During the big exam
On December 1st, the annual grand exam of Longmen Academy officially began.
Because she had arranged with Xie Ling and Qin Shi last night that she and Yang Shi would escort Xie Sinan, Xie Sichuan, and Xie Sichu to the exam today, Siyuan had already prepared breakfast for them just after dawn.
The major exams for Xie Sinan and Xie Sichuan lasted three days, and the content of the exams was basically similar.
Xie Sichu attended the Qimengtang (a school for beginners), and the course ended at 5 PM.
When Xie Sili saw them in the front hall, she saw Xie Sichu pulling Xie Sixian and talking excitedly, while Xie Sinan, standing next to them, seemed to have blended in well with the two of them.
During dinner last night, Xie Sili had already told Xie Sinan the truth about his situation. As her only brother still alive in this world, she had to protect him as much as possible. At least before supporting Jun Qiyu to ascend the throne, her brother's career path needed to be stabilized.
Xie Zhun was naturally unwilling to provide resources to Xie Sinan; he would definitely reserve his resources and connections for Xie Siyu.
"Third sister." Xie Sichuan and Xie Sichu's voices rang out at the same time, both of them with smiles on their faces.
"Sister," Xie Sinan said, stepping behind them, "didn't I tell you before that you weren't feeling well and didn't want us to see you off? Why are you here again?"
"It's my first time seeing my elder brother off to the imperial examination since I'm returning to Chang'an, so of course I had to come," Xie Sili said with a smile to Xie Sinan. "Don't worry about your health."
"Third sister, don't worry. Although I'm far away from second brother, I'll take care of him." Xie Sichuan patted his chest and said confidently, "I learned martial arts from Siyi and the others, and I'm in good health."
Xie Sili looked at Xie Sichuan and patted him on the shoulder, "Okay, how about Aze personally instructs you then?"
After saying that, she turned her gaze to Xie Sinan, "After the big exam, you also learned some martial arts from Aze. Now, under Manager Du's care, your health is gradually recovering. Although you still have some of the 'clumsy tyrant' from before, it's much less so..."
Before she could finish speaking, she felt Xie Sinan's hand land on her head, and heard his voice in her ear, "Worrying about these things is better than your health. You need to follow Si Ze and learn some martial arts."
Looking at Xie Sinan's expression, she glanced at him and smiled, "Okay, I'll learn some martial arts from Aze too."
"That's more like it."
After having breakfast, the group rode together in a carriage to Longmen Academy.
It was still early, and the academy gate was filled with people seeing them off. Before dawn, each person's carriage had a lantern hanging in front of it, and their servants and maids each carried one.
Unfortunately, the Prime Minister's carriage happened to be parked right next to them.
The people who came to see the examinee off were Xie Chun and Huang Shi, and Huang Shi took the matter very seriously.
Thinking of what the maid had mentioned before, she turned her gaze to Xie Siyu standing beside her.
Xie Zhun glanced at them without greeting them, as if even making a brief appearance was a favor to them.
She stood there and chatted with Madam Yang, and occasionally Xie Sichu, Xie Sichuan, and Xie Sinan would chime in.
At dawn, Xie Sili saw Jun Qiyu arriving late in a carriage.
He walked over to them, dressed neatly, and greeted them. He nodded to the greetings of others, but snorted coldly at Xie Zhun's greeting, seemingly not taking him seriously.
"I've met you before..."
Just as Madam Yang was about to speak, Jun Qiyu's voice rang out, "Aunt Yang, there's no need for such formalities. Xie San and I don't need these kinds of formalities."
Hearing Jun Qiyu's words, Xie Sili glanced at Madam Yang and smiled, "Second Aunt, there's no need to be polite with him."
"After the big exam, please go to Yu Pin Xuan. A private room has already been booked there. In all these years since I returned to Chang'an, I have only ever loved the dishes at Yu Pin Xuan." Jun Qiyu said, glancing at the people standing in front of him.
Xie Sili readily agreed, "Thank you for your expense, Your Highness Prince Yan."
"Of course, of course. The top three in this major examination will be appointed to official positions of the fourth rank or above, and the top twenty will be appointed to official positions of the seventh rank. The court is currently short of personnel, and if we can achieve excellent results this time, we will surely be able to serve the court!"
Jun Qiyu's words made Xie Sili chuckle softly, "Your Highness the Prince of Yan is right."
As the academy bell rang, the gate slowly opened, and dozens of young people dressed in Longmen Academy uniforms walked out. They represented only the dean and vice dean in fulfilling their duties.
After watching Xie Sichuan, Xie Sichu, and Xie Sinan enter the academy, Xie Sili made an appointment with Jun Qiyu to meet at Xieyuan Tower before boarding the carriage back to Siyuan Garden.
"Third Sister, I heard from Brother Chuan that after my husband comes back this time, he won't be going back to Suzhou, is that right?"
Xie Sili glanced at Madam Yang and smiled, “Second Uncle has been away for several years and has made many achievements in Suzhou. He has a very good reputation among the people. A few days ago, there was the Fang Ye incident. Now that the position of Grand Secretary is vacant, I think he will be promoted to Grand Secretary.”
As she spoke, her gaze remained fixed on Madam Yang, not missing a single expression on her face. "Second Aunt, are you worried about Second Uncle's life in Chang'an?"
“I understand my husband’s character. He is upright and incorruptible, which inevitably makes him many enemies in the court. As the daughter of a merchant, I am unable to help him. So I thought it would be good for him to serve as the prefect of Suzhou.” Madam Yang sighed softly as she spoke. “I know I shouldn’t have such thoughts, but I can’t help but let my mind wander.”
Hearing Yang's words, Xie Sili reached out and patted her shoulder. "It is a good thing that Second Uncle was promoted to Grand Secretary. Fourth Brother has always been excellent in his studies. Mr. Zhuge often praises him to me. If he can enter the top three, he will be able to take up a high-ranking official position. At present, whether it is the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, or the Jingzhao Prefecture, there is a shortage of people. The Censorate is also in the same situation. Fang Ye's matter has far-reaching implications."
She had already prepared another grand gift for Xie Sichuan's promotion. Based on Xie Sichuan's personality, he would either enter the Dali Temple, the Jingzhao Prefecture, or even the Ministry of Justice, depending on his own choice.
As for Xie Sinan, his personality is not really suited to playing a role in the imperial court, but since he needs one now, it's not impossible to arrange a position for him. Anyway, there are many vacant positions, so it's up to him to choose.
As Xie Sili pondered, she felt Yang's hand land on hers. "Third daughter, do you think my husband will become a thorn in someone else's side? What should I do?"
She could guess why Yang was worried, and she grasped Yang's hand in return, saying, "Second Aunt only needs to stand behind Second Uncle, and leave the rest to Second Uncle."
Me.
Xie Sili didn't say the rest.
“Your second uncle has made achievements in Suzhou over the years, so there’s no need to worry about him.” Xie Sili raised his hand to wipe away the tears on Yang’s face. “You have supported your second uncle all these years, so do the same in the future. Just don’t let him worry about you.”
"Just like in Yuzhou City, Siyuan and I are your strongest support."
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Yang's face light up with a smile. "Okay, I will always be my husband's support."
She escorted Yang back to Si Garden, drank a cup of tea in her courtyard, and then went to Xieyuan Tower to meet Jun Qiyu.
Xieyuanlou is the largest teahouse in Chang'an City, and it has many top-quality and rare teas. It is located just a few shops away from Yupinxuan.
Xie Sili went to Xieyuanlou with Luzhu today. After confirming with the manager at the counter, she was led to a private room by a waiter.
The private room was named "Yunxi". After she pushed open the door, she saw Jun Qiyu sitting in his seat, with several plates of her favorite pastries on the low table in front of him.
"You've arrived."
Hearing Jun Qiyu's voice, Xie Sili sat down in front of him. "What can I do for you?" she asked, picking up a pastry and eating it.
She thought for a moment and realized that the gourd was empty, so she took the gourd out of her sleeve and handed it to Green Bamboo, saying, "Go to Golden Goblet and buy some wine, and pay the price."
"Bai Lian reminded you to drink less alcohol before," Si Ze's voice came into my ears. "Drinking is bad for your health."
Seeing Green Bamboo standing there looking troubled, Xie Sili reached out and patted her head, "Go buy it, who cares about her! Even the old man can't control me."
Having received the order, Green Bamboo glanced at Jun Qiyu before turning and leaving.
"The old man asked me who should be given the position of Grand Secretary." Jun Qiyu made tea for Xie Sili. "The First Prince and the Third Prince are recommending their own people, but the Second Prince is a fool and doesn't care much about this."
“He didn’t use the eldest and third brothers’ people because they were untrustworthy.” Xie Sili glanced at Jun Qiyu. “The reason I asked you is because you have no one in the court and have accomplished nothing. Even with the Fang Ye case as a foundation, he gave all the credit to the Three Departments.”
Not receiving a reply from Jun Qiyu, Xie Sili continued, "His move was truly ingenious." After saying that, she glanced at Jun Qiyu.
"Even the old man thinks I have no chance of inheriting the throne." Jun Qiyu said with a smirk, downing his tea in one gulp. "So how can you be so sure that position is mine?"
"Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed." Xie Sili looked at Jun Qiyu with a profound and unfathomable smile.
She wet her brush and wrote several names on the table. With each name she wrote, she could sense a slight change in Jun Qiyu's breathing.
"you……"
She interrupted Jun Qiyu with a smile, "Since I trust you, I naturally won't doubt you. Besides, there are indeed vacancies in the court that need to be filled."
She picked up her cup and took a small sip. "Do you have a suitable person to recommend for the position of Grand Secretary?"
She sat there, looking up at Jun Qiyu, letting him scrutinize her.
Jun Qiyu's eyes held doubt, expectation, and an additional hint of protection and admiration.
While they were deep in thought, their voice rang out, "Based on their analysis, they believe that only Xie Yi is suitable to serve as the Grand Secretary."
Perhaps not receiving a reply, Jun Qiyu's voice continued, "Xie Yi is different from others. Over the years, he has earned a good reputation in Suzhou and is a good official in the hearts of the people, and is very popular among the locals."
According to Xie Ling, Xie Yi rose from the bottom to become the prefect without ever relying on the Prime Minister's mansion. If Xie Chun received the Prime Minister's mansion's protection, then Xie Yi relied on himself in a down-to-earth manner.
It is likely that no one except the Emperor knows that Xie Yi is Xie Ling's son.
"I have something to tell you," Xie Sili said in a low voice, looking at the expression on Jun Qiyu's face. "The Xie Yi you mentioned is my second uncle."
? ? ?
Seeing the expression on Jun Qiyu's face, Xie Sili laughed, "You all really don't know. I heard from my grandfather that back then, my second uncle insisted on starting from the bottom on his own. During that time, no one knew that he was my grandfather's son. When they occasionally came into contact with him, others only thought that he was being looked after by someone else."
“Unlike my father, who has always looked down on my second uncle and never mentioned him in front of outsiders.” Xie Sili shook his head as he spoke, “If even brothers are like this, what about other people?”
"My second uncle is returning to Chang'an to report on his duties. What he decides to do next is up to him." Xie Sili glanced at Jun Qiyu, who was taking a small sip from his cup.
"My second uncle is not affiliated with either side, and in every respect he truly meets the requirements for selection by the Zhongshu."
“If that’s the case, isn’t it wonderful?” Jun Qiyu said, pouring more tea into her cup. “I thought Aunt Yang was a widow, but I didn’t expect…” He gave a sheepish smile, “I was so foolish.”
“That suits me perfectly.” Xie Sili raised her cup and clinked it against Jun Qiyu’s. “In this way, Second Uncle will be able to stay in Chang’an smoothly and receive some support.”
"You mean you want to annoy Xie Gou, right?"
Thank you, dog?
Only Jun Qiyu could use such a title.
She raised her cup to Jun Qiyu, a half-smile playing on her lips, "The Prime Minister's residence isn't even worth existing, don't you think?"
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