"1170 Zhou Duxin,1171 Liu Qingyun,1172 Tian Xiangmin,1179 Zhuang Jike." The bailiff called out the numbers.
Coincidentally, Zhou Duxin and Zhuang Jike were the first and last of this batch.
After the body search, Zhou Duxin came out and happened to meet Zhuang Jike.
Zhou Duxin sneered: "It's a good thing to break your promise."
Zhuang Jike knew he was in the wrong, so he didn't respond. He picked up his exam box and left in a hurry. He would come back to settle the score with Zhou Duxin after he passed the exam.
It was not the first time for the candidates from the capital to enter the Imperial Examination Hall. They were familiar with the place and quickly found their rooms.
When it was daybreak, the yamen runners distributed the test questions. The content of the joint examination was roughly the same as that of the provincial examination. The first test was on the classics in the Four Books.
Zhou Duxin opened the test paper and the first question he saw was from the Analects of Confucius: "Do not talk about what has been accomplished, do not advise on what is happening, and do not blame the past."
To put it literally, it means: there is no need to mention what has been done, there is no need to dissuade what has been completed, and there is no need to pursue what has passed.
But the person who sets the question definitely does not want a literal understanding.
As the saying goes, past events are a lesson for the future.
Zhou Duxin thought for a while, picked up his pen, dipped it in ink, and wrote on the paper with great vigor and vitality to answer the questions.
When people focus on doing one thing, time will pass quickly.
By the time Zhou Duxin finished answering the four questions on the meaning of the scriptures, it was already noon. The yamen runners distributed lunch, which consisted of three large steamed buns, a plate of pickles, and a bowl of egg drop soup.
This food is already quite good for students from poor families.
But for Zhuang Jike, who was born in a wealthy family, this was really hard to swallow.
But he had to eat it, because examiners were not allowed to bring food into the tribute hall.
How to take the exam on an empty stomach
Another person who couldn't eat was the Crown Princess of Prince De. It wasn't because she couldn't eat because she disliked the food, but because she had morning sickness.
Three days ago, the wife of Prince De was also diagnosed with pregnancy. At that time, Princess De put her hands together and said, "Amitabha, may the Bodhisattva bless you."
Her son has been married for five or six years, but her daughter-in-law still hasn't gotten pregnant. She is almost going crazy with worry.
But in a family like theirs, there is no way a concubine's son would be born earlier than the legitimate son.
If a concubine's eldest son is born, it will be a sign of ruin for the family.
Now that her daughter-in-law is pregnant, Princess De only hopes to have a boy.
The Queen Mother of Prince Jin also shared the same idea.
However, the Concubine Dowager of Prince Jin did one more thing than the Concubine De. Jiang Changning was pregnant and could not serve Prince Jin, so she wanted to have another concubine for Prince Jin.
Jiaoyao was unsuccessful. She proposed twice, and King Jin rejected her twice.
The Princess Dowager of Prince Jin asked her sister to help her find the daughter of a minor official and bring her back to the palace to be the Prince of Jin's concubine.
The King of Jin had not yet learned about this, but Yan Yinyao had known about it first. She whispered, "My aunt is really getting old and confused."
She hurried to Liuxuanyuan to stop her good aunt from doing something stupid.
"Aunt, my cousin's wife is only pregnant now. It's not even three months yet, and the baby isn't even stable yet. What if she gets angry because of my cousin taking a concubine and hurts the baby?"
"Men always have three wives and four concubines, so how can he stay with her alone? Your cousin is a prince, you must not let him down."
If this wasn't her biological aunt, who truly loved her, she would have wanted to curse at her, "You old woman!"
Restraining her anger, Yan Yinyao continued to persuade her, "Aunt, my cousin is a noble man, a prince, and is busy with government affairs. When he returns home, he hopes that his family will be harmonious. If you bring a concubine back, my cousin's wife will not feel comfortable, so how can my cousin feel comfortable?"
"How dare she be uncomfortable! How can a wife be so jealous?" the concubine said sternly.
Yan Yinyao bit the corner of her lip, "Aunt, what is the purpose of taking concubines? It is to expand the family. The legitimate wife can give birth, so what is the point of taking so many concubines? To let the illegitimate son harm the legitimate son and compete with the legitimate son for the family property?"
"Just don't let your concubine have children." The concubine thought this was an easy problem to solve.
"Aunt, this woman who wants to be my concubine is good at using sweet words to deceive people. She pretends to drink the heir-killing soup and gets pregnant. What should we do then? Abort the baby, it's a life. Don't abort the baby, it's disgusting to watch."
The concubine was silent, and Yan Yinyao continued, "Aunt, even if you want to take a concubine for your cousin, you should wait until your cousin's wife gives birth to two or three legitimate sons. It won't be too late then."
"Let's talk about this later." The concubine did not insist on giving Prince Jin a concubine immediately.
Yan Yinyao breathed a sigh of relief and chatted with the concubine for a while before returning to the yard to accompany her daughter.
Not long after, what she said to the concubine was passed on to Jiang Changning by the spies in Liuxuanyuan.
Xiulan heaved a long sigh, "This is all thanks to my cousin."
If the Concubine Dowager insists on giving the Prince a concubine, the Princess will not be able to stop her and will definitely be upset.
Jiang Changning smiled, "I will accept her kindness. When she remarries, I will give her a generous dowry."
However, Yan Yinyao would have to wait a few more years before she could remarry, so when Jiang Changning decided to make toys for her unborn baby, she also made one for Zeng Mi.
In the afternoon, Jiang Changning woke up from a nap, "Xiu Lan."
Normally she didn't need anyone to serve her, but since she became pregnant, she didn't call anyone to serve her when she took a nap. Xiulan nagged her for two days, and she finally gave in and started calling for help from then on.
Xiulan came in upon hearing the noise and said with a smile, "The princess is awake, the prince is back."
"You're back so early?" Jiang Changning was surprised. If she remembered correctly, today was the day of the first spring examination. He was not in the yamen. Why did he come back so early? What happened
Xiulan squatted down, helped her put on her shoes, and helped her out of bed, "The prince brought a nanny back."
Jiang Changning's eyes flickered slightly, and he walked slowly to the warm room. When he entered, he saw Prince Jin sitting cross-legged on the big kang by the window, his brows furrowed, his eyes fixed on the booklet on the kang table.
"Your Highness." Jiang Changning did not go over, worried that there might be some secrets written in the booklet.
When King Jin heard the voice, he turned around and raised the corners of his lips, "He's up."
"If you don't get up, you won't be able to sleep at night." Jiang Changning said with a smile.
"Doctor Xue said that pregnant women tend to get sleepy easily, so it's okay to get more sleep." Prince Jin closed the booklet and said, "Come here."
Jiang Changning then walked over and sat down beside him. "Gang Xiulan said that the prince brought back an old maid. Did the prince ask her to take care of me?"
"The people who serve you are all girls, and they have no experience in childbirth. Nanny Feng used to be a female doctor, and she has given birth to several children. She is a reliable person. I will let her serve you. You can take a look at her and see if she suits your taste. If so, let her serve you in the future."
"I was just thinking of finding an experienced and reliable person to serve me, and the prince brought him here. The prince is so good to me!" Jiang Changning said in a tender voice.
Jin Ya and Xiang Dai, who were by her side, had already given birth, but their children were still young and could not be separated from their mother. Jiang Changning was not a harsh master and did not allow them to come into the mansion to work properly.
She really needs someone like this around her to give her some advice.