CHAPTER 104: CHAPTER 103: SO YOU LIKE SCHOLARS

The next day, Xia Ruqing still rose early to pay her respects to the Empress. Life showed no sign of change. However, Consort Yun’s gaze toward her held a hint of difference. Xia Ruqing didn’t understand but chose not to dwell on it.

When she returned to Qingya Residence, Xiao Xizi brought from the Imperial Kitchen a basket of plums and a basket of Ying Tao.

Only then did Xia Ruqing realize.

Oh, I am still the Emperor’s Favored Consort!

The previous death threat had almost disrupted her composure.

Now...

Xia Ruqing just laughed.

"It’s good to be the Favored Consort! Favor is always good!"

With favor, she could keep her life safe.

So Xia Ruqing set a goal for herself: at the very least, she couldn’t fall out of favor or die before the next selection of Fine Ladies!

During the next selection, with Fine Ladies entering the palace, who knows where Noble Consort Shih’s attention would be!

Xia Ruqing waved her fan, thought for a while, then stood up with a laugh.

"Zi Yue, let’s pickle some preserved plums! The candied fruits in the palace are too sweet for my liking!"

"Yes!" Zi Yue responded. A basket of plums, once pickled into preserved plums, would last a good while.

As they spoke, Zi Yue and Xiao Xizi both went to prepare.

Just then, Little Zhuzi, who served the Emperor, suddenly arrived.

"Greetings to Lady Xia!" Little Zhuzi said with a beaming smile.

Zi Yue asked, "What brings you here?"

Little Zhuzi pulled a letter from his robes. "This is a letter the Emperor instructed me to deliver to you, Honored Lady. I’m not sure who wrote it, but..." Little Zhuzi glanced around and then whispered, "This letter is for Lady Xia. I heard it traveled a thousand li to get here!" After speaking, he finally presented the letter.

Xia Ruqing’s heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason. When she took the letter, a sudden warmth flooded through her.

It was like a drifting duckweed that had suddenly found an anchor. It must be him! Who else could it be, if not Xia Jingfeng!

Xia Ruqing handed Little Zhuzi several pieces of silver and sent him away. Then, she opened the envelope and began to read. Unlike the previous letters, the lines of characters had shed their immaturity and now bore a distinct flair. As she reached the end, Xia Ruqing was overjoyed.

"Jingfeng got into White Horse Academy!"

Xiao Xizi scratched his head. "White Horse Academy? Is that very impressive?"

Zi Yue tapped him on the head and said, "You don’t even know about White Horse Academy? It’s the best academy in Jiangnan! I heard the elders in our hometown say that if someone gets into White Horse Academy, it brings honor to their ancestors, and they’re destined to become officials! Many scholars from our hometown tried to get in, but I never heard of anyone actually succeeding!"

Xiao Xizi’s eyes sparkled. "Sister Zi Yue, you know so much! Tell me more!"

Zi Yue then explained in detail. Xia Ruqing listened beside them and eventually couldn’t help asking cautiously, "Is it really... that impressive? Zi Yue, how do you know all this?"

When asked this, Zi Yue’s expression became somewhat troubled.

It looked like... she was a bit hurt.

"What’s wrong?" Xia Ruqing asked.

Zi Yue lowered her head. "When I was little, my mother arranged a childhood betrothal for me. He was a scholar, very refined and well-mannered. I met him twice. He told me his goal was White Horse Academy."

"I was ten that year, and he was thirteen. He said he was going on a study tour to Jiangnan to take the entrance exam for White Horse Academy. But once he left, he never returned. Later, my family met with misfortune, my parents passed away, and the betrothal naturally became void."

Zi Yue’s life had also been full of hardships, and by the end of her story, she was on the verge of tears.

Xia Ruqing felt she shouldn’t have asked and said, "Alright, alright. Since you like scholars, then in the future, I’ll find you one even better than him. Wouldn’t that be good?"

Zi Yue smiled through her tears. "My Lady, you’re being quite mischievous," she said, her face turning red.

Xia Ruqing was even more certain that this was the type of man Zi Yue liked, and she secretly made a mental note of it.

"Alright, alright, I won’t tease you. But you still haven’t said, after getting into White Horse Academy, what then?"

Zi Yue looked at her with an incredulous expression. "Of course, it’s to take the imperial examinations!"

"Graduates from White Horse Academy are no ordinary people. I’ve heard that... it has produced several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, not to mention even more Grand Scholars!"

Xia Ruqing finally understood, and her heart blossomed with joy.

My little brother, you truly are a godsend! My dear brother, you must really strive hard. Otherwise, your sister—me—won’t be able to survive in this palace!

After her silent prayer, she put away the letter and went about her usual tasks.

Her brother was destined for great things, but she also had to stay alive, right? Survival is key!

In the evening, Xia Ruqing had Xiao Xizi rub the plums with coarse salt. After leaving them overnight, the plums were all shriveled by the next morning. Xia Ruqing then rinsed off the salt with water and began to dry them.

"It’ll take half a month. We’ll have to wait patiently!"

"Mhm!" Zi Yue agreed, arranging several baskets and laying out the plums outside to dry in the sun.

That evening, when Zhao Junyao arrived, he saw the courtyard was filled with plums.

"You don’t like them?" he asked.

"Your Majesty, I’m going to make preserved plums. They’ll taste even better then!" Xia Ruqing replied.

Zhao Junyao fell silent. He would never understand how many strange ideas this girl had in her head!

Xia Ruqing didn’t want to dwell on the plums and tugged at his sleeve. "Your Majesty, have you had your evening meal yet? I had the Imperial Kitchen prepare some delicious food. Would you like to try some?"

Zhao Junyao was very pleased inwardly, but his expression remained unchanged as he simply nodded lightly.

Honored Lady Xi was playing with a rabbit in the Imperial Garden, and Honored Lady Lan was also there. They both saw the Emperor heading to Qingya Residence.

Honored Lady Xi remarked, "Qingya Residence isn’t secluded at all. In the future, the Emperor will probably visit Elder Sister Xia even more frequently!"

Honored Lady Lan didn’t know how to respond and said vaguely, "It must be that Lady Xia is favored by the Emperor."

Honored Lady Xi thought for a moment and then nodded. "I was thinking of visiting Qingya Residence, but since the Emperor is there, we’d better not go!"

After saying this, the two played for a while longer and then returned to their own residences.

The next day, Zhao Junyao chose Lady Xia’s nameplate again.

On the third day, he finally went to Consort Hui Pin’s residence.

Seeing that the Emperor hadn’t visited Xia Ruqing the previous night, Honored Lady Xi indeed came with her rabbit the next morning.

"Elder Sister Xia..."

When Xia Ruqing saw it was her, she thought, If it weren’t for her, I might really have been crushed to death. For a moment, even though she disliked socializing, she had no choice but to smile and welcome her visitor in.

"If it weren’t for you last time, I don’t know where I’d be now!" Xia Ruqing said.

Honored Lady Xi looked surprised and quite frightened. "Elder Sister Xia, how on earth did that pillar break? You should get some craftsmen to check everything thoroughly from now on!"

Xia Ruqing just smiled. "I will. But such an incident probably won’t happen again."

Noble Consort Shih probably wouldn’t deign to use the same trick twice! Besides, I’m not an idiot.