novelraw Chapter 219: The First Place Appears
Chapter 219: The First Place Appears
There is a quarter of an hour left before the Zixiao Palace Exam begins, but the North Square is already packed to the brim.
Among them, the majority are children and teenagers in their teens, Xin Lin and Little Xinzhuo mingled among them, soon disappearing into the crowd.
Emperor Longteng rules with an iron fist, and the scale of this Zixiao Palace Exam is unprecedentedly grand, intending to broadly recruit talented individuals from across the nation. Emperor Longteng had announced early on that this Imperial Examination must be open, fair, and just.
Including Ma Jingtian, the attendants could only stop in front of the North Square.
Around the square, there are Imperial Guards clad in heavy armor, each bearing a majestic aura and possessing no small amount of cultivation.
"Do not crowd, queue up to register your place of origin and name."
A white-faced Imperial Guard captain commanded at the front.
Just as it was almost Little Xinzhuo and Xin Lin’s turn to register, a girl in front of them was about to sign up.
Unexpectedly, a hand pushed from behind, shoving Little Xinzhuo aside and pushing her behind Xin Lin and the girl, jostling the two girls.
"Move aside, where did these blind little ghosts come from? Is this a queue you can stand in?"
Several young masters and misses dressed meticulously approached.
The queue that Xin Lin and Little Xinzhuo were in was already very long, with around a hundred or so people, and the two had been waiting for a long time to register. But these few young masters and misses who were late not only cut in line, they also pushed people around.
However, the children and teenagers standing around, upon seeing the dress and demeanor of these few individuals, did not dare to provoke them and all avoided them from a distance.
"How can you be so unreasonable, isn’t there any order anymore?"
Xin Lin protected Little Xinzhuo in her arms, glaring angrily at the group.
"Reasonable? Only low-grade people talk about reason. We are unreasonable, and what can you do to us? This queue is only for the children of officials and nobles, people of your low-standing should never queue here, now scram!"
The boy who had pushed Little Xinzhuo looked eleven or twelve, fair and clean, wearing a golden silk robe, obviously from a wealthy family.
He looked down snobbishly, giving Xin Lin and the others a brief glance.
"Forget it, little sister, we’re not in a hurry, let’s register later."
The girl behind Xin Lin tugged at her, signaling them to step aside.
Xin Lin couldn’t help but take another look at the girl who seemed about thirteen or fourteen, roughly the same age as Xin Lin, and very pretty with delicate features, indeed a lovely young beauty in the making.
Previously she had been very quiet, and Xin Lin hadn’t taken much notice of her.
Seeing that Xin Lin looked young, she had thought her to be only seven or eight years old.
The girl seemed like a good person, if a bit too timid.
Just as Xin Lin was about to speak, a scene flashed through her mind.
"It’s her, Murong Ziyue, born a commoner, Xuanwu Practitioner of the Fourth Rank, she should be the top candidate in this Imperial Examination by strength, but the Third Prince has decreed that the Grand Tutor’s son must come first. Put this medicine in her food."
A few eunuch-like characters were looking at a girl not too far away, whispering among each other.
"Are you Murong Ziyue?"
Xin Lin suddenly asked.
The girl looked surprised; being a reserved person, she had come to Purple Cloud City alone and should not be known to anyone here.
And how does this young girl know her?
However, this young girl was very cute, making Murong Ziyue feel a sense of fondness towards her, otherwise, she wouldn’t have kindly advised her.
Murong Ziyue nodded slightly.
"Be very cautious with your food and drink these next few days."
Xin Lin whispered in a low voice.