Zhang Shou, who was hoping to avoid the arduous task of calendar preparation, naturally avoided going to the Ge Mansion for the next few days. He even asked Ah Liu to help look after the Xiao family. He also sent a few books to Guan Qiu and hid in the Imperial College's dormitory at other times.
Zhang Shou heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that Ge Yong had gathered several old friends and officials from the Imperial Observatory to write a petition for observations around the world. There were many opinions in the court, some supporting and some opposing. At least he didn't hear that Teacher Ge had betrayed him and said it was all his bad idea. Anyway, with his current position, it was unlikely for him to leave the capital to preside over any kind of survey...
Although this controversy caused some waves in the tide of selecting the imperial consort and the imperial concubine, it did not cause much response. Everyone was looking forward to the list of the initial screening by the Ministry of Rites, but when the list of 80 people was actually released, some were happy and some were sad.
All the noble children who had come to Zhang Shou to ask for special tutoring were approved. If Zhang Chen hadn't scolded them, they would have wanted to treat Zhang Shou to a few drinks. Everyone felt that if they hadn't called Zhang Shou "little master" by chance in Cuiyun Room and had been staying in Banshan Hall honestly for the past few days, they would have been eliminated long ago based on their past reputation!
After the initial screening, there was a re-selection. When the list of 40 people was released, and 17 people were still on the list, everyone was really happy. Although Zhang Chen said with a straight face that the young master did not like to show off, he could not resist Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu's persuasion, and the others' soft and hard persuasion, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and block people in Jiuzhang Hall in the evening before the day off.
"Invite me to the Duke Qin's mansion for a banquet? Are you inviting me to your home?"
Zhang Shou was a little surprised. Although the noble children of Banshan Hall all called him "Teacher" in person, and there were countless people who followed Zhang Chen and others and called him "Little Master" behind his back, there were indeed not many families who really regarded him as a teacher. The Lu family was because Lu Wan learned a lesson, and most of the others sent gifts, and the rest could not be mentioned.
As for Zhang Chen's father, Duke Qin Zhang Chuan, he had heard Zhang Chen say that he was obsessed with books and ignored his son. He also glanced at Zhang Chuan from a distance at the court meeting, but he never said a word. After Zhang Chen was praised by the emperor twice, Duke Qin sent people to send gifts, which was not much of an exchange.
"It wasn't my father who invited me." Zhang Chen saw that Zhang Shou looked thoughtful, and worried that he might have misunderstood him, so he quickly explained, "It was my classmates Awu and Alu who said that my family is big and my father doesn't care about me much, so they wanted to borrow my garden to set up two tables. Thank you, young master."
He paused as he spoke, wanting to add that Zhu Ying should never come. Even though he had given up on that extravagant hope and was determined to find a more beautiful woman than Zhu Ying, such as Princess Yongping, he still couldn't stand the heart-wrenching feeling if Zhu Ying was always around. However, he swallowed the words back.
Although his father and Zhu Ying's father, Duke Zhao, did not have obvious conflicts, they were not close either, so Zhu Ying would not come. Most importantly, his mother, Lady Qin, Lady Lin, had never liked Zhu Ying very much.