They had arrived at the Imperial Palace.
Many people in the carriage couldn't help but straighten their backs. After a while, the carriage began to move again, but at a much slower speed. No one in the carriage spoke again. It was as if the moment they entered the Imperial City, they were infected with the silence of this place.
Originally, the scholars who were participating in the Court Examination did not have the right to ride in carriages in the Imperial Palace. This was a precedent set by the previous Emperor to give these scholars with scholarly honors a special honor.
It was this group of people who would control the lifeline of this country in the future.
Xu Xian lifted a curtain and looked out. The golden-red sunlight shone on the vast marble square and the majestic palaces. It was glorious and solemn.
The carriage stopped before an arched city gate. The scholars alighted and formed a long line, following the eunuch who led them through the tall gate and into the depths of the Imperial Palace.
The scholars all looked solemn, but they could not help but look around. Their eyes were a mixture of curiosity, pride, admiration, and shock.
Xu Xian had also been to the Imperial Palace once before, but this time she came with the other scholars, and the feeling was very different.
He experienced the majesty of the Imperial Palace. The towering palaces made people feel as if they were walking under the feet of a giant. They could not help but feel awe. Even Xu Xian could not help but feel this way.
But Xu Xian suddenly remembered the scene when he looked down from the sky. Not to mention the Imperial Palace, even Chang 'an was only the size of a matchbox.
The feeling of being shocked immediately disappeared without a trace, and the surrounding palaces returned to normal. A faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
This was the difference in the way mortals and immortals looked at things.
Zhong Kui happened to be walking side by side with Xu Xian. When he saw the smile from the corner of his eyes, he felt his chest tremble. Only someone with such grace and bearing could write such a poem.
An unyielding spirit surged in his chest. "It's just the Imperial Palace. If I am courageous, why would I be afraid of the Emperor?" At this thought, he no longer felt any shackles in his heart, and his body involuntarily straightened.
Xu Xian sensed the change in him and secretly praised him. In this era where imperial power was supreme, it was not easy for an ancient person to achieve this. As expected of someone who could become a ghost or a god.
Xu Xian suddenly felt that something was wrong. He did not fear the Imperial Palace, so he should not be intimidated by a few palaces.
Feeling something, he squinted his eyes and looked toward the main hall at the highest point of the Imperial Palace. While he did not know the Qi Observation Technique, he could see clearly with his Heavenly Eye. He saw a shocking scene — a golden dragon coiled in the main hall. It had eyes and claws, and its scales were distinct, but it was not a real dragon.
Xu Xian knew that this was the so-called Qi of the True Dragon and the Emperor. The Emperor should be there!
However, he immediately understood that what was affecting him was not the golden dragon that he was looking at from afar — that was just the luck that the Emperor alone possessed — but an even larger golden dragon. This golden dragon rose from the Royal Palace and pierced through the heavens and the earth. This was the so-called Draconic Qi that was formed from the thoughts of all the people in the world.
And Xu Xian and the others were in the belly of this dragon.
The rise and fall of a dynasty often depended on these two dragons.
If both were prosperous, then the world would be at peace and prosperity. This was the era that Xu Xian lived in.
While the dynasty would fall and the world would fall sooner or later, it should not be now.
Xu Xian lowered his head in thought, but he was sensitive enough to sense a pair of eyes on him from afar. Logically speaking, there were countless guards and eunuchs in the palace, and they were all looking at this group of strangers, so it was not unusual for them to look at him.
In the beginning, Xu Xian did not pay much attention to it, but her eyes were fixed on him day in and day out.
He couldn't help but turn his head and see a small, snow-white figure. It was Princess Rou Jia.
She wore a snow-white cloak and stood in the corner of the Imperial Palace in the distance, half leaning and half supporting herself against a vermillion pillar. Her beautiful little face was filled with joy. It was unknown whether it was excitement or nervousness. Her snow-white cheeks were flushed red, and she had a beauty that exceeded her age.
She had a pair of large eyes that seemed to belong to anime characters, but they contained the shyness of a young deer.
When Xu Xian's gaze turned back, she couldn't help but lower her head slightly, lowering her eyelashes to avoid his burning gaze. However, she immediately raised her head and gave him a brilliant smile.
Xu Xian smiled back. Afraid that she would not be able to see it because she was too far away, he raised his hand and waved at her.
While everyone was being cautious, this unexpected action immediately attracted the attention of the other students. They looked towards the direction where he was waving his hand, but there was nothing there.
The eunuch leading the way coldly snorted, and the procession immediately calmed down.
Princess Rou Jia hid behind the pillar with her back against it. Her heart was beating so fast that it seemed to jump out of her chest. With great difficulty, she calmed down a little. She carefully leaned over the pillar, but Xu Xian's figure had already disappeared into the palace with the procession of the students.
Princess Rou Jia breathed a sigh of relief. She stared blankly at the empty square, and a look of disappointment gradually appeared on her face. She wanted to sigh, but what came out was a few light coughs.
"Princess, is that you?" A delicate female voice was heard, seemingly attracted by the coughs.
The person who came was Princess Rou Jia's personal maid, Zi Yu. At this moment, she was frowning. "Princess, why did you come to such a place so early in the morning? Why didn't you wake this servant up? This made it difficult for this servant to find you. It would have been terrible if you had caught a cold!" As she spoke, she stepped forward and straightened Princess Rou Jia's clothes.
Princess Rou Jia said softly, "I'm sorry, Sister Zi Yu!"
Zi Yu's hands stopped and she sighed. "You haven't called me that for a long time!" When she first entered the palace, the little girl on the sickbed often called her that.
Although it was against the rules, it moved her very much.
Princess Rou Jia showed a playful smile. "It's me who won't let you!" She looked much more relaxed in front of Zi Yu.
Zi Yu also smiled. "Isn't it because you always followed behind me and shouted, letting others hear …" She took the opportunity to hold Princess Rou Jia's hand, but her expression changed. She felt that Rou Jia's little hand was cold. "I heard from the guards at the door that you came out at the fourth watch. I thought you went to the Empress's place. Have you been here the whole time?" Her voice suddenly became a little stern.
Princess Rou Jia looked around and explained, "Ah, no, I just …"
Zi Yu suddenly remembered that yesterday, Rou Jia had asked her about the palace examination. She wanted to know when the students would come, which gate to enter, and which hall to take the examination.
She had been in the palace for a long time, so she understood the route, but the time was a little vague.
She could not help but ask, "Are you waiting for Xu Xian?"
"Ah?" Princess Rou Jia's face suddenly turned red. She wanted to deny it, but she only let out a series of coughs.
Zi Yu was angry and distressed. She had been waiting here alone for almost four hours. How could her body stand it? "Why are you so stupid?" She held Rou Jia in her arms, gently patted her back, and pressed her cheek against her cold little face.
For a moment, she hated Xu Xian to the core.
Princess Rou Jia's expression gradually softened, and she whispered, "Thank you, Sister Zi Yu. I'm sorry for making you worry. I … just want to see him again. He waved at me just now. He must have been smiling at that time!
Although it's a little cold and scared to be here alone, it's … worth it to be able to see him in the end. "
Zi Yu listened to her and suddenly felt a little wet on its cheeks. It looked up and saw that her face was already full of tears. It hurriedly wiped her tears. "Don't, don't cry. If you want to see him again in the future, there will be more opportunities."
Princess Rou Jia just shook her head gently. Although she did not choke, she could not stop her tears.
Zi Yu's heart skipped a beat, and it tentatively asked, "You … already know?"
Rou Jia nodded and sniffled hard to stop her tears. She then wiped her face and revealed a smile. "Let's go back!" Under the rising sun, it looked particularly brilliant.
Zi Yu's eyes turned red and it turned its head away. After a while, it turned its head back. "Well, let's go back!" No matter what, I will always be by your side.
Just as she was about to move, Princess Rou Jia's feet went soft. Zi Yu quickly supported her and stuck out her tongue. "My feet are so numb!" She opened her arms and said, "Sister Zi Yu, carry me!"
Zi Yu smiled. "You're so heavy now. I can't carry you!" It squatted down and let Rou Jia lie on its back.
When she stood up, she felt that she was as light as snow in the past.
After taking a few steps, she found that she had fallen asleep quietly.
Zi Yu could not help but sigh heavily. Last night, she was afraid that she would be late, so she probably did not sleep all night!
Looking at the sky full of stars, whose figure did she want to remember in the darkness?
Facing the light of dawn, whose name did she call in her sleep?
Zi Yu bit its lip. Don't worry, you will forget him sooner or later.
As for me, I will always be by your side, because you are my only sister!
…
When Xu Xian saw Princess Rou Jia again, his heart was filled with a myriad of emotions, but he did not have time to think about it in detail. He could only deal with the court examination in front of him first.
The tribute students underwent a routine inspection in the side hall before they were taken to the Chaoyang Hall, which was the main hall where the golden dragon had just occupied. It was commonly known as the Golden Hall.
The tribute students entered with their heads lowered, shouting "Long live the Emperor". They kowtowed, but no one dared to look at the Emperor's true appearance.
Although Xu Xian knelt down with the crowd, he used his Heavenly Eye to take a look. It was just an old man in a dragon robe, which reminded Xu Xian of the movie Curse of the Golden City, which he had watched in his previous life. This was probably how Chow Yun-fat looked.
The eunuch passed down the decree and the tribute students took their seats. The Emperor personally set the questions to test the knowledge of the scholars. When the tribute students began to answer the questions, the Emperor himself had already turned the bead curtain and left the Golden Hall.
The Emperor was busy every day and had countless important matters waiting to be dealt with. Things like invigilating the examination were naturally the responsibility of the examiners.
Even the final examination papers were usually not read one by one by the Emperor.
If Xu Xian was just an ordinary tribute student, it was not impossible for him to muddle through here.
However, his reputation was too great. Now, some people had already called him "the number one scholar of the Great Xia Dynasty". The Emperor would personally read it, so he could not be careless.
Xu Xian could not help but sigh. He finally understood what it meant to be "tiring".