Daily Trivia (9):
All eligible daughters of officials in Sheng Jing holding a rank of fourth grade or higher are qualified to participate in the selection process for the Crown Princess.
Wen Ran, not yet sixteen, naturally falls within the selection criteria. Upon hearing the news, the entire Wen Mansion was filled with both worry and a subtle sense of excitement. If she were truly chosen, the Wen family would rise to a higher status.
Seeing Concubine Chang constantly frowning, Madam Shen waved her hand and wrote a letter to Wen Ye, asking her to return home. Upon her return, Wen Ye asked Wen Ran directly, "Little Five, do you want to become the Crown Princess?" Wen Ran answered firmly, "Yes."
Hearing this, Wen Ye wasn't too surprised and said, "Then you'll have a lot of hard work ahead of you." Being the Crown Princess isn't just a title.
Wen Ran shook her head, "I'm not afraid of hardship."
After her coming-of-age ceremony, she suddenly realized that she would one day have to marry. Although her mother had chosen good families for her, now there was an even better option, and she was qualified.
Having studied for nearly ten years, she finally had a chance to put her knowledge to use. Wen Ran didn't want to give up this opportunity easily.
Moreover, Princess Changle had secretly sent her a small portrait of the Crown Prince, and he wasn't unattractive.
She had nothing to lose.
Concubine Chang, listening nearby, was both anxious and helpless. "It's not certain that she'll be chosen, yet you two are already talking about what happens after she's selected." Wen Ye smiled and said, "Little Five's studies have always been praised by Father every year. What are you worried about?" It's rare for a girl from a noble family to continue studying after her coming-of-age ceremony.
Wen Ran is an exception.
But Concubine Chang was still concerned, "But the Crown Prince will have other women in the future..."
Wen Ran replied, "Concubine, how many men like my brother-in-law are there in Sheng Jing? Since it's inevitable that he'll take concubines, why not choose the one that benefits me the most?"
Hearing her clear-headed reasoning, Wen Ye felt both relieved and a pang of heartache.
She was relieved that Wen Ran wouldn't be easily deceived by men, but heartbroken because, as her sister, she felt she had never given her anything. Wen Ye understood why Wen Ran wanted to seize this opportunity.
Wen Ye gently stroked her hair and turned to Concubine Chang, "Let Little Five give it a try. It's just an exam."
The current political situation was clear. The Crown Prince had been assisting in governance for three years, while the other princes were still young and kept a low profile.
Wen Ye had heard from Xu Yuejia that the current Emperor was considering abdicating, waiting only for the birth of his first grandson. With the court stable, now was the time to strive for success.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Palace.
A radiant woman, as bright as the sun, was pestering a cold and aloof man dressed in a long robe embroidered with golden dragons. "Brother, just let me take a look. I won't copy it, just a quick glance won't hurt, right?"
The woman spoke until her throat was dry, but the man remained unmoved.
This woman was Princess Changle, Zhou Ning.
Finally, she said angrily, "Zhou Yi, with your attitude, it's no wonder you can't find a suitable Crown Princess!"
The man named Zhou Yi raised his eyes, his gaze deep, and said, "Sister, asking for the exam answers is considered cheating in the imperial examinations."
Zhou Ning retorted, "Little Wen Ran is the smartest girl I've ever met. If you miss her, don't regret it!"
In Zhou Ning's heart, Meng Xiuxiu and Chen Yan were equally important, but when it came to the Crown Princess selection exam, they would likely be eliminated in the first round.
Zhou Yi was familiar with the name Zhou Ning mentioned. There was a time when he had given Zhou Ning some problems, and only Wen Ran had been able to solve them. He also knew that the practice papers Zhou Ning had taken from him were not for her own use. Compared to Zhou Ning and her two other companions, Wen Ran was undoubtedly the most outstanding.
However, regarding the selection of the Crown Princess, his mind was made up. Zhou Yi said, "Sister, if she is truly as you say, she won't need these answers."
If she ended up being the top scorer, it would be a mere coincidence.
Zhou Ning: "..."
She was just worried about unexpected outcomes.
Not only that, she had also been afraid that Wen Ran might not want to participate, so she secretly sent a small portrait of Zhou Yi to her. Zhou Ning thought to herself, this must never be revealed to Zhou Yi.
Back then, one was always buried in books and studies, while the other shuttled between the Imperial Study and the Eastern Palace. Their paths had crossed countless times through their studies, yet they had never met in person. If only she had taken little Wen Ran to the Eastern Palace a few times when she was younger.
Daily Trivia (10):
When Xu Yuxuan first learned about his true origins, he had just turned nine. It would be a lie to say he wasn't sad or hurt.
Not only was the mother before him not his biological mother, but his father wasn't either.
Seeing this, Madam Lu comforted him gently, "Xuan'er, in fact, you're luckier than most people. Look, you have three mothers and two fathers. Although some of them are no longer here, they all loved you dearly."
Xu Yuxuan looked up, "Really?"
Madam Lu nodded, "Of course."
Having gotten an answer from Madam Lu, Xu Yuxuan still wasn't satisfied. He ran to the west courtyard to ask Wen Ye and Xu Yuejia. After hearing his question, Wen Ye agreed with Madam Lu, "Your aunt is right."
Xu Yuxuan remembered asking a rather silly question, "Will Mother still be good to Xuan'er in the future?" Wen Ye's reply was, "Was I ever particularly good to you before?" This response shattered the half-built defenses in Xu Yuxuan's heart. He felt both wronged and on the verge of tears, "Mother!"
"Alright, alright," Wen Ye quickly said, "I won't tease you anymore. Sit down, and let me explain properly."
Xu Yuxuan obediently sat down.
Wen Ye began, "Xuan'er, before you knew about your origins, didn't you have two mothers, one father, one aunt, and one uncle?"
Xu Yuxuan nodded, "Yes."
Wen Ye continued, "Now, count again." Xu Yuxuan really did count in his heart.
After a moment, Wen Ye said, "Has much really changed?" Xu Yuxuan responded with a soft "Hmm."
His former aunt had become his mother, his uncle had become his father, while his mother was actually his aunt, and his father was his uncle. The mother before him was his aunt by marriage. It seemed like not much had changed—everyone was still there.
Xu Yuxuan looked confused, unable to make sense of it.
But he had another question, "But one of my classmates at school, after his mother passed away, his father remarried three times. He said life at home was terrible."
Faced with the child's inquisitive gaze, Wen Ye chuckled and said, "Then you should ask his father." Xu Yuxuan scratched his head, "Ask what?"
Wen Ye straightened up and said seriously, "Have you heard of 'three strikes and you're out'? Your classmate's father is too unlucky with wives." Xu Yuxuan was stunned for a moment, then a look of understanding crossed his face. So that was the reason.
He counted again in his heart, then sighed in relief. He turned to Xu Yuejia and said with great seriousness, "Father, you mustn't follow his example. That's not a good habit."
Wen Ye protested, "What do you mean? Do you think I won't live long?" Xu Yuxuan quickly shook his head, "No, I'm just afraid Father isn't strong enough." He didn't want to have to change fathers again.
Xu Yuejia: "..."
Xu Yuxuan no longer had time to feel sad. He propped up his head and began to worry about his current father. He even wondered if he should find a master to come and cleanse the house of bad luck.
Ah, having too many parents really isn't a good thing.
Daily Trivia (11):
The Crown Princess selection exam lasted a full three months, with a total of eight rounds.
Although the noble families of Sheng Jing found this somewhat absurd and nonsensical, who could oppose it when it was proposed by the Crown Prince himself?
Even the Emperor couldn't stop it, let alone the ministers. They could only grit their teeth and comply, quickly hiring tutors for their daughters to prepare for the exams. The list of successful candidates was announced on the same day the exams concluded.
Wen Ran, the fifth daughter of the Wen family.
The next day, the imperial edict of appointment was delivered to the Wen family, leaving no time for the noble families to react. Upon hearing the news, Wen Ye and Xu Yuejia breathed a sigh of relief. Wen Ye said, "Now I don't have to worry about Xu Jingrong's future wife not accepting us."
Xu Jingrong's marriage was settled a month ago, with Song Lingyi, the eldest daughter of the Song family. The two families agreed to set the wedding date after the New Year, with the ceremony to take place half a year later.
Xu Yuejia was flipping through a book when he heard this and looked up.
Wen Ye explained, "Our youngest sister is about to become the Crown Princess. As her full-blooded sister, only a fool would push me away." Although the Song family's daughter seemed decent, one could never be sure about the future.
Wen Ye felt she still had at least four or five decades to live.
"Besides," Wen Ye added with a smile, "you don't have to worry about His Majesty losing interest in you once you grow old and lose your charm." Xu Yuejia could only respond with a mix of exasperation and amusement: "Does 'growing old and losing your charm' even apply here?" Wen Ye shrugged, "As long as you understand what I mean, that's all that matters."
Over the years, whether it was commoners or nobles who committed crimes, Xu Yuejia had always dealt with them strictly according to the law, without any bias. In doing so, he had inadvertently made many enemies.
A minister like Xu Yuejia, if placed in a storybook, would likely meet an unfortunate end. "So," Wen Ye teased, "aren't you going to try to win me over first?" Xu Yuejia glanced out the window and replied, "It's still daylight." Wen Ye: "… I meant, maybe you could peel a pear for me or something." Xu Yuejia, however, countered, "I thought you'd prefer it to be dark."
Wen Ye: "…"
The conversation had reached a dead end.
