Jiang Changning didn't care at all whether the Zhuang family and the Daijian County Duke's Mansion had an alliance or not. To her, the affairs of the two families were just gossip to kill time.
The Prince of Jin went out early and came back late, and the couple had not been able to speak to each other for several days.
On this day, Jin Wang Shen Shizheng came back. Hearing the sound, Jiang Changning went out to greet him, "My Lord, you are back!"
"Are you and your child okay these days?" Prince Jin asked with concern.
"We are fine. We enjoy everything we eat." Jiang Changning did not have the morning sickness that pregnant women often have. She ate well and slept soundly. Seeing that Prince Jin looked tired, she asked, "Your Majesty, you have worked hard. Do you have to go to the government office later?"
"No, let's rest for half a day and go tomorrow." Prince Jin put his arm around Jiang Changning's shoulders and went into the warm room together.
"I have a moment to relax from my busy life." Jiang Changning said with a smile.
"That's right." Prince Jin sat down on the kang and let out a long breath.
"Your Highness, why don't you go to bed and take a nap?" Jiang Changning suggested.
"No need, I'm not sleepy, let's talk." King Jin said with a smile.
"Then I'll ask the maid to bring tea and snacks, and we can chat slowly." Jiang Changning stood up and walked out. "Ask Madam Cui to prepare some easy-to-cook cakes and send them in."
There was still more than an hour before dinner, so the King of Jin was given some cakes to fill his stomach so that he wouldn't starve.
"Go prepare hot water for bathing." Jiang Changning made the arrangements and walked into the room. He saw Prince Jin leaning on the pillow, already drowsy.
Jiang Changning curled his lips. Even in this state, he was still pretending not to be sleepy.
She took the blanket that she usually used to cover her belly and covered him with it. She then quietly left and told the servants in a low voice, "The prince has fallen asleep. Please keep your voices down."
Everyone in Rujingyuan slowed down their movements.
Jiang Changning went to the study room next door to practice calligraphy. Her belly was not too big yet so it would not push against the table.
Half an hour later, King Jin woke up, stretched, looked around, and found that no one was in the room, "Someone come."
Fu Cui came in and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty."
"Where is your princess?" asked Prince Jin.
"In reply to Your Majesty, the princess is practicing calligraphy in the study next door."
"You are pregnant and you are still practicing calligraphy. Be careful not to tire yourself out." Prince Jin said as he was about to go to the study to look for someone.
It was impossible for Jiang Changning to practice calligraphy for an hour. She was pregnant and could not stand for that long. After practicing for a quarter of an hour, she lay down on the couch and read a storybook.
As she watched, she felt sleepy and fell asleep in a daze.
When Prince Jin came in, what he saw was the picture of a beautiful woman in spring sleep.
He walked over, picked up the book that had fallen on the ground, put it aside, and reached out to pinch her nose.
Jiang Changning woke up with a stuffy nose and couldn't breathe. He saw the King of Jin in front of him and said, "Yong Zhou, you're awake!"
The voice was soft and languid, revealing a hint of lazy charm, which aroused the heart and soul of King Jin, who had been alone for two months. "Ningning, why did you come here to sleep? Don't you want me to sleep with you?"
This aggrieved tone made Jiang Changning laugh, "If I don't want to sleep with you, what's in your mind?"
Prince Jin's eyes lit up, "Imperial Doctor Xue seemed to have said that after three months, you can have sex."
"There are a bunch of beauties waiting for you in your backyard. You don't have to put yourself in such a difficult position." Jiang Changning said this deliberately, with a hint of temptation.
"I am guarding my wife. I have no grievances." Prince Jin leaned over and kissed Jiang Changning on the forehead. "I am happy with it."
Then he added: "Ningning, don't even think about pushing me to someone else."
Jiang Changning pursed her lips and smiled. She didn't want to push him to anyone else.
The next day, Prince Jin went to the morning court in high spirits. Even though the emperor made things difficult for him again, it did not affect his good mood.
A day later, when the envoys to Annan were about to leave the capital, Li Tianyou, the younger brother of the King of Annan, arrived in the capital under the escort of several loyal ministers.
The old minister reported the civil unrest in Annan to the emperor in tears, pointed out the evil ambitions of the Yu family, and asked the Qin Dynasty to send troops to suppress the rebellion.
"I, a humble servant, dare to imitate the loyalty of Shen Baoxu and lament at the gate of the palace. I humbly hope that you will raise an army to mourn and punish the enemy, uphold the righteousness of continuing the extinction, eliminate the treacherous villains, and restore the Li family. Even after my death, I will be immortal!"
The emperor immediately issued an edict, severely condemning the rebellious behavior of the Yu father and son, and immediately arranged for Li Tianyou and his entourage to return to Annan with the envoy to succeed the King of Annan.
After seeing off this group of people, the Ministry of Rites began to get busy with the re-examination.
According to the Qin Dynasty's imperial examination system, only after passing the re-examination could the candidates participate in the palace examination presided over by the emperor himself.
The re-examination began on April 6th.
The re-examination was not difficult. It just asked the candidates to write a poem.
This poem is what is often called the test poem, also called fu deti, which is mostly five-character six-rhyme, or rhymed and regulated verse.
The re-examination was presided over by an official from the Hanlin Academy, and the candidates who took part in the re-examination came forward to draw questions according to their ranking in the spring examination.
There were ten people in a group. Zhou Duxin, who ranked seventh, was in the first group. He drew the title of the poem: Xiang Ling plays the harp.
When Zhou Duxin saw the title of the poem, he remembered what his elder brother had told him, "It is said that Master Qian is the eleventh-generation grandson of Qian Qi and he highly respects Qian Qi."
This title comes from "Chu Ci·Yuan You" which goes "Let Xiang Ling play the harp and let Hai Ruo dance with Feng Yi".
This is a legendary story. It is said that Emperor Shun was buried in Cangwu Mountain after his death. His concubine committed suicide by jumping into the Xiang River out of grief and became the goddess of the Xiang River. She often played the harp by the Xiang River to express her grief.
Qian Qi, the most talented scholar in the Dali period of the Tang Dynasty, wrote a poem based on this topic when he was taking the imperial examination.
Although examination poems have requirements on rhythm and rhyme, and it is difficult to produce excellent works, Qian Qi's poem has been highly praised throughout the ages.
"Classification of Tang Poems with a Ruler" praises: The whole poem is elegant, and the ending seems to be inspired by God!
"Er'an Commenting on Tang Poetry" praises: The last line is truly a masterpiece. When the host read to this point, he sighed that it was divine inspiration.
"Notes on Tang Poems in Wangshiyuan": The music, people and ground are glued together wonderfully. The last two sentences have a distant and leisurely rhyme.
Zhou Duxin deeply agreed with these comments. It was unlikely for him to come up with a wonderful work that could surpass this poem in just a stick of incense.
He pondered for a moment, wrote a well-balanced poem and handed it in. Even though it was not pleasing to the eye, it would not make the examiner dislike his poetry.
The re-examination starts at 1:00 a.m. and ends at 1:00 p.m.
During this period, the tribute candidates only had a simple brunch. After the brunch, the hungry tribute candidates were not allowed to leave and had to learn etiquette from the officials of the Ministry of Rites.
Most of the tribute scholars grew up among the people and were lacking in etiquette.
What they need to learn is how to pay respect to the emperor, how to perform etiquette when meeting their superiors, and how to meet colleagues of the same level.
"When you meet the emperor, you should perform the kowtow ceremony, kneel on the ground with your knees bent, support yourself with your left hand on your right hand, and slowly kowtow to the ground, lingering for a long time, with your hands in front of your knees and your head behind your hands."
"When passing by a person of higher rank than yourself, you should bow to show respect."
"If you are of the same rank, you can bow when you meet."
If one performed the etiquette incorrectly, not only would one lose the chance to become an official, but one might even lose his life. Even though they were exhausted, the candidates still studied very seriously.
They studied until the sun was setting before they, at the urging of the officials from the Ministry of Rites, left the palace, found their own carriages, and returned home.
(End of this chapter)