"You should go to sleep too. I'll tidy up here and then head back to my room."Zongyu sat under the hearth, tending the fire. The sausages he had prepared needed to be cooked before they could be hung..."You said that, I feel like the guard who has always been by Fang's side also looks a lot like Lord Zong."

"Hm, that person, wouldn't he be Fang Jinshu's husband"

She didn't say that her husband had died long ago.

The ladies' voices grew louder and louder as they chatted, getting more and more excited. The gossip about the Zong family was truly becoming more and more interesting.

When the voice grew louder, many people could hear it, including Zong Pingchuan.

He was beyond shocked to see Zong Bai and his eldest son, Zong Yu, appear together. He had always thought his eldest son, Zong Yu, was dead.

Fang Jinshi claimed to the outside world that she was a widow, and during this time, she hadn't seen Zong Yu's figure at Jinshi Villa.

Fu Ming smiled and introduced Zong Bai to the crowd.

"This young man beside me is surnamed Zong, named Zong Bai. He came to this prince to seek redress, claiming that he is the top scholar of this year's imperial examination."

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd of guests erupted.

An official stepped forward with a stern expression to refute the claims.

"Your Highness, this is no child's play. It concerns the very foundation of the nation. Please be careful with your words!"

Fu Ming remained calm and collected, "My Lord, there's no need to rush. Since someone has come to me seeking justice, we should at least hear them out."

"With so many adults present today, even the prime minister himself, surely you can all judge whether what he says is true or false, right"

He silenced the officials with two sentences. They couldn't possibly say that so many officials, including the prime minister, were afraid of a young boy.

Fu Mingchao glanced at Yuan Buyu. The chancellor didn't nod, and it was estimated that no one dared to speak on the matter lightly.

But under the gaze of so many people, even a prime minister couldn't blatantly ignore such a grave injustice.

The selection of officials through examinations is a crucial matter for selecting talent in the Great Xia. If there is any fraud or deception involved, it would shake the very foundation of the nation.

Throughout history, anything related to the imperial examinations and scholar-officials has been considered a major event, let alone when the top scorer was someone unexpected.

"Alright, let him speak." Yuan Buyu certainly didn't refuse.

Fu Ming let Zong Bo step forward.

Zong Bai was not intimidated. Before speaking, he glanced at Zong Pingchuan. The father and son's eyes met in the air. Zong Pingchuan's face was very unsightly, and he shook his head slightly at Zong Bai.

Zong Bai pretended not to see and retracted his gaze.

"My status as the top scholar was bestowed by Your Majesty, but I've always had a question: how did the person who erased my achievements manage to find someone else to take my place"

"I can't believe Your Majesty has no recollection of my name."

"My lords," he bowed respectfully to the officials present, his attitude neither servile nor arrogant. There was indeed a hint of the aura of a hero about him.

After all, the officials who appeared at Jingwang's Mansion today are all heavyweights in the court. Ordinary small officials wouldn't be qualified to come here.

Even though this young man was nothing more than an ordinary person, he showed no fear at all in this situation. His calmness made many people suspicious.

The Seventh Prince and the King of Jing are blood relatives after all. They wouldn't joke about such an important matter as selecting talent.

"Oh, right. What was the name of the seventh prince when he introduced himself a moment ago"

An official just now thought to ask.

At the beginning, no one really paid attention to Zong Bai.

Gong Yu originally stood in an inconspicuous corner, but suddenly stepped forward to answer that person's words.

He is called Zong Bai.

This year's top scholar is also a descendant of the Xing family, but he is a descendant of the cypress tree from the Bai clan.

"Thank you, Lord Palace, for clearing up my confusion."

The officials before him were still a little surprised. This Gong Yu was usually quiet and rarely meddled in other people's affairs. Today, he was surprisingly proactive.

"Turns out his name is actually the same as the new champion scholar's."

“Who is the true champion then”

Zong Bai continued, “Among the students who took the palace examination with me at that time, many still remember me.”

"If the adults don't believe me, bring them here to confront me face-to-face and they will know the truth."

Someone has already agreed.

That's a good idea.

"When it comes to national matters, we still need to be more cautious."

All eyes turned instinctively to Yuan Buyu.

"Prime Minister, what do you think"

Before Yuan Buyu could even speak, Zong Pingchuan couldn't sit still any longer. If they found the person and recognized Zong Bai, the next step would be to investigate who had switched places with the top scholar.

No, he can't just sit idly by!

This kid, Zong Bai, is a real white-eyed wolf! He carries his blood, he's his own flesh and blood, yet he treats his father with such cruelty and ruthlessness.

"Wait!" and stuffed the peach into it.said in an undeniable tone, "You eat!""Since you've found the peach tree, do you think I'd let it go"She winked mischievously, and Zong Yu was still a little stunned, no...