The Tang Dynasty: Wu Zetian made me her imperial tutor

"Is this February 1st? It's so hot..."

On the west side of the imperial city square, Lu Jun raised his old, faded sleeve and wiped away a handful of sweat.

The temperature wasn't actually that high, but with the sun shining directly down, the ground and people's faces felt scorching hot.

My stomach started rumbling after writing for so long.

The exam started at dawn and ended at dusk, lasting a full six hours. Therefore, everyone had to bring their own lunch, and most people brought their own food boxes, which they placed on one side of the table.

But the original owner didn't bring it because he was poor.

He thought that if he could just endure it, finish writing the article and hand it in, he could be released in the afternoon and go back to Chengjun Prison to freeload a meal.

The Imperial Academy of the Tang Dynasty treated students very well, providing them with free food and lodging, as well as clothing, and was very friendly to poor students like him.

As a result, Lu Jun had already finished one volume and was more than halfway through the second volume; she simply couldn't stop writing.

He was to complete a magnificent article, consisting of three parts: "Temple Strategies," "Military System," and "National Policy," which would probably take until dark to finish writing.

At this moment, I was both hot and hungry, my stomach was growling, and I was constantly worried about sweat dripping onto the paper, so I had to be very careful.

It was also affected by off-field interference...

The dozen or so scholars sitting close together all stopped writing and opened their lunchboxes to eat.

Some people were served simple flatbread and clear soup, while others, who came from wealthy families or stayed with members of their clan or hometown after arriving in the capital, were provided with a lavish spread of food, including rice and dishes.

Seeing that Lu Jun hadn't brought a food box, they ate with great relish, the sounds of them smacking their lips rising and falling.

is intentional.

They had previously seen Lu Jun faint before the exam and assumed she was a cowardly coward, so they mocked her for a long time.

When the exam questions were announced, everyone looked worried and didn't know where to start, but Lu Jun answered them very quickly...

He had six hours to spare, enough time to carefully select phrases and refine his words, yet he wrote flawlessly, composing verses with every stroke of his pen…

He should have written at most a thousand words, but he wrote an entire scroll and is still continuing...

That was an amazing move.

Moreover, they also discovered that the examiners came by several times and stopped to observe Lu Jun's essay.

Judging from his attire, that man is a sixth-rank official, probably an Assistant Minister of Personnel.

Many people have heard of Shen Quanqi, the Assistant Minister of Personnel, who was from the Shen family of Wuxing. He was quite famous for his poetry in the two capitals, often exchanging poems with famous scholars, and had a very high standard of vision.

Even he came to read it several times, which means Lu Jun's writing is very good, and not just ordinary good.

Just now, Shen Quanqi brought another person over. He had a refined and handsome appearance and was dressed in the attire of a fifth-rank official.

Even officials of the fifth rank came to read his articles!

What makes Lu Jun so special?

The surrounding scholars felt unbalanced and ate their lunch with unusually loud noise, trying to provoke Lu Jun.

Rivals are enemies, and Lu Jun disdained these petty scoundrels, but she couldn't resist her genuine hunger...

upset.

At this moment, Shen Quanqi was also very troubled. He had received a big problem and paced back and forth on the side of the square, his brows furrowed into a line.

Fortunately, the Empress Dowager was eager to hear what happened next, so she sent Shangguan Wan'er. He quickly asked for her help:

"Does anyone have a solution? I am the chief examiner; if I give Lu Jun special treatment, I fear others will object..."

"Isn't that simple? Just say he had heatstroke and arrange for him to supervise the exam in the inner palace." Wan'er blinked.

"But he didn't have heatstroke... Oh, I understand now, thank you for the reminder!"

Shen Quanqi's eyes lit up immediately. He strode forward, beckoning his subordinates to run towards the examinee formation, the wind whistling through the air.

Lu Jun was wiping her sweat when she caught a glimpse of Shen Quanqi arriving again, this time with two other people. She immediately sat up straight.

This is a bit scary.

It doesn't seem like someone who's here to follow the updates.

As expected, Shen Quanqi didn't read the article. He led his men straight to Lu Jun's side and patted her on the shoulder:

"Scholar, I heard you suffered from heatstroke and are not feeling well."

"The Empress Dowager instructed that the scholars be treated well, and arranged an examination hall inside the palace for the tribute student who suffered from heatstroke. Come with us."

"Xiucai" was originally a subject in the imperial examinations, on par with Mingjing and Jinshi, which tested knowledge of policy questions. It was abolished during the Yonghui era because too few people passed, and it became a general term for Confucian scholars.

Lu Jun was surprised, thinking to herself, "Heatstroke? Are you talking about when I fainted earlier? It's been half a day..."

He turned his head and caught a glimpse of Shen Quanqi winking at him while asking a question.

It's like it's hinting at something...

Lu Jun suddenly shuddered.

No, I need to take her to the palace... Holy crap, in broad daylight, is the Empress Dowager trying to sexually harass me?

"I didn't sleep well last night, and I felt a little dizzy just now, but I'm fine now," he quickly declined.

This body is indeed quite good-looking, but he wants to go down a different path.

Thirty years ago, it would have been fine, but now the Empress Dowager is over sixty, so it's hard to bring herself to do it.

"It's best to be cautious and have the imperial physician examine you."

Shen Quanqi smiled slightly, and without saying a word, ordered the clerk to put away the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and took him away.

"You're too kind, this place is quite nice..." Lu Jun stammered anxiously.

However, he was physically weak and had no resistance, so he was pushed and dragged out of the square.

The other candidates, seeing this, looked up at the blazing sun, wiped their sweat, and loosened their wet, clinging inner shirts.

The prospect of sitting inside the hall to answer questions was incredibly tempting for the candidates in the square!

"Is it too late to pretend to faint now?"

"What if the imperial physician finds out?"

"Look, they're heading towards the Primordial Palace!"

Seeing Lu Jun enter the palace, they were so envious that their eyes turned red, and they gritted their teeth, their saliva dripping onto the exam paper.

They did faint, received special care, and there was nothing wrong with them; all we could do was envy them.

I was just smacking my lips to provoke Lu Jun, but when I looked back, I felt like a clown...

The lunch I brought suddenly didn't taste good anymore.

Like a leash-bound puppy, Lu Jun was forced to follow behind Shen Quanqi, heading north with trepidation.

My heart was pounding. In a short while, I passed through the south gate of Luoyang and entered the Taichu Palace.

During the Sui Dynasty, Taichu Palace was called Ziwei City. During the Zhenguan era, it was renamed Luoyang Palace. When the Empress Dowager ruled as regent, it was renamed to its current name. It was the palace city of the capital, and this place is the western side of the city.

After passing through the south gate of Luocheng, you will be greeted by a tall palace with a plaque that reads "Luocheng Palace".

With its soaring eaves, gleaming golden tiles, towering red pillars, and brocade-like steps, it is far more magnificent than any later restoration.

But Lu Jun didn't have time to appreciate it.

He was led to the left-hand corridor and into a side hall, where he found two maids waiting inside and two outside.

Apart from that, it was completely empty, except for himself, a scholar, and a bed to rest on...

What happened to the promised "Heatstroke Scholar"?

Where is the imperial physician we were promised?

His heart pounded, and he quietly tightened his belt. A boy should protect himself when he goes out.

"Don't be nervous, it's the Empress Dowager's grace." Shen Quanqi smiled slightly, indicating that he should rest assured.

"Now that you've said that, I'm even more nervous. What... what are you going to do?" Lu Jun's voice trembled.

Logically speaking, I must have been overthinking it.

She's the Empress Dowager, what kind of hunky men hasn't she slept with...?

But suddenly treating myself well feels unsettling...

"The Empress Dowager has granted you special permission to answer questions inside the palace and has bestowed upon you an ivory cushion and refreshing drinks to cool you down!"

A clear voice rang out from outside the hall, and a scholar of about twenty years old walked in, smiling and chatting.

The scholar was dressed in a scarlet silk robe, the attire of a fifth-rank official, and judging from his voice, he seemed to be a female official in the palace.

She was tall and slender, with fair skin and an exceptionally beautiful face, as if she had just stepped out of a painting, still exuding a touch of poetic charm.

What a beautiful lady!

Lu Jun felt a flutter in her heart, but she couldn't appreciate it and asked weakly, "Are there any conditions?"

Shangguan Wan'er chuckled: "You're quite an interesting person. As for the conditions... write your articles well!"

He instructed the maid to spread out the cushions and place a silver plate on the corner of the table, holding a glass bowl filled with crushed ice shaped like mountains. The ice was topped with a layer of ghee and a layer of cream, and decorated with cherry blossom petals that were currently fluttering in the capital.

"Crispy Mountain?" Lu Jun recognized it at a glance.

This is a cold drink that appeared during the Tang Dynasty, similar to ice cream, and is currently popular among royalty and nobility.

Shangguan Wan'er raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised: "This item is not commonly seen outside the palace. You are quite knowledgeable."

The clerk picked up a sheet of answer sheets and asked, "Is this finished? May I take it with me?"

"Of course not!" Lu Jun refused decisively.

He firmly protected the second volume of the strategy document and declared loudly, "Trying to trick me into giving you a 'crispy mountain' for my exam paper? Dream on!"

Although this woman is beautiful and has a great presence, he is from the future and wouldn't be so easily swayed by her charm.

The palace is full of intrigues. Who knows if she was sent by some nobleman to steal the exam papers and claim them as her own?

If I get scammed, all my writing will have been for nothing.

Shangguan Wan'er and Shen Quanqi looked at each other in surprise, then couldn't help but laugh, raising their sleeves to cover their mouths.

"Alright, take your time eating. If you have any requests, feel free to ask, and I won't take anything away."

She stopped arguing and began to read silently.

Lu Jun knelt on the cushion and felt it was cool and comfortable. Judging from the name, she guessed that the fabric was made of ivory filaments and the inner padding was something like silk floss.

The crispy mountain melted in his mouth, sweet but not greasy. He was hungry, and he finished it all in no time.

The heat on my body has dissipated.

But then my stomach started growling again.

Shangguan Wan'er smiled sweetly, put down the answer sheet, and slowly walked out of the palace gate, saying to the maidservant standing there:

"Go and bring some peony cakes, dragon and phoenix cakes, golden milk pastries, and translucent flower rice cakes. Take a plate of each kind."

"Prepare another pot of perilla drink, with half a portion of honey and half a portion of lemon juice, served chilled."

After giving the instructions, he headed north towards the Yinyu Palace.

The Luocheng Palace is located just south of the Yinyu Palace, only a few dozen steps away, much closer than before.

At this time, Wu Zetian granted Wu Sansi and Li Zhaode lunch together, and they discussed important state affairs while eating.

The two men were in charge of the summer affairs, and as they talked, Wu Zetian brought up the Four Garrisons of Anxi.

"Wei's bargaining skills have greatly disappointed me!"

"I thought he was the son-in-law of the Prince of Jiangxia, and had fought against Goguryeo, Tibet, and the Turks, so he was a veteran general. But he failed to manage his troops well, which led to the loss of a large army."

"Losing in the field is somewhat understandable, but the real reason is insufficient food supplies, leading to many deaths from cold and starvation!"

"This is outrageous!"

Last May, the imperial court appointed Wei Daijia as the Grand Commander of the Parthian Expedition, leading thirty-six commanders on an expedition to the Western Regions.

However, they were defeated by the Tibetans, and due to poor logistics, many soldiers froze and starved to death...

It has only been half a year since this defeat, and Wu Zetian still grits her teeth whenever she talks about it.

Li Zhaode sighed: "Anxi is too big and too far from Hexi, making defense and the transportation of supplies very difficult."

How to recapture Anxi and how to maintain long-term control were indeed headaches for the imperial court.

Wu Sansi chimed in, "That's precisely why I've always had doubts about Lu Jun's articles."

Wu Zetian frowned for a moment, then, hearing Shangguan Wan'er requesting an audience outside the palace, she immediately summoned her:

"Wan'er, come quickly, tell us about the next chapter!"

"How exactly does Lu Jun plan to conquer Anxi?"