The Art of Winning Hearts
After leaving Baozhilin, Xie Sili went straight back to the academy.
Because of Xie Jingche and Xie Jingyan's incident, the chubby boy knew he was in the wrong and stopped coming to the academy.
With their gentle and refined personalities, the two of them quickly gained a foothold in the Enlightenment Hall, and the sons of nobles aged five, six, seven, and eight all liked to follow behind them.
Xie Jingche and Xie Jingyan grew up in Yuzhou City and were doted on by Yingyi and Anyi. They were exposed to far more things than the children in Chang'an City, and their knowledge was quite broad, ranging from astronomy and geography to the lives of ordinary people.
Xie Sili stood in front of the Enlightenment Hall, watching Xie Jingche and Xie Jingyan interact with them.
Those children were like flowers growing in a greenhouse, accustomed to the prosperity of Chang'an, and they envied the world Xie Jingche spoke of.
Xie Sili stood there for a while, then heard Murong's voice beside him, "As expected of Mr. Zhuge's last disciple."
"Since his elder brother passed away, Mr. Zhuge has traveled around the country and naturally knows more than others. If it weren't for the life-saving grace he received back then, and the fact that A-Che and Yan-Yan are his elder brother's sons, I think Mr. Zhuge would not have been willing to come out of seclusion."
The reason why Longmen Academy was able to rise in such a short time can be said to be largely due to the help of Mr. Zhuge.
Zhuge Zhao was a highly respected scholar in his time, with about three thousand disciples who all deeply respected him. These three thousand disciples traveled to various countries, and they all considered it an honor to be Zhuge Zhao's student.
Among them, the most prominent was Crown Prince Jun Qichen of Jun State. It is said that he was deeply loved by Master Zhuge and wanted to impart all his knowledge to him. However, the late Crown Prince died young, so he proposed to retire to the mountains.
"Miss, you may not know this, but the young master communicates with anyone effortlessly. Even when facing someone like His Highness Prince Yan, he can remain calm and composed." Shangguan's words were filled with undisguised admiration and pride.
"It is thanks to Mr. Zhuge, as well as my grandparents. I am very fortunate to have them by my side all these years."
"How is Zhao Yi doing?" Xie Sili turned to look at Murong beside him. "He should have come to the academy many times since then."
"At first, we only let the Li family take the lead. After seeing that the academy did not give face to the Li family, they came a few times. But I always remembered what the girl said and did not have any dealings with them. The gifts they sent were all converted into cash and stored in the shop, waiting for Sister-in-law Cheng to come and return them to her."
Xie Sili looked at Murong and nodded in satisfaction. "After the major exam this year, you will return to Yuzhou City for the New Year. The deans from other countries will also be going back, so you can take the opportunity to exchange information." As she spoke, she patted Murong on the shoulder. "The waters in Chang'an City are destined to be a bit murky."
Noticing the gazes of Murong and Shangguan, Xie Sili stood there and let them look him over.
a long time.
Upon hearing their voices, they declared, "We are willing to dedicate ourselves to you, even unto death."
Listening to their words, Xie Sili rubbed his head with a headache and waved his hand at them, "There's no need for that. I've said before that what I need is your loyalty. To me, you are not superiors and subordinates, but more like equals and friends."
“Please don’t be so polite, young lady,” Murong quickly said. “If it weren’t for you back then, the grass on that grave would probably have grown wild several times over by now, and I wouldn’t be here having such a long conversation with you.”
“For the young lady, it may just be a trivial matter of a chance encounter, but for us, she is our savior,” Shangguan quickly chimed in.
Seeing the expressions on their faces, Xie Sili quickly stopped them, "No, no, no! As the saying goes, 'Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda.'"
She took two things out of her sleeve and placed them in their hands, saying, "Remember the bitter past and appreciate the sweet present." Then she turned and left them with a graceful back view.
Back in the bamboo house, Xie Sili saw Si Ze standing there practicing Tai Chi.
The bamboo forest is now completely bare, making Si Ze stand out conspicuously. Perhaps sensing her gaze, Si Ze turned his head.
“Miss.” He walked towards her after making the last movement. “According to what you said, they have been keeping an eye on Princess Anning. It seems she will be entering Chang’an soon.”
"Remember to let me know if anything changes," Xie Sili casually instructed. "What's the situation in Yuzhou City?"
“Aunt Yang, along with the Fourth Young Master and the Ninth Miss, will soon arrive in Chang’an. Judging by their pace, they should arrive in four or five days at most,” Si Ze replied. “The ones escorting them back this time are An Er and An San. They did not encounter any ambushes along the way, so they have had a safe journey.”
Xie Sili sat down in a chair, glanced at Si Ze, and said, "Go to Yu Pin Xuan and get some food. I don't feel like cooking these days." She then yawned.
Si Ze covered Xie Sili with a thin blanket before heading to Yu Pin Xuan.
When Jun Qiyu arrived at the bamboo house, he saw Xie Sili resting with his eyes closed on a chair.
The sunlight shone on her with a soft glow, gilding her with a golden hue.
He stopped in his tracks, seemingly unwilling to spoil the beautiful scene.
He leaned against the tree behind him, and some past events resurfaced in his mind.
The current situation is far from what he knew.
But the only thing that will remain unchanged is that she will still be his only wife.
What are you doing here?!
Hearing the familiar voice, Jun Qiyu turned his head and saw two small figures standing in front of him, their faces showing a protective look, seemingly displeased with his approach.
"I've come to see my wife," Jun Qiyu said shamelessly.
"Auntie is not your wife!" Xie Jingyan's words were accompanied by a kick to his shin.
"So what if you're our uncle? We don't like you." Xie Jingche put his hands on his hips, a rare hint of childishness appearing on his face.
"She'll be mine sooner or later..."
Before Jun Qiyu could finish speaking, he felt a gust of wind brush past his ear. If he hadn't dodged in time, that sword strike would have been far more than just cutting off a strand of hair.
He looked up and saw Si Ze sheathing his sword, his icy eyes fixed on him.
Accompanying this was his clear, crisp voice, "How arrogant!"
Jun Qiyu looked at Si Ze and touched his nose somewhat guiltily.
He remembered that back in Yuzhou City, Xie Sili had declared that he could marry Si Ze if he could defeat her.
Xie Sili's words influenced many people at the time, and some even went to challenge him, but none of them were his match.
When Jun Qiyu first sparred with him, he knew that Si Ze's martial arts skills were extremely high, but they belonged to a school he had never seen before.
Just as Jun Qiyu was about to speak, he heard Si Ze's voice ring out again.
"If you want to marry a girl, you'll have to get past me first." He said, pointing his sword at him.
Inside the Prime Minister's residence.
No sooner had Xie Sinan been invited into Baozhilin than Madam Huang learned of the matter.
She acted very discreetly about Lian'er's matter, and even her personal maids were unaware of it.
Their aim was to take Xie Sinan's life so that he wouldn't hinder Xie Siyu's promising future.
"Madam, what has happened?" Bai Zhi looked at Huang Shi. "I noticed you seem distracted."
Huang suppressed her emotions and glanced at Bai Zhi beside her. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about going to Ci'en Temple."
“Madam, the Fifth Young Master is currently very popular. If he can catch the eye at the Empress’s birthday banquet, wouldn’t it be easy for him to marry Princess Anning?” Bai Zhi stepped forward and coaxed.
"If I can come out on top in the annual grand examination, I might be able to catch the eye of Her Majesty the Empress." As she spoke, Madam Huang's gaze fell on the reflection in the bronze mirror.
"Yu-ge'er has been very diligent in his studies over the years, and his results in the previous major exams were quite good, but he still failed to come out on top. Although those people have no power or influence, they have still caught His Majesty's eye." Madam Huang sighed softly as she said this.
“Madam, the Fifth Young Master comes from a powerful and noble family. How can those poor scholars compare to him? Even if those scholars catch His Majesty's eye, what then? They can only start as lowly officials.” Bai Zhi said, her gaze falling on Madam Huang.
"If you, young master, come out on top, you will naturally be in a high position, far beyond what those others can compare to." Her words were full of praise and compliments for Xie Siyu.
Bai Zhi's words instantly dispelled all the unpleasantness Huang had experienced because of Xie Si Nan.
"Bai Zhi, go to Nan Ge'er's courtyard and call Lian'er over. I have some private things I want to say to her," Madam Huang instructed Bai Zhi, looking up at her.
Before long, Madam Huang saw Lian'er, who had been brought over by Bai Zhi.
She is still the same as I remember, gentle and kind, even her eyes have a captivating charm.
"This servant greets Madam." Lian'er bowed respectfully, "May I ask why Madam has summoned me here?"
Watching Bai Zhi leave, Madam Huang glanced at Lian'er and asked, "How have you been with your Nan'er these past few days?"
“Reporting to Madam, the Second Young Master has not summoned me for a long time.” Lian’er looked at her with a hint of flirtation in her eyes, “Every time I try to serve the Second Young Master, he refuses me.”
Her eyes reddened as she spoke, "It's all my fault, I didn't serve the Second Young Master well."
"How much longer does he have?" Madam Huang changed her usual attitude and focused her gaze on Lian'er, asking in a kind and gentle tone, but her eyes were filled with calculation.
Lian'er glanced at Madam Huang and replied, "After all, his health has suffered in recent years. If things continue like this, the Second Young Master has at most six months left to live."
“Lian’er, if you can help him ascend to paradise sooner, I will naturally let you go back.” As she spoke, Madam Huang took Lian’er’s hand. “Back then, I bought you and placed you in his room because I wanted you to gain his favor. Over the years, you have been constantly favored.”
Looking at Lian'er, Madam Huang coaxed, "If Nan-ge'er is happy, he'll make you a concubine. What do you think?"
"Lian'er will leave it to Madam's arrangements." She said, glancing at Madam Huang before lowering her head.
"Good, good, good!" Madam Huang took Lian'er's hand and patted it with satisfaction. "I'll bring this up with Nan'er when he gets out of school today."
After seeing Lian'er off, Madam Huang's face returned to its previous cold expression. "Baizhi, have Yu-ge come to my place sometime."
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