Liu Yanbo had no idea what to do. His sister had refused to divorce before, and now she was in such a mess.

"Divorce?" Liu Yanbo said.

"Divorce..." Aunt Qing hesitated.

"But there's no need. Their family hasn't been confiscated, so they should still have some money." Liu Yanbo continued, "Unlike us when our property was confiscated, they should be able to find a place to live even if they leave the capital."

"That's your biological sister," Aunt Qing said. "What do you mean by a little money? Her family doesn't have much money to begin with. This time, they'll still use the Jiang family's money."

People outside the family said that the Jiang family had given the Mei family a lot of money, tens of thousands of taels of silver. The Jiang family wanted the Mei family to help the eldest young master Jiang, but when Master Mei went to jail, the Mei family directly used the Jiang family's money to bribe Master Mei. The Mei family didn't care about the eldest young master's life or death at all.

The Jiang family has already gone to Hainan. They left a few days ago.

Because Madam Jiang had given most of the family wealth to the court, the court decided to exile Young Master Jiang. He could escape the death penalty, but he could not escape the punishment of life imprisonment. The court exiled Young Master Jiang to Hainan because Hainan needed people.

Before leaving, Jiang deliberately had people spread this news. The Mei family had indeed taken a lot of money from the Jiang family, and the Mei family had not done anything good. Why, why didn't they allow others to talk about it?

"How much was the betrothal gift they gave to your sister?" Aunt Qing had always felt that the betrothal gift the Mei family gave to the second young master Mei's wife was too little, but she had no way to get the Mei family to give more.

The Mei family is so stingy. They don’t even have any money, but they still use the bride’s dowry.

"Most of your sister's dowry was also used up by them." Aunt Qing said.

"She wants to give it to them, who can we blame?" Liu Yanbo was annoyed. Madam Mei Ershao simply didn't listen to him or Su Qiuya. Madam Mei Ershao refused to divorce, and they had no choice.

"No, we can't let her go with the Mei family." Aunt Qing said, "If she goes with the Mei family, what will she do in the future? She was beaten by her husband before, what will happen in the future?"

Aunt Qing thought that the Mei family was no longer useful, so her daughter divorced the second young master Mei.

So Aunt Qing went to find the wife of the Second Young Master Mei. After thinking about it, the wife of the Second Young Master Mei felt that what her mother said was right.

"You are the sister of Princess Rongning and the daughter of a marquis. You can always remarry." Aunt Qing advised, "Don't follow them."

"Okay." Mrs. Mei, the second young master, did not have a deep affection for her husband. If something happened to the Mei family, then they would divorce.

This time, Mrs. Mei Ershao did not refuse.

The second young master Mei was unwilling to divorce his wife, and Mrs. Mei and her husband also disagreed.

"Do you want my father to come over?" Mrs. Mei Ershao asked directly.

The Mei family did not want to be forced into divorce by Marquis Jingning, so they simply wrote a divorce letter.

After the second young master Mei's wife and the second young master Mei divorced, this second young lady Liu wanted to return to the Marquis's residence. She arrived at the gate of the Marquis Jingning's residence but was not allowed in.

"Why won't you let me in?" Liu Yuqin asked. This second Miss Liu wanted to enter the Marquis' Mansion. "I'm divorced, so of course I have to go back to my parents' home."

"The Marquis said that if you want a divorce, you should go to your brother's place," the housekeeper said, "not come to the Marquis' Mansion."

"What?" Liu Yuqin was surprised.

What does this mean? Does Marquis Jingning no longer recognize his daughter?

"This is not the place for you." said the butler.

Marquis Jingning had no intention of letting Liu Yuqin return home. If Liu Yuqin returned, the family would surely be thrown into chaos by this concubine. Marquis Jingning was no fool; there was no way he would allow such a scourge to return.

"You also have your own house, which is included in your dowry." The housekeeper reminded Liu Yuqin.

Liu Yuqin was reluctant to leave because she was the daughter of a marquis, and that's why she wanted to divorce so she could marry someone better. If Marquis Jingning didn't let her in, she couldn't rely on the power of the Marquis Jingning's mansion, so what would she do in the future?

When Aunt Qing saw someone nearby pointing fingers at Liu Yuqin, she quickly pulled Liu Yuqin away.

"Let's go to your brother." Aunt Qing thought that Marquis Jingning was going too far. How could he not let Liu Yuqin in?

The severance of the relationship between the first and second branches of the Liu family had nothing to do with Liu Yuqin, a married woman. How come Liu Yuqin could enter the Marquis's residence before she divorced, but couldn't after the divorce?

In order to avoid embarrassment, Aunt Qing had no choice but to take Liu Yuqin away first.

"Why leave?" Liu Yuqin didn't want to leave.

"Let's go." Aunt Qing pulled Liu Yuqin away, telling them not to stay here and be laughed at.

Liu Yuqin had no choice but to follow Aunt Qing.

At the Marquis of Jingning's mansion, when Mrs. Liu learned what was happening outside, she looked at the Marquis of Jingning.

"You really don't want to let her in?" asked Liu's mother.

"No," said Marquis Jingning. "If she comes, what about those people from the Second House? She hasn't severed contact with them. Who knows what she'll do after she arrives."

Father Liu knew that everything he had today was hard-earned, and he absolutely couldn't let Liu Yuqin ruin it. Father Liu didn't just have Liu Yuqin as his daughter; he had other children as well. Besides, Liu Yuqin was so cold to them, so there was no need for them to help her now.

It would be a good idea to let Liu Yuqin go to the second house. Liu Yanbo will always take care of his biological sister.

Father Liu is not worried about this, and Aunt Qing will never give up Liu Yuqin.

"That's quite true," said Mother Liu. "I'm not saying this, but you've seen it too. She hasn't had any good news these past few visits to the mansion. She always feels like we're not helping her or her in-laws. She's divorced, so later on, is she hoping I can find her a good match? And if she decides my match isn't good enough, will she go find one herself?"

Liu's mother didn't want to do such useless work anymore, so it would be better to let Liu Yuqin go to Aunt Qing.

"Yes, that's why we don't let her come back." Father Liu said, "Everything is fine at home now."

"Yeah." Liu's mother said, "She came and had a place to stay, but it was troublesome. She came home and complained about Lian Jie'er. What did Lian Jie'er do wrong? What right does she have to say, because she is the older sister?"

Liu's mother had a strong opinion of Liu Yuqin. She deliberately said these words in front of Liu's father to make him understand her attitude. She could not let Liu Yuqin return to the Marquis' Mansion and could not let Liu Yuqin delay her daughter.

If Liu Yuqin always makes a fuss when she returns to the Marquis' Mansion, then what can others accomplish? Should everyone else move out of the Marquis' Mansion?

Liu's mother didn't want her own daughter to move out of the Marquis' Mansion. If anyone had to move out, it should be Liu Yuqin who moved out.

"She's really not a good person." Father Liu frowned. He was a man, and his daughter hadn't told him about those things, so he naturally didn't know. "Don't let her come too often. If she comes again, you can talk to her, but don't let her stay at home."

Father Liu is still waiting for Liu Yulian to research more things, and the royal family is also waiting for Liu Yulian to research more things, so Father Liu cannot let others disturb Liu Yulian.

When Su Qiuya saw Liu Yuqin coming back with Concubine Qing, she was not surprised at all. She had long known that Liu Yuqin and Concubine Qing had the same temperament. Liu Yuqin must also want a strong and powerful husband, not a poor scholar.

Master Mei was dismissed from his post and could never serve as an official again. The Mei family was in dire straits, and Liu Yuqin was unwilling to leave the capital with the Mei family.

"Go and clean up the house." Aunt Qing said to Su Qiuya, "From now on, Yuqin will live at home."

"Aren't you going to the Marquis' Mansion?" Su Qiuya asked.

"No." Aunt Qing said, "My daughter will not go to the Marquis' Mansion."

Aunt Qing did not directly say that the Jingning Marquis' Mansion would not allow Liu Yuqin to return. Su Qiuya knew what was going on after a little thought.

Su Qiuya believed that Liu Yuqin had a bad temper and that the people in Jingning Marquis' Mansion would definitely not tolerate Liu Yuqin, so they refused to let Liu Yuqin go back. Even though Liu Yuqin had not severed her relationship with Jingning Marquis' Mansion, those people still refused to let Liu Yuqin go back.

"Stay here first." Liu Yuqin said, "It's a good opportunity for me to keep my mother company."

Liu Yuqin still had a house and some money in her hands. She didn't want to live in her own house. She was a little scared to live alone. Liu Yuqin also brought two maids with her, but didn't bring more people. That was because Liu Yuqin didn't have many people around her who could be used.

"Just let these two maids live in the same room." Liu Yuqin said, "If you are busy, you can ask them to help with some things."

Liu Yuqin said so, but Su Qiuya would never let Liu Yuqin's maid do more work. Liu Yuqin's maid was of course there to serve Liu Yuqin. As soon as Su Qiuya saw Liu Yuqin, she knew that this second sister-in-law was not easy to get along with.

Su Qiuya sincerely believed that Liu Yanbo's biological mother and second sister were not easy to deal with, and it was not certain what their family would be like in the future.

The Mei family left the capital in disgrace, and not many people came to see them off. Master Mei had only embezzled a small amount of money, not murdered anyone, and the amount he had embezzled wasn't large, so he was simply dismissed from his position and never employed again.

But this alone was enough to make Lord Mei extremely miserable. He had finally passed the imperial examination and served as a Hanlin for so many years, but in the end, all his efforts were in vain.

Time flies and it’s soon mid-February.

The academy's exams began and ended. Miss Qin San, Miss Qi Er, the Xue family's daughter... many women took the exams, but the academy was limited in the number of students it could accept.

The institute did not specify how many men and women it would admit; it would just depend on how well those people answered the questions.

Liu Yulian wasn't in charge of setting the exam questions, but she would take a look at the papers after they were graded. The grading skills of the graders were decent, and Liu Yulian thought they were okay.

Before the institute released the list of admitted students, Liu Yulian was too lazy to go out to avoid being questioned. She couldn't possibly give them any slack, and she couldn't let someone into the institute if they had done particularly poorly on the exam.

The questions set by the research institute are all scored. One test paper is worth 150 points. It depends on how well the students perform.

In addition to the questions on the test paper, there is also a part of the operation test, which is also to see what kind of work those people are suitable for in the future. Some people are not strong in theoretical ability, but strong in operational ability.

Research institutes must consider comprehensive strength. If someone can pass the exam but is unwilling to do research because they are afraid of the dirty and tiring work, then what is the point of such a person joining the institute? Should the people in the institute support such people and let them spend money in vain?

How is that possible?

The research institute still needs to let these people do real work instead of just playing around.

Liu Yulian had recently closed her door to visitors, to avoid being asked questions and to prevent others from asking her to teach them more. What did she mean by "teaching more"? She simply gave them the questions, but how could that be possible?

The research institute does not belong to Liu Yulian alone, and it is not a private enterprise. It is impossible for Liu Yulian to do that.

Liu Yulian had the emperor assign some tasks to her maids. Previously, she had them guard the library. Now, she wanted them to study the fibers and see which ones were suitable for making sanitary napkins.

It's not a good idea to let men study this kind of thing. Men in ancient times were rather old-fashioned. It's impossible for those men to study menstrual belts for women.

Some men still think that menstrual belts are unlucky, and those people are simply unlikely to study it.

So Liu Yulian asked a few women to research it, and they did so diligently, though they hadn't yet figured out which plant fiber would be best. They had to keep trying, and inventing something was no easy task.

It was drizzling on the day the institute released the list.

Miss Qin San and the others went to check the list, but unfortunately, Miss Qin San didn't get into the academy, nor did Miss Qi Er. Master Xue's daughter also didn't get in, but Master Xue Er's daughter did.

Miss Qin San wasn't particularly upset when she learned she hadn't passed. She rarely read the books to begin with, and there was no way she could have learned so much all at once if she had to study on the spur of the moment. Even though she had bought the test papers provided by the research institute, rote memorization wasn't very effective, and the questions on the exam were quite different.

Maybe they just changed the way they said it, and these people don’t know what the answer is.

When Concubine Qin learned that Miss Qin San failed to get into the research institute, she wondered if someone was preventing Miss Qin San from entering the institute. How could Miss Qin San fail to get into the institute?

"Why didn't you pass the exam?" asked Concubine Qin.

"She just didn't pass the exam," said Madam Qin Er. "She said she'd wait until next year to take the exam again. By next year, she'll be married, and by then, she's probably even less likely to pass."

"Isn't she studying seriously?" Concubine Qin asked. She needed someone at the research institute. Otherwise, what status would she have in the Eastern Palace? How could the Crown Princess go to the research institute so often?

"I'm serious about this," said Madam Qin Er. "Even though we don't live under the same roof, I know this."

"Then why haven't you passed the exam yet?" asked Concubine Qin.

"Many people are taking the exam," said Madam Qin Er. "And the academy hasn't set a high threshold yet. Those who have learned a few words, or even those who can't read at all, are still taking the exam."

However, those who are illiterate will basically not pass the exam and cannot even pass the written test. What good is it to have some practical skills? Only when those people have particularly strong practical skills will the research institute make an exception and recruit them.

"Let's take the exam next year." Concubine Qin said, "Where are the others in the family?"

"None of them passed," said Madam Qin Er. "We're only recruiting about twenty people this time, not many. There are hundreds of people taking the exam, almost a thousand. It's not easy."

"It's not easy, but I still have to take the test." Concubine Qin gritted her teeth. She originally thought that after she married the prince, he would pamper her more.

But the reality is that the prince doesn't dote on her that much, which gives her a headache. The prince rarely comes to her side, and it's not easy for Concubine Qin to get pregnant.

Concubine Qin could only find ways to get the prince's attention from other aspects. She also wanted someone to be in the research institute and hoped that everyone in the family could perform well.

When people learned that Mr. Xue's daughter had been admitted to the academy, some wondered if Princess Rongning had leaked the exam questions. But this matter cannot be said casually. During the imperial examination, weren't there also sons of officials who took the exam? Could it be that those who were related to the powerful and wealthy had their exam questions leaked?

It’s just that people in the world like to speculate about women with the greatest malice. They don’t think that women have such strong power, and they are unwilling to admit their own incompetence.

Mr. and Mrs. Xue were both happy for their daughter, who had been working really hard. Their daughter was already engaged and about to get married, so getting admitted to the graduate school at this time was a great joy.

My daughter goes with them to other places and she likes to grow flowers and plants and do other things.

Liu Yulian liked to read some strange books. When Mr. Xue Er sent gifts to the Jingning Marquis Mansion, he had collected those books. He did not send all the books to the Liu family, and Mr. Xue Er also kept some of them, and Mr. Xue Er's daughter also read them.

This is also the reason why Mr. Xue’s daughter was admitted to the research institute. Without her previous efforts, she would not have achieved the results she has today.

When someone asked whether Mr. Xue's daughter had received the questions in advance, Mr. Xue directly said that he had collected those books for Princess Rongning and that he still had some books at home.

At the Marquis of Jingning's Mansion, Mother Liu was very happy that her niece could be admitted to the research institute, so her brother could feel much more at ease.

"Your cousin has been admitted to the research institute. If you are free, you can take her with you." said Liu's mother.

"Cousin, you probably don't want to follow me," Liu Yulian said. "It's better to follow someone else than me. They'll talk more about you. If you follow me, my thinking is more jumpy, and you might not learn anything."

"That's right." Mother Liu thought about it and agreed.

"I already have enough people working on the projects I'm working on, so this time I'm mainly recruiting for other projects," Liu Yulian said. "We also need people in Hainan, specifically for high-yield rice research. But it's hard work there, and my cousin is getting married soon, so there's no need for her to go to Hainan."

It’s not that Liu Yulian thinks her cousin can’t endure hardship, but women in ancient times would have to give birth to children early after marriage, so there weren’t so many contraceptive measures.

Under such circumstances, Liu Yulian certainly didn't want her cousin to go there, unless her cousin had a child or her husband's family supported her. Otherwise, if her cousin went there on her own, by the time she came back, her cousin's husband would have already had a child with another woman.

"Those fruit tree greenhouses are also being researched," Liu Yulian said. "Flowers are also being researched. That's how research institutes are; anything can be researched. As long as the research can bring real benefits to the people, it's fine. My cousin is new here, so she can only learn from the group and can't start her own research group."

How can it be possible if everyone who just came in starts a research group?

Liu Yulian and others had already made relevant regulations when customizing the regulations for the research institute, so that those people could study solidly.