Chapter 651: True Talent (2)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
This time, everyone stood according to their rankings and sat behind the first twenty tables.
Lin Xiaoyue only realized now that Mo Fei, who had gotten second place, was actually an old man.
Moreover, among the twenty people who entered the rankings, there were very few young people. Almost all of them were middle-aged and elderly.
Mo Fei saw Lin Xiaoyue looking at him and he nodded at her.
When he was waiting for the results outside, he had also gone over like the others to listen to her explanation of some of the questions.
He realized that although this person was young, her mathematical attainments were really high. He was also impressed from the bottom of his heart.
Lin Xiaoyue was stunned for a moment before nodding at him.
"Clang!" At this moment, the gong was struck once again.
Everyone looked up.
Eunuch Da Hu raised his voice and spoke again.
"It's time for the second test."
"For this assessment, His Majesty will personally choose the topic. In the time it took to brew a cup of tea, you must write down the answer. Those who answered correctly could continue to participate in the assessment. Those who answer wrongly will leave."
"The assessment will continue until there are only three people left."
"If there are less than three people left after the elimination. Then, the final eliminated people will have an additional match."
Eunuch Da Hu looked at the crowd.
"Does everyone understand?"
"Understood." Everyone replied.
Eunuch Dahu looked satisfied and looked at Emperor Yan.
Emperor Yan nodded.
Eunuch Da Hu then turned to the nearby guard.
"The first question." He said.
As soon as he finished speaking, two guards handed over a scroll.
After that, he unfolded it.
The scroll was huge enough for everyone to see the contents of the questions.
"Clang!" A gong sounded, and Eunuch Da Hu announced that they could begin answering questions.
Lin Xiaoyue looked at the questions on the scroll and began to read them silently.
As she read, she noted down the key points.
Because her reading speed was relatively slow, she was still looking up at the questions when the others had finished reading and were calculating with their heads lowered.
Seeing this situation, Emperor Yan's eyes were filled with sarcasm.
Surprise! The original question was changed.
This time, she couldn't cheat anymore. He wanted to see how she could continue.
Liu Wuji saw Lin Xiaoyue's calm appearance. Although it was a little strange, he admired her very much.
Looking at her calm and composed appearance, his granddaughter must have a plan in mind.
Finally, Lin Xiaoyue finished reading the questions.
Then, the corners of her lips curled up as she began to calculate on the draft paper.
This question was not too difficult. Compared to the questions on the previous assessment paper, it could only be considered as an intermediate level of difficult questions.
After a while, Lin Xiaoyue calculated the answer.
To be on the safe side, she also used a second method to verify it.
After confirming that there were no problems, she wrote the answer on the test paper.
After writing the answers, Lin Xiaoyue raised her head and waited for someone to collect the exam papers.
At this moment, he realized that other than her, everyone else seemed to still be calculatin.
Even Mo Fei, who was beside her, was no exception.
Emperor Yan, who was sitting in the upper seat, was a little surprised when he saw that Lin Xiaoyue had finished her calculations so quickly.
Then, there was a wave of disdain.
She was definitely just writing a random answer.
Lin Xiaoyue didn't know about this. She just sat there obediently and waited for the exam to end.
The main reason was that the second round of the assessment was a round-based elimination system, and the interval between each round was too short.
Even if she handed in her paper in advance, she had to wait in her seat.
Instead of that, it was better to wait for the guards to come over later to collect the papers.
After waiting for a while out of boredom, the gong finally sounded.
The guards immediately came over to collect the scrolls.
Immediately, the examiner marked the papers on the spot.
As there was only one question and twenty papers, the examiner finished marking the papers in a short while.
After checking the papers, he gave the papers with the wrong answer to Eunuch Dahu.
Eunuch Da Hu received it and immediately announced the elimination list.
The result was somewhat out of Lin Xiaoyue's expectations.
In the first round, four people actually got the answer wrong.
In other words, there were only sixteen people left.
Emperor Yan was even more surprised.
He thought that Lin Xiaoyue would be eliminated in this round. Who knew that she would get the answer right.
How was this possible?
Yes, it was most likely a guess.
After all, the answer to the first question was eight, which was one of ten.
It was not impossible for her to guess correctly..
Chapter 652: True Talent (3)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Thinking of this, Emperor Yan felt a little more at ease.
Actually, this was also good. Otherwise, if the champion of the previous round was eliminated so easily, it would easily attract everyone's suspicion.
The guards quickly left with the eliminated people.
Then, the second round of assessment continued.
Lin Xiaoyue's reading speed was still very slow. She was the last one to finish reading the questions before lowering her head to start calculating.
However, just like the previous round, she was the first to write the answer.
Seeing this, Emperor Yan could not help but frown.
Liu Wuji stroked his beard in satisfaction, a smug look on his face.
Then, the second round ended.
This time, another six people were eliminated. There were only nine people left on the stage.
To Emperor Yan's surprise, Lin Xiaoyue had not been eliminated.
At this moment, Emperor Yan finally felt that something was wrong.
He had already changed the questions, so how could she still answer them correctly? Moreover, she answered the questions so quickly.
He could not help but look at the Imperial Advisor. Emperor Yan's suspicion was quickly dispelled.
Impossible, the questions he changed were not set by the Imperial Advisor.
Moreover, when he received these questions, the Imperial Advisor was no longer in the royal study. He had not even looked through the questions.
In this way, it was impossible for the Imperial Advisor to know about the existence of those questions.
Then how could he tell this woman?
Was this girl really talented?
Looking at Lin Xiaoyue playing with the brush in boredom again, Emperor Yan frowned.
Or was there a problem with the examiner...
Thinking of this, Emperor Yan looked at the examiner sitting not far away.
The examiner immediately felt a gaze.
Following his gaze, he saw that Emperor Yan was looking at him. He quickly retracted his gaze and bowed.
At the same time, he felt uneasy. He quickly recalled if he had made any mistakes in his work that had actually caused the emperor to be dissatisfied.
Seeing the examiner's reaction, Emperor Yan retracted his gaze.
Right under his nose, there should be no one who would dare to do such a thing and fool him...
However...
Emperor Yan thought about it.
After a while, the gong sounded again.
The guards went forward to collect the scrolls.
Eunuch Da Hu received the test papers and prepared to send them to the examiner.
Unexpectedly, Emperor Yan suddenly spoke.
"Bring them to me. I will personally mark the next papers."
Everyone was shocked.
Liu Wuji also turned his head to look at Emperor Yan.
He had long noticed that the Emperor was a little abnormal today. It was as if he was thinking about something.
Now, hearing the Emperor's words, he suddenly understood something.
Frowning, Liu Wuji looked at his granddaughter again, and anger rose in his heart.
So, it was really targeted at his granddaughter?
Noticing Liu Wuji's expression, Emperor Yan felt a little guilty.
After that, he simply stopped looking at Liu Wuji.
After the test papers were sent over, he started marking them.
Whether it was true ability or fraud, he would know immediately.
If he were to resort to fraud and the Imperial Advisor bribed the examiner for a woman, then Liu Wuji did not have the right to be angry.
If that woman really had real talent...
Then, he would not target her anymore.
At the very least, he would not target her before the competition with Chu Jin's envoy.
Thinking of this, Emperor Yan opened the first paper.
It was Lin Xiaoyue's.
When he saw the answer, Emperor Yan was shocked.
Although the words were a little ugly, the answer was correct.
He could not help but glance at Lin Xiaoyue. Emperor Yan looked a little unhappy, but he let her pass.
He had underestimated her. He didn't expect her to be proficient in arithmetic.
After confirming that Lin Xiaoyue was really capable, Emperor Yan did not delay any longer and quickly finished marking the rest of the papers.
After that, he let Eunuch Dahu announce the results.
Another four people were eliminated in this round of assessment.
Now, there were only five people left.
Soon, another round of assessment began.
This time, the difficulty of the questions had risen to another level.
Everyone frowned when they saw the question.
Only Lin Xiaoyue was the last to finish reading the questions. After she finished reading, her expression was as usual as she began to write on the draft paper.
After a while, she wrote the answer.
Emperor Yan paid attention to Lin Xiaoyue this time. Seeing that she was doing the questions easily, he finally didn't have the disdain he had for her before. On the contrary, he admired her even more.
This woman was probably the strongest among the people present.
Soon, 15 minutes passed.
The guard collected the papers and quickly gave them to Emperor Yan.
The first paper Emperor Yan saw was Lin Xiaoyue's.
Although the handwriting was as ugly as ever, as expected, the answer was correct.
Emperor Yan could not help but look at Lin Xiaoyue again.
Seeing that Lin Xiaoyue had quickly avoided him, he was no longer so angry.
Instead, he felt a little more interested..
Chapter 653: Winning the Championship (1)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
He quickly read the rest of the test papers and let Eunuch Dahu announce the results.
This time, only one person was eliminated.
At this point, there were only four people left in the examination hall.
They were Lin Xiaoyue, Mo Fei, Liang Chengcai, and the Sixth Princess.
After learning the results, the sixth princess was nervous, afraid that she would be eliminated next.
After a while, with Emperor Yan's order, a new question was sent up.
This time, the questions were even more difficult.
This time, when Lin Xiaoyue finished reading the questions, the other three were still staring at them.
Lin Xiaoyue didn't think too much about it and buried her head in her calculation.
After a while, she got the answer.
Thinking about it, she was not at ease, so she checked it again.
After confirming that there were no problems, she wrote the answer on the paper.
After she finished writing, Lin Xiaoyue started to feel bored again.
In the end, when she raised her head, she met Emperor Yan's gaze again.
Just as she was about to avoid his gaze, she saw Emperor Yan smile at her.
Lin Xiaoyue stiffened, and then her lips twitched.
Then, she quickly averted her gaze.
The way he looked at her previously was very unfriendly. What is going on now?
No matter what the situation was, this person had a grudge against her husband, so she had a grudge against him. She had to remain vigilant.
Seeing this, Emperor Yan was not angry.
He felt that it was even more interesting for Lin Xiaoyue to smile back at him just now.
What a bold girl.
Lin Xiaoyue lowered her head and played with her pen for a while. She couldn't help but look at the people beside her.
Seeing that Mo Fei and the others were busy calculating, she retracted her gaze.
Fortunately, mathematics was advanced in the 21st century, and her foundation was solid.
Otherwise, how could she defeat the most powerful mathematicians of this era in seconds...
Finally, while Lin Xiaoyue was waiting in boredom, the gong sounded again.
The guard came forward to collect the scrolls again.
The three people in front were still alright. Lin Xiaoyue saw Mo Fei and Liang Chengcai heaved a sigh of relief.
The Sixth Princess looked nervous and almost grabbed the paper to prevent the guards from taking it away.
Seeing this scene, Lin Xiaoyue could roughly guess the outcome.
It seemed that the result of this match would be out.
As expected, after Emperor Yan took the test paper and looked at it, he immediately announced that the Sixth Princess was eliminated.
When she heard the result, her face turned pale, but she had to accept it.
Emperor Yan glanced at his daughter. Seeing that she wasn't crying, he felt a little relieved.
To be honest, he was already very surprised that she could get into the top four.
After all, none of those who came to participate in the assessment this time were ordinary people.
Emperor Yan thought that in the future, he should not stop his daughter from studying mathematics. He should even support her more.
After all, it would be a good thing if the royal family could produce an Arithmetic Master who could leave her name in history.
Emperor Yan smiled and looked at the three people below the stage.
"Now, only the three of you are left. According to the rules, you will represent the Great Yan to compete with Chu Jin."
"But even if there are only three people, there must be a distinction between the ranks."
"Therefore, 1 have decided to add another question."
"Only the person who answers correctly will be able to lead the remaining two to compete with Envoy Chu Jin." Emperor Yan said in a deep voice.
Lin Xiaoyue and the other two looked at each other.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Emperor Yan looked satisfied and looked at Eunuch Dahu.
Eunuch Dahu waved his hand, and the guard brought the questions over.
Even Lin Xiaoyue had to read the question twice before she started writing.
As for Mo Fei and Liang Chengcai, although they picked up their pens and drew a few lines, they kept frowning and didn't know how to start.
Lin Xiaoyue did some calculations on the draft paper and finally came up with an answer.
She checked the answers again to make sure that there were no mistakes before writing them on the paper.
When Emperor Yan saw that Lin Xiaoyue had finished writing the answer very quickly, his gaze towards Lin Xiaoyue became even gentler.
Perhaps what the Imperial Advisor said was true, and this girl might really be able to represent the Great Yan.
This time, it didn't take long before the gong sounded.
Mo Fei and Liang Chengcai's faces flashed with helplessness. They stopped writing and didn't write the answers on the paper.
The guards came to collect the papers. When the two saw Lin Xiaoyue's relaxed expression, they admired her.
The result was obvious. They were indeed inferior to Madam Li.
Emperor Yan quickly received the test papers.
Seeing that Lin Xiaoyue had indeed answered correctly, a hint of admiration appeared in his eyes.
He was not surprised to see that the last two papers were blank.
After all, this question was really difficult.
Even for him, after seeing the solution and the answer, he still didn't understand..
Chapter 654: Winning the Championship (2)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
"The results are out. Next..." Emperor Yan looked at Lin Xiaoyue.
"Madam Lin will lead the two of you to represent the Great Yan to compete with Chu Jin."
Everyone immediately looked at Lin Xiaoyue, convinced.
Lin Xiaoyue was delighted and bowed to Emperor Yan to thank him.
"Thank you, Your Majesty! I will do my best!"
Emperor Yan nodded in satisfaction.
"Get up."
He looked at Lin Xiaoyue.
"The Imperial Advisor recommended you to me, but I had my doubts. 1 was too shallow..." Emperor Yan said.
Then, he looked at Liu Wuji with an apologetic look in his eyes.
Only then did Liu Wuji's expression improve a little, but he also avoided Emperor Yan's gaze.
Seeing this, Emperor Yan could not help but laugh.
"Haha, I've finally seen for myself what it means for a woman to be better than a man."
Emperor Yan was not stingy with his praise and praised Lin Xiaoyue a few times.
When he saw Liu Wuji finally looking at him, he finally stopped.
"Today's test has been going on for half a day. I have ordered people to prepare a banquet. In a moment, the three of you will join me." Emperor Yan said happily.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Lin Xiaoyue and the others hurriedly thanked him.
At the same time, in Consort Shu's palace.
Li Xiao and Consort Shu were almost done catching up.
Consort Shu already knew that her son was fine and was living well in the Liu family.
She also knew about the relationship between the Imperial Consort and Prince Anyang and her younger brother's family.
"No wonder the Imperial Concubine has always taken care of me. 1 thought..."Consort Shu's words stopped at the tip of her tongue.
She thought that the Imperial Consort was sent by the Emperor to test her.
"She's probably afraid that you won't believe her, so she did not tell you the truth." Li Xiao said.
Consort Shu nodded.
"Then I'll pretend not to know next to avoid arousing suspicion."
Li Xiao looked at his sister.
"It's fine. Prince Anyang has already returned to the capital. Moreover, he knows that I came with Yue'er to the capital."
If Prince Anyang knew, then the Imperial Consort should already know.
"Don't worry too much." Seeing Consort Shu's worried expression, Li Xiao continued.
"I took the risk to come and find you this time just to tell you."
"Before Yue'er and 1 leave the capital, we will think of a way to take you out of the palace." Li Xiao's eyes were filled with determination.
Consort Shu was shocked, and then she was overjoyed.
However, it only took a moment for her to calm down, and her expression turned into worry again.
"No way! Although the emperor's supervision of me has relaxed a little, I still feel that someone is watching me. If anyone found out..." It was enough for her to know that her brother and son were safe.
As for her, she had the Imperial Consort to take care of her in the palace. No one dared to make things too difficult for her, so it was nothing.
"No one will find out." Li Xiao said in a deep voice. He interrupted Consort Shu.
"Previously, when we worked with Prince Anyang, His Highness agreed to help you leave the palace."
"It was because 1 didn't show my face before, and the Imperial Consort felt that it was difficult to gain your trust. In addition, the incident with the Nangong Army had just happened, and the timing was too sensitive, so His Highness didn't take action."
"But now, more than half a year has passed. It is almost time for Chu Jin to negotiate with the Great Yan."
During the peace talks, the guards would not be so strict.
Other than that, he, Yue'er, and Prince Anyang were all present.
In addition, with the help of his master and the Imperial Consort, the chances of success were extremely high.
"But..." Consort Shu was still worried.
"No buts. We're all waiting for you to come home."
"Moreover, we can only help Prince Anyang if you leave." Li Xiao said in a deep voice.
Consort Shu was instantly stunned.
Go home? The Great General's Mansion was already wrecked, did she still have a home?
Thinking about it, shei finally nodded.
"Alright."
Her brother was right, as long as she stayed in the palace, she would be a pawn in the Emperor's hands to threaten her brother.
Only when she left the palace could her brother be less afraid.
After getting the result he wanted, Li Xiao was finally relieved.
"It's getting late. 1 have to go."
Consort Shu's expression immediately changed.
She subconsciously grabbed Li Xiao's arm, unwilling to part with her brother after just meeting him.
However, she knew the seriousness of the matter and let go of her hand as soon as she reached out.
Right now, it was indeed not suitable for him to stay here any longer. She could not be too selfish.
Li Xiao glanced at his sister and patted the back of her hand..
Chapter 655: Winning the Championship (3)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
"You should stay in the palace and wait for us to come and pick you up." He smiled and comforted her.
"Yes." Consort Shu firmly nodded.
Only then did Li Xiao turn around and quickly disappear.
Consort Shu looked at the door and did not move for a long time.
Could she really leave this cage?
At this moment, in the Imperial Garden.
Lin Xiaoyue followed Emperor Yan and headed to a side hall in the Imperial Garden.
Other than Mo Fei and Liang Chengcai, Liu Wuji and the Sixth Princess were also with them.
Along the way, Emperor Yan actually took the initiative to talk to Lin Xiaoyue, interrupting her slightly absent-minded state.
"At such a young age, you have such talent in arithmetic. I'm amazed."
"Does Madam Li have a family background in arithmetic?"
Not at all.
He received the recommendation from the Imperial Advisor. After he issued the imperial edict, he had sent people to investigate the Lin family.
However, the news he received was that this woman was actually just a farmer's daughter.
It was also because of this that he did not have much hope for her.
Later, he saw this woman and realized that she looked very similar to the person who caused the Imperial Advisor to leave. Only then did he have some other guesses.
However, he was overthinking things.
Although the Imperial Advisor had acted abnormally many times because of that woman, he was not careless with major issues.
He was now guessing that perhaps the master of the Lin family was the Imperial Advisor.
After all, they had that kind of relationship.
Besides, other than the Imperial Advisor, he could not think of anyone else who could teach such a genius.
Yes, judging from Ms. Lin's current performance, she could indeed be called a genius.
If she could really make a great contribution on behalf of the Great Yan...
For the sake of the Imperial Advisor, he did not mind turning a blind eye.
After all, although he had done it secretly back then, perhaps he was not completely unaware.
If this continued, he was also worried that the matter would be exposed and the relationship between the monarch and his subjects would be completely severed.
Lin Xiaoyue was called out and quickly came back to her senses. She bowed to Emperor Yan.
"I am born among the common people, and my family farms for a living. We have no background in arithmetic."
"Oh? Then how did you obtain this ability?" Emperor Yan looked interested, but he glanced at Liu Wuji without batting an eyelid.
How could Liu Wuji not notice Emperor Yan's actions? He pretended not to know.
When the others heard this, they also looked at Lin Xiaoyue with curious expressions.
Lin Xiaoyue smiled. "It's a coincidence. When I was young, I met an old scholar. Master said that I have talent and taught me for some time."
As soon as he said this, everyone looked at Liu Wuji.
Old man? Could it be the Imperial Advisor?
A warm smile hung on Liu Wuji's face. He did not explain to the crowd. Happy to be misunderstood.
Seeing this, Emperor Yan was convinced.
He was a little angry. The Imperial Advisor had clearly found her long ago, but he still kept going out. He even made him think that he had not found her.
After thinking for a while, he restrained his anger.
He was so wary of him. Could it be that he had really discovered something?
Forget it. Since the Imperial Advisor did not fall out with him, he would just pretend not to know.
After all, if he wanted to keep someone by his side, he would also be wary.
Seeing Liu Wuji's expression, Lin Xiaoyue smiled and did not explain further.
The Imperial Advisor was willing to cover up her lie, so she was naturally happy.
"You've only learned it for a while and you're already so capable. Not bad!" Emperor Yan said to Lin Xiaoyue.
"I previously heard from Prince Anyang that apart from being good at arithmetic, you are also good at business?"
"You have many eateries and workshops." Of course, this was not what Prince Anyang said, but what he had asked people to investigate.
"I've tasted the sausages and bacon that Prince Anyang sent to the capital previously. They taste really good."
The sausages and cured meat that his son sent back to the capital were indeed delicious. Even he couldn't forget them after eating them.
Moreover, he only found out recently.
Ever since they tried the sausages and cured meat, the Liang Corporation had actually introduced dishes in their restaurants, drawing in a lot of business for the restaurants.
When everyone heard the words "sausage" and "bacon", they looked at Lin Xiaoyue in surprise.
These two dishes had become popular among the upper-class people in the capital during this period of time.
Everyone praised the sausages and cured meat of the Ruyi Restaurant. They even talked about eating there.
Even Liu Wuji had heard Liang Chengcai mention this before.
Moreover, he had accompanied his disciple to Ruyi Restaurant for a meal.
"What? Did you also make the sausages and bacon?" The Sixth Princess' eyes lit up. She suddenly rushed forward and grabbed Lin Xiaoyue's arm.
Previously, when her brother sent things back, he had also given her some.
She also liked the taste of sausages and cured meat..
Chapter 656: Meeting Consort Shu (1)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Because the sausages and cured meat in the manor had been finished, she would occasionally go to Ruyi Restaurant to eat when she was hungry.
She really didn't expect that such delicious sausages and bacon were actually made by Lin Xiaoyue!
In that case, if she came to the capital to open an eatery in the future, or even settle down in the capital. Perhaps she might even open a sausage and bacon workshop?
In this way, she would have a good meal! Oh no, all the people in the capital would have a good meal!
Thinking of this, the Sixth Princess became even more excited.
"It is indeed a workshop under me." Lin Xiaoyue replied with a smile.
As soon as he said this, everyone looked at Lin Xiaoyue with even more respect. Mrs. Li was really amazing!
"That's great! Then why don't you come to the capital to open a workshop? The people of the capital love sausages and cured meat. I... 1 like it very much too!" Sausage and cured meat were one of the signature dishes of Ruyi Restaurant.
Due to the limited supply, the customers who went to eat now could only order one serving of bacon and sausage-related dishes per table. Even if he wanted to add another portion, it was impossible.
If Sir was willing to come to the capital to open a workshop, it would be much easier for her to eat sausages and bacon.
The others also looked at Lin Xiaoyue. He was actually looking forward to it.
Even Emperor Yan looked at Lin Xiaoyue.
Lin Xiaoyue smiled embarrassedly.
"I don't have such arrangements for the time being." He said.
The reason why the bacon and sausage workshop in Qingshi Town was able to operate so quickly was because of the presence of the Nangong Army.
In addition, there were people from the Zhou Trading Company and the Liang Trading Company to help her solve some of the problems with the pigs.
But in the capital, he had to start from scratch.
Territory, manpower, and pigs were all troublesome matters.
The Sixth Princess was instantly disappointed.
Just as she was about to grab Lin Xiaoyue and persuade her, she was unexpectedly warned by her father.
Only then did the Sixth Princess restrain herself and obediently stand to the side.
"Hehe, I heard that Prince Anyang has issued a series of policies in Anyang County to encourage the development of workshops and rural farming." Emperor Yan suddenly said.
"All of this seems to be related to the workshops you opened?" He looked at Lin Xiaoyue in confusion.
Lin Xiaoyue's expression changed slightly.
Then, she cupped her hands at Emperor Yan.
"They are indeed somewhat related."
"The workshop needs more raw materials and manpower. However, my strength is limited, and 1 have always been troubled by this."
"Luckily Young Master Liang of the Liang Trading Company has taken a fancy to our products and agreed to work with us."
"After Young Master Liang found out about this, he actually introduced Prince Anyang to me."
Lin Xiaoyue's face was filled with reverence.
"At that time, His Highness had just arrived in Anyang County and wanted to do something for the people of Anyang County."
"After listening to my needs and thoughts, he thought that my suggestion was feasible."
"After discussing with the elders of Anyang County, they decided on a policy to support the village workshops in order to develop the economy."
Emperor Yan's eyes lit up with interest.
"Oh? Tell me, what are the specific policies? How can it help them?" He asked Lin Xiaoyue.
Since he had asked someone to investigate the Lin family, he knew the relationship between the Lin family and his eldest son.
He had not taken it seriously before, but now that he knew that Ms. Lin was related to the Imperial Advisor, he had to be vigilant.
Previously, he was still a little puzzled. He felt that Ms. Lin was just a peasant girl. How could she have the ability to work with the Liang family and Prince Anyang?
Now that he knew about her relationship with the Imperial Advisor, everything made sense.
Lin Xiaoyue quickly told the truth.
She told him about the content of the policy, its uses, and the practical help it could provide.
The group's eyes lit up when they heard that.
Even Liu Wuji looked at his granddaughter in surprise.
What was wrong with his precious granddaughter's brain? She was too smart!
The rest of the people had looks of admiration.
No wonder Prince Anyang was persuaded by her and even issued a decree to support her.
Her ideas were really good for developing the local economy!
It wasn't just for Qingshi Town and Anyang County. The policy was a good plan that would benefit the country and even the entire Great Yan!
What did she say?
A large-scale workshop could support the livelihood of villagers in several villages.
The villagers could work in the workshops and earn money.
The rest of their family could work in the fields and sell the harvest to the workshop, earning money..
Chapter 657: Meeting Consort Shu (2)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The owner of the workshop purchased raw materials from the people for production, solving the problem of raw material supply and reducing costs. With workers available, the manpower problem was solved.
As long as the owner of the workshop did not have to worry about business, he could support all the people in the workshop, as well as the villagers in the surrounding villages who supplied raw materials to the workshop.
At the same time, when the workshop's business improved, the taxes paid to the court increased.
The villagers had money in their hands, so they would not owe the imperial court grain taxes and so on every year.
It was truly a win-win situation for all three parties!
"If you want to be rich, build roads first." What a brilliant conclusion!
It was indeed easier to develop in a place with good transportation...
Emperor Yan's eyes lit up when he heard that.
He did not expect Lin Xiaoyue to come up with such ideas.
Soon, he actually started discussing it with Lin Xiaoyue.
When they reached the dining area, they did not even have the intention to stop.
Helet Lin Xiaoyue sit on the right side of him so that it was convenient for him to continue discussing with her.
Liu Wuji, who was sitting on the lower left of Emperor Yan, did not have any objections. He also looked at his granddaughter curiously, looking forward to hearing more of her insights.
"Haha, 1 really didn't expect this. Not only is your arithmetic ability outstanding, but you also have such an understanding of the people's livelihood!" Emperor Yan praised.
At the same time, he couldn't help but glance at the Imperial Advisor who was sitting on his left.
As expected of the Imperial Advisor's descendant. After being nurtured by the Imperial Advisor, she was so outstanding.
Unfortunately, she was a woman.
Otherwise, even he would not have objected to the Imperial Advisor grooming her to be the next successor.
"Your Majesty is too kind." Lin Xiaoyue replied humbly.
Only after Emperor Yan told everyone to start eating did they start eating.
During the meal, Emperor Yan asked Lin Xiaoyue many questions, and Lin Xiaoyue answered them one by one.
As they continued to interact, Emperor Yan's impression of Lin Xiaoyue became better and better.
After lunch, Emperor Yan sat for a while before leaving reluctantly.
After that, Lin Xiaoyue and the others followed the Imperial Advisor back to the Imperial Advisor's residence.
After leaving the Imperial Garden, Lin Xiaoyue started to look around quietly.
She was afraid that Li Xiao had not returned.
Fortunately, Li Xiao appeared soon after.
He even brought the carriage over.
The stone in her heart was instantly lifted. Lin Xiaoyue gave Li Xiao a smile and nimbly got into the carriage.
Liu Wuji, who was not far away, also smiled when he saw this. He also got into his carriage.
The convoy quickly assembled and headed towards the Imperial Advisor's residence.
In the carriage, Lin Xiaoyue moved closer to the front of the carriage.
She lowered her voice and spoke to Li Xiao.
"How is it? Have you seen your sister?"
A smile appeared on Li Xiao's face under the mask.
"Yes, I did."
Lin Xiaoyue was delighted.
"Then...how is she?"
She had never met her sister-in-law before.
However, she had heard some things from Li Xiao and Qing'er.
She heard that her sister-in-law had a gentle personality and was beautiful. She was a precious daughter of a wealthy family.
It was precisely because of this that Emperor Yan made her Consort Shu. "Shu" means virtuous.
She was looking forward to having another gentle beauty in the house in the future.
"Fortunately, with the Imperial Consort taking care of her, no one dares to bully her." Li Xiao said softly.
Lin Xiaoyue nodded.
"That's good."
"Did you tell her about our plan?" Lin Xiaoyue asked again.
"Yes. 1 told her to get ready. When the time is right, we'll take her away."
Lin Xiaoyue glanced at Li Xiao and felt relieved.
"It's fine as long as you've communicated. Next, before we move, let Prince Anyang inform the Imperial Consort and ask her to inform your sister."
"Yes."
After Lin Xiaoyue finished asking, Li Xiao asked her about what happened in the morning.
Li Xiao couldn't help but chuckle when he learned that his wife had indeed won the championship.
"1 knew it. You are the best."
Lin Xiaoyue was delighted. If they weren't in public, she would probably have to hide in her husband's arms.
Soon, the group returned to the Imperial Advisor's residence.
The Imperial Advisor handed Mo Fei over to Liang Chengcai to make arrangements and then returned to the Bamboo Garden.
Lin Xiaoyue and the Sixth Princess were tired after half a day and returned to their own courtyards.
As soon as they returned to the Plum Garden, a certain woman could not help but drag Li Xiao into the house.
After closing the door, the couple started chatting.
In the evening.
Liu Wuji finally sent someone to invite everyone from the various courtyards to the main hall for a meal.
Then, he announced that he would be training Lin Xiaoyue and the other two.
When the Sixth Princess heard this, she immediately made a request to participate..
Chapter 658: Meeting Consort Shu (3)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Liu Wuji glanced at the Sixth Princess and agreed.
"The special training is only for one day, in the morning, and in the afternoon it depends on the situation."
"If we can't finish, we'll continue at night." Liu Wuji said.
The day after tomorrow would be the date of the competition between the Great Yan and Chu Jin. If they did not train tonight, they would only have tomorrow.
However, he couldn't teach much in such a short amount of time.
It didn't take long to talk about the rules of the competition and things to take note of.
"Yes." Lin Xiaoyue waited for a reply.
Only then did she eat with Liu Wuji.
That night, everyone had a peaceful time in the Imperial Advisor's residence.
However, the royal study was different.
A group of old ministers who were proficient in arithmetic were gathered in the side hall. They had been busy the whole day.
It was to prepare some difficult math questions.
Yes, it was to prepare the questions for the competition with Chu Jin the day after tomorrow.
This was because the rules of the competition were to ask each other questions and then answer them.
Those who gave correct answers would receive points. In the end, the one with the highest score won.
They could choose people with strong mathematical abilities to answer the questions on the spot.
As for the questions, they could be prepared in advance.
It was also for this reason that Emperor Yan arranged for people to prepare questions in the side hall beside the royal study.
It was not just the people in the side hall of the royal study. Emperor Yan had also given Liu Wuji an additional order.
He asked him to prepare three difficult questions and send them to the palace before tomorrow night.
Compared to the hustle and bustle in the side hall of the royal study, the Imperial Consort's Palace was at ease at the moment.
Prince and Princess Anyang entered the palace to visit the Imperial Consort today, and she asked them to stay.
Consort Shu was now on good terms with the Imperial Consort, and was actually called to accompany her at night.
Consort Shu already knew of her brother's relationship with Prince Anyang. They became much closer.
She also respected the Anyang couple.
"You don't have to be so polite. We're all family." Seeing Consort Shu bow to him, Prince Anyang personally went forward to help her.
Consort Shu stood up obediently.
Family?
Prince Anyang was wholeheartedly trying to win over his younger brother, and Princess Anyang also had business cooperation with her younger sister-in-law. Now, their relationship was indeed closer.
"Your Highness, you're too polite." Consort Shu said with a flattered expression.
"Not at all!" Prince Anyang smiled.
"I am not in the capital and mother is alone in the palace with no one to take care of her. It's fortunate that you are there for her which makes me feel much more at ease."
Seeing Prince Anyang's smile, Consort Shu was a little embarrassed.
"It was the Imperial Consort who took care of me and comforted me..."
"Haha..." The Imperial Consort was amused and also came forward to grab Consort Shu's hand.
"We're taking care of each other."
"You don't have to be polite with him. As a junior, it's only right for him to respect you."
Prince and Princess Anyang quickly nodded.
Consort Shu then smiled and nodded.
Then, she followed the family to dinner.
During the feast, Prince Anyang told the Imperial Consort about what happened in Nan'an County and Qingshi Town.
Considering that Consort Shu was there, she talked about Lin Xiaoyue and Li Xiao.
Especially Lin Xiaoyue, who had given him a lot of help. Prince Anyang mentioned her the most.
Even the usually quiet Princess Anyang also interjected and said something about Lin Xiaoyue. Her tone was filled with admiration for Lin Xiaoyue.
When Consort Shu learned that her sister-in-law was so capable, she was happy for her brother from the bottom of her heart.
At the same time, she was looking forward to meeting his sister-in-law.
"Haha, Ms. Lin is indeed a wonderful person. She also likes playing mahjong." The Imperial Consort suddenly laughed.
"How about we play a few rounds later?"
Ever since her son sent mahjong to the palace and sent someone to teach her how to play, she fell in love with playing mahjong.
Usually, she would play mahjong with Consort Shu and other consorts she was close with.
Her son brought his wife to the palace to see her, so she didn't have time to play cards.
Now, she had enough players.
Consort Shu smiled and did not refuse.
She had considered the Imperial Consort as one of her own, she was definitely willing to play cards with her.
Princess Anyang's eyes lit up as she looked at her husband. It was obvious that he was going to agree.
Although she had some mahjong friends in Nan'an County, it was not easy to meet with them every day.
Now his hands were itching.
Prince Anyang was amused by his wife's expression and nodded with a smile.
"Then play a few rounds with us."
The last time he played mahjong was during the Chinese New Year last year.
He also liked this kind of entertainment very much.
Unfortunately, as a prince, he was busy all day long.. How could he have time to play cards?
Chapter 659: Xu Yan (1)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel envious of his mother and the Imperial Consort.
Then, he quickly suppressed his emotions.
It was all thanks to his hard work as a son and husband that his mother and wife could live so comfortably.
Since they had agreed to play mahjong, everyone was no longer interested in dinner.
After a while, the few of them put down their bowls and went to the small table to wait.
As soon as the Imperial Consort gave the order, the palace maid brought the mahjong tiles over.
The happy time soon began.
"Speaking of which, during this period of time, the two most discussed matters in the upper-class circles of the capital were about you." While playing mahjong, thelmperial Consort suddenly spoke.
Everyone was puzzled and looked at the Imperial Consort.
"Mahjong and sausages!" The Imperial Consort immediately said.
Then, she looked at Prince Anyang.
"Ever since you sent this mahjong set to me and asked someone to teach me, I found some mahjong friends and often played mahjong with them."
"Guess what happened?"
Prince Anyang was puzzled.
Seeing Consort Shu snickering at the side, he looked at his mother in a daze. "What?"
"They actually learned it and even found someone to make mahjong sets. It even spread outside the palace."
"Now, the noble ladies in the capital all like to play mahjong very much. There aren't many who can't."
"I heard...hehe..." The Imperial Consort suddenly laughed and covered her mouth.
"I heard that the ministers in the court also play it."
"When your father was attending court, he met a minister. Because he was up playing mahjong the night before, the next day, he was too sleepy and almost fell."
Prince Anyang was also amused.
"Haha, 1 have heard about this matter."
"I heard that because of mahjong, it's not just that minister who was affected. For this reason, father seemed to have warned the ministers to not spend too much time playing mahjong."
" Pfft!" The Imperial Consort couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Your father still had the audacity to talk about others." lie smiled when he saw his son looking at him in confusion.
"When he first learned how to play mahjong, he was not much better than those ministers."
Prince Anyang was surprised.
The Imperial Consort looked at Consort Shu with a look that said, "if you don't believe me, ask Aunt Yue."
When Consort Shu saw the Imperial Consort mention Emperor Yan, the smile on her face instantly disappeared.
Awhile ago, the Emperor had indeed often come to the Imperial Consort's place. He didn't come to stay over, but to play mahjong.
That was not right. Playing mahjong was actually secondary. He was testing her.
She could feel that the Emperor wanted to repair their relationship.
It was just that he couldn't bring himself to do it, so she used the Imperial Consort as a middleman and found such an opportunity.
Unfortunately, whether he was sincere or not, she could not go back with him.
Ever since the incident at the Great General's Mansion, her feelings for the Emperor had ceased.
She was not willing to take any more risks and put her family in danger.
Therefore, she did not go to the Imperial Consort's bedroom to play cards for a while.
She even rejected the Imperial Consort's invitation.
It was only after the Imperial Consort took the initiative to visit and said that the Emperor had not gone to her palace that she resumed her interaction with her.
The Imperial Consort saw that Consort Shu's expression was strange and hurriedly acted as if she had said something wrong.
"Aiyo, look at me, I said the wrong thing again! Let's play!" She quickly said.
Then, she quickly changed the topic.
She had indeed said something wrong.
With Consort Shu's situation, it would be strange if she could return with the Emperor.
Thinking back to the time when Consort Shu entered the palace, she was the most favored in the harem.
Who among the concubines in the harem wouldn't be envious?
Even she, an old woman who had followed the emperor since he became the crown prince, felt sour in her heart.
But in the end, the Emperor had also made a move against the Consort Shu that he loved so much.
He had exterminated Consort Shu's mother clan, not even sparing his and Consort Shu's son.
From that day onwards, she understood.
The emperor was just a heartless man...
Therefore, she let go of the last bit of hope in her heart.
Men were unreliable. Emperors were even more unreliable.
Only her son would always be on the same side as her.
Consort Shu was silent for a while. Then, under the occasional questioning of Prince and Princess Anyang, she quickly recovered.
The game finally got lively.
The next day.
After Lin Xiaoyue finished washing up and having breakfast, she went to the bamboo garden on time.
At this moment, in the bamboo garden, Mo Fei, Liang Chengcai, and the Sixth Princess had already arrived..
Chapter 660: Xu Yan (2)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Seeing Lin Xiaoyue arrive, Liu Wuji did not delay any further.
After letting everyone take their seats, he began to teach.
"This morning, I'm mainly going to tell you the rules of tomorrow's competition and the background of Chu Jin's envoy."
Everyone kept quiet and looked at Liu Wuji seriously.
Liu Wuji continued.
"The rules of the competition are very simple."
"There will be two rounds, one in the morning and one in the afternoon."
"From morning to noon and from noon to afternoon. It will last for four hours."
"The Great Yan will start first. You will come forward and answer the arithmetic questions raised by Chu Jin's envoy and vice versa in the second half."
"There are a total of ten questions."
"You get one point for every question you answer correctly. At the same time, you can only see the next question if you answer the previous question correctly or if you give up on the question."
"Note that there will be no points for the questions you give up, and you cannot answer them again."
Lin Xiaoyue and the others looked at each other with solemn expressions.
Four hours to answer ten questions.
On average, each question would take 24 minutes to answer.
However, there were definitely difficult and easy questions. Some of the questions would probably take more than 24 minutes to solve.
It was not good enough to strictly follow this time to decide whether to pass or not.
Liu Wuji looked at Lin Xiaoyue.
"My suggestion is to use fifteen minutes as the limit. After fifteen minutes, if you find that you have no idea how to solve the problem, you can choose to pass."
"Of course, after 15 minutes, if you think there's still hope, you can extend the time to 25 minutes."
"However, if you still haven't figured out the answer after 25 minutes, you'll not be able to find the answer. No matter what, you have to give up to avoid affecting the time for answering the questions later."
Lin Xiaoyue nodded.
The others nodded in agreement.
It was necessary to set such a rule in advance to avoid any problems.
"This is the first half of the match," Liu Wuji continued.
"After the competition ends, no matter what happens, the Emperor and the important ministers of the Great Yan will invite Chu Jin and you to a banquet." "No matter what the outcome of the competition is, you must all calm down." Liu Wuji said. "Actually, there's nothing else you can do at that point." Lin Xiaoyue and the others were confused.
"Because in the second half of the game, you basically don't have to do anything. All you need to do is to help show the questions that the Great Yan has given to the Chu Jin envoy."
"Ever since the three kingdoms made peace, Chu Jin added the requirements for this Arithmetic Competition. The emperor has already started making arrangements."
"Therefore, in the second half, the Great Yan will be the defending team. You don't need to worry about the questions that will be given."
"What you have to do this afternoon is to choose ten questions from hundreds of questions as the examination questions."
Everyone was surprised, but then they felt that everything was within reason.
Then, they felt much more relaxed.
They didn't need to come up with the questions, so the pressure was reduced by half.
Seeing everyone's expressions, Liu Wuji smiled.
"Next, let me introduce the envoy that Chu Jin sent over this time..."
Then, Liu Wuji told everyone about Chu Jin's envoy.
It turned out that Chu and Jin had also sent three people to compete with them.
Among them, there was one person from Chu and two from Jin.
The two representatives from Jin were not stronger than Chu's, but they were master and disciple. The one who was the master was not inferior to Liu Wuji. "Xu Yan has always been arrogant. Previously, despite the repeated invitations from the Jin royal family, he never agreed."
"But this time...I am also a little surprised that he agreed to come to the Great Yan." Liu Wuji frowned.
When he was young, he had followed his master to visit Xu Yan's master. He had spent some time with Xu Yan.
At that time, Xu Yan displayed extremely strong talent.
Be it in terms of literary talent or martial strategy, they were both extremely strong. In fact, they were even on par with him.
After so many years, he was busy with other things and did not study much about arithmetic. However, he heard that Xu Yan had been studying it with great concentration.
Therefore, even if Chu Jin didn't forbid him from participating in the competition, he actually didn't have the confidence to defeat Xu Yan.
As for his granddaughter...
For some reason, he felt that she might be able to create a miracle.
Lin Xiaoyue was a little puzzled when she heard Liu Wuji praise Xu Yan so much.
As for Liang Chengcai and the others, their faces were already dyed with panic..