The Marquis Is Innocent - 165.2

Chapter 165.2

Seeing the little princess sitting in the Emperor’s lap, laying her arms on the imperial desk, resting on her cheeks while slightly tilting her head and widening her eyes to look at him, Fang Xi could not help but cough dryly. He put his solemn look, straightened his waist, and continued: “Your Majesty, especially Gao Heng from Bohai. This person is talented and deserves the position of the Dingyuan …….”

The Emperor put down the scroll and looked at Fang Xi. After a moment of silence, he knocked hard on the desk and issued a loud ‘ta’ sound.

Fang Xi froze and stopped.

The Emperor said expressionlessly: “I know. You can go first!”

Fang Xi was reluctant and hastily stood up. He keeps explaining: “This old minister never had a bit of favoritism. His article not only moved this old minister, but when the prime minister read it, he also approved of Gao Heng’s –“

“Withdraw.” The Emperor repeated, his tone even colder.

The little princess turned her head quickly to glance at her father. Seeing his tense face, she jumped off his lap and ran to Fang Xi’s front. She looked at him and whispered, “My Father Emperor is unhappy! Last time, there was a person, my Father Emperor did not let him speak, yet he kept speaking. He made my Father Emperor upset. Finally, he scolded that person, so pitiful ……”

Fang Xi scoured his head but couldn’t think of how he touched the Emperor’s scales. He lowered his head to see the little princess using sympathetic eyes to look at him. He felt touched, forced himself to show a smile, bowed respectfully towards her to say thank you, and retreated.

……

Last night, Xiao Qiao accompanied Wei Shao to review the scrolls. She did not sleep well, so she felt sleepy at noon. Thus, Xiao Qiao went to make up for her lack of sleep. When she opened her eyes, Fei Fei was not on the side. Then, she asked the maid where did she go.

The palace maids tied up the layers of curtains that blocked the sunlight, and the light immediately filled the inner hall.

One of them laughed and said, “The little princess had awake and ordered the servants not to wake up the Empress, so she quietly got out of bed and said she wanted to go find His Majesty. Old Chun then sent her there.”

Fei Fei was over two years old and had been spoiled rotten by her father. Whenever the Emperor and the ministers held a discussion in the imperial study, if it was not a serious matter, it was not uncommon for the little princess to suddenly emerge from behind the imperial desk, startling the unaware Gongsun Yang and the others.

The Emperor not only didn’t think that the little princess was disobedient, on the contrary, he would carry her and let her sit on his knee. Then, the ministers could only speak to the crooked head on the table, staring at their own. Such a scene, the ministers gradually became accustomed to it.

After Xiao Qiao combed her hair and Fei Fei had not returned, she left Huaguang Hall.

After Wei Shao since ascending the throne, he diligently worked and reviewed the reports daily. Often, he returned to rest only after midnight. At this hour, the court must have dispersed. He must be in the imperial study.

……

Fang Xi, in a depressed and incomprehensible mood, walks on the palace road from the imperial study. When he met Empress Qiao, accompanied by a group of people in this direction, he stopped at the side of the road, waiting until she was near, and greeted her.

Xiao Qiao smiled and said, “Teacher is here to see His Majesty for the matter of the examination?”

Fang Xi also knew that the discussion of the imperial examinations came from Empress Qiao. The Emperor had always obeyed the Empress. This matter has long been no secret in the court. In front of her, there was nothing to hide, and he said: “Precisely. I have just presented the three top dossiers to His Majesty. As for who will be titled Ding Yuan, it is up to Your Majesty to decide.”

Xiao Qiao asked, “Who are these top three?”

After Fang Xi reported the name of the other two, he said: “The last person is the youngest. The Empress must have heard of his name, Gao Heng.”

Thinking of the Emperor’s reaction when he listened to his review, his heart was still puzzled and tried to convince again: “Forgive me for being bold. The imperial examinations are a major event. This old minister entrusted me with this important task. I’m doing my best and do not dare to have a bit of slackness. In my opinion, Gao Bohai’s article is good. He had a clear vision and deserved the position of Ding Yuan. But when I mention Gao Bohai in front of His Majesty, His Majesty seemed to have doubts. It would be a pity if Your Majesty neglected his article to avoid suspicion. It would also go against His Majesty’s original intention of opening the imperial examinations to gather the world’s talents.”

Xiao Qiao naturally knows that Gao Heng also participated in the first examination. When she heard the news, she felt surprised. Even more shocked that he could enter Luoyang.

What was in the Emperor’s heart, others didn’t know, but Xiao Qiao could always guess it. Once she heard it, she knew what was going on.

Looking at the puzzled Teacher Fang Xi of the Imperial College, she smiled and said, “Even if His Majesty does not take him, he must have his considerations, not to mention that he has not yet made up his mind. Please go back and wait for the news.”

After Fang Xi left, Xiao Qiao entered the imperial study.

Chun Niang and a few maids were standing outside the room. When they saw her coming, they hurriedly welcomed her.

“Princess is inside. When she woke up, she wanted to seek His Majesty.” Chun Niang whispered.

Xiao Qiao nodded, and as soon as she went in, she saw Fei Fei sitting on Wei Shao’s lap.

Wei Shao holding his daughter in one hand and holding a scroll in the other, reading it sentence by sentence to Fei Fei and asking, “What does Fei Fei think of this one? How about choosing it as the top of the list?”

“But I don’t know it! It’s too hard!” Fei Fei twisted her body in her father’s lap, looking worried. “That old white-bearded Master that Father drove away seems knowledgeable. Father, if you don’t know, call the old Master again ……”

Wei Shao looked up and saw Xiao Qiao coming. His hand paused.

“Mother!”

Fei Fei had been accustomed to calling Xiao Qiao ‘Mother’ according to her original title. When she saw her coming, her eyes lit up as if relieved, coming down from Wei Shao’s body and running towards her as fast as she could.

“Mother! Father Emperor had to read me those words that I couldn’t understand! And he wants me to help him choose! It’s so hard! Mother, please help Father Emperor!”

After saying this, she left the Emperor and ran out in a flash.

Xiao Qiao watched her daughter disappear behind the door, turned her head to look at Wei Shao, and walked towards him.

As if nothing had happened, Wei Shao shoved a dossier to the bottom of the pile.

Xiao Qiao reached his side and said, “What were you doing just now? You didn’t ask a teacher from the Imperial College for advice, but you let Fei Fei help you determine the rankings. What nonsense.”

Wei Shao opened his arm to embrace her and put her to sit on his lap, just like holding Fei Fei. He lowered his head to her fragrant neck, sniffed, and vaguely said, “I’m impatient to listen to those old teachers. How about you help me set it?”

Xiao Qiao glanced at him and laughed, “Okay. Then, I will be overstepping my bounds.”

Reaching out, she pulled out the dossier he had just put at the bottom.