#98 - How dare you do this?

"Who did it?" Zhu Ci Ci asked curiously.

"It's-" Just as Xia Wei was about to say it, a sly look flashed in her eyes. "I won't tell you yet. You'll know when the time comes anyway."

"You little girl, it's bad luck to stop talking halfway through a sentence."

Zhu Ci Ci reached out and tickled the girl's armpits.

"Giggle, giggle, stop it, stop it! I won't say, I just won't say!"

Xia Wei found an opportunity to escape Zhu Ci Ci's "devil claws" and ran towards the academy.

"Little girl, don't let me catch you!"

Zhu Ci Ci laughed and chased after her.

The two girls ran towards the academy, playing and frolicking.

As Zhu Ci Ci approached the academy, she quickly put away her playful demeanor.

The girl placed her hands in front of her, elegant and dignified, exuding the scent of ink.

In front of the academy, the old Mr. Wang of White Deer Academy sat under the willow tree by the ink pond.

In front of Mr. Wang were a dozen students.

These students were all from the royal families of various dynasties.

Mr. Wang was specifically responsible for lecturing these people.

Although Zhu Ci Ci was the closed-door disciple of the White Deer Academy's dean, she did not skip these lectures because of her status.

Zhu Ci Ci actually enjoyed listening to different teachers lecture.

Each teacher had different insights into Confucian classics, and Zhu Ci Ci felt that it could help her interpret them from multiple perspectives. She always gained something new from listening to different teachers.

When the princes and nobles from the various dynasties by the ink pond saw Zhu Ci Ci, their eyes lit up.

The saying that a girl changes eighteen times is really true.

Every time they didn't see her for a few days, they felt that Zhu Ci Ci was becoming more and more beautiful, and her figure was becoming more and more graceful.

"Teacher," Zhu Ci Ci and Xia Wei walked to the willow tree and bowed to Mr. Wang.

"Yes," Mr. Wang nodded. "Find a patch of grass to sit down. The weather is good today, so we won't have class in the academy. It's too stuffy there. We'll just talk here."

"Yes, Teacher."

Zhu Ci Ci and Xia Wei found a place to sit down.

Xia Wei tacitly sat between Zhu Ci Ci and a prince, guarding her best friend.

"Originally, today was supposed to be a day of rest, but I came across a very good article today. I couldn't help but call you all over for an extra class. Please don't blame me," Mr. Wang said to everyone.

"Teacher, you're too kind," everyone quickly said.

Mr. Wang was the Grand Tutor of White Deer Academy, with an extremely high status.

The reason why Mr. Wang was responsible for lecturing these young masters and ladies was entirely because they were lucky.

It just so happened that it was Mr. Wang's turn to teach the nobles of the mortal world, and he happened to be in charge of this class.

So many people wanted to listen to Mr. Wang's lectures but couldn't get the chance. Now that Mr. Wang was giving them an extra class, how could they complain?

Although many people really didn't want to go to class.

"I wonder which famous article Mr. Wang has obtained that has made him so happy?" The First Prince of Qi, sitting at the front, asked, trying to make his presence known.

The others also looked at Mr. Wang curiously.

What kind of article could make Mr. Wang so eager to gather them for a lecture?

"Hahaha," Mr. Wang stroked his beard. "To be precise, this is a memorial from a Wu country official to the Emperor."

"A memorial?" Everyone was even more curious.

It wasn't that no memorials from officials to the Emperor had been passed down, but such works were very rare. To date, there were not many.

"Yes," Mr. Wang nodded. "Everyone should be familiar with this person, because his poem is too famous."

Mr. Wang glanced at the crowd, pausing slightly on Zhu Ci Ci: "This person is the current Wu country's Number One Scholar—Xu Ming, who wrote a 'Rejection of Marriage' to the Wu Emperor."

"Xu Ming?"

"Xu Ming passed the imperial examination with the highest score?"

"How old is Xu Ming?"

"Wait! Wasn't Xu Ming the top scorer in the provincial exam before?"

"Could it be that Xu Ming also passed the metropolitan exam, achieving the 'Triple Crown'?"

"I heard that Xu Ming joined the Blood Slaughterhouse? Where would he have time to study?"

"Could it be that the Wu country's literati are so不堪(incompetent) that Xu Ming can pass the imperial examination with the highest score even after joining the Blood Slaughterhouse?"

Many people were talking about it.

It wasn't that they looked down on Xu Ming.

They looked down on the Wu country's literati.

Xu Ming, who had neglected his studies for four years, could still pass the imperial examination with the highest score. It seemed that the Wu country's literati were indeed lacking.

But no matter how lacking they were, the Wu country would still occasionally produce a genius.

Now it was Xu Ming.

Before Xu Ming, it was that Xiao Mo Chi.

On the other side, Zhu Ci Ci was slightly stunned when she heard that Xu Ming had produced an article that was widely spread throughout the world, thinking that she had misheard.

Xia Wei, sitting next to Zhu Ci Ci, gently poked Zhu Ci Ci's slender waist, covered her mouth with her small hand, and whispered, "Ci Ci, do you know who it is now? It turns out it's your sweetheart, who has written another world-famous poem!"

Realizing what she meant, a blush flew across Zhu Ci Ci's fair and smooth cheeks, and she shyly slapped Xia Wei's hand away: "Don't talk nonsense."

Xia Wei's smile grew even wider: "What, isn't he your sweetheart?"

"Stop talking!"

Zhu Ci Ci was even more embarrassed.

However, in Zhu Ci Ci's heart, joy spread like a stream, this was an article that even Mr. Wang praised!

But Zhu Ci Ci quickly noticed the key point—Rejection of Marriage?

"Rejection of Marriage?"

Zhu Ci Ci subconsciously clenched her delicate fist under her sleeve, and her thin lips pursed slightly.

Could it be that Xu Ming had been betrothed to someone?

At the same time, others also reacted after their initial surprise.

Rejection of Marriage?

There must be a betrothal.

Before there can be a rejection.

Xu Ming rejected a marriage? Whose marriage did he reject?

Looking at everyone's expressions, Mr. Wang smiled and explained the background of this article:

"Not long ago, Xu Ming participated in the Wu country's metropolitan exam, passed it with the highest score, and then passed the imperial examination with the highest score, becoming the youngest Triple Crown winner in Wu country's history.

The Wu Emperor betrothed his only princess to Xu Ming.

That's why Xu Ming wrote this Rejection of Marriage.

Take a look, everyone."

Mr. Wang waved his hand, and pieces of white paper filled with words fell into everyone's arms.

Everyone was also very curious and quickly read it.

When they saw the first sentence, most people were dumbfounded.

"Your subject Ming begs to say, I have received the imperial decree, that Zhaowen Princess should be bestowed as a concubine, a glorious honor beyond expectation, and a grace beyond precedent..."

They thought he was rejecting the marriage of some prince or princess.

But it turned out he was rejecting the marriage of the Wu country's princess?

If they remembered correctly, the Wu country only had one princess, right?

How dare he do this?