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Sang Qingxiao was only angry for a while before she put on a smiling face and went out to do business. Qi Xiaomian thought she would soon take action, so he carefully observed for a few days, but all he saw was the girl chatting happily with regular customers.
Unable to hold back, he asked her. She laughed and said, "What's the rush? Let's talk after the Imperial Examination. Most of the students coming to take the exam rent rooms around here. Haven't you noticed that my business has improved a lot? I've even sold jars of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall."
"All that scheming isn't as enjoyable as making money," she continued. "By the way, I heard from a regular that there are people from several other countries coming to take the exam too."
Qi Xiaomian explained that the Great Jing Dynasty had a much higher literary achievement than other countries, which was recognized by them. Therefore, every year, they would send some distinguished young men and women to study here. The Great Jing claimed to be a nation of etiquette, and with such a thirst for knowledge, it couldn't refuse them, so it allocated a few spots each year for them to participate in the Imperial Academy exams, which were unrelated to the Imperial Examination.
Sang Qingxiao was puzzled. "But I haven't seen anyone from other countries at the Imperial Academy."
"They study in different places than you do," Qi Xiaomian replied. "Moreover, not everyone can study for many years; most leave after about a year. You didn't attend school for long either; later, you found it uninteresting and took a long-term leave of absence, and the academy didn't bother you."
"Given that you only attended for a few days, how many people have you really seen?"
Feeling somewhat guilty, Sang Qingxiao touched her nose. Qi Xiaomian smiled and changed the subject. "However, this batch of foreign students is quite ambitious; they say they want to compete with Great Jing students and even claim they will participate in the Imperial Examination to see how well they can rank."
"The relevant applications have already been submitted, and the Court is discussing it," he added.
"Is it just an exam? Does it really need discussion? Could it be that the Court isn't fully confident in its own students?"
Qi Xiaomian's smile faded slightly as he said, "The ministers are quite passionate about it, but His Majesty has many concerns. He seems to think of himself as increasingly important and fears that if the students don't perform well, it will reflect poorly on him."
Seeing his attitude, the ministers exchanged glances and calmed down, unwilling to speak up further.
Sang Qingxiao asked him, "It must feel stifling during court sessions?"
"It is indeed stifling," he admitted. "His Majesty's temperament has changed greatly, and the ministers are becoming more cautious. Fortunately, His Majesty doesn't often call on me to speak anymore; I prefer to listen."
"I heard from Old Vine that a group of laborers and craftsmen has gathered in the Suburbs of the Capital and will soon head to the Royal Tomb?"
Qi Xiaomian nodded, looking somewhat worried. "The meals are well-prepared, but scheduling is concerning. His Majesty has made decisions about scheduling with just one word: since they eat well and must have plenty of strength, they should work ten full hours."
"Ten hours?!" Sang Qingxiao was shocked. Converted into current hours, that's four hours—meaning that working at the Royal Tomb would leave no time for even four hours of sleep in a day.
It was just an extra meal of meat, yet it had robbed them of several hours of time and energy. How could the Xuande Emperor be more exploitative than a landlord? Qi Xiaomian sighed, mainly because the blueprints kept changing, and the workload was increasing. No matter how many workers they recruited, it was never enough, and His Majesty only wished to shorten the construction period even further.
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