The candidates for Prince Consort selected by the Ministry of Rites were rejected by the Minister of Justice.
Under his coercion, some officials had to stand out, leading to a situation where many opposed the choices.
This point is where Li Xuanjing differed from others.
Other powers in the court banded officials together with interests and power,
Standing united against and in support of matters that touched upon their vested interests.
Li Xuanjing used deterrence.
Whomever his gaze rested upon had to echo his sentiments,
Otherwise, it wouldn’t be long before their position might be occupied by someone else.
The mid and lower-ranking officials in the court had grown accustomed to this.
But this matter did not concern the interests of King Chun; it was unclear why he opposed it.
Princess Anning’s marriage was a family affair of the Imperial Family, and as an outsider, he had no reason to intervene unnecessarily. Surely he didn’t intend for Princess Anning to marry his own son?
Recently, there had indeed been some rumors in Chang’an about his son and Princess Anning.
It must be said that the princesses of Daxia were indeed sought after—
Unlike in Chu Country or Zhao Country, where becoming a Prince Consort meant one could no longer enter civil service.
There were no such restrictions for a Prince Consort in Daxia; one’s career could actually become even easier after the marriage.
Being a relative of the Royal Family, the Ministry of Personnel would also consider human sentiments during assessments.
But with Li Xuanjing’s power and influence, he wouldn’t care about gaining another status as an Imperial Relative.
Moreover, his son was already married. Even with his overwhelming power, a princess from the Royal Family couldn’t possibly become his son’s concubine.
Unless his son divorced his current wife or relegated her to a concubine.
Nobody knew what Li Xuanjing was thinking, but because of his opposition, the issue had to be put on hold.
...
Li Nuo left the Song Residence, boarded his carriage, and headed for the Ministry of Justice.
When passing by Jade Sound Pavilion, he lifted the curtain for a glance.
The shops on both sides of Jade Sound Pavilion were starting to undergo work.
Business had been very good for Jade Sound Pavilion recently. According to Phoenix, they had taken over the two neighboring shops and were planning to expand.
With the growing fame of Jade Sound Pavilion, the previous space was getting a bit cramped.
Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the Ministry of Justice.
By the year’s end, the number of case files sent for review to the Ministry of Justice surged.
If this year’s cases were backlogged until next year, it would affect the performance reviews of local officials.
Of course, Li Nuo didn’t waste this opportunity and visited the Ministry of Justice almost every day.
He was well-prepared for the Imperial Examination; the small spring exam was nothing to him.
After arriving at the Ministry of Justice, Li Nuo made sure that Gu practiced her writing, for when she practiced, it was as if he did too—freeing him from the need to do the same.
Then, he sat at his desk, waiting for Li Anning to come.
Before he officially became an officer of the Ministry of Justice, he couldn’t do without her.
Documents of the Ministry and seals, all required her to bring them over.
Li Anning arrived a little late today, seemingly in very good spirits, humming a tune as she entered.
Indeed, her mood was excellent.
At today’s morning court session, the list of Prince Consort candidates from the Ministry of Rites was rejected again.
The next session would be the grand court assembly. With officials from all regions presenting, time was already tight; certainly, they wouldn’t bring up her matter.
Such a delay meant at least another month.
She glanced at Li Nuo, her face showing satisfaction.
He still kept her issues in mind.
However, there was a tinge of sadness in her heart from time to time.
Her marriage was of no concern to the Father Emperor.
She couldn’t even see the Father Emperor’s face.
But others’ fathers could stand against the court rituals and the rules of the Royal Family, rejecting the list of Prince Consort candidates twice.
Of course, the Minister of Justice wasn’t doing it for her.
His father was genuinely kind to him.
Even such unreasonable demands would be fulfilled.
But soon, Li Anning’s mood brightened again.
The Minister of Justice doted on his son,
And the Minister of Justice’s son doted on her.
It was the same.
She took an apple from her bosom, broke it into two halves, and handed one to Li Nuo, asking, "How have you and your wife been getting on recently?"
Li Nuo took a bite of the apple and replied, "Pretty good."
Li Anning gave him a quick look and queried further, "What I mean is, have your relations progressed any deeper recently?"
Li Nuo shook his head.
Although his relationship with his wife had always been harmonious, they had maintained their previous pace without further advancement.
They already slept under the same quilt—to make any further progress would be to take the final step.
From two rooms to one.
From under the bed to on top.
From two blankets to one.
From no physical contact to hand-holding becoming commonplace, embracing her while playing the lute had become the norm, utterly natural.
Reflecting on several months ago, when they were still like strangers, such progress was already fast enough.
Having spent so much time with her, Li Nuo had a rough idea of when to do what.
But as for a girl’s heart, he wouldn’t dare say he understood it completely, and he turned to Li Anning, asking, "Do you have any suggestions?"
Others he may not trust, but he did trust Li Anning.
If it weren’t for her meticulous analysis and sincere advice last time, he wouldn’t have been so determined about his wife’s feelings, and their relationship wouldn’t have progressed this far.
Seeing Li Nuo looking towards her, Li Anning immediately averted her gaze and waved her hand, saying, "Not at all, I don’t have any suggestions. You do as you please..."
As time entered the twelfth lunar month, with the festive season approaching, the already lively Chang’an became busier with each passing day.
It coinciding with the Imperial Examination year, students from various states who were participating in the examination also arrived in Chang’an one after another.
As the capital of Daxia Country, the prosperity of Chang’an was far beyond comparison to the outer states, and many people who came to Chang’an for the first time were dazzled by its splendor.
Li Nuo, accompanied by his wife, visited the Ministry of Personnel once again.
This trip to the Ministry of Personnel was not to consult any archives.
The spring examination was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel. Students taking part in the spring examination needed to register at the Ministry of Personnel one month in advance.
A long queue had formed at the side door of the Ministry of Personnel.
The officials there said that this year’s number of students participating in the spring examination was several times more than last year’s.
This was to be expected.
With the reform of this year’s Imperial Examination, the academies could no longer take in students outside of the spring examination, making it the only pathway, and naturally leading to fierce competition.
Even though the fee for the spring examination was not low, having gone up from twenty taels of silver last year to one hundred taels now, there were still those who wanted to take their chances.
These silver taels were ostensibly for examination fees, invigilation fees, question paper fees, marking fees, Horse Field and archery range usage fees, and the cost of paper, ink, brush, inkstone, paint, and so on. It all sounded reasonable, but the pricing was exorbitantly high.
To sit for an exam at the cost of one hundred taels, non-refundable whether you passed or failed, more so if you passed.
This rule alone barred poor students from taking their first step on the official path.
As a senior official at the Ministry of Personnel, Li Nuo did not have to queue up outside in the cold wind.
Actually, he did not mind, and he originally did not want to trouble his father-in-law.
But as soon as he approached the entrance of the Ministry of Personnel, an official recognized him and insistently invited him inside.
Shortly after, Li Nuo sat in the warm heated room, leisurely drinking tea and reading.
A clerk soon handled all the paperwork for him.
Li Nuo took the examination certificate in both hands, saying, "Thank you."
The junior official smiled and said, "No need for thanks, young master."
Song Zhe walked in with his hands behind his back and asked, "How’s your preparation for the Imperial Examination going?"
Li Nuo replied, "Getting through the spring examination shouldn’t be a problem..."
Song Zhe took another look at him. Explore more at Freewebnovel
While the competition for the spring examination was less intense compared to the full Imperial Examination and the standards were somewhat lower, it still required knowledge of the Six Arts, and each subject needed to be graded at least a B or higher.
Song Zhe suddenly asked, "How many types of auspicious ceremonies are there?"
Li Nuo answered, "Among the rituals of the Five Rites, there are one hundred and fifty-two in total: first is the auspicious ceremony, with fifty-five types, the first is the winter solstice sacrifice at the Circular Mound Altar, the second is the prayer for grain at the Circular Mound Altar, the third is the rain-prayer sacrifice at the Circular Mound Altar, the fourth is the grand offering at the Mingtang, the fifth is the sacrifice to the Azure Emperor at the Eastern Suburb..."
Li Nuo looked at him and asked, "Lord Father-in-law, should I continue reciting?"
Song Zhe waved his hand and said, "No need."
Li Nuo breathed a sigh of relief.
He actually just knew the auspicious ceremonies up to that part.
Any further, even by one more line, and he would have to grind like his life depended on it.
Song Zhe looked at Li Nuo with a slightly different expression.
He had been skeptical about him, but seeing how proficiently he recited the Five Rites, he must have put in considerable effort.
He had seen his paintings, and although not exceptional, they were more than enough to cope with the Imperial Examination.
And as for his Music - it had to be said that he had fully inherited Li Xuanjing’s talent. Even Song Zhe at his peak couldn’t compete with him.
Truly the son of his father!
Thinking of something, he suddenly sighed.
If he had realized things earlier, some matters wouldn’t have turned out this way...
She wouldn’t have been separated from her mother for more than a decade, and neither would her sisters have had to live apart.
Compared to her, the person he had wronged the most must be Yiren.
With his wife’s disposition, these years must have been hard for her...
At the Song Residence.
The piercing cold winds made Song Ning’er’s sword-holding hands tremble; she lifted her little face, reddened by the cold, looking pitifully at the woman, and said, "Master Sister, it’s so cold. Can we wait until it gets warmer to practice?"
The woman stated calmly, "What’s this cold? Martial arts practice is just like this. If you can’t even endure this little hardship, you’ll never achieve anything on the Martial Path, let alone catch up to Song Mu’er..."
Watching the little girl wield the long sword in the cold wind, a glint of reminiscence appeared on her face.
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Compared to Holy Maiden Peak on Sanqing Mountain, covered in ice and snow year-round, what was this bit of cold? The hardships Ning’er faced now were nothing compared to what she experienced in her own youth.
But thinking of the helpless little girl crying in the snowstorm, something in her heart seemed to stir.
She crouched down, covering the little girl’s hands with her own, channeling True Qi, and asked, "Still cold?"
Song Ning’er felt a warm flow enter her body, making her feel toasty all over. She happily said, "Not cold anymore, thank you, Master Sister!"
The woman brushed off the snowflakes from her head and said, "Take a rest if you’re tired."
Song Ning’er shook her head, picked up the sword again, and asserted, "I’m not tired. I want to practice diligently. I will definitely defeat Song Mu’er one day!"