Lin Shu’s purpose was very obvious!

He clearly wanted to vent the anger he’d suffered in the pavilion today on her.

But Ji Yinshu didn’t want to stir up any trouble. The corners of her mouth maintained a polite smile. “Young Master Lin, this isn’t about being humble or not humble. If you have something to say, please speak directly to me.”

“There’s nothing else, no other meaning. I just feel that… Scholar, you must be brimming with talent and well-versed in books. Therefore, I wish to seek your guidance on scholarly matters, that’s all. I hope Scholar can impart a lesson or two.”

After he finished speaking, he made a respectful bow of a student!

It looked sincere and earnest.

Ji Yinshu pondered in her heart—should she accept this hot potato or not?

At this moment, Tang Si, who had been standing to the side, bounced forward with a carefree manner, raising his loud voice to say, “A’Ji, he’s clearly here to pick a fight. He wants to seek guidance on scholarship? Then you should properly teach and guide him, and let these bookworms see just how many streets ahead of them you are.”

Chin raised, his arrogant expression was unmistakable.

A woman entering the academy was indeed rare!

Everyone turned to look at Tang Si. This woman was actually quite good-looking, with fairly delicate features and a rather nimble figure, but that arrogant air about her was unlikable.

Lin Shu stared at her up and down for a few moments, then sneered disdainfully, “Women should stay at home studying music, chess, calligraphy, painting, embroidery, and weaving. How can there be someone like you, spending all day with a man, and now even coming into our academy? The common saying goes—women are beauties who bring disaster. We’re all students who will travel to the capital for examinations. Don’t bring your bad luck to us.”

Tang Si’s face turned livid!

She shouted angrily, “What did you say?”

“I said, disaster comes from beauty, calamity befalls those who court misfortune.”

Tang Si didn’t understand, so she turned her head anxiously to ask Ji Yinshu, “What are they saying? What disaster? What calamity? What does that mean?”

It would have been better if she hadn’t asked. With this question, she drew mocking laughter from the crowd.

Especially Lin Shu, whose mouth showed no mercy. “So it turns out, she’s illiterate. But it’s not surprising you don’t understand. After all, for women, lack of talent is virtue.”

In any case, to Tang Si’s ears, these weren’t kind words.

Furious, she said, “I see that your dog mouth can’t spit out ivory. You’re simply courting death.”

With that, her hand grabbed at her waist, where the silver whip was just showing its tip. The next moment, she was stopped by Ji Yinshu.

She secretly shook her head at her. “Don’t cause trouble.”

“They…”

“I’ll say it again—this is not a place for you to cause an incident.”

Tang Si was so angry that flames seemed to leap in her eyes. Her chest heaved unevenly, that breath rolling up and down in her throat, almost about to burst from her mouth.

But those death-courting students laughed louder and louder. Some even said directly, “Confucius was right—only women and petty people are difficult to raise.”

This drew a burst of mocking laughter!

Tang Si pointed at those people and turned her head to ask Ji Yinshu again, “What exactly do they mean?”

Ji Yinshu’s expression darkened as she looked at these students who should have been refined. At this moment, each one had a sharp-tongued, monkey-cheeked appearance. In her heart, she felt both disappointment and some irritation.

A young servant happened to pass by, noticed the situation here, and immediately ran off to inform Master Yu.

But at this moment in the rear courtyard corridor, Jingrong and Master Yu were leisurely engaged in conversation.

Along the long corridor, red lanterns hung all the way down. The light reflected on the intricately carved wooden pillars, on the ground, on the trees, with mottled tree shadows swaying faintly—quite beautiful. Combined with the breeze rustling the leaves, this place was indeed a good spot for casual conversation.

At the end of the corridor, inside a square platform area, separated by three sides of exquisitely carved screens with only one side open, inside, the light fragrance of tea curled and permeated the air!

It lingered at the tip of the nose, mild and pleasant.

Jingrong and Master Yu sat cross-legged facing each other. On the low table between them sat a teapot and two cups.

Jingrong took a sip of tea, savored it for a moment, then said, “Master Yu, you’re living quite happily now. In this secluded and elegant place, cultivating your body and mind, spending your days living like an idle cloud and wild crane in pastoral retirement. The word ‘carefree’ should belong to you.”

Opposite him, Master Yu held a palm-leaf fan in his hand, gently fanning it. His white beard was so long that it covered most of his mouth, making it impossible to tell whether he was smiling or not.

He said, “The place is good, far from court disputes, leisurely and comfortable.”

“It seems Master has resigned from office very well indeed.”

“Most matters in officialdom are like floating clouds. Words turn to action, actions turn to ritual—all bound by uncertainty, troubling the mind. As the saying goes, in the deep forest broken branches fall, in clear water golden carp swim. People should stay where they ought to be. Why make themselves bloody and battered, insisting on pushing into those thorny places?” Master Yu sighed, always drawing out his tones.

Though he drew out his tones, it didn’t sound tedious. Rather, in such a pleasant environment, it had quite an intriguing flavor.

Jingrong echoed his words, saying, “People are not sages. Those who are sages are great wise ones. What Master says is reasonable. The court disputes are endless. Though it’s a place of golden talent, after staying long, one either dies or gets injured. Over forty years ago, Master retired and founded Mingshan Academy here. Over the years, you’ve supplied talent to the court. Now most of the students who emerged from Mingshan Academy serve as officials in the court—all honest and upright officials, holding positions everywhere. This merit should be credited to Master.”

Opposite him, Master Yu continued fanning his fan, saying, “The court structure is still the court structure. No one dares cross the line by half a step. The official world is like a battlefield—everyone hopes to climb upward. But who knows that the higher you climb, the more it hurts when you fall? However, if you can carefully grasp a vine during the climb, when you fall, as long as the vine doesn’t break, you’ll naturally be unharmed. This principle, I explain to incoming students once every three years.”

The imperial examinations were held once every three years, so naturally he had to explain it once every three years!

It was precisely because of this that Master Yu’s students serving as officials in the court were rarely impeached or brought down. Each one kept to their duties, sitting firmly in their official positions.

Jingrong nodded, expressing agreement with his words!

After a short while, Master Yu sighed again and continued, “Though I’ve been in retirement for over forty years, I still often hear about certain matters. Some students, when the time comes each month, write letters to inquire after me. Previously, they even mentioned matters concerning the Crown Prince. That matter actually has no clear reason, after all, it’s a great matter of bringing disaster to the nation. But it ultimately comes down to two points—either it was a conspiracy planned for many years, or it was incited by others. That Crown Prince, ah…” He drew out another long tone and slowly took a sip of tea. “He’s a clumsy person. The great fire at Chengqing Hall back then was caused by sulfur coated on iron wire that caught fire. Such a meticulous matter—could the Crown Prince have thought of it? Surrounding the palace to commit regicide? That’s a capital offense. He was already the Crown Prince—what was he rushing for? I estimate it was all because there were too many petty people!”

After saying so much in one breath, Master Yu was somewhat exhausted.

He coughed twice!

Yet he openly and frankly discussed the Crown Prince’s palace siege and attempted regicide before a prince, which was simply astonishing.

He wasn’t even afraid of walls having ears, or of word reaching the Emperor.