d surely hinder their studies! And yet, they still clamor for a raise in wages. They threaten that if we don't give them one, our canteen won't be able to operate!”"Our academy is a place for teaching...Lu Zongda, being bold enough, dared to glance at the emperor. Seeing that the emperor was looking towards a corner, he unconsciously followed his gaze.

Then, behind the screen, he caught a glimpse of a pale blue skirt.

He was stunned for a moment, then as if remembering something, he couldn't help but smile. His eyes were filled with fondness and joy...

Behind the screen, Princess Three suddenly grasped Jiayin's hand, her face slightly flushed.

Jia Yin was peering through the gap in the folding screen, desperately searching for her brothers.

Since Jia Ren was in second place, he sat in the front row. However, Li Ge'er sat among the students, completely blocking his view. To figure out his position, it would really take some effort.

She was suddenly pinched on the hand by the third princess, and she came to her senses. She lowered her voice and asked, "What's wrong"

"Nothing, um, just feeling a little nervous..." The Third Princess suppressed the frantic beating of her heart, and unusually, didn't tell the truth.

Jia Yin didn't even care about her, she replied softly, "Quickly help me find my sixth brother. My eldest brother, Brother Lu, and Brother Jia have all been found. Why haven't I seen my sixth brother"

The third princess pointed to a spot and said, “Isn’t that him The one sitting behind the blue brocade robe, wearing a silver crown!”

"Where Where" Jiayin was in a panic, she stretched her legs and craned her neck to look around, but still couldn't see.

Thankfully, Shuiling ran to find a little kid for the master to step on.

Jia Yin's gaze finally landed on the exam hall, and she found her brother's position.

Unfortunately, she was so focused on searching that she forgot about the golden, ivory-inlaid orchid hairpin that had already jumped out from her headdress and was gleaming under everyone's gaze.

Lu Zong was the first to discover it, and couldn't help but feel a little anxious. He was also excited that his guess might be correct.

This gold-inlaid, jade orchid hairpin, he had seen in Jia Ren's study last year. It was a birthday gift from Jia Ren to his sister.

For this, he also prepared a pair of mutton fat jade bangles to match the flower hairpin, and sent them together as a gift to Jiayin.

I don't want to see him again, and now it has to happen in this kind of situation.

The little girl is really bold, she dares to come and watch the excitement even during the palace exam.

Likewise, Jiarren and Li Ge'er also telepathically looked over, both seeing their sister's head.

They were both amused and touched, feeling an extra sense of contentment in their hearts.

More and more students discovered something amiss, their eyes irresistibly drawn to it.

Soon, the Emperor and the high officials also discovered it.

The emperor coughed twice and said in a loud voice, "Pass out the exam papers. Let the riffraff disperse and don't delay the students."

Immediately, officials busied themselves, and the students, too engrossed in worry to watch the spectacle any longer.

Behind the screen, Jiayin shrank her neck, jumped down from the small stool, and pulled San Gongzhu away.

The third princess was still reluctant to leave, and she didn't seem to be in her right mind until she returned to her inner palace.

Jia Yin took a large gulp of warm tea, patted her chest, and said in surprise, "We hid so well, how were we still found"

After waiting for a long time, the third princess didn't speak. She had flushed cheeks and was chin resting in her hand, lost in thought.

Even Jiayin, despite being slow-witted, could see the signs.

She leaned close to the third princess and asked with a smile, "That man is really handsome!"

The third princess nodded, her face even redder. She blurted out, "He's tall and handsome too, he really stands out from the crowd..."

Halfway through her sentence, she finally came to her senses. Raising her eyes, she saw Jia Yin's anxious face, Shui Ling suppressing a smile, and Cai Yun looking helplessly at the situation. She immediately jumped up.

"Li Jiayin! You're actually twisting my words"

Everyone burst into laughter.

"Jiao Yin pulled the Third Princess's hand and said, "Am I trying to trick you You're blushing so hard your face is about to bloom! Even a blind man could see your heart racing!"

The third princess covered her face and stomped her feet, too ashamed to meet anyone's eyes.

Jia Yin waved her hand, motioning Shui Ling and Cai Yun to go out.

With only the two of them left in the room, she leaned mischievously into the Third Princess's ear and asked, "Tell me quickly, have you taken a liking to any scholar For the sake of our sisters' friendship, I'll happily look into their family background for you."

I'll definitely not let you be cheated, find a pillow with uneven embroidery!

The third princess's face flushed even redder, but she still withdrew her hands and replied, "I don't have any intentions, I just think he smiles... nicely."

"Him Which him" Jia Yin was even more curious.

The Third Princess' face was about to drip with blood, she whispered, "It's Lu the Crown Prince, the one who gets along well with your older brother!"

Jia Yin was taken aback, a touch of surprise in her heart.

"Did you have your eye on Brother Lu Brother Lu is the same age as my older brother, about seven or eight years older than you. Isn't he... a bit too old"

The Third Princess quickly shook her head and replied, “Not old, not old, seven or eight years old is just right. I have a bad temper and am willful and spoiled. He's older than me, so he can take care of me.”

Jia Yin helplessly said, “You’re really caught up in this now, starting to defend him.”

"Oh dear!" Princess Three blushed, quickly taking her arm and pleading, "I just like him! Tell me about him, okay He's always in and out of your house, you must know him well."

Jia Yin hesitated for a moment. She did understand Lu Cong, after all. He treated her like a sister and they got along very well.

But for now, she didn't intend to tell the third princess too much.

The Third Princess knew more, and might be trapped even deeper. But her marriage was not something she could decide on her own...

"Songzhi, you should still tell this to the Emperor. If the Emperor also thinks highly of Brother Lu, I promise that I'll tell you everything I know."

Princess Three seemed to have been doused with a bucket of cold water. Her face flushed quickly faded, and she completely calmed down.

She murmured, "Okay, I understand."

Jia Yin couldn't bear to see her dejection, so she said, "Come on, let's go back and see how the pork bone soup in the kitchen is doing. We can have a hot pot lunch in the small garden. The flowers are already blooming in the garden, it's just the right time."

The Third Princess regained her composure, stood up, and walked out with Jiayin.

Jiao Yin didn't forget her brothers either, leaving Shui Ling to send messages in time.

Watercloud doesn't talk much on a daily basis, but her cooking skills are exceptional.

Since entering the palace with her master, she quietly and swiftly took control of the kitchen in Zhi Lan Palace.

Whether she was the head chef or a lowly maidservant tending the fire, everyone obeyed her and admired her greatly.

The cook hoped that someone would learn from her skills, so that even after the princess left the palace, the third princess would still have someone to cook for her.

But Princess Three was used to Shui Yun's cooking. If they couldn't replicate it, there would definitely be consequences.

The maids who were responsible for tending the fire liked Shuiyun's kindness and generosity. Whenever she cooked something delicious, besides offering it to their master, Shuiyun would always save some for them, giving them a sweet treat.

Today, the masters are having a hot pot in the small garden.

They had large bowls of bone broth with hand-pulled noodles, a few fish balls, and some greens. It was so delicious, it made you want to scream.

In the small garden, Princess Three and Jiayin were also eating contentedly, leaning against the gazebo after rubbing their bellies.

"I wish you could stay in the palace forever, and I would never marry. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we just spent our lives together like this" Princess Three couldn't help but sigh.

Jiyin was about to speak when Shui Ling came rushing back, making a lot of noise.

Today's update is here ~~nal herbs, she decided to plant sticky corn instead.Last night I was busy picking and preserving, making preparations for the fresh supermarket she's been planning.Soon, everyone had eaten their fill...