This stack of examination papers had all been prepared in advance. After all, they were only being used to probe the learning and cultivation of the princess’s companion readers. Overall, they weren’t complex, and the required quantity wasn’t large either. So after each teacher composed their questions, they had them copied into twelve sets. The characters were all uniform in size, neat and orderly, all in beautiful standard script.

After giving his instructions, Xie Wei lowered his head to continue unrolling the papers.

Having unrolled them, he lowered his eyes slightly and counted through the number of examination papers, then asked the three elderly Hanlin scholars who’d come with him, “Would you honored gentlemen care to review them?”

The three all stood without moving and shook their heads.

One of the old Hanlin scholars sighed and said, “A bunch of little girls studying—this examination is like child’s play. What’s there to review or not review? Isn’t it all the same? It’s enough that Tutor Xie has looked them over.”

Xie Wei glanced at him but said nothing, only handing the examination papers to a palace servant.

The palace servant received them with both hands, then distributed them one by one before each person.

Jiang Xuening happened to be the last one.

As soon as the examination paper was placed before her, she quickly scanned through it: The questions on it differed little from what she’d done in her previous life, and were no different from the copy Yan Lin had given her last night.

Then she heard Xie Wei say from the head of the hall, “This examination is only to assess what level the companion readers’ learning and cultivation have reached. The questions drafted by each teacher are relatively simple, and the difficulty of answering isn’t high. Therefore, the time for answering is only one and a half hours. At the first quarter of the hour of Si, everyone will be asked to submit their papers. My three fellow teachers and I will then spend two quarters of an hour grading the papers on the spot and making our evaluations. Everyone may now begin answering.”

His voice was flat and calm, without ripples.

Falling upon the ear, it actually had a feeling like a refreshing breeze brushing one’s face. Perhaps because these words contained comforting meaning, they easily dispelled the tension people had felt upon entering the hall, allowing them to relax slightly.

Below, people like Xiao Shu and Fan Yilan all possessed excellent learning and cultivation and were full of confidence. Hearing Xie Wei’s words, they all took up their brushes, dipped them in ink, and began writing complete answers on the blank paper based on the distributed examination papers.

However, Jiang Xuening stared at the examination paper for quite a while.

After a full long moment had passed, she finally reached out her hand. With her five fingers curled like a chicken’s claw, she grabbed up a small brush from beside her and began writing on the answer sheet in a crooked, unhurried manner.

The several teachers above had by now moved to sit on those chairs set up on the left, having palace servants brew tea and bring it up.

They were all old scholars from the Hanlin Academy. Taking one look at those twelve young ladies below burying their heads in their answer sheets, they couldn’t help shaking their heads.

The old gentleman who’d responded to Xie Wei earlier said, “A princess makes a fuss about wanting to study, and His Majesty indulges her by casually inviting some people to teach—that would be fine. In the end, daughters don’t need to understand any great principles. At home they obey their parents, when married they follow their husbands, when widowed they follow their sons. Learning a bit of the Classic of Filial Piety and Admonitions for Women would suffice. But instead, such a grand production must be made. Those who don’t know might think some imperial prince is beginning his studies! This old man has also diligently pursued learning at the Hanlin Academy for over ten years, yet now I’ve ended up teaching a group of little girls. What kind of propriety is this!”

Xie Wei sat beside him, lowered his brows and picked up his teacup, lifted the lid, but didn’t respond.

However, the other two teachers beside them had a few dissatisfactions stirred up by these words.

One of them also sighed and chimed in, “Who says otherwise? In all my years in office, never has anyone asked me to teach little girls! At the very least, I’m a two-examination jinshi graduate who studied the Four Books and Five Classics. Coming to teach the princess and companion readers, I fear I’m only fit to lecture on introductory material. It’s not that I think too highly of myself—truly, it’s using an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken. You and I would be one thing—after all, we’re just a few unsuccessful old pedants in the academy. But for someone like Tutor Xie who normally presides over the classics mat lectures, that His Majesty actually appointed him to lecture to the princess and these companion readers—it’s truly incomprehensible. That Tutor Xie actually agreed is even more incomprehensible.”

These old gentlemen all came from the noble Hanlin Academy and had their own principles. Even before the emperor, they didn’t hold back in speaking many things. What they were saying now, they’d already said several times in court.

However, Shen Lang particularly doted on the Grand Princess and stubbornly went his own way, refusing to listen to advice.

So speaking was useless.

Xie Wei had already heard them complain in court, and each time they dragged him out to mention, as if he too had great dissatisfaction with this matter.

But he also didn’t reveal that he had too many emotions about it.

At present, he only glanced toward those prominent family young ladies earnestly answering their papers, his gaze also fixing for a moment on Jiang Xuening’s brush-holding posture. He couldn’t help but furrow his brows slightly. He blew on his tea and took a small sip, then said, “All the companion readers are answering their papers. We should speak less so as not to disturb them.”

Now the several old gentlemen couldn’t very well say more.

Proctoring examinations had always been quite tedious.

Xie Wei had brought along a copy of The Treatise on Preserving Purity and sat to the side slowly reading page by page.

However, those several gentlemen couldn’t quite sit still.

That His Majesty had appointed them to teach the Grand Princess and a group of prominent family companion readers had already made them somewhat dissatisfied. Having sat here for less than two quarters of an hour, unable to speak and having no mind to read, they simply claimed they were going outside for fresh air. Actually abandoning even this “proctoring” duty, they left Fengchen Hall together, leaving only Xie Wei alone here.

From beginning to end, Xie Wei didn’t even glance at them, only turning the pages of his book.

Though Jiang Xuening sat in the corner, she had earlier also heard those several old gentlemen’s words. Seeing these people leave after sitting for barely any time, she couldn’t help but frown.

No wonder they were called “old pedants”!

Old like this—they deserved to be buried in the ground!

Even if she didn’t end up staying as a companion reader, she absolutely must report these rotten old men to Shen Zhiyi.