CH 36.3

But it’s also normal. According to the original plot, the Imperial Examination at this time was used to harm her Eldest Brother. Now that her Eldest Brother is safe and sound, and the Ministry of Civil Officials is still in her Eldest Brother’s hands, the Fifth Prince and his party will naturally try to take away some of the power.

It’s just——

Ji Yunxi tilted her head and looked at her Eldest Brother’s cheerful appearance and thought that the Ministry of Rites would be mad if it knew what her Eldest Brother thought.

After all, the officials in the Ministry of Rites don’t have any raise in their salaries at all but their workload has increased.

Moreover, the Imperial Examination is not an easy matter to handle.

When it’s done well, it is something that should have been so, but whenever something goes wrong, their head will be in a very dangerous situation.

–

In the afternoon of the next day, Wu Wei’an took a half-day leave from the Imperial Academy on the grounds of preparing for the marriage.

Ji Yunxi’s carriage drove directly to the gate of the palace to wait for him.

Wu Wei’an lifted the curtain, put the cloth bag in his hand to the side, then sat down on the opposite side of Ji Yunxi, and the first sentence he said was: “I really didn’t expect that the Imperial Academy’s salary is so low!”

There are a lot of things to prepare for the wedding. Ji Yunxi was holding the brush while writing, and didn’t even lift her head when she heard the words. She only casually answered: “How much is it?”

Wu Wei’an poured himself a cup of tea: “The annual salary is 45 taels of silver and the rice is 450 buckets.”

In those days of winter hunting, his daily salary for accompanying Ji Mingyan was much more than this!

The Imperial Academy has always been a government office that makes no profit, so Ji Yunxi was not surprised by this.

She handed over the prepared guest list: “Have a look at it. You can add the missing ones yourself, and then give them to Baofu after you are done. Baofu will let people send the wedding invitations one by one.”

Wu Wei’an opened it, glanced at it and then closed it. “No problem, that’s all.”

Ji Yunxi: “??”

She was speechless: “You finished already?”

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Wu Wei’an looked at her with deep affection: “Actually, I don’t have to look at it. I believe in you and will listen to you.”

The corners of Ji Yunxi’s mouth twitched: “… I only wrote about the few people in your family. Your other friends…”

Wu Wei’an interrupted her: “Oh, I have no friends.”

Ji Yunxi pursed her lips: “Fine.”

Wu Wei’an drank the tea in one gulp and said with emotion: “The tea in the Imperial Academy is so bad. It has no taste at all.”

Ji Yunxi glanced at him: “Oh.”

Wu Wei’an then hinted: “It’s still Yun Niang’s tea that’s delicious. One will be refreshed after drinking it.”

Ji Yunxi still didn’t answer him: “Hmm.”

Wu Wei’an sighed and poured himself another cup of tea.

His jade-like knuckles held the top-quality porcelain cup, gently swayed the tea, and then he suddenly dropped his eyes and said: “Someone is inquiring about me.”

Ji Yunxi raised her head: “Who?”

Wu Wei’an shook his head: “I don’t know who is behind it for the time being.” He looked at her, “But I think, you might be able to guess it.”

Ji Yunxi met his gaze, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

She lowered her head and slowly put away her brush, ink, paper and inkstone under her hand.

Ji Yunxi indeed knew who it was, and she did not have the intention to hide it from him either: “It should be the Fifth Prince.”

“Oh?” Wu Wei’an took a sip of the tea gently.

He knows the Fifth Prince.

The Fifth Prince was born by the deceased Imperial Concubine Zhen, who came from the commoners. It is said that the current Emperor brought her back from a trip when he was still a prince.

It’s just that, not long after the Emperor succeeded to the throne, when the Fifth Prince was six years old, Imperial Concubine Zhen passed away.

And this Fifth Prince, has no support from his mother’s family and seems not to be loved by the Emperor too, so he has always not been taken seriously by others.

The words ‘not being taken seriously’ can often hide a lot of things.

Wu Wei’an himself was also not being taken seriously by the Wu family, so when he knew about this, Wu Wei’an thought that the Fifth Prince might be the same as him.

After all, a prince, who can grow up safely in the harem even without the support of his mother’s family, won’t be an easy person.