Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Upper Study Room, Entering the Palace Again
Nanny Li looked up, surprised. "Young Miss, I have been serving the madam in the Ji Mansion for over twenty years."
Mrs. Qiao chimed in, "Why do you ask that?"
Jiu Jiu seemed a little disappointed that the nanny didn’t have a secret identity. She pouted and said with a sigh, "Nanny, if you sold cloth dolls on the street, you would make so much money. Enough to raise ten of me!" She even gestured with her hands as she spoke.
A child’s innocent words have a special way of delighting adults.
Nanny Li was grinning from ear to ear at the praise, wishing she too could raise a little granddaughter as cute and sweet-tongued as this one.
Even the usually stern Mrs. Qiao couldn’t stop laughing.
Anju Garden had never been so lively.
"Hm? Am I not doing a good enough job raising you?" a clear and pleasant voice asked.
Ji Qingwu had suddenly appeared behind the little girl, asking with a mock-stern expression.
Jiu Jiu, caught red-handed, turned to see her mama was back. She stood on the couch and waved her little arms in delight.
Ji Qingwu sat down in a nearby chair instead of going over to hug her.
The little girl giggled. "Mama, Jiu Jiu didn’t say you were doing a bad job! I just meant, I wish there were ten of me. One could watch plays and drink tea with Grandmother, and another could go with Nanny Li to sell cloth dolls."
Mrs. Qiao felt she was laughing so hard that new wrinkles were forming on her face. She smiled and asked, "What about the other eight?"
"The other eight would eat eight portions of sweet osmanthus lotus root!" the little girl declared with a huge imaginary appetite.
Jiu Jiu’s own joke made her laugh. She giggled for a long moment, then clambered down from the couch with Nanny Li’s help and threw herself at Ji Qingwu, wrapping her arms around her mother’s waist.
She tilted her little head up and said coaxingly, "It’s a shame, though. There’s only one Jiu Jiu, and she can only belong to Mama."
Ji Qingwu scooped Jiu Jiu into her lap. Mother and daughter played for a little while, then Ji Qingwu asked Nanny Li to take her to rest.
Once the door was closed, Mrs. Qiao looked at her with anticipation. "Xiao Wu, how is Qingrong?"
She had wanted to ask much earlier but had held her tongue with the child present.
Ji Qingwu fiddled with her little finger, her tone light. "Mother, it’s all settled. Big Sister just needs some medicine to recover, and she’ll be fine."
She didn’t tell Mrs. Qiao what had happened that afternoon; it would only cause unnecessary worry. Besides, after today’s events, she was confident Lu Juan could protect her older sister. And failing that, her sister still held that written pledge, which would guarantee her a good life in the Marquis Mansion.
Hearing that Qingrong would be well, Mrs. Qiao could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Xiao Wu, I don’t know what we would have done without you."
Ji Qingwu smiled. "Mother, there’s no need to be so formal with me. She’s my own sister."
Mrs. Qiao’s eyes were full of affection as she stroked her daughter’s head.
"You really are my good girl."
’In truth, when Mrs. Qiao saw Xiao Wu off that morning, she had been faintly worried. She feared that when Xiao Wu visited the Marquis Mansion and saw Ji Qingrong married into a prestigious family, living a life of luxury, she would feel resentful.’
’After all, though they were sisters, their current situations were as different as night and day.’
’One was an Heir’s wife in a Marquis Mansion; the other, a widow.’
’Looking at her daughter, Mrs. Qiao marveled inwardly. A girl with such a wonderful character was a rare find. It was her own good fortune to have given birth to her.’
’She had to find a good match for this daughter of hers.’
Ji Qingwu, unaware of her mother’s plans, said, "Mother, there’s something I need your help with."
"There’s no need to be so formal with me," Mrs. Qiao said, echoing Ji Qingwu’s earlier words back to her.
Ji Qingwu smiled, her cheeks catching the soft glow of the lamp. "Mother," she began, "I was thinking that since Jiu Jiu is old enough to start her studies, perhaps we should find a teacher for her?"
Mrs. Qiao had been thinking of bringing this up herself. "You and Changlin had the same idea."
"Your older brother has been concerned about this for a while. He spent all day yesterday running errands for this very reason and even asked the Chancellor of the Hanlin Academy to act as Jiu Jiu’s sponsor."
’Ji Changlin certainly works fast.’
Ji Qingwu asked, pleasantly surprised, "Did he bring back any good news?"
’She had already done her research. The most renowned school in Lin’an City was Lushan Academy, with its staff of famous scholars and masters. It had to be that one.’
"But of course."
Mrs. Qiao nodded, then added, "However, to study there, one must pass an entrance examination."
’An entrance exam?’
Ji Qingwu asked in confusion, "Since when does Lushan Academy have a rule like that?"
"Silly child, who said anything about Jiu Jiu going to Lushan Academy?"
Under Ji Qingwu’s questioning gaze, Mrs. Qiao said with a touch of pride, "The school our Jiu Jiu is going to is the best in all the land."
"And where’s that?"
"The Upper Study Room."
’It truly was the most elite academy in the realm. Not only did it house the dynasty’s largest Book Collection Pavilion, but more importantly, it was located within the Imperial Palace, and its primary tutor was the Emperor’s Tutor!’
Taken aback by this incredible stroke of luck, Ji Qingwu hurriedly asked, "Isn’t the Upper Study Room exclusively for the children of the Imperial Family? How can Jiu Jiu go?"
Mrs. Qiao explained patiently, "It used to be. But since His Majesty ascended the throne, he opened the Upper Study Room to the children of court ministers and noble families to promote benevolent rule. As long as you have a recommendation from an official of the third-rank or higher, you can get a slot for the preliminary exam. But whether a student can ultimately enter the Upper Study Room requires another test administered by the Crown Prince’s Tutor."
’In other words, it still came down to the child’s own aptitude.’
Ji Qingwu’s brow furrowed. She said nervously, "Jiu Jiu hasn’t formally studied more than a few books. I’m afraid it won’t be easy for her to pass the entrance exam."
What worried her more was the possibility that Jiu Jiu would be treated unfairly. She hadn’t been oblivious to the mockery and ridicule directed at her from certain corners of the capital city lately; she had simply chosen to ignore it.
’What if the examiner is biased against Jiu Jiu?’
But Mrs. Qiao’s expression remained calm and composed.
Ji Qingwu thought it over, her eyes suddenly brightening. "Mother, might the Crown Prince’s Tutor be...?"
Mrs. Qiao smiled and nodded. "He is. So you can put your worries to rest. If Jiu Jiu has the aptitude, she will certainly be selected."
...
After resting at home for a few days, the day of the Upper Study Room’s monthly entrance exam soon arrived.
Ji Qingwu accompanied Jiu Jiu, and together they entered the Imperial Palace.
The Upper Study Room was situated just to the front left of the Diligent Governance Hall, where the Emperor managed government affairs. It consisted of five rooms, with its main doors facing north.
"Jiu Jiu, a teacher will be here in a moment to ask you some questions. If you know the answer, tell them. If you don’t, just say so," Ji Qingwu instructed, feeling more nervous than if she were the one being tested.
But the little girl just nodded calmly and replied in a crisp voice, "Mama, that’s ’To know what you know and to know what you do not know, that is true knowledge.’"
’It seems Ji Changlin’s crash course for Jiu Jiu these past few days has paid off.’
Ji Qingwu paced back and forth at the entrance, waiting for the examiner to arrive.
The Diligent Governance Hall sat on higher ground.
Its large red gates were currently thrown open, revealing the man on the throne. He wasn’t wearing his court robes, but a dark teal brocade robe with a subtle pattern, his hair bound by a golden crown. He had the majestic presence of a true sovereign.
He abruptly tossed the memorial in his hands aside with a sharp SLAP.
Though Emperor Wu Su said nothing, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
Chief Eunuch Li Yuzong was trembling with fear. He bowed his head even lower and quieted his breathing, terrified of doing anything else to displease His Majesty.
The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
When Emperor Wu Su looked up, his gaze fell upon a figure dressed in teal.
