If Jiang Li didn’t place last in the examination, Meng Hongjin would have to kneel down and apologize to Jiang Li.

If Jiang Li’s examination results were better than Meng Hongjin’s, Meng Hongjin would have to kneel down and apologize to Jiang Li at the Imperial Academy gates.

If Jiang Li not only surpassed Meng Hongjin but also outperformed all the female students in Mingyi Hall, Meng Hongjin would have to carry thorny branches on her back to the Imperial Academy gates and kneel down to apologize to Jiang Li.

Three conditions, each more shocking than the last. Three wagers, each more terrifying than the previous!

Mingyi Hall fell into a dreadful silence. Not only was Meng Hongjin stunned, but Jiang Youyao’s group and even Liu Xu were all frozen, no one speaking, no one able to speak.

After a moment, Meng Hongjin snapped out of it and said furiously, “Jiang Li, how dare you!”

“I’ve always been quite daring,” Jiang Li said with a faint smile. “I just don’t know how brave Miss Meng is? Just now you seemed very bold, but now… can you bear this wager?”

Meng Hongjin bit her teeth and said nothing. Jiang Li spoke too lightly, stating such terrifying stakes without the slightest ripple in her voice, as if it were merely a game with a few coins at stake. Yet their wager was truly shocking and outrageous. Once someone won, the losing party would be utterly disgraced throughout the entire capital, even bringing shame upon their family.

Jiang Li had even mentioned the Imperial Academy…

The students at the Imperial Academy were all the talented young men of the capital, among them no shortage of sons from official and noble families. For young ladies like themselves, their future husbands would likely be chosen from among these people. To lose face before the Imperial Academy would be to lose face before men who might become one’s husband in the future. What young man would marry a woman who had become a laughingstock? Jiang Li’s intentions were truly vicious.

Meng Hongjin only felt waves of cold dread.

“Fine, let’s bet!” A petite girl standing behind Meng Hongjin said disdainfully. “Sister Hongjin, quickly agree to it. Second Miss Jiang is very confident, but perhaps overly confident.”

Liu Xu also came to her senses, looking at Jiang Li with eyes full of anxiety.

Only then did Meng Hongjin remember that she had proposed this wager naturally because she had never thought she would lose from the start. After all, a woman who had stayed in a nunnery for eight years—even if there were scriptures in the nunnery to teach her to read and write, scriptures and literacy were vastly different from the Six Arts. Each of the arts—calligraphy, mathematics, charioteering, archery, music, and ritual—required long-term practice. Not to mention anything else, Jiang Li had likely only just been exposed to these Six Arts. In such a short time, even understanding the basics would be difficult, while the other young ladies at Mingyi Hall had been studying here for several years. If she truly lost to Jiang Li, that would be utterly incomprehensible.

Jiang Li was destined to place last. Those stakes of hers were destined to become a deep pit she had dug for herself.

Thinking of this, Meng Hongjin raised a smile and said, “Since Second Miss Jiang is interested and has the courage, of course I’ll oblige you to the end. What’s said is said—today all the sisters of Mingyi Hall are witnesses. When the examination results come out, Second Miss Jiang cannot rely on being the Chief Minister’s daughter to go back on your word.”

“I won’t,” Jiang Li smiled. “I hope you won’t either.”

Her expression was calm, carefree and fearless. Seeing this in Meng Hongjin’s eyes was extremely grating. She immediately gave a cold snort and strode away.

The group dispersed in twos and threes, their gazes toward Jiang Li filled with both contempt and pity, as if they had already seen her ending in complete disgrace. Jiang Youyao came over, looking at Jiang Li and saying, “Second Sister, why must you compete with Miss Meng? Hongjin has always placed in the top three at Mingyi Hall examinations. For you to go head-to-head with her like this is truly not a wise move.”

Jiang Li looked at her and said, “According to Third Sister’s meaning, should I now go find Meng Hongjin and ask her to cancel this wager?”

Jiang Youyao froze for a moment, then quickly spoke. “But everyone at Mingyi Hall just witnessed it. If Second Sister cancels the wager, others will only think you can’t accept losing, bringing shame upon our entire Jiang family’s reputation.”

Jiang Li said, “In that case, the wager cannot be cancelled either. Third Sister need not worry for me. I’m someone who has always had extremely good luck. What if this time I also have good fortune and just happen to win the bet?”

Jiang Youyao smiled. “That would be excellent.” But her tone was entirely disbelieving.

After Jiang Youyao left, Liu Xu came forward, looking disdainfully at Jiang Youyao’s retreating figure. “That third sister of yours is clearly someone who kicks others when they’re down, waiting to see you make a fool of yourself.”

“Rather foolish.” Jiang Li smiled. Jiang Youyao was set on seeing her reputation ruined and disgraced, yet didn’t consider that when one prospers all prosper, when one suffers all suffer. If she truly lost and fulfilled the wager by kneeling to Meng Hongjin, the disgrace would be to the entire Jiang household. How could Jiang Youyao, as a Miss of the Jiang household, remain unaffected?

Jiang Youyao didn’t understand this principle, or perhaps even if she understood, she would rather suffer loss herself than see Jiang Li embarrassed, just like Yun Shuang toward Xiang Qiao back then.

“It’s all my fault.” Liu Xu looked at Jiang Li guiltily. “I was provoked by them just now. If not for me, you wouldn’t have needed to do this.”

“It’s not for you.” Jiang Li reassured her. “They were intent on finding fault. Even if not this matter, they would always find some excuse to cause trouble. There’s no point in being on guard against thieves forever. Better to use this one time to settle things cleanly.”

“But what should you do now?” Liu Xu said. “I imagine that since you dared accept the wager, you must have some confidence. But the Six Arts at Mingyi Hall are truly difficult. To be honest with you, every year I fall behind in one or two subjects during examinations. You’ve only just returned to the capital.”

“Actually, I have a photographic memory.” Jiang Li winked at her.

Liu Xu was stunned and nearly cried out in surprise. “Really?”

“Of course it’s false.” Jiang Li smiled and patted her shoulder. “But I’m also not as hopeless as they think. Don’t worry about me. You focus on reviewing your studies, and just wait for the day after the examination when Meng Hongjin kneels at the Imperial Academy gates to apologize.”

Liu Xu wanted to say more, but Jiang Li had already changed the subject. Although her heart was full of worry, seeing Jiang Li’s smiling appearance, for some reason Liu Xu inexplicably felt reassured and believed Jiang Li’s words without doubt.

Perhaps she really does have some method.

Jiang Li smiled inwardly. It was merely a school examination. Meng Hongjin’s provocation did indeed make her somewhat impatient. However, another purpose also attracted her—if she could take first place, she could enter the palace for an imperial audience and receive gifts.

At the palace night banquet, the court’s rising stars, including the current Secretary of the Central Secretariat Shen Yurong, should be there, as well as Princess Yongning.

She truly wanted to see these two people. Even if she couldn’t do anything, even if she still couldn’t personally avenge her enemies with her own hands, just sitting at a distance and watching their faces would be enough.

This way, she could constantly remind herself of the Xue family’s wrongful case, of the blood debt of her closest kin.

She could not forget. She dared not forget.