Chapter 93: The Fifth Princess Consort

Chapter 93: The Fifth Princess Consort

What does a phase evaluation mean?

Everyone looked at An Qing in confusion. How were they supposed to be evaluated? Their corn had already been harvested and dried; all that was left was to weigh the kernels. What else could there be to evaluate?

Moreover, just two days ago, they had submitted an article summarizing their experience with corn cultivation. Wasn't that enough?

An Qing glanced calmly at everyone. Of course it wasn’t enough. Over the past few months, she hadn't only taught them how to plant corn; she also covered various stages of rice field management, seed breeding, soil and fertilizer management, pest control, and more, all integrated into daily lessons.

Although she had only conducted two intensive training sessions so far, she hadn’t been idle on other days. Every now and then, she would distribute agricultural materials she had summarized for everyone to study.

Not to mention during the summer when she stayed at Changchun Garden. Whenever there was a pest or disease outbreak in the experimental fields around the capital outskirts or her own estate, she would immediately take everyone there and teach them how to identify pests and diseases and make different types of natural pesticides.

She wasn’t just taking them out to play; these were practical skills. Naturally, she needed to assess their progress.

An Qing explained, "This phase evaluation is like a midterm exam. As for what will be tested, it could be anything I've taught you."

Giving them three days to prepare meant they should go back and review. At least this wasn't a surprise test; she was being quite considerate.

Although everyone was still confused, they understood the word "exam" very well.

"Ah, why do we need to take exams for farming?"

A voice of complaint echoed through the crowd, resonating with everyone, who started murmuring in agreement.

Indeed, what was the point of exams for farming? They had never heard of such a thing before.

An Qing snorted. Why couldn't farming be examined? Who did they think they were looking down on!

Before, no one had systematically taught them how to farm, but now they did. Besides, her agricultural class was under the banner of scientific farming, which naturally differed from ordinary farming. They had witnessed the knowledge firsthand.

"I'll prepare the exam papers. In three days, come here to take the exam. And let me be clear: after grading, you’ll need to take the papers home for your parents to sign," An Qing declared firmly.

So, everyone should put their best effort into this exam. After all, if they didn’t do well, they’d have to face the embarrassment of bringing the papers home.

Signatures from parents?!

The children of officials and princes instantly wailed throughout the courtyard. If they didn’t do well, it would be a disaster.

Zhang Tingyu sighed quietly. Well, they better study hard this time, or they’d face ridicule from their fathers.

"Fifth Princess Consort, my mother is over seventy and can't read. What should I do?" an official from the Agricultural Administration Department asked.

This official appeared to be around fifty, and several others of similar age looked at him expectantly. Some of them had lost their parents long ago.

An Qing thought for a moment and replied, "Then have your child sign it."

The officials exchanged glances. Having their children sign it would undermine their authority at home if they didn’t do well. No, this wouldn’t do. They had to study hard these next few days.

Seeing their pained expressions, An Qing suddenly felt mischievous. It would be fun to have their parents attend a parent-teacher meeting.

But then she reconsidered. That would likely end up exhausting her, so she decided against it. She didn’t want to make things difficult for herself.

However, she couldn’t resist scaring them a bit, "If you perform terribly, I might call your parents."

Everyone: "..."

For this phase evaluation, everyone except Little Shiwu, who had limited literacy, participated. An Qing personally prepared the exam papers, which followed a modern format with four types of questions: multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, true/false, and problem-solving. It was a 100-point exam.

The difficulty level was relatively high.

In the exam hall, upon receiving the papers, everyone looked puzzled. Although they had taken many exams before, they had never seen this format. Fortunately, it wasn’t too difficult to understand, and they soon got started.

The exam duration was one and a half hours. After everyone submitted their papers, An Qing graded them immediately. She finished grading the same day and returned the papers to everyone to get signatures before collecting them again.

With this, the agricultural class’s intensive training officially concluded. For the upcoming spring wheat planting, they had her previous cultivation manual and last year’s designated experimental zones, providing some experience. Even without An Qing’s direct involvement, the officials from the Agricultural Administration Department could manage it.

However, due to the special circumstances of their experimental fields, which were planted directly after summer corn, some unique issues might arise. They would address those as they came.

An Qing's agricultural school always emphasized students' autonomy. She gave them an experimental field to work on freely and didn’t watch over them daily. Communication was usually done when necessary, and it was normal not to see each other for weeks.

This model was somewhat akin to a modern graduate advisor supervising students.

Since the intensive training was over, An Qing and Yinqi should leave Royal Manor and return to the palace.

Actually, she enjoyed staying at the manor, where she could roam freely and visit the experimental fields every day. But mainly, it was too inconvenient for Yinqi to commute to court every day. He even had to wake up earlier than ministers living outside the city walls.

On the night before leaving the manor, An Qing was busy organizing materials for the agricultural school. She first looked at the exam papers, but not at the grades. She knew everyone’s scores since she graded them herself.

Instead, she focused on the parent signatures and comments.

The parent comments were a last-minute addition. When preparing the exam papers, she noticed a blank space on the back and added a section for comments.

But upon reviewing them, she was surprised. These ancient people could write so much! Some even filled more than half a page and attached additional sheets.

Their strong desire to express themselves was evident even through the paper. Out of respect and responsibility as a teacher, she read every single comment.

After reading them all, she felt that ancient people were truly verbose. Most comments centered on three points: gratitude towards her as a teacher, evaluations of their children’s performance, and expectations for the future.

But she had to admit, their writing skills were impressive, with careful attention to language and style.

After finishing the papers from the officials and their children, she opened the ones from the princes and laughed.

Xiao Jiu and the others, I don't know who came up with the idea, but they didn't go to Kangxi or their respective mothers. Instead, they went to Elder Brother Prince and the other elder brothers.

Elder Brother Prince signed for Xiao Jiu, the Crown Prince signed for Xiao Shi, Third Prince signed for the Twelfth Prince, Fourth Prince signed for the Thirteenth Prince, Eighth Prince signed for the Fourteenth Prince. An Qing looked at the names in the parent signature section on the test papers and couldn't help but laugh.

She turned her head to look at Yinqi, "Did you know about this?"

Yinqi shook his head; he had just found out as well, "None of them came to me."

An Qing raised an eyebrow, immediately understanding their little scheme.

These little rascals must have been afraid that Yinqi would inform her, and she would reject it, so they skipped him entirely and went ahead without permission.

However, An Qing could roughly guess their thoughts—they were probably afraid Kangxi would see their scores.

The results of this exam were mostly as An Qing had expected. Apart from the officials from the Agricultural Administration Department and the Ministry of Finance, Zhang Tingyu and Princess Da's younger brother Zhuo Tai performed the best.

As for the remaining children of officials and the princes, although they showed enthusiasm in the experimental fields, most of them only had some curiosity and not much genuine interest in farming.

Even though she had anticipated this outcome, An Qing was still surprised that Xiao Jiu, Xiao Shi, and Xiao Shisi did not pass. When the scores came out, both she and Yinqi were amused by their failure.

No wonder they didn't dare take the papers to Lao Kang for his signature; they would surely get scolded.

But their plan was clearly flawed. After all, her boss is Lao Kang, and these test papers would eventually reach him. So, they couldn't escape forever.

Looking at the test papers in her hand, An Qing wondered if Kangxi would find the parents' comments too wordy.

Yinqi gave her an answer directly: "No, the memorials those ministers write to His Majesty are far more lengthy and complex."

An Qing raised an eyebrow, thinking that was good. After all, many of these people were current ministers. If they left a bad impression on Kangxi because of this, it would be her fault.

But then again, she thought they were wordy because she had a scientific mindset. From a literary perspective, their comments were actually quite sophisticated.

After reading the parents' comments, An Qing got busy. As a teacher, she needed to evaluate her students.

She evaluated each student based on several aspects: their usual performance, which showed their interest and attitude towards farming; the yield from the experimental fields; and the final exam scores. The latter two were concrete data that spoke for themselves.

This evaluation was meant to provide Kangxi with a reference for how to use these individuals in the future. She refrained from giving any subjective opinions to avoid any bias.

The next day, after returning to the palace, Yinqi, as An Qing's teaching assistant, promptly delivered the materials she had compiled last night to the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Unfortunately, when Yinqi arrived at the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Kangxi was in a meeting with ministers.

"Prince Beile, His Majesty is currently in a meeting with Zhang Ying, Ming Zhu, and Suoetu. Shall I announce your arrival?" Liang Jiugong asked.

Ming Zhu and Suoetu were both inside?

Yinqi subconsciously frowned. One was aligned with Elder Brother Prince, and the other with the Crown Prince. Due to the intense factional disputes in recent years, both had lost favor with his father. It was rare for them to be summoned together.

But regardless of the reason, it must involve Elder Brother Prince and the Crown Prince, given their close associations.

So, he decided not to get involved.

"No need, it's not urgent," Yinqi said, handing over the documents to Liang Jiugong. "These are the test papers from the recent exam at the agricultural school. Please deliver them to His Majesty when you can."

After handing over the documents, he left.

He still needed to visit the office. Although his position in the Ministry of Works was a nominal one, he should check in since he had been away for a while.

An Qing also didn't idle upon returning to the prince's residence. She first had the fruits brought from the estate unloaded. The orchard's seasonal fruits were ripe, and she had specially arranged elegant fruit baskets, each containing a variety of fruits, making them perfect gifts.

She sent the fruit baskets to the other princess consorts residing in the prince's residence. Regardless of their relationships, it was important to maintain appearances.

The fruits were nothing special, just a gesture of goodwill.

An Qing personally took the fruit baskets to Ningshou Palace and Yikun Palace. Having been away from the palace for over half a month, she needed to pay her respects upon her return.

She first visited Ningshou Palace and chatted with the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager admired the fruit basket, praising, "You always have such clever ideas and creative ways."

An Qing replied cheerfully, "I'm glad you like it, Grandmother."

After leaving Ningshou Palace, she headed straight to Concubine Yi. As soon as she entered Yikun Palace, she saw Xizhu bustling around in the courtyard.

"Fifth Princess Consort, you're back. Her Highness mentioned you this morning," Xizhu said, about to report her arrival.

An Qing stopped her, "No need, I'll go in myself and surprise her."

Being a frequent visitor to Yikun Palace and having a good relationship with Concubine Yi, her words were respected. Xizhu smiled and agreed.

An Qing tiptoed into the room, seeing Concubine Yi sitting on a couch in the side chamber, flipping through something.

"Mother, look who's back."

Concubine Yi looked up, surprised to see An Qing, "You're back already?"

Yesterday, Xiao Jiu and the others had returned to the palace. Given her knowledge of An Qing, she thought she would stay at the estate longer. But here she was, back today.

An Qing walked in, smiling, and sat down beside the couch, "Yes, I missed you so much that I couldn't eat or sleep. I had no choice but to come back quickly."

Concubine Yi rolled her eyes, knowing An Qing's character well. Her sweet talk was always effective.

But being charmed by her was delightful.

An Qing curiously leaned over to see what Concubine Yi was looking at, "Mother, what are you reading?"

Earlier, she had seen Concubine Yi flipping through a book, not noticing her entrance.

Concubine Yi waved her hand, casually replying, "It's time for the annual selection. This is the album of candidates sent by the Imperial Household Department. His Majesty asked me to review it and choose a few suitable ones."

An Qing raised an eyebrow. Kangxi had asked Concubine Yi to choose two girls that she liked, which definitely wasn't for selecting a concubine for himself. The only possibility was that he wanted to choose someone for Yinqi.

However, thinking about it, it made sense. She was now pregnant, and there was no one in the courtyard who could capture Yinqi's heart. It was understandable that Kangxi would want to pick two more people for his son.

"Mother, have you chosen anyone yet? Is there anyone you like?" An Qing asked.

If selections were made, she could get to know them first. After all, they would be entering their courtyard, and as the direct head, she should conduct a background check.

Concubine Yi had a "don't mention it" look on her face. She had been looking through the albums all morning and was already getting a headache. Hearing An Qing's words, she immediately handed the albums to her, "Why don't you help me choose?"

Saying this, she passed the albums to An Qing.

An Qing was taken aback. She was supposed to choose?

Well, it made sense. As Yinqi's wife, choosing two concubines for him was reasonable.

Without much thought, An Qing eagerly flipped through the albums. After a while, she pointed to two girls she found most pleasing: "I like this one and this one."

Concubine Yi was drinking tea when she heard this and quickly leaned over to take a look. However, upon seeing the women in the album, she waved her hand, "Xiao Jiu said he doesn't like this type."

An Qing's first reaction was that Xiao Jiu had poor taste. These women were so beautiful; why wouldn't he like them?

But then she realized something and looked at Concubine Yi, "Isn't this selection for our master?"

What does Xiao Jiu's preference have to do with anything?

Concubine Yi exclaimed, "Ah," and now it was her turn to be confused. What did she mean by choosing for the fifth master? This was clearly for Xiao Jiu to choose his Princesses.

According to Great Qing tradition, before a prince's marriage, two attendants are selected for him. Xiao Jiu was already sixteen years old, and Kangxi had already chosen his wife. After this year's selection, the marriage would be granted.

So, she, as his mother, was supposed to help him choose two people to place in the courtyard.

The mother and daughter looked at each other, and Concubine Yi couldn't help but feel a bit helpless.

Moreover, if it were really for the fifth master, she wouldn't be discussing this openly with An Qing.

An Qing was also confused. In her mind, she always saw Xiao Jiu as a little kid. She didn't realize he was getting married.

"He's not that young anymore. He just turned sixteen in August, and it's time for him to get married," Concubine Yi said.

An Qing thought about it and agreed. In ancient times, sixteen-year-olds were considered adults and got married early. "Has anyone been chosen for Xiao Jiu's wife?"

She didn't care much about his concubines, but his wife would interact with her frequently, so she was more concerned about that.

Concubine Yi nodded slightly, "The Emperor has already chosen someone. A few days ago, he hinted that it would be the daughter of the Qi family, Dong Eshi, from the Manchu Bannermen."

An Qing responded with a blank expression, "Oh."

To be honest, although she had been in the Forbidden City for over two years, she didn't know much about the noble families in the Imperial City.

Seeing her like this, Concubine Yi knew she didn't have any impression and explained further.

Dong Eshi came from the Manchu Bannermen, and her father was a high-ranking military official in the capital. She was a cousin to the third master's wife, Dong Eshi.

An Qing blinked, a cousin to the third master's wife?

That's not good. She and the third master's wife didn't get along well, and she had often gossiped about her behind her back. Their relationship as sisters-in-law was precarious.

Concubine Yi noticed her concern and comforted her, "Don't worry. I had someone investigate, and although they are cousins, they aren't very close. They don't seem to have a particularly warm relationship."

An Qing thought that was good.

Seeing her relieved, Concubine Yi chuckled, "Look at you, being so ungraceful."

An Qing shrugged, "I'm just worried about not getting along with my future sister-in-law. You'll be caught in the middle, and after all, both sides are important."

Concubine Yi understood this too. Otherwise, with An Qing's usual indifferent nature, she wouldn't be concerned about these things.

"Mother, have you met my future sister-in-law?" An Qing asked curiously.

Concubine Yi nodded slightly, "I saw her once from afar during a palace banquet."

An Qing responded, "Oh," and then asked, "What is she like?"

Concubine Yi thought for a moment and replied, "Graceful and composed."

An Qing blinked. Graceful and composed. That's good, similar to the fourth master's wife.

She teased Concubine Yi, "Mother, you've always liked this type of daughter-in-law, haven't you? Now your wish has come true."

Concubine Yi glanced at her and immediately saw what she was up to.

Sure enough, An Qing started acting, "Wah, from now on, I won't be your only precious daughter-in-law. Even though you prefer someone like my sister-in-law, you can't be biased. You mustn't forget me, the old one, because of the new one."

After saying this, she pretended to wipe her eyes with a handkerchief.

Concubine Yi rolled her eyes, "You're going to be a mother soon, and you're not afraid your child will laugh at you."

After a bit of fun, they returned to the topic at hand.

However, since it was for Xiao Jiu, An Qing decided not to get involved. If it were for Yinqi, she could offer some opinions, but for Xiao Jiu, it was better not to interfere. She couldn't get past that mental barrier.

Concubine Yi also regained her composure and remembered that An Qing had misunderstood her intention to fill Yinqi's courtyard with women.

"Hmph~ I am not that kind of mother who constantly thinks about filling her son's courtyard with women."

An Qing silently glanced at the albums on the table. So, what was she doing then?

Concubine Yi: "..."

Is this what she wanted? It was the Emperor who made her choose!

Moreover, these are the rules. Does she have any other choice?!

An Qing had intended to tease the beautiful mother-in-law on purpose. Seeing that she was about to anger her, she quickly tried to smooth things over. But it was clearly too late. Despite saying all sorts of nice things, she was eventually "driven" out of Yikun Palace.

Wah~ So wronged.

Cui Liu looked at her mistress with a speechless expression. "Stop feeling wronged and think about how to make amends instead."

An Qing silently sighed. Fine, she wouldn't do it again in the future.

As for how to placate the beautiful mother-in-law, she really needed to think about it carefully when she got back.

After leaving Yikun Palace, the group headed back to the Prince's Residence. However, as the sedan chair passed by a small garden, An Qing suddenly heard some commotion.

She looked in the direction of the noise and saw two people grappling fiercely near a rock formation not far away.

When she finally recognized their faces, An Qing couldn't help but be shocked—it was Third Prince and Thirteenth Prince!