Jiuzhu soon discovered that Lu Zhaoyi was deliberately trying to please her, but her flattering attitude was not annoying.
The feeling is like Princess An, warm and just the right amount, pleasant and comfortable.
What she didn't expect was that when she was about to reach Mingyue Palace, she met Prince Huai's biological mother, Concubine Xu, again.
Concubine Xu looked pale and frail, and was supported by two palace maids when she walked.
"Why don't you take the sedan chair?" Concubine Lu said quickly, "How can your body bear to walk here like this?"
"I've come to pay my respects to Her Majesty. If I were to ride in a sedan chair, wouldn't it seem insincere?" Concubine Xu covered her mouth with a handkerchief, coughed lightly twice, and knelt down to bow slightly to Jiuzhu.
Jiuzhu returned the greeting and said, "Empress Xu, my mother is tolerant and generous. If you are not feeling well, even if you come here on foot, my mother will not blame you. If you fainted on the way, not only would my father and mother be worried about you, but if someone who doesn't know the truth saw you, they would suspect that my mother was mistreating the concubines."
Concubine Xu's coughing stopped abruptly, and the atmosphere became a little awkward: "Princess, you are right. It was I who didn't think it through."
Concubine Lü and Concubine Wei did not speak, for they recalled the terrible memories of copying scriptures and Ming Jiuzhu teaching them to burn incense to the gods.
Princess Chen is like a sharp blade beside the Queen. When she stabs people, it is accurate and painful.
They were already afraid of her before she married Prince Chen.
It was just that when they were copying the scriptures, the Queen took pity on her frail health and did not ask her to come along, so she did not know the princess' speaking style well enough.
Glancing at the stiff smile on Concubine Xu's face, Lu Zhaoyi silently looked away. She still had a long time to live in the palace, and Concubine Xu would slowly understand.
"Sister Chunfen, please go to our mother's palace and ask Aunt Xiangjuan to arrange a sedan chair to carry Concubine Xu to Mingyue Palace." Jiuzhu really felt sorry for such a delicate beauty.
"No, that's not necessary..."
"Yes." Jiuzhu supported Concubine Xu and said, "Your Majesty is weak and should not overwork. You don't have to worry that your mother will scold you. She is a very gentle person and will definitely not be dissatisfied with you because of these things."
Concubine Xu: “…”
Of course she knew that Su Meidai would not mind these things with her, but she had finally walked all the way from Zhaoxiang Palace to here, but Mingyue Palace arranged a sedan chair to pick her up. Wouldn't all her previous efforts have been in vain?
"Your Majesty, don't be too moved. Mother is such a good person." Seeing that Concubine Xu was so moved that she couldn't speak, Jiuzhu smiled and said, "Don't worry, when you go back later, Mother will also arrange a sedan chair to send you off."
"Yes, Concubine Xu." Concubine Lu knew that the time had come to please Princess Chen, so she quickly spoke to Jiuzhu and the Queen: "The Queen has always been kind and gentle. If you insist on walking to Mingyue Palace, how distressed the Queen will be."
Concubine Xu looked at the powerful eunuch carrying the sedan chair and galloping towards her from afar. She knew that it was pointless to refuse at this moment, and a smile appeared on her sick face: "Thank you, Queen, and thank you, Princess Chen, for your sympathy."
Jiuzhu looked at the smile on Concubine Xu's face and sighed inwardly that the sick beauty looked so beautiful when she smiled.
We have lent a helping hand to the sick beauty. Today is another day of doing good deeds and being happy.
“Hahahaha.” Empress Su sat on the Phoenix Throne, stroking her belly and laughing. “Do you think a strong sick beauty like Concubine Xu would be so angry at Jiuzhu that all her pain would disappear if she met her?”
"Your Highness." Xiang Juan helped her fix her makeup and said, "The princess said that you sent the sedan chair to pick her up because you felt sorry for Concubine Xu."
"Yes, yes, yes, I am the one who loves her." Empress Su almost laughed to tears: "When Concubine Xu comes later, I must take a good look at her complexion to see if it is rosier than usual."
As it turned out, Concubine Xu's complexion was indeed a lot rosier, but it was just because she was angry.
Because they were delayed for a while by waiting for the sedan chair from Mingyue Palace, when they arrived, several other concubines had already arrived. When they saw her sitting alone on the sedan chair, their eyes were sourer than the fruits on the lemon tree.
What could Concubine Xu say? Could she say in front of everyone that it was Princess Chen who forced her to sit there?
I really didn't expect that Ming Jiuzhu, at such a young age, has already mastered the art of flattery!
Jiuzhu noticed that Concubine Xu was secretly looking at her, and smiled and nodded at her.
I know that the other party is definitely thanking me, but these are just small things that I did casually and are not worth mentioning.
In the main hall of Taiyang Palace, several officials from the six ministries were arguing fiercely over the issue of amnesty.
Some people think that taxes should be reduced or exempted, while others think that amnesty should be granted to the entire nation. However, although they seemed to be arguing happily, what they wanted most in their hearts was for the court to hold more special examinations.
Among those present here, who doesn’t have some children or nephews who study hard? By holding another special examination, the younger generations will have one more chance to pass.
But precisely because of this, they couldn't bring themselves to say it easily.
Those who are arguing with each other understand it in their hearts, and those who don't speak also understand it. Everyone is hoping that someone will take the initiative, but they don't want to be the one to start.
"Your Majesty, I think what you all said makes sense." Ming Jingzhou stood up: "But I think there is another way to grant amnesty."
Here it comes, here it comes.
The officials who were arguing stopped talking one after another. They looked at Ming Jingzhou with encouragement and said, "Speak up quickly."
"Oh?" Emperor Longfeng looked up at Ming Jingzhou: "My dear Ming, what good ideas do you have?"
The hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
"I, your humble servant, dare to ask Your Majesty to open a special examination to recruit talented people from all over the world." Ming Jingzhou bowed and said, "Having more talented officials will be a good thing for our Dacheng."
Emperor Longfeng frowned, seemingly not very satisfied with the proposal. He turned to look at other officials and asked, "What do you think, my dear ministers?"
He was asking about the officials who had been arguing just now.
"Your Majesty, I think... what Lord Ming said makes a lot of sense."
"I second the motion."
"Didn't you want to reduce taxes or grant amnesty to minor prisoners?" Emperor Longfeng shook his head. "Although your intentions are good, it is already February. It is too tiring for students to rush to the capital from all directions to take the imperial examination. I think this is inappropriate."
Ministers: “…”
What's wrong?
If the imperial court could really hold more special examinations, students from all over the world would be able to get to the capital even if they had to crawl.
After decades of studying hard, isn't it just to become an imperial family?
What’s the big deal about being tired? After studying so hard for so many years, which scholar would object to having one more imperial examination?
"Your Majesty, I think..."
"No need to say more." Emperor Longfeng interrupted Ming Jingzhou and said, "Ming Aiqing, please think of other ideas."
The officials from the six ministries present were disheartened. It seemed that there was no hope for the matter of Jia Enke.
"Your Majesty, His Royal Highness Prince Chen requests an audience."
Emperor Longfeng glanced at several ministers and said, "Announce."
"Your son greets you, father." Prince Chen walked into the main hall in his princely robes. He glanced at everyone in the hall and asked, "Are all the adults here too?"
The officials from the six ministries felt very complicated when they thought of the memorials whose handwriting seemed to be from His Royal Highness Prince Chen.
"Your humble servant greets His Majesty."
"You are too polite, my lords." Prince Chen saw that the atmosphere in the palace was a little solemn: "What is the emperor discussing with you lords?"
"You've come at the right time. I am discussing the issue of amnesty with several adults. You are the blood of me and the Queen. How do you think we should grant you amnesty?" Emperor Longfeng took a sip of tea, glanced at the expressions of his ministers, and finally turned his gaze to his son with a smile.
"Since it is a pardon, we must choose the one that is most beneficial to our Dacheng." Prince Chen thought for a while and said, "Father, what do you think of holding an additional special examination?"
The ministers breathed a sigh of relief and silently cheered for the King in their hearts.
Your Highness, please show your usual stubbornness and stick to this suggestion to the end. The hopes of all the scholars in the world rest on you.
"An additional special examination?" Emperor Longfeng frowned slightly. "Why did you choose this method? I remember that you didn't like studying when you were a child."
"Father, it is because I know how hard it is to study that I understand how difficult it is for you to pass the imperial examination." Prince Chen bowed and said, "In previous years, when the imperial examination results were announced, I saw with my own eyes those iron-willed scholars either shed tears of sadness or cried with joy. I felt very complicated."
Civil officials: So His Royal Highness the Prince thinks that scholars have strong character?
Although Prince Chen is a bit arrogant, he actually has a good vision.
"If we can hold another special examination, it will give them another opportunity to show their talents." The King of Chen said, "Anyway, I can't study as hard as they do."
All the civil officials suddenly felt that the Prince's honest appearance was also pleasing to the eye.
"I thought you didn't like reading and hated scholars, but it turns out you just think reading is hard." Emperor Longfeng said angrily, "Look at the adults around you. They have studied hard for many years and are well-versed in literature. How dare you say in front of them that reading is hard and tiring?!"
"Your Majesty, calm down!" A minister stepped forward and said, "Your Highness is young and ignorant, but he has an upright character and dares to speak out. Even if he has some shortcomings, his merits outweigh his flaws."
This gentleman, half a year ago, impeached the Prince of Chen for spending hundreds of gold coins to buy crickets and fighting cocks, but now it has become a case of the merits outweighing the flaws.
"Your Majesty, although Your Highness does not like to read, I have seen that Your Highness's words, deeds and conversations are better than others in every way. Please do not criticize Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty, His Highness donated thousands of taels of silver to Hongwen Academy. This kind of pure heart moved me."
"Forget it." Under the persuasion of many ministers, Emperor Longfeng barely suppressed the anger in his heart: "For the sake of the gentlemen, I will forgive you this time today."
"Father, do you mean to agree to hold an additional special examination?"
"What does the issue of granting you a special imperial examination have to do with whether I will spare you or not?" Emperor Longfeng was so angry that he laughed: "You are such a person who doesn't even study hard, and you have the nerve to propose a special imperial examination."
"You can ask me to agree to it." Emperor Longfeng loved his son so much that he couldn't bear to reject him directly, but he made a very excessive request: "You can ask me to agree to hold an additional special examination, as long as you can recite the "Nongsangji" within five days, and I will do as you say."
This is a book about agriculture, and the whole book is as thick as a brick.
The civil officials were suddenly in despair. It was obvious that His Majesty did not want to agree to this matter, which was why he proposed such harsh conditions to Prince Chen.
"Okay." The Prince of Chen bowed and said, "I have several ministers to testify that in five days, I will be able to recite the entire "Nongsang Ji".
The civil officials touched their sleeves and began to think seriously about whether there was any good shorthand method they could provide to the King.
"Forget it, everyone, leave now." Emperor Longfeng smiled nonchalantly, "Five days later, I will call the gentlemen here and ask you to recite it in front of them."
Several officials from the six ministries and Prince Chen walked out of the Taiyang Palace together. At this moment, the officials looked at Prince Chen not as a prince, but as the hope of all the young students in the entire Dacheng Dynasty.
"Aunt Xiangjuan." Jiuzhu saw from afar that several officials were surrounding His Highness, their eyes were particularly hot, and she was worried in her heart: "What do these adults want to do to His Highness?"
She lifted her skirt and hurried towards Prince Chen.
As he ran closer, he heard one of the adults say, "Your Highness, I have a recipe for nourishing the brain and refreshing the mind. It was passed down from our ancestors. It is very useful. Would you like to try it?"
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