Contemplating the world that You Fangyin described as her previous life and considering her current surroundings, Jiang Xuening found an unexpected lack of contentment in her heart. As she buried her head once more into the questions posed by the scholars, a growing aversion took root.
Initially, she had intended to feign indifference, portraying herself as someone uninterested in progress. However, merely by scrutinizing the questions, a surge of defiance welled within her: If she was destined to leave the palace, why should she fear offending these elderly men?
Jiang Xuening held the pen tube with her slender fingers, twirling it slowly, and a smile curled upon her lips.
Recalling Xie Wei's earlier statement that the entire test paper wasn't particularly challenging—mostly revolving around the philosophies of Confucius and Mencius, coupled with some poetry, rhythm, and music theory knowledge—she realized she had already answered half of the questions effortlessly.
As for the remaining queries…
"The Master said: The three armies can seize the commander, but the common man cannot seize the will. What is the explanation? How do you interpret 'a gentleman is more important than aspirations'?"
Jiang Xuening meticulously crafted each stroke on the answer sheet before expressing her thoughts: "One perspective suggests, 'Every man, when faced with humiliation, unsheathes his sword and engages in battle; this, however, doesn't embody true courage.' The alternative viewpoint contends, 'Every man, when angered, splashes water five steps around him.' If you are deemed a 'common man,' you are deemed average. How can one harbor 'aspirations' without ambition? If devoid of ambition, what is there to seize? While my explanation may lack clarity, I comprehend one thing: the wisdom of the sage occasionally takes on a nonsensical form!"
"The Master said: Virtue is born in me, what is Huan's way of giving me? Please use the word 'virtue' to make an argument."
This quotation stems from Confucius asserting, "God has given me such virtue, what can Huan Yu of Song State do to me?"
According to legend, during Confucius's journey through the state of Chen, he traversed the state of Song. Sima Huan of Song State, upon learning of this, harbored ill intentions towards Confucius. Encountering Confucius discussing rituals beneath a substantial tree, Huan Yu orchestrated its felling with the intention of causing harm.
Scholars, holding Confucius in high regard as a "sage," uphold every word of his as correct, even when seemingly nonsensical, for it imparts profound truths.
Jiang Xuening couldn't help but roll her eyes at this statement.
If possessing "virtue" grants the ability to turn adversity into fortune and remain impervious to harm, what is Confucius truly expressing? Moreover, this appears to be a self-praising statement, prompting a blush at such overt boasting.
For this question, she had a plethora of "theories" she wished to discuss upon.
Without regard for her less-than-elegant penmanship, her answers were sound.
An hour and a half swiftly elapsed.
At this point, most others in the hall had concluded their writing, and the palace servants rang the bronze chime, moving forward to collect the scrolls.
When Jiang Xuening received the instruction, she remained sprawled on the desk, engrossed in writing.
The palace servant coughed, "Miss Jiang Er, please submit your paper."
Unperturbed, Jiang Xuening, without lifting her head, responded, "Oh, just wait until I finish writing the last sentence."
The palace servant felt a twinge of embarrassment and instinctively turned to glance at Xie Wei, who had risen and was observing the scene.
Xie Wei remained silent.
The palace servant could only stand to the side with hands down, patiently waiting for Jiang Xuening to complete her writing. However, her "last sentence" appeared exceptionally lengthy, and she continued to write extensively.
All eyes in the hall were now fixed on her, their curiosity piqued: This seemed unusual. Jiang Xuening appeared to have confidently passed all the questions she had staked on earlier, indicating thorough preparation. The test paper wasn't particularly challenging, and individuals like Xiao Shu and Fan Yilan had finished their answer papers in just an hour. Perhaps she chose not to submit her paper early to avoid flaunting her success. So, why was she taking so long?
After much effort, she finally set down her pen. She then lifted the densely written answer sheet from the desk, blew on the ink, and handed it to the eagerly awaited palace servant, saying, "Thank you."
The palace servant secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Thinking that the second daughter of the Jiang family took the exam seriously and was knowledgeable, she assumed that the answer sheet was comprehensive. However, upon receiving it and examining its contents, he found the script filled with cryptic symbols and characters. Cold sweat almost broke out on his forehead.
The palace servant dared not say much. After collecting all the answer sheets and organizing them, he presented them to Xie Wei.
At this point, the examination was deemed complete, and a collective sigh of relief permeated the room.
Fang Miao, seated close to Jiang Xuening, observed Xie Wei taking the answer sheets and spreading them on the desk. Leaning in, she asked, "Why did it take you so long to answer? Was it some kind of difficult mystery?"
There was no mystery.
If she had to say something, it would be: the wisdom of a trickster.
Jiang Xuening raised her eyes to glance upward. Seeing that Xie Wei was not paying attention to the lower part of the room, she turned her head and whispered, "I'm just not very smart, so it took me a long time to answer."
Not very smart?
Fang Miao found it hard to believe that the word "not very smart" could be associated with her.
For a moment, she didn't want to engage in conversation, thinking that Jiang Xuening was hypocritically downplaying her intelligence. However, she couldn't shake the feeling that she might be genuine, so she cast a discreet glance at her and remarked, "Just pretending."
Seeing the disbelief in Fang Miao's eyes, Jiang Xuening decided not to explain further.
In any case, she felt relieved after completing the exam.
This time, her answer sheet was perfectly tailored, and she anticipated those old men would be furious when they saw it. She no longer worried about leaving the palace!
Now, she shifted her attention to Xie Wei.
The first answer sheet on the desk belonged to Xiao Shu, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Chengguo's Mansion.
The intricate hairstyle of Xiao Shu indicated considerable skill, honed over a long period.
After reviewing it, Xie Wei nodded slightly, set the answer sheet aside, and picked up a new one to peruse. His expression remained calm, revealing no clues to those seated below.
However, when he reached the fifth answer sheet, the corners of his eyes twitched imperceptibly.
Jiang Xuening, intensely focused on his reactions, was taken aback: it's my turn, it's my turn!
Consider Xie Wei in his past life.
He was well-versed in the teachings of sages and scholars, proficient in numerous dialects, adept at calligraphy, and a skilled qin player. One wonders if witnessing her answer sheet would make smoke billow from his seven orifices.
If this person were to change his expression on the spot, how exhilarating would that be?
It's hard to fathom how much Xie Wei was taken aback when, after reviewing the first four neatly written answer sheets, he suddenly encountered the densely packed, dog-crawling characters on the fifth sheet.
The lines were neither straight nor aligned, resembling more the scribbles of a Taoist priest drawing ghost charms. Even seven or eight-year-old children in school could write better than this!
For a moment, he contemplated throwing the answer sheet on the ground in frustration.
Yet, as his gaze reached the front of the scroll, the name "Jiang Xuening" came into view.
Xie Wei tightened his grip on the answer sheet and, raising his hand, considered tossing it aside. However, he hesitated as he caught sight of Jiang Xuening, who was surreptitiously watching him from the corner of the hall, her black and white eyes exhibiting a fox-like cunning. But as soon as she met his gaze, the shrewd glint vanished entirely. She averted her eyes with an awkward and timid look, seemingly aware of the poor quality of her answers and genuinely concerned about it.
Xie Wei continued to stare at her for a while.
Jiang Xuening anticipated that he would avert his gaze after a brief look, so she quickly raised her head again, intending to observe Xie Wei's reaction further.
To her surprise, instead of glancing away, he met her gaze head-on.
In an instant, her skin prickled!
Although Xie Wei's face displayed no harsh or cold expressions, maintaining an indifferent countenance like a tranquil sea, Jiang Xuening sensed an undercurrent of turbulence beneath the surface, a quiet storm that was startling.
The more composed the exterior, the more turbulent the interior.
A chill ran down the back of her neck, resisting the impulse to flee. She slowly lowered her head again, but this time, she didn't dare to lift it back up.
Only then did Xie Wei withdraw his gaze, a slow and deliberate movement, returning his attention to the answer sheet.
The hall fell into a sudden hush.
Every lady from the aristocratic families, who had been watching Xie Wei's expression intently, was startled to find that the young prince's tutor had been studying the fifth answer sheet for an entire hour, far longer than necessary.
Though his expression remained inscrutable, an inexplicable sense of dread loomed.
For a moment, tension gripped everyone.
On one hand, they fervently hoped that the alarming answer sheet wasn't theirs. On the other hand, curiosity piqued as they speculated about what shocking content might be written, compelling Mr. Xie, the prince's esteemed instructor, to scrutinize it for such an extended duration.
Just then, the three elderly scholars from the Imperial Academy, who had taken a brief break outside, returned. Sensing that everyone had completed the exam, they approached with smiles and greeted Xie Wei, "Reading the answer sheets? Come, why don't you let us take a look at the remaining ones?"
As they spoke, one of them reached out to grab the answer sheet from the desk.
Xie Wei's eyelids twitched imperceptibly. He smoothly slid Jiang Xuening's answer sheet away from view, then handed out the remaining few answer sheets with apparent ease, saying, "Thank you, sir."
The elderly scholars failed to notice the subtle maneuver. They took the answer sheets, each reading through two or three copies, and offered comments as they perused, "This answer is completely incorrect! So is this one— a thousand words written, yet a thousand miles away from the topic! I can't even comprehend what Meng Yasheng meant by 'born in sorrow and died in peace,' so why should I read it as if addressing a palace companion…"
The faces of some young ladies from aristocratic families in the palace turned pale.
At this moment, Jiang Xuening felt a slight sense of relief, secretly believing that with the return of these elderly gentlemen, upon seeing her answer sheet, they would surely reject her candidacy. It was a done deal!
Soon, the gentlemen finished perusing the answer sheets, singled out four, and shook their heads at Xie Wei.
This gesture indicated that these few submissions were not satisfactory.
Xie Wei approached to take a look, remained silent, nodded in acknowledgment, gathered all the answer sheets together, and addressed everyone, "I've just reviewed the answer sheets with these gentlemen, and the assessments have been determined."
Everyone tensed, holding their breath.
Jiang Xuening discreetly clenched her fists, bracing herself to hear her fate.
"Xiao Shu from Duke Cheng's mansion performed excellently and may stay;
"Chen Shuyi from Chen Dashi's residence displayed excellence and is allowed to remain;
"Yao Xi in Yao Shangshu's mansion performed above average, hence she may stay;
"Fang Miao from Fang Jianzheng's residence is deemed average. While her knowledge may not be outstanding, her writing is diligent and neat, and she exhibits a strong eagerness to learn. Hence, she may stay."
Xiao Shu, Chen Shuyi, and Yao Xi, confident in their abilities, received the news with a blend of excitement and expected relief.
However, Fang Miao, who had harbored worries about her performance, was taken aback. At the mention of being allowed to stay, she nearly leaped up, quickly stood, and bowed to Xie Wei, "Teacher, thank you for your guidance. I'll strive to learn diligently from you in the future, serving His Royal Highness to the best of my abilities!"
With that, four individuals were selected.
The remaining attendees, hopeful upon hearing the positive outcomes, thought that the requirements set by the gentlemen were relatively lenient. Even if their education was not extensive, they couldn't help but nurture some optimism, believing that with a stroke of luck, they might pass.
However, none foresaw that Xie Wei would proceed to read three names, each representing a failure.
Observing the distress on the faces of the family ladies whose names were called, Xie Wei reassured them, "Your answer sheets show merit, and compared to ordinary girls, your knowledge is commendable. However, as we are selecting a companion for Her Royal Highness, the eldest princess, we must consider a broader range of factors. Therefore, there's no need to be overly concerned."
All three rose and expressed their gratitude.
While outwardly appearing gracious, their true sentiments remained concealed. The fate of seven candidates had been decided.
Five candidates remained, and Jiang Xuening sensed that her turn was imminent.
At this juncture, Xie Wei picked up the eighth answer sheet. However, instead of immediately addressing the group, he spent a while reading it, appearing deep in thought.
Jiang Xuening presumed it was her moment.
Unexpectedly, Xie Wei broke the silence by asking, "Who is Fan Yilan?"
Fan Yilan was taken aback, promptly stood and saluted, "Mr. Xie, it's me."
Xie Wei scrutinized her for an extended period before declaring, "Move up to the top class."
Surprise reflected on the faces of everyone, including Xiao Shu.
However, the next moment, Xie Wei dropped another bombshell, "But you cannot stay."
Cannot stay?!
The crowd was left dumbfounded, their initial astonishment not yet replaced by comprehension.
Even Fan Yilan was slow to react.
Without offering an explanation, Xie Wei handed her the answer sheet, stating, "Retrieve your answer sheet."
Although the previous results were disclosed, the answer sheets were not returned.
Observing this, Fan Yilan remained composed but felt a slight unease, suspecting she might have erred in her responses.
She approached and respectfully retrieved her answer sheet.
In that moment, Xie Wei casually remarked, "There are no outstanding poems in the palace."
Fan Yilan was abruptly stunned, a myriad of thoughts surging forth like an unstoppable river.
Clutching her answer sheet, she stood there in a daze for an extended period.
Ultimately, she lowered her head in acknowledgment to Xie Wei, "Yilan will heed Mr. Xie's guidance!"
While others struggled to comprehend the intricate dialogue, Jiang Xuening regarded Fan Yilan with a slightly complex expression. She knew that Fan Yilan possessed poetic talent, and Xie Wei recognized it from her answer sheet. Despite securing a top-ranking position, Fan Yilan wasn't chosen to accompany the princess to read because her talent for poetry would be stifled in the confines of the palace.
In her past life, Jiang Xuening had mocked such decisions, unable to fathom why someone would forsake wealth and status. However, in her current life, she found herself envying the freedom to wander through renowned landscapes.
Lost in her thoughts, Jiang Xuening was jolted back to reality when a single word reached her ears, "Ning—"
Before another word could follow, it abruptly ceased.
Meeting Xie Wei's gaze, Jiang Xuening felt an unexplainable sense of uncertainty, as if the surety she had a moment ago was slipping away.
Getting to her feet, she anxiously awaited the final verdict.
Xie Wei, realizing the inappropriateness of his initial word, calmly continued, "Jiang Xuening from the Jiang family—you may stay."
Reacting instinctively, Jiang Xuening bowed, "Mr. Xie, your guidance is acknowledged. When the minister returns home, I will…"
Wait a minute!
Can she stay?!
A thunderous explosion reverberated in her mind. Overwhelmed by surprise, she forgot to shield her sharp gaze and stared at Xie Wei.
What a jest!
Did he not know the content of her answers? Even if it were to invite a private tutor, they might refuse after seeing her responses, let alone choosing a companion for the princess!
Fang Miao, overhearing her mention of going home, couldn't contain her laughter. "See, it's my turn now. They're all talking nonsense!"
Xie Wei's flat gaze rested on her. "Miss Jiang Er?"
Jiang Xuening's scalp tingled, bewildered as to why things had spiraled out of control. Her heart raced, questioning how she, a mere student, could become a challenge even for Xie Wei. It was unthinkable for Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess to manage Xie Wei, let alone Yan Lin.
Could it be that Xie Wei wanted to keep her close to scrutinize if she was feigning madness?
No, regardless, she couldn't remain in the palace, especially as Xie Ju'an's student. That would be courting disaster.
Quick-witted under pressure, Jiang Xuening rolled her eyes, knowing that Xie Wei might scrutinize her more closely now. Despite that, she had no choice but to speak up, "Mr. Xie, why can't Miss Fan be selected for the first class? You only returned her answer sheet, and we can't see our own answer sheets, let alone those of others. While those selected to stay can understand the reasons, the losers probably don't know why they lost the election. Can't we distribute the answer sheets to everyone, so that the losers can also be convinced?"
In truth, when Jiang Xuening voiced this, those who had been disqualified earlier felt a slight pang of sympathy.
Checking the papers seemed like a reasonable request. What if someone else had answered worse but got away with it?
However, Xie Wei merely cast a glance at them, maintaining his unwavering tone, "Miss Jiang's suggestion has its merits. Although the unselected answer sheets specify why they were not chosen, they are concise. Many nuances remain unexplained. If the young ladies are willing to learn, I can stay for a moment and elaborate on the details."
Elaborating on the details…
Wasn't that akin to exposing their shortcomings in public?
Initially considering supporting Jiang Xuening, the group hesitated after hearing Xie Wei's words. Fearful that their less-than-stellar answer sheets would be scrutinized openly, they backed down, proclaiming, "We're convinced. We appreciate Mr. Xie's guidance, and we won't trouble Youfurther."
Jiang Xuening was left exasperated.
She had thrown out a lifeline, and these girls couldn't muster any backbone! Did they not realize that they squandered an excellent opportunity to stay in the palace? No one in the room could have answered worse than her!
Turning to Jiang Xuening, Xie Wei inquired, "Miss Jiang Er, do you have any questions?"
Jiang Xuening's eyelids twitched. "I…I do, but…"
With a gentle touch, Xie Wei's fingers pressed onto the picture drawn on the answer sheet, adjacent to her unyielding and defiant responses. Interjecting with an impassive expression, he suggested, "Why doesn't Miss Jiang stay for a while? Xie will address any concerns you may have."
Jiang Xuening turned pale, nearly paralyzed with fear.