Five Years To Ascend The Throne, Three Years Of Mock Simulations - Chapter 11

Because of that stack of copybooks, Ming Tan had not finished that box of gardenia cakes even by the time school ended.

Madam Lin’s skill was truly exquisite. The cakes were even tastier than the pastries the imperial kitchen usually came up with. Ming Tan wanted to pack them up and bring them away, but for once, she felt a little embarrassed. She twirled a writing brush in her hand for a long while before her eyes finally darted, and she said to Lin Shurong, who was focused on taking notes on the Gongyang Commentary beside her, “Hey, do you want to come sit for a while at Kunning Palace?”

Lin Shurong stopped writing in some surprise. She pushed aside the new questions she had prepared for Ming Tan and raised a brow with interest. “Your Highness is actually inviting me as a guest?”

“Eldest Miss Lin’s reputation is known far and wide. My mother empress has wanted to meet you for a long time.” Ming Tan pulled out a fake smile, lied through her teeth, and was willing to bend her waist for the sake of a box of flower cakes.

Who knew whether Lin Shurong saw through her saying one thing while meaning another.

The former gave an “oh” of unclear meaning, then swept the redwood food box beside them from the corner of her eye. After pondering for a moment, she finally revealed a light smile. “Since Your Highness has invited me, Shurong naturally cannot refuse.”

Yay, now she could eat the cakes openly and properly!

Ming Tan’s smile instantly became genuine by several degrees. Quick-eyed and quick-handed, she picked up the food box and pretended to be warm and enthusiastic. “Let’s go, let’s go. We should hurry back. In this hot weather, we mustn’t let the sun scorch our Eldest Miss Lin!”

Lin Shurong stood, her gaze sliding to Ming Tan’s hand. She shook her head and smiled. “I truly wonder whether Your Highness is afraid the sun will scorch me, or afraid it will scorch these gardenia cakes.”

Ming Tan pretended not to hear her sarcasm. She turned and greeted Third Princess Ming Zhao in the corner, smiling as she bid her farewell. “Third Imperial Sister, I’m going back to the palace! We’ll see each other in class tomorrow!”

Ming Zhao abruptly lifted her head from her book and only then realized that school had already ended. Somewhat flustered, she rose and said hurriedly, “Ninth Imperial Sister, I haven’t had time to ask today. About what happened last night…”

“It’s nothing, nothing. Third Imperial Sister, please don’t take it to heart.” Ming Tan waved her hand and laughed it off perfunctorily. “I have something urgent today, so I need to return to Kunning Palace first. I’ll explain it to Third Imperial Sister in detail next time!”

Ming Zhao seemed to want to say something more, but Ming Tan had already grabbed Lin Shurong’s sleeve and dragged the latter, who was smiling as she said goodbye to the Third Princess, far away.

Only Ming Zhao was left standing behind her desk, watching the backs of the two young girls. In her heart, she quietly smiled.

Everyone said Ninth Imperial Sister did not get along with this study companion of hers, but looking at them now… were they not actually rather intimate?

Kunning Palace.

Ming Tan propped her head up with one hand, chewing flower cake while staring at Lin Shurong not far away, who was chatting happily with the empress.

The latter’s speech and bearing were full of the style of a noble family. Her attitude was obedient, and she was well-read and sensible. With her peerless beauty added on top, there was probably no one under heaven who would not like such a girl.

Clearly, the empress liked her terribly.

“Miss Lin is so young, yet already so talented… Chancellor Lin truly knows how to teach his daughter.”

“Your Majesty overpraises me.” Lin Shurong smiled. “The Lin family has been a scholarly family for generations, and Father also serves as an official in court. How could we younger ones dare be lazy?”

“What a good girl. Truly a good girl.” The empress praised her again and again, then sighed. “If Tan’er could have even half of your love for learning…”

Ming Tan panicked. She slammed down her chopsticks and shouted, “Mother Empress! I do questions every day until the second watch before resting. How do I not love learning?”

The empress glanced at her and had not yet spoken when Lin Shurong stepped in first, smoothing things over in a tone like she was coaxing a child. “If I had even half of Your Highness’s intelligence, I would not have to spend all day holding books and fussing over words.”

Ming Tan made a face. She did not fall for this at all. “Then assign me fewer exercises!”

Lin Shurong turned her head away and pretended to be deaf.

The empress was so amused by the two of them that she laughed nonstop, then pretended to scold Ming Tan. “And you still say you don’t dislike studying?”

Ming Tan rolled her eyes, puffed her cheeks into a pufferfish, and refused to participate in their conversation any longer.

Look at how that elbow was turned outward. Just who was the biological daughter here?

Just like that, the empress and Lin Shurong chatted happily, while Ming Tan sprawled to the side and ate pastries happily. Who knew how long had passed. Just as Ming Tan was secretly rejoicing that she would not have to do homework today, a loud announcement suddenly came from outside the hall.

“His Majesty has arrived—”

Everyone in the room froze. After exchanging glances, they hurriedly rose to prepare to salute and welcome him.

The emperor entered Kunning Palace, lifted the curtain, and stepped into the inner room, laughing heartily. “Dispense with the formalities, dispense with the formalities. We heard earlier that Eldest Miss Lin was chatting with Zitong. Have We disturbed you?”

“Your Majesty is too serious.” Lin Shurong curtsied. “It is this subject’s daughter who was wrong. I pestered Her Majesty into chatting for so long and did not realize it had already reached this hour.”

Ming Tan was busy wiping her mouth with a handkerchief. When she turned her head, she finally realized the sun was already about to set outside the window.

“Upon seeing her today, I now know that Miss Lin truly is as the rumors say, possessing great talent worthy of an unofficial jinshi.” The empress smiled at the emperor. “With such a study companion for Tan’er, Your Majesty and this consort can both feel at ease.”

“This subject’s daughter does not dare accept such praise from Your Majesty.”

“Eh, what is there not to dare?” the emperor said with a smile. “Your father is one of Our most trusted ministers, and the son and daughter he has taught are both dragons and phoenixes among people. We valued precisely this point, which is why We assigned you to Longlin as her study companion.”

Lin Shurong paused slightly, and a trace of thought flashed through her eyes.

When she raised her head again and met the emperor’s seemingly meaningful gaze, she seemed to suddenly realize something. She hurriedly bowed and said, “This subject’s daughter will certainly do her utmost to assist Ninth Highness in completing her studies.”

The emperor nodded cheerfully, looking as if he had not paid much attention to Lin Shurong’s answer. He turned his head and looked at Ming Tan, whose face was full of reluctance, then raised a brow. “What are you sulking about?”

“I’m not sulking!” Ming Tan deliberately dragged out her voice.

The emperor smiled and did not expose her stubbornness. Instead, he brought up another matter.

“Yesterday, We instructed you to go to Tianhong Palace,” he said with a smile. “Could Longlin have forgotten?”

…To be honest, Ming Tan really had forgotten.

She froze, let out an “aiya,” and hurriedly bounced over, tugging at the emperor’s sleeve as she tried to cutely muddle her way through. “Father Emperor! I suddenly wanted to introduce Miss Lin to Mother Empress, so I forgot your instructions. Don’t be angry!”

The emperor had always doted on her. How could he get angry over such a small matter?

He shook his head with a smile, reached out, and patted Ming Tan’s head, saying warmly, “Forget it. We originally wanted to call you over and give you a few more reminders. But since We have come here now, it is the same.”

Reminders about what?

Ming Tan tilted her head up, her face blank.

“The Upper Study’s grand exam is in a few days.” The emperor looked at his daughter teasingly, also dragging out his voice like she had just done. “Longlin must prepare properly. You must not lose face before your imperial brothers and sisters.”

…The Upper Study’s grand exam!

“Ah!” Ming Tan smacked her own head, wanting to cry but having no tears. “Father Emperor, you might as well not have reminded me!”

“If We did not remind you, We fear that on the day itself, you would not be able to answer even a single word!”

The emperor laughed loudly, pushed Ming Tan toward Lin Shurong, and waved his hand. “Excellence in work comes from diligence and is wasted by play. We have something to say to your mother empress. Hurry and go with Eldest Miss Lin to the side hall to properly review your lessons!”

Ming Tan: “…”

She had just been thinking she could escape homework!

Full of unwillingness, she went with Lin Shurong to the side hall. Sitting beside the small table, she sighed again and again, looking as if her heart was about to shatter.

Lin Shurong shook her head, rolled up the Zuo Tradition in her hand, and lightly tapped it against Ming Tan’s head, smiling. “I had originally planned to let you off today, but His Majesty is wise and specially brought up the grand exam. This time, Your Highness will have to study by imperial decree.”

Ming Tan let out a whimper, sorrow rising from her heart. “How did I enroll at such a coincidental time? I’ve only been in school for one month, and I already ran straight into the spring exam!”

The Upper Study’s grand exam was held once every three months, coinciding exactly with the end of each season. Thus, the students called them the “spring exam,” “summer exam,” “autumn exam,” and “winter exam.”

At this time, it was late spring and early summer. The exam Ming Tan would face in the future would be this year’s—

The twelfth session, “Spring Exam.”

Seeing the other girl’s face full of despair, as if the sky itself were about to collapse, Lin Shurong found it both funny and helpless.

She thought for a while, then her eyes lit up. She revealed a smile so beautiful one could not look away and coaxed gently, “If Your Highness reviews properly these next few days… next time, how about I invite you to the Lin Estate as a guest for tea?”

…Eh? Tea?

Wouldn’t that mean she could eat those incredibly delicious pastries again?

With good food before her, Ming Tan instantly perked up. She stared at Lin Shurong with a pair of bright black eyes and asked with yearning, “Is that true?”

“Of course it is true,” Lin Shurong said. “In a few days, it will be time for changchu to ripen. My mother will mash it into jam and mix it with shaved ice. The finished dish cools the heat and refreshes the mouth. Your Highness will certainly like it.”

The Book of Songs said, “In the lowlands grows changchu, graceful are its branches.” Ming Tan knew what changchu was. It was what modern people called kiwi fruit.

Mash it into fruit jam, then eat it together with shaved ice… Wasn’t that kiwi shaved ice?

Ancient times had neither air conditioning nor electric fans, and Ming Tan had been worrying over how she would get through this summer. The moment she heard that the Lin Estate actually had cold drinks to eat, she wished she could pack up her belongings tomorrow and leave the palace to live together with Lin Shurong!

But…

What if she did badly on the spring exam, and Lin Shurong used that as a reason to change her mind and go back on her word?

Ming Tan’s eyes darted, and a plan formed in her mind. She decided to put insurance on her kiwi shaved ice.

She jumped down from the chair and, under Lin Shurong’s confused gaze, rushed into the inner room and rummaged through the cabinets for a long while. Only after some time did she come out carrying an exquisite box. She tossed it in front of Lin Shurong, smiling as she nudged her chin. “Here, it’s for you.”

Lin Shurong was somewhat puzzled. She opened it and saw that there was nothing else inside the box, only a gold hairpin lying quietly within.

The hairpin’s design was simple, and the patterns on its body were also the most common flowing-water design. Aside from an unimpressive blue-green gem set into the head of the hairpin, there were no extra decorations. It looked less precious than the jade hairpin she was currently wearing.

Lin Shurong: “…”

She closed the box and raised her eyes to look at Ming Tan.

The latter’s face was written all over with “of course,” “perfectly justified,” and “reason is on my side.” “The Book of Rites says, ‘To receive and not return is contrary to propriety.’ Since you accepted the gift I gave you, you can’t go back on inviting me to the Lin Estate as a guest!”

“…”

This gold hairpin was so old and plain that it was probably the least presentable item in the Ninth Princess’s collection.

Lin Shurong narrowed her eyes faintly and weighed the light box in her hand. It had practically no weight at all. She truly suspected whether it was actually a wooden hairpin plated with a layer of gold.

“…Your Highness’s words are entirely correct. One should return a plum for a peach.” Her expression was almost smiling yet not quite. While snapping the box shut and placing it inside her book chest, she said blandly, “Once the grand exam is over and the day off arrives, I will certainly remember Your Highness’s kindness today and personally present the invitation.”

Ming Tan was perfectly satisfied, smiling like a little cat that had successfully stolen fish.

However, just as she was about to put on airs and nod in agreement, she suddenly heard Lin Shurong say again, “However… whether my Lin Estate will welcome Ninth Princess’s esteemed presence will depend on whether Your Highness has the ability to persuade His Majesty to permit you to leave the palace for a private visit.”

Ming Tan: “…”

Well done, Lin Shurong. Watertight and step-by-step, you had a pit dug and waiting for me right here!