Spring Examination usually took place in mid-February. This year, the Emperor's poor health condition prolonged the exam to early March, so Changbai and Qi Heng started off in mid-February. Every day since their leaving, Wang shieither burned incenses to worship Buddha or held rituals in Taoist temples, making the rooms smoky, a scene as if Sheng Mansion was on fire and almost brought in servants carrying water. Every time Minglan visited to greet Wang shi, she came out with a pair of bloodshot eyes due to the smoke. At first, Sheng Hong reprimanded Wang shi, quoting one maxim, "Confucius never touches upon the supernatural", but reliable source indicated that in fact, he himself also worshipped in secrecy.

This kind of examination took three days in a row, and every test was like a torture peeling off the skin of the candidates. The moment they stepped out of the exam room, Qi Heng was carried on the servants' shoulders back to Qi Mansion while Changbai insisted on walking to the carriage on his own, then was received by Changwu, a mentor officer in the Capital's Guarding Team, to have a good rest. Therefore, the good news arrived home earlier than Changbai who passed the exam as the fifth.

Wang shiwas overjoyed and wanted to immediately set off great deal of firecrackers and give off money and rice to the poor, but she was quickly stopped by Sheng Hong—because Qi Heng failed the exam.

Lord Qi felt alright, knowing that passing the exam on first attempt like Changbai was something as rare as phoenix feather or dragon horn. Most of the students passed after two or three times after attending the exam. There were even those who kept taking the exam for a dozen of years. However, Junzhu Pingning's face was in pitch darkness like the bottom of a pan.

Qi family was endowed with connections, so even if to die, they must die with a reason....