masked man pouted, his eyes casually glancing around. Suddenly, he stood straight and pointed towards the entrance of the examination hall.

Excitedly, he said, “Elder sister Changning!”

After speaking, he let go of his sister’s hand and was about to step forward to greet her.

At the entrance of the examination hall, the woman in snow-white clothes was swaying, about to fall. She seemed extremely tired. As she stepped out of the Dragon Gate, she fell straight towards the ground.

Marquis Jia exclaimed in shock and ran forward.

However, unexpectedly, a gust of wind brushed past his shoulder from behind.

A figure quickly caught the white-clad woman who was about to fall to the ground, and then disappeared like a fleeting shadow in front of the noisy examination hall entrance.

His speed was extremely fast, as if the wind was at his feet, leaving people astounded.

By the time everyone reacted, they only managed to see a blur, not even knowing whether that person was male or female.

“Was that Liu Cangyu, the top scholar from a humble background?”

“Was she about to faint just now?”

“Tsk tsk tsk… I heard she slept for a full eight days in the exam hall!”

“Is that true? Seeing her faint just now, she must have suddenly fallen seriously ill in the exam hall!”

“Who knows!”

…

The candidates were talking in a hubbub, only Zhou Huaijin flashed an appreciative smile at Liu Dong beside him.

Marquis Jia looked at his sister in shock, but saw her take two steps forward, hold his hand, and shake her head at him.

His eyes dimmed as he lowered his head and followed his sister back to the carriage parked not far away.

—

Pei Yuanshao held the person in his arms and quickly ducked into the carriage at the entrance of the alley.

“Back to the mansion! Quick!”

His eyes were bloodshot as he growled, his thin lips trembling slightly.

Looking down, the woman in his arms was pale, without any sign of life.

With one trembling hand, he reached for her nostrils, there was breath, steady breathing.

The bloodshot in his eyes slowly receded, but the worry on his face didn’t diminish one bit.

The carriage traveled along the street paved with bluestone, passing through towards the Mingde Changdiqing Mansion.

The wheels rumbled, leaving two long wheel tracks on the main street of the bustling Jinling City.