kingnovel Chapter 118 The Empress Asks a Question
Chapter 118 The Empress Asks a Question
As night fell and the city lights came on, Chu Ci and Shi An embarked on their journey home.
Shi An was worried that Chu Ci hadn't eaten enough at noon, so as soon as he got home, he went into the kitchen and carefully prepared dinner.
Soon, the aroma wafted out.
Soon, the table was filled with a sumptuous feast, including several fragrant meat dishes. The most eye-catching dish was the golden-brown, crispy, and aromatic deer leg.
Shi An happily served the food and sat quietly to the side, watching Chu Ci eat with gusto.
In less than a quarter of an hour, Chu Ci had already finished five large bowls of rice.
Shi An, watching from the side, couldn't help but chuckle and teased, "My wife, are you starving?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Ci coughed lightly, "Hmm... I am indeed a little hungry."
Shi An smiled gently and said softly, "Eat slowly, don't rush. I specially steamed a lot of rice today, I promise my wife will eat her fill."
Hearing this, Chu Ci nodded, "My husband is still the most considerate."
A small sense of pride welled up in Shi An's heart, and the corners of her mouth turned up. "Of course!"
Chu Ci felt that Shi An in front of her was like a lovely peacock, proudly raising its beautiful tail at her.
She couldn't help but stand up, lean forward, and gently kiss Shi An's lips.
Afterwards, she sat back down contentedly and continued to enjoy her meal. "I'll just have one more bowl and then I'll help you wash the dishes after I finish eating."
Shi Anxin readily agreed: "I will do whatever my wife says."
With the tempting color and aroma of the braised pork sauce, Chu Ci finished the last bowl of rice.
She gently put down her chopsticks, picked up the plate and bowl, and slowly walked towards the sink.
This pool is no ordinary pool; it is a masterpiece meticulously improved upon using the Chu Ci (Songs of Chu).
Back then, she overheard her friend He Baobao mentioning that the era she lived in had amazing faucets and convenient sewage pipes, making it extremely convenient to wash vegetables or clothes.
This greatly appealed to Chu Ci, who was interested in woodworking.
Therefore, based on his own understanding and the drawings made by He Baobao, Chu Ci began to study how to integrate these advanced concepts into the existing pool.
After numerous attempts and improvements, she finally succeeded in creating this unique and incredibly practical pool.
After that, Shi An no longer had to worry about bending over and scrubbing the dishes on the floor as much as before.
I no longer experience back pain from long hours of work.
Actually, what the two called washing dishes was more like a fun water game.
Shi An and Chu Ci chatted about gossip while washing the dishes.
Amidst the splashing water, laughter echoed throughout the room. This warm and fun-filled moment filled Shi Anxin with joy, and she cherished it dearly.
On the morning of the imperial examination, when the sky was just beginning to lighten, Chu Ci had already gotten up from his bed.
Meanwhile, Shi An was also extremely busy.
He first rummaged through his belongings to find the court robes that the officials had sent to the Empress a few days earlier, and helped Chu Ci change into them.
Then she rushed to the kitchen and personally cooked a delicious breakfast for Chu Ci.
The meat congee was fragrant and the tea eggs were steaming hot.
After having a hearty meal, Chu Ci rode to the palace and, together with the other candidates, went to the place for the imperial examination.
Zhu Mei, whom Chu Ci helped last time, is also among them.
When she saw Chu Ci approaching from afar, a joyful smile instantly bloomed on her face. She took the initiative to go forward and greet her: "Madam Chu, you look very radiant today. I imagine the meals at home must be quite sumptuous."
Chu Ci smiled slightly upon hearing this, and did not hold back in praising her husband: "To be honest, my wife is quite skilled in cooking. It is my good fortune to be able to eat such delicious food."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Mei couldn't help but show envy, and sighed softly, "Alas, unlike me, I can only eat at that food stall every day, and what I eat every day is almost the same. After a while, it really gets a bit boring."
After saying that, she looked at Chu Ci with longing in her eyes.
Seeing this, Chu Ci immediately understood and extended an invitation: "If Miss Zhu doesn't mind, why don't you come to my residence for a small gathering another day?"
Zhu Mei was overjoyed upon hearing this, her eyes lighting up. In fact, she had always wanted to befriend Chu Ci, and now that she heard such a warm invitation, she was more than happy to accept. She quickly agreed, "That's wonderful! I've wanted to be friends with you for a long time."
Chu Ci smiled faintly after hearing this and waited with the others to the side, quietly awaiting the start of the palace examination.
Before long, a graceful and beautiful female official walked lightly to the candidates and announced in a clear and melodious yet dignified voice: "Candidates, please follow me to the palace to await Her Majesty the Empress's questioning."
Upon hearing the summons, the candidates, who had been whispering among themselves or deep in thought, straightened their clothes and followed the female official in an orderly fashion toward the front of the hall.
When everyone arrived at the main hall, they stood in neat rows, each with a solemn expression, filled with trepidation and anticipation.
Among this group of people, Chu Ci is undoubtedly the most eye-catching.
She wore a simple yet exquisite light-colored robe, standing gracefully like a peony blooming in the morning.
Her appearance was both elegant and heroic, with deep-set eyes that made her unforgettable.
Ning Xiao, who was sitting upright on the phoenix chair, casually glanced around and the first person to catch his eye was Chu Ci, who had an extraordinary temperament.
After everyone had settled down, the Empress, supported by her female attendants, slowly descended from her high throne.
Her steps were elegant and composed, each step seemingly carrying endless majesty and nobility.
When she reached Chu Ci, the Empress stopped and stared at her silently for two seconds before continuing to walk forward, officially beginning the questioning process.
Since the Chu Ci's response order is arranged in the middle, we still need to wait patiently for a while.
However, the wait did not make Chu Ci feel anxious or uneasy. On the contrary, she remained calm and composed, standing quietly in place.
Before long, the Queen moved to stand before her.
"Are you Chu Ci, a disciple of Song Taifu?" the Empress asked softly, her tone gentle yet carrying unmistakable authority.
Upon hearing this, Chu Ci did not raise his head to look directly at the Empress. Instead, he respectfully bowed and replied in a low voice, "Your Majesty, it is indeed I."
The Empress nodded slightly, then posed a thorny question: "Ningzhou is currently experiencing a sudden flood, and the disaster is severe. Do you have any good solutions?"
Upon hearing this question, the highly respected academic giants present exchanged glances, straightened their postures, and adopted a solemn expression.
Clearly, no one dares to take such a problem, which is of great importance to people's livelihood, lightly.
Chu Ci pondered for a moment, then raised his head and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Your Majesty, this matter cannot be explained in a few words. I humbly request Your Majesty to grant me some pen, ink, paper and inkstone so that I may elaborate in detail."
Upon hearing this, Ning Xiao narrowed his eyes, scrutinized Chu Ci for a moment, and gently raised his hand to signal the female official beside him to do so.
Before long, a table with writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone was moved in front of Chu Ci.
The other candidates participating in the palace examination all turned their gazes to Chu Ci at this moment. Some of these gazes were filled with curiosity and inquiry, as if they wanted to see through her calm face to understand the thoughts deep in her heart.
Others, however, revealed undisguised disdain, seemingly not having high hopes for the top-ranked player.
Time passed quietly, and a quarter of an hour later, Chu Ci finished drawing the dam project plan and handed it to the female official who had been silently waiting beside him.
The lady-in-waiting took the scroll with both hands and walked lightly and cautiously toward the Empress, respectfully presenting it to her.
The Empress nodded slightly and gracefully unfolded the dam project drawing. After only a quick glance, she gestured slightly to the lady-in-waiting beside her.
The lady-in-waiting understood immediately and carefully picked up the drawing again, turned around and walked to the officials present, letting them look at it one by one.
The officials from the Ministry of Works held their breath, carefully examining the blueprint, and the atmosphere on site suddenly became unusually tense.
Not long after, the review results came out.
Among the group of officials, a woman dressed in a crimson official robe suddenly stood up, her expression quite excited, and even her voice trembled slightly.
"Your Majesty, this plan is the most urgent solution we need for flood control! Once this dam is built, it will not only effectively solve the problem of water storage, but also help to rationally divert water flow in the main channel. It is truly a fundamental solution to the problem of flooding!"
These words caused a great stir, and all the candidates present were taken aback.