The Marquis Mansion’s Elite Class

Upon hearing the news, the students on the road cast admiring glances, and the buzz of discussion began to rise:

"Is that really Zong Jincheng? Isn't he the notorious playboy from the capital? Why is he here studying with us?"

"Yeah, I remember he's only eight years old. Last month he took the exam for the eight-year-old class. How did he skip two grades in just a month? Someone pinch me, I must still be dreaming."

"I bet he's the next Qin Ye. Think about it, we lost so badly in the last joint exam with Hanlin Academy, but Zong Jincheng made it onto the list. That's Hanlin North Academy! He defeated so many from the North Academy, so his real strength must be even greater."

"He's learned this fast in just a few months? I don't believe it. He must have been pretending not to study before, just waiting to shock us now!"

Zong Jincheng listened to the students passionately discussing him, his little tail of pride wagging again. He even chimed in occasionally, saying, "No pretenses here! I really only studied for a few months. As for why I'm so amazing, it's because I'm naturally smart, destined to become the great scholar who defeats Qin Ye!"

"………………"

Suddenly, the discussion came to a halt.

The little devil: "?"

What's going on?

Why didn't the expected flood of compliments come?

Did he say something wrong again, hurting the fragile hearts of the students?

Zong Wenxiu had already let go of his hand, pretending not to know him.

He couldn't take it anymore, really couldn't.

His brother's mouth was just too good at making enemies.

The students were silent for a few seconds, then suddenly erupted in an unusual uproar: "Fake, it must be fake. You can't learn that much in just a few months."

"Exactly, I don't believe it."

"Me neither."

"This kid is too arrogant, thinking he can defeat Qin Ye from the Child Prodigy Class. He hasn't experienced the fear of being dominated by Qin Ye. He'll be crying after the exam!"

Zong Jincheng: "!!!"

These people!!

How could they change their tune so fast!

Weren't they just praising him? Why are they mocking him now!

The little devil was so angry he turned into a raging bull. With a dark face, he ran towards the exam hall, shouting, "Just wait, you bunch of blind people! This young master will show you what rapid progress looks like!"

……

Xu Wan watched the two children's backs and sighed helplessly to Cui Zhi, "This little rascal, even going to take an exam can turn into an argument. How does he have so much energy?"

Cui Zhi chuckled, "Madam, Young Master Jincheng has been studying at home for the past few months, not going out to play much. With no outlet for his energy, he's prone to getting worked up."

Xu Wan shook her head helplessly, "He was never a good-tempered child to begin with. Day after day… I’m thinking maybe we should hire a tutor specifically to teach him how to speak properly, so he doesn’t make enemies everywhere he goes with that mouth of his."

Cui Zhi suggested, "It might be more suitable to find a retired palace maid to teach him etiquette."

Xu Wan replied numbly, "But we don’t have any connections to the palace."

The old lady came from a merchant family and had few connections with official circles, let alone the palace.

Cui Zhi thought for a moment and said, "Madam, I recall you mentioning the six degrees of separation. What about the etiquette tutor of the Eighteenth Princess?"

Xu Wan glanced at her and asked very seriously, "Do you really think the Eighteenth Princess is any better at speaking than Jincheng?"

Cui Zhi: "……"

Those two are indeed a match…

Never mind, forget I said anything.

Xu Wan pondered for a while and said, "Jincheng mentioned earlier that he wanted to take Wenxiu to play soccer. It’s been delayed for a while, so let’s take them out to play tomorrow. Running around will do them good."

"Yes, I’ll make the arrangements right away."

"Sister Xu, I want to go too!" The voice of the Eighteenth Princess suddenly came from the side.

Xu Wan and Cui Zhi turned around to see the Eighteenth Princess running over from the entrance of Qingbo Academy.

Xu Wan was surprised, "Princess, what brings you here?"

Zhao Rong ran over and, as usual, familiarly took her arm, "I was going to your manor to play, but you weren’t there, so I came here instead. Oh, is this the academy? It looks so lively. Can I pick a husband here?"

Xu Wan: "…Calm down."

She led the Eighteenth Princess away from the academy, saying as they walked, "There are too many people here, and if someone overhears and spreads rumors, it could damage your reputation."

Zhao Rong said fearlessly, "Sister Xu, don’t worry. I’m already infamous, so it doesn’t make much difference."

Xu Wan: "……"

Why do you sound so proud of that!

She took a deep breath and said, "Didn’t you say last month that you wanted the Crown Princess to help you choose a husband? Why are you trying to pick one yourself now?"

Zhao Rong pouted, "But after I made that suggestion, my brother the Crown Prince took the Crown Princess out to play, and they haven’t come back yet. They’ve completely forgotten about their marriage-seeking sister… Wuwuwu, I’m so pitiful."

Xu Wan was taken aback, then smiled, "That’s good. Maybe when the Crown Princess returns, there will be good news."

Zhao Rong grinned, "I think so too. There will definitely be good news!"

As they talked, they got into the carriage, but it didn’t move. Zhao Rong then realized that Xu Wan was waiting for the two children to finish their exams, and her mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Sister Xu, one is from the second branch, and the other is your stepson. Neither is your biological child, yet you care so much for them? It’s just an exam. Couldn’t you just have someone send them over?"

Xu Wan smiled, "They’ve never studied at the academy before, so I always come to watch over them during exams to avoid any mishaps."

Especially that Zong Jincheng, he’s like a walking disaster. Wherever he goes, trouble follows. It’s impossible to guard against.

Zhao Rong pouted, "You’re just like my sister-in-law the Crown Princess, always worrying too much."

Xu Wan thought to herself: If you had to deal with a little devil like him, you’d become a worrier too.

Zhao Rong added, "By the way, I heard you talking about playing soccer tomorrow. Can I join? I really want to play soccer too."

"You?" Xu Wan looked at her, the young girl’s eyes blinking as she tried to charm her.

For some reason, the image of the little devil making the same expression popped into her mind.

Another heartwarming yet headache-inducing character.

Xu Wan said softly, "Then I’ll have Cui Zhi arrange the soccer field and set aside a separate area for the women’s game."

Zhao Rong quickly interjected, "No, no, why separate the men and women? If you’re worried about me revealing my identity, I can disguise myself as a boy! I want to play with Zong Jincheng and the others!"

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

Xu Wan and Cui Zhi were both stunned. The Eighteenth Princess really had some bold ideas.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

She actually wanted to challenge the little devil.

Zhao Rong continued to persuade her eagerly, "I know about the rules of propriety between men and women, but you can just gather a bunch of kids. It’s not a big deal."

Xu Wan hesitated, "You should first ask Consort Jing. If she finds out, she’ll surely blame me…"

Zhao Rong patted her arm, "Don’t worry, Sister Xu. My mother dotes on me. I’ll go back to the palace tonight and tell her. Tomorrow, I’ll meet you at the soccer field. It’s a date!"

Xu Wan, who had been thoroughly arranged: "……"