The First Auxiliary Road from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 1004 Concubine Cen

When Empress Dowager Xiao and Wen were there, they had a good relationship with Concubine Cen. Because of their interactions, Sheng Yuan was no stranger to Concubine Cen.

Whether it was because of past feelings, or in terms of status, seniority, rules and etiquette, Sheng Yuan could not look down on Zhang Ping like he did.

Jumping off the horse neatly, Sheng Yuan and Anyu came to Concubine Cen's car together, bowed politely, and said hello harmoniously.

"I didn't expect to see you here today!" Concubine Cen smiled kindly and slowly got out of the carriage with the help of her maid.

As she spoke, she waved to Sheng Yuan: "As an old woman, I would like to ask our Minister Sheng to support me and talk to me, okay?"

Sheng Yuan did not hesitate, walked over with a smile, supported Concubine Cen's arm, and joked: "It's Sheng Yuan's honor to be invited by Concubine Cen, so it's naturally very good."

"How about we go to Taogui Academy for a walk together?" Concubine Cen patted Sheng Yuan's hand and asked with a smile.

Before Sheng Yuan could say anything, the guards on the left and right took half a step forward.

Concubine Cen turned a blind eye to this situation and still looked at Sheng Yuan with a smile.

"Don't dare to disobey your elders' orders. I will do as you please." Sheng Yuan briefly exchanged eyes with Concubine Cen and nodded happily.

Xiaoyao and Anyu heard the words and looked at each other for a moment. Immediately, one of them followed behind Shengyuan with his guards, while the other led other guards outside to wait for the response.

Sheng Yuan ignored this and walked into the academy while chatting affectionately with Concubine Cen.

……

Taogui Academy is divided into two colleges for men and women. The branch where the husband studies is on the left, called Xuancaotang; the branch where the girl studies is on the right, called Luming Pavilion.

In the middle of the two courtyards is a comprehensive venue consisting of a martial arts arena, a racecourse and a garden.

Standing in front of the hanging flower door leading to the large garden, Sheng Yuan listened to Concubine Cen's talk about ancient times.

"Have you seen the two plaques of Hemerocallis Hall and Luming Pavilion? They were handwritten by the late Emperor Cheng Yuan." Concubine Cen introduced, pointing to the imposing plaques above the arches on both sides.

"When it was first distributed, the late emperor also specifically ordered the palace officials to clarify which one should be given to the husband and which to the girl. For this reason, no matter how the gentlemen and professors assigned here asked for corrections, or how many ministers suggested when going to court, the first Huangdu insisted on the original arrangement. He once told the Queen Mother that there was a wrong name, but there was no wrong meaning... I have always been stupid, and I couldn't understand it when I heard about it. I listened, and then I gradually understood its meaning.”

"..." Sheng Yuan blinked and nodded in approval.

Isn’t there something else?

Let the husband of Tao Gui Academy obey his filial piety and keep his duty; let the girl of Tao Gui Academy study and make progress and achieve brilliance.

Well, I can only say that Emperor Chengyuan's method of dealing with the survivors of the former Qi Dynasty is really interesting!

"Let's go in and take a look." Concubine Cen patted Sheng Yuan's hand and motioned her to go to Luming Pavilion.

Sheng Yuan quickly looked around and said hello with a smile.

In fact, if we take a closer look, the setup of Taogui Academy is not much different from that of other official schools.

Neat tables and chairs, a spacious classroom, flowers and green plants that can be seen from above, a maze-like corridor, and a ranking wall that many students love and hate.

If we really want to say what is different, it is probably that there are courses specifically for girls, including life skills such as female celebrities, cooking, housekeeping, education, talents, etc. For this purpose, a three-story loft was specially built. "Old woman, I have often felt lonely in recent years, but I didn't expect that with my konghou skills, I would become the husband of these girls." Concubine Cen mentioned her relationship with Taogui Academy in an understated way.

"I think it's their blessing to have you personally teach the skills." Sheng Yuan had heard Xiao and Queen Mother Wen mention that Princess Cen was good at playing, but she didn't know the specific instrument.

"You have been sweet-mouthed since you were a child." Concubine Cen smiled, stood up slowly, and pointed to the plaque with the words "Unparalleled Talent" written on it, "That was also written by the late emperor."

The former emperor she was talking about was still Emperor Chengyuan.

"Sometimes, I often think that I like to teach girls konghou here, maybe because it has the atmosphere of old friends here."

Sheng Yuan listened quietly.

It stands to reason that the place where the atmosphere of old friends is strongest should be the imperial city.

But it was hard to say, after all, the past of the bond between the late emperor and the harem was not something she, a junior, could know clearly.

"Let's sit there!" Concubine Cen felt thoughtful for a moment, then pointed to a pavilion built on a white jade platform a hundred steps away from the attic, and said with a smile, "You will know when you go up there, the location is excellent."

Sheng Yuan followed Shan Ruliu and followed her step by step.

What Concubine Cen said was true. Standing in the pavilion, she looked around and found that the view here was extremely broad.

Not only can you clearly see half of the lake on the Luming Pavilion side, but you can also see the Library Pavilion on the other side of the lake.

"Every time I am here, watching the students coming and going on the bamboo bridge, I feel extremely satisfied." Concubine Cen held on to the railing and looked at the lake.

Sheng Yuan followed and looked... Well, it seems quite normal.

"Sister Yuan, if I remember correctly, you seem to be the number one scholar in Jinghe's seventh year?"

Concubine Cen had seen enough and led Sheng Yuan to sit on the bamboo chair beside the railing, chatting with Sheng Yuan as if they were chatting about everyday things.

"You have such a good memory!" Sheng Yuan thought about it several times after hearing this, but she smiled and flattered her face.

"It is impossible for the old woman not to know about such a major event as the opening of the imperial examination for women, even if she is blind to what is going on outside the window. Such an unprecedented move, I, a little girl in the past, dare not forget."

Concubine Cen looked at Sheng Yuan, with a flash of complicated emotions in her eyes: "Since your time, girls have come to Beijing every three years to take the exam. They say they are rushing to take the exam, but in fact they are mostly girls from wealthy families looking for a future. Probably many of them are I don’t believe you became the number one scholar based on your true talent!”

At the end of the sentence, Concubine Cen seemed to find it interesting and laughed.

Sheng Yuan also heard this and felt helpless: "Many people think that I am the role model set by the late emperor, a mascot?"

She laughed out loud as she spoke, and sighed slowly after laughing: "Business and bustling, money coming and going, men and women are no different in pursuing fame and wealth. This is common sense and understandable. I probably feel that taking advantage of the opportunity When women take the imperial examination for the first time, they can catch up with a lot of bonuses, but they don’t expect that the imperial examination level and the standards for being ranked are the same for men and women. "

"It may not really be the same. After all, even if they are written in Guange style, the husband's and the girl's handwriting are still very different." After finishing speaking, Mrs. Cen seemed to realize that she had made a mistake. She couldn't help but laugh out loud and slowly shook her head. The head said, "Look at me, an old woman, talking nonsense again."

"If the water is clear, there will be no fish. It is already difficult for girls to enter the examination room. The other things are gradually improving... Moreover, recently, the intensity of re-examination of examination papers has been increased, and the severe punishment for examiners who reject examination papers for no reason has been clarified. This It is beneficial for girls with real talents and learning." When talking about the imperial talent promotion ceremony, Sheng Yuan was not as joking as before.

"Is there a girl with real talents?!" Upon hearing this, Concubine Cen looked at the small boats on the lake.