Chapter 379 The Emperor Has Come to Back Us Up
"We've drafted and signed the contract. Students, we have no problem with you participating in the exam, but you'll have to figure out how to participate, since you were the ones who suggested this competition."
Seeing that they had started passing around the contract, Daiyu then brought up the most important point in it.
All the details should have been included when the contract was drafted.
However, it's unclear whether the students at the Imperial Academy lacked experience in drafting contracts or simply forgot about it, but this crucial point was conspicuously overlooked.
Daiyu felt that it would be a bit unreasonable not to take advantage of this loophole.
After all, she had specifically added a clause to the contract stipulating that the Imperial Academy would be responsible for all matters related to the female students' participation in the imperial examinations.
"If the competition cannot proceed as scheduled because of your reasons, then the responsibility lies with you, and you will have to automatically admit defeat!"
Although Daiyu herself could not arrange for the students of the girls' academy to take the exams together with the students of the Imperial Academy, she believed that Granny Yuan would definitely have a way, and that if she was not too strict, she would actually have a good solution.
Daiyu had no intention of cheating on the exam, but she was very willing to make things a little difficult for the Imperial Academy.
Who told this group of people to be unable to argue with a young girl like her, and then resorting to cheating and being a sore loser!
The students at the Imperial Academy were all a bit bewildered when they heard Daiyu's words.
The students who were just moments before full of enthusiasm, saying that the girls' academy was wasting resources, suddenly felt as if they had been doused with cold water.
Yes, what should we do next?
How did things get to this point?
This doesn't seem to be what they intended.
Those who initially encouraged them to compete against the girls' college students in the provincial examinations never told them what would happen if the girls' college actually accepted the challenge.
The situation shouldn't have unfolded with the girls' academy showing humility; they were all women, why should they participate in the imperial examinations?
The examination hall was full of men. During the imperial examinations, the spring chill was still in the air, and the examination hall was really not a good place to go.
Students who had participated in the imperial examinations in previous years shook their heads violently at the thought of the environment inside the examination hall and the image of the young ladies from the girls' academy going to the examination hall to take the exams.
I can't even imagine what that scene would look like.
Just then, the officials made way, and the students also got up and looked towards the door.
There was a large crowd at the entrance, but it soon quieted down, and a group of people slowly walked in.
The officials bowed and greeted the guests.
emperor.
Standing on high ground, Daiyu could see far. Facing the gate, she had already seen the approaching crowd, including the emperor and empress in disguise, her former nanny, and a few other officials she didn't recognize.
"We heard it's lively here, and since we have nothing to do today, we came to join in the fun. Have we disturbed you?" The Emperor was very easygoing, speaking as if he were an elder visiting his own family's gathering.
"Greetings to the Emperor and my senior sister," Daiyu said with a smile, bowing respectfully.
The students at the Imperial College next door were dumbfounded.
Although they considered themselves exceptionally talented and unmatched, most of them were seeing the Emperor up close for the first time, and for a moment, they didn't know whether to be afraid or excited, and none of them dared to speak up.
Daiyu replied, "You haven't disturbed us. However, if you wanted to stargaze, your timing is a bit unfortunate."
Although the students of the Imperial Academy kept their heads down, they all secretly glanced at Daiyu. How could this Princess Jiangzhu be so fearless? That was the Emperor! She actually said that the Emperor's arrival was untimely.
But Lin Daiyu continued, "That meteor shower just now was truly spectacular. The observatory of the Imperial Observatory is the best place to observe it. It's a real pity you didn't come!"
The Emperor nodded and smiled, “That’s alright. I heard from your master that you can already calculate the time and observation location of the next meteor shower. Tell me earlier next time, and your senior sister and I will go to see it together.”
"Yes, Your Majesty," Daiyu replied with a smile.
"I heard that all the students from the Imperial Academy are here tonight. Are these the ones?" Zhao Huajing asked the Director of the Imperial Observatory.
The supervisor hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, it is indeed them. The students have never seen the Emperor's face before, and are somewhat intimidated." He even offered an explanation on behalf of the students.
"After you all take the imperial examinations and become officials, I'm afraid you'll find it annoying to see the emperor," Zhao Huajing joked with a smile.
"Am I that annoying?"
"I was just saying."
“I heard that the students of the Imperial Academy and the girls’ academy are going to compete in the provincial examination. In my opinion, this competition is not fair at all, so let’s just forget about it.” Zhao Huajing brought up what Yuan Hongqu had just told her.
Before the Emperor's arrival, the students of the Imperial Academy were trying to figure out how to get the students of the Girls' Academy to take the exam with them. After much thought, they couldn't come up with a good solution, and many students had already given up.
Upon hearing the Empress's words, they all nodded in agreement, saying that the girls were just being silly and playing around, and that it was fine if they didn't have the competition.
"How can that be?" While the students were talking, the Emperor had already picked up the contract on the table and glanced through it.
"Now that the contract is in place, it should be properly fulfilled. You are all educated people, have you all studied the most basic sayings, such as 'A gentleman's word is as good as his bond,' and 'A person without integrity cannot stand,' in vain?"
The Emperor and Empress disagreed, but Zhao Huajing always obeyed the Emperor's wishes.
Zhao Huajing originally thought that the teacher had come to her to cancel the competition, since the students of the girls' academy had not specifically studied the content of the imperial examinations, nor had they learned to write such obscure and difficult articles.
The students at the Imperial Academy, even if they haven't been studying since childhood, have at least been studying for five or six years. While they may not be exceptionally good at writing essays for the imperial examinations, they are certainly capable of doing so.
This competition is inherently unfair, so what's the point of comparing it?
Moreover, if women were allowed to take the imperial examinations and passed, wouldn't they also have to participate in the palace examination and be granted official positions in the same way?
Since men couldn't participate in the imperial examinations and women couldn't participate in the selection process, it was only natural.
So Zhao Huajing took the opportunity to suggest canceling the competition, but Yuan Hongqu gently tugged at her sleeve and shook her head after hearing this.
Zhao Huajing was puzzled, but the Emperor then suggested that the competition continue.
Daiyu was very happy to hear this.
"Your Majesty, I am not afraid to compete with them, but I am afraid that they will not dare to compete with us. If they lose to us, I am afraid they will cry."
"I know your scholarship is on par with your father's. What about the others in the academy? Or are you going to take on the students of the Imperial Academy all by yourself?"
"That won't do!" Daiyu quickly said, "All the students in the advanced classes at our academy can come and participate!"
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