Special Agent Rebirth: The Omnipotent Goddess of Quick Transmigration
Chapter 372: Special Agent 367 has turned into a commoner (13) at the fourth update

Chapter 372: Special Agent 367 has turned into a commoner (13) at the fourth update

The Princess of Lin’an is the Emperor’s own sister.

She is already sixteen.

The Empress Dowager has always been concerned about her marriage, having examined many candidates and finding none to her liking.

She thought about waiting for the results of this year’s Imperial Examination to seek out young men.

To her surprise, she really took a fancy to one.

A mere fifteen-year-old Number One Scholar, the Empress Dowager even made special inquiries about him; he had topped the list all the way through his examinations.

During the Rural Examination, his exquisite essay caught the attention of the Grand Tutor.

The Empress Dowager is not an ordinary woman of the inner court, almost nothing in the Imperial Palace can be concealed from her except for the Emperor himself.

She knew that during the Palace Examination, the Number One Scholar’s discursive essay had astonished all the examiners who were present.

This is a true scholar, young as he is.

Especially since the Empress Dowager also arranged for the Princess of Lin’an to stand on the city tower and watch the Number One Scholar’s triumphant parade.

Not to mention the Princess of Lin’an, even the Empress Dowager herself was startled by the good looks of the Number One Scholar.

Latter, the Empress Dowager went out of her way to speak with the Grand Tutor, only to discover that he too had the intention of betrothing his granddaughter to Ye Shaoming, so she immediately sent someone to tell the Emperor.

She had been waiting until now, yet had not seen the Emperor issue his decree, and the Empress Dowager could not wait any longer and went directly to the Emperor.

She feared that if she waited any more, with the Number One Scholar looking the way he did, he would be quickly betrothed.

Duan Yunxiu sat before his desk and rose to pay his respects upon seeing the Empress Dowager arrive.

When he heard her words, his sharp eyes darkened, "I have already made a decision regarding Lin’an’s marriage, Li Tianxu, the current Top Scholar at twenty, diligently devoted to his studies, with no wife or concubine, and no demanding elders at home, is a perfect match in age for Lin’an. I have already prepared the imperial edict, would you like to see it, Mother?"

He waved his hand for someone to bring the imperial edict to the Empress Dowager as he spoke.

The Empress Dowager immediately frowned. "Why the Top Scholar? That Number One Scholar looks very good, and Lin’an is very fond of him."

"Mother, you do not know," Duan Yunxiu narrowed his eyes, his long fingers taking back the imperial edict, "that Number One Scholar is not suitable for marriage."

"How is he unsuitable?" The Empress Dowager hadn’t expected the Emperor to deceive her. "Could it be that the Grand Tutor has already approached the Ye Family for a betrothal? He has acted swiftly indeed."

After all, he dotes on Lin’an as well.

But the Empress Dowager hadn’t anticipated that some people, upon encountering another, would bend their principles significantly.

"He..." Duan Yunxiu lowered his gaze, pausing when he heard that the Grand Tutor and others had designs on the Number One Scholar, "is not at all suitable, as he will soon be joining General Yang Ziji to the Borderland. Can you bear to let Lin’an suffer hardships?"

"The Borderland? You’re sending the Number One Scholar to the battleground?" The Empress Dowager looked incredulous, and seeing no hint of jest on the Emperor’s face, she cautiously asked, "Has the Number One Scholar offended you?"

This was something that had never happened before in history.

Offend? How could that be? It’s merely that this Number One Scholar is far more than just a top scholar; his strategies for warfare are even beyond Yang Ziji.

Yang Ziji had pleaded with him for a long time, and Ye Shaohua also desired it, she had long wanted to leave the Imperial City and have a proper adventure, but Duan Yunxiu never relented.

Now, due to this matter, he had relented.

Feeling agitated, Duan Yunxiu responded directly to the Empress Dowager’s question: "Yes, he has offended me. Hence, I am sending the Number One Scholar to the battleground. Mother, are you sure you still wish to bestow Lin’an to him?"

The Empress Dowager then hesitated.

This was an unexpected turn; naturally, a royal son-in-law would be favorable, but one who had fallen out with the Emperor...

After contemplating for a while, she shook her head, "Not anymore. I’ll consider this Li Tianxu and if his circumstances are satisfactory, then it shall be him."

However, she might still need to persuade the Princess of Lin’an, who clearly had her eyes fixed on the Number One Scholar that day.

The next day, the Emperor’s decree was issued.

To everyone’s astonishment, the Top Scholar, Li Tianxu, was appointed as the royal son-in-law, serving as a sixth-grade official in the Hanlin Academy, a meteoric rise indeed.

And the Top Scholar was also a sixth-grade official.

Even Ye Shaoming, who ranked fourteenth, was granted a modest but not insignificant seventh-grade official position which, at the age of eighteen, was quite an accomplishment and offered easy advancement.

Ye Jin paid another visit to Aunt Mei’s quarters only to hear that she was not in her chambers, so he went to the Ye Family mansion instead.

There he heard the news about Ye Shaoming’s appointment, "Eldest Brother must be congratulated, soon you will join Father at court to serve as an official."

Ye Jin spoke with a pleasant smile, appearing quite likable.

The family matriarch was somewhat puzzled, "What about our Shaohua? He is the Number One Scholar, and even the Top Scholar is a sixth-grade official; shouldn’t he be at least a fifth-grade?"

A fifteen-year-old fifth-grade official would be unprecedented in the empire.

Just thinking about it filled the family matriarch with excitement.

At the mention of this, Ye Shaoming’s smile dimmed significantly, "According to the official who announced the decree, my younger brother will be sent to the Borderland to join General Yang Ziji. It seems those Barbarians are causing trouble again."

"What? Sent to the Borderland?" The family matriarch was taken aback.

Ye Jin paused for a moment, her heart suddenly lifted, but knowing she couldn’t show it, she said with concern, "I had heard that the Emperor intended to make my fourth brother the royal son-in-law. How is he now being sent to the Borderland? When will he be able to return?"

Ye Shaoming shook his head: "I do not know, but he won’t return anytime soon."

In these days, as the legitimate eldest son, Ye Shaoming had been relentlessly overshadowed by the concubine-born Ye Shaohua, unable even to raise his head in pride. Unexpectedly, now that Ye Shaohua had become the Number One Scholar, the Emperor disfavored him.

Sent to the Borderland, setting aside all else, there was no knowing if he could even survive and return. In his heart, Ye Shaoming could not help but feel an immense sense of relief.

What use is being the Number One Scholar? You are still trampled under my feet.