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As expected, the Emperor turned a thoughtful gaze toward the Third Prince before shifting his attention to the Crown Prince, inquiring, “What are your thoughts?”

Before his arrival, the Crown Prince’s advisors had meticulously evaluated the advantages and drawbacks of the Palace Examination. They had cautioned him against revealing any vulnerability that the Emperor could exploit and had advised him to take deliberate actions to suppress Su Bin.

The Emperor’s initial query to the Third Prince had placed the Crown Prince on high alert. He contemplated the possibility that his father might have already discerned his involvement in Su Bin’s suppression. However, he was reluctant to accept such suspicions and viewed it as a test of his loyalty.

To allay his father’s doubts, the Crown Prince chose to employ a strategy of deflection and counteraction. Consequently, he swiftly responded, “I share the same sentiments as Main Examiner Huang.”

“Su Bin is undoubtedly a rare talent.”

“His literary abilities are also exceptionally commendable. Regrettably, my own talents do not measure up. I believe Su Bin’s composition may even surpass that of the top nine candidates. His essays clearly reflect his extraordinary talent.”

“But I find myself perplexed by one aspect: why would a candidate of such remarkable caliber be ranked only tenth?”

With this statement, the Crown Prince effectively shifted the blame onto the five examiners. The Emperor turned his gaze toward the examiners and called upon Main Examiner Huang to clarify.

Without hesitation, Main Examiner Huang openly disclosed, “I had initially recommended Su Bin for the first position!”

“However, the four other examiners pointed out numerous flaws in Su Bin’s essay, and, as a result, they collectively suggested ranking him eleventh.”

“Upon my insistence, Su Bin’s rank was elevated to tenth place.”

Main Examiner Huang did not withhold the truth in his response.

In his heart, Main Examiner Huang was well aware that the other four examiners were loyal to His Highness the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince had, on various occasions, dropped subtle hints to enlist his support, yet he consistently maintained the guise of an upright official and feigned ignorance of the Crown Prince’s intentions. Observing Huang’s stance,

the Crown Prince opted not to press the matter further.

By adopting this approach, Main Examiner Huang aimed to both avoid offending the Crown Prince and steer clear of any entanglements that might implicate him with the Crown Prince’s faction. While he believed that the Crown Prince would ultimately ascend the throne successfully, he refrained from assisting in any covert machinations.

Regardless, Main Examiner Huang held little regard for the supposed merits of winning the Emperor’s favor. The four other examiners, however, were in a state of anxiety.

Nonetheless, the Emperor refrained from immediately reprimanding them. Instead, he instructed them to retrieve the examination papers that had secured Su Bin’s rank. Fortunately, these four examiners were not inept and did indeed identify some flaws in Su Bin’s answers, ranging from minor to substantial.

Their eloquence skillfully obscured these issues, diverting attention from Su

Bin’s performance. Nevertheless, they remained acutely aware that the Emperor was not oblivious to the underlying circumstances. The Emperor’s willingness to entertain their explanations and withhold immediate punishment was largely due to the Crown Prince’s influence.

When the Emperor eventually announced that this year’s Primus was Su Bin, everyone present was left utterly flabbergasted. The Crown Prince, in particular, found himself astounded by the unforeseen turn of events. He had never anticipated that his deliberate suppression of Su Bin would lead to Su Bin’s triumphant ascension as the new Primus.

His father exhibited no concern about the potential ridicule and mockery this situation might incite among the court’s civil and military officials. He seemed undeterred by the thought, showing a distinct lack of consideration for his son’s reputation.

The fact that the four examiners were loyal to the Crown Prince was common knowledge, leaving little room for doubt that Su Bin had experienced suppression. Yet, to the astonishment of many, Su Bin had managed a remarkable resurgence during the palace examination.

Main Examiner Huang expressed his jubilation, proclaiming, “Your Majesty’s wisdom shines brightly. Su Bin is truly deserving of this recognition!”

In tandem, the Third Prince voiced his approval, “Father’s wisdom knows no bounds!”

He articulated his words in a manner that implied his puzzlement over his father’s motivations in this scenario..