On the third day after arriving in the capital, Li Jian and Sun Zixi went to the Imperial Academy to report for duty. The children studying there were either outstanding students with real skills or children of high-ranking royal officials.
It wasn't uncommon for women to study, but in most cases, it was princesses. The current eldest princess, Yuwen Helan, was a famous female student at the Imperial Academy.
The class assignments remained the same; Li Jian was assigned to Class A, while Zi Xi went to Class C.
When it comes to studying, I simply can't compete.
Who among the privileged sons of noble families wouldn't know the Four Books and Five Classics to be admitted to the Imperial Academy?
It's mainly about comprehension. Under Hua Luan's tutelage over the years, Li Jian can tell what the opponent is planning with just a glance, whether it's a scheme or a plot.
There is a very large ginkgo tree in the Imperial College. It is only slightly yellow now, with green and gold intermingling. Li Jian looked up at the towering tree, which seemed to be able to cover a corner of the courtyard.
Her teacher was standing under the tree to greet her; he was said to be the son of the Minister of Personnel in the imperial court.
He was not much older than Li Jian. Li Jian was seven or eight years older than Long Er and was now twenty-four or twenty-five, a good age. It was quite rare for someone of this age to be unmarried and come to school instead.
"Greetings, sir," Li Jian said, bowing respectfully.
The man in front of her had a similar demeanor to Zhao Kai. If she remembered correctly, he was the top scholar in the imperial examination a few years ago. Rumor had it that he had no interest in becoming an official and only wanted to have students all over the world and become a great scholar.
He was good-looking, the kind of gentle and refined young master, and his long robes and wide sleeves made him seem more approachable.
"What's your name?" the man asked.
"The Sharp Sword of Huo Pan".
"Rebirth from the ashes, sharp as a sword, a good name, the person who named you put in a lot of effort."
"..."
This left Li Jian somewhat at a loss for words, especially regarding the name.
It was something I came up with while making sauerkraut and blood sausage. It took less than fifteen minutes from start to finish. If I had to say what effort I put in, it would be wearing nine pairs of cotton trousers.
Then the gentleman continued speaking
"Now that you have passed the Class A exam, you should study hard from now on and not let the Prince of Zhenbei's efforts go to waste."
It wasn't even half a day before they found out which route these two had taken to get in.
Most people have never seen the Prince of Zhenbei, so these two are their only source of information.
"Yes, sir."
Li Jian rarely spoke to outsiders. His long hair cascaded down his back like a waterfall, and his face, as bright as the autumn moon, was expressionless. Especially when paired with his white student uniform, he made people even more hesitant to approach him.
If you see her in the summer, you'll feel cool without needing ice.
"She's not bad looking. Why isn't she married at this age? What's the point of her studying?"
"The more people there are in Class A, the harder it will be for me to get in, and I'll get beaten up when I get home."
"What do you guys think? Should we go over and bully her? Wouldn't it be better if we managed to drive her away?"
The boys from Class B who came to watch the commotion whispered among themselves, especially the rich young master who seemed to be well-off. Everyone in the Imperial Academy wore the same clothes, but the jade pendant at their waist and the hair ornaments on their heads revealed their status.
The young man speaking was clearly a spoiled brat.
"Brother, isn't this a bad idea? It's the Prince of Zhenbei."
"Brother, the Prince of Zhenbei conquered the grasslands. What if she comes looking for trouble with us?"
"No way, how could a mere Prince of Zhenbei bully us juniors?"
If Hou Xiangxiang were here and heard this, she would definitely say: "Yes, you are really capable. No matter how big you are, the difference is just the force you use."
But before the other party could make a move, the sword merely glanced in their direction, and the students who were plotting something bad immediately hid back.
"Did you see that? The way that woman looked at me just now?"
"Brother, I saw it, and my heart was pounding."
"How about we just memorize the texts? At least... that's more realistic."
"I think that's fine too."
It's easy to talk to Li Jian, but it's not so easy for Zi Xi. She's young and cute, while most of the students in Class C are spoiled brats who are very sarcastic when they see pretty girls.
"Does Miss Sun have someone she likes at her age?"
"Did you come to study at our Imperial Academy to be like those young ladies in storybooks who come looking for their ideal husbands?"
If any other girl heard this, she would either be so angry that she would run away or go back to her brother, but Sun Zixi was different.
While others were negotiating life-or-death deals with the Xiongnu on the grasslands, these young masters were probably out having fun somewhere.
The girl put away the books on the table, turned to look at the students who had been harassing her, and said...
"Did you fail to get into Class A because you didn't want to?"
"Are you in Class C hoping to become like those suddenly famous scholars in storybooks?"
"Are you all still unmarried at this age because the ladies of equal social standing don't find you attractive?"
"There can't be anyone this age who still doesn't have anyone who likes them, right? They can only go to brothels and spend money to buy the girls' affections."
"Tsk, how embarrassing."
"Don't mention you were in the same class as me when you go out in the future."
Several spoiled young masters were somewhat bewildered by Sun Zixi's words, then they realized what was happening and slammed their fists on the table, saying...
"You shrew! We were just teasing you!"
The girl seemed not to have heard his insult about being a shrew, and replied indifferently.
"I was just teasing you."
"Furthermore, if you say another word, I will have the Prince of Zhenbei talk to your father."
"You're just a county magistrate's daughter! And your parents are divorced. If you don't find a good family to marry into now, who will want you in the future?"
I advise you to go home and take a look.
"Besides, would the Prince of Zhenbei offend someone as soon as he arrived in the capital for your sake? Miss Sun really thinks too highly of herself."
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