"No, Your Majesty, you've never even met Zheng Qiu! How did you come to take a liking to that child? Did Enzi choose him himself?" the Emperor asked, puzzled.
"That silly boy, he couldn't even tell if she was a girl or a boy," the Empress Dowager couldn't help but laugh.
"Grandmother, please tell your grandson what happened! Your grandson is very curious!" When talking about everyday matters in front of the Empress Dowager, the Emperor always acted like a child.
"You're over forty years old, why are you still acting like a child?" The Empress Dowager glanced at the Emperor helplessly.
However, she still told the emperor about what Gu En had mentioned about Zheng Qiu.
Gu Xin and Gu Si didn't tell the Empress Dowager anything; the Empress Dowager figured it all out herself. Gu En really wasn't good at hiding his emotions.
Perhaps it was because he didn't know Zheng Qiu was a girl, so it was like he was telling his family that he had made a good friend.
Those who have been through it all can see through a young person's thoughts at a glance.
"Hahahaha, how come Enzi is just like his father! Grandmother, I'm afraid that when Enzi gets into the top rank, even if he has the ability, I won't want to appoint him as the top scholar just because I think about it." The emperor was overjoyed.
The Empress Dowager glared at the Emperor.
"Just kidding, grandson is just kidding. I won't treat the imperial examinations lightly, please rest assured, Grandmother." The emperor immediately became serious.
"This is not a trivial matter. Although Enzi is the eldest grandson of your imperial uncle's family, you cannot control the examiners. They should be treated the way they should be. He should take the exam based on his own abilities. If he gets into the top rank, you cannot appoint him as the top scholar just because he is the grandson of your imperial uncle's family. Everything must be done according to the rules, and it must be convincing to the public," the Empress Dowager said solemnly.
"Yes, Your Majesty! Your grandson will remember your teachings." The emperor sat up straight and replied respectfully.
"Zhao'er." The Empress Dowager looked at the Emperor's appearance and couldn't help but think of his childhood, even calling him by his nickname.
“Grandmother.” The Emperor paused for a moment and looked at the Empress Dowager.
"Time flies, our Zhao'er has grown so much. But Grandmother is still as nosy as ever. Has Zhao'er gotten annoyed with Grandmother?" The Empress Dowager beckoned the Emperor to step forward.
The emperor walked over and sat down next to the Empress Dowager. In fact, he longed to sit on a small stool like he did when he was a child, with his head resting on the Empress Dowager's lap.
However, he was already forty years old, and the Empress Dowager was also getting old.
He could only grasp the Empress Dowager's hand and say with utmost seriousness, "Grandmother, it is fortunate that you have been by my side all these years, otherwise the great Zhou dynasty would not be so prosperous. I will never resent you, Grandmother. I hope you will always be here, so that when I act rashly, you can point me in the right direction. The Zhou dynasty does not belong to me, it belongs to the Ye family. These past dynasties have been protected by you, Grandmother. You are a meritorious official of the Ye family, and also a meritorious official of the Zhou dynasty."
The Empress Dowager smiled and shook her head: "You rascal, you've always had a sweet tongue. When you were little, I often couldn't bear to see you studying so hard by yourself. But it was all out of necessity. Zhao'er, you finally did it. You are the chosen one, you should be the emperor of the Great Zhou, the one chosen by heaven, not the one chosen by your grandmother."
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