Lu Xiuyuan is now a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the county level), and the imperial court exempts Xiucai from taxes and corvée labor.

Scholars were not required to pay land tax or poll tax, but they lived in fishing villages surrounded by people who made a living by fishing.

Lu Xiuyuan could also collect grain from the county government office every month.

In addition, Lu Xiuyuan was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, so he was qualified to open a school to educate children.

However, Lu Xiuyuan was unwilling.

Teaching children their basic knowledge was tantamount to completely abandoning the path of the imperial examinations.

Lu Xiuyuan went to the town's bookstore to copy books because he could copy them while also reading in his spare time.

"Xiuyuan, take this money and go take the imperial examination. I'm begging you."

With tears blurring her vision, Lu's mother said, "Have you forgotten the last words your father said to you?"

The last time Lu Xiuyuan saw his father was when his father went out to sea to fish and gave him some advice.

He told his father to study hard, but little did he know that these would become his last words.

“Mother, I definitely need to discuss this matter with Aya.”

"What's there to discuss? Does she think she can disagree?"

Lu's mother advised, "If you pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, our family will be different. She will become a scholar's wife. She will be overjoyed by such a blessing."

Lu Xiuyuan still insisted, "Even so, I still need her consent before I can go."

There are so many things to do at home. If he goes off to take the imperial examination, Pei Zhi will have to take care of everything by herself.

When Pei Zhi heard that Lu Xiuyuan wanted to participate in the imperial examination, she subconsciously asked, "Why do you want to participate in the imperial examination?"

Isn't this kind of life good?

The two of them lived their own quiet life, saving a little money that they could use to improve their living conditions.

"Firstly, no scholar doesn't want to participate in the imperial examinations."

"Secondly, if I pass the exam, we won't have to work so hard to gather herbs in the mountains, I won't have to copy books anymore, and you won't have to slaughter pigs."

Having spent half a year with Lu Xiuyuan, Pei Zhi knew a fair bit about Lu Xiuyuan's scholarship.

With Lu Xiuyuan's current level, passing the imperial examination shouldn't be a problem, and with a bit more luck, he might even be able to advance further.

But once Lu Xiuyuan moves up the ranks, it will inevitably bring her trouble.

"Don't worry, my home is not far outside the capital. I'll get up early on the day of the exam and go directly to the exam venue. I basically won't have to spend any money."

Seeing Lu Xiuyuan looking at her expectantly, Pei Zhi hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed.

"It's not that I'm unwilling to spend the money."

Pei Zhi said feignedly, "I heard that the exam will last for three days in a row. People can't eat or sleep well, and many people get sick after the exam. I'm worried about you."

Lu Xiuyuan hurriedly said, "I often go to the mountains to collect herbs, so I definitely won't get sick. You don't need to worry about me."

"Since that's the case, if you want to take the exam, then go ahead and take it."

Pei Zhi wondered to herself, what if Lu Xiuyuan was unlucky and failed the exam?

Even if Lu Xiuyuan became a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, she, as his wife, would have little opportunity to interact with those high-ranking officials and nobles.

Even if we take a step back and say that Lu Xiuyuan was really lucky to be in the top three, he was still lucky.

In the end, he was just a minor official who didn't even qualify as a seventh-rank official, so there shouldn't be any major problems.

Pei Zhi couldn't very well stop Lu Xiuyuan from taking the exam.

Pei Zhi believed that if she didn't let Lu Xiuyuan go, Lu Xiuyuan would definitely respect her opinion.

However, this is not good for their relationship in the long run.

In the future, whenever Lu Xiuyuan encountered a setback, he would think, "If I had participated in the imperial examination, would things have been different?"

As time went on, Lu Xiuyuan inevitably began to have complaints.

Pei Zhi did not want to leave any future trouble, so she had no choice but to agree to Lu Xiuyuan's request to participate in the imperial examination.

De Shun carefully handed the letter sent by Emperor Xiao to Xiao Chengci.

"Your Highness, this is what His Majesty instructed me to bring to you."

Xiao Chengci took the letter, tore open the envelope, and found that the contents were few, simply asking when Xiao Chengci would return to the capital.

Xiao Chengci has been living in the temple for half a year.

At first, Emperor Xiao thought that Xiao Chengci would only stay in the temple for ten days or half a month.

With Xiao Chengci's personality, how could he possibly stay in a temple?

I can't eat well, and I can't sleep well.

As it turned out, Emperor Xiao had underestimated Xiao Chengci.

Emperor Xiao had no idea that his son was so capable of enduring hardship.

Xiao Chengci was able to endure this hardship, but Emperor Xiao could not allow Xiao Chengci to continue living in the temple.

Firstly, preparations for the imperial examinations need to be made in the capital.

Emperor Xiao was too busy to handle everything alone, so starting the year before last, he entrusted the entire imperial examination system to Xiao Chengci.

Emperor Xiao wouldn't feel comfortable handing it over to someone else now.

Secondly, they discussed the matter of the Xiongnu. They had heard that the Xiongnu in the north had started to provoke and cause trouble again.

Shang Huai submitted a memorial requesting that the Xiongnu be annihilated in one fell swoop.

Moreover, there are rumors in the capital that Xiao Chengci seems to be planning to become a monk in a temple.

Some people witnessed that Xiao Chengci would go to the temple every day to devoutly burn incense and worship Buddha.

It wasn't just Emperor Xiao who was having a headache; his ministers were too.

Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

Their esteemed Crown Prince has been released from prison, but he has moved into a temple and is nowhere to be seen.

Their daughter is now half a year older.

They waited and waited in order to get into the Crown Prince's backyard.

His Highness the Crown Prince is alright, he is a man, even when he is thirty or forty years old, he will not lack women in his harem.

But it's different for their daughters; the older a girl is, the harder it is for her to get married.

Keep going, but don't end up an old maid.

Emperor Xiao was both arguing with the ministers in the court and with the noblewomen who had entered the palace.

One by one, they sent Emperor Xiao to summon the Crown Prince back.

Emperor Xiao had no choice but to agree, but secretly he was so angry that he couldn't sleep.

Is it that he doesn't want to call Xiao Chengci back?

As the saying goes, "A son is no longer under his father's control once he grows up," so Emperor Xiao sent a letter to Xiao Chengci every three days.

Ask Xiao Chengci when he will return.

Xiao Chengci replied to Emperor Xiao in about half a month.

Later, he got annoyed by the questions and didn't reply to Emperor Xiao for two months.

Emperor Xiao was so angry that several more strands of his beard turned white.

Xiao Chengci read the letter expressionlessly, then had Deshun bring him pen, ink, paper, and inkstone to reply to Emperor Xiao.

In the letter, Xiao Chengci made three requests.

First, after he returns to the capital, he cannot be engaged for two and a half years because he must observe three years of mourning for Pei Zhi.

De Shun helped His Highness grind the ink while watching him write down these treasonous words.

De Shun said something excessive.

Even if Emperor Xiao passes away, Xiao Chengci, being a member of the royal family, would only need to observe a hundred days of mourning.

If it were Empress Shang who had passed away, then only ten days of mourning would be required.

De Shun secretly hoped that His Majesty would not be so angry that he would curse after reading this letter.

Xiao Chengci picked up his pen and wrote down the second requirement.

Second: He wanted to bring Pei Zhi's memorial tablet into the Eastern Palace, give Pei Zhi the title of Crown Princess, and in the future, he wanted to be buried with Pei Zhi.