After Emperor Yuwen Lan personally appointed Qi Shuguang as the headmaster at Changchun Garden some days ago, other preparatory work for Songhe Academy was also completed in recent days.
The Ministry of Rites had set an auspicious date for the opening ceremony, which was to be the day after tomorrow.
After returning to Ganlu Palace from the Palace of Benevolent Peace, Yanshu had been pondering this matter.
When the emperor arrived in the evening, she took the opportunity during their casual conversation after retiring to bed to ask Yuwen Lan, "Your Majesty, I heard that four famous scholars will be debating at the opening ceremony of Songhe Academy the day after tomorrow. Is that true?"
Yuwen Lan made a sound of agreement and pulled her into his embrace, saying, "That's right, it was arranged by the Ministry of Rites. After all, once the day after tomorrow passes, these scholars will return to their hometowns. It's not easy for them to come to the capital, so we should let the students personally experience the demeanor of great scholars. Perhaps they will all benefit from it."
He then looked at her and asked, "Why are you bringing this up?"
Yanshu replied, "I just heard the palace maids mention it today and thought it was an excellent idea. However... as you said, it's rare to gather all these famous scholars together. It seems a pity to only let the students listen."
Yuwen Lan asked, puzzled, "A pity? How could it not be a pity?"
Yanshu shook her head and said, "The ancients said, 'To love learning in youth is like the rising sun; to love learning in middle age is like the noonday sun; to love learning in old age is like the light of a candle.' Experiencing famous scholars' debates is a good thing. Your Majesty should make this debate open to all the common people of the empire, letting anyone who wants to listen come and hear. If so, I believe those scholars would be very happy too."
Yuwen Lan was speechless.
Tsk, when did she become so eloquent?
However, her words did make some sense. After all, opening it to the whole empire and attracting more people to watch would have a greater impact.
This would also be good for rebuilding Songhe Academy's reputation.
He nodded, "It's worth considering. Tomorrow I'll have the Ministry of Rites make preparations."
As he spoke, he placed his hand on her lower abdomen and asked softly, "Tell me, how big is he now?"
After all, it was his first time being a father, and he was filled with all kinds of curiosity and expectations.
Yanshu thought for a moment and made a gesture indicating the size of a peanut, saying, "Probably about this big."
Yuwen Lan mused, "I wonder if it's a boy or a girl, and what they will look like?"
Yanshu replied, "Your Majesty's flesh and blood will surely be extraordinary, excelling like you do."
That was natural, after all, it was his child!
Yuwen Lan felt proud inwardly, but before he could speak, he heard her continue, "However, there's a saying that genius is 99% hard work and 1% talent. We should focus on the postnatal efforts we can make."
Yuwen Lan asked, "... What does '99%' mean? What are you talking about?"
Yanshu faltered, realizing she had gone off-script, and hastily explained, "It means nine out of ten."
Yuwen Lan nodded, looking thoughtful, "That expression does seem more precise."
Yanshu quickly agreed and then got to her point, "What I mean is, although the imperial heir is small, we should expose them to good things early. This way, they might be even more outstanding when born. Why don't you take me to listen to the scholars' debate on that occasion? Wouldn't it be better to expose the imperial heir to the wisdom of worthy people early on?"
Yuwen Lan was speechless.
Alright, he finally understood. So after such a roundabout way, this was her real goal.
Pregnant and still wanting to go out?
He looked at her amusedly and said, "Didn't you just say he's only this small? How could he understand anything?"
Yanshu was stunned for a moment, then quickly argued, "This is called prenatal education. Haven't you heard of it, Your Majesty?"
She continued, shaking her head, "It's said that 'external image affects internal feelings' and 'feelings cause changes.' Although the imperial heir is small now, I can understand what's being said. My feelings will be transmitted to him through our blood connection, so he can naturally receive it too."
Yuwen Lan was speechless again.
It was rare for her to come up with so many ancient sayings at once. She really put in a lot of effort just to be able to leave the palace.
He said, "Alright then, I'll have someone make preparations."
It wasn't a big deal. If she wanted to go, he might as well take her along.
She immediately smiled and replied, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Then she added, "However, it might not be appropriate for just Your Majesty and me to go. Why don't we ask the Empress Dowager tomorrow morning if she would like to join us?"
Yuwen Lan was puzzled.
The Empress Dowager?
Wasn't this about prenatal education? Why bring up the Empress Dowager?
A bad feeling suddenly arose.
Then he heard her think, [To make the Empress Dowager and Scholar Qi meet again, I can only do this! I'm helping you make your mother happy! Quick, agree!]
Yuwen Lan knew it.
To be honest, he seemed to have developed a condition where he would think of the Empress Dowager whenever he heard Qi Shuguang's name...
He said, "The Empress Dowager probably doesn't like noise and chaos. She might not want to go."
Yanshu replied, "This isn't an ordinary noisy situation. Why don't I personally ask the Empress Dowager tomorrow? If we don't even ask, wouldn't that seem disrespectful to her?"
However, even after she finished speaking, he still didn't agree, hesitating and seemingly lost in thought.
Yanshu had a sudden inspiration. She pretended to feel sick, got out of bed, ran to the spittoon, and covered her mouth, saying, "Ugh... I don't feel well. I want to throw up..."
In her mind, she thought, [Hmph, let's see if you still won't agree after I use this trick.]
Yuwen Lan was speechless.
Was this really so shallow?
He didn't say anything for a moment, just raising an eyebrow as he watched her.
Yanshu didn't give up and pretended to retch a couple more times.
However, perhaps because she acted too convincingly, after a couple of tries, she really started to vomit, her face turning pale.
Yuwen Lan was startled and quickly came to her side, asking, "Are you alright?"
She looked at him with a pale face and weakly said, "If Your Majesty agrees to my request, I might feel better..."
Yuwen Lan was bewildered.
Was she really so unreasonable?
Before he could speak, she started vomiting again. Not only was her face pale, but cold sweat appeared on her forehead. She looked so miserable that it was hard to tell if it was real or fake.
Yuwen Lan had no choice but to say, "Alright, alright, I agree. Tomorrow morning I'll have someone ask the Empress Dowager. If she's willing, we might as well go together."
He quickly helped support her.
Yanshu barely regained her composure and said in a hoarse voice, "Your Majesty is wise."
Yuwen Lan was speechless.
Was it really necessary to make herself vomit until her voice was hoarse just to get the Empress Dowager to meet Qi Shuguang?
Then he heard her think triumphantly, [For the sake of their relationship, what does it matter if I vomit a few times!]
Yuwen Lan thought, "... That's really not necessary."
So, early the next morning, the Empress Dowager received the news.
Yanshu personally reported it to her.
The Empress Dowager was surprised and asked, "Why would His Majesty think of doing this?"
Yanshu quickly used the arguments she had used to persuade Yuwen Lan the night before, saying, "Because His Majesty loves his people like his own children, he feels that for such a grand event, it would be best to let all the common people of the empire listen. This way, it would also let the world see the new face of Songhe Academy and have a positive influence."
"That makes sense."
The Empress Dowager nodded, then hesitated and said, "But if I go too... wouldn't that make it too grand an occasion?"
Yanshu quickly replied, "Wouldn't a grand occasion show how much importance the court places on this? If the court shows its importance, the teachers at the academy will have more confidence in teaching, and the students will be more motivated to learn, won't they?"
The Empress Dowager thought for a moment, then said, "Very well. Since His Majesty has this intention, I should also do my part for the court. Let's go tomorrow then."
Yanshu was overjoyed and nodded vigorously in agreement.
Thus, the next day, the three of them from the palace set out together.
Of course, to avoid overshadowing the main event, neither the emperor nor the Empress Dowager used overly elaborate processions, and their attire was much more casual, showing their closeness to the people and their respect for the way of the sages.
The common people, having received advance notice, were exceptionally enthusiastic, all rushing to arrive early. Some even set out from the outskirts of the capital the night before, just to catch a glimpse of the great scholars.
Seeing this scene, Yuwen Lan felt somewhat gratified. While indulging her wishes, he had also done something useful, which wasn't bad.
In any case, when the people have a desire to learn, there is hope for the empire.
To accommodate everyone as much as possible, the lecture platform was set up in the square in front of Songhe Academy.
The common people who came to listen to the lecture had already found their places and were seated on the ground, creating a quaint and rustic atmosphere.
Of course, to show respect and for security considerations, the Emperor, Empress, and Empress Dowager had their own special VIP seats set up near the lecture platform on the side closer to the academy.
Nearby, several important ministers and scholars were also in attendance, making the occasion quite grand.
When the time came, four world-renowned Confucian scholars began their lectures.
The first to take the stage was Mr. Yu from Nanyang, who spoke on the principle: "To judge right and wrong, use a measuring line; to judge right and wrong in behavior, use names." Mr. Yu was skilled in using historical allusions, and his wide-ranging references left the audience enlightened.
Next to take the stage was Mr. Gu from Lanling.
Perhaps due to his happy family life, Mr. Gu had a naturally approachable demeanor and a great sense of humor. He explained the Confucian concept of "filial piety and brotherly love" in simple terms that everyone could understand, earning frequent applause.
The third to appear was Mr. Ji from Jinling City, renowned for his vast knowledge. He gave a magnificent discourse on ritual governance, moral governance, and human governance, using a wealth of classical quotations that left the officials in attendance full of admiration.
After the three had finished, the star of this forum, the newly appointed Chancellor of Songhe Academy, Mr. Qi Shuguang, took the stage.
As the most important figure of the forum, everyone had been extremely curious about him, and now all eyes eagerly turned to him.
Although already in his forties, this scholar still had the bearing of a slender bamboo, humble and elegant with an innate nobility.
One glance was enough to tell he was no ordinary person.
At this moment, the eyes of the entire audience were on him, but he showed not the slightest nervousness. Instead, he calmly began to speak, lecturing on the concept of "Great impartiality and utmost sincerity, with the people as the foundation of the state."
For a moment, the whole venue fell silent.
In the VIP seats, Yuwen Lan also temporarily set aside his distractions and listened attentively.
At this point, he had to admit that this man was indeed very talented, humble yet composed, impartial and selfless - truly the best candidate for the position of Chancellor.
After half an hour, when Qi Shuguang's words came to an end, the venue immediately erupted in waves of applause and admiring exclamations.
Among these voices, the one Yuwen Lan found hardest to deal with was still Yanshu's inner voice.
[Ah, ah, ah, my idol is indeed amazing!!! The Empress Dowager must be very pleased! The most excellent man in the world and the most excellent woman in the world, they're simply... perfect for each other!!!]
Yuwen Lan: "???"
How come in her heart, the most excellent man in the world wasn't him?
But this wasn't the end of it. He heard her cry out again, [Quick, quick, let the Empress Dowager say a few words to the Grand Scholar!!!]
Yuwen Lan: "..."
This was all going smoothly, he hadn't even spoken yet, and now she wanted the Empress Dowager to speak to Qi Shuguang? Wouldn't that be a bit too abrupt?
At this moment, Qi Shuguang was still standing on the lecture platform, nodding in acknowledgment to the audience members cheering for him.
To prevent Yanshu from screaming again, Yuwen Lan decided to say something.
However, before he could open his mouth, he suddenly saw someone throw a bouquet of flowers towards the lecture platform.
It landed perfectly in Chancellor Qi's arms.
Seeing this, everyone was startled.
Yanshu hurriedly looked closely and saw that the flower-thrower seemed to be a woman wearing a veil hat. Her age couldn't be determined, but the exposed parts of her dress appeared to be made of fine material.
Tsk, a woman throwing flowers at a man in public - that had quite a significant meaning.
Yanshu's heart sank, and she quickly asked the system, [Who is this woman? How could she throw flowers at Scholar Qi in front of so many people? Isn't that a bit too frivolous?]
The system let out an "oh-ho" and said, [This one is formidable! This woman is the famous noble lady Princess Shou'an, who is also the Emperor's maternal aunt. She's known for her romantic nature, and it seems she's taken a liking to your idol!]
Yanshu: [???]
How could this be? How could she allow someone else to interfere with her ship?!!!
