Chapter 93 Losing the election

The always dignified Gongshu Yuanyuan couldn't help but slap her good sister, denying in her heart, "What nonsense are you talking about? It's not true."

Xia Yange was punched but she didn't stop talking. She went around to the back of Song Shanzhang and said, "When the fiancé comes to the house, some people will have no choice but to marry..."

Gongshu Yuanyuan rolled her eyes and chased after the man, "It won't be long before we can dissolve our marriage peacefully."

Interesting, Song Yanjin had never expected this. No wonder these two people were in a good mood to ask her out for a boat ride on the lake.

The show begins in the center of the lake. The twelve boats are the competition venue for the twelve flower gods. The girls show their talents, chess, calligraphy and painting to everyone, and finally the audience votes and the one with the highest votes wins.

At the gate of the palace, carriages stopped one after another, and young ladies dressed in beautiful and gorgeous clothes were helped down by maids.

Dozens of maids stood in a row, with the young ladies in groups of ten. When everyone arrived, a maid came out to lead them into the palace in an orderly manner.

The scene was comparable to that of an emperor selecting a concubine.

Song Yanxi stood at the end of the line with a dignified demeanor as called by the nanny. Looking around, her appearance was among the best in the group.

The young ladies who had been pampered since childhood walked to the East Palace under the scorching sun. They were sweating all over, and their inner clothes were soaked and stuck to their skin. They all looked miserable.

"Mammy, why is there no sedan chair in the palace? My makeup has been ruined!"

"Good Madam, can you find a side room for us to tidy up?"

The young ladies requested one after another, and Song Yanxi was no exception.

The nanny raised her lips and said, "My future princesses, it's not that I'm being ruthless, but it's really because His Royal Highness the Crown Prince asked us to take him there quickly. If we delay and miss the time, it will be a big sin!"

The ladies shut up and concentrated on their journey.

It was a hot day, and they weren't the only ones making a fool of themselves. It comforted them to think that everyone was feeling the same way.

When they arrived at the Eastern Palace, the nanny took the young ladies to stand far away in the corridor in the middle of the lake, for fear that the smell of sweat would bother the Queen Mother and His Highness.

The Queen Mother is really not optimistic about her grandson's method of selecting a Crown Princess. Is that why the Crown Prince is so ugly in selecting a Crown Princess?
The prince sitting in the main seat glanced coldly at the sweaty girls. Their faces were smudged with makeup, revealing their ugliest side. How come there are no naturally beautiful girls?

The prince raised his hand and waved it to signal the next batch.

Song Yanxi was shocked. She was eliminated just like that?

After preparing for so long, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince didn't even look at her carefully, and just raised his hand to deny her efforts...

"Your Highness, you haven't really seen it. You haven't seen my talent yet. You can't just dismiss me hastily."

The woman next to Song Yanxi is not virtuous.

The prince frowned in displeasure, "Come here, you are disrespectful in front of the palace, drag me away and give me twenty lashes."

Twenty strokes of the cane on the delicate woman would probably have taken away half her life.

Song Yanxi was so frightened that she almost couldn't stand, and she didn't know how she walked out. Just now, she almost said it out loud to buy herself a chance, and the stick almost fell on her!
After leaving the palace, I got on the carriage in a daze. When I got home, I finally relaxed and hugged my mother and cried bitterly...

Mrs. Zhu was confused and wondered whether her daughter was selected or not.
As a mother, she naturally comforted her and stroked her hair gently, "Xi'er, I have never seen you cry so sadly since you were a child. Did you fail to be selected?"

Song Yanxi choked up and got up from her mother's arms, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is so bullying. He made us walk to the East Palace under the scorching sun. Our makeup was ruined, and he just glanced at us and replaced us with the next one. One lady even stood up and spoke for him, and was beaten with twenty boards..." "Mom, I will never be a Crown Princess again, wuwu~"

Song Yilang, who was outside the door, thought it was good news, but when he heard Xier crying and saying these cruel words, he felt mixed emotions. Was the idea that he had instilled in her that she should be a superior princess really wrong?
Song Yanxi was filled with fear and couldn't eat for several days.

Song Yanjin learned that Song Yanxi was not selected after the Dragon Boat Festival. Gongshu Yuanyuan came to the academy to visit when she had nothing to do, and they chatted about the interesting story of the prince's selection of a concubine.

Di Huanqiu, the daughter of the Minister of Revenue, Lord Di, was elected Crown Princess. Song Yanjin was not upset at all when Song Yanxi lost the election.

"I don't know how the prince can stand the ladies sweating profusely, or whether he has some shameful habit..."

Song Yanjin was shocked to hear these words coming from the most talented woman in the capital. She stopped writing and said, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is a rare talent. You look down on him. Tell me, is there any other young man in the capital that you like?"

The cricket beside Gongshu Yuanyuan had been dealt with. Now she spoke without any scruples. She sat next to Song Shanzhang, holding her face shyly, "I like the high-class beauty like Lord Ye, the Shaoqing of Dali Temple."

Look, the beauties from the highest mountain have all come out. Song Yanjin is increasingly eager to meet the author of "The Howl of the Partridge".

Song Yanjin dipped her pen in ink and continued to write out the kindergarten entrance test questions. "Brother Ye is reliable, and I have good taste. You keep working hard."

Gongshu Yuanyuan spoke frankly this time because she wanted to see the reaction of Shanzhang Song. They only dared to call him Lord Ye, but Shanzhang Song called him Brother Ye. From the hot spring bath in Meiyuan and the interview last month, Lord Ye seemed to particularly appreciate Shanzhang Song. According to a woman's intuition, Lord Ye definitely had a good impression of Shanzhang Song.

Seeing that Director Song didn't seem to react much, he said that she had good vision and supported her...

Could it be that Principal Song really doesn’t like Lord Ye?
"You've been standing here for so long. Get out of my way. You're blocking my light." There were only a few windows in the room, and the light was already dim enough. Song Yanjin didn't treat her as an outsider and drove her away like a fly.

Gongshu Yuanyuan smiled happily and sat down at the tea table. "I heard that Gu Zhuangyuan almost failed the political examination, and it was only after Prince Yunheng begged for mercy that His Majesty agreed. Principal Song, I have a suggestion. Qingyun Academy should also conduct an investigation before recruiting students. Otherwise, if they pass the exam, they will not be able to pass the last stage, and their happiness will be in vain."

This matter is too labor-intensive. Song Yanjin has thought about it, but other academies don't do it this way. Qingyun Academy has an entrance test for 100 people every month, and less than 20 pass. If there is an investigation... the academy will not be able to continue operating.

Song Yanjin teased her, "Why don't you open the academy? Yuanyuan, you have the final say."

Gongshu Yuanyuan: "..."

The young lady and Mr. Song were getting more and more humorous with each other, and Xingzi, who was standing beside them, couldn't help but smile.

"Yuanyuan, do you know who wrote "The Howling of the Partridge"?"

It is common for Song Yanjin to do two things at once. He keeps writing with his hands and gossiping with his mouth.

Gongshu Yuanyuan took a sip of tea and put it down, looking up proudly, "You've asked the right person, she's very important."

Song Yanjin waited quietly for her next words.

After a moment of silence, Gongshu Yuanyuan turned around and asked, "Why don't you continue asking?"

"I thought you were going to continue."

Song Yanjin spread his hands innocently.

Okay, I give in to you.

Gongshu Yuanyuan continued, "I won't keep you in suspense. She is my cousin Jiang Nanxue, who lives in Jiangnan. Her grandfather was a veteran of three dynasties, retired and traveled around the world. I don't know where he is now."

"My grandfather wrote to me and said that my cousin recently opened a bookstore specializing in storybooks..."