A gentle breeze taps on the window, and moonlight streams into the inner hall.
Zhao Zhi was lost in thought, gazing at the teacher across the gauze curtain.
"Master, have you ever married?"
She had completely forgotten their previous agreement and asked such a private question.
Sure enough, the person opposite him paused for a moment, adjusted his mask, and said after a brief silence, "Miss, we had an agreement that we would neither inquire about each other's identities nor their private affairs. You have overstepped your bounds."
"Yes, I'm sorry. Please continue, please continue." Zhao Zhi blushed deeply, feeling utterly ashamed.
She was just jilted, so how come she's suddenly interested in her new husband?
She took a deep breath and forced herself to listen attentively.
The Master treated this as a minor incident and quickly got to the main topic.
Zhao Zhi also focused her attention and listened attentively. She was afraid that the teacher might quit in a fit of anger.
She couldn't bear to part with it.
When the Master spoke of how the favor of the concubines in the harem was determined by the magnitude of the contributions made to the emperor by their fathers, brothers, and maternal relatives in the previous dynasty, Zhao Zhi was astonished.
"It's truly pitiful that a woman's favor and glory depend on her father and brothers. There are so many outstanding women in this world who are thoughtful and have their own opinions, but unfortunately, once they enter the household, they can only waste their lives. How tragic and lamentable!"
The teacher gazed silently at the woman opposite him, thinking to himself: This young lady has a broad mind and a vision unlike that of ordinary women. No wonder my aunt assigned me to personally teach her.
“What you say is absolutely right. If we want to change this situation, only when women stand at the pinnacle of power can they gain the right to speak.”
Zhao Zhi felt a pang of emotion and subconsciously said, "If one day the world were ruled by an empress, would it change the fate of women being manipulated by others?"
"Fate is determined by heaven, but success depends on human effort. A young lady may have lofty ambitions, but she should also have the ability to match them."
The master looked intently at the woman lying on the small couch opposite him, and couldn't help but look at her with new respect.
He suddenly thought of his cousin from his aunt's side. They were both women, so why was there such a big difference between them?
Although she was cunning and playful, this girl, despite being injured for some unknown reason, still insisted on coming to study. Her perseverance in pursuing her studies filled him with deep respect.
The hourglass inside the room slid down grain by grain, the new moon slowly rose, and an hour quietly passed.
At this time in the past, Zhao Zhi would be so restless that she couldn't sit still, her eyes glued to the hourglass, wishing she could pour out all the sand inside at once.
But today, she felt an unusual affinity with her new teacher. If the teacher hadn't reminded her, "Let's stop here for today," she wouldn't have realized that an hour had already passed.
For the first time, she experienced the feeling of desperately wanting to have a long talk with someone by candlelight.
The Master instructed the people waiting outside to come in.
When Zhao Zhi was lifted from the small couch, her wound was accidentally aggravated, and she couldn't help but hiss.
She had been lying face down for so long, her back felt like it was about to break, and her chest was aching from the pressure. But the wound was on her back, so she didn't dare to turn over and could only grit her teeth and endure it.
The teacher, who was about to leave, suddenly stopped and said meaningfully, "The tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind. I hope that you, young lady, will keep a low profile and protect yourself wisely."
"Thank you, Master."
Her mother and her previous husband had given her the same advice.
Therefore, outside the family, Zhao Zhi was always the unruly second daughter of Grand Secretary Zhao Shouzhen, and no young master was willing to marry such a rascal.
When Zhao Zhi returned to her room, the two maids, Chaoyan and Nanying, were so sleepy that they could barely keep their eyes open.
What's on the table?
Zhao Zhi lay on the bed and saw a package. It wasn't there when she left.
"Oh, Miss, this was delivered by the eldest young lady an hour ago."
Asagao was about to open the package, she said, "They said that five days ago, someone delivered these things to our residence for a Miss Zhao. Since you haven't been home these past few days, she hasn't brought them over."
"Look at what's inside." Zhao Zhi rubbed her sore eyes wearily, then heard Chao Yan exclaim in surprise, "Oh my, Miss, I've never seen this fabric before! And this jewelry box, oh my god! Miss, did you meet some really rich friends outside?"
Zhao Zhi gestured for her to bring the package to her side and casually flipped through it.
At a glance, one could tell that the dress was made of the priceless Yun brocade, the jewelry box was crafted from the finest rosewood, and the jewelry inside was made by Baozhenlou, the most prestigious silver shop in Lingyang.
Zhao Zhi pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered to himself, "I do have a very wealthy friend. On my way back to Lingyang, I met a sworn brother who is rolling in money. He must have given it to me."
Zhao Zhi breathed a sigh of relief and gestured to Chao Yan to hang the clothes in the wardrobe and place the jewelry box on the dressing table.
"I initially accepted his offer as a temporary measure, but I didn't expect him to take it seriously. However, I can't just accept his kindness for nothing. Let me think about it, and once I'm better, I'll give him a worthy gift in return."
She suddenly remembered something else and hurriedly instructed Nan Ying to bring the candlestick to her side, telling the two of them to wait in the outer room. She then took out two things from her bosom: a stack of portraits and a map.
Zhao Zhi randomly picked out a portrait, and when she saw the person in the portrait, her eyes widened in surprise.
The beauty in the portrait has a sorrowful expression on her cheeks, and her beautiful eyes seem to hold a mixture of joy and sorrow.
Her pink shoulders were half-exposed, her slender waist was so small that it could be encircled by one hand, and she was wrapped in a soft, green silk gauze with pine flowers on it. She was as serene as a beautiful flower reflected in water.
Zhao Zhi reached for a bronze mirror from the side, looked at his own face, and then gazed at the beauty in the painting.
It would be more convincing to say that she was the twin sister of the woman in the painting than to say that she and Zhao Yun were twin sisters.
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