A young man walked in from outside, appearing to be in his early twenties. Dressed in a simple blue scholar's robe, he had refined features but a somewhat frail build, giving the impression of an upright gentleman. As he entered, he praised with genuine admiration, "Well said! Admiration indeed carries dignity and is not meant to be mocked or ridiculed. Though Guangwen Hall teaches academic subjects, moral character also requires diligent practice."
All the students fell silent.
Shen Miao stared intently at the young man, her gaze sharp and assessing.
Pei Lang was the mathematics and accounting teacher at Guangwen Hall. Known for both his virtue and talent, he was the only teacher who had been admitted to teach at the hall with merely a xiucai rank. Scholar Pei had a gentle and patient temperament, making him more respected among students than other strict teachers. Even for someone like Shen Miao, who consistently fell behind, Scholar Pei had never scolded her, always patiently explaining again and again with endless forbearance.
If that were all, he would indeed be an excellent teacher. His moral character and scholarship were exceptional, but unfortunately, Shen Miao also knew his other identity.
He was Fu Xiuyi's most trusted adviser, and after Fu Xiuyi ascended the throne, he was appointed as the Imperial Tutor. Imperial Tutor Pei Lang, prosperous and powerful, second only to one person and above all others.
As Imperial Tutor, he had indeed performed admirably. Shen Miao had thought Pei Lang was an intelligent and upright person, but when the Crown Prince was deposed, he had said nothing.
The personal relationship between Shen Miao and Pei Lang had been quite good. The suggestion for Shen Miao to go to Qin State as a hostage had come from Pei Lang. He had said with righteous conviction: "This is all for the sake of Ming Qi's kingdom. If Your Majesty goes and resolves His Majesty's urgent crisis, in the future, the vast empire will be blessed by Your Majesty's benevolence, and all under heaven will be grateful for Your Majesty's kindness."
But in reality, when she returned to the palace five years later, the imperial harem had gained a Madam Mei, and those formerly respectful subordinates of Pei Lang had begun to guard against her.
When the Crown Prince was deposed, Shen Miao had even knelt to beg Pei Lang, because he was Fu Xiuyi's confidant. If only Pei Lang had spoken up, Fu Xiuyi would have surely listened to his opinion. But Pei Lang had helped her up and said, "Your Majesty, regarding matters His Majesty has decided upon, this humble servant is also helpless."
"Pei Lang! Can you stand by and watch as the Crown Prince is deposed? You know full well that deposing the Crown Prince is unjust!" She had been furious, questioning him relentlessly.
"This is already the inevitable trend. Your Majesty, please accept fate," Pei Lang had sighed.
Accept fate.
How could one accept fate? If given another life, to still accept fate would be too tragic, too hateful.
Shen Miao's gaze settled heavily on the young man before her. He was open and upright, yet stood by in the face of death. He was gentle in temperament, yet also cold and ruthless. As a minister, thinking of everything for the sake of the empire, Pei Lang was a loyal subject. But… as long as he stood by Fu Xiuyi's side, in this lifetime, they were destined to be mortal enemies!
At this point, Fu Xiuyi probably hadn't yet won over Scholar Pei. So, should she sever their potential connection before that happened and pull Scholar Pei to her side? Or should she simply… nip it in the bud?
Scholar Pei set down the book in his hand, sensitively perceiving a gaze fixed upon him. He looked up and met Shen Miao's enigmatic stare.
Shen Miao sat rather far back, yet she still stubbornly and properly gazed at him. The feeling was strange. Scholar Pei felt that her gaze contained a sense of scrutiny and judgment, as if weighing some pros and cons, evaluating something. Extending further, it was a kind of critical oversight.
He paused, wanting to get a clearer look at Shen Miao's expression, when he saw the young lady pick up the pen on her table and lower her head. Pei Lang smiled inwardly and shook his head. How could a young girl have such a lofty expression? As for judgment and scrutiny, that was even more impossible—wasn't Shen Miao the most stupid and timid student in all of Guangwen Hall?
He arranged his things and began the day's lesson.
All the Level Two students were somewhat drowsy.
Mathematics and accounting classes were inherently boring. No matter how brilliantly Scholar Pei taught, these fourteen and fifteen-year-old boys and girls were at a restless age, hardly able to concentrate. Moreover, with such fine autumn weather, they were all somewhat sleepy.
If it had been any other teacher, they would surely have taken out their ruler and begun to reprimand the students. But Pei Lang was exceptionally gentle and never punished his students. Thus, during his classes, everyone was at their boldest. Apart from Shen Qing, who consistently ranked first in mathematics and accounting and listened attentively, the rest were idly engaged in their own affairs.
Today, however, Shen Miao was different.
She stared at Scholar Pei without blinking, sitting upright, appearing to listen with extreme attention. This was truly incredible, as she usually despised studying, especially mathematics and accounting. That she wasn't sleeping was already a miracle, and now she was paying attention?
Sitting at the same table with Shen Miao was a beautiful young girl dressed in a thin coat and skirt embroidered with chrysanthemums. Her expression was somewhat arrogant. Seeing Shen Miao like this, she couldn't help but reveal a surprised look, occasionally glancing at Shen Miao's attentive behavior.
How could Shen Miao care about all that? In her previous life, she had no interest in mathematics and accounting, but after becoming the Empress, she initially had unstable foundations and had to carefully calculate expenses to maintain life in the imperial harem. Even as Empress, she had to reduce expenditures. After personally managing these matters, she found that mathematics and accounting weren't so difficult. From the major expenses related to rituals in the imperial harem to the minor details like the cups and snacks for concubines, the accounts were numerous and varied, and she had reviewed them all. What challenge did these textbook calculations pose now?
She was merely trying her hardest to discern what kind of person Scholar Pei truly was.
Only in this way could she determine what approach would be most suitable for dealing with him.
Her focused demeanor appeared highly unusual to the girl beside her. After the mathematics and accounting class ended and Scholar Pei left, Shen Miao finally withdrew her gaze.
The girl beside her nudged her, her tone filled with surprise: "Shen Miao, are you possessed?"
"Why do you say that?" Shen Miao asked. The girl before her was Feng An Ning, the legitimate daughter of the Imperial Household Grandee.
The Feng family had once been among the capital's noble court officials, and Feng An Ning had been raised with a spoiled temperament. But in her previous life, Old Master Feng had chosen the wrong side. After the new emperor ascended the throne and he was dismissed from office, the Feng family, to protect their daughter, had arranged for her to marry a distant cousin earlier than planned. After the Feng family's downfall, Feng An Ning's married life hadn't turned out well either. That cousin, handsome on the outside but rotten within, had taken a concubine less than a year after their marriage. He already had a son with her and even complained that Feng An Ning was a burden left by the Feng family. Feng An Ning was not one to endure such humiliation; she had immediately taken scissors and died together with the concubine.
The many events of her previous life now seemed as fleeting as passing clouds. Looking at the arrogant young girl before her, who could imagine the decline and tragic end that awaited?
When Shen Miao looked at the young students of Guangwen Hall now, it was like looking at children the age of Fu Ming and Wanyu, making it difficult to feel resentment. Apart from people like Shen Qing and Shen Yue who were hypocritical, most were merely children spoiled by indulgence. And these pampered young boys and girls would, in just over a decade, experience the cruelty of fate.
Seeing her remain silent, Feng An Ning became somewhat displeased and said, "Are you deliberately ignoring me? Shen Miao, are you being so diligent today for the examination a month from now? I heard from your sister that you want to use the examination to stand out, to let… certain people see you."
Still childish, having heard Scholar Pei's words earlier, she refrained from mentioning the admiration for Prince Jin.
"Examination?" Shen Miao raised an eyebrow.
Previous/Next
.jpeg)
.jpeg)