Chapter 12: Gongzi Yushu

Lushan Official School!

The reaction of the magistrate in front of him to Jiang Yuan is unknown. Only Mrs. Xu, who was sitting, and the fifth sister Jiang Rou, suddenly brightened up, and both of them looked more spirited.

Third sister Jiang Zhi accompanied them carefully, eating very little, but her face seemed to say "It's better to go back to the room soon." Naturally, she couldn't listen to this.

The youngest sister Jiang Ran, who was frightened by Mrs. Tao just now, was still trembling and shrinking, burying her head deeply.

Gently holding her hand, Jiang Yuan patted her back and looked at Jiang Ran timidly raising her head, and then smiled to comfort her.

At this moment, she could still smile, and Jiang Yuan herself felt it was rare.

She had imagined countless times how the other party would make a move, but she had never expected that the son of the Duke's mansion would be so generous, giving the magistrate's mansion a big and round sweet date first.

In the Great Zhou Dynasty, there were both private schools and official schools.

Private schools only invited teachers to teach at home. However, the official school was not open to children of non-privileged families! And students had to stay in the school dormitory, with only three to five days off in a month.

The several young masters of the magistrate's mansion who are now studying at Xiangshan Academy, which is considered an ordinary official school, have already surpassed private schools by a large margin. It should be noted that the selection and appointment of officials in the Great Zhou Dynasty only relied on the "selection of talents" and "filial piety and integrity".

The "selection of talents" meant that one had to have talent and gain the favor of high-ranking officials in the court, relying on connections and support.

As for "filial piety and integrity", it was a backdoor route. As long as one could donate a large sum of money, they could barely get a position as a minor official in the county government. Despite being just a minor official, the salary might not be high, but there were many privileges. It was much better than the common people.

Now, the mention of the Lushan Official School was indeed a very important matter.

Just as there were different levels of noble families, the status of the children naturally varied. For a family like the magistrate's mansion, being able to enter Xiangshan Academy was already due to the favor of Old Master Jiang, making an exception.

Compared to the widely known Lushan Official School, which countless students were eager to attend but struggled to find a way in, Xiangshan Academy could only be considered "so-so".

Jiang Yuan placed her hands on her knees and caught a glimpse of Jiang Rou, whose tightly clasped fingers were turning white with nervousness. She also pretended to show some surprise, but her heart couldn't help but sink.

There was never an easy advantage to be gained in the world. The more benefits the Duke's mansion gave, the less they would naturally ask for in return.

What she was worried about now was whether the son of the Duke's mansion, besides settling old accounts with her, would also have some unknown connection with the Jiang family?

"Magistrate, does the Lushan Official School also accept female students? Please forgive my ignorance, but I have never heard of it before." As a county magistrate who had experienced many trials and tribulations in the officialdom, Mr. Jiang remained calm and composed, but as soon as he heard the name of Lushan Academy, his mind went blank and he overlooked the doubts.

"It's not surprising that Mr. Jiang is not aware of this. The female school is still under construction. It is difficult for news to spread from the south of the Yangtze River to Yanjing. It will probably take some time before any news comes out. In half a month, the Lushan Official School will select noble girls from various places and admit them to the academy for education. There will be more than thirty places, and most of them will be taken up by Yanjing alone."

Guang Xu stole a glance at the silent son, but left the rest unsaid: the son had ordered that even if the female school was to be demolished and rebuilt, it would be done.

The supervisor of the Lushan Official School happened to be a former student of the Duke's mansion. Naturally, he would not go against the son. Moreover, the establishment of the female school, benefiting most of the aristocratic families in Yanjing, was a good thing that no one would openly oppose.

However, after the news that the Duke's mansion took the lead in establishing a female school at Lushan Academy, the other two major aristocratic families, the Zhu family and the Guan family of Youzhou, also followed suit and announced that they would establish female schools at Sihai Academy and Qingping Academy.

It was clear that they were imitating and unwilling to let the Guan family monopolize the limelight.

King Wen was pleased with this. In the court, he granted the son of the Duke's mansion, Gu Yan, the title of "Jade Pivot". He was allowed to share the same honor as several princes, enjoying the same respect as a "prince".

Apart from the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou, all the other princes were addressed as "prince". For example, the most beloved son of King Wen, the third son born to the Empress Dowager, was called Prince Cheng.

There were also adult princes, the fourth son, Prince Dan, and the fifth son, Prince Yi.

The title "Jade Pivot" meant "a jade of perfect quality, essential to the mechanism". It not only distinguished him from the single-character titles of the royal family, but also praised Gu Yan's handsome appearance and noble character.

Among the three families, only the Duke's mansion of Zhao received this special honor, and King Wen's intentions were not to be underestimated.

Thinking back to when the Duke knew about this, Guang Xu only received a letter. After the son read it, his expression remained unchanged. He just picked up the letter and burned it.

Thinking about the relationship between the father and son, Guang Xu felt a little uneasy.

At the banquet, after weighing the pros and cons, Mr. Jiang finally stood up and bowed to the young man next to him, "The son and Mr. Guan have shown great kindness, and I am ashamed to accept it. Today's great favor will be remembered by the Jiang family, and we will not forget it."

With a thud, Jiang Yuan, who had been sitting honestly, felt a jump in her heart. Sure enough, there was another meaning to these words.

It was not the magistrate's mansion that would remember the kindness, but the "Jiang family". Thinking deeper, this was a demonstration of loyalty.

The seventh Miss Jiang suddenly realized that even her father had to say "Mr. Guan" when he saw the scholar. The man who was obviously of equal status to Mr. Guan, but was deceived by her, was sent away very cleverly.

Regardless of what would happen later, at least at the moment, she, Jiang Yuan, had done something big!

As the banquet dispersed, the young ladies took the lead in leaving. They passed through the corridor and entered the second gate.

Jiang Rou walked lightly, her eyes shining like crystals. Jiang Zhi, exhausted, lagged behind, followed by the more silent Jiang Ran.

They all knew that when the qualifications to attend the Lu Mountain Official School were mentioned at the banquet, it must have been referring to the two legitimate daughters of the family. Jiang Zhi was fine, as she would soon be engaged and she was already a concubine-born, so she didn't feel too disappointed. But Jiang Ran, despite feeling envious, couldn't overstep her bounds. Her nose felt sour, and her heart was bitter and astringent.

Looking at the legitimate daughters in their gorgeous attire, the fifth sister Jiang Rou seemed a bit more cheerful, while the seventh sister Jiang Yuan remained as gentle and courteous as ever. Nine-year-old Jiang Ran's gaze fell on the high bun of Jiang Yuan, and her timid eyes flickered. For the first time, she felt that compared to the exuberance of the fifth sister, the calm and restrained demeanor of the seventh sister seemed like a precious gem, piercing her eyes with a deep sense of pain.

As they reached a fork in the road, they bid each other farewell and went their separate ways. Jiang Yuan's gaze lingered for a moment on the dejected Jiang Ran before she slowly withdrew her eyes and turned away with a faint smile.

The spring rain had just stopped, and the afternoon sunlight gradually brightened. The lazy sun hung in the sky, the clear blue sky washed clean, and even the flowers and plants in the courtyard seemed to come alive, stretching their branches and leaves.

"Miss, would you like to rest for a while?" Green Fu helped her take down her hair bun and carefully combed her hair. "Miss, your hair is so black and dense, it grows very well. It's just that the tips are a bit uneven, they need to be tidied up when you have time."

Twirling a strand of hair between her fingers, Jiang Yuan shook her head. "I won't rest today. I've had too much tea, and lying down doesn't feel comfortable. As for my hair, I'll tidy it up on a sunny day in the courtyard. Ask someone to open all the windows to let in some fresh air. It rained in the morning, and it's very damp. Let the sun dry it out."

The southern region is often damp and requires bedding to be aired out.

Jiang Yuan got up and fetched a travelogue that had been turned upside down on the brocade couch, thinking that she should flip through it when she had time to clear her mind. The person's purpose must be to have her do something through the Lu Mountain Official School.

Just as she picked up the book, a piece of folded parchment paper fell to the ground and landed on the hem of her lake-blue embroidered skirt.

"Is this Miss's handwriting?" Green Fu was about to pick it up for her, but unexpectedly, Miss herself reached out to do it.

"It's just an old draft," she said nonchalantly, leaning back on the couch and dismissing the attendants.

It was a very ordinary piece of paper, but when she unfolded it, the handwriting was excellent, and the cursive script had already developed its own style.

But for some reason, Jiang Yuan felt that this handwriting did not belong to the Crown Prince. The writing was too smooth, with a strong literary style and a sense of casualness. A person like him should not easily reveal his state of mind through his handwriting.

"At the third quarter of the hour, gather in the eastern wing."

Just a few words, but she dared not be negligent in the slightest.

He had come. The doubts that had been hanging over her head all this time had to be resolved. The fact that he could send a message without anyone noticing, enter the inner chamber, and be familiar with her daily routine made Jiang Yuan carefully fold the parchment paper and put it in the purse she carried with her, pressing the mouth of the purse.

She would do as he wished, and no longer evade.