Page 933
For some reason, Su Changan suddenly had an image in his mind of a cat looking at his letter with a dark face and trying hard not to tear it up.
Some headache.
Su Changan couldn't help but rub his nose and said, "Forget it, I won't write it anymore."
Linghua smiled secretly.
But the next moment, Su Changan glanced at the yard, especially at the person sleeping upside down on the hammock he made. He drooled, and then looked at Linghua: "But why are there only a few of us in the yard today?"
In such a big courtyard, apart from Su Changan, Shentu Kuyue and Linghua, there was no one else except Lian Wei who was walking on the sword pole and Zhou Qianhong who was practicing.
When Linghua heard this, she immediately said, "Your Majesty forgot that the palace affairs examination last year has started recently, and Aunt Sun is going to be the invigilator."
Hearing this, Su Changan looked at Linghua and said, "Am I not good to Xuanxia and the others? Are they all going to take the civil service exam?"
Linghua explained immediately, "Your Majesty forgot. It was Aunt Sun who borrowed them to help because the Cold Food Festival was coming and it happened to coincide with this exam. Neither of them could be delayed, so Aunt Sun wanted to hold the exam before the Cold Food Festival. As a result, many places in the palace were short of manpower. Aunt Sun reported this to Your Majesty yesterday."
After saying that, Linghua looked at Su Chang'an's confused look, and thought of how the Empress yawned and looked confused when she heard about this a few days ago, so she said, "Xianxia was borrowed to help at the Taichang Temple, Qiushui and Xiangluo went to the palace clinic. In addition, because many palace people passed the exam last year and became successful, many people have been studying hard in the past few months. Therefore, there are more people taking the exam this year. In addition, those old aunts in the palace who were disobedient before, who loved to stir up trouble, gossip, and were dishonest, were all sent out when you and His Majesty went to the south, so there are many vacancies, and everyone is vying for them."
At this point, Linghua looked at Su Changan and said, "And I heard that many young ladies from official families and some female scholars are also thinking about taking the exam to serve in the palace."
Hearing Linghua's words, Su Changan suddenly remembered something.
Aunt Sun told her about this a few days ago, but she has been under "house arrest" in the palace for some time. Apart from practicing sword, eating and sleeping every day, she is in a daze.
At that time, Aunt Sun also asked herself whether outsiders would allow them to take the exam.
Su Changan also knew about the vacant positions in the palace. They were filled by the nuns who had caused trouble when the exams first started. At that time, because these people were all from aristocratic families and the King of Shu, they were just left there.
However, after Su Changan and his companions went south this time, Aunt Sun would naturally no longer allow them to stay in the palace. They were all investigated for their crimes and those who should be punished were punished, and those who were innocent were all sent away.
These little things were not worth Su Changan's worry, so Aunt Sun only reported to Su Changan after she was done.
Linghua knelt beside Su Changan, helping him to pick up the scattered books. She looked at Su Changan and said, "Your Majesty, you don't know. I heard from Sister Xuanxia that many palace maids are eager to take the exam for our Lingqi Pavilion. However, Your Majesty doesn't want to let the palace maids in anymore, so they are all trying to take the exam for the Flower Room, the Shangshi Bureau, and the Shangyi Bureau. These three places are closest to you, Your Majesty. I heard that there are hundreds of people taking the exam for just one position of female historian in the Shangshi Bureau. They all want to get close to you, Your Majesty."
After that, Linghua said, "So how could Sister Xunxia and the others possibly go to take the exam? This is the best job in Lingqi Pavilion."
Su Changan looked at Linghua and smiled, and then thought of the hundreds of people taking the exam for one position, and he couldn't help but think of his past life.
Besides, many officials and officials outside also want to take the exam.
Is the end of the world really the civil service exam? It's obviously just to work in the palace, but so many people come.
Thinking of this, Su Changan sat up, helped Linghua to adjust the book, and then stood up.
Su Changan also knew about the Cold Food Festival.
After all, the reason Xun Kuang and Ji Shuying were looking for a place for the students of the Imperial College to study and go on an outing that day was actually because of the arrival of the Cold Food Festival.
After all, in addition to commemorating deceased family members, Cold Food Festival also has the customs of going out for an outing and swinging on the swings.
Moreover, in Daxia, Cold Food Festival can be said to be as big a festival as the Lantern Festival.
Memorial service?
Find time to take Xia Fengxiang to visit mother, brother, and grandmother again.
I will also go to the Taimiao with Xia Fengxiang to visit my father-in-law and mother-in-law.
but
Xia Fengxiang couldn't help but look back at the study. There were two wooden plaques in a box in the study, which belonged to Su Changan's father and uncle.
After all, the whereabouts were known before, so Xia Fengxiang specially sent people to the Wumai Sect in Mobei, but the result was that all the Han people who had been abducted from Yan were dead, and even the Wumai Sect had moved to the Mobei royal court.
After learning the news, Su Changan made the wooden sign, but he never saw the body, so he always felt unwilling.
Put it up?
Su Changan thought so.
After sighing, Su Changan looked at Linghua.
But just as Su Changan was about to say something, his expression froze and he looked towards the door.
A soldier of the Chixia Army came to the door and saw Su Changan standing in the hall. He stood at the door and clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty, the Imperial College's Chief Priest Mu Xu and the Imperial College's Doctor Pei Nanzhi want to see you."
Su Changan was stunned for a moment, then sat on the ground and nodded: "Please come in."
Linghua was smart and stood up immediately, carried the stools and placed them in the yard, and also got some hot water, tea bowls, and snacks ready.
Mu Xu was still the same, hunched over, but now he looked like he had a limp and looked aggrieved.
Pei Nanzhi supported Mu Xu and also looked pitiful.
After entering the courtyard of Lingqi Pavilion, when the two of them saluted Su Changan, Mu Xu looked particularly strenuous, while Pei Nanzhi seemed even more aggrieved when he spoke.
Looking at the two men, Su Changan was helpless for a moment: "Master Jijiu, I know your leg is fine, so don't pretend. If you have something to say, just say it directly."
Su Changan directly exposed Mu Xu.
Mu Xu originally wanted to pretend to hurt his leg before sitting down, but after hearing this, he looked at Su Changan and said, "Your Majesty, my leg really hurts, otherwise it would be like this? Commander Yan is so naive."
When he said this, Su Changan sighed and looked at Lian Wei: "Lian Wei, go find Aunt Yan."
Even when in danger, you need to clasp your fists.
When Mu Xu heard this, he immediately said, "Your Majesty is truly divine. With just one word from her, my old minister's leg was healed!"
Su Changan looked at Mu Xu. What could he say? It seemed like he had become accustomed to this old man's shamelessness.
Mu Xu coughed, bowed to Su Changan again, and said, "My queen, the Cold Food Festival is coming."
Su Changan nodded, but just as he was about to speak, he suddenly realized something and said, "I can't read and write poetry, please go back, sir."
After that, Su Changan looked at Pei Nanzhi and said, "Aunt Pei came to see me. If you can't pay off your gambling debts, I can't help you. The last time I helped you, His Majesty scolded me for a few days."
Chapter 605: An accidental World Expo?
Su Changan's two sentences made Mu Xu frown. The old man felt that the Queen had misunderstood him!
Mu Xu looked at Su Changan and said, "Your Majesty, I am wronged. How could I ask you, who is now the number one poet, for poetry so rashly? And your resolute answer hurts my heart."
While speaking, Mu Xu bowed to Su Changan again, feeling quite aggrieved as if he had been deeply wronged, and his old face looked aggrieved.
This appearance is exactly the same as Pei Nanzhi next to her, the only difference is that one is ugly and the other is good-looking.
Su Changan looked at Mu Xu, "I was the same before. You looked for me a lot, and you even set your sights on my cat's small shoulder bag."
But after saying that, Su Changan immediately said seriously: "But don't keep talking about the first place in the poetry list. It makes me look like I am not low-key. I have told you several times."
Mu Xu was ashamed.
You are still low-key!
Mu Xu still remembers that when he first met the Empress after boarding the ship in Jiangnan, the Empress held the Shuyalou list and said, "Come here, Lord Mu, I can't read. Can you show me what's written on it?"
Mu Xu was helpless, but still read it out.
Then Su Changan immediately looked at Mu Xu and said, "Just take a look, why read it out loud? I'm so embarrassed. It seems like I've become inflated after winning a few first places."
That's it, you want to be low-key and get involved with the Empress?
Su Changan looked at Mu Xu and coughed. He liked listening to others talking about their own honors, especially when they said it casually like this. Hey, it felt good.
Su Changan, who was in a good mood to begin with, felt even better. He looked at Mu Xu and said, "Master Jijiu, you came to see me for something, and you even pretended to have an injured leg. I tell you, if you pretended to be lame and came to me to complain about Aunt Yan, I couldn't do anything about it."
The old scholar Mu Xu laughed in silence, then said, "I am pretending to be pitiful so that Your Majesty can see it and not have the heart to reject me."
Mu Xu actually thought about filing a complaint. When he returned to the city that day, Yan Yunxiao blocked him at the city gate and not only gave him a good scolding, but also kicked him a few times.
The old scholar wanted to reason with him, but Yan Yunxiao said, "If you can't beat me, don't talk too much about reason. And you have the nerve to reason with me?"
Mu Xu was speechless on the spot. The next day, he pretended to be lame and went to the Empress to complain just like he did today. He did not dare to go to the Emperor for fear of being scolded by him. It was easier to talk to the Empress than to him.
Unexpectedly, Yan Yunxiao was also there at the time. He didn't dare to say a word and just sat for a while before leaving.
Tired of ah.
While Su Changan was looking at Mu Xu with a helpless smile, he saw Pei Nanzhi looking at him with resentment.
Pei Nanzhi puffed up her cheeks. Despite her age, there was nothing unusual about her behavior. Instead, she looked even more adorable. Especially since Pei Nanzhi was a revered woman in the literary world, and she had a scholarly air about her. This look was quite a contrast.
Mu Xu naturally saw his junior sister's look, shook his head helplessly, looked at Su Changan and said, "Your Majesty, I came here because His Majesty asked me to come to you for something, and said that this matter is under your jurisdiction, and the other thing is about Xun Kuang and Ji Shuying."
Su Changan looked at Mu Xu without saying anything, waiting for the old scholar to speak.
At this time, Linghua brought up tea and snacks.
The snack was "Donkey Rolls" that Su Changan made these days because he had nothing to do.
Xia Fengxiang likes it very much, so Su Changan made some more while teaching it to Xia and the others. This morning, Su Changan made some for your old lady who has been torturing him these days, and left some in Lingqi Pavilion.
Mu Xu looked at the snack he had never seen before with confusion, but he was not in a hurry to eat it. Instead, he thanked Linghua.
No matter what Mu Xu is like, he treats everyone equally. A simple thank you shows his good character.
Looking at Su Changan, Mu Xu said, "Your Majesty, you should know that some scholars from other countries, or some people from the Zoroastrianism, are now in the capital to admire and learn about our Great Xia culture."
Su Changan nodded, he knew about this.
Xia Fengxiang had told him about this, but this matter did not involve diplomacy, it was just a simple cultural exchange, and such things happened every year. After all, the Great Xia cultural circle involved many surrounding countries, including the countries in the Western Regions, and even the Hundred Schools of Thought had penetrated into these countries. Therefore, every year there would be local scholars from other countries coming to study and exchange, including some religious philosophers.
These people came from many countries, and Daxia was never stingy with cultural exchanges. These people came when Su Changan and his companions were in the south, which was about two or three months ago.
It's a big deal, but not so big that Xia Fengxiang and Su Changan need to deal with it personally. The Imperial College can handle it.
So when Mu Xu spoke, Su Changan became a little curious.
Mu Xu smiled and said, "Your Majesty, these people are about to leave, so we should hold a dinner party to see them off. I asked His Majesty for this favor today, and His Majesty asked me to come to you for this matter."
Mu Xu looked at Su Changan looking at him, and said with some embarrassment: "Your Majesty, you don't know that the money allocated by the imperial court to the Imperial College this year is not that sufficient. And since this matter does not involve foreign affairs, I can't ask the Ministry of Rites and the Honglu Temple for help."
At this point, Su Changan understood that it was because he was short of money.
After thinking for a while, Su Changan said, "Does the Imperial College pay for them every year?"
Mu Xu shook his head, "That's not the case. I don't have that much money. If I have the spare money, I should give it to the students. This year, those people brought some things from their countries to the Imperial College. Although I just came back, Xun Kuang has been in charge of this matter, but I did see some things that we don't have in Da Xia. Moreover, the current situation is like this. These people have some reputation in their respective countries. We can't treat them badly. So I thought of sending them as a gift, which is also considered as fulfilling my duty as a host. If there is a war, I will scold them for being shameless and treacherous, and I will have enough confidence. Otherwise, if they scold us for being stingy, I can be embarrassed, but I can't let Da Xia be embarrassed."
What the old scholar said is very true. Although he said it lightly, the current situation is indeed like this. And the more such the situation is, the more we must occupy the moral high ground.
Su Changan understood why Xia Fengxiang pushed this matter to him, so he nodded and said, "I will have someone send the money to the Imperial College. If it is not enough, you can tell me again. The extra money can be left in the Imperial College."