Protect Our Patriarch

……

"Your Majesty, please don't overestimate this old servant. I don't have such abilities," Old Yao said with a pained expression. "I'll send someone to deliver the message right away."

With that, Old Yao dared not say more and quickly retreated.

"This old fellow is getting more cunning with age, always siding with Commandery Prince An's lackeys. He must have taken a lot of money from them," Emperor Longchang complained openly, then turned to Wu Zhixing and Wu Xue'ning. "Tell your Commandery Prince Kang to learn well. Old Yao is my confidant. A little push at a critical moment can benefit him immensely."

Wu Zhixing wiped a drop of cold sweat from his brow.

Though the logic was sound, was it appropriate for His Majesty, the Emperor, to say such things?

His interactions with the Emperor were limited, mostly in formal settings, and the Emperor had always left him with an impression of solemnity and majesty. He found it hard to adapt to this side of the Emperor.

Wu Xue'ning, however, was unfazed, her lips curling slightly.

Firstly, she was long accustomed to the Ancestor's personality. Secondly, she wasn't close to Commandery Prince Kang, so it was none of her business.

"Anye, who are those lackeys His Majesty mentioned?" Wang Yingxuan furrowed her delicate brows, sensing that Emperor Longchang's words carried deeper meaning.

However, being bold and carefree by nature, her attention soon shifted as she munched on the delicious snacks served by the eunuchs, relaxing considerably.

Before long, she was nibbling on a large chicken claw-like snack and murmuring to Wang Anye, "I have a feeling something's off. Anye, this pickled pepper phoenix claw is really tasty~"

"Well..." Wang Anye chuckled awkwardly and whispered, "Just eat your phoenix claw. In front of His Majesty, we must remain respectful and cautious in our words and actions."

"What's so good about these phoenix claws? There's hardly any meat on such a big claw. Meat jerky is still the best~" Wang Lilong also relaxed.

She tore into pieces of honey-glazed beef jerky with her sharp dragon teeth and handed some to Anye. "Anye, you should eat more meat. You're too skinny, and you won't have any strength for fighting. Didn't you hear Wu Xue'ning complain that you're not strong enough?"

"Lilong Auntie, Anye is already starting to grow. He'll shoot up in the next few years, so don't worry," Wang Yingxuan explained.

One drop, two drops, three drops of cold sweat slid down Wang Anye's forehead. His face flushed red, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into.

Yingxuan Auntie, thank you for your explanation~~ Wait... how do you know?

Suddenly, Wang Anye felt a chill run down his spine, instinctively tightening his clothes and casting a suspicious glance at Wang Yingxuan.

"That's great," Wang Lilong's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Once Anye grows up, he can marry Yiluo. Then, he can have lots of kids with the little princess, and I'll take them flying on clouds."

"Oh my, Lilong Auntie, aren't you embarrassed? How can you talk about things only adults do so casually?" Wang Yingxuan feigned a "shame on you" expression, though her eyes gleamed with interest.

Wang Anye was at a loss, silently criticizing them in his heart.

You two sure know a lot~~~ Instead of focusing on your clan studies and homework, you understand advanced adult knowledge like kissing and having children!

It must be those secret booklets circulating in the clan school.

Once this trip to Guilong City is over, he, as the young clan leader, must personally address the poor atmosphere in the clan school.

Not far away, Wu Xue'ning, who was accompanying them, rubbed her forehead, muttering helplessly, "Such naive and childish kids, thinking kissing can make babies. What are they thinking?"

However, before she could finish her sentence, she received a surprised look from Wu Zhixing.

That look seemed to say, "Xue'ning Auntie, aren't you just fifteen? You haven't even had a fiancé yet, so how do you know about this?"

At the same time, the three Wang kids also looked at her with puzzled eyes.

If kissing doesn't make babies, then how?

Wu Xue'ning's face turned bright red, awkwardly laughing it off. "Just kissing isn't enough. You have to hug and kiss together."

She sighed inwardly. As the second-ranked top expert among Guilong City's Top Ten Outstanding Youths, she had been bested by a bunch of naive kids, losing face completely. What an injustice~!

Wang Anye's expression grew serious. Just kissing isn't enough, and it even requires hugging?

Wait!

This isn't good~!

Wang Anye suddenly remembered hugging Princess Yiluo before... and feeling uncomfortable at the time... Could it be... something happened? The next time he sees Yiluo, will he already be a father?

For a moment, the usually calm Wang Anye felt a bit panicked, a layer of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

He sneaked a glance at Wu Xue'ning, seeing her seemingly knowledgeable expression, and wanted to ask if just hugging without kissing would cause any issues.

Wu Xue'ning, on the other hand, felt flustered by his gaze. Could Wang Anye be eyeing her beauty while eating from his bowl and looking at the pot?

While the younger ones whispered and chattered, Emperor Longchang watched with a pleased and amused expression.

Living too long in one's life is also a kind of burden. As your lifespan increases, you gradually realize that life's pleasures are slipping away.

Watching them enjoy everything and find interest in every conversation, a hint of vitality seemed to be injected into his old and silent heart.

It took a full stick of incense before Old Yao returned after arranging the message, standing behind him once more.

Seeing that the children had almost finished eating, Emperor Longchang beckoned Wang Anye over. "Anye, come here and let me take a look."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Wang Anye adjusted his robe slightly, walked forward with steady steps, bowed deeply, and then stood straight, allowing Emperor Longchang to scrutinize him.

Emperor Longchang didn't hold back, examining him thoroughly from head to toe, his tone carrying a hint of sourness. "You do look quite handsome, and your demeanor is quite proper, almost five or six parts of what I was in my youth. But to match my Yiluo, you seem to fall a bit short."

At these words, the young ones exchanged glances.

Though they all had doubts, there was no way to verify the Emperor's words, as his contemporaries were mostly long gone. Living long had this advantage; no one could refute his claims about his youth.

Wang Anye was speechless. Your Majesty, you're an emperor, and you're comparing yourself to a twelve-year-old junior?

"And those Commandery Prince An and his wife, they really don't take me seriously," Emperor Longchang sounded displeased. "Such an important matter as Yiluo's engagement, and they didn't even consult me."

"Your Majesty..." Old Yao reminded from the side, "You haven't concerned yourself with the younger generation's marriages for at least five hundred years."

"Yiluo is different. I gave her that name," Emperor Longchang glared, clearly upset, as if trying to regain some control. He then turned to Wu Xue'ning, "You, girl, make sure to consult me before getting engaged."

"Yes, Ancestor," Wu Xue'ning replied obediently. "I'll listen to you."

"That's more like it. Our Xue'ning is still the most obedient," Emperor Longchang nodded in satisfaction, then glanced at Wang Anye with a scrutinizing look. "No, no, I must test this brat. If he's all show and no substance, I won't let my clever Yiluo marry a fool."

"Uh, Your Majesty," Wang Anye bowed and said, "If you wish to test me, I will comply. However, I heard that the little wolf pups sent by Auntie Lici damaged your 'Divine Dynasty's Twilight' on the Yun Yao flying boat?"

Emperor Longchang's face darkened. Was Wang Anye a bit dense? He had finally started to move past the sadness of the damaged 'Divine Dynasty's Twilight.'

Yet here he was, bringing it up before the test, as if he thought the challenge wasn't difficult enough and wanted to add some fun. Emperor Longchang was not known for being magnanimous.

"Your Majesty, when Anye's great-grandfather mentioned it, I happened to have collected a few ancient paintings, including a 'Divine Dynasty's Twilight.' So, I took the liberty of offering it to you to atone for the little wolf pups' mistake," Wang Anye said, taking out a scroll from his storage ring.

"You also have a 'Divine Dynasty's Twilight'?" Emperor Longchang was slightly surprised, but soon scoffed. "This painting is famous, with countless forgeries. The one I acquired was authenticated by the Ji's Clan descendants as the only genuine piece. How could it compare to those inferior imitations? Never mind, considering your filial piety, I'll accept it."

As he spoke, Emperor Longchang seemed a bit disinterested.

Old Yao stepped forward, taking the 'Divine Dynasty's Twilight' while casting a regretful glance at Anye. Why give it now, of all times? This child really lacked foresight.

Sure enough, Emperor Longchang took the painting and set it aside, not even bothering to give it another glance.

"I hear your Wang's Clan School is quite lively. I wonder how much real talent and learning there is," Emperor Longchang glanced at the young ones present, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "Since we're all here today, I'll test you all together and see how much your Wang's Clan School is worth."

"What? Test us all together?" Wang Yingxuan and Wang Lilong were stunned. This was a classic case of the city gate fire affecting the fish in the moat. Suddenly, even the phoenix claw and meat jerky lost their appeal.

What was wrong with these adults? All they thought about was making things difficult for the kids. It was bad enough being stuck in the clan school every day, but now they had to be tested by the Emperor while visiting the capital. Being a child was too hard these days.

Besides the two Wang kids who were struggling academically, Wu Xue'ning also looked uneasy, her eyes darting around with a guilty expression, clearly another restless student.

But who dared to say no when the Emperor demanded a test?

Old Yao rolled his eyes discreetly, understanding that the Emperor was targeting Wang Shouzhe under the guise of testing the children.

"Old Yao, bring some beginner-level 'Nine Chapters on Mathematical Arts' exam papers from the royal school. Remember, don't make it too difficult. We don't want to make it hard for the kids," Emperor Longchang said, his words dripping with an unmistakable hint of amusement.

Old Yao understood, knowing the Emperor's words had to be taken in reverse. However, he still harbored some goodwill, selecting some moderately difficult exam papers from the royal school.

Including Wu Zhixing, the "child," five people were seated separately, with pens, ink, and paper provided by the eunuchs. To prevent cheating, they were spaced far apart, each watched by a eunuch.

Wang Lilong and Wang Yingxuan were almost in tears at the setup, having hoped to copy from Wang Anye, but were left despairing.

Heh~ Emperor Longchang thoroughly enjoyed the situation, planning to slap these kids' test scores in Wang Shouzhe's face later, mocking the Wang's Clan School's level.

"Clang!"

The exam bell rang.

Wang Anye didn't start writing immediately but carefully reviewed the exam paper. As he slowly read through it, his expression grew serious and puzzled. What was with this exam paper? And these questions... what was going on?

Wu Zhixing, on the other hand, glanced at the questions and began writing swiftly. Clearly, he was quite capable academically, despite having forgotten much over the years, his foundation remained.

Wu Xue'ning, however, was scratching her head, biting her pen in deep thought after completing two or three questions.

The two Wang kids, who were struggling academically, didn't even have the courage to look at the exam paper. They were already stumbling through their Wang's Clan School studies, let alone tackling a royal school exam paper, which sounded like advanced material. Didn't they see even Anye was pondering?

The three Wang kids hadn't started writing, making Emperor Longchang even more amused. He turned to Old Yao and said, "Old Yao, can you guess if these three little ones can score a full mark combined?"

"Your Majesty, this exam is a bit..." Wang Anye raised his hand to say something.

But Emperor Longchang interrupted, "Focus on the exam. Speak after it's over."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Wang Anye reluctantly buried himself in the exam, writing slowly but steadily.

Seeing this, Wang Lilong and Wang Yingxuan gritted their teeth, preparing to give it their all. At this point, they couldn't submit a blank paper, right? If they did, they'd probably be beaten to death when they returned.

Oh well, if they're going to die, they might as well die beautifully.

Then the two of them began to read and write...

"Is that it?"

First, Wang Yingxuan's eyes widened in disbelief. Could it be that the royal exam paper started with a freebie question? Well, at least they wouldn't have to submit a blank paper, and she quickly solved the first question.

Looking at the second question, huh, the royal exam paper was so friendly? Great, the goddess of war, Wang Yingxuan, conquered another question.

The third, fourth, fifth questions... Wang Yingxuan breezed through the exam.

"Awesome, I've never felt this good in an exam in my life!" Wang Yingxuan's confidence began to swell. "Looks like all the hard work with the sisters paid off. I, Wang Yingxuan, am a true academic genius, a hidden talented beauty scholar! Wahaha~"

Not just Wang Yingxuan, even Wang Lilong began solving questions smoothly, albeit slowly and with some stumbling. But this was already her fastest exam speed ever.

As she continued, her confidence grew. "Hey, eunuch, come over and help me tie the pen to my claw. Holding it is tiring." She felt like she had suddenly become enlightened, realizing she was a cultured dragon.

Emperor Longchang's expression grew serious, turning to Old Yao. "Old Yao, are they just scribbling?"

"Your Majesty, I've already brought in a royal school teacher to grade the papers. We'll know once they're graded," Old Yao replied.

"Indeed, once graded, their true colors will be revealed." Emperor Longchang relaxed, taking a short nap. When he awoke, the exam was over, and the papers were graded.

He took the papers from Old Yao, the first being Wu Zhixing's perfect score.

Emperor Longchang nodded in satisfaction. "Zhixing is indeed more steady and reliable than others. Reward him with a hundred thousand top gold."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Wu Zhixing bowed, neither arrogant nor impatient.

The second paper was Wu Xue'ning's, with quite a few mistakes, scoring only sixty-five, but still passing.

Daqian's exams were scored out of a hundred, a system inherited from the Immortal Dynasty. The Immortal Dynasty's hundred-point system was said to originate from the Shenwu Royal Dynasty. As for why the Shenwu Royal Dynasty used a hundred-point system, archaeologists have yet to reach a conclusion.

Wu Xue'ning's score was a bit low, making Emperor Longchang's expression slightly displeased. He instructed Old Yao, "Tell the clan school teachers to focus on improving Little Commandery Princess Xue'ning's grades. If it happens again, I'll have their heads."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Old Yao replied.

Wu Xue'ning lowered her head in embarrassment, not daring to breathe too loudly. Fortunately, she had the three Wang kids to cushion her fall, making this hurdle easier to overcome.

She estimated that since this exam was harder than usual, Wang Anye should barely pass. As for Wang Lilong and Wang Yingxuan, they exuded the same familiar struggling student aura as she did.

However, Emperor Longchang wasn't focused on Wu Xue'ning today. After a brief scolding, he turned his attention to the next paper.

"Huh? Seventy-three points..." Emperor Longchang was taken aback by the score, then looked closely to see Wang Lilong's name. The handwriting wasn't pretty, but it was neat, clearly the result of hard work.

"You little Azure Dragon," Emperor Longchang gave her a peculiar look. "You're quite the wolf in sheep's clothing. For a dragon, scoring this well isn't easy. Reward... five, no, ten thousand top gold."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Wang Lilong beamed with pride, her previous gloominess replaced by a smug look of a hidden academic genius.

An anomaly, this must be an anomaly.

Wang Lilong was probably the best student among the three Wang kids, Emperor Longchang consoled himself, turning to the next paper.

"Ninety-eight points!" The glaring score stung Emperor Longchang's eyes and heart.

The name on it was Wang Yingxuan.

Another wolf in sheep's clothing. This brat had such good grades, yet always acted like a struggling student. This was clearly deceit.

Emperor Longchang's face burned with embarrassment. He had been hunting geese all day, only to be pecked blind by a little goose.

"Oh dear, I missed two points. I'm as careless as ever," Wang Yingxuan lamented, unable to hide the pride in her eyes, casting a challenging glance at Wu Xue'ning, who scored sixty-five.

Though Wu Xue'ning was annoyed, she couldn't refute the absolute score difference, so she turned away in a huff, opting for an out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach.

With that, Wang Yingxuan became even more smug, feeling more satisfied than winning a fight.

No wonder the academic geniuses in the clan school were so arrogant, always looking down on struggling students with a hint of disdain. Now she understood the mindset of an academic genius.

"Yingxuan, little girl, I didn't expect you to be so hidden," Emperor Longchang, despite his displeasure, wouldn't take it out on the children. He waved his hand, "Reward her with fifteen thousand scholarship."

The last one was Wang Anye, calm and composed. Surely he wasn't a struggling student, right? Hopefully, there'd be a twist.

Emperor Longchang opened the paper, and no miracle occurred. A glaring perfect score stared back at him.

The Emperor closed the paper, waving his hand in frustration. "Not bad, reward him with twenty thousand top gold."

The three Wang kids performed so well that he felt duped. He had planned to slap these papers in Wang Shouzhe's face, criticizing and mocking him.

Instead, these three papers slapped him in the face.

"Anye, you brat, what are you learning at such a young age? Pretending to be a wolf in sheep's clothing," Emperor Longchang grumbled, casting a sidelong glance at Wang Anye. "Not honest."

"Your Majesty..." Wang Anye wiped a cold sweat, bowing. "Why do you say that?"

"You mentioned something about the exam earlier, saying there was an issue," Emperor Longchang glared at him. "Were you trying to mislead me?"

"Your Majesty," Wang Anye said helplessly, "I meant to say the exam was too easy. Could it be the wrong paper?"

"Easy?" Emperor Longchang's eyes widened, turning to Old Yao.

"Your Majesty, I'm innocent," Old Yao cried. "This exam, while not the hardest, is of medium to high difficulty for this age group."

Emperor Longchang was skeptical, turning to Wang Anye. "Anye, since you say the exam was easy, how about trying something harder?"

"Your Majesty..." Old Yao advised, as if recalling the Emperor's encounter with the five little wolf pups.

"Your Majesty, I don't mind trying, but please don't blame me if I don't do well," Wang Anye replied honestly.

"Alright, increase the difficulty," Emperor Longchang waved his hand, starting the next round.

This round was indeed much harder. Even Wang Lilong, the little "academic genius," only scored twenty, while Wang Yingxuan barely passed.

As for Wu Xue'ning, the struggling student, she only scored eight, while Wu Zhixing scored eighty.

This difficulty was almost equivalent to the Wang's Clan School's normal level, revealing everyone's true colors.

Only Wang Anye continued to score a perfect paper, slapping it in Emperor Longchang's face.

Sure enough, only difficulty could distinguish the true academic geniuses.

Everyone looked at Wang Anye in shock and admiration, but Wang Anye remained calm and composed.

"Alright, Anye, your studies aren't bad. You barely match my Yiluo," Emperor Longchang, despite his embarrassment, smiled like a gambler who had lost everything. "Anye, there's one last paper. Do you dare to challenge it?"

"Your Majesty, that paper..." Old Yao couldn't bear it.

"Silence," Emperor Longchang glared at him, then smiled at Wang Anye. "Anye, the last paper is indeed difficult, excavated from the Shenwu Royal Dynasty's ruins. If you don't dare, it's fine."

"If you score another perfect, I'll grant you one request. As long as it's not too outrageous, I'll fulfill it."

"Your Majesty, this isn't appropriate," Wang Anye shook his head. "How about we end it here today?"

"End it here?" Emperor Longchang felt dissatisfied. His face had been slapped swollen, and now that he had a chance to turn the tables, Anye wanted to quit?

Immediately, his gaze turned dark and unfriendly.

"Alright, alright," Wang Anye reluctantly agreed. "Your Majesty, I'll give it a try."

"Good, good," Emperor Longchang seemed to come alive, looking at Wang Anye kindly. "Don't feel pressured, just try. I won't shortchange your reward."

In his heart, he sneered, waiting for a failing paper to cause trouble for Wang Shouzhe.

……