Chapter 416 Reading
Qi Jun bent down slightly and picked up his wife as if he were holding a child, supporting her in his forearm, while his other hand merely patted his son's head perfunctorily.
"Are you done with your work?" Qi Yuxuan asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Qi Jun: "Yes, Xuanyuan Shun won't be staying here for the New Year. He'll be setting off back to Yue in three days." He sounded quite pleased with himself when he said this.
"Really? What did you say to him before he agreed?" Qi Yuxuan asked curiously. Not long ago, he insisted on staying here, saying that Qi was a vast and resource-rich country, and he even wanted to live here forever. He also kept asking to visit the palace, which Qi Jun found annoying.
Unexpectedly, Qi Jun managed to get rid of someone after talking to them for a while in the Zichen Palace today.
Qi Jun did not meet her gaze, a strange look flashing across his cold eyes: "It's a secret."
This isn't something to be proud of, so it's best not to tell my wife.
Because he used his wife as an excuse to drive her away.
He still remembered Xuan Yuanshun's expression just now: astonishment, hurt, disappointment... In contrast to the increasingly obvious smile on Qi Jun's face, he had to try to calm himself down for a long time before he could show an overly cheerful expression.
"Alright, let's just get rid of them anyway." She didn't take it to heart and continued, "After they leave, shall we go to the South Garden?"
She had been looking forward to these two things the most in recent years: escaping the summer heat in Beiyuan and hibernating in Nanyuan. This year, because of the interference of Xuanyuan Shun and his ilk, they had given up on going to Nanyuan.
"Okay, whatever you say." Realizing that his wife didn't care about Xuan Yuanshun at all, Qi Jun was in a good mood, and a smile appeared on his face.
...
The autumn wind blows on people's faces, chilling them to the bone.
But as soon as you enter the room with the underfloor heating, the chill dissipates instantly.
Lanxin lifted the curtain and walked into the palace.
When the palace maids who came and went saw her, they would kneel down and bow, and then respectfully call out "Lord Lan".
Lan Xin is now a first-class lady-in-waiting by the Empress's side, responsible for handling all external affairs, the most important of which is presiding over the women's examination at Yuxiu Academy.
Since Dean Zheng and the Empress advocated for the reform of girls' education, Yuxiu Academy has undergone two imperial examinations, and dozens of outstanding graduates have been appointed to positions in various government departments such as the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue.
Today marks the end of the third written examination for women.
Two palace servants carrying the exam papers followed behind Lan Xin. They walked quickly with their heads down. Inside the box, stacks of answer sheets had been sealed and locked. Only the Empress, Dean Zheng, and Lan Xin had the key to unlock them.
Qi Yuxuan was discussing the questions for the palace examination with Zheng Yanling.
“I remember this question was on the test a few years ago.” Zheng Yanling pointed to a question circled in red ink, somewhat hesitantly.
"So what? Believe it or not, this year's question will still stump a lot of girls who want to take advantage of the situation." Qi Yuxuan said as she took one-year-old Huai'er from the wet nurse's arms and fed her milk cake herself.
On the other side, eight-year-old Qi Yuanyuan and Zheng Hanshuang were lying on the chaise longue, the two little girls huddled together, giggling and whispering to each other. They would occasionally turn their heads to look at their mother, then cover their mouths and giggle.
Zheng Yanling glanced at the two girls playing around and couldn't help but complain, "That's true, sigh... If you ask me, the students that Yuxiu Academy is recruiting are getting worse every year. Most of them are just thinking about coming in to get a good reputation so they can go back and get married."
Qi Yuxuan put down the spoon, handed the small silver bowl to the wet nurse, and used her free hand to pull out a handkerchief to tuck the milk cake that had gotten on Huai'er's chin:
"Let's not talk about now. We went through the same thing back then. Have you forgotten my number one title? People still talk about it now."
Zheng Yanling: "You passed the test with real talent and ability, who can criticize you in the slightest?"
No sooner had she finished speaking than Lanxin appeared at the doorway.
She explained her purpose, and two palace maids behind her carried the examination papers. The wet nurses and other palace maids inside immediately understood and led the young masters out, either by hand or in their arms.
The East Warm Pavilion in the front hall of Changle Palace has now become the Empress's office. All the exam papers for the women's examinations are reviewed here by Dean Zheng and several highly respected female tutors.
Normally, even the emperor would have to avoid such a confrontation, spending the entire day in the Zichen Palace handling state affairs with a sense of unease.
Fortunately, the women's examination was held only once every three years, so this situation wouldn't last more than a few days. Otherwise, the emperor would definitely have ordered the palace staff to specially build a palace in the outer court.
Three days later, the list of female students was released, and a total of thirty outstanding female students entered the palace examination.
Among the students were many from prominent families, and just thinking about such a scene made them feel nervous and apprehensive.
The seven tutors and Dean Zheng were one thing, but the Empress... They had only kowtowed to her from afar during festivals and didn't even know what she looked like. Today, however, the Empress was going to test their knowledge of interpersonal relationships and governance. She was the one who could control their fate. No one could remain calm and composed.
At the palace gate, dozens of female students dressed in uniform stood in twos and threes. Some were cramming for past exam questions, while others were discussing whether their jewelry and attire were pretty and eye-catching enough.
Suddenly, a quarrel broke out in the corner.
They all looked up—
"Come back with me! This is not a place for you!" A young man gripped a girl's arm tightly, his face contorted as if he could devour her.
Their loud voices attracted everyone's attention, so the girl, in a fit of desperation, shouted, "Why?!"
"Why can you study, but I can't?!" The girl abruptly shook off her brother's hand, like a trapped little beast, revealing a hint of fangs that were beginning to show their sharpness.
"You're not cut out for studying, that's because you're as stupid as a pig! But that doesn't mean I'm like you. I'm going to take the women's exam, I'm going to become an official, I'm going to let my parents know—no, I'm going to let everyone know—that I, Wanxiang, can also make a name for myself and be remembered in history!"
"Let me go! I've already qualified for the palace examination. If you dare to stop me from going again, I'll report you to the authorities and have you arrested!"
"You dare?!" The young man's eyes widened in anger. Having been humiliated in public by his sister and uttered words that felt like a slap in the face, he became even more violent in his grabbing. With both hands, he twisted Wanxiang's arms behind her back in no time and tried to drag her to the green-canopied carriage behind them.
"Get home right now! You dare report me to the authorities! As the eldest brother, I'm only doing my duty to discipline you and prevent you from going astray. Wait till I get back, I'll beat you to death, you ignorant brat!"
“They—” a student looked over there and spoke with concern.
However, before she could say anything more, several students who had been discussing jewelry rushed over in a few quick steps.
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