Bi Linglong replied, "Minister Pei Ming's second son, Pei Yi, has two sons, Pei Zuo and Pei You. Pei You is the one who came this time. He has been intelligent and quick-witted since childhood and is one of the best among the younger generation of the Pei family."
Zu An thought to himself, "As expected, none of those who came were from the eldest son's lineage. It seems even the Crown Prince's faction is on guard."
I originally thought it would be Da Manman, but it seems I was overthinking it.
"What's wrong? You look so disappointed?" Bi Linglong asked curiously.
"It's nothing," Zu'an naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to mention another woman in front of a woman. "By the way, is the Pei family on good terms with you?"
He remembered that Pei Mianman had mentioned before that their family was on the side of Prince Qi.
Bi Linglong shook her head: "This is a long story. To put it simply, the Pei family is mainly divided into two branches. One branch is the Duke of Linhai, Pei Zheng, who is a court attendant. He has many children and has marriage ties with various forces such as the Prince of Liang, the Liu family, and the Jiang family. On the surface, it seems that he is hedging his bets on both sides, but I know very well that he supports the Prince of Qi more."
Zuan nodded secretly; it seemed that Da Manman belonged to this lineage.
Bi Linglong continued, "As for Pei You who came this time, he comes from the lineage of Pei Ming, the Duke of Julu and the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. Because they both work in the Imperial Secretariat, he and my father have always been at odds..."
Zu An was taken aback: "Given this grudge, why would you allow his grandson to participate in the Crown Prince's examination?"
Bi Linglong explained, "You may not be familiar with some of the unspoken rules of these prestigious families. A large family is not necessarily monolithic; there are many different opinions within it. Although Pei Ming and my father do not get along, his second son, Pei Yi, is a close friend of my elder brother. In addition, Pei Ming's wife and my mother are sisters. With these two relationships, we naturally will not refuse Pei You's participation."
Zuan couldn't help but marvel at how these powerful families intermarried, even rival families could often become relatives. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Pei You's grandmother and your mother are sisters, so does that mean he has to call you aunt?"
Bi Linglong blushed slightly: "It's just that the generation is different. In terms of age, he is about the same as me, we are the same age."
Zu An was about to make a joke when he suddenly realized something: Pei Zheng and Pei Ming were cousins, and Da Manman was Pei Zheng's granddaughter. So, wouldn't Da Manman also have to call Bi Linglong "Auntie"? Then wouldn't she also be my aunt...?
Realizing this, Zuan's smile froze instantly.
Pshaw, pshaw, pshaw, we'll each do our own thing then, we don't care about their nonsense.
At this moment, Bi Linglong said, "Given the stance of the other branch of the Pei family, I suspect that Pei Yi approached my elder brother to deliberately infiltrate our ranks. Therefore, we must also be wary of their people. This time, we need to pay special attention to Pei You and see if he will resort to any tricks or schemes."
“Okay.” Zuan nodded. This woman was indeed very calm and not blinded by family ties at all. She was a born politician.
Bi Linglong continued, "In addition, the Liu family sent Liu Xian, who is the second son of General Wei Liu Yao. This guy is a spoiled brat. With the Liu family's resources, he is over thirty years old and only barely a fifth-rank official. It's really shameful."
Zu An was taken aback: "This Crown Prince's examination is of utmost importance, why would you let such an incompetent person in?"
To be fair, a fifth-rank cultivation level is not low. In some smaller places, it's practically the ceiling.
But this is the capital city, where all kinds of geniuses emerge, and he pales in comparison.
Most importantly, he's already in his thirties. All the fifth-rank students at Mingyue Academy are geniuses, but they're only teenagers. A fifth-rank student in his thirties, even with countless resources, it's not an exaggeration to call him a good-for-nothing.
Bi Linglong smiled wryly, "There's nothing I can do. Because this major exam is so important, each family will send some of their children to gain experience. After all, many people believe that this exam will ultimately be a success, and if they can take this opportunity to 'share the hardships' with the Crown Prince and help him complete his mission, it will be a great contribution to his rise to power. Each family has its own agenda, and as an ally, I must take care of their interests. I can't refuse his participation."
"However, the Liu family knows what's important. In addition to sending Liu Xian, the second-generation rich kid, they also sent their nephew Gao Ying. He is much more capable. He is about the same age as Liu Xian, but he has already reached the peak of the sixth rank. Moreover, he has always been steady and reliable."
Zu An smiled and said, "It seems the Liu family isn't all incompetent fools."
To be honest, even old man Liu Yao was rather mediocre; it's not surprising he raised such a good-for-nothing son. Speaking of which, of all the members of the Liu family I've met, the Empress is the most formidable, both in and out of bed…
Bi Linglong rolled her eyes: "It's fine if you say that to me, but if the Empress or the Emperor's father-in-law hears you, you'll be in big trouble."
Zuan laughed and said, "I'm only telling you this because I consider you one of my own."
Bi Linglong blushed. Was this guy taking the opportunity to flirt with her?
She instinctively wanted to scold him, but she worried that it would hurt his feelings, since the Crown Prince would have to rely on him for the upcoming imperial examination.
Moreover, she thought that such words were not too rude, so she had no choice but to let him have his way and changed the subject, saying, "By the way, the Meng family sent the second young master, Meng Pan. This person is more capable than Liu Xian, and he has already reached the sixth rank."
Having been in the capital for so long, Zu An naturally knew about the Meng family. The patriarch of the Meng family was Meng Jing, one of the Eight Dukes of the Empire and Minister of Works. However, he was already old. The current head of the Meng family was his son, Meng Yi, who was the Director of the Imperial Secretariat. He had several sons, and his youngest daughter was the Princess Consort of the Prince of Dai.
"In addition, the Liang Prince's mansion is led by the youngest son of the Liang Prince, Zhao Xi, who is quite a talented person."
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