General, Madam Called You To Farm - Chapter 556

General, Madam Called You To Farm
Chapter 556 – Xiaoxiao’s Strength (1) 

Translator : Moon Lee
Editor : Tea
This translation made by Moonlight Teatime.
Please read my translation only at Moonlight Teatime. 
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“Why is she riding in Princess Jingning’s sedan?”  

“Exactly! What right does a country bumpkin have?”  

“Maybe Princess Jingning felt sorry for her being left out and lent her the sedan?”  

“I bet she went crying to Princess Jingning herself!”  

“She’s so lucky to have run into Princess Jingning…”  

The chatter once again made Su Xiaoxiao the center of attention.  

However, what puzzled everyone was that Su Xiaoxiao showed no sign of nervousness or unease under the pointing and staring.  

It had to be said that even many young ladies from noble families visiting the palace for the first time couldn’t remain as composed as she did.  

“Is she stupid?”  

One young lady whispered.  

The others burst into laughter.   

A young lady who was somewhat acquainted with Qin Yanran tugged at her sleeve. 

“Miss Qin.”  

Qin Yanran raised her hand and gently adjusted the mermaid pearl in her hair.  

The young lady asked, “She’s from your Qin family, is she normally this foolish?”  

Qin Yanran’s expression stiffened, and she said coolly, “Miss Hong, please mind your words.”  

Miss Hong pouted and went to talk to someone else.

Qin Yanran possessed extraordinary beauty and talent, and should have been the focus of the day. 

However, Su Xiaoxiao’s appearance somehow drew everyone’s attention to her instead.  

Before long, a seemingly experienced palace’s nanny* led them with a stern expression to an open garden.  

*Refers to the female elders responsible for raising princes and princesses in ancient Chinese imperial palaces. They are mainly responsible for teaching royal children, imparting etiquette, rules, and knowledge of palace life, as well as managing palace affairs.

The surroundings were filled with greenery and flowers, with a lush green lawn at the center.  

Desks and cushions were already arranged on the lawn.  

The nanny drawled, “Please take your seats, young ladies.”  

Everyone found seats that appealed to them.  

By the time it was Su Xiaoxiao’s turn, only a single desk in the last row remained.  

Su Xiaoxiao walked over and sat down.  

The others glanced back at her.  

The chubby little girl was isolated again.  

Qin Yanran sat in the first row.  

Generally, sitting in that position required some courage and confidence.  

Qin Yanran, with her exceptional skills, feared no assessment and naturally dared to take the front seat.  

On either side of her were the young ladies of the Leng and Jing families.  

When Su Xiaoxiao looked up, she saw countless jewel-adorned backs of heads gleaming brilliantly under the sunlight, dazzling her eyes.  

The first assessment was a written exam.  

Selecting companions for the princess wasn’t as strict as the imperial examinations, it mainly tested the young ladies’ foundational knowledge.  

The exam paper was divided into two parts, recitation and poetry composition.

The material for the recitation came from the Four Books and Five Classics, and each exam paper was unique, thus there was no chance of plagiarism. 

For poetry composition, the theme was spring, with no restriction on the number of lines or words per line, but it had to be original.  

Su Xiaoxiao had learned many characters from Wei Ting in the countryside and continued studying with Doctor Fu on her way to the capital.

 By now, basic reading and writing were no longer an issue for her.  

After looking at the densely filled exam paper, she could only sigh with one thought: ‘Young ladies in ancient times didn’t have it easy either.’   

An hour later, the eunuchs came to collect the papers.  

“How did you do?” One young lady asked.  

“I couldn’t answer two questions.”  

“Only two? I didn’t recognize any of them in the end. Miss Wang, I noticed you filled in all of yours.”  

The mentioned Miss Wang smiled, “I just wrote randomly.”  

Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms, such a familiar post-exam scene. 

The second assessment was painting, based on a peony brought in by the eunuchs.  

Su Xiaoxiao’s performance was average. 

Others looked at the flower, so did she; others started painting, so did she.  

A eunuch supervising in the corner had noticed her since the previous session, but he had been at the front then and was moved to the back for the second session.  

Seeing Su Xiaoxiao writing furiously with grand momentum, he thought to himself, ‘This young lady seems low-key, but she’s probably a master.’  

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