There is also spring for passers-by

Princess Funing agreed to let her bring her daughter to serve Zhao Huayang. Now, Qiao Lanxiang, the daughter of Nanny Qiao, is also nine years old, but she knows more words and can recite more articles than Zhao Huayang.

Those who went to the Imperial Academy didn't learn it, but Qiao Lanxiang, who worked as a tutor, learned it quite well. Nanny Qiao was both pleased and a little sad for Zhao Huayang. She often reminded her daughter to accompany the princess to review her lessons more often.

"Nanny, since I can eat meat, then prepare a good meal, but don't break any taboos."

"Well, I'll get ready right away."

It has been more than fifty days since the eldest princess passed away. The princess is so young, so she should just eat some light meat dishes.

When Wen Wan returned to the study, Qiao Lanxiang was reading a book. Looking at her red and swollen eyes, she knew that she must have cried again in front of the eldest princess's spirit tablet. This happened frequently recently. She really couldn't persuade her, so she called two little maids to get a cold water towel to apply to her eyes.

Wen Wan held the book and read through all the books Zhao Huayang had studied in the past three years.

Zhao Huayang is on par with her back then. After three years of study, her handwriting is still not good enough. It's not that she is stupid, but that she has failed to master the method.

Wen Wan pretended to practice calligraphy for a while, from imitating Zhao Huayang on the first one, to improving her calligraphy a little on the second one, and by the third one her calligraphy level was on par with Qiao Lanxiang, who was only half a year older than her.

Qiao Lanxiang said in surprise, "The princess's calligraphy is getting better and better. She will definitely pass the assessment in a few days. She will be promoted to Class 1 before August."

"Lanxiang, thanks for your good wishes. I also hope that I can pass the test in a few days."

Whether it is people from the Imperial Academy or the Princess's Mansion, they all know that Princess Huayang has been studying harder recently.

Because she was busy with her schoolwork, she went out early and came back late. When she was not in school, she studied and practiced hard at home. Even the teacher of the Imperial College's children's class was pleased to see this.

During the assessment a few days later, she was not only able to recite the article, but her calligraphy was no longer inferior, but was rated as superior, and she was successfully promoted to Class 1, Ding.

There were only six top-notch students in Class 1 of the Imperial College, and at the age of eight, she was still the oldest one among them.

Zhao Huayang in the space was very happy and looked outside quietly. Then she saw Wen Wan who was studying even harder.

"My Lady, the summer vacation lasts for twenty-seven days. After the hottest twenty-seven days, you will return to the Imperial Academy to study. If you have time recently, please spend more time with the Empress Dowager."

Queen Mother Zhao's illness improved a little, but this time after she recovered, she looked ten years older, with more white hair on her temples.

"I heard from the teachers at the Imperial College that you have been studying very hard there lately."

"Grandmother, Huayang promised my mother that she would make a difference, become a woman of use to the state of Lu and the world, benefit the people, and show the world that women are no less capable than men."

This was the Empress Dowager's great wish in her youth, but unfortunately, her dream was cut short when she married into the royal family.

The Queen Mother was very happy, and the smile on her face became more genuine. "Studying is important, but you should also take care of your health. I heard from Qiao Mei Niang that your mother once left a will, telling you not to learn those pedantic things. You should observe the three years of mourning and abstain from meat. Although you can't eat meat every meal, you still have to eat meat every day, otherwise your body won't be able to bear it."

"I always listen to my grandmother and my mother."

The Queen Mother ordered a rich meal to be prepared.

After more than half a month, she finally enjoyed her meal to her heart's content and ate until her belly was full. The empress dowager happily served the dishes to her and secretly wrote down what kind of dishes she liked, thinking of preparing them for her when Huayang came again.

"Grandma, school starts in August, and I...want to apply for a skip-level exam. My calligraphy used to hold me back from my studies, but now that it's improved, I want to be in Class 3 Ding."

Grade D is like elementary school, Grade C is like middle school, Grade B is like university, and Grade A is like master's and doctoral degrees. Grade D takes five years to study, and Grade C also takes five years. Some students skip grades, while others repeat grades. All students must pass assessments to be promoted.

Usually, after passing Class D5, you can take the Tongshi exam, and if you get the title of Xiucai, you can be promoted to Class C1.

When you are promoted to Class C4, you can apply to take the Juren exam. If you pass, you can be promoted to Class C5. Class C5 is like the preparatory class for Jinshi. After passing a series of subjects, you can be promoted to Class B1. Class B is like the Jinshi class, which is composed of students with Jinshi ability. There are only two classes, Class B1 and Class B2. If you fail to obtain Jinshi during this period, your studies will be postponed. However, you can only study in the Class B class of the Imperial College for a maximum of three years. If you fail to obtain Jinshi in three years, you will have to transfer to other academies.

The Class A classes are divided into various classes such as the Agricultural School, the Mohist School, and the School of Diplomacy. Students choose different schools of thought as their major and enter different classes. This is like the professional training classes in later generations, which is more specialized.

There is no doubt that the Class A class of the Imperial College of Lu is the most authoritative. Those who obtain academic badges from here are all expert-level talents. They can work in the relevant departments of Lu and serve as officials in local areas.

The Queen Mother asked Qiao Lanxiang to go back to the mansion to pack up her things and wanted to keep Wen Wan in the palace to escape the summer heat. She said that she was really worried because there was no elder to look after the princess's mansion.

Wen Wan studied in the palace and asked the empress dowager for advice when she didn't understand something. Not only did she review the four arts of music, chess, calligraphy and painting that she had learned earlier, but her calligraphy also improved by leaps and bounds. She didn't want to hide it anymore. After all, the empress dowager had studied in Class B3 and was a talented woman who was awarded the title of Jinshi. With such a genius guiding her, it was inevitable that she would make progress.

The Empress Dowager had become addicted to teaching her, feeling such a sense of accomplishment that she even complained to the Emperor of Lu: "Is the teacher in the preschool class not patient enough? He said Huayang was useless. I've only been teaching her for a short time, and this child's calligraphy is good, her painting is also very good, and although she's not as good as me in the two arts of playing the zither and chess, she's far better than her peers..."

The teacher must have been teaching according to the needs of the students. The children's class at the Imperial College was full of members of the royal family, and the few who were there were all crammed in as study companions. Zhao Huayang had been criticized by the pedantic Confucians because she had severed ties with her biological father. The teacher must have looked down on her and failed to explain her doubts properly, insisting that her granddaughter was a piece of useless wood.

After the scorching heat, Wen Wan submitted an application to go beyond the imperial decree. As her elder, the Empress Dowager also stamped her document with a phoenix seal.

"What's the point of going to Bingyi or Binger? My granddaughter is worthy of going straight to Binger 4..."

Of the two princesses born to the Queen, one is now in Class C5, and the other is two years younger than Huayang and is also in Class C1. The Queen Mother said this on purpose for the Queen to hear. She used to love showing off to the Queen Mother that her daughters were good at studying.

Wen Wan took the test, which was for Grade C3. Her score was rated as excellent, and she was successfully promoted to Class C4.

This semester was a period of continuing to review basic knowledge and also a buffer. At the end of the semester, she received excellent evaluations and made great progress in calligraphy, writing and painting.

When the Empress Dowager saw the big word "Excellent" on her answer sheet, she was so happy that her eyebrows were not covered with tears. She asked the imperial kitchen to prepare a table of delicious food to reward Wen Wan, and selected people from the needlework room to make her more than a dozen beautiful robes.

After Wen Wan finished her meal, she said to the Queen Mother, "Grandmother, during the holidays I want to finish studying for Class C5. After the New Year, I want to apply to be promoted to Class D1."

"Have you learned everything?"

"I've learned it all. Grandmother can test me when the time comes."