Finally, they gave her two more nannies who were good at taking care of pregnant women. Although Wu Yiming was becoming more and more capable, this was her first time being pregnant, and experienced nannies would definitely be a good choice.

Anyone with eyes could see that the Empress valued Wu Yiming highly, which was evident in Yunrong's reward to him; even Madam Liu hadn't expected it.

In fact, Wu Yiming had briefly told her about the business under her management, and the majority of the money was to be sent to the Emperor's private treasury. Madam Liu was self-aware and understood the Empress's feelings towards Wu Yiming.

Speaking of the Qing Dynasty, the ethnic groups were also divided into three, six, and nine classes. These classes were roughly Manchu, Mongol, and Han, with their status decreasing in that order. Wu Yiming was born into a bondservant family, but she was capable enough to get the emperor to order her to be promoted to a higher banner. In addition, she called Uya Shi "Mother," which elevated her status.

In terms of status, Liu Jiangqing was still a commoner. Although he had some official rank, it was not really anything special.

This status is not worthy of Wu Yiming, but Wu Yiming's purpose is to have peace and quiet. In addition, her status is only that of a relative, and the real noble families would not look up to her. Rather than finding a so-called noble son with a lot of playboy habits, it is better to find someone she can hold on to.

Besides, Liu Jiangqing is a smart man. What Wu Yiming values ​​most about him is that he is not as pedantic or arrogant as most scholars.

Scholars are not scary; what's scary is when scholars become foolish. It's already difficult for women to survive. If they are too strong, they are prone to creating rifts with their husbands; if they are too weak, they can't hold onto their husbands.

If you encounter someone with bad intentions, they might think you're too assertive and plot something monstrous that they might do in the future.

“Master, everything is ready, but Madam said you must be by her side today, otherwise she will not feel at ease.”

Wu Yiming knew that Madam Liu meant well.

Wu Yiming laughed and said, "Mother probably thinks I'm made of mud! I'm not that fragile."

Huan'er also smiled and said, "Master is not made of mud. In Madam's eyes, Master is now made of jade. She is afraid that Master will bump into something or get hurt, otherwise she would feel sorry for him!"

Wu Yiming was quite happy. Her mother-in-law, Madam Liu, treated her well, so she naturally wouldn't be ungrateful and should appreciate the kindness.

"Tell your mother that you will stay by her side every step of the way when the time comes."

Huan'er: "This servant will certainly convey Master's message to Madam."

Huan'er went out, and another maid came in.

"Greetings, Master."

"Get up, what's wrong?"

"Reporting to Master, Miss Jin has arrived."

Wu Yiming smiled and said, "Please come in quickly."

"Yes, this servant will go right away."

After receiving Wu Yiming's words, Bi'er went out with a smile.

Soon after, they brought Jin Xiaoxiao over.

Jin Xiaoxiao pushed the door open and came in. Wu Yiming made a move to greet her, but Jin Xiaoxiao smiled and said, "Sit down quickly. I just heard from your mother that you are pregnant. You can't overexert yourself. The baby in your belly is the most important thing."

Wu Yiming was also happy to have a child. After all, no matter what, he was bound to the Qing Dynasty for life, and he was looking forward to having a child with blood ties to him.

"It's not that easy to get tired."

Jin Xiaoxiao joked, "You don't tire yourself out so easily, but the little nephew in your belly does. I can't bear to see my nephew get tired."

The two started chatting and laughing.

Jin Xiaoxiao's mother and Madam Liu had a good relationship. Jin Xiaoxiao's father was the dean of Liu Jiangqing Academy. He also handed out books on a regular basis. Liu Jiangqing had also taken his classes, so he could be considered Jin Xiaoxiao's father's student.

Therefore, Wu Yiming started spending more time with Jin Xiaoxiao. Jin Xiaoxiao had a good temperament, and although Wu Yiming wasn't raised in the Qing Dynasty, he had lived here for many years and knew how to get along with the people here.

Both of them are clear-headed and get along well, so they became friends and are now very close, like best friends.

As they talked, the conversation turned to the imperial examination system.

"My husband said you did well on the academy exams this time?"

Jin Xiaoxiao: "My grades are alright, and my dad is quite satisfied."

Wu Yiming said with a smile, "I'm afraid you're not satisfied with Young Master Zhang!"

Jin Xiaoxiao's face instantly turned red.

"What are you saying, sister!"

Wu Yiming laughed even more heartily.

"Alright, I'll stop teasing you. Has the date been set yet?"

"Mother has already made arrangements, and it should be soon." After all, she is not young anymore, and Zhang Mingxuan is already in his early twenties.

Zhang Mingxuan overheard Jin Xiaoxiao's conversation with her maid but didn't pay much attention to it. He happened to see her again later but didn't notice it much. It wasn't until later, when he was doing well in his studies and caught Jin Xiaoxiao's eye, who thought he could be her son-in-law, that Zhang Mingxuan remembered Jin Xiaoxiao.

Zhang Mingxuan didn't object. He took the imperial examination this year and passed with a pretty good ranking of thirteenth.

Liu Jiangqing also took the exam this year. His ranking was much better than Zhang Mingxuan's. He was older than Zhang Mingxuan, worked hard, and had better resources than Zhang Mingxuan, so he got second place. Although he was the top scorer, the top three were very close. Sometimes it also depended on luck and the examiner's preference.

After Zhang Mingxuan passed the imperial examination, the two families began to discuss marriage arrangements.

Zhang Mingxuan was also happy to marry the dean's daughter. Firstly, he hoped that his future wife could uphold the family's reputation and be well-educated and reasonable. After all, his background meant that his parents could not be perfect in every way, so his wife would definitely be able to maintain the family's image in the future.

Jin Xiaoxiao was raised by her mother to be a matriarch, and she learned everything about family, from broadening her horizons and acquiring knowledge to managing the household, and she learned it all very well.

Secondly, Zhang Mingxuan was self-aware. Given his status, marrying Jin Xiaoxiao was already a step down for her. Furthermore, having lived in the capital for so long, he knew that every year after the results were announced, some families would try to find a husband for their daughters. Some families were just trying to prevent their daughters from being bullied by marrying down, but others did it to get rid of women in their household who didn't behave well.

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