I’m Pregnant With The Child Of The Traitor General In My Past Life

urtain was set up next to it.
Empress Sima brought along the Imperial Concubines and sat according to their positions.

On the high platform, Emperor Mingde faced numerous officials that were kowtowing: “Beloved ministers, you may all rise.”

The officials all shouted, long live the Emperor. 

The Left Prime Minister, Lord Zhao Gou’s experience was the most long-standing.
Moreover, he was already over 60 years of age already.
The emperor had given him a special seat as the first seat under him to him, and the rest of the officials were seated according to their official ranks.
The frontmost seat was thus for the Emperor’s important ministers.
The highest ranking noble, Sima Ji of Marquis Zhenbei and his son, Sima Yu, who had reached 16 years old was seated on his left side.
The father and son raised their brows and sat down.
Their appearances and bearings were impressive.
It was just Sima Ji was born in the ranks and had experienced great changes in life, so he somewhat had the air of a soldier, thus making people unable to underestimate him.

Autumn Selection, on one hand, was to show the great grace of the Imperial Family, and the second was for the princes to choose their trusted ministers.
When all the officials took their seat, the ceremonial official unfolded the dossier, extolled the benevolences of the Imperial Family, and further convened and announced the grace of the Imperial Family.
Emperor Mingde had given some remarks according to the routine.
In this way, it’s finally Chenshi (7-9am). 

The four princes came through the south gate.
The one who walked in the front was the Eldest Prince, Li Yuanqian.
Next, was the Fourth Prince, Li Yuanxu, and the two princes who were born from the female entertainers, Li Yuanlang and the Third Prince, Li Yuanmin who followed closely behind. 

With all sorts of characters, each was different from the other.
Only the last person, who was rather frail, did not resemble a Royal child. 

Many officials who were present all sighed with sorrow. 

Li Yuanqian boldly took a seat.
Last month, he had reached 16, and already looked like an adult.
He was born with a grand presence, majestic appearance, and his looks were rather similar to Emperor Mingde.
Although Emperor Mingde doted on the Fourth Prince, Li Yuanxu, he wasn’t indifferent to him.
Early on, he had given permission for him to take a position in court.
He had bestowed a Prince’s mansion to him and had him supervising internal affairs, which was of great importance. 

Lord Left Prime Minister looked at the dashing figure of his nephew, and couldn’t help stroking his beard, showing an admiring gaze.

Wang Guifei hid behind the bead curtain, looking towards Li Yuanqian who was a head taller than her own son.
He was particularly calm with a dignified bearing.
She couldn’t help but hate him in her heart.
And seeing Li Yuanxu hiding behind him, yawning quietly, her heart became even more agitated. 

Empress Sima had also seen it, and smiled softly.
Chu Guiren* behind her also raising her eyebrows and said: “It looks like Fourth Royal Highness has been working hard this time period, it must have been hard on Guifei Niang Niang.”

(Guiren: noble status)

How could Wang Chaoluan not understand the sarcastic intent of this Empress’s follower, she sneered back: “This child of Ben Gong is slow-witted, thus has to work harder.
This suffering, younger sister has finally experienced it.
Empress Niang Niang, do you agree?”

The meaning was very clear—Both of you wanted to suffer the pain of giving guidance to a prince’s hardship, you both don’t have the qualifications to. 

Chu Guiren’s complexion tightened.
She turned her head back with a light humph.
Empress Sima didn’t show any other expressions, only shouted: “We’re attending the ceremony, don’t make a racket.”

The rest of the Imperial Concubines had various expressions on their faces.
Some watched from the sidelines and rejoiced in other people’s misfortune.
Some were self-pitying from what they’ve heard.
Some endured the bitter resentment silently….
Only the birth mother of the Eldest Prince, Imperial Concubine Zhao Shu did not participate in the surge.
Her face showed a distracted expression.
Her gaze dazedly looked towards a certain figure under the high platform. 

Behind the curtain was a big battlefield, but in front of the curtain was even more so. 

The Autumn Selection had four different parts: poetry, literature, essay, and discussion to evaluate the princes.
Although, in the open, it was said that the essay topic would only be announced on the day of the event, but the four princes naturally had a way to obtain the essay topic from the Imperial Academy in advance through various means.
Furthermore, there were prepared essays drafted by the administrators for the exam, and adding remuneration of polished works, it was all literary remarkable. 

The sun gradually shifted to the center.
When 9am arrived, the ceremonial official tolled a bell.
The princes on the high platform all put down their pen and paper, to prevent any more writing.
Following this, the court eunuchs received the papers and went behind the curtain to make a copy of the handwriting.
Then, they put it inside four secret boxes, and presented it to the Emperor.

Emperor Mingde casually opened a secret box, and flipped through two scrolls.
A smile floated up on his face.
He repeatedly said good.
Then, he commanded ceremonial officials to hang the scroll on the high platform’s wooden poles, and made all the officials judge it.
It was divided into four ranks following the four colors of jade slips: orange, green, light yellow and black. 

But today’s focus was obviously not how the princes did in the exams, but the decisions of these marquises of the noble families.
Naturally, the majority of them had already decided, but the biggest variable today was Maquis Zhenbei, Sima Ji. 

Although everyone pretended to look like they were evaluating, their eyesight couldn’t help but gather on Marquis Zhenbei’s body, but he didn’t seem to pay attention.
He walked slowly, while stroking his beard.
He smiled and talked cheerfully with the administrators of the Imperial Academy near him.
Occasionally, he referred to the poems on the wooden polls. 

Wang Chaoluan impatiently sat behind the curtain.
She had waited for half a day already, but still hadn’t seen Sima Ji choose to place any jade slip.
Her heart almost hung out her throat.
She cursed this old fox for making gestures and not allow people to have a straightforward response. 

The high platform was flowing with darkness, and everyone was paying attention to the number of four-color jade slips.
Only Li Yuanmin was not thinking about it.
He only lowered his eyes, and stared at the table in front of him in a daze.
On the faint green color table, a drop of ink accidentally dropped on it.
It slowly penetrated, and stained the table with an indelible stain.

Looking at that ink stain, his heart became oddly calm. 

When meeting again, he thought he couldn’t even hold the pen.

After he stepped on the high platform, that gaze from beginning to end had always been on his face. 

He slowly raised his head and met a pair of gentle and elegant eyes.

In his last life, he had once walked towards an irreversible road step by step under such gaze.