Xiao Dingfei spoke without restraint. Ever since returning to the capital, he had been the foremost wastrel young master in the city—cockfighting, dog racing, horse riding, gambling—there was nothing he couldn’t do and nothing he wasn’t skilled at. He only drove Duke Dingguo Xiao Yuan dizzy with anger. Even when meeting his sister Xiao Shu, who was an Imperial Noble Consort in the palace, he deliberately used his status as “elder brother” to pressure her. Day after day he hung around Jiang Xuening, the mortal enemy of the Xiao clan. The entire family denounced him as unfilial, yet they could do nothing about him.

Throughout the court and beyond, everyone simply regarded him as someone who had survived great calamity—that he could even live was heaven opening its eyes.

Raised among butchers and markets, could anyone really expect him to achieve greatness?

Therefore, all the civil and military officials had a rare tolerance for him. The imperial family felt guilty toward him and dared not make things difficult for him, which only made this person increasingly wild and reckless.

But Jiang Xuening sometimes actually felt compatible with this person’s temperament. Even though he was frivolous and dissolute, somehow he seemed more pleasing to the eye than those honey-tongued, dagger-hearted people in court. Inexplicably, she could get along with him.

Others had joked that Her Majesty the Empress favored Xiao Dingfei because this wastrel and she were kindred spirits in misfortune.

After all, though both were legitimate children of their families, they had both ended up wandering outside due to misfortune—how could they not sympathize with each other?

Even Jiang Xuening herself couldn’t deny that when she first didn’t know the truth, she indeed inevitably had such thoughts. As for later, it was purely that she found it comfortable to associate with someone who didn’t hide things.

Seeing the writing is like seeing the person.

Even if written poorly, some of the true nature can still be seen.

What was her true nature?

Could it be that Shen Jie had already seen it back then? But at that time, she hadn’t even seen herself clearly…

The semi-cursive script she had just written was spread out before her. Jiang Xuening looked up at Wang Jiu, who stood in front of her desk with a stern expression. She wanted to argue that she liked cursive script, and shouldn’t the style and form of writing she preferred depend entirely on personal preference?

But thinking it over, she was only staying in the palace for half a year.

Learning regular script could be treated as a pleasant diversion to cultivate her temperament. Why bother making the teacher unhappy again—wouldn’t that just create trouble for herself in the end?

Once she left the palace, she could write whatever she wanted. Who could control her then?

So she quickly calmed down.

She bowed her head to Wang Jiu and said: “Teacher’s instruction is correct. This student will remember.”

Only then did Wang Jiu nod with satisfaction, saying: “Finally showing some semblance of being a student.”

Then he turned around and walked to the front of the hall, instructing everyone to open the first missive in the Eighteen Missives. He first provided an explanation, then had everyone attempt to copy it. If one ignored his extremely strict rules and his intolerance of students asking even half a question or making half an inquiry in class, he was actually a decent teacher who followed the rules.

When the hour of the Dragon reached its midpoint, Wang Jiu gathered his things and dismissed class.

As soon as he left, everyone immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Fang Miao couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Xuening, still shaken as she said: “I was truly scared to death. I thought Miss Jiang Er was going to be like she was with Teacher Zhao the day before yesterday. This Teacher Wang is also sharp-tongued and fierce, not easy to provoke. Fortunately not, fortunately not!”

Jiang Xuening thought to herself that yesterday she had merely asked Teacher Zhao Yanhong what the character “mao” meant. No matter what, it couldn’t be connected to the word “contradiction.” It was just that this Teacher Zhao judged people by their status, pretentiously putting on airs as a teacher.

Setting aside positions and calculations—

Xie Wei’s learning and vision far surpassed Teacher Zhao by several mountains, yet he was modest and unassuming. He had never turned hostile just because others questioned him a few times. The difference in cultivation could be seen at a glance.

She wasn’t very pleased in her heart, so she only returned Fang Miao’s friendly smile and didn’t respond.

However, Chen Shuyi had been at odds with Jiang Xuening since the first day of school, and she still remembered their dispute in the “literature” class taught by Xie Wei. But now, after two days of classes, she witnessed Jiang Xuening being put in her place everywhere, and couldn’t help feeling secretly pleased.

After all, people like Xie Wei were the minority.

Weren’t the teachers of other subjects all rule-abiding and strictly observing propriety?

So she picked up Fang Miao’s thread of conversation and said with a smile: “This Scholar-in-Attendance Wang from the Hanlin Academy is not just any ordinary esteemed scholar. His ancestors were famous major salt merchants in Yangzhou. Later, after earning enough money, the whole family abandoned commerce for officialdom. By Teacher Wang’s generation, there are already three presented scholars in the family. The current Director of Salt Administration for Huai River Region, Wang Xian, is his elder cousin. In court, he’s hardly isolated and helpless like some poor Hanlin scholar, so naturally he wouldn’t necessarily grovel and flatter just anyone. Like some Assistant Minister of Revenue—he might not necessarily fear them!”

Among those present, only Jiang Xuening had a father who was Assistant Minister of Revenue.

Who among the crowd couldn’t hear that this was a pointed jab at her?

For a moment, everyone turned their eyes to look at Jiang Xuening.

However, You Yue, upon hearing the word “salt” in “Director of Salt Administration for Huai River Region,” was slightly startled. She remembered the matter she had instructed her subordinates to investigate before entering the palace this time, and her mind turned with thoughts. She actually forgot to kick someone when they were down and mock Jiang Xuening at this moment.

Jiang Xuening wasn’t paying attention to the others either. She only gave a light snort and said: “If you find me distasteful, just say so directly. Being so roundabout only makes people look down on you. Those who know would say you, Miss Chen Shuyi, are the beloved pearl of Grand Secretary Chen. Those who don’t know might think that Director of Salt Administration for Huai River Region Wang Xian is your father!”

Chen Shuyi’s expression changed: “You—”

Jiang Xuening had grown up in the countryside, with a sharp tongue since childhood. When it came to arguing, she truly had never lost to anyone. Not arguing with different people was because she was being magnanimous.

It was just that sometimes if she didn’t argue, others really thought she was easy to get along with.

She smiled and said: “If Miss Chen truly has such leisure, you’d be better off flipping through the roster of past Directors of Salt Administration for Huai River Region and seeing which one met a good end while in office? After all, it’s a lucrative position everyone wants to get their hands on, and it involves official and private salt routes. If they’re not having their homes raided, they’re being executed. At the lightest, they’re dismissed and exiled. Praising others without even knowing how to pick a good one—and you think you have such great insight!”

After all, Chen Shuyi had grown up in her boudoir with strict family upbringing. She had never mingled in markets and countryside, and had never heard such sharp, mocking words. Now, suddenly having them all thrown in her face by Jiang Xuening, she nearly exploded!

She wanted to retort but couldn’t find the right words for a moment.

Her face flushed red then turned white, feeling utterly humiliated. When she could bear it no longer, she finally rose abruptly to her feet, her eyes glaring at Jiang Xuening. Her delicate palm raised high, her five fingers rigid—she had clearly lost her head in anger and was about to strike Jiang Xuening!

Zhou Baoying was quietly sneaking snacks she’d brought into the hall. When she saw them arguing, she didn’t quite understand what they were saying. But when she looked up and saw the usually well-mannered Chen Shuyi about to resort to violence, she was so frightened that the preserved fruit stuck in her throat.

Those with smaller courage, like Yao Rongrong, even cried out in alarm.

But Jiang Xuening, seeing this display, remained unmoved, teasingly raising an eyebrow.

However, unexpectedly, just as Chen Shuyi’s slap was about to fall but hadn’t yet fallen, orderly greetings came from outside in the distance: “Paying respects to Her Highness the Grand Princess, offering greetings to Your Highness.”

Shen Zhiyi had arrived!

Chen Shuyi’s slap hung in midair—there was absolutely no way it could fall now. She hadn’t even had time to withdraw it when she saw Shen Zhiyi’s rarely seen somewhat grave figure appear outside the hall entrance. Her entire mind immediately went “boom,” becoming completely blank.

Shen Zhiyi had just come from Cining Palace. After all, she had grown up in the palace and could already faintly smell the prelude to bloody storms, so her mood wasn’t particularly good.

She walked in and immediately saw Chen Shuyi’s palm raised high toward Jiang Xuening.

For a moment she didn’t react, asking in a daze: “What’s going on here?”

Chen Shuyi immediately withdrew her hand and tried to explain: “Your Highness, I just now was only…”

But Jiang Xuening sighed deeply in her heart.

She had arrived too early—the slap hadn’t even landed yet, so the effect was inevitably much worse. It gave her less credibility when playing the victim—otherwise she would definitely make Chen Shuyi walk in on her feet and leave on her knees.

Who did she have to learn from but that timely rain Song Jiang?

She grumbled inwardly, but her posture was unambiguous. The corners of her mouth turned down, her eyelids drooped, and tears started falling pitter-patter. She cried to Shen Zhiyi with grievance: “Your Highness the Grand Princess, it’s one thing for Chen Shuyi to speak ill of me, but she even wants to hit me!”

Shen Zhiyi’s face instantly turned cold as she frowned at Chen Shuyi: “What do you mean by this?!”

Chen Shuyi: ???

Everyone: ?????

Who was it that left people unable to retort?! What kind of operation was this—bursting into tears at the slightest disagreement, pretending to cry, playing the victim, and tattling?!