Chapter 1317: An Examination Decides a Lifetime — Part 2

"Yuying, it's getting late. We've already had bathwater and breakfast prepared. Go take a bath, then hurry and eat your breakfast, and come with us to the examination!"

Hearing Pan Yuchen's voice, Ding Yuying quickly turned around and respectfully saluted Eunuch Pan: "Good morning, Eunuch Pan."

Pan Yuchen waved his hand: "Go on, quickly now. We'll wait for you in the dining hall."

Ding Yuying curtsied again, then went into the room. Eunuch Pan's wife was directing two old serving women as they poured hot water into a large wooden tub. She had originally been a palace maid, having entered the palace in the Chongzhen era, and back then she too had dreamed of rising through the ranks by attaching herself to the great. But her looks could not compare with those of Empress Zhou, Noble Consort Tian, Consort Yuan, and the like. Moreover, the Chongzhen Emperor had been determined to be a wise sovereign in those days, and his mind was not on feminine charms. So she waited a long while without ever attracting the Chongzhen Emperor's notice. It was only after the Jiashen catastrophe, when she fled all the way with the court, that she and Pan Yuchen developed feelings for each other on the road.

"Madam." Ding Yuying's voice rang out.

Madam Pan turned and glanced at this charming young girl, then sighed softly, as if seeing in her the self she had once been. To stand out among thousands of palace candidates back then had of course been difficult — and today, how could passing the examination to become a crown princess be any easier?

At that thought, she beckoned to Ding Yuying and said with a smile: "Come here. First wash off all that sweat, and go take the examination refreshed and clear-headed!"

Ding Yuying nodded and answered: "Mm, this humble one will certainly do her best on the examination!"

"Listen to me, all of you. The future glory and prosperity of our Zheng family depends on how you girls do on this examination! Min'er, you are the cleverest of my granddaughters. You did very well on the preliminary examination last time, so this time you must work hard and be sure to take first place!"

Zheng Zhilong was at this moment lecturing his eleven granddaughters, and he singled out one of them — a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl named Zheng Min, petite and delicate, very endearing — and told her to do well on the examination.

This Zheng Min was Zheng Sen's daughter. Clever and quick-witted since childhood, she was deeply cherished by Zheng Zhilong, so he kept her by his side and had her complete elementary school and girls' middle school in Yingtian Prefecture. At Laoshan Girls' Middle School she was a top student, and she was also classmates with Zhu Cilang's two daughters. Through the two princesses, Zheng Min and Zhu Hexing had also come to know each other. One could even say they were childhood sweethearts!

Girls mature early, and their hearts awaken early too — so she had long since fallen in love with the Crown Prince!

"Don't worry, Grandfather," the young girl nodded firmly. "Your granddaughter will certainly do her best, and no matter what, she'll take first place so she can marry Brother Crown Prince!"

"Good! Good!" Zheng Zhilong nodded repeatedly, then turned his gaze to Zheng Jiangong. "Second son, is there any news from the Wu family?"

Zheng Jiangong's brows were tightly furrowed, as if weighed down by worries, and for a moment he did not answer his father's question.

"What is it?" Zheng Zhilong asked. "What exactly is going on with the Wu family?"

"Nothing, nothing." Zheng Jiangong would certainly not tell his father that Wu Ahuan had been looked after by Empress Wu Sanmei all this time!

Wu Guogui was at the front in Shaanxi, and his family dependents were in Baoji. Wu Ahuan had originally been living in Wu Sanfu's residence. But Wu Sanfu's family members had now either followed him to Shaanxi or escorted Wu Sangui's coffin to Yingtian Prefecture. She alone, a young girl, had no one to care for her, so Wu Sanmei had taken her into the palace. Wu Sanmei had also ordered Xu Erlin to tutor her, and moreover had arranged for the Crown Prince to meet Wu Ahuan frequently!

Wu Ahuan was an "Eight-Faced Guanyin"! If the Crown Prince kept seeing such a little beauty every few days, how could his thoughts not stir?

But after Zheng Jiangong learned of this from his wife, he did not dare tell the old man.

"As long as it's nothing!" Zheng Zhilong nodded and waved his hand. "Come, let's all go to the examination together!"

"Ahuan, are you confident?"

"Auntie, Ahuan dares not speak of confidence, but for the Crown Prince's sake, Ahuan will stake her life on doing well in the examination!"

"Good girl! You and the Crown Prince grew up together. You must win honor for your auntie, and absolutely must not let that Zheng family vixen gain the upper hand."

"Mm!"

In the Kunming Hall of East Lake Palace, Wu Sanmei was speaking with a top-tier beauty who was lovely from every angle — although Wu Sangui's final memorial had requested that Wu Ahuan be married to the local tyrant king Zhu Hehao, Wu Sanmei could not swallow this insult!

She and Zheng Chagu had been locked in open and covert struggle for so many years — how could she possibly be willing to let her own son marry a daughter of the Zheng family as his empress?

How could that be allowed? There had to be a fight!

Now Zhu Cilang had laid down the rules: compete on your own merits in the examination!

So Wu Sanmei, wielding the authority of the Empress, had directly pressed Noble Consort Xu into service, ordering her to tutor Wu Ahuan! This "Eight-Faced Guanyin" Ahuan was not of the frail and delicate type — just think of Guanyin's physique and you'll understand. She was large and beautiful, with a naturally strong constitution, and having practiced martial arts since childhood, her skills were absolutely first-rate among women.

She was also thoroughly versed in military studies and could fully handle the military studies and martial arts examinations. Her Confucian studies and mathematics were passable as well; only her French was rather weak. So during this period Xu Erlin had been giving her intensive French tutoring! Her French had improved by leaps and bounds.

Wu Sanmei rose from her chair and said to Wu Ahuan: "Come, We shall escort you to the examination hall!"

While Wu Sanmei was arranging for Wu Ahuan to win over her own son Zhu Hexing, in the residence of the local tyrant king Zhu Hehao — the husband Zhu Cilang had arranged for Wu Ahuan — there also lived a young woman who was going to take the examination: Ahai, the younger sister of Anu Khatun, wife of Sengge, the Junggar Khan.

This girl had been introduced by Galdan to Zhu Hehao as a secondary consort — although Galdan had personally tutored Ahai, he had not expected her to pass the women's university examination. But Zhu Hehao, who served as a staff officer (just a minor staff officer) in the Grand Marshal's Office, wanted Ahai to take the women's university examination, because he felt that only in this way could he get his father Zhu Cilang to agree to his taking Ahai as a secondary consort.

"Ahai, don't worry. You can pass. Once you pass, this prince can request Imperial Father's permission to take you as a secondary consort!"

Zhu Hehao, sitting on the edge of the bed and watching Ahai's figure as she dressed, wore a face full of delight — although he was already past twenty, Zhu Cilang had neither arranged a wife for him nor allowed him to take concubines, so he could only find a woman by his own devices.

But this King of the United States also had his pride and was unwilling to dally with courtesans, nor did he wish to ruin the daughter of some humble household — he knew he was the sovereign of the United States, and the United States was a newly founded nation that needed support from all quarters. Therefore his secondary consort must also come from a powerful, wealthy, and influential family that could aid the development of the United States.

There were, in fact, young ladies of distinguished families in his own circle who were willing to be with him, but they all wanted the title of secondary consort. Yet this was a matter Zhu Hehao could not decide on his own — when it came to money, the local tyrant king had ways, but when it came to titles, he had to wait until he went to his fief!

Only Ahai was best — she wanted nothing and simply let Zhu Hehao sleep with her again and again.

This was true love!

"Xiaohe, get in the carriage quickly. The road is a bit long, so we need to leave early. Don't be nervous — it's not hard to pass. With your learning, you're certain to get in."

Luo Dagong, Minister of Foreign Affairs, had at this moment already brought his youngest daughter Luo Xiaohe out of a rather plain-looking residence in East Lake Town — this was his private residence in East Lake Town, modest in size and somewhat simply built, looking like the home of an honest official. In fact, he was an honest official: he took no bribes and embezzled nothing. Although he had a family fortune of several million taels, every tael and every copper coin had been cleanly exploited!

But the Censorate still had many money-crazed censors who wanted to investigate and bring down this honest official. So Luo Dagong was especially eager to attach himself to a backer powerful enough that he would never again have to fear the censors for the rest of his life.

And "producing a crown princess through the examination" seemed to be a fine opportunity! Luo Dagong, being such a wealthy honest official, naturally had quite a few wives and concubines at home, and therefore many children as well. Among them was a little beauty he regarded as the pearl in his palm — a girl named Luo Xiaohe. She was born to him and his second wife, Lady Zhu (granddaughter of Zhu Dadian). Among Luo Dagong's daughters she was the most beautiful and also the cleverest, and naturally the honest official Luo placed great hopes in her.

(End of Chapter)