A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 321: Isn’t it beautiful?

If they were all given away, she would be too reluctant.She immediately shook her head. "I don’t want to give them away! I can’t bear to!"

Zhao Junyao patted her. "Quite stingy, aren’t you!"

Xia Ruqing lifted her chin defiantly. "These are my things, and I just don’t want to give them away!"

With that said, she looked at the Emperor, seeking his approval. "How about we make them into raisins instead? Then..."

"Then they can be kept for a long time without spoiling!"

Zhao Junyao led her into the inner chamber to sit. He then chuckled, "Alright, they won’t go bad!"

Having said that, he picked up his tea and took a sip.

Xia Ruqing was also very relaxed. Cradling her belly, she began to ramble on about trivial matters.

Zhao Junyao didn’t interject, merely listened.

Yet, merely listening brought a sense of ease to his heart. Having someone like her by his side, chattering away, was actually quite nice at times.

At least he had someone to chatter with; at least he, the emperor, was not entirely alone.

「...」

The palace was peaceful, but what of the world outside?

Xia Tingfeng took advantage of his day off to visit the residence of his three sworn brothers.

When he arrived, he saw Tiger, a hulking figure, leaning against the window. His pair of enormous hands clutched a tiny calligraphy brush, struggling to write.

Tiger, writing? Xia Tingfeng felt as if his eyes were about to be seared blind by the sight!

Just as he was about to take a closer look, Tiger threw down the brush in frustration.

"Damn it!"

"I’m not writing anymore!"

"Give me a saber, a sword, or even an axe—any of those are fine! But a brush? Damn it all, I can’t even hold the blasted thing!"

Those hands of his were coarse and stiff, like wooden sticks.

Rat quickly picked up the brush and carefully blew on it. "I say, Brother Tiger, there are only ten days left until the military examinations! Damn it, you can’t even write your own name!"

"How are you going to participate?"

Although the military examinations tested martial skills, you still needed to have some education, you still needed to know how to write! Otherwise, how could you become an official? If you were given a map or a letter and couldn’t understand it, would that work?

So, for those from humble backgrounds who hadn’t studied, this path was truly cut off. The Military Generals in the Great Chu Dynasty all came from established families. After all, even the most profligate sons of noble houses were literate.

Tiger squatted on the ground, clutching his head in anguish. "If it really doesn’t work out, then I just won’t go!"

"Damn it, I’ve never studied for a single day in my life! Who the hell knows how to write?!"

Xia Tingfeng walked in.

Rat and Monster both spotted him and called out, "Big Brother!"

Xia Tingfeng nodded. "How’s it going? Not working out?"

Rat’s face was crestfallen. "Tiger still hasn’t learned to write his own name!"

Xia Tingfeng was quite worried. "This definitely won’t do! Before the military examinations, there’s a preliminary literary test. You have to pass that first!"

The Imperial Court would never select a group of absolute illiterates!

Thinking this, Xia Tingfeng pulled Tiger over. "Listen up. For the next ten days, I, your Big Brother, will find you a tutor. Even if you don’t sleep a wink, you must study diligently with him. Understood?"

Tiger’s eyes were filled with despair. "Big Brother, I... I’m stupid!"

Xia Tingfeng’s eyes turned cold. "Enough nonsense!"

With that, he called over Rat and Monster. "You two, don’t get complacent either! All of you, study hard for me!"

"Later, each of you will write an essay for me. That will count as your pass!"

Xia Tingfeng wasn’t an illiterate; after all, when he was young, Old Master Xia had considered him a promising talent and ensured he was educated for a period, whether by hiring tutors or by teaching him personally.

Seeing his stern lecture, the three of them lowered their heads.

In the afternoon, sure enough, an old man with a goatee arrived. This man looked very old-fashioned and severe—clearly an old pedant!

Tiger was thoroughly dejected; of course, Rat and Monster weren’t in much better spirits.

Rat, however, was somewhat better off. He knew more and could recognize characters; he just wasn’t very adept at writing them. As for Monster, he could write, but only his own name.

They were a brotherhood of four. Apart from Xia Tingfeng, who still had family, the others were all alone. Having roamed the streets since childhood, all the skills they had acquired were merely to eke out a living.

Studying? That was out of the question!

Now, they all understood the importance of studying, but it felt a little too late.

Ten days? Would you say that’s too late, or not?

Xia Tingfeng slammed the table angrily. "I say it’s not too late! You all better study hard for me!"

The military examinations shouldn’t be too difficult. In any case, this opportunity was one they had to seize, even if they had to risk their lives for it.

"If anyone dares to even mention giving up, don’t blame me for turning hostile and disowning you!"

Under Xia Tingfeng’s intense pressure, Rat and Monster caved instantly. Tiger, after much grumbling and stalling, finally agreed. But he couldn’t really be blamed; after all, his foundation was the weakest.

「The ten long days began.」

On the first day, the old pedant assigned a task. "Learn to write your own names, and write them neatly!"

"Anyone who still can’t write their name by evening, or can’t write it neatly,"

"need not come tomorrow!"

Ah?

The three of them glanced at Xia Tingfeng’s dark expression. A chill ran down their spines.

Expelled on the first day? Our Big Brother would flay us alive!

Forget it, just practice your damn hearts out!

Monster and Rat were fine, as they could already write, more or less. As for Tiger, he was in a terrible bind! He just couldn’t do it! He couldn’t even hold the brush steadily!

That tiny brush, why was it so small! It kept dropping, kept dropping!

The old tutor saw this and knew it wouldn’t work; this fellow was worse than a three-year-old child. He gritted his teeth and struck him hard with a ruler!

"It’s slanted! Rewrite it!"

Tiger, sweating profusely, had to start over.

He wrote it again.

"Still slanted! Continue!"

Tiger was beginning to simmer with anger. By the eighteenth attempt, he was inwardly roaring to smack this old fellow dead with a single palm! But with Big Brother watching nearby, he didn’t dare! He could only practice miserably.

On this first day, Rat and Monster passed early on. Only Tiger practiced until deep into the night.

Finally, after spending a full eight of the day’s twelve Shi Chen, he managed to learn how to write his own name!

Monster looked at Tiger with an expression of profound, almost fatherly, relief. "Brother Tiger, damn, congratulations! You weren’t kicked out by the old geezer on the first day!"

Tiger lay on the bed, utterly exhausted. His hands felt as if they no longer belonged to him.

These damn ten days, how am I supposed to get through them?

Rat snickered from the side. "Brother Tiger, you should think about it!"

"Damn it, if you pass the examinations, with your abilities, securing a spot in the top three of the military examinations should be no problem at all!"

"Then, when you become an official and have Silver, you can marry eight or ten Beautiful Delicate Ladies and wear them out so much they can’t get out of bed!"

"And they’ll bear you a whole litter of little rascals! Tell me, wouldn’t that be fantastic?"

Tiger’s eyes gradually lit up. "Fantastic, indeed!"

Then, as if by a miracle, his hands stopped aching. He instantly became fired up with excitement—as did his ’little brother’ down below.

Oh no, that should be ’Great Brother.’

Late into the night, Rat and Monster had long since returned to their rooms to sleep, but he alone lay wide awake, sleep eluding him.