Chapter 237 Teaching Children
In the flower hall of Zhuoxi Courtyard, Nian Zhaoyun had cold sweat on his forehead. He wiped it again and again with his sleeves, but the sweat couldn't be stopped from rolling down.
Hearing footsteps, he jumped up in surprise.
Looking up, I saw Qu Ling and Nian Sihua walking slowly towards me.
His knees immediately gave way and he fell to his knees.
"Princess, the Nian family is guilty."
Nian Sihua stood behind Qu Ling, glanced at him coldly, snorted, and turned away.
Qu Ling sat down slowly and said, "Tell me, what's wrong?"
Nian Zhaoyun swallowed hard, his voice tightening. "Your Majesty issued a decree to select female officials, selecting talents for the country, but the students from Jiangnan protested by boycotting the exam. As the great scholars of Jiangnan, the Nian family sat back and watched, thus encouraging unhealthy trends and evil practices."
Qu Ling raised the corners of his lips slightly, with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes, "Second Master Nian is very thoughtful, not bad."
Nian Zhaoyun felt relieved when he saw her tone soften.
His attitude became more respectful. "My father is seriously ill, and my brother has met with an accident. Now it is time for me to temporarily take over the position of the headmaster. I will issue a clear order to forbid the boycott of the examination, and I will not allow them to arbitrarily discuss the selection of female officials."
It would be nice if the princess could use it.
Qu Ling clapped his hands and chuckled, "Mr. Nian Er is so sensible. I am very happy."
Nian Zhaoyun became excited after receiving the praise.
"It was the Nian family's fault for neglecting to supervise us earlier. We have troubled the princess to make this trip."
He expressed his loyalty, "Princess, don't worry, such a thing will never happen again in the future. No matter what the imperial court orders, the Nian family will follow their lead."
Among the several prefectures in the south of the Yangtze River, Tongjiang Academy is the most famous and influential.
Every year, countless people rushed to Yangzhou from other provinces just to take the exam for a place in the academy.
Entering Tongjiang Academy is equivalent to having one foot in the officialdom.
With the endorsement of Tongjiang Academy, it will be much easier to implement Jiangnan’s government orders in the future.
Qu Ling's smile was sincere. "I have been in Yangzhou for a few days now. After the Autumn Examination, I will definitely hold a grand banquet. At that time, Mr. Nian Er will definitely have a place at the table."
Nian Zhaoyun was so excited that he almost jumped up and said repeatedly, "Don't worry, Princess, I will definitely take care of this matter."
"Hurry up and get up," Qu Ling raised his hand, "Sit down and have some tea. I have a lot of things I want to ask you, sir."
She was happy to let Nian Zhaoyun clear the obstacles first.
Nian Zhaoyun was flattered.
In front of Qu Ling, he apologized to Nian Sihua, but never mentioned the fact that Nian Zongben was seriously ill.
He only said, "Sister, even if our bones are broken, we are still connected. In the future, we will serve the princess together and take care of each other."
He felt that Nian Sihua must be returning to Beijing with the princess.
As long as it doesn't stay in Jiangnan and get in the way, he's happy to keep it.
After coming out of Zhuoxi Courtyard, Nian Zhaoyun's whole spirit and demeanor were different.
With a happy smile on his face, he hummed a little tune.
"Second Master, the old man is ill. It's not good for you to do this." The servant reminded.
Nian Zhaoyun quickly calmed down and climbed into the carriage.
When he got home, he went to see his father first.
I look better than yesterday.
As expected, Nian Zongben scolded him and asked, "Why didn't the third brother come?"
Nian Zhaoyun was furious. "You wanted to kill his daughter, and he only had one child. He didn't fight you to death because of filial piety."
This sentence made Nian Zongben's face turn purple-red.
"You bastards, how could I have given birth to such beasts like you."
Nian Zhaoyun snorted twice, "If you hadn't insisted on going against the imperial court, would my elder brother and my nephew have died?"
“Get out!”
Nian Zongben was lying on the bed with his eyes closed.
He was unwilling to admit that he had killed someone.
"The Nian family has been in Jiangnan for hundreds of years, and they've seen countless officials leave. Which new official wouldn't come to the Nian family for a cup of tea first?"
How could a young princess poke a hole in the sky?
Nian Zhaoyun understood what his father meant.
"You always say that I'm not as educated as my elder and third brothers, and that I'm always scheming and having improper thoughts. Dad, the princess is different from those officials. She's not afraid of offending people, she's not afraid of revenge, and behind her is His Majesty."
Nian Zongben never spoke again.
His illness is partly real and partly fake.
The fight at the Nian family's door had ruined his reputation for decades.
He doesn't want to see anyone.
Furthermore, he wanted everyone to know that Princess Jia'an's visit to Jiangnan had forced the most prestigious scholar to become seriously ill.
There is public opinion to defend him.
After Nian Zhaoyun came out, he wondered if his wife's medicine would work.
Seeing the old man's unwilling look, he was really afraid that the lives of his entire family would be implicated.
When I returned to the second house's courtyard, I heard my son Nian Mao talking at the top of his voice before I even entered the door.
"...The princess smashed doors, hit people, and humiliated my grandfather. The Nian family will never be able to hold their heads up in the entire Yangzhou."
The second wife said, "Just study your books, why do you care about these things?"
Nian Mao was extremely excited. "Senior Brother Ma is dead. He was one of the most talented people in the academy. The princess killed him at will. Now everyone is in a panic. Who knows who the princess will kill next?"
"We, the candidates for this year's exam, have already decided not to participate in the Autumn Examination. We will leave the Jiangnan Imperial College vacant and attract the attention of the court..."
“Snap—”
A crisp slap sounded and Nian Zhaoyun touched his face.
He stepped inside.
Just then, I saw the second wife slap her son in the face again.
"You unscrupulous little bastard! Your uncle and elder brother are still alive, and you're rushing to accompany them on their journey to the underworld."
"Mom, why are you hitting me?"
Nian Mao had three older sisters, and the second wife gave birth to this precious baby at the cost of her life.
I raised him until he was sixteen, but I was reluctant to touch him.
The first time he hit me, I got two slaps.
"Come here, I'd rather beat you to death with my own hands than let you die at the hands of others."
The second wife wants to capture Nian Mao.
Nian Mao ran out, but his father kicked him in the heart and he fell to the ground.
"Your mother is right," Nian Zhaoyun said with a sullen face, "We'll beat you to death to save others the trouble."
When the second wife saw her husband, she sat down and started crying.
Pointing at Nian Mao, he cursed, "You're here to seek justice for a stranger's death. Your two sisters have suffered so much injustice in their husband's family, why don't you go and ask for an explanation?"
The second wife's three daughters, the eldest died before she was two years old.
The third girl married the chief officer of Yangzhou and did not live a good life.
The second wife wanted her youngest daughter to marry someone from a family not as well-off as the Nian family. After much deliberation, she found out that even if she married a gentleman from Tongjiang Academy, she would not be able to live happily.
It’s really not possible to marry someone higher or lower than you.
Sugarcane is not sweet at either end.
"I'm not going to take the exam anyway."
Nian Mao ignored his mother's words and stood with his neck stiff and unconvinced.
"You don't have to go," Nian Zhaoyun said without further ado. "Not only do you not have to go this year, you don't have to go in the future. You don't have to study this book either. There are a few acres of paddy fields on the outskirts of the city. Go farm there in the future."
Nian Mao was dumbfounded.
"Dad, that's not what I meant."
The boycott of the exam was not a genuine act, but a threat to the imperial court.
When Ma Xiao was alive, he said that if the imperial examinations in Jiangnan were to be suspended, the imperial court would take it seriously.
Once this is over, we will open another course.
Even if you don’t catch up with this subject, there is still the next one.
Isn’t it just three years?
The character of Jiangnan students must never be lost.
"Come here, send the young master to the farm on the outskirts of the city immediately, and have him work in the fields tomorrow!"
Nian Zhaoyun realized that the young people had really been led astray.
It’s all his father’s fault. He was bewitched by Zhao Chongli and used him to build momentum for Prince Yi’s Palace.
Now the palace is gone, leaving behind such a mess.
The second wife's softness was fleeting.
Working on the farm is better than losing your life.
He grabbed Nian Mao and slapped him again, then dragged him out. "I'll take him to the manor myself."
That day, Nian Zhaoyun went to Tongjiang Academy.
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