Chapter 8: Debate

                                          

What kind of person was Shen Miao?

If you asked the students of Guangwen Hall, whether from Level One, Level Two, or Level Three, they all likely knew the answer without hesitation: stupid, timid, yet still trying desperately to maintain an appearance of virtue and propriety.

Her appearance was unremarkable, her temperament unexceptional, she excelled in no scholarly pursuits whatsoever, and she was hopelessly infatuated—her obsessive love for Prince Jin was known throughout the entire capital.

So, if one were to ask who was the most outstanding female student at Guangwen Hall, it would naturally be Shen Yue. And if one were to ask who was the most contemptible, it would naturally be Shen Miao.

Both were daughters of the Shen family, yet their images were as different as heaven and earth. People had grown accustomed to seeing Shen Miao following Shen Yue around like a devoted servant. So when Shen Miao suddenly appeared different, everyone felt deeply uncomfortable, as if the natural order had been disrupted.

Yi Pei Lan nudged Shen Yue urgently, whispering, "Miss Yue, has your sister become confused from her illness? Why does she seem like a completely different person today?"

Shen Yue looked at Shen Miao, also puzzled. It seemed that since awakening after falling into the water, Shen Miao's temperament had changed significantly. Could it be that she was severely affected by the incident with Prince Jin? Just as she was about to speak, her friend Jiang Cai Xuan spoke up: "Shen Miao, I heard you fell into the water. Has your cold improved now?"

Such a direct question was truly embarrassing. In the past, Shen Miao would have looked helplessly toward Shen Yue, seeking her help with pitiful eyes. But today, she merely gave Jiang Cai Xuan a fleeting glance and said coolly, "Yes, it has. Thank you for your concern."

Jiang Cai Xuan was stunned, as were all the students in the classroom. Perhaps because she hadn't expected Shen Miao to respond so indifferently, Jiang Cai Xuan found her attitude irritating and immediately said, "Since your cold has improved, shouldn't your priority be apologizing to Prince Jin rather than coming to school? Don't you think you've got your priorities backward?"

Shen Miao took a deep breath. None of the students around her, neither boys nor girls, seemed inclined to speak up for her. She had always been someone without friends, a solitary figure. And watching Shen Miao being humiliated was perhaps the only entertainment these noble children had at the academy.

Scanning the various expressions of those around her, then noting the schadenfreude glinting in Shen Qing's eyes, Shen Miao was about to respond when she heard Shen Yue say, "Prince Jin is magnanimous and won't blame Fifth Sister for such minor matters. Fifth Sister's presence at the academy naturally stems from her thirst for knowledge, which is a good thing."

"What good thing?" A young man on the other side couldn't help but laugh mockingly. He had secretly admired Shen Yue for a long time and had always looked down on Shen Miao, feeling that having a sister like her was truly Shen Yue's greatest tragedy. He said, "Thirst for knowledge? Shen Yue, if you want to help this sister of yours, you don't need such transparent excuses. Thirst for knowledge… for someone who can't even recite Level One textbooks, isn't that too laughable? Besides…" he maliciously sized up Shen Miao from head to toe and continued, "Who knows if she deliberately fell into the water? Isn't that how all the plays go? Falling into water, the hero rescues the beauty, they pledge themselves to each other… except, she guessed the ending wrong!" After saying this, finding it amusing, he burst into loud laughter.

He was the leader of this group of young men, and with his lead, the surrounding boys joined in the laughter. The noble young ladies around Shen Yue also found it amusing. In an instant, mocking laughter surrounded Shen Miao, and the gazes that fell upon her were filled with malice and contempt.

Words are the sharpest weapons. In her previous life, such scenes had occurred countless times. She had grown accustomed to being looked down upon, insulted, and ridiculed, and she was even more unwilling to actively break these established perceptions. In the end, Shen Yue and Shen Qing became close friends with these aristocratic children, while she grew increasingly distant from this circle.

She had once thought this was the greatest misfortune, but compared to the tragedies that happened later in her previous life, what did these amount to? These boys and girls, not even as old as her Wanyu and Fu Ming had been when they died, became enemies due to instigation. Were they truly supposed to be her enemies?

Of course not. These aristocratic children, whether wealthy or noble, included many from prestigious families. And what fate befell those prestigious families in her previous life? All were systematically eliminated by the previous emperor and Fu Xiuyi. Take the one mocking her now, Cai Lin, the eldest son of the current Court Ceremonial Officer Cai. A few years later, the Cai family would be implicated in an embezzlement case, have their property confiscated, and Cai Lin would be sent to serve in the military. Despite having admired Shen Yue for years, in the end, Shen Yue would be eager to distance herself from him.

She was not in an adversarial relationship with these young people; some were even on the same side as her. It was just that these prestigious families, due to the emperor's deliberate checks and balances and instigation, were placed in subtle opposition to each other. Their connections were not close, and there was even some enmity between them.

There was no need to turn allies into enemies—as empress in her previous life, Shen Miao had learned a great deal. One shouldn't make enemies out of momentary anger; it is too disadvantageous.

"Cai Lin, how can you speak of Fifth Sister like that?" After everyone had laughed enough, Shen Yue finally spoke up. "Fifth Sister is not that kind of person."

"Cai Lin," Shen Miao interrupted Shen Yue, her tone even and without inflection, "who told you that I fell into the water because I admired Prince Jin?"

Speaking so openly about such a shameful matter should have been despicable, but Shen Miao spoke with composure, her tone utterly detached. It left everyone stunned.

Cai Lin was the little tyrant here. In the past, Shen Miao wouldn't even dare speak much in his presence, let alone use such a questioning tone. Moreover, her tone unconsciously carried a hint of command. Cai Lin himself didn't know why, but instead of cursing out loud, he said, "Isn't that the case?"

"So that's how it is…" Shen Miao murmured to herself, then suddenly smiled slightly and looked toward Shen Yue and Shen Qing. "Eldest Sister, Second Sister, if others don't know the truth, that's fine, but don't you know? Why don't you defend your sister a little?"

Shen Yue and Shen Qing both paused, suddenly remembering their mothers' admonitions before leaving—to be extremely careful about what they said regarding Shen Miao's fall into the water. Shen Qing, being more mindful of the bigger picture than Shen Yue, immediately said, "Yes, don't talk nonsense. I was with Fifth Sister at the time, and I saw with my own eyes that Fifth Sister accidentally slipped into the water. Prince Jin happened to arrive at that moment, which is why they encountered each other. It has nothing to do with admiration."

Shen Qing spoke with such certainty that although the others didn't believe her, they weren't as stern as before. Then they saw Shen Miao speak: "To speak without witnessing firsthand is reckless. Guangwen Hall should not only teach lessons but also nurture moral character. Besides, 'admiration' is inherently a beautiful term, so why speak of it so disparagingly? If I, Shen Miao, were to admire someone, I would do so with dignity. Prince Jin is of imperial blood—how could I possibly aspire to him? You are all mistaken."

In this world, changing impressions instantaneously is difficult. Moreover, her previous infatuation with Fu Xiuyi was known to all, so claiming not to love him now might not be believable.

But regardless, drawing a clear line was necessary.

Before her words faded, they heard a voice of admiration: "Well said—to admire with dignity!"

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