Who Cares About Being the Matriarch? My Rebellious Husband Secured Me a Noble Rank! - Chapter 91

“Your Highness the Princess.” Wen Lan bowed politely, but her eyes carried a sharp edge.

Yun An caught sight of her and immediately felt annoyed. “Oh, it’s Aunt Wen Lan. I suppose you have your own matters to attend to. I need to pay my respects to the Empress Mother, so I won’t keep you.”

She had originally wanted to give Shen Tangning a warning, but seeing the Empress’s people here, no matter how arrogant Yun An was, she wouldn’t dare provoke them in front of the Empress’s entourage.

She lazily waved her hand. Jin Ping caught the hint and glared at the kneeling maid, “What are you standing there for? The Princess is in a good mood today—consider yourself lucky. Hurry up and follow!”

Shen Tangning stared blankly as the maid scrambled up in panic and hurried after the princess, still unable to regain composure.

“Princess Yun An’s temper really is getting worse…” Wen Lan frowned but swallowed the words on her lips. She turned to look at Shen Tangning’s pale face and sensed something was off. “Miss, what’s wrong?”

Shen Tangning withdrew her gaze and hid the flicker of something unusual in her eyes. “Nothing, it’s just… the maid that the Princess punished earlier seemed to have an unusual appearance. It surprised me for a moment.”

There was a thoughtful gleam in her eyes. The maid’s half face was uneven—clearly not a natural condition but caused by injury or deformity later on.

It made her recall someone Yuan Zhao had mentioned before—he said he went to the Princess’s mansion to find a woman with a damaged face. Could it be the same person?

…

Baohe Hall

At this moment, Chi Yan was not feeling at ease either.

It was his first audience with the Emperor, and naturally, he was a bit nervous. After being led into the hall, he didn’t dare look around much. From the front, a low, commanding voice rang out:

“Are you Chi Yan?”

Chi Yan steadied himself and confidently stepped forward with a bow. “Your Majesty, this humble subject is indeed Chi Yan.”

The Chongde Emperor’s eyes narrowed as he scrutinized him coldly. “Raise your head.”

Most would tremble at that tone, but Chi Yan paused only briefly before obeying.

The Emperor’s face was stern and unsmiling. He must have been a handsome youth once, but time had etched deep lines on his brow, and his dark, deep eyes gave away no emotion.

The Majesty’s power was unfathomable, indeed.

Chi Yan cast a quick glance before lowering his eyes again, showing a natural curiosity that didn’t come off as disrespectful.

Whether it pleased the Emperor or not, the emperor’s frown eased and his tone softened slightly.

“I heard you topped this exam. Let me see if you’re truly talented or just a cheat! If you’re lying, that’s treason. Do you know what punishment that entails?”

Chi Yan’s lips curled slightly. “This humble subject is willing to accept Your Majesty’s test.”

The Emperor raised an eyebrow, his gaze darkening. “Good. Then let me see what you’ve got. Bring paper and brush!”

So the Emperor intended to personally set the questions.

Chi Yan was somewhat surprised but respectfully lowered his head and waited. Soon, Eunuch Fu arrived, holding the Emperor’s calligraphy with a smile.

“Second Master Chi, rise and follow me.”

Chi Yan stood as a young eunuch carried a writing desk into the hall, complete with ink, brush, paper, and inkstone. Eunuch Fu guided him to sit and handed over the Emperor’s questions.

Chi Yan held the paper with both hands and admired the flowing, powerful calligraphy—bold strokes that looked like dragons and phoenixes flying and dancing.

Fine handwriting!

He focused carefully on the questions. There were three in total. They weren’t necessarily difficult, but the topics were sensitive.

For example: How to eradicate corrupt officials? How to balance the interests of aristocratic families and commoners?

Was this really something he should be worrying about?

If he answered poorly, not only would he offend powerful people, but if the Emperor pursued it, would his head still be safe on his shoulders?

Chi Yan felt the Emperor was deliberately making things difficult.

Eunuch Fu cleared his throat to remind him, “Master, you may begin answering.”

Remembering Shen Tangning’s words, a light bulb went off in Chi Yan’s mind. Perhaps the Emperor valued his candid honesty—among all the officials, many knew the truth but dared not speak openly out of fear.

But Chi Yan was different. He belonged to no faction.

After thinking for a moment, he slowly began to write. At first, his strokes hesitated, then, as ideas came, they flowed steadily.

For a time, the hall was filled only with the sound of brush on paper.

The officials exchanged glances. The proctors included not only the Emperor but also the Hanlin Academy scholars, the chief of the Imperial Academy, the Grand Tutor, and the Chancellor—an impressive array.

After all, the essay exam would last three days, and the Emperor’s duties meant he couldn’t stay the whole time—someone had to oversee in his place.

Under such pressure, most candidates would be overwhelmed, but Chi Yan was clearly in the zone.

His calm composure was impressive!

Lost in thought, suddenly the Emperor himself descended from the throne. Everyone was startled and held their breath.

Chi Yan, however, was completely absorbed in his writing. It was only when a bright yellow sleeve brushed past his side that he realized what was happening.

But by then, surprise was too late, so he simply pressed his lips together and pretended not to notice.

The Chongde Emperor scrutinized the paper, frowning slightly, a look of disdain flashing in his eyes. The handwriting was barely passable.

Yet, catching sight of Chi Yan’s bold arguments, his gaze deepened. He now believed Chi Yan had some genuine talent.

After all, these novel and sharp ideas were unlike anything he had seen before—an attitude that seemed to defy the entire world without fear of consequences.

The Emperor’s lips twitched slightly. He stared sternly at Chi Yan, who was so engrossed in his work:

“Not bad. A fearless one.”

Then the Emperor turned and returned to his throne.

Chi Yan didn’t feel anything unusual, but the nearby ministers were all anxiously scratching their heads. What on earth had Chi Yan written to provoke such a complex expression from the Emperor?

Why was it “unbearable” to see?

Because from years of watching the Emperor, their guess was that he wasn’t angry—but neither was he happy…

When the Emperor left, the ministers finally lost their patience one by one. They casually gathered around Chi Yan to peek at his writing. One after another, their faces turned strange.

No wonder the Emperor had reacted that way!

The ministers all looked at Chi Yan like he was some bizarre creature.

Even the composed Chi Yan felt uneasy, as if prickled by needles on his back. He looked up, only to see the ministers awkwardly looking away.

Clearing his throat, Chi Yan addressed Eunuch Fu, “Eunuch, is there water? I’m a bit thirsty.”

There was a slight bashfulness in his tone.

Eunuch Fu was momentarily stunned before quickly responding, “Yes, I’ll have someone bring some immediately.”

The ministers were collectively shocked: “…”

Look at that—he’s even ordering the Imperial Steward around!

Chi Yan: “…”

Is it a crime to drink some water?