Chu Lixue has been back to the palace for many days, and the concubines in the harem will come to Chu Lixue on time every day to say goodbye, but other than that, everything is very calm.

The missing money is still missing, and Chu Lixue can only hand over the matter to Feng Feiyu, who is left there. Chu Lixue's identity is special, there is no reason to bring an old woman into the palace to live, even if she is brought into the palace, then what kind of identity should she give this old woman?

Before the affairs of the Chu family were completely investigated, Chu Lixue could not take care of her mother's life with filial piety. The imperial examination is imminent, and Nangong Yihan is even busier, but no matter how busy he is, he will return to Fengluan Palace every night to accompany Chu Lixue.

On the day of the imperial examination, Chu Lixue stood on the city gate tower and looked at those students, "If you can choose a few outstanding ones among these imperial examination candidates, maybe you can make up for the court officials." ”

"Niangniang, but the main exams this time are Lord Ding and Master Peng, they will definitely take this opportunity to recruit talents, and I am afraid that those candidates will not be able to be used by the emperor at that time." Wanyue frowned.

"It doesn't matter, it's just the main exam, the final palace exam is still the emperor, and this time the person can be said to be the protégé of the Son of Heaven."

After the imperial examination, there were ten people with outstanding results, and among these ten people, the first champion was Xiao Ziming, when Nangong Yihan mentioned Xiao Ziming's article to Chu Lixue, Chu Lixue knew that this Xiao Ziming was Xiao Lang in Baolin Shijiao's heart.

According to the rules, the emperor will personally host a banquet for the top ten personnel after each imperial examination, and I don't know what will happen to this Xiao Ziming when he sees his former lover again.

Thinking of this, Chu Lixue decided to visit Shi Jiao in person, at least to give her a psychological preparation, in case the two met at that time, and someone would see the clues, and then be forced to become someone else's pawn.

In Ronghua Pavilion, Shi Jiao was sitting on the edge of the bed looking at the jade pendant in her hand, this is her own love token, she has kept it very well from beginning to end, his father forced himself to choose a concubine for his official position, otherwise, she can live a dull life with her beloved man.

The maidservant girl beside Shi Jiao stood quietly beside her, and when she raised her eyes, she saw that Chu Lixue had already stepped in, and just wanted to salute, but was stopped by Chu Lixue's silent movement.

Chu Lixue walked into the room, cleared her throat, Shi Jiao heard the voice, looked up and saw that Chu Lixue was already standing in front of her, and then suddenly got up and walked in front of Chu Lixue and saluted respectfully, "Shi Jiao has seen Niangniang, Niangniang Wanfu Jin'an." ”

"Excuse me, this palace has nothing to do, in this harem, you are the real one who has nothing to do with the world." Chu Lixue smiled lightly.

"The mother has a good reputation, and the concubine has been educated by the female rules and female training since she was a child, and she knows her identity, and she will never dare to violate the palace rules." Shi Jiao said softly.

Chu Lixue's sudden visit made Shi Jiao feel a little puzzled, didn't she already express it very clearly to the queen? She really has no intention of competing for favor, and even after the queen left the palace, she has never seen the emperor alone, let alone whether the emperor will favor her.

Knowing that the emperor has only the queen in his heart, if he still sticks it desperately, not only will he not get the emperor's favor, but he will make the emperor even more disgusted with himself. What's more, she already has a sweetheart in her heart, and in order to be able to follow her sweetheart in everything one day, she will definitely guard her sweetheart like jade.

"Shi Baolin, this year's imperial examination has been completed, fortunately, the emperor will fill in a few more useful talents, according to the rules, the emperor will personally set up a banquet to entertain these people, so the palace wants Baolin to help think about how to do this banquet, it will be unforgettable." Chu Lixue said softly.

Hearing this, Shi Jiao was slightly stunned, she didn't understand why the queen asked herself this question, such a thing, even if the queen didn't have the strength to do it, she would hand it over to Concubine De or Ding Shuyi, how could she come to ask a seven-grade Baolin? What's more, his father is not an official of the Ministry of Rites, and the queen asked herself this, could it be that she had other intentions?

Just thinking about it, Chu Lixue said lightly, "The champion of Jinke seems to be a person from Puzhou, and this palace wants to let the imperial dining room prepare some of these Jinshi's hometown dishes, but the imperial chef doesn't know much about Puzhou's cuisine, so this palace comes to ask you." ”

"Oh, Niangniang, in fact, the dishes in Puzhou are very simple, they are all ordinary home-cooked dishes, and it is good to go back to the concubine to write a Puzhou dish and send it to the imperial dining room?"

"Well, a good idea, just do what you say." Chu Lixue patted Shi Jiao's hand lightly, then turned around and left Ronghua Pavilion with a smile.

After Chu Lixue left, Shi Jiao sat at the table and quietly touched the jade pendant in her hand, a native of Puzhou, Niangniang also came over to tell herself in person, could it be that there are really such rules in the palace?

Thinking of this, "Binglan, you've been serving in the palace for a long time, right?" ”

"It's been seven years since I returned to my master."

"Seven years, then you must know a lot about things in the palace, right?"

"Master, the slave knows what she should know, and what she shouldn't know will rot in her stomach even if she knows." Binglan said hurriedly.

Obviously, Binglan misinterpreted Shi Jiao's meaning.

"Binglan, I didn't mean that, I just wanted to ask you, you have been working in this palace for so many years, I don't know if the scholars who invited the imperial examination to the emperor before had to cook hometown dishes for them?"

"Oh, this, definitely not, then the Jinshi are all from all over the world, if no one cooks their hometown food, then the imperial chef must not be exhausted, so only home-cooked food is used at the banquet. As for why the queen wants you to assist the master, I don't know if the queen has any opinions about you? ”

"This shouldn't be, I keep to myself in the harem, and I never compete for favor, the queen mother shouldn't embarrass me." Shi Jiao said lightly.

"Master, you are so naïve, people don't hurt the tiger, and the tiger harms people's hearts. In case it's really the queen who wants to get rid of you, you also have to think of ways to let the emperor keep you. Binglan said hurriedly.

Although, Binglan serves at least seven-grade Baolin, but it is always better to be a maid by the side of the palace concubine than those who do sundries. If you are a palace maid who does sundries, there will be a lot of labor intensity every day, and even a maid who does not offend her superiors or other concubines will be punished.

"Don't worry, Binglan, I think the queen just wants to change a new way." Shi Jiao said softly.

Three days later, the palace held a banquet to entertain the Jinshi of the scientific expedition, among these people, the top three were each one table, and the others were two people sharing a table.

The dishes were slowly served up by the palace maid, and Xiao Ziming, who was sitting in front, raised his eyes and happened to be opposite Shi Jiao, many years of lovers met on such an occasion today, Xiao Ziming was very affected in his heart.

Now the woman he likes has already become the emperor's woman, and now he is the champion of the current department, but the beauty is not around. The changes in Xiao Ziming and Shi Jiao's expressions happened to be seen by Ding Ruolan.

Ding Ruolan thought carefully in her heart for a while, and then understood the secret that Shi Jiao and Xiao Ziming knew each other. "Your Majesty, the queen's mother, the concubine heard that Zhuang Yuanlang has a unique opinion on music and rhythm, so the concubine proposed to let Zhuang Yuanlang play on the spot."

Hearing this, Nangong Yihan bowed slightly, which can be regarded as agreeing with Ding Ruolan's idea, he also heard that the champion Xiao Ziming is proficient in music, but this only has music and no dancing, and it is always a little regrettable.

Moreover, he didn't want all the candidates to be very talented this time, but generally talented puppets would be very arrogant to read, and if they were allowed to perform on such an occasion, they might make several candidates bored with themselves.

"Ding Shuyi, don't want it, these are the future pillars of Beichen, it's not appropriate to let the court officials play the qin for you."

"Your Majesty, we also want to take this opportunity to see if they really have the ability, not to mention, if they think that it is a shame to play the qin, then we might as well send a sister to dance for them?"

During the banquet, Shi Jiao felt that the air was very stuffy, so she got up and quietly left to eat, and when Shi Jiao left her seat and walked away, Xiao Ziming also chased after her quickly.

He must ask one thing clearly, it was Shi Jiao's father who told him that it was Shi Jiao who wanted to enter the palace to choose a concubine, even if he was unsuccessful, he would find a good family for Shi Jiao to take care of Shi Jiao, and Xiao Ziming's family was very poor, even if he won the first place in the imperial examination, he couldn't give Shi Jiao any life he wanted.

But Xiao Ziming couldn't sleep in his seat, so he chased him out in the direction where Shi Jiao left. Ding Ruolan told this father directly, when he was young, he must have been loved by others.

"Gillian, how are you doing in the palace?" Xiao Ziming blocked Shi Jiao's way back to the palace.

"Young Master Xiao, please pay attention, this is the palace, don't cause us trouble if there are many people." Shi Jiao looked around in some panic.

"No, I've seen it, no one is around here, I just want you to give me a happy word, do you still have me in your heart?"

"What if there is? What if you don't? My father asked me to enter the palace as a concubine, just so that the family could be protected by the emperor, but my father didn't want to believe it at all, the emperor only had the queen in his heart, and he was sitting in his daydream all day long, thinking about getting promoted and getting rich. Shi Jiao said with tears in her eyes.

"Gillian, actually, we can fly away."

"No, you are the champion of the new department, the emperor still needs you to do a lot of things, I can't ruin your future, you just think we have no fate."

"No, can you bear to give up our relationship for so many years?" Xiao Ziming grabbed Shi Jiao's shoulders tightly and said.