Shen Yibai was the best at throwing cold water on things: "That Pang Jing dares to mess with us. If it weren’t for his martial arts skills, the four of us wouldn’t have had to gang up on him. Hey, why don’t we learn martial arts too? Then we’d be invincible!"
Wei Xinglu nodded eagerly. "I agree!"
He Zheng shook his head like a rattle drum. "No way. Studying is way more fun. Why bother with all that fighting?"
Wei Xinglu patted him on the shoulder. "Bro, just being good with words isn’t enough. What if someone refuses to settle things with words? You’d just stand there and take a beating?"
He then looked at Zong Wenxiu, who also shook his head. "I don’t have time for martial arts. I’ll pass for now…"
The vote was tied, two against two.
The two young troublemakers pinned their hopes on Zong Jincheng.
The little devil was searching the bookshelf for a book and didn’t even turn around. "If we need to fight, we have Buyan. What’s there to fear? Let him handle it."
Young master, I’ll say it again!
I’m just a sparring partner, not a thug!!
Shen Yibai thought for a moment. "True. It’d take us years to master martial arts—too much effort. Let’s just stick with Buyan. With him, we’ll be invincible across the capital."
Buyan: Just pretend I’m dead.
No thoughts, no mentions, no disturbances.
The little devil found his book and turned around, muttering, "My progress in policy essays is still too slow."
How could he still not catch up to Qin Ye? It didn’t make sense…
Zong Jincheng buried himself in his books, studying intently. Whenever he encountered something he didn’t understand, he discussed it with Pan Hongzhi, even skipping dinner to stay in the study and munch on steamed buns with He Zheng.
When Xu Wan heard he was studying through mealtime, she couldn’t resist checking on him. Peering through the window, she saw the little rascal with his elbow pressed on a book, fingers flipping pages, the other hand holding a bun untouched for ages. Frowning, he seemed stuck on a problem until he looked up and asked Pan Hongzhi a few questions. His brow quickly smoothed, and he took a bite of the bun before diving back into his studies.
This was the diligent life of a scholar. Xu Wan felt a swell of pride. It had been nearly two years since she started guiding the little devil, watching him grow from a brash troublemaker into this. The sense of accomplishment was undeniable.
By the end of November, the court’s turmoil finally settled.
The position of prime minister, fiercely contested by the heads of various ministries, landed unexpectedly on Minister Shen of the Ministry of Rites. The shockwaves reverberated through the entire court.
After all, among all the contenders, the Ministry of Rites was neither the most powerful department nor was Minister Shen the most influential official. He hadn’t even shown interest in competing, overlooked by everyone.
Yet suddenly, he emerged victorious. Who could’ve predicted that?
Regardless of others’ opinions, Minister Shen was now Prime Minister Shen, handling state affairs and easing the emperor’s burdens.
In the Marquis Manor Elite Class, Shen Yibai grew even more audacious. With his grandfather as prime minister, he could strut anywhere without fear. Who would dare say his family’s ministry lacked real power now?
"Bro Bai! We’re counting on you to have our backs!" He Zheng cheered.
He vaguely knew his own father had also vied for the position, but the prime minister was the pinnacle of civil officials—no chance for a military man turned bureaucrat. His father was surely in a foul mood.
Shen Yibai lifted his chin. "Easy. All of you here are my brothers. If you get into trouble, just drop my name!"
Wei Xinglu quickly chimed in, "Bro Bai, you’re the most loyal!"
Shen Yibai turned to Zong Jincheng. "What about you, Jincheng? I’m older anyway—why not call me ‘big bro’? I’ll look out for you."
The little devil raised a fist, smiling sweetly. "How about you outscore me first, little brother Bai?"
"Tch, knew you wouldn’t bend." Shen Yibai rolled his eyes but didn’t push further.
Though his grandfather was now prime minister, Zong Jincheng’s backer was even stronger—the Crown Prince himself. The time the Crown Prince spent with Jincheng far surpassed what Prime Minister Shen could offer, a clear sign of his importance.
Still, with this newfound status, the four young troublemakers’ reputations grew even more intimidating. Even the most arrogant nobles avoided them, and stray dogs steered clear.
As the year-end Four-Academy Joint Exams began, the Hanlin North Academy, having suffered countless defeats, declared fiercely: "This time, we’ll crush Qin Ye so hard he won’t know which way is north."
Everyone knew Qin Ye would be competing against the Imperial Examination Class this year. With so many talented scholars in the North Academy, if a mere child could still outshine them, they might as well collectively resign from the autumn imperial exams and hang themselves.
Qin Ye’s response? "Boring."
Shen Yibai remarked, "Arrogant as ever, just like Jincheng said." Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs NoveI★Fire.net
Wei Xinglu crossed his arms. "This Qin Ye really knows how to hold back. If it were me, I’d tear into anyone daring to challenge me first—show them the power of my words. See if they’d still run their mouths."
Zong Jincheng shot him a look. "Put that endless energy into your exams instead. Don’t embarrass us all by getting trampled by the North Academy."
Wei Xinglu bristled. "Impossible! I’m a prodigy of the Childhood Scholar class!"
He Zheng passed by and dropped one of Jincheng’s favorite lines: "A prodigy is merely the threshold to meeting my big bro."
He realized Shen Yibai was wrong. Qin Ye wasn’t the epitome of arrogance—Zong Jincheng was its founding ancestor.
That infuriating remark…
The five boys dashed into the exam hall for the day-long Four-Academy Joint Exams. By the time they emerged, two of the previously confident youngsters were already wavering.
Wei Xinglu asked, "That exam was kinda tough, wasn’t it?"
Shen Yibai nodded firmly. "The questions were definitely biased."
Zong Jincheng slung an arm around each of their shoulders, grinning. "Looks like you two won’t make the rankings. Congrats—welcome to the joy of being benchwarmers!"
He Zheng cheered, "Benchwarmers unite! Now you know how it feels!"
Shen Yibai and Wei Xinglu immediately lunged at their friends, the four of them tussling and laughing in a chaotic heap.
"Qin Ye’s out. That’s Qin Ye."
"So that’s him? He’s so young—not even ten, right?"
"A lone wolf, that kid. But he’ll probably ace it again."
"Don’t bet on it. This time, he’s up against our North Academy’s Imperial Examination Class. Some candidates are in their fifties or sixties—no way a child can beat them."
"Exactly. A kid should stick to the Childhood Scholar exams. Trying for the imperial exams? He’ll be lucky to even make the rankings. What a joke."