"I won't!" Su Mingxuan stiffened his neck, his hand already grasping the wooden sword at his waist, "If you dare to bully my sister, I will..."
"Mingxuan!" Su Jinli hurriedly pulled her brother back and bowed to Master Li again. "Master, please calm down. My brother was young and ignorant, and I offended you. It's my fault for not being strict enough." She paused, then looked up at the Master, her eyes clear yet tinged with a hint of cunning. "However, I just heard you explain that 'friends' mean 'the same kind,' and something suddenly occurred to me. I hope you can clarify this for me."
Master Li snorted in annoyance, "Speak!"
"The Book of Changes says, 'A gentleman studies with his friends.'" Su Jinli began slowly, her voice clear. "Kong Yingda's commentary on the meaning of 'friends' here says, 'Fellow students are called peng, and those who share the same ideals are called you.' So, 'peng' originally means 'of the same kind,' and together with 'you', 'friends,' it generally refers to people who share the same ideals." She smiled slightly. "I just interpreted 'peng' to mean 'friends.' While not as profound as you, Master, it's not terribly wrong, is it?"
These words, with their clear and logical explanations, not only addressed his own "stupidity," but also cleverly pointed out that while the Master's explanations were profound, they didn't necessarily completely deny the common interpretations. The three students in the room were stunned, their eyes filled with shock as they looked at Su Jinli.
Master Li's goat beard twitched. He had never expected this seemingly fragile woman to possess such insight. He was speechless for a moment, and after a long pause, he managed to utter, "You...you are making up stories!"
"Master, you are too kind." Su Jinli bowed respectfully. "I am just discussing the scriptures. If there is anything inappropriate, please correct me."
Seeing her neither humble nor arrogant, Master Li knew that if he continued to make things difficult for her, he would only appear narrow-minded. He snorted heavily, waved his sleeves, and said, "Forget it! Sit down!"
Su Mingxuan winked at Su Jinli with pride before sitting down. In the following class, although Master Li no longer deliberately made things difficult for him, he still kept a stern face and simply explained the lesson step by step without asking any more questions.
By the time school was over, the setting sun had already dyed the courtyard a golden red. As Su Jinli walked out of Zhiwei Hall, a clear voice called out to her, "Miss Su, please stay."
She turned around and saw the scholar in blue clothes who had been sitting opposite her today. He was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with delicate features, a high nose bridge, and a gentle and polite look in his eyes.
"I wonder if you have any advice for me, sir?" Su Jinli stopped and asked.
The scholar bowed humbly, "My name is Li Xiuyuan, the second son of the Minister of Personnel. Today, I listened to Miss Su's discussion with the Master. Their words were exquisite and I benefited greatly from them." His eyes gleamed with sincerity. "I also have some insights into the Analects. I wonder if Miss Su would be willing to come over and discuss a few things with us?"
Su Jinli studied him; she seemed to have heard the name before. Li Xiuyuan was a renowned scholar in the capital, having passed the imperial examination at the age of sixteen. He had a gentle disposition and a good reputation. Judging from his appearance, he didn't seem to harbor any ill intentions.
"You're too polite, sir," Su Jinli smiled slightly. "I wouldn't call it a discussion, but we can certainly learn from each other."
The two of them found a stone table on the winding corridor of the garden and sat down. Li Xiuyuan first asked Su Jinli a few difficult questions from the Analects of Confucius. Su Jinli answered them calmly, often offering unique insights. The more Li Xiuyuan listened, the more impressed he became, and the surprise in his eyes gradually turned to admiration.
"Miss Su is truly erudite," he exclaimed heartily. "I used to think women's reading was just a pretense of elegance, but now I realize how shallow I was."
"You're too kind, sir," Su Jinli said modestly. "I've simply read a few more books, so I know a thing or two." She paused, and seeing Li Xiuyuan's refined conversation, she tentatively asked, "Sir, you just mentioned 'Learning without reflection is useless.' I wonder what your thoughts are on the 'investigation of things to attain knowledge' doctrine currently prevalent in the Imperial Academy?"
Li Xiuyuan's eyes lit up. He had not expected her to ask about such profound knowledge. He immediately became interested and started talking. They talked about Cheng Zhu Neo-Confucianism, Lu Wang's School of Mind, and the classics, history, and poetry. The more they talked, the more interested they became, and they even forgot the time.
It wasn't until Lu'e arrived and reminded them it was getting late that the two reluctantly said their goodbyes. Li Xiuyuan bowed and said, "It was a wonderful conversation with Miss Su today. I benefited greatly from it. If there's an opportunity someday, I hope to learn from her again."
"You're welcome, sir. Jinli is at your service anytime." Su Jinli bowed in return, looking at Li Xiuyuan's retreating figure, lost in thought. Perhaps making friends with such a talented person would be helpful in her future.
Back at Suiyuxuan, Lu'e couldn't help but wonder, "Miss, Mr. Li looks quite refined. What did he talk to you about? He talked for so long."
Su Jinli took the hot tea she offered and took a sip. "It's just some academic matters." She didn't say much, but asked, "Is there any news from Father?"
"Butler Zhang came by just now," Lu'e said quickly, "and said that the master asked you to go to the main hall after dinner. It seems that the matter of the Wang family has been clarified."
Su Jinli's eyes narrowed, and sure enough, he came.
After dinner, Su Jinli came to the main hall. Su Hongye was sitting at the head table, a stack of files on the coffee table before him, his face solemn. Seeing her enter, he gestured to a nearby chair and said, "Sit down."
"Father," Su Jinli sat down and asked softly, "What about the Wang family..."
Su Hongye picked up the file and handed it to her: "Take a look for yourself."
The file contained detailed information about Wang Chengye, the second son of the Wang family, written in the handwriting of an aide to Prime Minister Su. It not only recorded his gambling debts—a staggering twelve thousand taels—but also detailed his misdeeds of keeping mistresses in lavish houses outside the city and forcibly abducting women. It even revealed how he had withheld his servants' monthly wages to gamble with them.
The more Su Jinli looked at him, the colder her expression became. In her previous life, she had almost married such a scumbag!
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