Chapter 98: Chapter 94: Let’s Make a Female Top Scholar

Pan Jiaojiao is not actually stupid, not to mention that Song Yan has made things very clear now.

On the surface, the attention was on Song Yan and the Princess being kidnapped, with everyone’s eyes drawn to the Princess. But if you investigate carefully, you’ll find that this incident was primarily aimed at Song Yan, and the Princess was just collateral damage.

Why harm Song Yan?

Although Song Yan, a woman, passed the exam, it’s not the first time in Yunyi Country’s history. Before Song Yan, there was even a female Grand Secretary. So, there’s no reason for men to undermine Song Yan for their leadership positions.

Then who else could have a grudge against Song Yan? The most apparent person on the surface is Pan Jiaojiao.

Everyone studying at the Imperial College, whether noble or commoner, knows that the Commandery Princess doesn’t like Song Yan. However, every time the Commandery Princess confronts Song Yan, she gains nothing. It seems Song Yan is about to take the royal examination, and judging from her usual performance, becoming an Advanced Scholar should be no issue.

Once she becomes an Advanced Scholar, Song Yan will be an Emperor’s Student, leave the Imperial College, and receive an official post personally appointed by the Emperor. Even as a Commandery Princess, Pan Jiaojiao would have no grounds to casually act against a court official.

Thus, thinking about it, the person most likely to take action against Song Yan would be Pan Jiaojiao, right?

Breaking Song Yan’s leg, having her kidnapped, even if Song Yan returns now, her leg won’t recover for months. Dragging such a body to participate in the imperial examination will significantly impact Song Yan.

This is a move to destroy Song Yan.

Even if the Song Family has lost its title, their foundation remains. If Song Yan really loses her legs because of this, the Song Family will not easily let it go just to save face.

If Song Yan were not titled, this would merely be a conflict between students within the Imperial College. However, Song Yan has become a Scholar. Plotting against a Scholar under the Emperor’s nose, if this charge falls on Pan Jiaojiao, even a Commandery Princess like her couldn’t bear it.

Pan Jiaojiao realized this and turned pale instantly.

She wouldn’t be naive to think that just because she didn’t do it, she could rest easy. Evidence can be fabricated. Moreover, the situation isn’t in her favor now. It wouldn’t be surprising if those who bear grudges against Prince Jing Mansion take this opportunity to smear her name.

The more Pan Jiaojiao thought about it, the more frightening it seemed. Fortunately, the investigation results haven’t come out yet. Everyone still thinks the kidnapping was about the Princess and hasn’t thought about Song Yan. She still has time to prepare.

But why did Song Yan tell her? Isn’t Song Yan afraid it could really be her doing?

“Song Yan, why are you helping me?”

Song Yan smiled faintly, quite frankly, “I don’t trust you, but I trust the Princess. Since the Princess is protecting you, it definitely wasn’t you. I just want the real culprit not to go unpunished.”

Shen Jingxian, caught in the situation again, wondered why she was mentioned even though she was trying to be invisible. But after a second thought, she understood Song Yan’s meaning.

The conflict between Song Yan and Pan Jiaojiao couldn’t be resolved overnight. If Song Yan helped Pan Jiaojiao without a reason, Pan Jiaojiao would suspect Song Yan had ulterior motives. Trust was useless, and any claim that she thought Pan Jiaojiao was a good person was nonsense.

They needed a lubricant between them, and now, she had become that lubricant.

Shen Jingxian looked at Song Yan, who happened to give her a slight smile.

Alright then…

Shen Jingxian indicated that she received Song Yan’s hint and would cooperate with her.

She just didn’t understand why Song Yan chose her as the lubricant since she wasn’t very familiar with Pan Jiaojiao.

After hearing Song Yan’s reasoning, Pan Jiaojiao’s first reaction was disbelief. But after considering it, she found the reason convincing.

Why? Because didn’t she also give Song Yan a chance to explain today because of the Princess?

“Song Yan, if those people were really targeting you, I owe you one for this.”

Finally, Pan Jiaojiao looked at the Princess, feeling a bit awkward, “I also owe Your Highness one.”

After saying this, Pan Jiaojiao hurriedly left, and Shen Jingxian didn’t stop her, only reminding her to be careful on her way back.

After Pan Jiaojiao left, Shen Jingxian asked Song Yan if she already knew the mastermind behind it.

Song Yan wasn’t surprised at all that Shen Jingxian guessed this. Instead, she smiled brightly, looking at Shen Jingxian with gentle eyes, “Your Highness understands me.”

It wasn’t hard to guess. Song Yan couldn’t possibly have advised Pan Jiaojiao out of goodwill; she must have intended to use Pan Jiaojiao to investigate the mastermind.

But if it were merely an investigation, the Emperor and Empress could handle it, and they’d do it more thoroughly than Pan Jiaojiao. The only reason Song Yan went to such lengths to persuade Pan Jiaojiao was that she already knew who harmed her, and that person was also connected to Pan Jiaojiao.

“It’s Song Yun, right?” Shen Jingxian asked.

Song Yan smiled without saying a word.

That was her tacit confirmation.

Shen Jingxian couldn’t help but think that although she hadn’t personally harmed Song Yan, Song Yun surely fulfilled the mission of hindering Song Yan.

Initially, when she realized the incident targeted Song Yan, she thought it was just to teach Song Yan a lesson. But after Song Yan mentioned her academic achievements, Shen Jingxian had different thoughts.

In the original text, Song Yan initially wanted to climb the ranks through the imperial examinations, gaining titles and status, aiming to stand on the same level as Shen Ming and exact revenge on the Prince Rong Mansion.

However, in the original story, she didn’t succeed due to the Princess’s interference.

Now, without Shen Jingxian intervening, the one hindering Song Yan was Song Yun. Those taking imperial examinations mustn’t have physical disabilities, and if Song Yan’s leg didn’t heal, her career path would be cut off.

“Since Your Highness has guessed it, is there anything you want to ask?” Song Yan looked at Shen Jingxian, her face calm, but she was slightly nervous inside. This was her first time opening up to the Princess, unsure if the Princess could accept this side of her…

“Will your leg be healed before the Spring Examination?” Shen Jingxian looked at Song Yan’s leg, indeed, she asked a question.

Song Yan was stunned, then her brows and eyes curved into a smile, “It will be healed. The Imperial Physician said it was treated in time, and the person’s bone-setting skills were excellent.”

Shen Jingxian nodded, that’s good.

If the protagonist could rise through the ranks in Yunyi Country and become a significant minister, she might not want to destroy the country then.

Oh, goodness, Shen Jingxian seemed to see victory beckoning her.

She decided, she wanted the protagonist to enter the court! And if she could become the top scorer even better.

Recalling the Yunyi Country history she read, the first person to single-handedly change Yunyi Country’s gender views was a female top scorer, she couldn’t help but have high hopes for Song Yan.

A female top scorer, how cool.

Shen Jingxian thought to herself that she didn’t have the capability for such a feat. She wasn’t a genius and hadn’t learned much about this era’s exam-oriented education. Occasionally using past experiences to muddle through was okay, but if she were to take the imperial examinations, she wouldn’t even qualify.

She greatly admired Song Yan, whether when she read the novel or now.

If she could make Song Yan abandon revenge on Yunyi Country and focus solely on Shen Ming, that would be ideal.

Song Yan noticed the Princess suddenly staring at her with bright eyes, unsure of what she was thinking.

After a while, the Princess suddenly said, “Sister Song Yan, do you want to read books? What books do you want to read? I’ll find them for you!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep