My Princess Has Been Reborn: Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – The scene of the great exam

The ninth day of the month* quickly arrived. On this day, the capital seemed especially noisy.

*day of the exam

Since late last night*, a long line had been forming outside the examination centre. The entire road was practically watertight, full of examinees in scholars’ clothing, servants carrying examination boxes** and family members repeatedly giving reminders.

*specifically 11pm-1am
**a box with the items the candidates need for the exam like ink, paper and food

The sounds of whispering overlapped. Even though it wasn’t a hubbub of voices, the tranquility of the night had long since disappeared.

However, the soldiers on guard outside the examination centre were used to this because Liang’s* imperial examination that was held once every three years was about to begin. Every three years, they would see such a scene so it became common. Only when it was almost time for the doors of the examination centre to open and the officials from the Ministry of Rites responsible for managing the imperial examination had arrived did someone shout, requesting silence.

*a part of ancient china, where this story is set

Lu Qicheng was standing in the crowd, wearing a scholar’s robe. The young servant next to him was carrying an examination box as he looked at him worriedly, “Young, Young Lord, are you okay? Now as you are being admitted, there’s still some time before the exam. After you enter, you should rest. Please don’t overwork your body.”

Ultimately, it was still the middle of the night. Even though the examination centre had countless lights illuminating the area all around like it was daytime, a lot of things were still hidden in the shadows. For example, Lu Qicheng’s travel-worn appearance, or his face, so gloomy that it looked like it could rain…

The young servant was still chattering on, talking about things like how the body was more important than exams, making the people around them feel that he was lacking in confidence. A scholar lined up behind Li Qicheng finally could not help but cover his mouth and turn his head away to laugh quietly.

To Lu Qicheng’s ears, the sound of this laughter was basically ridicule. His pitch-black face grew even darker. He suddenly snatched the examination box out of the young servant’s hand and impatiently said, “Alright, what I do is not for you to instruct. Go back yourself!”

The young servant did not dare to say anything else or stay for any longer. He could only retreat to a corner with a heavy heart, still not daring to leave.

Lu Qicheng was about to explode with anger. He had clearly already planned everything out perfectly —— Lu Qipei was better at writing essays than him. Teacher said that she would place higher than him in the imperial examination. Although he was envious, thinking about how the other was female and no matter how high she scored she was still paving the way for him, he felt it was okay. He even acted out a scene and got hurt by a knife to trick her into softening her heart and willingly taking the exam in his place!

But how about now? Where had Lu Qipei, who agreed to get the top rank for him, disappeared to? Were the people around her all good-for-nothings, losing her at this critical juncture and making him run back here from far away to take the imperial examination!

Lu Qicheng held his palm. The wound on the back of his hand was not very deep and did not affect his ability to hold a pen and write anymore. However, in Lu Qipei’s heart, he really did lack confidence because in this period of time, he had been busy with his own matters and had not touched his books at all. Moreover, he had travelled here from miles away. He was worn out and tired, how could he compete with those examinees who had been storing up their energy?

The more he thought about it, the more irritated he grew. He was so irritated that he could smash the examination box into the young servant’s face, if only he had not left yet.

However, regardless of how oppressed Lu Qicheng felt, the doors of the examination centre still opened and the people entering were slowly moving forward. He had no choice but to follow the people and move along. After all, three years was enough to do too many things. He did not want to delay any further so he had to go all out.

As he walked into the examination centre with his examination box, Lu Qicheng was still indignantly thinking: Don’t let me find Lu Qipei, or else she’ll definitely be taught a lesson!

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The weather in the beginning of the second month was usually warm for a while before turning chilly again.

When it was sunny and one could even switch their thick jacket out for spring clothing, all it took was a gust of wind and a pouring of rain for the weather to become akin to the frigid winter. As a result, the imperial examination was rather fretful. A lot of candidates did not collapse under the difficult questions but were instead tortured half to death by the temperamental weather.

This time, however, could be considered an exception because this year, spring was truly warm.

From the ninth to the eighteenth day, all nine days had clear skies. This made things easier for the candidates who could only wear an unlined garment at the examination venue and the number of candidates who withdrew from the examination due to illness also reduced greatly.

Lu Qipei could still remember how difficult the nine days and six nights in the examination centre were to bear back then. However, now, none of this had anything to do with her. In the Jingchen Palace, she slept all the way until the sun was up. She washed up and went out. Seeing the clear and boundless skies, she simply felt relaxed and carefree —— at this time, the test questions in the examination centre must have been passed down already right? Fantastic, the imperial examination this time around really had nothing to do with her anymore!

Here, Lu Qipei’s spirits were high. At some unknown time, Qi Yang also showed up beside her. The two of them, shoulder to shoulder, watched the sun rise, its golden light spilling across the roofs of the palace halls. Qi Yang suddenly turned her head and asked, “A-Pei, how about the two of us go out of the palace today?”

Lu Qipei was momentarily dazed upon hearing this. She quickly nodded and replied, “Alright.”

Early on, Lu Qipei already had plans to leave the palace. After avoiding the imperial examination, the chances of her escaping the Lu family’s search also increased greatly. She had also told Qi Yang about her identity as a woman and the existence of her younger twin brother. The time for her to leave had thus arrived too…

This was what Lu Qipei thought. She even felt a bit sentimental because of this. However, Qi Yang was thinking the complete opposite!

The two of them rode in the man-drawn sedan as per usual before switching to a horse-drawn carriage as they left the palace. Only, after they left the palace, even before Lu Qipei could decide whether she should immediately take her leave or spend the rest of the day with Qi Yang first, Her Highness’ carriage brought her to another place of residence in the west of the city.

Lu Qipei followed Qi Yang down the carriage. She momentarily did not understand where they had arrived at. However, before she could ask, Qi Yang was already pointing all around as she spoke, full of zest, “A-Pei, this is my newly-constructed courtyard. Come with me for a bit.”

In the past, did Her Highness have this courtyard? Lu Qipei pondered upon it for a while but she still drew a blank.

Anyway, with Lu Qipei’s personality, she would not dig into it either. She temporarily pushed down her intention to leave and followed Qi Yang into the courtyard.

The two of them did not walk quickly. Lu Qipei subconsciously assessed this courtyard. There were all kinds of structures, ponds and rocks. Although these were fine and exquisite, there was nothing novel about them. It was actually the vast flowers and trees next to the pathway that caught her eye —— perhaps due to the warm spring, the flora was recovering earlier than in past years. Dried trees grew out new branches and wilted flowers budded. A scene of abundant life was before her.

Lu Qipei stared at an apricot tree beside the wall. The branches of that tree already had flower buds forming. Only a few of the small white flowers had bloomed but one could already imagine the liveliness of this tree in a couple of days.

Qi Yang’s steps halted. Seeing Lu Qipei look at the flowers, she smilingly said, “When the flowers have all bloomed after a few days, I will send some to you.”

Lu Qipei’s heart inexplicably stirred. She looked at the beaming little princess and did not reply ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

The two of them continued moving forward, passing through the sheltered corridor into the main yard. Lu Qipei looked at the house in front of her, feeling more and more lost —— it didn’t seem like she had been brought here to go sight-seeing. She finally could not help but ask, “Your Highness, for what reason have I been brought here?”

Qi Yang was walking in front and had already pushed open the door of the house. Through the opening, one could see that a bookshelf, desk and everything necessary was inside. With the exception of the lack of books on the bookshelf and the absence of brushes and ink on the desk, this was essentially a study.

Lu Qipei was even more confused upon seeing the empty study. However, Qi Yang did not even spare her the time to be confused —— before Qi Yang replied to her, Lu Qipei was first pushed into the house by her. She then heard her call out, “Servant.”

Zhi Ting appeared from some unknown place, a big box in her hand. Her face was as stiff as wood as she passed the box to Her Highness.

Qi Yang casually placed the box on the empty desk, only after which she put on a serious face. She said to Lu Qipei, “I have a presumptuous request, I’m not sure if A-Pei could help me?”

Lu Qipei stared at Qi Yang and suddenly felt that the person in front of her differed greatly from the little princess in her memories. Her little princess would neither be this impetuous nor this strong-headed and she was even less likely to be this strange…she simply could not be handled!

However, she had not learned how to reject Qi Yang, especially when she owed her in the previous life and had decided to leave today. Thus, after a short period of silence, Lu Qipei still good naturedly asked, “What’s wrong?”

Qi Yang pointed at the box and smiled, her smile especially bright, “A-Pei is talented, could you help me write a few essays?”

Alright, this isn’t anything outrageous anyway…

Lu Qipei helplessly opened the box. Inside was a brush, ink, paper and an inkstone, as well as a white piece of paper that was filled with topics. When she carelessly looked over it, her pupils contracted and her body stiffened —— what did she see? She saw the topics for this year’s imperial examination!

She did not doubt that she had seen or remembered wrongly at all, but why had the little princess gotten her to write this?!

The author has something to say:
Lu Qipei (sad): I don’t want to take exams, I don’t want to at all!
Qi Yang (patting her head): No, you do! Be good, take the exam then you can be my prince consort.
Lu Qipei (…): Okay then, that’s…not too bad.