When He Xiyuan came to Jingning Marquis' Mansion, he learned that Liu Yulian was not in the mansion.
"She's gone to pack up her books," Liu Yanjing said. "She's gone to another house. That's the latest gift from the emperor."
"Okay." He Xiyuan nodded and prepared to go over there.
"Are you going there so soon?" Liu Yanjing raised his eyebrows.
"Go help her organize the books." He Xiyuan thought there was no point in staying in the Marquis of Jingning's mansion, so he might as well help Sister Lian organize the books. "I've helped her organize them before, and it will be faster if I go."
“…” Liu Yanjing looked at He Xiyuan, who really knew how to talk.
"I'm going." He Xiyuan said.
"Go, go." There was no way Liu Yanjing would stop He Xiyuan from going. It would be better to let He Xiyuan go and help his sister.
My younger sister brought a lot of books from the northwest. If she were to sort them out by herself, it would take a long time. Sorting books isn't something that just anyone can do.
Liu Yulian was in the courtyard, having had the books placed there. She unpacked each box one by one, checking to see what was inside, and then had the books moved in. Liu Yulian had already made some preparations when she sorted the books in the northwest: she grouped related books together.
Liu Yulian knew that people in this era didn't have pinyin, so she used the radicals of the first characters in the book, which was more convenient. Aren't all dictionaries like that? Some search for characters by radicals, while others search by pinyin.
"Move this box of books in." Liu Yulian asked the servants to move the books. She walked in and told the maid how to put the books in place.
Liu Yulian didn't let the men arrange the books. As a woman, she should have used some maids. She couldn't let men do everything. Liu Yulian didn't think she was a revolutionary. She couldn't make the women powerful overnight. At most, she could start with herself. She was willing to use women.
She had brought few maids with her from the northwest, but after arriving in the capital, the imperial family rewarded her with a large number of maids in the Liu family's mansion. The emperor also gave Liu Yulian a few more maids, and Liu Yulian could arrange for them to do things.
The maids arranged by the emperor were originally palace maids. These palace maids were also daughters of officials, but their fathers were not the sons of marquises or nobles. Their fathers held relatively low positions. They originally thought that their stay in the palace was just to find an opportunity to serve the prince in the future, and that their lives would be like this.
In this dynasty, palace maids had the opportunity to leave the palace when they turned 25, but not every one of them could do so. Even if they did, they would not necessarily live a good life when they returned to their parents' homes. Their parents might squeeze their money out of them and then marry them off casually.
Throughout history, there have been palace maids who lived such miserable lives.
When these maids came to Liu Yulian's side, they knew they had another path to follow. They were carefully selected by the emperor, and the emperor would not choose a few people who always wanted to climb into men's beds.
The emperor wanted those women to help Liu Yulian more instead of causing trouble for her.
"Yes, that's how it's arranged." Liu Yulian said, "They're all arranged according to the radicals."
Fortunately, people of this era already know what radicals are. If they didn’t, Liu Yulian wouldn’t know how to say it.
"Some of the books are a bit worn, so just be careful. In a couple of days, copy down these rare copies," Liu Yulian said. "Copy a few more, and you won't have to worry about the original books getting lost."
Liu Yulian couldn't just focus on the original books. The original books were already worn out, and if they were flipped a few more times, they would become even more worn out. Liu Yulian had long realized that she had to have the books copied properly, and she couldn't let them continue to wear out. The worn books were placed elsewhere, but they were put together for now because there were no new books copied yet.
"Yes." These maids were all literate, and they responded quickly.
They had all heard that Princess Rongning had read a lot since she was young. It was precisely because of her extensive reading that she was able to produce so many valuable research findings. They should learn more from her. If they could also learn to research something and enter a research institute, it would be beneficial for their future as well.
They have already left the palace, and if they get married again in the future... they have to be careful not to find a husband who will be a burden to them.
Liu Yulian didn't know what the maids were thinking. She just wanted to sort out the books as quickly as possible. Fortunately, there were enough people, so she didn't have to worry too much.
There is strength in numbers, Liu Yulian really felt it.
Now that there is more food, those people will definitely be able to eat more, their lives will be better, and their lifespans will be longer.
Just as Liu Yulian was thinking about how many boxes of books she still had to sort out, He Xiyuan arrived.
"I'll help you." He Xiyuan said.
"No need." Liu Yulian refused directly. "Just let them organize. I won't do much organizing. They have to learn how to organize books. In the future, when other books come in, they have to learn how to organize them. I can't stay here all day and watch them organize books."
Liu Yulian also planned to train these people. In the future, managing a library would also be a science. Liu Yulian planned to let these people manage it, and she would just come to find the books when the time came. She also had to let these people register who borrowed books, so that people would not borrow books and then not return them.
"I collected the books here," Liu Yulian said. "The court also collected some other books, which are in the house next door."
Liu Yulian suspected that the emperor had deliberately arranged this so that those people could also come to her to borrow books. They also had some books on the farm, but not so many.
The environment in Zhuangzi is more humid, so in order to avoid damage to the books, it would be better to place them in a special house.
"Then I'll take a look." He Xiyuan didn't have to organize those books. He knew that Liu Yulian was right.
Before I even took the imperial examination, my sister Lian had already become a first-rank academy director.
He Xiyuan was happy for Liu Yulian. He was not unhappy because he did not have such a high official position. That was what Sister Lian deserved, and he would work hard to get promoted in the future.
"Okay." Liu Yulian nodded. "There are a lot of boxes here. You can walk beside them and watch them sort them. If they find anything wrong, just let me know."
Liu Yulian couldn't possibly curse. She wanted prestige, but it wasn't earned by cursing. Those people were quite smart, and each of them knew how to arrange the books.
The people the emperor had arranged were indeed not bad. Liu Yulian didn't think the emperor was just keeping an eye on her. Even if the emperor wanted someone to keep an eye on her, she didn't care. She didn't care that much about these things. If more people could study them, she would be happy.
"Okay." He Xiyuan thought this was a good idea, so Sister Lian wouldn't have to worry so much.
Northwest of Shiyuan Village, Liu Yanqing went to the town and learned from the third wife that Liu Yanbo hadn't been admitted to the academy of his choice. Liu Yanqing wasn't surprised at all. Liu Yanbo didn't have that much talent to begin with, it was just that the second wife was too dramatic.
Lin Xiaowan had been pregnant for over four months and had been relatively quiet recently, not going out to town much or to the capital. She had no business whatsoever with the second and third wives.
It was almost July, and Lin Xiaowan was wondering whether the crops in the fields were growing well.
"Liu Yanbo failed the exam again," Liu Yanqing said to Lin Xiaowan. "Given his condition, I knew he wasn't good enough. When we were in school together, he wasn't very smart. He was always secretive about his studies. The teacher didn't want to talk to him, but it's not that the teacher didn't want to talk to him. The teacher told him to speak up if he had any problems, but he didn't."
Does Liu Yanbo think that he is very capable? He thinks that he is very capable without the teacher's guidance?
Liu Yanqing thought Liu Yanbo was a joke. He hadn't passed the exam for the rank of "Xu Cai" (School of Scholars). He hadn't even gotten into the academy he admired yet. He was sure to fail again in the future. Unless Liu Yanbo gave up trying, which Liu Yanqing thought unlikely, he would at least pass the exam for "Xu Cai."
"You're talking about him, you haven't even taken the exam yet." Lin Xiaowan said.
"That's because I know passing the Tongsheng exam is useless, and it doesn't exempt me from taxes. I'm not that strong myself, so I can't possibly pass the Xiucai exam." Liu Yanqing said, "If you don't have the ability, you have to have a clear understanding. You can't think you're so awesome, that's simply unrealistic. You have to admit that you have weaknesses."
“…” Lin Xiaowan stared at Liu Yanqing. Her husband really had no ability.
"I'm fine. At least I'm still a bastard son of the Marquis's family, and I'm not cut off from the main house." Liu Yanqing said, "If it were our son, it wouldn't be so good. As long as he can pass the examination to become a student, then go for it. If he passes, at least he can recognize words, write and read letters for people, and teach them a few words, which can also earn some pocket money."
Men still need to have their own pocket money and cannot always be pinched by their other half.
Liu Yanqing didn't want to be constantly pinched by Lin Xiaowan; that was too much trouble. He still hoped he could have a little more pocket money. Then he could be more reckless and buy more peanuts.
"Yes, then you must teach the child well in the future." Lin Xiaowan said, "We don't even know if it's a boy or a girl, and you're saying this."
"Boys and girls are both good, they all need to learn to read and write." Liu Yanqing believed that he was not a person who favored boys over girls. "Look at my little sister. She is a girl, but she is better than all of us. If she were a boy, then my eldest brother would have no hope of becoming the crown prince. But that's not right, after all, my eldest brother is the eldest son, so it's different."
Liu Yanqing thought for a moment and said, "My younger sister is such a capable person, she doesn't even care about titles. My father's title was restored because of me, and I even became a princess. How capable she is. If we have a daughter, she should be more like me."
"Why?" Lin Xiaowan wondered, "Shouldn't I look like my younger sister?"
"I'm my younger sister's older brother," Liu Yanqing explained. "If my daughter looks like me, she'll look like her aunt."
“…” Lin Xiaowan felt that Liu Yanqing was really shameless. Lin Yanqing himself did not have that much ability, yet he said that he wanted his daughter to look like him.
However, what Liu Yanqing said was somewhat reasonable. Lin Xiaowan knew that no one in her family was as powerful as Liu Yulian. If her daughter could be as powerful as Liu Yulian in the future, then Lin Xiaowan would be very happy.
"You said that we should let our daughter read more and learn calligraphy in the future," said Lin Xiaowan.
"Of course." Liu Yanqing nodded. "If she doesn't like reading, then there's nothing we can do. As long as she's willing to read, let her read more. My younger sister also left some books in the town. They're all in a house. Everyone can go there to borrow books and read."
Liu Yanqing thought that when the time came, he would definitely let his son and daughter learn more. It didn't matter whether his son passed the imperial examination or not. As long as his son could learn something, then he, Liu Yanqing, would shamelessly send his son to study in the capital.
"Yeah." Lin Xiaowan thought this was good.
"Boys and girls can go." Liu Yanqing had specifically inquired about this. His younger sister hadn't stopped the girls from reading. His younger sister had written on the door that girls could also borrow books. Liu Yanqing thought his younger sister was worried that the girls wouldn't dare go in and borrow books.
Most of the time, it is men who read those books, while women read the Women's Rules and Regulations.
Seeing how capable Liu Yulian was, Liu Yanqing felt that books like "Nu Jie Nu Ze" were of little use. He simply couldn't say much, as the prevailing trend was for girls to read more "Nu Jie Nu Ze."
Back then, when their house was ransacked, my little sister's books were burned, and people laughed at me. It was because I was strong that they didn't dare to laugh at me anymore, but it didn't mean that everyone accepted a woman like me.
In the capital, Mrs. Huo went to her parents' home and complained to her mother about the wrongs done by the Marquis of Jingning's Mansion.
"I just want to see my son and daughter, but they haven't sent the children over yet," Mrs. Huo said. "If I go over, they'll definitely be unhappy. They all think I'm remarried and are afraid of me appearing in front of Princess Zhaoyang."
What Mrs. Huo was thinking was that she didn't want to see Princess Zhaoyang. She didn't want to see Liu Yanjing being so nice to Princess Zhaoyang. Liu Yanjing had been so nice to her before, but now he was being so nice to other women.
This made Mrs. Huo unwilling, but she had no choice. If she hadn't married, she could still make a fuss. But since she was already married, she had no right to say anything. She couldn't stop Liu Yanjing from marrying someone else, nor could she say how bad Princess Zhaoyang was.
"Then don't." Mrs. Huo patted her daughter's hand. "You have other children now, so you don't have to see those two. If you really want to see them, I'll have someone bring them here another day."
Mrs. Huo believed that she was the elder and Liu Yanjing should respect her. She had been very good to her grandson and granddaughter in the past.
"It's still early, why not today?" Mrs. Huo was a little impatient, wanting to see the two children sooner rather than later. She wanted to know how the two children were doing now, and whether they disliked her as much as they did in their previous life.
"There's no need to be so anxious, right?" Mrs. Huo said.
"I'm worried." Mrs. Huo said, "I can't come here all the time. Father will be unhappy."
"Okay, then send someone to the Marquis of Jingning's Mansion. He doesn't want to go there anyway." Mrs. Huo immediately sent someone to the Marquis of Jingning's Mansion to bring her grandson and granddaughter over.
When the people in Jingning Marquis' Mansion learned that people from Huo Bo's Mansion had arrived, they did not let anyone from the Huo family in, nor did they let the young master and young lady out.
When Princess Zhaoyang learned that the Huo family had sent someone, she found it quite ridiculous. Did they think that because they were the elders, the people from the Jingning Marquis' Mansion had to let the child pass?
"Tell them that Yun'er wants to study, and Jia'er, it was me who didn't let her go. Just think of me as a vicious stepmother. I have to let them stay at home and not allow them to recognize anyone from the Huo family." Princess Zhaoyang was unwilling to have much contact with the Huo family.
When the Liu family encountered difficulties, Da Huo chose to divorce. They could not say that Da Huo was wrong. Husband and wife are birds of the same forest. When disaster strikes, they fly away separately. This is a very normal phenomenon.
Princess Zhaoyang didn't like the fact that they were still entangled with Marquis Jingning. Were they still hoping that Liu Yanjing would recognize someone from the Huo family? How could that be possible? The Huo family hadn't sent anything to Liu Qingyun and Liu Jia in the past year or two, and even after the Liu family's title was restored, the Huo family didn't express any interest.
At this time, the Liu family returned to the capital, and the Huo family ran out.
The people of the Huo family are really shameless.
"If they dare to come again in the future, drive them out." Princess Zhaoyang said.
Princess Zhaoyang wasn't afraid of Liu Yanjing and his mother being upset. She already knew her mother-in-law's attitude and that Liu Yanjing had let go of the eldest Huo family member. She didn't need to give in all the time. She had to refuse firmly when it was time to do so. She couldn't let the Huo family think the Liu family was easy to bully.
Princess Zhaoyang even went to tell Liu's mother about this matter, "I will take responsibility for this matter."
"Just do as you say." There is no way that Liu's mother would be willing to have more contact with the Huo family. The Huo family now wants to recognize their grandchildren because they think it is profitable.
Mother Liu couldn't let her grandchildren come into contact with the Huo family, lest they be exploited by them. They all loved their children very much, and the children were not so lacking in love that they had to be with the Huo family.
At the Huo family, when Mrs. Huo heard the visitor relay Princess Zhaoyang's words, her face turned very ugly. Princess Zhaoyang was so unkind to her.
Mrs. Huo was angry, but she didn't dare say anything bad about Princess Zhaoyang. Princess Zhaoyang was the adopted daughter of the imperial concubine and had a good relationship with the current crown prince. Mrs. Huo knew that her own family was not that powerful, so she couldn't offend Princess Zhaoyang.
"How could they be so disrespectful to their mother?" Mrs. Huo had never expected the Liu family to act this way. She had originally thought that if her own mother stepped in, the two children would surely come to her obediently. "She thinks she's a princess, so she..."
"Shut up." Mrs. Huo quickly stopped Mrs. Huo from continuing. The royal princess was not someone they could talk about casually.
They still have to be careful with what they say and do, so that others don't hear what they say.
Mrs. Huo thought that if Princess Zhaoyang wanted to embarrass them, then Princess Zhaoyang would have many opportunities to embarrass them. It would be better for them to be more careful, Mrs. Huo thought so.
When Uncle Huo learned about Mrs. Huo's actions, he came straight to Mrs. Huo with a cold face.
"You guys are all together again." Uncle Huo gritted his teeth. "Can't you guys just stop getting into trouble?"
Mr. Huo felt that his life was too difficult. His wife and eldest daughter refused to listen to him. He had not allowed his eldest daughter to divorce him in the first place, but she insisted on doing so and made a big fuss. He wanted to let his eldest daughter divorce, but when the Liu family restored the title, his eldest daughter started to trouble him again.
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