After the awkward and dangerous encounter that morning, Ming Shu obediently stayed with Madam Lin throughout the day, not wandering anywhere. With only four days remaining until the Third Prince and Minister of State’s visit to the academy, Madam Lin had numerous tasks to handle.
Ming Shu assisted her by managing registries and running errands. For Ming Shu, as long as it wasn’t cooking or embroidery, she could handle any other tasks well. Seeing her cleverness and diligence, Madam Lin grew increasingly fond of her and became more talkative.
“Madam, have some water and catch your breath.” Seeing Madam Lin hurriedly entering the room, Ming Shu quickly poured a cup of tea and handed it to her.
Madam Lin threw the account book on the table with a “thud” and gulped down two mouthfuls of tea before speaking: “Finally, some water! My throat was about to catch fire.” She plopped down into the round chair and complained, “I’m exhausted. They just delivered a batch of potted plants, but the numbers don’t match the registry. Now everything’s piled up outside Xue Garden and can’t be stored. I have to go check again, with a pile of other urgent matters following me around like debt collectors. It’s truly frustrating!”
Ming Shu picked up the account book and opened it. Inside were several purchase and inventory lists detailing about ten types of potted plants, including Buddhist Pine, Nandina, Gardenia jasminoides, Azalea, and others, each with corresponding quantities. Ming Shu quickly calculated in her mind.
After complaining for a while and massaging her waist, Madam Lin prepared to head to Xue Garden. Ming Shu spoke up: “Madam Lin, the total number of plants and flowers is correct. The error is in these two types of potted plants. Look… The names might have been switched when copying the registry.” She pointed out the discrepancy between the purchase and inventory lists for two particular plants.
After examining for a moment, Madam Lin exclaimed happily: “You’re right! Thank goodness for you, child. You’ve saved me a lot of effort.” While putting away the account book, she continued complaining, “I don’t know what’s wrong with Tang Li lately, making mistakes so often. Such a basic error too.”
Upon hearing this, Ming Shu quickly asked: “Tang Li? Is that… the child adopted by the Academy Master?”
“You know him?” Madam Lin asked suspiciously, turning her head while hurrying out with the account book.
“I met him once when I came to visit my brother before,” Ming Shu casually invented.
“Yes, he’s the child the Academy Master adopted. Brought him in at six years old, and he’s been at Songling Academy for nearly ten years now. That child is clever too – he’d secretly peek through the windows at the teachers’ lectures and learn quite a bit. When the Academy Master saw he had some aptitude, he simply let him study alongside the academy students. Your Teacher He’s wife often has him help with clerical work, including these registries.”
“At sixteen, he should have taken the children’s examination. Didn’t he try for the autumn provincial examination last year?” Ming Shu inquired curiously.
“He can’t participate because of his family…” Madam Lin shook her head without finishing her sentence. “The Academy Master and Teacher He’s wife intends for him to learn some life skills and eventually secure a position as a clerk at the academy.” She then teased Ming Shu, “Little girl, why are you asking so much about Tang Li? Could it be…”
Ming Shu lowered her head feigning shyness and said, “I’m just asking casually, Madam Lin, please don’t tease me.” In her heart, though, she wondered about Tang Li’s inability to take the imperial examinations. Not everyone in the Da’an Dynasty could participate in the examinations – for instance, descendants of certain professions and criminals were prohibited. She wondered which category Tang Li fell into.
“It’s better if you are just asking casually. That Tang Li… isn’t a suitable match for you,” Madam Lin commented.
“Madam, I really was just asking casually,” Ming Shu protested, then probed further, “I saw he’s quite close to the Young Lord of Yongqing, and thought they might be of similar status, but unexpectedly…”
“The Young Lord of Yongqing is proper and gentle, with many connections. He associates with many students at our academy, not just Tang Li, though he is indeed closer to Tang Li than others. They’ve known each other for nearly ten years, so it’s not surprising.” Having worked at the academy for over twenty years, there wasn’t much Madam Lin didn’t know about.
“Known each other for ten years?” Ming Shu was astounded. Wasn’t that about the same time as knowing Wen An?
She wanted to ask more, but they had reached Xue Garden, and Madam Lin had no time for further chat. She quickly walked to the pile of potted plants and called out loudly: “Come, everyone, please check these against the list one final time. If everything’s correct, no need to store them – take them directly to Mingli Hall.”
With important visitors coming to the academy, decorations were needed throughout, especially in the teaching areas, with Mingli Hall being the largest teaching hall and lecture room.
As Madam Lin was directing the servants to recount the plants, a student messenger came running breathlessly to find her: “Madam Lin, the masons and carpenters you sought have arrived and are waiting for you.”
Madam Lin stamped her foot: “Things never come alone – they all come at once!”
Songling Academy has a history of over a hundred years, and its buildings have been standing for many years, with various areas needing repair. These craftsmen were hired to renovate the buildings.
“Ming Shu, watch over things here for me. Once the counting is done, bring them to find me at Mingli Hall,” Madam Lin said, unable to be in two places at once.
“Sure thing!” Ming Shu readily agreed.
After Madam Lin hurried away, Ming Shu organized everyone to count the plants and load them onto carts, handling everything efficiently. Only then did she lead the group pulling two large carts of potted plants toward Mingli Hall.
Fortunately, she had noted down the route she learned yesterday in her small notebook, making today’s journey effortless.
After walking for about a quarter-hour, Ming Shu arrived outside Mingli Hall with the two carts of plants. Madam Lin was showing the craftsmen areas needing repair and couldn’t attend to her side immediately, so Ming Shu waited outside Mingli Hall.
Just then, the noon bell rang, signaling the end of morning classes. Soon, the sound of chatter emerged from Mingli Hall as students filed out in small groups.
Besides the examination candidates, some students not participating in the metropolitan examination were also attending classes in Mingli Hall today. While there were many people, they dispersed quickly. Ming Shu spotted her brother walking down the stone steps with his head lowered. Not wanting to draw attention, she gathered some small stones from the nearby grass and threw them at him from a distance.
Lu Chang walked a few steps before getting hit on the head by a small stone. Looking up, he saw someone standing by the two carts ahead and his lips curved slightly. Just as he was about to approach, urgent calls came from behind: “Brother Yang, wait for me!”
Lu Chang looked back to see the student surnamed Yang stopping under the plaque of Mingli Hall, with several other students still coming out from inside.
Ming Shu was about to wave to Lu Chang when she suddenly saw his expression change drastically as he turned back toward Mingli Hall.
As she wondered what was happening, she heard Lu Chang shout sharply: “Get away!”
The plaque hanging above Mingli Hall’s main entrance came crashing down with a rumble.
Lu Chang had just rushed to the area below the plaque. Ming Shu watched clearly, immediately forgetting all propriety with eyes fixed only on Lu Chang, shouting “Brother” while throwing away the stones in her hand and rushing up the stone steps.
BOOM—
The ground shook as the massive plaque fell, triggering numerous screams. Lu Chang leaped forward, either pushing or tackling people away. Those standing under the plaque were either knocked down by Lu Chang or pushed aside, narrowly escaping disaster. The plaque hit the ground, breaking into two pieces, but splintered wood fragments bounced up and scattered in all directions.
“Watch out!” someone shouted urgently, pulling Ming Shu back a couple of steps.
The flying wood fragments brushed past Ming Shu’s arm without hitting her. Ming Shu collected herself and glanced at the person who had pulled her to safety in the critical moment.
Song Qingzhao wanted to say something, but Ming Shu only hurriedly said “Thank you” before running up the stone steps again. Those who had fallen were slowly sitting up, groaning. Fortunately, no one had been hit by the plaque directly, suffering only minor injuries. The surrounding students gradually gathered around, completely encircling the entrance.
“Brother!” Ming Shu rushed to Lu Chang’s side anxiously.
“Why did you come over here? Are you hurt?” Lu Chang asked immediately upon seeing her.
“How can you worry about whether I’m hurt? Look at yourself!” Ming Shu was extremely anxious, feeling as if her soul had nearly left her body.
Lu Chang looked at his hands, which had some scrapes and were bleeding slightly from falling while saving people, but it wasn’t serious. Seeing Ming Shu so worried, his heart warmed, and he said, “It’s nothing, just scratches. Don’t worry.” As he spoke, he supported himself to stand up, then reached out to help the student surnamed Yang beside him.
The student surnamed Yang was frozen in shock – if Lu Chang hadn’t arrived in time, he would have been crushed to death by the plaque.
Seeing that Lu Chang was unharmed, Ming Shu felt greatly relieved and turned to help another person who had also been saved by Lu Chang’s timely push.
“Are you alright?” Ming Shu bent down to help the person up.
The person slowly rose with Ming Shu’s assistance, but as soon as their foot touched the ground, they suddenly cried out in pain and stumbled toward Ming Shu, half their body leaning against her arm. In the urgency, Ming Shu grabbed their waist to steady them, but they abruptly pushed Ming Shu away, losing their balance and falling back to the ground.
Ming Shu stared at this person in confusion – she was a girl, and hadn’t said anything about a man being so close to her, so why was he so agitated?
“Tang Li!” Someone urgently pushed through the onlookers and rushed to that person’s side.
Ming Shu saw the newcomer and hearing this name, both her ears and eyes tensed.
“Brother Xie, I’m fine, just twisted my ankle,” Tang Li’s voice was clear, almost childlike, yet somehow androgynous. Upon seeing Xie Xi, his expression noticeably relaxed.
“Let me help you,” Xie Xi said while reaching out.
Ming Shu finally saw the real person she had been wondering about – Tang Li was slightly taller than her, with delicate features and fair skin. His behavior and mannerisms were no different from other men, and Xie Xi showed particular concern for him, more attentive than to others.
On the other side, someone else arrived and asked the student surnamed Yang, “That was terrifying! Brother Yang, are you alright?”
“I’m fine, thanks to Brother Lu’s rescue.” Yang bowed in gratitude to Lu Chang, but his gaze went past Lu Chang’s shoulder toward Tang Li, who was already being helped away by Xie Xi.
The academy’s managers and workers all rushed to the scene, and Madam Lin hurried over with a group of craftsmen. After hearing what happened, Madam Lin clutched her chest and said, “Amitabha Buddha, thank heaven and earth. This plaque was already reported for repair and was supposed to be fixed at the end of last year, but was delayed until now due to winter rain and snow. We nearly had a disaster, thankfully everyone’s safe.” While speaking, she directed the carpenters to inspect the plaque while dismissing the crowd and having people help the injured to see the doctor on duty at the academy.
Lu Chang and Ming Shu walked down the stone steps together, both suddenly falling silent.
Lu Chang looked back at the empty doorframe, while Ming Shu stared at her hand.
Something wasn’t right! Was it just her imagination?