Student Book
Three incense sticks later, Jun Qiyu met Emperor Jun in the Imperial Study.
Even though he disliked the emperor, he did not forget his responsibilities as a son and bowed respectfully to him, saying, "Greetings, Father. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
Jun Qiyu did not receive a reply from the Emperor, but instead received an inkstone thrown at him. He did not let the inkstone hit him, but instead slightly turned his body to dodge it.
"Father, why are you doing this?" Jun Qiyu asked with a nonchalant smile. "You know that's just how I am, like a copper pea."
He didn't give the emperor a chance to speak, and shamelessly continued, "Father, I was never raised by your side since I was a child, and my mother passed away early. It's already good enough that I've survived until now. As for anything else, please don't ask anything of me. Don't you think that makes sense?"
Enraged, the emperor grabbed the memorial beside him and threw it at him, shouting, "You unfilial brat! How could I have given birth to such a thing as you?"
“Father, please don’t say that. Look at you, you’re insulting yourself.” Jun Qiyu stood there leaning to one side, his eyes filled with a smile. “It’s one thing to talk about your son, but don’t talk about yourself like that. After all, that’s just who I am.”
The emperor clenched his hands, which were hanging below the desk, and kept reminding himself not to get angry or hold a grudge against him.
After calming down, the emperor turned his gaze to Jun Qiyu, and the words Murong had said before leaving resurfaced in his mind.
"Are you aware that Xie Qing intends to take her place in the marriage?" the Emperor asked patiently.
"Your subject knows." Jun Qiyu raised his eyes to look at the Emperor. "With me looking like this, which noble lady in Chang'an would be willing to marry me?"
"This Miss Xie is beautiful and kind-hearted. It's just a pity that her mother died early, leaving her at the mercy of Prime Minister Xie. Otherwise, she wouldn't have had to marry me in place of Xie Liu. Xie Liu is also all talk and no action, and he is not as good as An Ning in any way. He really thought that I wanted to marry her."
Jun Qiyu then blurted out everything in one go, seemingly without any real thought, but he placed all the blame on Xie Zhun and also managed to boost Xie Sili's favorability.
"I've heard that Xie Sili already has two children. How can she marry you?" The Emperor sighed. "I can let you do whatever you want in other matters, but this is different..."
“Those are not her children.” Jun Qiyu retorted without thinking. “Father, don’t you want to see that Miss Xie is only twenty years old, and those two children are about ten years old? A person can’t get pregnant and give birth at around ten years old.” His words were laced with sarcasm, and his gaze toward the Emperor was also mocking.
"Jun Qiyu!" The Emperor was so angry that he forgot what he was going to say. "Get out! Get out of my sight, so I won't have to look at you."
Jun Qiyu bowed slightly to the Emperor and said, "Father, I will leave now. Please take care of your health." After he finished speaking, he disappeared from his sight as swiftly as a gust of wind, without even pausing for a moment.
Seeing Jun Qiyu disappear, the Emperor slumped weakly on the dragon throne behind him, raised his hand to his forehead, and sighed heavily.
“Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince is intelligent, so don’t rush things. He will understand your feelings one day.” Huai En stood behind him and massaged his temples. “If Your Majesty cares, you can summon the Xie family’s daughter to the palace for an audience and let the Prince have a look at her.”
The Emperor nodded to Huai En. "Alright." He rested his head on one hand. "Huai En, what do you think should be done about the matter of the Minister of Works' son?"
"How could this servant know such things?" Huai En quickly spoke up, "Both thunder and rain are the Emperor's grace, and this servant believes that Lord Zhao will not have any objections."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor kicked Huai En again, saying, "I told you to speak, so just speak. Why all the nonsense?"
"I think that Lord Zhao has the backing of the Li family. Although it is a declining aristocratic family, it still holds a certain status. Moreover, the perpetrator was not Lord Zhao, but his wife. Why not suspend his salary for three months for the sake of the Li family?" Huai En lowered his head, his words revealing a hint of difficulty.
“The aristocracy, the aristocracy again.” The emperor said, throwing the memorial in his hand away. “I don’t know where all these aristocrats came from.”
"Your Majesty, please don't be angry. It's all my fault, all my fault." Huai En said, kneeling down again with a thud. "Your Majesty can be angry with me, but don't be angry with yourself." He then raised his hand to slap himself.
"Forget it, what does it have to do with you?" The Emperor said, grabbing Huai En's wrist to stop him. "This time, I'm going to teach Zhao Qing a lesson, not only to warn Zhao Qing, but also to warn the Li family behind him!"
Where the emperor could not see, Huai En lowered his head, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Huai'en, after this matter is over, go to the academy and summon Xie Sili to come before the Emperor." The Emperor said, then closed his eyes and stopped looking at Huai'en.
As he sensed Huai En's footsteps fading into the distance, the Emperor slightly opened his eyes again, "Huai En!"
"What are your orders, Your Majesty?" Huai En, who hadn't gone far, quickly turned around and asked.
"Wait a moment, I need to write something."
Upon seeing this, Huai En quickly stepped forward to grind ink for the emperor, and in no time a proclamation was completed, titled "A Letter to the Students of the Academy."
"Your Majesty..." Huai'en looked at the Emperor, puzzled, "Why is this?"
"Post this 'Letter to Students' at the eight city gates, and also at the entrance of the academy, so as to demonstrate the Emperor's benevolence," the Emperor replied in a good mood.
It is true that the aristocratic families now control the government, and even he is deeply affected by it. However, the aristocratic families are now in decline. If the students of the world are willing to stand on the same side as him, perhaps a more glorious future can be opened up for the poor.
Huai En quickly ordered people to get to work on it, and before nightfall, the "Letter to the Students" was posted at the academy and the eight city gates.
The emperor's writing was simple, clear, and profound. In the proclamation, he not only pointed out the wicked behavior of the wife of the Minister of Works, but also clearly stated that he would provide more convenience for poor students in the future and hoped to achieve a more glorious and bright future.
The proclamation concluded by demoting Zhao Yi, the Minister of Works, to Assistant Minister of Works, suspending his salary for one year, and reducing his salary by three years.
The release of this proclamation, "A Letter to the Students," written by the emperor himself, caused a sensation in Chang'an, with everyone agreeing that it was a very good move!
At the same time, Zhao Yi also received the imperial edict. At the moment of receiving the edict, Zhao Yi was still in a state of confusion as to what was happening.
"Eunuch Liang, what exactly happened? I have been an honest and upright official all these years, so why was His Majesty demoted for no reason?" Zhao Yi looked nervous and clenched his hands at his sides. "I don't remember offending anyone."
Huai En flicked the whisk in his hand and said in a high-pitched voice, "Lord Zhao has indeed devoted himself to the cause all these years. His Majesty made this decision precisely because of Lord Zhao's tireless efforts for the court over the years."
With a smile, Zhao Yi took out a gold leaf from his sleeve and handed it to Huai En. "Please tell me the truth, Father-in-law." He lowered his head, his face showing a hint of flattery.
After hesitating for a long time, Huai En spoke with some difficulty, "Lord Zhao, you are indeed very good, but you can't resist your wife..." He raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at Zhao Yi beside him, "I'll stop here, Lord Zhao, please don't make things difficult for me." After he finished speaking, he turned and left.
Zhao Yi stood there, recalling Huai En's words, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.
After a long while, the smile on his face gradually faded, and he rubbed his hands together expressionlessly, seemingly lost in thought.
"Sir, what exactly happened? Why was he demoted out of nowhere?"
Li's words reached Zhao Yi's ears. He slightly raised his eyes to look at the lady in front of him. She was well-maintained and still had her charm. She could be considered a beauty. However, her figure had never recovered after giving birth, and the marks left during childbirth made him feel somewhat annoyed.
But after all, she has the Li family behind her.
He turned to look at Madam Li, a slight smile appearing on his face, "Madam, have you recently offended any important people outside?"
Li looked puzzled and asked in a low voice, "Master, what do you mean by that? Which noble family in Chang'an doesn't I know? How can I offend them so easily? I am just from a declining noble family, but I still understand these things."
Li was a talented woman, though she hadn't had the opportunity to rise to prominence. She had attended a private school and studied under a teacher. "Does Master think I caused your demotion? I've been married to you for so long, and I've never caused you any trouble." Her eyes reddened with grievance. "How could you say such heartless things?"
Zhao Yi suppressed his anger, forced a smile, and patted her back. "Since it is what you say, Madam, then I naturally believe you. You don't need to worry about this matter."
Upon hearing this, Li Shi became even more insistent, "We've shared a bed for so many years, do you really think I don't know what's going on in the streets?" Li Shi also put on a bit of a tougher tone, "I don't care what those people say at all. I think as long as my husband has me in his heart, that's enough. But why are you always unwilling to tell me these things? Am I not your wife?"
Zhao Yi moved his lips, but the words stuck in his heart could not be uttered.
After a long pause, he looked helpless and said, "Madam has been pampered since childhood. It is my great fortune to marry her. How can I let such things offend her ears?"
Li Shi beamed with joy, walked to Zhao Yi's side, and hugged him. "Husband, I'm so happy to hear you say that. I'm willing to share all of this with you." She looked up at Zhao Yi. "Master, would you like to tell me something?"
"Just now, Eunuch Liang asked me to ask if you had offended any important person?"
As soon as Zhao Yi finished speaking, the images of Xie Jingche and Xie Jingyan immediately popped into Li's mind, followed by the image of Xie Sili.
"Madam, have you offended some powerful figure without realizing it?"
"It's all because of A-Zhou. He took a fancy to a young girl named Xie Jingyan at the academy and insisted on taking her home as his concubine. That girl had an older brother who got into a fight with A-Zhou and beat him up. I didn't even bother to argue with the girl. How did he suddenly become a powerful figure..." Li couldn't finish her sentence.
"What is her name? Where does she live?"
Li glanced at Zhao Yi, then lowered her head. "I heard from Vice Dean Shangguan that his name is Xie Sili, but I know nothing else about him."
Zhao Yi lowered his head, pondering the connections. The only Xie family in Chang'an was the Xie family, where Prime Minister Xie resided. Their ancestors were considered pillars of the state and were favored by emperors throughout history. Could this woman be a member of a collateral branch of the Xie family?
“It’s possible that it’s a collateral branch of the Xie family,” Zhao Yi said definitively. “If it weren’t related to the Xie family, how could the Emperor have known about this?”
"Impossible, Vice Dean Shangguan clearly said she's just an ordinary person..." Li's face turned pale, and she didn't know how to refute it for a moment.
Having found a clue, Zhao Yi's gaze toward Li Shi deepened. He slightly clenched his hands hanging at his sides, the veins on his hands bulging faintly.
"I'll go prepare a gift for this young lady."
“My lord, the Emperor wouldn’t demote you for this matter; there must be other reasons.” Madam Li said, stopping Zhao Yi with a firm expression, “She’s just an ordinary person.”
"Even if, as you say, she is an ordinary person, the fact that the Emperor knows about this matter can only mean one thing: she is a capable person who can influence His Majesty's decisions. Such a person, even if she cannot be a friend, cannot be made an enemy."
Li nodded as if she understood, but still followed Zhao Yi to prepare gifts and go to apologize.
Inside the bamboo house, Jun Qiyu and Xie Sili sat facing each other. On the table in front of them were all kinds of delicious dishes. Xie Jingche and Xie Jingyan sat next to Xie Sili, staring at Jun Qiyu. Even though they now knew that Jun Qiyu was their "little uncle", they were still dissatisfied with Jun Qiyu's previous behavior.
"What are you doing?" Xie Sili looked at Xie Jingche and Xie Jingyan with a smile in his eyes. "Don't you already know his identity?"
“Even my uncle won’t do.” Xie Jingche and Xie Jingyan spoke at the same time, “In our eyes, our aunt is different.”
Jun Qiyu wanted to pat their heads as before, but they brushed his hand away.
"Have you read the 'Letter to the Students'?" Xie Sili glanced at Jun Qiyu sitting opposite him. "I must say, His Majesty's move was truly brilliant. It stabilized the poor families and also gave the aristocratic families a warning."
“I’ve read it.” Jun Qiyu’s words were laced with sarcasm. “This really doesn’t seem like the old man’s style. I never expected the old man to have such a level of skill.” He clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Ali, do you think this ‘Letter to Students’ is useful?”
“Of course there is.” Xie Sili took a sip of the fish soup in front of her. “After all, there are far more people from humble backgrounds than from noble families.” She said slowly, “This fish soup was caught from the fishpond next door. It tastes delicious. You should try it.”
Xie Sili, in a rare good mood, added a bowl of fish soup to Jun Qiyu's plate, "It's also served with tofu and eggs, making it a nutritionally balanced meal."
Jun Qiyu accepted the soup bowl from Xie Sili, flattered. "It smells delicious." He slowly sipped his soup. "I think after this, the old man might summon you."
Being summoned by the Emperor was within Xie Sili's expectations. After all, Murong had explicitly mentioned her name yesterday, and Xie Jingche and Xie Jingyan were her children, so she was likely to be summoned. She had already mentally prepared herself for all of this.
"If you don't want to see him..."
"Why not see him? He's just an emperor, not a man-eating tiger." Xie Sili interrupted Jun Qiyu. "I'm not really a sickly person either. There are plenty of people who want to get rid of me, but I'm still alive and well." She looked up at the person sitting opposite her. "Although I'm not an expert, I'm still passable in some aspects."
“Of course I trust you.” Jun Qiyu was both amused and exasperated by her words. “However, regarding the academy…”
"What advice do you have?" Xie Sili glanced at Jun Qiyu casually. "The academy's year-end exams are already being prepared. All academies will hold their exams on the same day for three days. Those who perform well in the exams will be recommended by the academy for official positions."
"This year's winner of the advanced class should be Xie Siyu." Jun Qiyu frowned. "But Xie Siyu is, after all, the son of Prime Minister Xie..."
"Why can't it be Xie Sinan?" Xie Sili asked with a smile after taking a bite of the rice in front of her.
Seeing Jun Qiyu's actions, she knew that Xie Sinan's previous image was deeply ingrained in people's minds. After all, even he had been deceived. Before the big exam, she could find someone to scare Xie Sinan.
"Don't you know what kind of person Xie Sinan is?" Jun Qiyu said helplessly. "Xie Siyu is also a dragon among men, but unfortunately, he is the son of Prime Minister Xie..."
"The winner of the women's group is undoubtedly Xie Siyao." Xie Sili ate her food and drank her soup in small, elegant bites.
"You're not taking the grand examination?" Jun Qiyu asked without hesitation. "Although women are not allowed to serve as officials in the court, it seems that the grand examination is a unified process?"
"Why should I participate in this?" Xie Sili asked matter-of-factly. "I'm just going through the motions at the academy, so I shouldn't get involved in this kind of examination."
After all, she was the one who set the questions, he was the one who reviewed the questions, and she was also the one who graded the papers, so she shouldn't get involved in this kind of thing.
"Whether it's Xie Siyu or Xie Sinan, it's the Prime Minister's residence that's stealing the spotlight." Xie Sili waved his hand dismissively. "Besides, the Grand Examination is just to assess what we've learned in the past year, so why do we have to compete for who's better?"
“That makes sense.” Jun Qiyu completely agreed with Xie Sili’s point of view. “Anyway, no matter who wins, it can’t be Xie Sinan.”
"Xie Sinan is a reckless scoundrel. He's not very literate, he's bad at writing, and he loves to play around." Jun Qiyu laughed as he spoke. "He's the only one in Chang'an who I get along with the best. Otherwise, I don't know how he would have survived until now with his personality."
Jun Qiyu wasn't wrong, and Xie Sili understood this very well, so she was actually quite grateful to Jun Qiyu in this regard, but that was all.
After all, Jun Qiyu is the male lead, and male leads are naturally popular.
As for the female lead? She remembered that no amount of beautiful words could describe her beauty or her goodness, but the female lead always seemed to receive everyone's favor, didn't she?
Maybe she'll be able to latch onto the female lead's coattails someday.
After all, who doesn't like to get close to pretty girls?
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