Tie Ci followed his gaze and saw at the end of the street a middle-aged woman accompanied by a seven or eight-year-old girl, seemingly about to enter an ink shop. A large group of scholars was also emerging from that door, with the first few being vaguely the same people who had encountered and mocked Shen Mi that day. Tie Ci still remembered the one who had said he feared soiling his clothes – he was now being surrounded in the center with a face of detached indifference.
It looked like the two groups were about to meet.
Shen Mi instinctively stepped forward quickly, but when he lifted his foot and saw his pants and shoes covered in dust and bird droppings, his expression changed again.
For a moment he could neither rush forward nor stay back, becoming increasingly anxious. His pale face turned blue-green, while the corners of his eyes and forehead turned red.
Tie Ci turned her head and saw a clothing store not far away. She immediately said: “Chi Xue, take him to the store! Change everything from head to toe!”
Chi Xue understood and immediately pushed Shen Mi forward. Shen Mi stared at the crowd with reddened eyes, unwilling to leave. Dan Shuang kicked him in the buttocks, literally kicking him into the store.
Meanwhile, Tie Ci quickly walked over.
At the entrance of the ink shop, the middle-aged woman carefully descended the steps holding a scroll. Seeing this group of people, her eyes lit up and she hesitantly stopped. Just as they were about to pass each other, she finally gathered her courage and spoke: “Young masters, please wait.”
Everyone turned to look at her. Seeing her neat clothing, decent fabric, and especially elegant bearing – like a lady from a wealthy household – they all showed respect and bowed in return.
The woman gained more courage, a slight smile appearing on her face as she said softly: “May I ask if any of you are my son’s classmates? My son is Shen Mi, who entered Leap Carp Academy two years ago.”
The scholars were stunned, then many showed strange smiles, their gazes toward the woman becoming much more casual. For a moment no one spoke, until the gentle-faced scholar surrounded in the center, upon hearing this name, looked as if he had seen rat droppings and said coldly: “Not familiar, don’t know him. Farewell.”
He was about to leave when Shen’s mother said in shocked urgency: “How can that be? My son has been studying at the academy all along. The masters have praised him frequently before. It’s just that my son rarely tells me about academy affairs, especially this year – he won’t even let me prepare the tuition fees. So I took the liberty of stopping you young masters to ask about his daily studies and how much the academy tuition actually costs…”
“Tuition fees, ah—” someone interjected with meaningful looks, “Your family indeed doesn’t need to prepare them, because he doesn’t need to use them!”
“What do you mean, young master?”
“You’re asking me? Don’t you know yourself? Your great talent, the master’s prized student, your precious son, has long since…”
“Long since been exempted from tuition fees due to his exceptionally outstanding academic performance.” Suddenly a laughing voice finished the sentence.
Everyone turned around in surprise to see Tie Ci walking over casually with her hands behind her back. She wore a purple headband and looked like a Leap Carp Academy student too. Everyone looked at each other, realizing no one recognized this classmate, and fell into thought and recollection.
Tie Ci took advantage of their pondering to bow her head and say to Shen’s mother with a smile: “Are you Madam Shen? I am Mao Shiba, Shen Mi’s classmate. I pay my respects to your ladyship.”
While bowing, she gently guided Shen’s mother and sister outward, saying: “The academy is on holiday today. Brother Shen should have returned to visit your ladyship, but I had some unresolved academic questions and dragged Brother Shen to have tea together, which delayed the mother-son reunion. This is my fault. Would your ladyship and young miss please move to the tea house so I can make amends?”
Someone behind suddenly said: “Wait, we don’t know you. You’re lying…”
Tie Ci raised her hand, and that person suddenly covered his mouth with an “ah” sound, feeling his teeth ache and unable to speak. Soon saliva drooled everywhere, and when he touched his cheek, a mud pellet fell out.
Without turning her head, Tie Ci smiled at Shen’s mother: “Please follow this maid, your ladyship. I’ll join you after exchanging a few words with my classmates. Ah, I had some misunderstandings with them before regarding Brother Shen.”
With this explanation, the faint doubts in Shen’s mother’s heart dissipated. Thinking she could see her son, she happily followed Chi Xue.
Tie Ci watched the mother and daughter’s backs with a frown, thinking how could they just follow along like that? How did that slippery little fox Shen Mi, full of schemes and information, raise his mother to be so naive and unworldly?
When she first saw that mother and daughter, Tie Ci was somewhat surprised. When she first met Shen Mi, he was pale and poor, groveling after a coroner, and no one at the county office would spare him a second glance. Yet the woman before her was neatly dressed with an elegant bearing. Even that little girl was quite well-mannered. They seemed to be from two different worlds.
She frowned and turned to face a pile of scholars glaring angrily at her, raising an eyebrow: “The court selects scholars based first on moral character, not just writing a few flowery articles. Gentlemen, showing disrespect to a former classmate’s elder, being rude to a formerly excellent but now fallen classmate, and slandering behind the back of masters who once praised that classmate – constantly displaying your frivolity, snobbery, ignorance, and stupidity – do your mother and teacher know?”
After a moment of silence, someone said in angry embarrassment: “The court selects scholars based on talent and literature. Leap Carp Academy ranks in the top five of Great Qian, with outstanding selections in every examination. Brothers Qi and Luo are both on the list. As candidates for Imperial Academy tribute students, they’re guaranteed to become recommended scholars. What are you? Do you think you have the final say?”
Dan Shuang snorted dismissively, drawing angry glares from everyone. Tie Ci smiled: “I naturally don’t have the final say. Heaven’s way, ethics, public order, good customs, morality, and human sentiment have the final say. Since that’s the case, gentlemen, conduct yourselves well.”
She stepped slightly aside with a smile, respectfully gesturing “please go ahead.” Her posture was respectful, but her expression wasn’t quite the same. Everyone felt even more stifled. Someone else said: “Don’t bother with him. Who knows where this unlearned young master came from, thinking that having some stinking money means he can lecture us. Talking to him only soils our peace. Let’s go, let’s go!”
Everyone began to leave. That “guaranteed recommended scholar” surnamed Luo deliberately raised his sleeve to cover his nose in an affected manner. But the other “guaranteed recommended scholar” surnamed Qi stopped beside Tie Ci and said in a soft voice but with an indifferent expression: “I dislike Shen Mi not because he has fallen, but because he willingly accepts his fall.”
After saying this, he didn’t look at Tie Ci’s reaction and walked away with a flick of his sleeve. Tie Ci stared at his back and suddenly called out: “There’s a manure pit under your feet! Be careful!”
The scholar surnamed Qi was startled and quickly lowered his raised head to look, but the ground beneath his feet was perfectly level. Only then did he understand that Tie Ci was teasing him, and immediately grasped her meaning. Looking around, he frowned, turned, and walked away quickly.
Those scholars he had left behind were stunned for a moment, then hurriedly called out and chased after him. Tie Ci watched, smiled, and shook her head.
Dan Shuang also shook her head.
Someone was going to be unlucky.
Although the court’s great power was controlled by the Empress Dowager, to appease court officials and silence public criticism, the Emperor and Crown Princess weren’t entirely without deliberative power. At the very least, they still had the authority to investigate whether local educational officials were derelict in their duties, order re-examination of academy outstanding student quotas, and even directly demote certain exempted students.
May they have good fortune.
…
Not long after, Shen Mi, newly dressed by Chi Xue, arrived at the tea house. Who knows how Chi Xue arranged it, but she had found him a set of half-new, half-old but good quality scholarly robes and an identical purple headband, perfectly restoring his appearance as a Leap Carp Academy student.
Shen’s mother rarely left home, only waiting for her son’s “once every ten days academy holiday” to meet. Now seeing her son, she was overjoyed and had already forgotten about those people from before. She also praised his “classmate” Tie Ci for his fine demeanor. Tie Ci happened to enter just then, smiling as she came to pay respects again. Sitting down, she very naturally chatted with Shen’s mother about the academy, studies, and amusing classmate stories. Her conversation was witty and entertaining, making Shen’s sister giggle constantly. Shen’s mother obviously still maintained the airs of her former status with considerable reserve, but couldn’t help smiling frequently.
Shen Mi couldn’t get a word in, sitting aside holding tea and listening. The more he listened, the more dazed he became. The academy studies, rules, and masters that Tie Ci described were exactly as he had seen during his school days, and those scholarly anecdotes were so vivid and real that he seemed to truly return to the academy, still that carefree scholar seeking knowledge…
He also became increasingly surprised and suspicious. This person clearly hadn’t studied at Leap Carp Academy – how could she be so familiar and accurate?
He didn’t know that the Crown Princess’s daily lessons were thousands of times more demanding than his had been, with an additional hour of political discussion each day. She had to have some knowledge of the world’s people’s livelihood, military affairs, economics, and all trades. The academic systems and regulations of Great Qian’s famous academies and the renowned scholars known throughout the realm were things she absolutely had to know.
With Tie Ci there, Shen Mi didn’t even need to lie. Tie Ci naturally played the role of the good classmate perfectly. Shen Mi finally found a chance to interrupt: “This place is not far from my humble home, and it’s nearly mealtime. I’ve received much care these days. Would Brother Mao honor us by dining at my home?”
Shen’s mother also eagerly invited her.
Tie Ci was quite curious about his family situation. She had previously sent people to deliver clothing and knew this home visit was Shen Mi’s sincere gesture. She smiled and nodded: “Then I’ll be imposing. Chi Xue.”
Chi Xue understood and went downstairs to buy some prepared food and gifts. Shen Mi wanted to say something but stopped, knowing Tie Ci’s temperament wouldn’t tolerate his refusal. He slightly bent his waist and led the way.
While Tie Ci went to Shen Mi’s home, the Hai Dongqing pierced through clouds and mist, sweeping over countless households’ blue-black rooftops, flying over city walls built of rammed earth and blue bricks, its wingtips brushing the green treetops of small mountains outside the city. At the cliff’s edge, a red figure flickered like fire.
The Hai Dongqing’s cry carried some joy, its clear call piercing the clouds as it plunged toward that red figure.
The person extended his hand, nimbly catching the massive bird. The Hai Dongqing’s golden hook-like talons gripped his long, distinct-jointed fingers tightly.
He had extremely black and cold eyes, but the corners were slightly curved upward.
Wild as a wolf, sweet as honeyed melon.
The Hai Dongqing called softly on his shoulder in long and short notes.
He tilted his ear slightly, as if listening. Sunlight fell on his sharply carved profile, and a lapis lazuli-set heavenly bead earring gleamed with flowing luster.
After a moment, he said: “Oh, so that’s where she is.”