The Favorite of the Sick and Weak Lady - Chapter 79

Following the usual format, the second round of the exam was supposed to test calligraphy and rote memorization of classics. However, Xiao Yu felt that mere memorization was useless, so she changed it to a test of “Jingyi,” or classical exegesis. This subject primarily tested the candidates’ ability to recite and interpret the classics.

Just like in the first round, the examiners selected the ten best papers and presented them to the emperor. The emperor would then make the final decision. Xiao Yu chose the three papers she was most satisfied with and placed them with the ones she had previously selected.

“My Empress, we just have to wait for the final exam,” she said. She was particularly looking forward to the last subject. She had personally written the topic for the policy essay. The first two subjects, no matter how well done, were just icing on the cake. What she wanted was not someone who could only write poetry.

Song Luoning raised an eyebrow, a smile in her eyes. “Is Your Majesty so confident in the exam questions you created?” She trusted this rogue, but for some reason, she didn’t want to let her have her way.

“Of course. The topic may be a bit clichéd, but hasn’t the flood problem in Jiangnan been unresolved for so many years? What does that show?” Xiao Yu looked at her wife with a hopeful expression.

“What does it show?” Song Luoning asked, feigning confusion and playing along.

Xiao Yu didn’t rush to answer. She glanced at the door of the imperial study. Without her command, the palace staff wouldn’t dare to enter. Thinking this, the corners of her lips curled up. She picked Song Luoning up without a second thought. “Kiss me, and I’ll tell you.”

“…” Song Luoning’s body stiffened. She lowered her eyes, pushed at Xiao Yu’s shoulders, and said in a soft tone, “Put me down. What would people think if they saw us?”

“You really won’t kiss me?” Xiao Yu was a little deflated. It was just like the Empress. Since the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll go to the mountain. She didn’t hesitate to lower her head and kiss her.

A sweet and tempting kiss was something she had to do herself, after all.

Song Luoning’s breathing hitched. She didn’t expect this rogue to be so daring. They were still in the imperial study, and yet…

After a while, she slowly closed her eyes. Her arms had quietly wrapped around Xiao Yu’s neck, pulling them closer.

The corners of Xiao Yu’s lips curved. She knew that her Empress’s refusal was only on the surface and that she wanted it in her heart. Thinking this, she carried her directly onto the imperial desk and deepened the kiss.

“Not here…” Song Luoning came to her senses. Her hands rested on Xiao Yu’s shoulders. She took a deep breath and then cupped her face. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes shimmered, looking alluring and captivating. She shook her head, her voice pleading, “Don’t…”

Xiao Yu was not happy. How could they stop at this point? Besides, she also wanted to try it here. So she held her tightly, a little brazenly. “What’s wrong with here?”

“How can it be here? This rogue!”

Song Luoning clutched Xiao Yu’s sleeve tightly, her eyes glistening. She bit her lip, looking like she had been terribly bullied.

Xiao Yu’s heart pounded. She couldn’t help but lick her lips. The Empress’s expression…

How could she possibly resist?

Of course, she didn’t intend to. Taking advantage of Song Luoning’s shyness, she once again captured her lips, ravaging and sucking.

After a long while, they finally and reluctantly separated. Their breaths were ragged. They had only slightly parted, their lips still touching and their breaths mingling. Xiao Yu looked at her quivering eyelashes, instinctively flicking her tongue over her lips, causing the beauty beneath her to tremble. After a moment, she slowly opened her eyes. Their gazes met, and the next second, she turned her face away, avoiding the embarrassing stare.

“My Empress…” Xiao Yu’s heart fluttered again. She called out softly and, ignoring everything else, pressed down on her again. Her hand also began to search for the front of her clothes, lightly untying a sash.

“Don’t… someone might…” Song Luoning’s body tensed. She suddenly came to her senses and held Xiao Yu’s hand in time. “Not here.”

How could this rogue be so reckless in a place like this? A fleeting image of what had just happened appeared in her mind. Later, when this rogue was to read memorials here…

It would be right where she was lying. Thinking this, Song Luoning was completely unsettled. Her face flushed again and again. How could she have indulged her like this?

She then steeled her heart, her tone resolute. “Absolutely not here. Put me down quickly.”

Although Xiao Yu was still a little regretful, she didn’t insist. She blinked, helped her straighten her clothes, and lifted her down.

Song Luoning’s face was red, and she was both annoyed and angry. If she hadn’t come to her senses in time, that rogue would have had her way. She bit her lip and walked to a chair to sit down.

Meanwhile, the policy essay exam had just finished. Unlike the previous rounds, two hundred papers had to be selected from thousands and sent to the palace. A policy essay was different from other subjects. The examiners had to read them from beginning to end, filtering out those that were incoherent, had too many typos, or didn’t align with the topic. Then, they had to select the good ones and compare them one by one. Since everyone had different political views, they sometimes had to discuss them with each other to choose a good paper.

By the time the examiners delivered the papers to the palace, it was already noon the next day.

“Your Majesty, why don’t you drink some cooling soup before you continue?” Song Luoning placed a white jade bowl on the imperial desk and sighed softly. She pulled the exam papers from her hand. This rogue had been sitting there for a full two hours since the papers were delivered.

“Mm.” Xiao Yu looked up and couldn’t help but complain. “None of these papers are any good. I really don’t know what these people are thinking. I asked them for a good plan for flood control, and what do they do? They tell me to open up the granaries and distribute grain. If it were that simple, why would we need flood control? We might as well just let the floods run their course.”

Song Luoning frowned. “Calm down first. There are still some you haven’t read yet, right? Maybe there’s a good one in there. Your Majesty, please drink the cooling soup first. The summer heat is heavy, so don’t injure yourself. I’ll read with you later.”

“That’s the only thing to do.” Xiao Yu reached out and pulled her into her arms, resting the side of her face against her chest. “My Empress is the best. I wish I could finish this quickly so I could spend time with you.”

Spend time with her for what?

Song Luoning was slightly stunned. The image of them almost tumbling off the imperial desk resurfaced. Her face flushed slightly. She pursed her lips and placed a hand on Xiao Yu’s shoulder. “You’re a grown adult, stop being so clingy. The matter at hand is more important. After the talent selection is over, it won’t be too late for Your Majesty to spend time with me.”

Xiao Yu sighed, tightened her grip, and then reluctantly let go after a moment.

“My Empress is right.” She looked at the cooling soup and asked with concern, “Did you drink yours?”

Song Luoning smiled. “I did.”

“That’s good.” With that, Xiao Yu picked up the cooling soup and drank it in two or three gulps.

“Oh…” It was still… it was too late. This rogue! How could she drink it all in one go? How could her stomach handle all that cool soup at once?

Song Luoning watched her with concern. “Does your stomach feel uncomfortable?”

“I’m fine. I used to drink cold things all the time,” Xiao Yu said, looking unconcerned.

Before she transmigrated, it was normal for her to drink a whole bottle of ice-cold soda in one go. What was a little cool soup?

After waiting a moment and seeing that she really was fine, Song Luoning finally relaxed, looking at her with a cryptic expression.

“Don’t drink like that again. It’s not good for your health.”

“Mm, okay. I’ll listen to you, my Empress.” Xiao Yu nodded in agreement, picked up the exam papers from the imperial desk, and continued to read them.

Song Luoning sighed softly, her gaze on her filled with affection and attachment. She hadn’t realized that this rogue was also very attractive when she was serious. Unconsciously, the curve of her lips widened.

In the middle of the afternoon, Cui Zhu came in with some refreshments. Seeing that both her masters were absorbed in reviewing the papers, she quietly placed the tray on a small table and tiptoed over. She lowered her voice. “Your Majesty, the refreshments are here.”

Song Luoning nodded, put down the paper in her hand, and glanced at the person still buried in her reading. That person would sometimes frown deeply and sometimes nod. Song Luoning sighed and said softly, “Your Majesty, rest for a bit and eat some refreshments.” She had barely eaten anything at lunch. If it were a normal day, this person could even drink two bowls of congee after finishing a meal. She looked at her with a pained expression.

“My Empress, come and look at this one. It’s well-structured, and it analyzes the terrain of the Jiangnan region very clearly. Although the flood control part is a bit lacking, I believe with a little time, this person will definitely be a useful talent.” The young emperor’s eyes were filled with excitement. Even as she spoke, her gaze never left the exam paper, showing how satisfied she was with it.

Song Luoning shook her head, her eyes overflowing with affection. She leaned over and began to read with her.

The young maidservant next to them sighed. It was bad enough that His Majesty didn’t consider her feelings, but now her own mistress didn’t either. Was it really okay to display such affection in front of her, a single dog?

She glanced at her two masters, looking completely defeated, and quietly exited the hall. She decided to stand guard outside instead, to prevent any fool from interrupting her mistress’s good moment.

The young maidservant dutifully sat down on the steps outside the hall.

Inside the hall.

Xiao Yu couldn’t contain her excitement. “My Empress, out of all the papers I’ve read, this one is the most satisfying. I wonder what kind of person this is?” She felt a little nervous.

Song Luoning chuckled. “You’ll see when the palace examination begins.”

“My Empress is right.” Xiao Yu nodded. “Do you have any good ones on your side, my Empress?”

Song Luoning replied truthfully, “There aren’t any that are too outstanding, but I have selected two that are decent.”

“Oh?” Xiao Yu’s eyes were smiling. “Let me see them quickly.”

“Eat some refreshments first, then we’ll look.” Song Luoning shook her head, knowing that this person valued talent so much that she was neglecting her own health.

Seeing her refusal, Xiao Yu wasn’t annoyed. She pressed her face against her shoulder and rubbed against it, her voice gentle and pleading. “My Empress~”

At this moment, there wasn’t a trace of imperial dignity. She was completely a large, soft, and clingy cat.

Song Luoning’s body stiffened. After a moment, she gently pushed her away and said softly, “Stop messing around. Eat something first.”

“Okay.” Xiao Yu agreed and obediently walked over to the circular chair to sit down. She picked up a piece of refreshment and began to eat, her manner so well-behaved that Song Luoning couldn’t help but feel her heart soften.

She organized the selected papers and placed them to the side. On the other side were the ones she hadn’t gotten to yet, of which there were not many left. She glanced at Xiao Yu, then sat back down and continued to read. By the time Xiao Yu finished her refreshments and returned, she had already read several papers.

Xiao Yu blinked. “My Empress, can you show me the papers now?”

Seeing that she was still fixated on the papers from earlier, Song Luoning curved her lips and placed both of the selected papers in front of her.

After Xiao Yu read them, they were indeed as Song Luoning had said—nothing too outstanding. She felt a little disappointed. Looking at these papers, she didn’t know whether to be happy or sad. She was happy that she could recruit some people she could use, but she was sad that such a large country didn’t have the kind of talent she was looking for.

The remaining papers were also mediocre. She managed to select ten from the two hundred papers, and along with the ten from the previous two subjects, she handed them over to the palace staff to be sent away.

There was only one final palace examination left, which was scheduled for three days later. At that time, the thirty candidates would be brought to the Hall of Supreme Harmony by imperial guards, and she would personally create the exam questions.

After a long day, when Xiao Yu returned to the Palace of Funing, a crescent moon was already hanging in the sky.

The palace staff knelt down to greet her.

Xiao Yu waved her hand, and the palace staff in the hall quickly retreated. The emperor did not like to be served and only allowed the empress near her. The entire Palace of Funing knew this, and all the palace staff retreated to wait outside the hall.

Seeing that everyone had left, Xiao Yu took off her outer robe and collapsed onto the imperial bed.

“How much longer will this heat last?” Why did ancient summers feel so unbearable? She missed the air conditioning at home so much.

Song Luoning picked up the outer robe from the bed and draped it over a screen. “Don’t get too cold.”

She wasn’t trying to get cold. Xiao Yu flipped over and lay on her stomach on the bed. “Is there ice in the hall?”

“The palace staff put some in beforehand, knowing you were coming back.”

“Why is it still so hot?”

With that, she kicked off her boots, rolled to the inner side of the bed, and patted the spot next to her. “My Empress, come up quickly.”

The Empress’s body temperature was low, and it would be perfect to hold her in the summer.

Song Luoning, of course, didn’t know what she was thinking. She just assumed she was going to be playful again. She glared at her. “We’re about to have dinner. Don’t be silly.”

“…”

What did that mean?

How was she being silly? It was so hot, she just wanted to cuddle with the Empress to cool down. How was that silly?

Xiao Yu was not convinced and wouldn’t give up. “I’m not being silly. Come lie down with me for a bit.”

Song Luoning’s breathing hitched.

Lie down with her for a bit… was that not silly?

The two looked at each other for a moment. Xiao Yu obediently retracted her hand, her gaze following her as she went to the bookshelf, picked up a book, and sat down on one side of the bed.

The bright moon was in the sky, and there were palace lamps on both sides of the hall, so it wasn’t dark. Seeing that she had no intention of lying down, Xiao Yu moved over and sat next to her, wrapping her arms around her. The slightly cool touch immediately made her feel more comfortable.

Xiao Yu sighed with emotion. “I wish I could hold you like this forever.”

What kind of bold statement was that?

Even though she was used to hearing such things, Song Luoning couldn’t help but blush. She didn’t push her away, her eyes fixed on the book.

Both of them were tired from the day. Xiao Yu didn’t cause any trouble. She held the beauty in her arms for a while, and after they had dinner, they went to sleep together.

The next morning was the tri-daily morning court. Xiao Yu had just left the court and hadn’t yet reached the Palace of Funing when a young eunuch blocked her path.

“This servant greets Your Majesty.”

Xiao Yu glanced at him. He looked unfamiliar, not like a member of the Palace of Funing staff. “What is it?”

The young eunuch said, “This servant has been sent by the Empress Dowager to invite Your Majesty to have a meal with her.”

The Empress Dowager?

Wasn’t that the Empress of the former Emperor, the one who had a deep relationship with the former Emperor and hadn’t left the palace since his death?

What did she mean by suddenly inviting her for a meal?

She didn’t seem to have any connection with her. But since she had sent someone to invite her, it would be rude not to go.

Xiao Yu waved to Fu Shun, who was next to her. “Go quickly and tell the Empress that I can’t have breakfast with her. Don’t let her wait anxiously.”

“Yes, this servant obeys the decree.”

After Fu Shun had walked away, Xiao Yu said to the young eunuch, “Lead the way.”

She had walked past the Palace of Longevity and Health once before, so it didn’t feel unfamiliar. There were twelve palace staff members at the Palace of Longevity and Health. Seeing the emperor approach, they all knelt down and said loudly, “Greetings to Your Majesty.”

Xiao Yu waved her hand and entered the hall. The air in the hall was filled with the scent of sandalwood. Although it was daytime, palace lamps were still lit. On both sides of the hall door, there were two palace maids. Xiao Yu looked around, her gaze falling on the woman in the main seat. The woman had been well-maintained for a long time and showed no signs of aging. The dark Shu brocade on her body looked elegant and luxurious. Xiao Yu quickly stepped forward and bowed, “Greetings to the Empress Dowager.”

The Empress Dowager smiled. “The Emperor doesn’t need to be so formal. Sit.”

Xiao Yu sat down in the seat below her. Only then did she notice that besides the Empress Dowager and the serving palace staff, there was also a young man in the hall.

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