The next morning, Tian An had just gotten up when Xiangtao came to report that Jingyu wanted to see him.
"Bring him here."
When the sudden rain came, Tian An was eating breakfast alone.
Xiaokang and Xiaoqi went to school. After the New Year, Tian Caihe and her sister came to see her and said that they wanted to go to Hope College.
Even Tian Zhuang and Tian Kai expressed their desire to go. Tian An had previously arranged for them to study in the An family's clan school, but the An family's clan school was intended to train talents for the imperial examinations. The two had poor qualifications, and the more they studied, the more they fell behind.
After calming down and discussing for a long time, they felt that they were really not cut out for scientific research, especially after witnessing the difficulties Zhao Yiming had gone through in the scientific research, they saw themselves more clearly.
Rather than struggling with the imperial examination and wasting time in the future without achieving anything, it would be better to go to Hope College as soon as possible to learn a skill and help your parents earlier.
Tian An did not agree to them immediately. He called Tian Mingcai and his wife and told them the four of them's ideas, asking them to go back and think carefully before making a decision.
There is no problem for Tian Caihe and her sister to go to Hope College. There is no women's college outside anyway, and they cannot enter the girls' school attended by young ladies from aristocratic families.
Even if they were to go in, those girls would have their own small groups. Tian Mingcai was not an official and had no money. The two of them would only be excluded and bullied after they went in. This would make people's psychology dark in the long run.
Moreover, what they learned were things like music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and women's virtues. It was difficult for them to learn them since they were old, and even if they learned they would not be able to use them. It would be better for them to go to Hope College to learn something practical.
As for Tian Zhuang and Tian Kai, no matter how difficult it was to study, Tian An still suggested that they should at least pass the examination to become a scholar or a juren.
This will also help with the marriages of Tian Caihe and her sister in the future, and this is the most basic thing if Tian Mingcai's family wants to be able to stand on their own in the capital in the future, so she asked them to discuss it.
Finally, on the second day of Zhao Yiming's imperial examination, they gave Tian An an answer.
The four children decided to go to Hope College, but Tian Kai and Tian Zhuang also followed Tian An's advice and at least tried to take the exam for the scholar degree.
I hope that there are also children with better qualifications selected by Mr. Han himself in the academy. There are not many of them. The two of them will study with those children under Mr. Han and will receive better attention.
The progress in the An family's studies was too fast, and they really couldn't keep up. Although the teachers accepted them for the sake of Mrs. An, they didn't pay much attention to them. It would be better for them to follow Mr. Han.
Tian An respected their choice and had them packed up and sent to Hope College that same day.
The college has already started classes, and if they are any later they will not be able to keep up.
After the four children of the Tian family left, Zhao Yiming also left, and only the four of them were left for dinner.
In addition, Xiaokang and Xiaoqi had to go to school, and Tian Mingwu had to go on business, so they all got up early. Tian An was the only one who fell behind. He looked a little lonely eating alone in the restaurant.
Hearing footsteps, Tian An casually said, "Want to eat something together?"
Jingyu was a little tempted, but after thinking it over, she decided not to. "My master hasn't eaten yet!"
What she meant was that she was afraid that he would feel unbalanced after knowing that he was eating and drinking well in the general's mansion.
Tian An paused as he was about to pick up the steamed bun, put down his chopsticks and looked at him, "Your master hasn't eaten this yet, even though we ordered it?"
Then she was shocked by his haggard face, "How come you've become like this after just a few days?"
This guy is a pretty good-looking guy among Zhao Yiming's secret guards. He always looks energetic and radiant and full of vitality. Not like now.
There were dark circles under his eyes as if he had been beaten. Tian An looked exhausted and felt that he would not be able to open his eyes in the next second. His skin was also very sallow and dull.
As soon as this was mentioned, Jingyu was about to start complaining.
Tian An asked Deng Xue to add a set of bowls and chopsticks for him. He looked so pitiful, as if he was going to starve to death on the street in the next second.
"Talk while you eat, and take another portion back to your master later."
While Deng Xue was taking the bowl, Jing Yu said, "Madam, you don't know, my master hasn't had a good meal since he went to the Duke's Mansion. Even us servants haven't had enough to eat. We have too many trivial matters to do and can't get enough rest. It's only been a few days and we are like this.
I'm still relatively well off, but the other brothers' faces are as pale as pus, and they even have acne on their faces!"
Tian An was shocked, "Your master is not short of money!"
Jingyu took the bowl and chopsticks from Deng Xue, looked at the porridge on the table with burning eyes, and without hesitation filled a bowl for herself. After taking a big sip, she slowly explained:
"Master, you don't lack money, but you live in your own mansion and go out to buy food every day. If this gets out, people will laugh at you."
After saying that, he hurriedly lowered his head to drink the porridge, as if he had been hungry for hundreds of years.
"Don't you have a cook in your house?" Tian An asked in confusion.
She just couldn't believe that such a big Duke's Mansion wouldn't have a cook who could cook delicious food.
Jing Yu quickly swallowed a steamed dumpling before continuing to explain to Tian An, "The Duke's Mansion had a cook. But after the master left, there was no suitable person around, so the housekeeper's rights were not taken back.
They had made preparations in advance and the account books were fake, so the master told them to hold off for the time being.
Then they deliberately made things difficult for their master. The food they delivered on the first day had too much salt in it, making it difficult for people to swallow.
After we went to talk to them, the food they sent the next day didn't have any salt in it. Not only was it tasteless, but the fish and meat were also fishy.
The amount of food delivered to our group of brothers was not enough. They said that we had just arrived and could not control the amount of food, so we needed a few days to adapt. But so many days have passed, and there has not been a single day where the food was enough, and the amount was getting less and less every day.
After a few times, my master knew they did it on purpose, because my master demolished the main courtyard and several neighboring courtyards.
You said my master, a grown man, can't go arguing with a group of women! If the news gets out, how can my master still have a foothold in the court? "
"So you're just going to endure this frustration?"
Jingyu didn't say anything, but lowered his head and drank his porridge with a pitiful look on his face.
Tian An was speechless. He never expected that Zhao Yiming, who had been so smart all his life, would end up suffering a great loss at the hands of a few women.
First, let Xiangtao go to the kitchen to pack breakfast for Zhao Yiming, then pack some meat buns and cut some braised meat for the other secret guards to take over.
Tian Ancai looked at Jingyu again, "So why are you here today?"
"Oh! I'm here to borrow someone from the mistress. My master has just passed the imperial examination and is ranked third! I'm planning to hold a banquet to thank my teacher and entertain classmates, relatives, and friends, but I'm worried about those people in the Duke's Mansion causing trouble, so I wanted to ask Madam Xiao to come over and calm things down."
Tian An nodded and said, "It's time to have a banquet." He then asked, "Is it okay for Madam Xiao to go alone?"
"It should be possible! The master said they dare not go too far. Madam Xiao has served the Empress before, so the situation should be better with her watching."
Tian An didn't think so.
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