The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 170

“Yes, I'm home, let's hurry back.” Xu Wan pulled the little boy into the carriage.

Compared to the little demon's excitement, Xu Wan felt that the Crown Prince must be feeling guilty, guilty that Zong Jincheng had been implicated because of him, otherwise he wouldn't have offended Luo Jingfeng.

The carriage quickly made its way home, while at the Marquis Manor's elite class…

Crown Prince Chu Heng sat in the large study, flipping through Zong Jincheng's exam papers. Baili Xi was not present today, Zong Wenxiu had been summoned away by Baili Weihong, leaving only three private tutors trembling and waiting beside him.

Pan Hongzhi glanced at Zhao Yin, intending to ask him what to do, but Zhao Yin's head was bowed even lower than Cheng Zhidong's.

Pan Hongzhi: “……”

After looking at you two, I suddenly feel my courage isn't too bad.

But… help! This is the Crown Prince, a commoner like him rarely gets to see the Crown Prince, let alone be this close to him, it's so nerve-wracking he feels like he can't breathe.

The Crown Prince was clearly here for Zong Jincheng, requesting all of Zong Jincheng's exam papers from different stages of his studies. Watching the child's knowledge grow deeper while his handwriting grew worse, the Crown Prince’s eyebrows relaxed and furrowed alternately.

Each change frightened Pan Hongzhi to death, terrified that the Crown Prince might say something like, "You're teaching too poorly, drag him out and behead him."

“Why ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‍haven’t you practiced Jincheng’s handwriting properly?” the Crown Prince finally couldn’t help but ask.

Pan Hongzhi’s tightly-strung mood instantly calmed down, this question he could answer!

“Your Highness, it’s because Little Master Jincheng currently has no interest in practicing, he thinks practicing handwriting is too time-consuming, and writing beautifully is even more time-consuming. So he uses that time to learn other subjects.” Pan Hongzhi was afraid of being misunderstood, so he added, “But Your Highness, please don’t worry, Little Master Jincheng still writes legibly during formal exams, so the examiners can read it.”

The Crown Prince asked: “Is the time enough?”

Pan Hongzhi quickly replied: “Yes, yes, he can finish the exam in just half an hour with his messy handwriting.”

The Crown Prince looked up, a slight smile playing on his lips: “That fast?”

Pan Hongzhi nodded vigorously: “Yes, Little Master Jincheng is very clever and hardworking. He has already been admitted to the Child Prodigy Class. Next, he plans to take the Child Prodigy Examination next spring, and we all believe he can pass.”

“Child Prodigy Examination…” the Crown Prince muttered these three words, as if recalling this less-regarded exam.

Although the Child Prodigy Examination was specifically for selecting gifted children, since the content mostly involved memorization and recitation, passing it did not grant an official position but only provided an opportunity to participate in the imperial examinations. Moreover, very few scholars from the Child Prodigy Examination had performed well in the imperial exams.

Memorization and recitation were one thing, comprehension and application were another.

“Your Highness, Madam Zong and Little Master Jincheng have returned.” a guard reported.

The Crown Prince, holding a book, looked outwards, the dazzling sunlight forcing him to shield his eyes. The little demon’s cheerful voice rang out: “Greetings to Your Highness, may Your Highness live ten thousand years!”

Even in the scorching summer, it felt like a cool breeze suddenly swept in, refreshing the heart and soul.

Xu Wan entered and also curtsied: “This humble servant greets Your Highness.”

The Crown Prince nodded towards them: “Come inside and talk, everyone else may leave.”

“Yes.”

Pan Hongzhi and the other two felt like they were saved, they immediately ran off.

Soon, only the three of them remained in the room.

Xu Wan thought the Crown Prince must have something to ask Jincheng, but since he didn’t ask her to leave, why was that?

Unexpectedly, the next moment, the Crown Prince looked at her: “You have seen Zong Zhao.”

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The tone of this sentence was mostly a statement, with only a hint of uncertainty.

Xu Wan was caught off guard.

She denied it: “Your Highness, you jest. Zong Zhao has been missing for eight years, with no news ever reaching us. Neither this humble servant nor anyone in the Marquis Manor has seen him in these eight years.”

The Crown Prince heard, but seemed not to.

He asked calmly: “Your father is the current Minister of the Ministry of Justice, holding great power. As his daughter, you could have married into any favored marquis manor, even an aristocratic house... Why did you choose to marry into the Yangyuan Marquis Manor?”

Xu Wan thought, why… of course, for the money.

You people here value agriculture over commerce, looking down on merchants, but us ordinary folks can’t wait to marry into a wealthy family and become a rich madame.

Besides, there’s no husband to serve, no concubines to compete with, this life is so great, you men just don’t understand.

But since the Crown Prince asked, she couldn’t give the real reason, so she dodged the main point and replied: “My mother passed away early, and my stepmother treated me unkindly. I grew up lacking a mother’s love. When I heard that the Marquis Manor’s matron was generous and kind, I thought marrying here would be a good choice.”

Zong Jincheng, listening to the adults’ conversation, stared wide-eyed.

How strange.

Xu Wan married into the family because of the grandmother?

Is she, now grown up, still longing for a mother’s love?

The little demon scratched his head, not quite understanding.

Zong Jincheng didn’t have much life experience, nor did he know what women needed when choosing a husband’s family, so listening to the two of them talk felt like listening to a foreign language—he knew every word but combined they made no sense.

But luckily, after Baili Weihong’s guidance, he knew that adults shouldn’t interrupt when they were talking, so even if he was itching to speak, he had to hold it in, looking from one to the other occasionally.

The Crown Prince’s questioning of Xu Wan wasn’t over yet, one question after another made her sweat.

Xu Wan steeled herself and explained another question: “Jia Zhi Geng is just a method to calculate Jincheng’s learning gap with other students from the academy, selected from the Ten Heavenly Stems, with no special meaning.”

After saying this, she felt even more grateful that she had decided to keep a low profile in teaching and hadn’t directly used Arabic numerals; otherwise, facing the Crown Prince’s questioning right now, she wouldn’t have been able to explain it.

Yes, questioning.

Although the Crown Prince’s attitude was gentle, the questions he asked were all quite peculiar. First, he asked her motive for marrying into the Marquis Manor, then he asked where her teaching methods came from.

If she said she saw it in a book, he would ask which book; if she said it was her own idea, he would ask how she came up with it.

Xu Wan felt as if she was taking a civil service exam, with the Crown Prince as the chief examiner. While answering, she had to cite classics to prove her ability to come up with these methods and show that her ideas were for the good of the country, the people, and the child, selflessly.

A seemingly peaceful conversation, yet Xu Wan felt as if she was walking on thin ice, her back soaked in sweat.

Finally, the Crown Prince closed the book and smiled: “The Marquis Manor was lucky to have married you, it’s their good fortune, and Jincheng’s blessing.”

Xu Wan closed her eyes and sighed in relief.

She had passed.