Like rolling thunder passing overhead, striking everyone from head to toe into fragments like the Wu dormitory’s courtyard wall.
Everyone stared at the tall youth standing in the courtyard, lips slightly curved in a smile, bathed in bright sunlight, one hand petting a cat, the other holding a scroll of books.
In a daze, someone asked bewilderedly: “Shiba, what were you doing alone in your room?”
Ye Shiba smiled in reply: “Studying hard.”
“…”
This time there was no thunder, but a great wind rose and turned into a giant palm, slapping people head over heels.
The teachers and students were shocked speechless.
Little Round Face looked around blankly, glancing at the sky then at the ground, finally slapping himself across the face.
Ma De and that group of former attendants stood frozen for a long time, quietly shrinking toward the back of the crowd.
Teacher Yao’s expression changed drastically. Teacher Ying’s surprise gradually turned to admiration. Assistant Teacher Xia stroked his goatee with a satisfied expression.
Wei Xuan gripped Wei Xing tightly, her snow-white delicate face slightly stiff.
Only in Wei Xing’s eyes did Ye Shiba remain Ye Shiba. She struggled to move forward but was held back firmly by her sister.
The stewards below the academy affairs officials all had faces like death.
Tie Ci petted her cat, looked down at Xia Houchun, and said: “Get up. I haven’t seen you this respectful in the capital before.”
Xia Houchun stood up, smiling: “Seeing you so pitiful, I thought I’d give you some face.”
He always spoke this way. Tie Ci didn’t argue with him. Xia Houchun asked again: “Did you get relegated to this doghouse because your academics were too poor and your character too rotten?”
Tie Ci glanced at everyone: “Obviously not.”
The students all lowered their heads.
If Ye Shiba was considered academically poor, they could find a block of tofu to dash their heads against first.
Tie Ci turned back to look at Tian Wu in the crowd, who also looked confused: “I was assigned here as soon as I arrived.”
Fat Tiger still had his mouth open, unable to accept this constantly surprising Doraemon.
He kept his mouth open but didn’t forget to nod in confirmation.
As a resident of the Wu dormitory, he could naturally testify.
But some people still looked around suspiciously, wondering if the Crown Princess was putting on an act.
Tie Ci stepped aside, clearing the doorway: “Want to come in? Then come and see.”
Since her appearance, she had shown no airs, yet it wasn’t the kind of deliberate kindness that superiors perform. She still made people feel her elevated status. Her kindness was natural and casual, like clear wind and bright moon—neither affected nor artificial. After the initial shock, before uncomfortable emotions could arise, people were drawn along by her completely natural words and actions. As soon as she spoke, people followed.
Tie Ci personally led the way: “Be careful, there’s a box here, don’t trip… ” She grabbed Rong Yi who was crawling wildly on her arm and put him in the box. “Oh right, my cat. Hey, don’t touch him—the child is small and can’t withstand your abuse.”
Laughter came from the crowd, and the tense atmosphere gradually relaxed.
“This curtain is a bit dirty and heavy—don’t let it hit your face.”
Everyone: …No, this isn’t just “a bit” dirty. This is extremely dirty… Your Highness, how do you use your noble hands to lift it daily?
“This is my bed.”
Everyone: …Am I blind? Isn’t bedding provided by the academy? When has the academy ever issued such things? Even the Third dormitory has new bedding. My third-class maids use better than this, right? How does the Crown Princess manage to sleep on it?
“These are my utensils, all uniformly issued by the academy. Not bad.”
Everyone: …What’s not bad about them? Huh? What’s not bad? The porcelain is chipped everywhere!
In the crowd, Rong Pu and Dan Ye, who had been silent, exchanged glances.
One coughed, the other raised an eyebrow.
Tsk tsk, shameless people are invincible.
Rong Pu wasn’t surprised by today’s scene. Having anticipated this possibility, he had chosen to move in to avoid revealing too much about the Crown Princess.
The two watched their dormmates from within the crowd. Li Zhi and Tian Wu looked confused, clearly not having reacted yet.
Li Zhi suddenly glanced at Tong Rushi, who stood silently to one side.
Rong Pu’s gaze immediately followed.
But Tong Rushi didn’t raise his head, and Li Zhi withdrew his gaze.
Tong Rushi remained silent for a long moment, then stepped slightly forward, but immediately someone inserted themselves in front of him.
Looking up, Dan Ye was staring at him. Backlit, his face was unclear, but his half-blue lapis lazuli earring flickered and swayed. Behind him in the tree, Hai Dongqing was also staring intently at him.
Being watched by both person and bird with the same gaze was quite unpleasant.
Tong Rushi stopped moving.
Inside the room, after everyone had looked around, the crowd grew increasingly quiet.
Dark, dirty, small, chaotic, and emitting unpleasant odors.
A place much worse than the Fourth dormitory, somewhere even ordinary common folk living slightly better lives might not inhabit.
The Crown Princess from the rumors—arrogant, extravagant, dissolute, and shameless—had quietly lived here for two months.
The Crown Princess from the rumors who enjoyed going through the motions at training sites was actually studying at Yueli Academy.
The Crown Princess from the rumors—ignorant, incompetent, and foolishly stubborn—was accomplished in both civil and military arts, with talent and ability far surpassing everyone else. In just two months, academy students had gone from ostracizing to revering her, with none daring to challenge her authority.
Yet the stewards who spoke constantly of fairness had assigned her to the worst Wu dormitory, though she was clearly a First dormitory student.
Recalling their past contempt and mockery of the Crown Princess, the exclusion and protests they’d heard about after the inspection rumors these past days—all had already reached the Crown Princess’s ears one by one.
For that instant, everyone stared at the ground where blue bricks were missing, only regretting the hole wasn’t deep enough to crawl into.
Everyone fled outside as if escaping. Someone coughed and said: “What’s going on here?”
It was Instructor Ying, frowning at that group of stewards.
Xiao Chang had been watching from the side with a very unpleasant expression. Now he stepped forward to bow to Tie Ci: “Your Highness certainly loves to joke. How could you condescend to live in such a filthy place? You should have slapped that steward out the door immediately.”
His words sounded intimate but were actually saying Tie Ci had deliberately concealed her identity to trap people.
Tie Ci smiled: “Uncle, if I had revealed my identity, could I have learned anything? Didn’t I assume that an academy under the Xiao family’s care would surely maintain fairness? How would I dare spoil the academy’s clear reputation of many years for personal reasons?”
Hearing that form of address, Xiao Chang’s face twisted, then he sneered: “Your Highness jests. What do you mean ‘academy under the Xiao family’s care’? None of these stewards are surnamed Xiao.”
“That’s good then.” Tie Ci clapped her hands. “In that case, these stewards’ various crimes of not following rules, acting excessively, accepting bribes, disrupting atmosphere, and damaging the academy’s clear reputation can all be handed over to Qingyang County for unified investigation.”
Xiao Chang was stunned. He beckoned the academy affairs official over: “Fire the steward who assigned the Crown Princess to the Wu dormitory. Such rule-breaking indeed deserves punishment.”
Then he said: “Thus, everyone may disperse. Your Highness, why not accompany this subject to the water pavilion to rest?”
Tie Ci looked at him with a smile: “Uncle, just because I call you uncle, do you think you’re surnamed Tie?”
Xiao Chang choked.
“Or do you really think the academy is surnamed Xiao? That master-of-the-house expression on your face.” Tie Ci smiled and waved her hand. “Then I must ask everyone—do you agree?”
Before her words finished, someone roared with righteous indignation: “We don’t agree!”
Tie Ci looked—oh my, it was her old friend from Liang Hall, Little Round Face.
She really owed him an apology—she still hadn’t asked his name.
With Little Round Face taking the lead, everyone immediately chorused: “We don’t agree! The academy belongs to everyone, to all teachers and students, to Great Qian! How can a place of literary culture belong to one family or surname!”
Xiao Chang’s face turned iron-blue.
“Being assigned to the Wu dormitory is a small matter, not worth pursuing criminal charges and ruining people’s livelihoods.” Tie Ci pulled out a scroll from her chest and handed it to the Qingyang County Magistrate. “However, these stewards have quite a few private dealings recorded here. Please investigate thoroughly, County Magistrate. I’ll later send orders to the Haiyou Provincial Administration Commissioner to arrange specialists to assist you in handling this matter.”
A thick volume—all the achievements of Shen Mi and his delivery crew. The academy stewards had grown increasingly lazy, always having the delivery workers help with tasks, making it simple to infiltrate their homes and investigate clues.
The Qingyang County Magistrate accepted it with trembling hands.
Tie Ci turned to Teacher Ying and others: “This concerns the academy’s reputation and century-long survival. Please, instructors, oversee this matter together.”
Teacher Ying bowed: “We respectfully follow the Crown Princess’s decree. We will spare no effort. If the Qingyang County Magistrate is insufficient to the task, we few have some reputation and official positions—we’ll petition the court directly.”
The County Magistrate’s face went white.
Teacher Ying and others’ meaning was clear: trying to smooth things over wouldn’t work. Otherwise, they would unite everyone and, relying on their reputation and honorary court positions, petition the court directly. When that happened, some people would lose face.
Thus, to avoid reputation damage and being implicated, the Xiao family would inevitably have to cut off their tentacles and uproot their roots in the academy cultivated over many years.
Tie Ci smiled slightly.
Though the academy was Xiao family territory, there were still some instructors who stood upright, hoping only for the academy’s century-long prosperity.
She had previously hinted to Teacher Ying and received his promise. After long observation, as long as this group of people remained, once the Xiao family’s people were removed, the academy would eventually restore itself to the most upright Yueli.
Her coming to the academy served four purposes: first, to solve mysteries and gain great sages’ assistance; second, to cultivate reputation and connections; third, to clear the academy’s atmosphere and restore pure ground for the world’s scholars; fourth, to uproot Xiao family influence in the academy. Now, except for achieving only half success with the first goal, the others were all accomplished.
Using the inspection lie, she turned the tables to draw officials and academy-wide attention, then publicly revealed how academy stewards mistreated her, forcing the Xiao family into an untenable position where they had to make a statement.
Clearing her tainted name required few words.
I act according to my principles in human affairs—let all gentlemen observe.
Having witnessed the real her with their own eyes, the academy students would surely reverse their views of the imperial family and herself after feeling ashamed and regretful.
These people would either enter court service or leisurely open schools and travel the world, all exerting lasting influence among scholars nationwide.
Just as the Xiao family wanted to ruin her reputation, she was salvaging it. Between positive and negative approaches, her achievements were outstanding.
At this time, the high-level officials remaining in the valley received news and finally sent representatives to handle the matter. The supervisor led people over, first bowing to Tie Ci. People who had still harbored some disbelief finally believed completely upon seeing that the supervisor had known Tie Ci’s identity long ago.
Tie Ci had a doubt in her heart. If she hadn’t guessed wrong, the dean should have confirmed her identity when she went to his study to seek verification, since being able to discern the capital’s military garrison map from that book wasn’t something ordinary people could do. But the supervisor seemed to have known even earlier—had he received confirmation from the Rong family?
With her identity confirmed, continuing to crowd in the small courtyard would be face-slapping. Therefore, when the supervisor stepped forward requesting the Crown Princess to change clothes and receive all academy teachers and students in the lecture hall shortly after.
Chi Xue had returned with the Nine Guards’ troops, bringing Tie Ci’s crown and sash. Everyone withdrew from the small courtyard and waited outside the lecture hall, momentarily looking at each other speechlessly.
Someone said: “So we bet with the Crown Princess…”
Someone said: “Hey, we were even in the same lecture hall as the Crown Princess!”
Another said: “I even sat next to the Crown Princess!”
Yet another said: “What’s that? I even cursed her to her face.”
After speaking, he closed his mouth again, looking around blankly, feeling his recent behavior had been a complete joke.
Suddenly someone slapped his thigh and said cheerfully: “Hey! What a pity! Yuan Si had urgent business and returned to the capital temporarily, otherwise he could boast now: I was even forced by the Crown Princess to eat excrement!”
Everyone: “…”
People slowly turned around, all focusing on that oddball.
It was none other than the Little Round Face brother who still couldn’t have a name.
Suddenly a group of people approached, instantly extinguishing everyone’s urge to surround and beat up Little Round Face.
Everyone turned back.
They saw a youth in jade crown and white robes approaching calmly from that end of the white stone plaza.
Though there was a group of people there, each wearing vermillion clothes with purple sashes, brilliant crowns and sashes, all bearing the magnificent bearing of high officials.
But in everyone’s eyes, the first person they saw was still that youth.