testing each other
Yueling, carrying Sui Zhixu, leaped up and, in the blink of an eye, the entire landscape of Shanhai Academy came into view.
The area is surrounded by towering buildings, mountains, and clear waters, with beautiful rocks and crystal-clear springs. The rustling of leaves in the breeze makes one feel as if they are in a paradise.
The sound of reading aloud came from all around, and Sui Zhixu slowly landed and found herself in it.
"Xiao Ni, I'm here. Look who brought me to you."
As Xu straightened her clothes, which Yueling had messed up, she glanced to the side and saw Yueling calling out softly inside, her arms waving violently in the air.
In her opinion, the voices deliberately suppressing the age of the baby were not small either.
Sure enough, all the men and women in the room turned their gazes toward the women standing at the doorway.
The noise was deafening, and the person on stage shouted, "Silence!"
They walked towards the door.
"Master, Junior Sister." The newcomer bowed respectfully. She wore a dark blue dress, her face was fair, and her gentle and refined features accentuated her scholarly air.
Although Xu had seen her before, he was invited by his mother at her coming-of-age ceremony and was given a painting as a gift.
"Little Ni, I've missed you so much!" Yueling gave her a huge hug.
Knowing that something was wrong, Xu Xin took two steps back. Yue Ling was extremely tall, almost the same height as Cong Lan, and would hug her all the time because of her height.
Unfortunately, she couldn't escape it. She forgot her age, height, and long arms.
She grabbed her two apprentices and rubbed them vigorously. Sui Zhixu turned her face away, and when she saw her profile, she simply closed her eyes, out of sight, out of mind.
"Well, speaking of which, aren't you two from different generations? Xiao Ni and Hehe are very close. You should call Xiao Ni 'Auntie' on your mother's side. Sigh, it's all my fault for not remembering anything when I took on my apprentices. You two can just make do and address each other as you are."
Yueling smiled and rubbed Sui Zhixu's face, wishing she could kiss her a few times, "My lovely little wife, hehe."
Sui Zhixu just wanted to roll her eyes, thinking that her mother would tell her the story of her and Ni Shanzhang when they were young.
Ni Shanzhang's full name is Ni Zuilan, and she is the daughter of the previous headmaster.
He assisted Emperor Taizu in ascending the throne and was later appointed as the Imperial Tutor. He then found a place near Chang'an, nestled against the mountains and by the water, to build the Shanhai Academy.
After the Crown Prince passed away, the headmaster was overcome with grief and, being in his eighties, also passed away.
At that time, Emperor Taizu was seriously ill, and the court was managed by the Empress Dowager and the Prince of Huai, who is now the emperor.
Ni Zuilan met Sui He, who had just arrived in Chang'an. Sui He provided talent and money to help Ni Zuilan secure his position as headmaster and drastically changed the academy's standards, allowing more women to enroll.
After many years, more and more young women are enrolling in the Shan Hai Academy, such as Ning Yan and a few others, as well as Liu Xi.
Sui Zhixu saw her through the window, and the two of them gave each other forced smiles.
Just then, Yue Ling put down Sui Zhi and Xu, patted them on the shoulders, and said, "I'll leave Xu to you for the next few days. I'm going to rest. After all, I'm not young anymore, and teaching her will exhaust this old man. It won't be long. When your academy's summer program ends, come and call me from the back mountain."
He then gently pinched Sui Zhixu's nose. "You didn't expect that, did you? I've been with you all this way in the back mountain."
Sui Zhixu rolled her eyes and said coldly, "If you have a bad idea, use it on me. It's better to use it on someone useful than on me."
Yueling chuckled and dashed off in a flash, saying, "You fellow disciples should have a good chat and get to know each other before I come out!"
Seeing the master and apprentice fooling around, Ni Zuilan chuckled and said, "Come with me."
The two walked side by side on the path. She said softly, "Theoretically, maids are not allowed to enter the academy, but my master has explained your situation to me. You can bring your bodyguard in, but it's best not to let others find out, or it will cause a lot of trouble."
"I see."
"There were no empty seats around Second Madam Sui. I heard from Master that you and Madam Ning are very close friends. There happened to be a seat in their room, so I took the liberty of arranging it for you. I hope you won't take offense."
She turned her head with a smile, showing no airs whatsoever. Her gentle voice and thoughtful arrangements involuntarily reminded people of Sui He.
Her mother also took great care of her.
Sui Zhixu bowed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you very much, Headmaster."
"Call me Headmaster? Very well. My master asked me to teach you. Come find me after you've packed your things. I'll assess your current skill level before proceeding. Go ahead, I've already sent someone to move the things your little maid brought over. She went back with the Sui family's carriage, so don't worry."
Ni Zuilan took Sui Zhixu to his residence, and Sui Zhixu thanked her again.
Turning around to pack her things, she was surprised to learn how much Dan Hong had prepared.
What are they?
It's one thing to have a pile of clothes and jewelry that can only last three months, but how come there are also several jars of candied fruit...
Su Zhixu was exasperated; she must have prepared this for herself.
She sighed softly, put the candied fruit in the drawer, and continued tidying the bed like a little bee, fussing over this and that.
After returning home, Sui Zhixu had never done any work or suffered any hardship, and her memory was completely blank. The bed was made crookedly by her.
The hourglass in the room kept flowing, and it took Xu a lot of effort to make the bed neatly.
Sui Zhixu clapped his hands, and the bed was made and his things were tidied up.
Looking at the time, more than an hour had passed.
Why did it take so long for Xu Yanyan?
She quickened her pace and nearly collided with someone while turning the corner.
"Following in your wife's footsteps?"
His voice was deep and seductive, like a venomous snake coiled in the sky, waiting for its chance to strike.
After learning of Xu's retreat, he teased Yu Shao and the Prince of Xuanping.
"Prince Xuanping is An."
Prince Xuanping smiled and asked casually, "No need for formalities. How did you come to the academy with your wife?"
"Your Majesty is too kind. I am here to learn."
"I apologize. My words were inappropriate. My wife came over so suddenly, and her familiar figure almost made me mistake her for someone else. That's why I was so rude to you. I hope you will forgive me."
Sui Zhixu stiffened slightly, but fortunately, her face remained expressionless, so no clue could be discerned at first glance.
"Your Majesty is too serious. There are many similar people in the world. It is only natural for Your Majesty to admit your mistake. I have heard that Xi Langjun's sister, Xi Niangzi, bears a resemblance to Your Majesty's niece. I wonder if this is why Your Majesty took pity on them and took them in to stay at Your Majesty's residence temporarily."
Sui Zhixu's lips curled into a half-smile, his peach blossom eyes narrowed into crescent moons, making him appear more like he was leisurely strolling in his own courtyard than Jian Zhang was domineering.
He pretended, and she pretended too.
Xi Yushao smiled as usual, and he keenly noticed that the Prince of Xuanping was stunned for a few moments, once again because of the lady in front of him.
"My lady, you have excellent eloquence. There are many similar people in the world, and if their appearances are so alike, their figures must be even more likely to be mistaken for each other. In that case, shouldn't my lady try to lessen my suspicion? It's all a misunderstanding."
To exploit her weakness?
Sui Zhixu scoffed, "Misunderstanding? That's not what the actress said."
"Rumors spread and falsehoods grow. How about I host a gathering at Zirong's restaurant another day, so that you can all discuss this in person?"
As he spoke, Prince Xuanping kept his gaze fixed on Sui Zhixu, making her particularly uncomfortable. She gripped the sachet tightly in front of her waist, and the faint scent of jasmine unexpectedly escaped, drifting in the air and looking quite endearing.
Fan Lingzhang, courtesy name Zirong.
He always complained that she didn't call him by his courtesy name, and cried and begged her to call him Zirong.
Little did she know that all the information she had was extracted from Fan Lingzhang before she used it.
"Then I'm afraid there's no time. After the examination, where will you take up your post, young master? It wouldn't be good if you didn't go to Chang'an. Besides, I have many other matters to attend to, and it wouldn't be good to keep Your Majesty waiting for me."
Before the two could speak, Sui Zhixu continued, "Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, it's just that my karmic ties with the young master and his sister are so deep that we keep running into each other wherever we go. I still need to go find the headmaster, so I'll take my leave now."
She wouldn't do a job that would put a lamb in the tiger's den.
As Xu bowed and took her leave, she hadn't taken two steps when a gentle, refined voice softly reached her ears, "Why not wait for the young lady? I always have plenty of time. It would be my honor to wait for the daughter of Prime Minister Cong and Master Sui. As for Shu Jin's appointment, Lady Sui will certainly not be disappointed."
Sui Zhixu turned to look at the two smiling men, then looked into the eyes of the Prince of Xuanping. "Damn it, he won't be disappointed," he thought.
She didn't say anything, and turned to leave.
[The system is broadcasting a real-time update to the host, detecting that Sui Zhixu's current luck is yellow, which can be stripped... *Zzz* - Error! Error!]
[The system will broadcast the message to the host again: "Detecting those with good fortune—Error! Error!"]
Prince Xuanping clenched his fists; the system had been malfunctioning lately. However, his luck had recently diminished, and he could guess the young lady's identity even without the system.
What a tragic fate!
"Your Majesty, you don't look well. Could it be that you didn't get enough rest last night?"
He laughed again and said, "That's true. I'm getting old, and I'm no longer like you young people."
“Wang is being modest. I’m only just over forty. Why do you say I’m so old?”
He didn't dwell on the topic, and casually remarked, "Shujin and Lady Sui do indeed have a deep connection."
Xi Yushao smiled, the beauty mark under his eye shining brightly, "I think so too."
[System rebroadcast: The system has detected that the current fortune of the person with the highest luck, Sui Zhixu (Lu Kou), is yellow and cannot be taken away. The danger index is high! It is recommended that the host eliminate him! Otherwise, it will bring incalculable consequences. Please handle this matter as soon as possible.]
[The system has detected that the host's luck is green, but the luck value is not full. It is recommended that the host deplete their luck to replenish it. The system will provide real-time support. Note that the host's luck cannot fall below yellow; if it does, the system will no longer monitor it. The host is advised to pay attention to their luck. The system wishes you all the best.]
Xi Yushao came today at the invitation of the teachers of Shanhai Academy to impart his experience in the imperial examinations. Prince Xuanping, having received the news, came with him to see what was going on.
Unexpectedly, he encountered Sui Zhixu. The Prince of Xuanping heard the system's broadcast in his mind again. After many days, the system finally reached a final conclusion and would no longer make mistakes.
Ah Ling, why did you have to come back?
He came back and then insisted on going against his uncle.
Wouldn't it have been better to spare her life? She was supposed to be his proudest child, yet she insisted on dying, and now that she's back, she's going to stand against him again.
Even Anniang followed her example, disobeying his orders time and time again.
Prince Xuanping turned back to follow the trail of Zhixu. The quiet path was lined with straight bamboo, the tender new leaves were green, and wildflowers by the roadside swayed freely in the wind.
"A freshman?"
"?" Xi Yushao didn't hear what he said clearly and asked in confusion, "What did Your Majesty say?"
"It's nothing. I just noticed that the bamboo is growing well, and it reminded me of the bamboo at home last winter. For some reason, that bamboo grove just didn't grow well. I just had a slight feeling about it."
"Wang could find some gardeners; perhaps the bamboo is sick."
"It can't be cured, so we have to cut it off and replace it with a new batch."
The Prince of Xuanping spoke in an ambiguous tone, and Xi Yushao felt that he was talking about more than just bamboo. He said, "Out with the old, in with the new. It's good to get a new batch."
"Shujin is very much to my liking. Let's go, let's not keep the next batch of students waiting."
Xi Yushao cupped his hands in agreement.
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