Chapter 1297: Chapter 1297

It’s only natural that Chen Xi’s remark about how it’s impossible to finish learning so little material, even after he intentionally reduced the amount, has been widely circulated among the aristocratic families, often used to crush the self-confidence of their younger generation.

Anyway, it’s not uncommon for aristocratic families to obtain the academy’s textbooks for study. Two books serve as moral education and two as personal conduct education, which is indeed very suitable. However, the older generations of aristocratic families feel that it’s only possible to finish, understand, and comprehend these books around the age of thirty.

As for Chen Xi using books on self-cultivation and personal conduct as introductory texts, aristocratic families can only agree with what Lub Su said, thinking not everyone is like him, able to devour such books as introductory materials.

Because of this, even now, the textbooks taught in the academy’s Mengxue and those taught by the aristocratic families in their Mengxue have no difference. As literacy materials, the "Thousand Character Classic" easily surpasses the families’ literacy materials, and "Disciples’ Regulations," with its catchy moral teachings, is the same.

The aristocratic families are not foolish; they recognize their mistakes and correct them. Thus, they also use these texts. Sometimes they also discuss "Cai Gen Tan," and occasionally chew over Wang Lie’s Chapter on "Virtue." As for "Zhongyong," each family has its own interpretation of it.

Overall, regardless of how things are handled, the textbooks are unified at the end. What the aristocratic families have over common people is probably their cultural cultivation and heritage, which can be addressed by quantity. So Chen Xi really has nothing much to say.

Regarding the first formal large-scale imperial examination, the aristocratic families began preparing once they caught wind of it. Though competing alongside the peasants is somewhat embarrassing, they have prepared to shock those folks even if they are in the same competition.

Simply put, the aristocratic families are ready to dominate the rankings, telling the peasants educated for free to return home to farm or work as craftsmen. Didn’t you learn techniques and farming at the academy? Your home farms and workshops need you~

During this period, the aristocratic families weren’t corrupt at their roots, so they didn’t plan to cheat. Instead, they are keen to make the peasants understand why they are aristocratic families, intending to dominate the rankings with their own strength for once, as a lesson.

Books are not something you can understand just by reading them, nor can understanding them immediately allow you to apply them. Thus, the promising candidates of these families are currently conducting intensive studies under the elder’s guidance.

Generally speaking, the situation now is quite good; whether academy students or the aristocratic family members interested in participating in the imperial examinations are all studying hard.

Moreover, Chen Xi didn’t prevent the aristocratic families of the newly incorporated regions like Yuzhou, Yanzhou, and Jizhou from participating in the imperial exams this time, marking the first selection of officials truly regardless of background.

In the past, the Talent Recruitment Order, although claimed to be regardless of background, the worst-case scenario in this era was people like Wang Jingg, who had fallen but at the very least belonged to the level of small landlords. Though said to not consider origin, it mainly recruited vibrant families knowledgeable in farming and reading, even literary aristocratic families. Googlᴇ search 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✦𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮✦𝓷𝓮𝓽

This time marks the first wave of ordinary self-cultivating farmers entering the selection exam. Whether they can pass or not remains to be seen, but at least it’s a promising sign. At worst, it can enhance the literacy rate and educational level of the territory.

Improving the literacy rate and spreading mathematics undoubtedly have significant meaning, learning crafts, and the science of farming also have their own importance, as they are livelihoods after all.

While thinking about these matters, Chen Xi happened to see the carriage of the Mi Family leaving the city, but the carved hollow patterns made it clear this wasn’t Mi Zhu’s carriage.

"This seems to be Mi Zhen’s carriage, speaking of which, I haven’t seen my apprentice for quite a while," Chen Xi muttered to himself while staring at the carriage below, not realizing his apprentice was inside Mi Zhen’s carriage, to be precise, Mi Zhen recently seemed to be fostering a relationship with Lul Xun.

Mi Zhen was straightforward in explaining everything to Lul Xun at first, and though initially somewhat puzzled, Lul Xun calmed down.

Nevertheless, calming down is one thing, having headaches is another, and Mi Zhen’s boldness made Lul Xun extremely troubled. Mi Family’s Mi Zhu often wasn’t at home while managing business affairs, Mi Fang was involved with military logistics and couldn’t be seen for half a year, leaving Mi Zhen as the actual decision-maker of the Mi Family.

As a result, Mi Zhen was very busy after Mi Zhu delegated power, so much that she didn’t have time to accompany Zhen Mi and revel with Fan Jian as before.

That day, Mi Zhen took Lul Xun home, arranging everything he needed effortlessly, quickly setting everything up next to her room for Lul Xun, then sending the letter Mi Zhu left her to the Lul Family.

Even Mi Zhen knew there were only a few candidates for her next move, and after receiving Chen Xi’s promise, Mi Zhu couldn’t possibly not prepare early. Thus, he left a letter telling Mi Zhen just to send it to the Lul Family at the right moment, although Mi Zhen didn’t know initially when the time would be, she understood when it came.

Subsequently, the Lul Family forwarded Mi Zhu a birthday while dealing with business affairs, starting preparations for the three letters and six etiquette. However, Lul Xun did not return to the Lul Family. Instead, he temporarily lived at the Mi Family, following which Lul Xun started living a life of reading with Red Sleeve beside him.

It was completely different from when at the Chen Family; Chen Yun and Chen Ying were pretty but never flirted with Lul Xun, even subduing themselves intentionally in his presence, whereas Mi Zhen had no such reservations.

Once Mi Zhen obtained Lul Xun’s birthday, everything else was predetermined, plus Mi Zhen’s carefree nature in her own boudoir made her unguarded around Lul Xun. In such a state, Lul Xun found it hard to concentrate on his studies.

Fortunately, Mi Zhen seemingly noticed this aspect later and slightly restrained herself, which led to diminished mutual psychological reservations.

Overall, it seems like a promising match, except Mi Zhen often bullied Lul Xun due to his youth, which doesn’t seem to be a big issue.

Of course, there are downsides, the worst being, whenever Lu Yu encounters Lul Xun, his gaze is weird, looking at Mi Zhen with resentment as if his dearest friend was snatched away.

But compared to Lul Xun, who is currently under Mi Zhen’s attentive care, Lu Yu is far worse off. Jia Xu started employing Lu Yu because of being busy recently, leading to Lu Yu suffering several setbacks due to being inexperienced, although he progressed quite rapidly.

[Hmm, it seems I need to bring my apprentice over. Perhaps letting him assist Zizhong under Mi Zhen’s guidance, engaging in ten days of intensive practice, and then participate in the spring trials would be good. Mi Zhen, after all, served as a female official for a long time, and her capabilities are intact, though her personality is lively, which is much improved now.]

Chen Xi watched Mi Zhen’s carriage headed for spring outing silently, though unaware that Lul Xun was inside the carriage, he knew that Lul Xun hadn’t left the Mi Family recently.