Linlin didn't get back until late at night, her eyes shining with excitement.
Tang Zhuyun smiled and said, "The Great Confucian Scholar Kong has agreed to take you as his disciple?"
"I agreed!" Linlin was extremely excited.
Although Tang Zhuyun was also infected by his joy, she couldn't help but ask, "Will the Great Confucian Scholar Kong settle in the capital afterward? Or will he return to Langya?"
She definitely wouldn't want to have the latter!
How can Linlin, who is so young, leave home?
He said Linlin, "Great Confucian Scholar Kong will remain in the capital for at least three years."
Tang Zhuyun breathed a sigh of relief, ladled him a bowl of chicken soup, and smiled, "That's very good."
Linlin lowered her head and took a sip of chicken soup, then excitedly began to speak, "Great Confucian Scholar Kong ' grandson originally came to participate in the imperial examination this year, but missed the opportunity due to acclimatization problems. Great Confucian Scholar Kong has decided to stay in the capital and return after his grandson participates in the imperial examination three years later."
Tang Zhuyun: "You can come to me if you have trouble adjusting to the new environment!"
For her son's education, she could be very humble and attentive to the teacher.
It's true, even the Prince of Jin didn't enjoy this kind of benefit.
Linlin laughed and said, "Do you think Grandfather didn't mention it? It's just that we didn't know you were such a skilled physician before, so we missed the imperial examination."
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
Her biological father, as expected, never misses an opportunity to show off his daughter.
Yanran's eyes Jingjing: "Brother is indeed the most amazing. He was already accepted by the Great Confucian Scholar Kong without Mother's help."
Tang Zhuyun laughed heartily, "No matter how many times you try to win someone over, you can't win a compliment!"
Tang Mingfan was eating a plate of chicken noodles that Tang Zhuyun Zhujun had sent over with Chang Zhi in the yamen, sneezed twice loudly.
He put down his chopsticks and covered his mouth with a handkerchief.
Chang Zhi shoveled the entire Zidu in front of him. "You're full so quickly? Then I won't stand on ceremony."
Tang Mingfan: "..."
Fortunately, my daughter was thoughtful and brought me some sweet osmanthus cake—although it didn't contain osmanthus flowers, it had osmanthus jam made the previous year, making it soft and sweet.
While eating, Tang Mingfan said, "I must invite the Great Confucian Scholar Kong to dinner another day."
"That's right." Chang Zhi ate without looking up. "Alas, it's a pity that Your Highness is now of such high status and widowed, otherwise it would have been perfect to invite the Great Confucian Scholar Kong to your home. No matter how good the banquet outside is, it can't compare to what Your Highness can do."
"Of course we can't let A-Yun do all that," Tang Mingfan said. "Let's go to Four Seas Tower instead."
"I'll see."
Neither of them expected that this meal would cause such a huge uproar.
What Tang Zhuyun didn't expect was that after Zong Heng remained silent for a few days, he suddenly made a move and targeted Hongfu.
I'm so grateful to him!
These days, Tang Zhuyun is busy with all sorts of things and has almost forgotten about Hongfu's existence.
Unexpectedly, just as the Prince of Jin had predicted, Hongfu shielded her from the attack— Hongfu suffered an unexpected miscarriage.
If you asked Zong Xueci and the Crown Zong Heng, those two crazy women who love to fight in the inner palace, they wouldn't have done such a thing.
He wasn't taking revenge on me; he was helping me out.
Alright, she agreed. That settles things once and for all.
Tang Zhuyun was busy preparing tuition fees for Linlin's apprenticeship and was therefore temporarily unable to attend to Zong Heng's affairs.
Great Confucian Scholar Kong was, after all, one of the most outstanding and eccentric scholars of his time, so we had to treat him well and not let Linlin's future be affected.
It is said that because so many people wanted to become his disciples, the Great Confucian Scholar Kong was overwhelmed and moved to the Great Xiangguo Temple to find Master Hong'en. He even declined the emperor's summons on the pretext of illness.
This person, who doesn't even respect the emperor, is incredibly arrogant, and Tang Zhuyun is quite impressed.
She asked Meng Yulan for advice on the tuition fees, "Sister-in-law, do you think what I've prepared is alright?"
Meng Yulan glanced at it and honestly said, "It's not very good."
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
In all honesty, she had exhausted all her strength.
Giving gifts wasn't her forte to begin with.
"What should I give her?" Tang Zhuyun was at her wit's end.
"I'll ask someone to try their luck and see if they can buy a rare copy," Meng Yulan said. "These are the things that can truly move the Great Confucian Scholar Kong."
Tang Zhuyun said that the prince was not well-educated and there was really no one in his household. But her own father had plenty!
Meng Yulan said, "You absolutely mustn't try to get your hands on Master's treasures. If he could give them to him, would you even need to ask? Wait a minute, let me try my luck with someone first. If I can't buy them, then we'll talk about it."
"Would the pawnshop have them? I know the manager of a pawnshop," Tang Zhuyun said.
"Yes." Meng Yulan nodded repeatedly. "Lüzhu, go back and fetch five hundred taels of silver."
Tang Zhuyun: "Sister-in-law, what are you doing? I don't want to!"
Meng Yulan doesn't have mountains of gold and silver, and her dowry is dwindling with every use, yet she's still incredibly generous.
The Prince's Mansion doesn't have any rare books, but it has a lot of silver.
Meng Yulan said in a low voice, "No matter what, Linlin is still your elder brother's son. It's not that the Prince's Mansion can't afford to pay this money, but it would be easy to draw criticism if they did. Of course, I know you mean well, but it's not worth it for the money. Money lost can be regained."
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
Okay, right now, Linlin's family doesn't know that she's the son of the Prince of Jin of Jin.
She didn't want to tell him because if her father and brothers found out, they would probably be completely tied to the Prince of Jin's ship and have to choose sides in advance.
Although the connection is now unbreakable, she still doesn't want her father and brothers to get too involved.
Her father and brothers both felt that Prince of Jin had no ambition to become emperor; but she and Linlin knew that Prince of Jin's goal was that position.
Meng Yulan added, "If you feel indebted, you can subsidize me more in the future, a gradual process. Large sums of money coming in and going out are too conspicuous. Besides, although I can't earn as much as you, I have two small shops, which are more than enough to cover daily expenses."
Tang Zhuyun's admiration for her was like a surging river: She can even do business? I'm so impressed!
Other time-traveling women come to become idols, but she comes to learn from the past and become a devoted fangirl. Sigh, I'm ashamed of myself.
As the two women were talking, Xiu'er came in and said, "Your Highness, Master has sent someone to say that you don't need to deliver food to the yamen tonight. Master is hosting a banquet for Great Confucian Scholar Kong at Four Seas Tower."
"Okay," Tang Zhuyun agreed.
Meng Yulan instructed Lüzhu: "Take ten taels of silver and secretly send it to the master; the wine from Four Seas Tower is no good, go and buy the best Western Regions wine separately, that's what Great Confucian Scholar Kong likes to drink; also, there's a set of luminous cups in my dowry, take that with you..."
Tang Zhuyun: Sigh, it's such a waste for my sister-in-law to be so skilled in martial arts, working in the Tang Residence.
She truly is the kind of woman who should be a princess!
Of course, marrying the Prince of Jin would be a waste, since there were hardly any people visiting the Prince's residence.
That evening, Tang Zhuyun had just put the two children to sleep, yawned, and told Xiu'er that she was going to bed when there was a sudden, urgent knocking at the door.
"Who is it?" Song Jingyang's voice rang out.
"Your Highness, the knocking sounds urgent. I'll go check it out," Xiu'er said.
Tang Zhuyun: If you look at it, small things will turn into big things, and big things will explode.