Prime Minister Zhang had just been putting on an act because he felt embarrassed!
After this remark, he really fainted.
After a flurry of activity, the imperial physician came to report, "Your Majesty, the prime minister is not seriously ill. He just suffered a sudden attack of anger and fainted for a moment."
A sudden attack of anger!
Everyone present齐刷刷 looked in Qin Junxing's direction. Even the emperor turned his head to look.
Qin Junxing looked at the emperor rather innocently. "Uncle, perhaps Prime Minister Zhang fainted because he thought our congratulations were insincere!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Sun Jiming and the crown prince took a step to the side in unison.
Only the second prince clapped his hands and cheered. "Cousin is quite right. Father, you should reward him."
"Nonsense!" The emperor scolded the second prince and gave Qin Junxing a deep look. He waved the imperial physician away and didn't pursue the matter further.
"Does any of you gentlemen have a suitable candidate?"
Seeing that the emperor didn't wait for Prime Minister Zhang, the officials below rolled their eyes. No one wanted to be the first to speak up.
The emperor scanned the crowd, frowned, and said in a somewhat displeased tone, "What? Don't you all have any ideas?"
"Your Majesty, we think it would be better to invite the teachers who teach in the Girls' Academy to be the interviewers. They can also know the details of the students."
The emperor nodded and looked at the others. "What do you think?"
"We think it's very good!"
Regarding the Girls' Academy, the emperor hadn't shown much attention in recent days. These people knew what the emperor meant well and had no intention of offending him.
However, the emperor felt somewhat dissatisfied. He bent his index finger and tapped on the table one by one. After a while, he said, "Your proposal is good, but it's inevitable that there will be suspicion of fraud. The interviewers must be people who have nothing to do with the Girls' Academy!"
Grand Academician Sun spoke up in agreement. "Your Majesty has considered everything carefully."
"In that case, why not invite the teachers from the Imperial College to be the interviewers!"
After the emperor finished speaking, Grand Academician Sun frowned. He felt that something was wrong in his heart, but someone had already spoken.
"Your Majesty is quite right. Letting the teachers from the Imperial College be the interviewers will also allow us to see the knowledge of these 'talented ladies'."
"That's right. Presumably, Grand Academician Sun's students must be excellent."
"Grand Academician Sun strongly advocated reopening the Girls' Academy and claimed that women can also enter school to study and are no worse than men. Then we have to see what these girls are capable of!"
These men's words became more and more excessive. Grand Academician Sun said with a cold face, bowing to the emperor, "Your Majesty, I have no objection. As long as the teachers from the Imperial College are fair and just, I also want to see if these children can pass the test of these teachers!"
"Good. Since you, Lord Sun, have said so, then this matter is settled. Crown Prince, you go to the Imperial College to convey the imperial edict and ask the teachers to prepare!"
"Yes!"
This matter was thus settled. The meeting in the imperial study was over, and the crown prince took the eunuch to the Imperial College to convey the imperial edict.
Qin Junxing lingered in the imperial study, wanting to wait for Prime Minister Zhang to wake up, claiming that he wanted to apologize to Prime Minister Zhang.
Grand Academician Sun walked out of the palace alone. The court officials around him walked in groups, chatting and discussing.
Occasionally, some voices came over.
"What do you think the emperor means? Letting those old-fashioned people from the Imperial College be the interviewers. I guess the Girls' Academy probably won't be able to be established this year. In the end, not a single student will pass. Grand Academician Sun will lose all his face!"
"Lord Wang makes sense. But don't some women always refuse to be disciplined by men? I think it should be like this. Let those little girls hit a wall. Otherwise, they all think that everyone is Emperor Dezong and can challenge men!"
"There's only one Emperor Dezong. It's hard to fathom the emperor's mind. Who dares to speculate!"
Grand Academician Sun's face became even more unpleasant. She didn't want to listen to those people's discussions, so she deliberately slowed down her pace. When she got out of the palace gate, there was only one carriage left.
When she saw the person waiting beside the carriage, her face softened a little. She stepped forward. "Ming'er, why didn't you go to proclaim the imperial edict with the crown prince?"
"I saw that Mother's complexion was not good. Is it because of the candidates for the interviewers?"
Grand Academician Sun supported her son's hand and got into the carriage, motioning for him to get in and talk.
"The emperor's move is to dampen the spirit of the Girls' Academy and even the spirit of those old ministers!"
The current emperor has been on the throne for nearly ten years, but he still hasn't eliminated the position of Emperor Dezong in the hearts of the old ministers. At first, no one dared to mention the Girls' Academy.
Now, the current emperor has mentioned the Girls' Academy again. Who can say that there is no deeper meaning in this?
Grand Academician Sun doesn't care about the results of the Girls' Academy. What he cares about is its value in use.
Grand Academician Sun pressed her forehead and thought about how she wanted to resign from office back then, but the emperor just kept her.
"Mother, don't think too much. Don't underestimate these young ladies from good families. Presumably, they will definitely be able to pass the interview!"
Grand Academician Sun shook her head. "You don't know. Those old guys from the Imperial College have long hated the Girls' Academy. They think that the Girls' Academy is a product that offends public morals and that your mother has reversed the normal order. Hehe! Now that they have the opportunity, they must be eager to see your mother make a fool of herself?"
Sun Jiming saw that his mother showed this kind of character again when there were no outsiders around. He lowered his head slightly!
He remembered that Xie Fengran once asked his younger sister who her character was like?
Now he finally found the answer!
Before Sun Jiming could think of words to comfort his mother, he suddenly heard his mother ask, "Son, I heard that you like Miss Xie. Although the interviewers are those old guys from the Imperial College, your mother can also turn a blind eye. Do you want your mother to give your sweetheart some convenience later?"
"Mother!" Sun Jiming supported his forehead. Who would have thought that Grand Academician Sun, who is serious and never smiles in the court, is like this in private!
He said rather helplessly, "Mother, son believes in Miss Xie's knowledge. And please don't keep saying this. If others hear it, it will damage Miss Xie's reputation!"
"You stupid goose. If you were half as thick-skinned as that prince, your Miss Xie would probably be yours long ago!" Grand Academician Sun said with a look of hatred for iron not becoming steel!
"Mother, the people from the academy sent the list of students who pay to study to the mansion yesterday. And father has started to make red date ginger soup for you again!"
The carriage stopped at the gate of the Imperial College. Sun Jiming threw these two sentences and then got out of the carriage without looking back!
Grand Academician Sun looked at her son's back angrily and muttered, "With your character, it's strange if someone likes you!"
"Back to the mansion!"
The coachman trembled when he heard these words full of gunpowder. It seemed that the master had been frustrated by the young master again!
The crown prince was quite surprised to see Sun Jiming. "Jiming, didn't you send Grand Academician Sun home?"
"I suddenly remembered that I had to come back to get something, so I got off the carriage."
"Good. Then you go to get your things. Later, follow me to pay a visit to the Xie Mansion!"
Sun Jiming paused for a moment and agreed.
Then he turned around and walked back to the dormitory to get his things as if nothing had happened.
The crown prince looked at Sun Jiming's back and squinted his eyes. The eunuch beside him saw this and asked in some confusion, "Your Highness, why do you want to take Young Master Sun with you?"
"Li Sheng, I want to see who is more important in his heart, me or the girl!"
The crown prince first suspected that Sun Jiming liked Xie Fengran. If it weren't for Qin Zhaoyang deliberately reminding them of their connection, he really wouldn't have known.
He can tolerate Qin Junxing saying in front of the emperor that he wants to marry Xie Fengran. That's because he knows that the emperor will never let Qin Junxing marry the girl from the Xie family.
But it's different with Sun Jiming. If one day he and Qin Junxing fight to the death, he is really afraid that the emperor will betroth the girl to Sun Jiming!
...
In the Xie Mansion, since Xie Yi mentioned that he wanted Xie Yunxi to take the silver to study in the Girls' Academy that day, he had been running around for this matter!
After all, he was a marquis, so it wasn't difficult for him to handle this matter.
Moreover, the old lady of the Xie family didn't really want to ruin Xie Yunxi. So after Xie Yi accomplished this matter, Xie Yunxi returned to the mansion!
The whole family symbolically had lunch in the Green Pine Courtyard!
During the meal, Xie Yunxi expressed her admiration and gratitude to the old lady quite gratefully and apologized to Xie Fengran. She looked submissive, making people feel that the days in the manor were not in vain.
Seeing her like this, both the old lady and Xie Fengran accepted her apology quite gracefully.
But after a while, Xie Yunxi looked around and started to cause trouble!
"Grandmother, on this great day, the family is not reunited."
The old lady of the Xie family lifted her eyelids and glanced at her, but didn't say a word.
Xie Fengran reached out to pick up a piece of tofu for the old lady, smiled, and said, "What do you mean, sister? Father and mother are both here. Is there someone missing?"
"Yes! Everyone is here. It's a pity that Auntie is alone in the courtyard. As her daughter, I feel so sad!"
"Slap!" The old lady's face darkened!
Seeing that something was wrong, Nanny Su quickly said, "Second Miss is wrong. You are the daughter of the madam and the marquis, not the daughter of a servant girl. It's a great joy for Second Miss to return to the mansion. Don't mention those irrelevant people!"
Xie Yunxi was just about to say that that wasn't an irrelevant person, that was her mother, when she was poked in the back.
She had no choice but to swallow her words. She stood up and apologized to the old lady. "It's because granddaughter misses Auntie too much and has lost her manners. Please forgive me, Grandmother!"
"Tomorrow, I'll ask Nanny Su to find a nanny to teach you the rules well. Don't let a servant girl teach you wrongly and embarrass the Marquis Mansion when you go out!"
The old lady's words were very merciless. Xie Yunxi immediately blushed her eyes.
She gritted her teeth but couldn't hold back. "Grandmother, Auntie gave birth to granddaughter after all. She's not a servant!"
"You still know she's your aunt." The old lady showed a mocking look, scanned Xie Yunxi, and looked at Mrs. Yun. "A concubine doesn't establish rules in front of the mistress. Where have you established the rules in your courtyard?"
Mrs. Yun quickly stood up. "Mother, please forgive me. It's my negligence!"
"Nanny He, go and call Concubine Yuan here and let her come to serve the madam for dinner!"
"Yes!"
The old lady's character was decisive. Nanny He turned around and went to call someone.