My Emperor Father Can Read Minds

Chapter 284: Not Attending the Exam

Ever since becoming a middleman and handing over half of the official duties assigned by the old man to Eighth Brother, Wei Yu felt much more at ease. With more free time, he finally had the chance to pay attention to the spring imperial examination.

In a couple of days, the formal metropolitan exam would commence. While taking a stroll outside his residence, Wei Yu discovered that people in the capital were already privately placing bets on who would be the top three scholars in the first class, as well as who would make the second class of successful candidates.

Hmm… How should he put it? The Great Wei strictly forbade gambling among the common people. Anyone caught gambling would be exiled to the northern region around Youzhou. However, these private bets weren’t exactly gambling; everyone was just joining in the fun for the occasion. Even if the authorities found out, they would likely turn a blind eye. So Wei Yu chose to pretend he didn’t know about it.

What surprised Wei Yu the most about the betting, however, was that Bai Feiyu was actually taking part! And he hadn’t placed any bets on himself.

The young prodigy Top Third Place from Qingzhou—a title given to those who achieve the top three honors in the provincial examinations—had become known to everyone immediately after arriving in the capital. People were all speculating that he would definitely be among the top three of the first class or at the very least among the candidates who passed into the second class.

Yet, this highly praised talent didn’t bet on himself but instead bet on others’ names. If not for his curiosity, Wei Yu might never have known Bai Feiyu would do such a thing.

So why didn’t he bet on himself?

Wei Yu kept this question to himself for two days, only finding out the answer on the day of the exam.

“Your Highness, Bai Feiyu did not come to the examination hall today. My men have been guarding the entrance for two days, and neither he nor his servant has stepped outside the courtyard in these two days,” Fang Sheng reported.

Hearing this, Wei Yu, who was sitting at a tavern eating and drinking, immediately lost his appetite.

It wasn’t worry—he was curious!

Wei Yu asked, “Is he sick?”

Bai Feiyu was known to be physically weak; if he didn’t attend due to illness, Wei Yu could imagine no other reason.

“He’s not. My men said that Bai Feiyu has been inside reading books these past two days,” Fang Sheng said with a shake of his head, his expression tinged with some puzzlement.

Wei Yu was puzzled too. Reading books? What’s that about?

He bit his chopsticks in confusion. “He’s not sick, and he has time to read—why not take the exam? Didn’t he come to the capital to take the metropolitan examination?”

Could it be that he wasn’t prepared and therefore didn’t plan to take the exam at all—just came to the capital to experience the atmosphere?

Unable to figure it out, Wei Yu ordered his men to keep watching Bai Feiyu, to see what his next move might be. Meanwhile, he waited for the exam to conclude.

The metropolitan exam spanned three separate tests, each lasting three days, for a total of nine days.

During those nine days, candidates were busy with their own affairs and had no time to watch others. It wasn’t until the exam ended that everyone learned that Bai Feiyu, the “Little San Yuan” from Qingzhou, never actually took the exam!

Some were curious and thought maybe he was ill and unable to attend, so they specifically went to visit him.

But within half a day, the real reason why Bai Feiyu didn’t show up spread quickly.

And the reason?

Just as everyone guessed: Bai Feiyu was sick!

Bai Feiyu himself admitted to having caught a cold, which was why he didn’t take the exam!

No one in Wei Yu’s group reacted much when knowing that, but when Wei Yu heard this news, his curiosity about Bai Feiyu reached its peak.

Was this guy really sick or not? Was he unaware of his own condition? Or had the watchers Wei Yu sent been negligent? Did Bai Feiyu’s servant go out to fetch medicines? Did Bai Feiyu take his medicines? Wouldn’t the watchers know all this?

Hmph!

The metropolitan exam ended, and only the final palace exam remained. But this was all unrelated to Bai Feiyu.

One afternoon, when Bai Feiyu went out with his servant, Wei Yu, who had received the news, followed him, hoping to bump into him by chance.

—

Gazing at the silver accessories shop in front of him, Wei Yu stood outside, staring at the signboard for two seconds.

He really didn’t expect this.

After having stayed home for over ten days, the very first place Bai Feiyu visited was a silver accessories shop!

A grown man, what’s he doing browsing silver accessories?

Though it was hard to understand, Wei Yu respected the choice.

He stepped inside.

At first glance, Wei Yu saw Bai Feiyu’s small but robust servant standing behind him, looking as solid as a small mountain.

Compared to his own servant, Bai Feiyu’s figure was indeed too thin; Wei Yu couldn’t even spot Bai Feiyu at first since the servant was standing in front of him.

Bai Feiyu was selecting silver ornaments, while the shop owner enthusiastically recommended various beautiful pieces.

“Young Master, look at this one! This bracelet has exquisite carvings. Our shop spent a month crafting it…”

Bai Feiyu asked, “How much?”

The owner replied, “Not expensive, only fifty taels!”

Bai Feiyu shook his head. “Too expensive. No.”

The owner paused briefly but wasn’t embarrassed, putting the bracelet down and promoting another piece, “Then take a look at this one…”

Right then Wei Yu approached.

“Oh? Young Master Bai? What a coincidence! You’re here too?”

Hearing the voice, Bai Feiyu looked over and, seeing Wei Yu beside him, smiled slightly and nodded, “Young Master Wang, good to meet you.”

“Didn’t expect you to remember me, Young Master Bai.”

Wei Yu glanced at the pile of silver ornaments in front of Bai Feiyu and asked with a smile, “What are you doing? Buying for the ladies in your family?”

Bai Feiyu shook his head, “No, it’s for myself.”

Wei Yu looked at him curiously. “For yourself?”

Nowadays, it was fashionable for men to wear jade, but he hadn’t heard of any men fond of silver accessories.

Perhaps sensing what Wei Yu was thinking, Bai Feiyu smiled, “My home is in Qingzhou. There are quite a few customs that differ from the Capital’s, especially the closer you get to the Southern Miao region, the more people like to wear silver accessories.”

Oh, that made sense.

Thinking about Qingzhou’s mountainous forests, humid climate, and abundance of snakes, insects, rodents, and ants, and knowing that silver has disinfectant and antibacterial properties, Wei Yu could understand why locals liked to wear silver.

The silver shop was not a place for conversation, so after accompanying Bai Feiyu to choose a few silver pieces and picking some gifts for his sister Jing’an, Wei Yu invited Bai Feiyu to eat at a nearby tavern.

They reserved a private room. Before entering, Wei Yu glanced at Bai Feiyu’s servant and smiled, “It’s just the two of us eating and drinking; the servant doesn’t need to come in. He can wait outside.”

Before Bai Feiyu could reply, the servant named Ah Shan protested quietly, “No, my master is not well; I must attend to him during the meal.”

Wei Yu glanced at him.

Bai Feiyu smiled and reassured his servant, “Ah Shan, I can eat by myself, so you just wait outside.”

Ah Shan, though unwilling, had no choice but to obediently stand by the door.

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