Chapter 1178: Didn't She Choose That Herself?

A month and a half later, the Palace Examination arrived as scheduled.

This naturally drew intense attention. Here in Shangjing City, with merely two months between the two exams, the top three candidates of the metropolitan examination would only be remembered for that brief month and a half; once the top three of the Palace Examination were announced, they would be completely overshadowed.

Tong Zhihuan and Tao'er, who had been traveling, also arrived in Shangjing City.

The night before Tong Nianyi was to enter the examination hall, they shared a few heartfelt words to encourage her.

Tao'er stroked Tong Nianyi's hair. "Our Xiao Nianyi is the most amazing..."

Tong Nianyi looked at the mother she hadn't seen in so long, her resolve hardening. She was determined to achieve an outstanding result this time.

Yan Nantian had pulled strings with a Cabinet Elder to ensure Tong Nianyi could enter the examination hall. Because of this, she faced no difficulties during the identity checks, just like last time, and no one discovered she was a woman.

And so, the Palace Examination began.

...

With nothing better to do, Lihua wandered the streets of Shangjing City.

It wasn't terribly familiar with the place. It had strolled through years ago, but most of those memories had faded.

Shangjing City did have plenty of cats, however.

With so many nobles around, there were naturally many who enjoyed keeping cats. Combined with the chaos of the early years, many once-pampered pets had been left to wander the city as strays. They were frequently chased off by patrolling guards, as these filthy, unkempt animals were hardly fit to be seen on the grand streets of Shangjing City.

Looking at these homeless creatures, Lihua felt a twinge of pity and followed them.

It found them sheltering in a dry canal. Overgrown weeds served as their beds; when the weather turned cold, they huddled together, burying their heads into the pile to stay warm.

Most of these cats had once been pampered pets in noble households. But when those nobles fell from grace, their pets were cast out onto the streets. Whether due to a sudden fire or an estate confiscation, they were left without a home.

Lihua couldn't help but think back to the days it spent hiding and scurrying about with Mo Yu. Compared to the sight before it, those times had been practically a luxury.

It sometimes wondered if, without Mo Yu back then, it would have ended up just like these cats—sleeping under bridges or in ditches, squished together with other strays to survive the cold.

At that thought, its gaze drifted back to the cats in the ditch.

"Who wants to run with me, Lihua? Stick with me, and you'll have food, water, and a place to live!"

These ordinary cats hadn't awakened their spiritual intelligence, so there was no way they could understand spoken words. Yet, when Lihua raised its head and stood tall before them, they somehow got the message: this tabby cat wanted to be their boss.

It was no surprise that it smoothly took in this new gang of feline underlings.

Lihua then went to seek out Ruyi.

Ruyi was a bit surprised by the idea. "You want to set up another Cat Spirit Temple?" she murmured. "In Shangjing City?"

Lihua nodded.

"Why?"

Lihua went on to recount everything it had seen that day.

Ruyi pondered this for a moment. "It's a nice thought, but..."

She suddenly paused, lost in thought.

A wave of melancholy washed over her.

The cats now had Lihua to look out for them, and perhaps they really would find a place to settle down. But what about the people of Shangjing City? For the beggars on the streets, hardly anyone ever stopped to spare them a glance.

"I'll ask around for you," Ruyi said.

That afternoon, Ruyi realized it had been quite a while since she last saw Yan Nantian. She had originally planned to ask Tang Shijing, but since it was on the way, she decided to visit the palace and ask there instead.

"You're coming to me for something like this?" Yan Nantian asked, somewhat baffled.

"Who else would I ask?" Ruyi replied. "I looked into it earlier. Nowadays, if a celestial official wants to open a temple, they need your written decree. Otherwise, they aren't allowed to collect incense. Well, Lihua doesn't actually want incense, just some food."

Yan Nantian thought it over. "It's better not to collect incense," he concluded.

"Why is that?"

"Back then, there were quite a few demons who earned merit. I permitted them to open temples across the land to aid their Cultivation with incense. However, this inevitably sparked conflicts over those very incense offerings. Over the years, there has been no shortage of open strife and secret scheming. If your cat truly wants to shelter the strays of Shangjing City, it is best to stay out of that mess entirely."

Ruyi considered his words and had to admit they made sense.

"Then write me a note," she said.

Yan Nantian didn't dally; such a trivial matter was barely worth mentioning.

He added, "Take this note to Daoquan Palace and look for Sanyuan True Man. Have him pick out a temple for you. If there aren't any, just have one built. It's no trouble at all."

Ruyi grinned. "Thanks. You're a true brother."

Yan Nantian shook his head. "You're a woman. Why are you always calling people 'brother'?"

"Are we not brothers? What, do you secretly have designs on this old woman?"

Yan Nantian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "You're a full cycle older than me."

Ruyi crossed her arms. "True enough. I certainly can't compare to the imperial concubines in your Imperial Harem. Every single one of them is young and beautiful."

"What use is beauty?" Yan Nantian scoffed. "If they had even half your niece's capabilities, I might actually bother visiting the Imperial Harem in my free time."

Ruyi looked curious. "Why bring up Xiao Nianyi? Does that mean you've read her exam paper?"

Yan Nantian nodded. "Her insights on state affairs and current events are far more useful than what those old men spout."

"Hearing you say that, I take it Xiao Nianyi's success is practically guaranteed this time?"

"That is a different matter."

"I still hope she can take Zhuangyuan in this Palace Examination."

"You have such high expectations?"

"It will serve to shut people's mouths later."

"But she only placed third in the metropolitan examination. Then again, doesn't the final decision for first place rest entirely with you anyway?"

"The exam papers of the top three candidates must be circulated among all the officials. How could I possibly fake something like that? Even if I favor someone, I cannot blatantly promote them like that."

Ruyi crossed her arms, deep in thought.

After a moment, she said, "I looked into this before. The late emperor also had the idea of establishing a system for female officials, but nothing ever came of it in the end."

"I am merely making an attempt," Yan Nantian said.

Ruyi raised an eyebrow. "You're using her to pave the way?"

Yan Nantian turned to look at her. "Indeed. If she has the audacity to attempt this, what's wrong with me using her to pave the way? But do not worry, I will not leave her in peril. If the royal court truly cannot tolerate her when the time comes, I will simply send her to the Imperial Harem to serve as a female official."

Ruyi pursed her lips, unable to find fault with Yan Nantian.

In truth, Yan Nantian had already been more than generous. He had helped conceal her identity during the metropolitan examination, and was doing so again for the Palace Examination. Were it not for him, Tong Nianyi's identity as a woman might have been exposed on the spot, landing her straight in prison.

Ruyi tapped her fingers lightly against the table. "Couldn't you use someone else? Xiao Nianyi just wants to be an official."

"She just wants to be an official? That's not what I heard."

At that, Ruyi couldn't say anything more.

Whatever hardships awaited her in the future, hadn't Xiao Nianyi chosen them herself?

By this point, she had nothing left to say.