The following day, the Song family woke up half an hour later than usual.
Looking at the patch of red in the east, Grandma Song went quickly to the kitchen while knocking herself on the head; she had never woken up so late before, and she didn’t know what had happened last night, she had slept so heavily.
“Grandma.”
Song Wangyue, Gu Yi and Song Si walked into the courtyard carrying the breakfast they had bought, just in time to see the figure of Grandma Song hurrying, Song Wangyue called out to her.
When Grandma Song turned around, she saw that they were carrying breakfast and immediately turned around, “When did you guys get up, how come I didn’t even hear any movement.”
“Grandma must have been too tired from the rush and fell asleep.” Song Si said.
Saying that, she walked over to Song Wangyue and tried to take the breakfast from her hand, “Is it hot? Give it to grandma, you don’t want to burn it.”
Song Wangyue gave the one she carried in her right hand to her grandmother and obediently took her arm, “There’s nothing to do today, let’s go pick up the betrothal gifts.”
Song grandmother had such an intention since the day she arrived, and nodded at her words, “What have you seen?”
In the past two days, Song Wan Yue and Gu Yi had taken Xu out under the guise of going to transfer the betrothal gifts.
“They all feel similar, let’s have a good look today.”
The family had breakfast and left Song Shu at home, while the rest of them went round in the horse-drawn carriage.
South City was very busy and there were many shops of all kinds, several people went around for the day and picked up what they could put in and bought a few things.
The next day, the temple exams.
Song Si put on the scarlet robe Xu had made for him and took the things he needed for the temple exam.
There was a long queue of scholars coming over, and not a single speaker, and the large palace gate was silent.
All the carriages were parked at a distance from the palace gates, and the students got off the carriages and went through the queue alone, their families were not allowed to go with them.
“Come on, big brother!”
Song Wangyue made a gesture of cheering.
Song Si smiled and stroked her head, “You guys go back first and come back at the end of the weiqi.”
The temple exams were one day long and took place in the square in front of the Golden Palace, with a short break at noon, but they were not allowed to leave their exam positions and sit in place to eat the dry food they had brought.
Song Wangyue nodded her head.
Song Si took her things and went to line up. Soon, the palace doors opened and the students entered in an orderly manner, drawing a number upon entering and then taking their seats in pairs.
Inside the Golden Palace, the Emperor and the civil and military officials were all present, even Old Mr Xu had been invited.
Mindful of his advanced age, the Emperor gave him a special seat.
The civil and military officials looked out with half-sided bodies.
“I wonder which will be this year’s scholar?”
Song Si’s essay for the session exam had long been recited in the Ministry, and everyone who heard it gave a good praise.
The emperor also wanted to know, beckoned, and Eunuch Huang immediately went forward, after listening to the emperor’s instructions out of the Golden Palace, to the square, waiting for the chamberlain to read out the examination questions, the students unfolded the paper and began to do the essay. The eunuch Huang then walked one by one to look over, and when he reached Song Si and saw his name, he turned back and went into the hall to report.
The Emperor’s gaze fell on Song Si from afar.
Although he could not see his face, he saw him sitting with his body straight and wielding his brush in a dashing manner, and nodded in satisfaction.
Old Mr Xu took in the Emperor’s every move, exchanged a glance with the Duke of Ding, and also looked at Song Si at the same time.
A long scarlet robe made him stand out among the many scholars.
The more the Duke of Ding looked at him, the more satisfied he was, but Old Master Xu was a little worried, looking at the Emperor’s attitude just now, it could be more than simply cherishing talent. He also thought of what Song Wangyue had once said to him –
He clenched his fist vainly and coughed twice, “Cough ……”
The emperor’s gaze that fell on Song Si retracted, “Is the old gentleman not feeling well?”
The old gentleman rose and bowed, “Your Majesty, please forgive me, somehow my throat is a little dry.”
“Help the old gentleman to go to the side hall for tea.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty, for your compassion.”
Eunuch Huang personally came forward and assisted him to the side hall where the hundred officials usually waited for the court, and personally poured him a cup of tea and instructed the little eunuchs on the side to serve him before returning to the Golden Palace.
The government has also been working on a number of projects, including the development of a new project for a new city.
The old gentleman lowered his voice, “Can you do me a favour?”
“Please speak, old gentleman.”
The old gentleman told him about Zhang Huai’s impersonation, “To be honest, it was my great-granddaughter who told me about this, but I have never seen it and do not know which student it is, could you do me this favour?”
As soon as he said that, the Duke of Ding heard that he was talking about Zhang Huai, even if the old gentleman didn’t say anything, he would still want to uncover the person today.
But apart from the chamberlains, it was very difficult for anyone to get close to these scholars. Duke Ding was just about to call out to the eunuchs to come in when the door to the side hall was pushed open again, and Duke Qi walked in unhurriedly and greeted the old gentleman with an arch of his hand, “Old gentleman Xu.”
The old gentleman tried to stand up, but the Duke of Qi was busy saying, “Just sit down, old gentleman.”
Old Mr Xu didn’t bother to be polite with him, “Your Highness is ……”
“Oh, perhaps the food I ate early was too salty, come and have a cup of tea.”
From the beginning to the end, he did not look at Duke Ding. The State Duke also ignored him, and straight away picked up the tea jar, slowly sipping the tea.
The Duke of Qi also sat down at the side, and immediately a small eunuch served tea, which he also held in his hand, drinking it unhurriedly.
The old man did not know the inside story, but the Duke of Ding knew that the Duke of Qi had his eyes on him, and his aim was to prevent him from uncovering the person.
The old gentleman knew that the two men had always been at odds with each other and did not say a word, and an eerie silence fell over the hall. It was only when the Minister of Household Affairs entered that the eerie silence was broken.
“Old sir.”
The Minister of Household saluted, no matter what, Wen Zhong had been taught by the old gentleman for many years, plus Huo was now the equal wife of the old gentleman, according to the generation, he was one generation shorter.
In fact, he had promised his daughter to Wen Zhong because of his relationship with the Xu family, in addition to the fact that Wen Zhong was really capable, otherwise, even if he was the Minister of Household, his two grandsons would not have been able to enter the State Scholarship School so easily.
When he saw him, the old gentleman thought of Wen Zhong and nodded indifferently.
The Minister of Household noticed his coldness and was puzzled for a moment, but in the presence of the Duke of Ding and the Duke of Qi he did not ask and sat down by the old gentleman’s next head.
It was not until noon that the Duke of Ding found the opportunity to send someone to look at it.
After he had eaten his fill at noon, he went to the palace again early in the morning. He was a member of the Ministry of Justice, so there was no excuse for him to be concerned about the temple exams, but he didn’t expect to see the Duke of Qi already there after he entered the palace, and he gave him a sidelong glance when he saw him enter.
The two men are both princes of the state, and their daughters are both in the palace, so they are on an equal footing.