I originally thought this was just a trap set up to target the Minister of Rites, but the next day, the situation got out of control. The first place winner of the Spring Examination was not only unskilled, but he also paid for his place in the imperial examination...
These horrifying rumors were so detailed and detailed that it was impossible not to believe them.
"Who is the first place in the examination?" Shen Xihe didn't pay much attention to it yesterday.
"His surname is He, and he's from Wuzhou. It's said that he's a distant relative of the chief academic officer of the Imperial College..." Zhenzhu told Shen Xihe the man's basic information.
"Go to the East Palace." Shen Xihe's face became solemn after hearing this.
This was not just a temporary move made by Xiao Huayong, but a long-planned overall plan. The people involved ranged from officials in the capital to those in the localities. If he was not careful, half of the officials in the court might be replaced.
"Yoyo came to see me, why didn't you let me know earlier? I could have prepared some of your favorite things." Xiao Huayong brought over a plate of cherries.
Cherry is the first fruit of spring and is the most sought after fruit in Kyoto. A "cherry banquet" is held when the results of the new imperial examinations are announced. This fruit is precious and rare, so each person is only given a small plate.
The colorful glass cups are filled with tender, juicy, crystal clear, rosy and shiny cherries, which look extremely delicious and tempting.
"Your Highness..." Shen Xihe was stunned.
If she remembered correctly, Xiao Huayong had been plagued by toxins in his body for twelve years because of a bowl of cherries. Shen Xihe thought he would hate or even be afraid of cherries, but she didn't expect him to hand them to her so openly.
Xiao Huayong saw through her thoughts at a glance: "Yoyo, do you think I am afraid of this?"
Xiao Huayong wiped his hands, picked up a cherry, carefully removed the cherry stem, and very skillfully broke it open without spilling a drop of juice, removed the core, placed it on another glass cup, and pushed it in front of Shen Xihe.
"Before I met you, I didn't allow myself to have any weaknesses." He did hate cherries. When he decided to stand up, the first thing he did was to eat cherries. He ate them until he no longer had any discomfort towards them, which enabled him to develop such a skilled technique.
No one and nothing could make him afraid or hesitate, until he met Shen Xihe.
He thought that everyone in this world should have a soft spot, and Shen Xihe was the irresistible softness that he had lost for many years.
"Try it. These are cherries planted in the back garden of the East Palace." Xiao Huayong planted many fruit trees in the East Palace. There are two of each kind. He originally thought that one was not aesthetically pleasing, but now he thinks that two are pairs, which has a meaning. "After a while, there will be loquats as well."
Shen Xihe admired Xiao Huayong for being so calm in facing the cherries. She did not refuse. She picked up the chopsticks and tasted the cherries: "Sweet and delicious, soft and long-lasting."
It is the best of cherries. Shen Xihe had eaten it in Linchuan before. There is no such thing in the northwest. The cherries in Linchuan are not so delicious and juicy, making people want to eat more.
"These two cherry trees have been planted in the East Palace for seven years. At first, the fruits were sour and astringent. I went to seek advice from many old farmers who grew cherries. It took me three or four years to finally make them bear sweet fruits." Xiao Huayong saw that Shen Xihe liked the cherry trees, so he continued to remove the stems and pits for her. "Starting tomorrow, I will ask Tianyuan to send you a plate every day."
Cherries are fresh only when they grow on the tree, and you can’t eat too many of them. It’s best to send a plate of them to Shen Xihe every day.