Chapter 480 - Chapter 480: Clap, Clap, Clap
Chapter 480: Clap, Clap, Clap
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
In Yongshou Palace, the Empress Dowager took out a few more children’s graffiti to admire.
She really liked them no matter how she looked at them.
“Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager!”
Eunuch Cheng grabbed his horsetail whisk and walked in with a solemn expression.
Eunuch Cheng was Empress Dowager’s trusted aide. The Empress Dowager continued to admire the graffiti and asked calmly, “What happened so early in the morning?”
Eunuch Cheng said anxiously, “It’s Physician Su.”
The Empress Dowager asked, “Hasn’t she gone to the palace to study?”
Eunuch Cheng said, “That’s right. She went to the palace to study and there’s some trouble about in the Qilin Hall now!”
The Empress Dowager said doubtfully, “Is she making a fuss?”
Eunuch Cheng hurriedly said, “It’s not that Miss Su is causing trouble! It’s like this. Didn’t Master Jiang give a test paper to the students of the palace a few days ago? Princess Jingning and Princess Lingxi obtained A, and Physician Su suppressed the two of them to obtain A+. Then…”
At this point, he smiled awkwardly and did not dare to continue.
The Empress Dowager said unhurriedly, “Then they suspected that her results were not real, right? Is such a small matter worth reporting to me?”
Eunuch Cheng sighed. “If Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu find out that their mother was bullied in the palace school, they might feel terrible.” The Empress Dowager glared at him. “You talk too much!”
Eunuch Cheng smiled.
There were some things that the Empress Dowager could not say. If Eunuch Cheng said it for her, it would be considered a rather dutiful mouth.
The atmosphere in the classroom was tense until Eunuch Cheng announced at the top of his voice, “The Empress Dowager has arrived…’
Everyone was shocked.
The Empress Dowager was here?
Generally speaking, the Empress Dowager did not leave the harem easily. This was a rule set by the ancestor, but the Qilin Hall was an exception. It was between the harem and the previous dynasty. Although there were officials coming and going, the servants here were all eunuchs and palace maids.
But that was not the most important thing.
The crux of the matter was that Empress Dowager recuperating in Yongshou Palace. Why would she come to the Palace Academy for no reason?
Everyone left the classroom and bowed to welcome her.
The Empress Dowager raised her hand and the phoenix carriage landed. She held Eunuch Cheng’s hand and walked down.
Princess Hui An immediately pounced over and hugged her arm.
“Grandmother, you came at the right time. Hui An misses you!”
The Empress Dowager snorted. “Then why didn’t you stay in Yongshou Palace to accompany me?”
Hui An ran into a wall in front of Jingning, but in terms of pleasing the elders, Jingning was really inferior to her.
Princess Hui An said innocently, “Don’t we have to go to class? But
Grandmother, why are you here? Do you know that Hui An was bullied?”
The Empress Dowager said calmly, “I was talking a walk nearby. Who has the guts to bully you?”
Princess Hui An pointed at Guo Lingxi. “Her!”
Guo Lingxi said, “I didn’t bully you!”
Princess Hui An placed her hands on her hips and said, “If you bullied my sidekick, you bullied me!”
Guo Lingxi did not dare to act rashly in front of the Empress Dowager. She curled her lips and did not say anything.
The Empress Dowager looked at Master Jiang, who was leading the class.
Master Jiang’s scalp went numb.
The Empress Dowager was not a kind person. Otherwise, she would not have given birth to her eldest son under the eyes of the former empress.
He cupped his hands and told her about the controversy surrounding Su Xiaoxiao’s grades in the examination. He did not take sides or add fuel to the fire. He only explained what had happened truthfully.
“Guo Lingxi is unconvinced! Master Jiang is biased towards Guo Lingxi!” Princess Hui An summarized the situation.
The Empress Dowager said calmly, “I don’t think it’s a big deal. One is unconvinced, and the other doesn’t believe it. This is easy. Just take another exam.”
Princess Hui An quietly moved to Su Xiaoxiao’s side and whispered, “Little sidekick, will you expose yourself? If you do, blink and I’ll solve it for you!” Su Xiaoxiao was speechless.
Guo Lingxi raised her chin and looked at Su Xiaoxiao. “Do you dare?”
Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, “I won fair and square. Why should I compare to a defeated opponent?”
The young ladies gasped. How domineering!
Guo Lingxi sneered disdainfully. “I think you just don’t dare, right? That’s true. If you had peeked at the paper, won’t you expose yourself when you retake the examination?”
Princess Hui An’s eyes flashed. She covered her abdomen and shouted, “Aiya, Grandmother, my stomach hurts!”
Guo Lingxi said, “Heh, I knew it!”
Su Xiaoxiao came to Princess Hui An and said softly, “Your Highness Hui An, I didn’t say that I wouldn’t compete.”
Princess Hui An was stunned. “Huh?”
Su Xiaoxiao glanced at Guo Lingxi. “But I won’t compete with her.”
She walked up to Master Jiang. “I’ll compete with you.”
Master Jiang was speechless.
And so was everyone else.
The scope and question type will remain the same. Master Jiang, do you dare to compete with me?”
Master Jiang said coldly, “Do you know what you’re doing?”
Su Xiaoxiao smiled. “It’s just an examination. Master Jiang, are you afraid?”
Lu Ying covered her heart. “Heavens, she’s crazy! She actually wants to compete with Teacher Jiang!”
The question for this written test was a scripture.
The so-called calligraphy covered both ends. There was a line in the middle, and the paper was cut at some sections. To put it bluntly, it was filling in the blanks.
It looked simple, but who wouldn’t be dumbfounded if only a random sentence was extracted?
Coupled with the fact that they were not interested in highlighting the main points, the examination was ancient and remote.
Master Jiang felt that Su Xiaoxiao was simply arrogant!
He flicked his sleeve and snorted. “I’m a double-ranked scholar. If I actually take the examination with a female student, where will my reputation be if word gets out that I bullied a junior like this!”
The Empress Dowager said, “Aiya, if she beats you, you won’t be the one bullying her. ”
“This…” Teacher Jiang choked.
In the end, the Empress Dowager made the decision and asked the two of them to set questions for each other. They would take reference from the Analects of Confucius and the Classic of Poems.
The Classic of Poetry had 39,243 words, and the Analects of Confucius had 11,750 words. The Palace Academy had only taught less than a tenth of it, and the scope of the examination was only a tenth.
But now, the scope of the examination had expanded to the entire text…
This was simply a written test without any suspense.
Miss Su was bound to lose.
The young ladies shook their heads one by one as they couldn’t bear to look at the tragic scene.
Su Xiaoxiao set the questions quickly and only took 15 minutes.
Master Jiang glanced at her, thinking that she couldn’t come up with a question. He wrote for an extra quarter of an hour before filling three pages.
Although he said that he would not make things difficult for the juniors, he did not show any mercy when it came to venting his anger. After all, it would not showcase his standards if he went easy.
The two sides exchanged questions.
Su Xiaoxiao picked up her brush and wrote smoothly.
On the other hand, the moment Master Jiang received the test paper, he frowned slightly.
Half an hour later, Su Xiaoxiao handed in her paper.
“No way? Did you hand it over so quickly? It’s not time yet…’
“Could it be that she thew the game and answered randomly?”
Guo Lingxi said coldly, “Of course, it’s a random answer. Don’t tell me you really expect her to answer like a flower?”
Lu Ying suddenly said, “Look at Master Jiang.. Is he feeling unwell? His expression suddenly looks so bad…”