Do You Know?: Rule the World

Buwei, a servant and book boy, was busy arranging the bookshelves.

Seeing that the imperial examination was approaching, Qi Heng knew that after the examination was over, he would not be able to go to the Sheng family every day, and he would not be able to see Minglan again.

As the only son of Princess Pingning and Duke Qi, he has lived in the spotlight since he was young.

Whenever there is a banquet or an elegant gathering, there are always beautiful women who find excuses to approach.

When he was studying at the Sheng family school, Molan and Rulan often found opportunities to be around him.

Under the influence of Lin Qinshuang, Molan sincerely wanted to marry into the Duke of Qi's Mansion.

As for Rulan, she was just joining in the fun and secretly competing with Molan.

As long as she can make Molan angry, she is willing to do anything.

Only Minglan always avoided him and refused to say a word.

It was this alienation and uniqueness that made Qi Heng inevitably full of interest and affection for her. Of course, Minglan's unique appearance was also indispensable.

At this moment, there was a sound of footsteps outside the study.

Mother Luo, who was beside Princess Pingning, came in with a food box and said softly, "Brother, our Princess went to the palace to pay her respects this morning. The Empress gave her a gift of newly-tributed water chestnuts from Yangzhou Prefecture."

"They say it's only available every summer. This batch is frozen in the ice cellar. We eat it in the winter just for the freshness."

"The Queen specially asked this old servant to bring some to my brother to try."

Qi Heng suddenly came to his senses when he heard this.

He quickly straightened his sleeves, raised a gentle smile, and stood up, saying, "I'm so sorry that Mother is so concerned about me. I'll go over and have dinner with her tonight."

"Okay, I'll tell the kitchen to get ready."

"Brother, eat some while they're fresh. Water chestnuts are good for clearing the mind and improving eyesight." After giving the instructions, Mother Luo turned around and left with a smile.

Qi Heng looked at the water chestnuts in the food box and was about to reach out to take them, but then frowned.

Then he turned his gaze to the servant Buwei and asked softly, "Did the Sheng family come to the capital from Yangzhou?"

He nodded repeatedly without putting down what he was doing.

Seeing this, Qi Heng immediately covered the food box.

"Sixth Miss has been in Beijing for several years. She must be missing the taste of her hometown. Please keep the water chestnuts and bring them to her tomorrow."

Seeing that no one was around, Buwei sighed softly and said helplessly, "Brother treats Sixth Miss so well, but Sixth Miss ignores us. I think Sixth Miss may not be willing to accept this water chestnut."

Hearing this, Qi Heng lowered his eyes, his heart suddenly felt a little sad, "It's okay, let's send it over and try it first."

"Why can't she learn from her two older sisters? She refuses to say a word all day long."

"In terms of status, she is raised by the old lady, so she is more respectable than the fourth lady."

Without hesitation, he lowered his voice and said, "Every time after class, Miss Six would rather take a long detour than see you. Even if we meet, she won't even glance at you."

"In my opinion, the Sixth Miss probably doesn't have you in her heart."

"Why don't you stop worrying about Sixth Miss? If the princess finds out, we'll all be in big trouble."

As the Spring Examination approached, Princess Pingning burned incense and prayed every day, hoping that Qi Heng would win the first prize and restore the reputation of the Duke of Qi's Mansion.

At this moment, even if it was a legitimate daughter of some family, if she dared to distract Qi Heng like this, she would definitely not be let off easily.

As a personal servant, he must be the first to suffer.

"Impossible! We've been classmates for several years and I've taken care of her in every possible way. It's impossible for her not to have me in her heart."

"If I can pass the imperial examination this spring, I will ask my mother to propose marriage to the Sheng family!"

After saying that, Qi Heng clenched his fists, and a hint of stubbornness flashed in his eyes.

Buwei was so anxious that he kept rubbing his hands: "Brother, think twice!"

"The princess values ​​family background the most, and I'm afraid she wouldn't even look down on Sixth Miss's background."

Qi Heng frowned and glanced at him calmly, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince can marry a girl from the Sheng family, so why can't I marry one from the Duke's Mansion?"

"The eldest daughter of the Sheng family was able to marry the Crown Prince because His Royal Highness had not yet achieved success. It was a great coincidence for the Sheng family."

"Come to think of it, the fifth lady is a possibility, but the sixth lady..." Having said that, Buwei shook his head.

In his opinion, given Princess Pingning's arrogant nature, she would never allow a concubine's daughter to become the principal wife.

Even if he agreed to marry into the Sheng family, he would first marry the fifth girl as his principal wife and the sixth girl as his concubine.

Qi Heng raised his chin and turned a deaf ear to Buwei's words. No matter what, he was going to give it a try!

At the same time, in the Imperial Palace, Anfu Hall.

Rong Feiyan frowned slightly, leaned on the soft couch, and looked straight at Rong Fei with her almond-shaped eyes.

"Sister, it's only been over a month since we last met, but how come you look so much thinner?"

Rong Fei held a silver spoon in her hand, gently stirring the blood swallows in the celadon bowl, and whispered, "Ever since Prince Yan and Prince Yong were exiled, the emperor has been visiting me less and less."

"What should we do then? Will the government just abandon our family?"

"Speaking of which, our family also made a great contribution to the quick execution of Prince Yan!" Rong Feiyan straightened up, her face full of worry.

"I think the emperor still has some grudges against me, but it doesn't matter."

"As long as our family behaves well from now on, the official will certainly remember our past friendship."

Concubine Rong sighed softly. If she had known this would happen, she would not have believed a word Prince Yan said.

It was just that the four words "Conglong's Merit" were too tempting and she was bewitched for a while. Fortunately, she woke up in time and got a chance to atone for her sins.

"No wonder I saw that Dad has been much more obedient recently and rarely even goes out." Rong Feiyan muttered softly.

In the past, Bo Fuchang relied on his daughter's favor in the palace to show off and spend lavishly everywhere.

Even at the age of sixty or seventy, he still wanted to marry a skinny horse from Yangzhou into his mansion.

Rong Fei put down the silver spoon and looked at her sister's increasingly pretty face.

Changing the subject, he asked, "Fei Yan, are you really not attracted to the young master of the Duke of Qi's mansion?"

"Sister, why are you asking this again? If I really liked him, would I have kept it a secret from you?"

"Besides, Princess Pingning has always looked down on our family. I don't want to flatter her!"

"Who does she think she is? She just relies on being the Queen's adopted daughter."

"Her Qiguo Mansion is just an empty facade now, what's so great about it?"

At this point, Rong Feiyan couldn't help rolling her eyes, feeling that Princess Pingning was as annoying as the former Princess Jiacheng.

Rong Fei raised her hand and rubbed her brow, "Forget it, I know what you are thinking."

"One day, I will find a suitable opportunity to ask the official for help. At worst, I'll even risk my reputation!"

-

In the blink of an eye, it is almost the end of the year. The palaces in the Eastern Palace have been renovated, and the Zhanshi Mansion and the Zuoyou Chunfang have everything.

We just need to wait for the Imperial Astronomical Observatory to choose an auspicious day before we can hold the ceremony for the crown prince to take the throne.

Ever since Empress Cao wore a cashmere cloak trimmed with ermine fur at the plum blossom viewing banquet.

Within half a month, many officials' wives followed suit, and now bodices and cloaks made of various colors of cashmere have become increasingly popular in the city of Bianliang.

Today is New Year's Eve. Every household in Bianjing City is decorated with lanterns and colorful lights, and the atmosphere is full of joy and happiness.

Jiying Lane, Sheng Mansion, and Shou'an Hall are filled with warmth.

This year, the Sheng family received exceptionally generous gifts, with silks of various colors alone filling up half of the warehouse.

Wei Xiaoniang, who was temporarily in charge of the household, sat below the old lady, holding a thick gift list in her hand and carefully checking each page.

Liu Ge'er is almost four years old. He wears a big red jacket and jumps around like a little dumpling.

He was waving a small peach wood sword in his hand and shouting "Hey Ha" non-stop, and the clear and childish voice echoed in my ears.

The old lady looked at him with a kind smile on her face.

"After his two elder brothers finish their spring examinations, we'll have time for Brother Liu to begin his enlightenment."

Most families start their children's education between the ages of five and seven, while families that value reading may start one or two years earlier.

Changbai started his education at the age of four, under the tutelage of Master Wang.

Wei Xiaoniang smiled gently and said softly, "Brother Liu can't sit still for even a quarter of an hour. No matter how I look at him, he doesn't look like a good student."

The old lady waved to Liu Ge'er to come over and straighten his crooked little hat.

"Everyone has their own destiny. Even if Brother Liu wants to become a general in the future, he still needs to learn to read and write first."

"The children of our Sheng family are always good."

Wei Xiaoniang nodded repeatedly and looked at Liu Ge'er with hope in her eyes.

In the past, she never fought or competed, and never complained or sought justice to anyone in the Sheng family.

Although the old lady was kind, she was not Sheng Hong's biological mother after all, so she had no say in the backyard.

Sheng Hong's heart was completely tied to Lin Qinshuang, allowing her to become arrogant and make big things small and small things disappear.

She was just a pawn bought by Wang Ruofu to share his favor, and she did not have a powerful family like the Wang family.

No one in the Sheng family would really stand up for her, and crying out would only annoy people and bring shame upon herself.

As for Wang Ruofu, she knelt in the ancestral hall for a whole month before being released by Sheng Hong.

If the old lady of the Wang family had not heard about this and written a letter personally, it would have taken even longer.

These days, she has been staying indoors in Weiruixuan. Even Rulan is nervous when she sees her, and keeps her tail between her legs, fearing that she might accidentally bring bad luck upon herself.

"Madam, now you understand why the old lady and the master don't want you to have more contact with Aunt Kang?"

Mother Liu looked at Wang Ruofu earnestly.

Wang Ruofu's eyes were red and her face was full of resentment. This time she had completely lost face in the mansion.

Ever since the news of printing money spread throughout the city, Sheng Hong sent people to keep an eye on Wang Ruoyu.

As expected, she frantically searched for Wang Ruofu's loan agreement, wanting to drag the Sheng family into trouble.

As a result, Sheng Hong came to the ancestral hall at night and scolded her again.