Chapter 13: The Palace Examination Ruined (13)
After the Lantern Festival, classes resumed at the academy.
Zhu Qingchen yawned as he walked into Wenyuan Hall and saw a group of students who were also yawning.
Zhu Qingchen frowned and lectured them without any dignity: "The date of the spring exam has been set, and you are still yawning."
After saying this, he yawned again.
I feel so sleepy.
This year's spring examination is scheduled for the sixth day of February. The Imperial Astronomical Observatory has calculated that it is a good day and a suitable day for holding the examination.
There is only more than half a month left until the spring exam.
At the beginning of February, Zhu Qingchen and the old academic officials would move into the palace.
They had to discuss the spring examination questions in front of His Majesty with several civil servants from the Library. Even if they had finished their discussion, they were not allowed to leave the palace.
After grading the papers, the results of the spring examination in April were announced, the candidates for the palace examination were decided, and the examination questions had to be discussed.
During this period, in order to prevent the questions from being leaked, they were not allowed to leave the palace, and were accompanied by palace servants and guards in their daily lives.
Time is tight.
Zhu Qingchen hurried to prepare something for the students.
There were more than a dozen unfolded bundles on the table, and Zhu Qingchen was holding a bunch of things, with one item in each bundle.
"One blanket per person. You will be taking the exam for three consecutive days. You can use it as a blanket when you sleep at night."
"One pair of knee pads for each person. It's going to be a cold snap soon, so you need to keep warm even when you sit."
“One bottle of thousand-year-old ginseng slices for each person. When writing, put a slice in your mouth, and your inspiration will flow…” Zhu Qingchen suddenly thought of something, hesitated for a moment, and took out the ginseng slices.
"If you take too much, you'll have a nosebleed. Especially Pei Xuan. Last time I gave him a cup of ginseng tea, he had a nosebleed. He even put a ginseng slice in his mouth..."
This is the thousand-year-old ginseng that Your Majesty sent him last time when he caught a cold. It’s so powerful!
Zhu Qingchen imagined the scene of "Pei Xuan covering his nose while taking the imperial examination" and quickly threw the ginseng slices aside.
Go away, you irritating thing!
Zhu Qingchen took the sachet of borneol, smelled it and felt refreshed, and his ideas for writing came flooding in.
That's about it.
Let them prepare the paper, ink, brush and inkstone themselves. Zhu Qingchen didn't know what kind of brush and ink they were used to. If he prepared them carelessly and they were not comfortable with them and made mistakes in writing, that would be bad.
Zhu Qingchen counted and packed the dozen or so bags one by one, then sent someone to call all the students over and gave them a few final instructions.
"I will be going to the palace soon. I have already taught you everything I should have taught you. As for how much you can listen to, that is your own business."
The students stood in front of him, bowed and saluted, and said solemnly: "Master, we will never forget your teachings."
"There are less than ten days left until the spring exam. When I'm away, you must work harder and not slack off."
"yes."
Zhu Qingchen patted the small bag beside him and said, "I've prepared some useful things for you. Come and get them."
The students lined up, walked up to him and took the bags.
Zhu Qingchen reminded them one by one again.
"Liu An, the arrogant will be defeated, remember this."
"Chen Zheng, please focus on your thoughts for the next few days."
"Song Feng, you stay in the mansion for the next few days. I have already told them to keep you company with anything they can eat or drink. If you need anything, go find other classmates."
…
The last one was Pei Xuan. Zhu Qingchen handed the bundle to him and patted the back of his hand: "Pei Xuan, don't forget your original intention."
Pei Xuan nodded seriously: "Yes."
The students held their bags in both hands and stood in front of Zhu Qingchen.
Zhu Qingchen looked at Liu An: "An'er, you are the senior brother, you have to take care of the junior brothers."
Liu An bowed his head: "Yes, I remember, Master, don't worry."
Zhu Qingchen also reminded the others: "Although Senior Brother Liu is your senior brother, you should not cause him any trouble and save him some trouble."
Everyone leaned forward: "Yes."
Zhu Qingchen nodded slightly and said, "You guys go back and review your lessons first. An'er will stay for a while. Pei Xuan will be waiting outside the door."
"yes."
The other students left the hall, and Liu An walked up to Zhu Qingchen and got closer to him: "Master, do you have any other instructions?"
"Since I am not here, I hope you will take good care of my junior brothers who have no power at home."
"Yes, I understand."
"Especially Pei Xuan." Zhu Qingchen paused, "He has good talent and can stand shoulder to shoulder with you. But he is an orphan with a widowed mother and is easily bullied. You should pay more attention to his movements."
Liu An said seriously: "Yes."
Liu An knew who the Master was referring to.
Prince Jing suffered a setback and has been quiet for a while, but he is not dead yet.
As long as people are not dead, something will happen.
The Master wanted him to pay attention to this matter.
Zhu Qingchen raised his eyes, looked at Liu An's expression, and extended his hand to him.
Liu An stepped forward and held the Master's hand.
Zhu Qingchen patted the back of his hand and said, "Of course, what I just said is to be done when you are free and have spare energy. If you can take care of it, then do it. If you can't take care of it, then forget it. Don't force yourself."
Liu An nodded: "Pei Xuan is my classmate. If anything happens to him, I will definitely not sit idly by."
Zhu Qingchen looked at him seriously: "It's right to put yourself first in everything."
Seeing his serious expression, Liu An was moved: "Yes."
The Master taught him to step down from his high position and appreciate the friendship of his classmates, only hoping that he could become a better person, not hoping that he could take better care of his fellow junior students.
In the Master's eyes, he and his fellow apprentice were the same.
Zhu Qingchen said, "Go call Pei Xuan in, I'll give him some instructions as well."
"good."
After a while, Pei Xuan also came in and stood with Liu An.
Zhu Qingchen put on airs and looked at him seriously: "Pei Xuan, I have already informed your Senior Brother Liu. Senior Brother Liu will take care of you when I am not around."
"But you should also be careful. Don't go to your senior brother for every big or small matter. Be more tactful and don't be so dull all the time. If you meet someone and you really don't know how to talk, just avoid him."
Pei Xuan took his instructions seriously and said, "Thank you for your advice, Master. I understand."
"I'm glad you understand." Zhu Qingchen finally asked him, "I told you to exercise more and get stronger. Did you exercise?"
"I practice. The teacher told me to do so. I practice every day." Pei Xuan nodded and rolled up his sleeves, wanting to show Zhu Qingchen the results of his training.
Zhu Qingchen waved his hand and said, "Don't watch it. Just practice more and make yourself as strong as an ox. The same goes for An'er."
Liu An and Pei Xuan:?
Strength... as strong as an ox?
Zhu Qingchen said confidently: "Yes, if I fail the exam for the top scholar in literature, I can still take the exam for the top scholar in martial arts."
“…”
Zhu Qingchen waved his hand at them and said, "Go back and study. I also need to pack my things and prepare to enter the palace."
"yes."
Liu An and Pei Xuan bowed at the same time and left the hall.
Do your best and leave the rest to fate.
Zhu Qingchen could only send them here, and they had to walk the rest of the way on their own.
After leaving the academy, Liu An's servant went to drive the carriage over.
Liu An stood at the door with his hands clasped, waiting.
Pei Xuan stood with his senior brother, ready to see him off before leaving himself.
This is courtesy.
Soon, the Liu family's coachman drove the carriage, and the servant followed beside the carriage and came out from the corner gate.
Pei Xuan bent down: "Brother Liu, take care."
"Yes." Liu An held onto the carriage rail and got on. He turned around and pointed at Pei Xuan, then said to the servant, "Follow him for a few days. If there is anything, help him with it."
Pei Xuan raised his head, still a little dazed.
The servant was smart and had already reacted. He stood next to Pei Xuan and said, "Master Pei."
Liu An got into the carriage and said solemnly, "Serve him like you serve me. When the palace examination is over, reward him according to his merits. If you have anything to report, report to me."
"yes."
Before Pei Xuan could react, the Liu family's carriage had already left.
Pei Xuan wanted to catch up: "Senior Brother Liu?"
The servant supported Pei Xuan, in fact, he held him back: "Don't worry, Master Pei, let's go home too. Do you want me to hire a carriage?"
"No, I can just walk back..." Pei Xuan came back to his senses, "No, you want to come back to my home with me?"
"Yes, since our master has left me to Master Pei, I am Master Pei's person. Of course, it's only temporary. After the palace examination, I will still go back to serve our master."
Pei Xuan wanted to push him away: "Why don't you go back now? I don't need anyone to serve me. Senior Brother Liu left you to me, so what should he do?"
"Master Pei, you underestimate our Liu family. The Liu family is so rich and powerful, don't you think they need someone like me to serve you? Let's go."
Pei Xuan was pulled away by the servant.
Back at the winery, the servant rolled up his sleeves quickly and started to work.
Pei Xuan and Madam Chen stood by, looking at each other.
Mrs. Chen asked, "Son, did you sell our wine shop to someone else? Is this the new boss?"
Pei Xuan shook his head: "No."
*
On the other side, Zhu Qingchen was packing his luggage.
She spread a square piece of blue cloth on the couch and folded a few of her most commonly worn clothes neatly and put them inside.
The weather was still a bit cold, so he prepared a plush hat, knee pads, sleeves, and plush boots for himself.
He also had to bring his small blanket to sleep with him. I didn't know if the heating in the palace was warm enough, and whether he would wake up from the cold.
The system watched him pack his luggage and said, "Why don't you just roll up your bedding and carry it into the palace? Why bother spreading the blue cloth and packing the baggage?"
Zhu Qingchen thought about it seriously: "How bad is that? It seems that I don't like the palace at all. I even have to bring my own bedding."
"You know that, too?" The system scanned the package with its electronic eyes. "According to scientific calculations, your package is too large and cannot be packed successfully."
"Really?" Zhu Qingchen grabbed the two corners of the blue cloth and tried to wrap up the heavy clothes.
Sure enough, it can’t be installed.
The system added: "Based on scientific calculations, it is recommended that the host reduce the amount of clothing."
Zhu Qingchen did not accept its suggestion.
Zhu Qingchen chose to press his whole body on the clothes, flattening them while grabbing the two corners of the bundle and pulling it in with all his strength.
After trying for a long time, I still failed.
The system changed its tone: "We suggest that you reduce the number of clothes you wear. If you keep dawdling, it will be dark soon."
"No, I'm going to wear this furry coat to sleep at night, I'm going to wear this one tomorrow, and I'm going to wear this hat in the morning. The cold wind will give me a headache."
Every furry piece of clothing is his little treasure and he doesn't want to give up any of them.
Zhu Qingchen hugged his clothes: "Without me, they will be extremely cold at night."
"You said it the wrong way around." The system said helplessly, "Then you will miss the time to enter the palace and be punished by the emperor."
Zhu Qingchen thought about it and his eyes gradually became firm.
*
Outside the palace gate.
The old school officials were dressed lightly and were already waiting.
The questions in the imperial examinations were extremely strict. They were not even allowed to bring their own servants, and could only be served by the palace maids and eunuchs.
"Why hasn't Xiao Zhu come yet?"
"He wouldn't have forgotten the time, would he? Find someone to check it out."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Qingchen came out from the corner carrying a book box and ran towards them.
"Here I come!"
The old school officials all frowned at the same time, with the same expression.
"Why are you dressed like a little white bear today, Xiaozhu?"
"It didn't snow today, why is he so cold?"
"I'm afraid you've caught a cold again. Let's go in and let the imperial physician take a look."
Zhu Qingchen wore his favorite plush clothes, plush hat, plush boots, carried a book box in one hand and a small bag on his back in the other, and trotted to the old school officials: "Am I not late?"
The system was helpless and its host looked stupid.
The old scholar raised his hand and covered his forehead with the back of his hand: "You have caught a cold again?"
Zhu Qingchen was puzzled: "No."
"So what's wrong with you?"
At this time, Zhu Qingchen also noticed something was wrong.
He tilted his head and looked at the empty-handed old school officials, a little surprised: "Where are your luggage? Don't you need to change clothes? Aren't you not allowed to bring your own servants?"
The old school officials were surprised.
"If you don't want to let the servant come with you, then why don't you send someone to the palace to tell them and ask the palace servants to help you carry it? Are you planning to carry it yourself? The palace servants have already helped carry our luggage in."
"..." Zhu Qingchen suddenly realized, "Oh, it can be done this way, you didn't tell me."
Old school officials:?
"Is there anything else to say?"
The old school officials held back their laughter and patted his plush clothes: "So you couldn't take it off by yourself, so you came here wearing all the clothes? They are quite thick. You are weak, so you should be more careful."
Zhu Qingchen raised his head weakly: "Yes."
"Why are you so stupid?"
"worn out……"
"You can't just say whether someone is dead or alive. Let's go in and see His Majesty first."
"Can't I go change my clothes first?"
"No, you have to go and pay your respects to His Majesty first, otherwise it would be too rude."
The old scholars dragged him towards the palace gate and consoled him, "If it's quick, you can go back to your residence and change your clothes later."
Zhu Qingchen sniffed: "What if it's slow?"
"Then..." The old school officials didn't finish their words.
Zhu Qingchen didn't feel well.
In the hall, "Little White Bear" Zhu Qingchen and other school officials bowed and tried to hide themselves behind others, but unfortunately they failed.
Then the emperor offered him a seat, and he sat there with a look of despair, like a piece of rock candy that had fallen to the ground and melted halfway.
The system said: "I told you..."
Zhu Qingchen said seriously: "Your 'science' is useless. You haven't even figured out how to go into the palace and call for help. And you're still blaming me?"
The system choked: "Sorry, I'll add this to the algorithm now."
"That's more like it." Zhu Qingchen tilted his head and looked at the emperor sitting on the main seat.
The emperor was chatting ramblingly with the old scholars.
It's nothing more than polite words like "I rely on you for the imperial examination this time."
The old academic officials also responded respectfully, saying that they would do their best to make this scientific event a success.
Zhu Qingchen sat in his seat bored and played with his hands, his mind full of thoughts, why hasn't it ended yet? It's already dark, why hasn't it ended yet?
He always felt that the emperor was laughing at him.
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