Once they crossed through the memorial archway, they entered the academy grounds, where academy administration staff would come to handle enrollment.
Chi Xue and Dan Shuang wanted to follow Tie Ci, and while she had originally planned to enter as the son of a poor family, after meeting Dan Shuang and Chi Xue, she changed her mind.
She decided to enroll as the son of a jianghu family—this would make bringing maidservants to the academy more reasonable. Moreover, this jianghu background was similar to He Zi’s late wife, and might stimulate certain people’s sensitivities, making it convenient for her investigations at the academy.
After all, it would be difficult for her as an ordinary student to approach the important figures at the academy. Better to let people reveal their own tells.
For this purpose, she had asked He Zi to note in his recommendation letter that she needed to bring maidservants to school.
The academy had no shortage of noble and official families’ children, and bringing servants and maids was common. Back when He Zi felt that talented people could be found even among servants, if there were those unwilling to remain lowly, they could take this opportunity to learn some skills that might change their entire destiny.
However, only Dan Shuang and Chi Xue’s names were written in the recommendation letter at the time. When Shen Mi saw this, his eyes couldn’t hide his envy, but he was very self-aware, knowing he couldn’t compare with the Crown Princess’s close palace maids. Now he looked seriously at that memorial archway once more, stepped back, and bowed deeply to Tie Ci: “Young Master, I can only escort you this far. May everything go smoothly for you and may you be safe from harm.”
Tie Ci smiled: “Let’s save the well-wishes for later—there’s no need to say goodbye now.”
Shen Mi looked at her in surprise.
Chi Xue smiled as she pulled out a document from her bundle and handed it to him.
Seeing his own name, Shen Mi could hardly believe his eyes.
It was an official document from the highest official in Haiyou, the Provincial Administration Commissioner, directly granting Shen Mi admission qualification and restoring his original First House student status.
When Tie Ci had negotiated with the Provincial Administration Commissioner, one of her conditions was to remove his lowly status registration and restore Shen Mi’s academy student standing.
This was a small matter for the Haiyou Provincial Administration Commissioner, but for Shen Mi, it was like a huge windfall from heaven. The wild joy of finally having his greatest regret remedied left him dazed for quite a while before he came to his senses.
He tucked the document into his chest, stepped back three paces, and respectfully gave Tie Ci a deep bow.
“Such great kindness—I dare not speak of gratitude. Shen Mi willingly offers his life to Your Highness, unto death!”
“It’s not really difficult,” Tie Ci smiled. “This is merely repayment for your repeated assistance in Ziyang and your unwavering loyalty. No need to sell yourself to my family over this simple document.”
“How easily you accomplished this is your affair. For me, this is kindness as heavy as mountains.” Shen Mi bowed again. “Unwavering loyalty is merely basic human duty—Your Highness is magnanimous, but I cannot claim credit for it.”
Tie Ci smiled slightly. Shen Mi was a clear-headed person—otherwise she wouldn’t have specifically used one condition to arrange for him.
Saying she sought no repayment was actually just a test. Since he accepted the opportunity she gave, he would align with her faction in the future. Shen Mi wouldn’t fail to understand this.
Tie Ci indicated that they were all intelligent people, so there was no need for excessive emotional talk.
It was simply that he was useful, he was worthy, she would use him, and she wouldn’t use him for nothing.
Shen Mi’s ceremony couldn’t continue because they had lingered too long, and academy administration reception staff came to check.
After examining Shen Mi’s document, the person looked at him in surprise, then ordered a servant to take him in for registration.
When it came time to examine Tie Ci’s recommendation letter, the person’s expression changed. Tie Ci saw him whisper a few words to a servant, and only after the servant left did he register her.
Tie Ci saw him flip through the books on his desk: “You have no xiucai or juren status, nor any previous study experience at other academies or private schools. According to convention, after entering the academy you should be assigned to Fourth House first. But you are the first person recommended by Master He in twenty years—Master He’s dignity must be respected, so you’ll go to First House. You must study well and not disgrace Master He’s reputation.”
Tie Ci frowned.
Yue Li Academy students weren’t ranked by background, but by academic credentials, pre-enrollment reputation, and post-enrollment grades. The First, Second, Third, and Fourth Houses were ranked in order. Students with official titles entered according to their rank—the higher the title, the better the placement. Those without titles were ranked by their previous academy studies, with most starting in Fourth House. Moreover, the academy promoted equality for all who entered. Arranging her into First House because of He Zi’s recommendation letter—was this putting her on the fire to roast, or trying to ruin He Zi’s reputation?
One could imagine that once she entered First House, what kind of looks and hostility she would face.
This ill intent from the very start!
And the way that administrator looked at her was quite strange.
Tie Ci tilted her head slightly, and Chi Xue understood her meaning, indicating she would immediately go investigate.
Inwardly grumbling, outwardly Tie Ci smiled with great delight: “Ah, then thank you so much! I heard the various provisions for First House are the best too.”
The administrator looked at her with increasing contempt: “Academy students all have equal status—First, Second, Third, and Fourth are merely for convenience of distinction. The dormitory facilities are all identical. The reason First House receives somewhat better treatment in various ways is because the academy stipulates that students who perform excellently on major, minor, and regular exams can receive rewards in areas like clothing washing, item procurement, and dining hall food. These are things they earn themselves. Now that you’ve entered First House, you’d better work hard carefully, otherwise you won’t even get a thick quilt to sleep under, and no one will pity you.”
“What? What kind of ridiculous rule is this!” Tie Ci exclaimed in shock. “My uncle deceived me! He never told me this broken academy had so many rules!”
“Watch your words!” the administrator angrily said. “Standing on academy grounds, how dare you slander the academy!”
Though he scolded, his previously secretively observant and somewhat guarded expression relaxed considerably. He impatiently waved his hand: “Alright, go on in. First House is on the eastern side of the second courtyard, with the women’s quarters on the west—don’t go to the wrong place. There’s a house supervisor at the moon gate where you can collect bedding and supplies.”
Tie Ci stood in place with a reluctant expression, not moving. Chi Xue and Dan Shuang came to pull her, one saying: “Young Master, stop being willful. If you run back like this, the master will break your legs!”
The other said: “Young Master, Young Master, don’t be so dejected. We’ll study at the academy for a year or two, earn a reputation, then it’ll be easy to marry a wife. Just endure for a while and it’ll be fine.”
The administrator let out a series of cold laughs, too lazy to spare Tie Ci another glance, turning to chat with his colleagues.
Over there, Shen Mi finished registering and walked over. Hearing these words, he immediately said angrily: “We traveled the mountain path together, and I thought you were a refined gentleman. I never imagined you would be so disgraceful to scholarly culture. Since this is the case, I am unworthy to be your friend. Please, when we meet at the academy in the future, do not acknowledge each other. I take my leave!”
Saying this, he flicked his sleeves and walked away angrily.
Tie Ci jumped and cursed: “Breaking off friendship is breaking off friendship—who cares about you, sour scholar!”
The administrator had originally been somewhat aloof and guarded toward Shen Mi as well, but now his expression improved considerably. He hurriedly sent someone to catch up, saying: “You’re returning from leave to resume studies—no need for another exam. You can get First House student provisions directly from the house supervisor!”
Tie Ci said: “What about me!”
Administrator: “He had good grades before—do you?”
Tie Ci: “Bah, who cares! Watch me get a hundred points to show you!”
“Let’s go, Young Master, don’t argue with these poor scholars.” Chi Xue and Dan Shuang dragged Tie Ci away. Once they turned past the memorial archway with no one around, both burst into giggles. Tie Ci slumped her shoulders and drooped her eyes: “Ah! Playing a shrew is so hard.”
“The acting was too exaggerated,” Dan Shuang frowned in critique.
Tie Ci humbly accepted the lesson. After all, her performance also affected He Zi’s reputation—better to keep it moderate, lest she badly damage the old gentleman’s name and have him settle accounts with her later.
“By the way, have either of you encountered Feiyu?”
Tie Ci had been waiting for Feiyu these past few days in the valley, but hadn’t seen her. She was concerned about this and somewhat worried, though her intuition told her nothing could have happened to Feiyu. After all, their only enemy at the time, Murong Duan, had already been captured and was still trapped at A Hei’s home, being a bride every night. They were also in Ling Quan Village, full of skilled fighters—if there had really been any disturbance, it couldn’t have gone undetected.
Most likely that fellow had mysteriously disappeared again.
Both Chi Xue and Dan Shuang said they hadn’t seen her. Dan Shuang said: “If you ask me, it’s best that person left. Appearing and disappearing mysteriously—clearly up to no good. Your status is sensitive—you should keep away from such characters.”
Tie Ci remained silent, finally sighing: “What should appear will appear. Since that’s how it is, let her be.”
The three walked forward. It was now midday, with people coming and going in the square, all secretly sizing up the three of them with strange looks—a mixture of envy, jealousy, contempt, and dissatisfaction.
Chi Xue fell back a step to chat with a passing student. After a while she caught up and whispered: “Master He recently announced he was preparing to take on a final disciple. Everyone in the academy is desperately trying to curry his favor. Knowing the old gentleman likes playing mahjong, they fight tooth and nail every day over who gets to play mahjong with him—just short of competing like in imperial examinations. Now Master He suddenly sent word that he doesn’t want anyone coming to play mahjong recently, and you’ve arrived at the academy with Master He’s first recommendation letter. Everyone is disappointed, and they can’t help but speculate whether that precious spot has now fallen to your family.”
Tie Ci made a long “oh” sound, thinking about how much hatred this had generated.
Suddenly bells rang repeatedly—clang, clang, clang, clang.
People in the square suddenly began running frantically, nearly knocking over Chi Xue.
Those sitting peacefully reading in the lecture hall threw down their books. The main doors burst open with a crash as countless students in blue robes poured out, holding food bowls and clanging as they charged toward the second courtyard with strange cries.
The wooden corridors thundered under their feet like a great swarm of locusts passing through.
In the crowd, one person in red was extremely conspicuous—tall with long legs and a dominating presence. When the crowd clogged at the courtyard gate, he jumped up, stepping on heads to leap over the gate.
Tie Ci had just been surrounded by the crowd’s strange stares, but in the blink of an eye the area was empty all around her. Everyone was howling like a tide, charging forward frantically. Standing in the middle of the square, Tie Ci felt like she was watching a frame from a zombie apocalypse film.
After quite a while, she murmured: “I once heard Master mention her high school and university days, how the cafeteria at mealtime was like locusts passing through. I could never imagine it, but now I’ve finally seen it.”
Chi Xue said worriedly: “Young Master, if we need to compete like this for every meal, it’ll be difficult for us to eat.”
“Difficult, what!” Dan Shuang looked disdainful. “With these skinny arms and legs, can they compete with me? Young Master, don’t worry—the best from the cafeteria will definitely be yours!”
Tie Ci squinted at those students with short legs and weak strength running behind with anxious faces, saying leisurely: “This is a good thing—maybe we can even make money from this.”
Dan Shuang still looked confused, but Chi Xue looked at the crowd and already understood, smiling: “It’s also a good opportunity for you to gather followers.”
Tie Ci smiled with satisfaction. Just as she was about to walk over, she suddenly made a sound of surprise: “There’s another small gate over there—why are so many people crowding here while that gate isn’t open?”
Then she saw a group of people, maintaining dignified bearing while holding books, crossing the lecture hall threshold calmly while chatting. The servants waiting in the corridor followed them, taking out food bowls from cloth bags they carried—clearly also going to eat.
But obviously without the urgency of other students, distinctly composed and elegant.
Tie Ci followed them and indeed saw them heading toward that small gate.
These people also wore blue robes, but trimmed with white brocade. Each held his chin slightly high, robes fluttering. Wherever they passed, students with sleeves trimmed in indigo cloth, black cotton, or coarse hemp automatically made way, allowing these chosen ones to pass through the crowd and enter the small gate.
Academy students were ranked by academic performance in the crude four-tier system of First, Second, Third, and Fourth. All wore blue robes, differing only in the trim—white satin, indigo cloth, black cotton, and gray hemp respectively.
So much for true equality—inequality could be seen everywhere.
Tie Ci followed behind. She also wore a blue robe today, and no one paid attention, assuming she was part of that group. As they made way, they said with envious, jealous hatred: “Ha, showing off what? No matter how much you show off, isn’t there someone who’s taken first place?”
Tie Ci wondered—someone who? Who?
But this low discussion was heard by that group. One person walking in front suddenly turned back and said coldly: “Who was just speaking? Step forward!”
All the students in the corridor fell silent as cicadas, no one stepping forward. Instead they pushed each other, saying let’s go, let’s go, and dispersed.
But the speaking student had a face full of malice with nowhere to vent. Seeing no one respond, he sneered and said loudly: “What someone—just a broken-down wild man using nepotism, thinking he can lord it over us. You all just watch—the academy will teach him how to behave sooner or later!”
The whole group chimed in agreement. Someone said: “I heard he’s from the late Lady He’s family—jianghu background. Probably full of crude habits. Who knows how many characters he can even recognize? I don’t know what Master He was thinking!”
Tie Ci: “…”
So the “someone” was herself—what an honor, what an honor.
This speaker looked familiar—wasn’t he the one she’d kicked into the lake while playing mahjong?
The reason she’d targeted this fellow that day wasn’t because of disrespectful words. When He Zi asked afterward, she had said: “Though you, sir, may love all living beings, you should know that those not of our race must have different hearts. That person has blue eyes—clearly from the grassland Dayan tribes. His hair color is light—possibly even Dayan royalty. This tribe has fierce customs, knocking at our borders every year. Under their iron hooves, countless innocent Da Qian people and border-defending soldiers have died. For such a person to seek learning at our Da Qian academy under the pretense of admiring Central Plains culture—what he seeks and learns is surely not merely skills and books. That our Da Qian academy allows his enrollment to demonstrate our great nation’s magnanimous bearing is one thing, but how can we let him enter our inner circles and presume to touch our national scholarly treasures?!”
This had left He Zi speechless. He never looked at people while playing mahjong and wasn’t familiar with foreign racial characteristics. Though well-read and proclaiming human equality, he knew that before family and national righteousness, one couldn’t treat all cases alike.
What Tie Ci didn’t know was that the successful grave visitation wasn’t the fundamental reason He Zi could keep her and entrust her with important tasks. During her days in the valley, her keenness, composure, character in dealing with people and affairs, and perspective on matters, plus the decisive ruthlessness she finally displayed—these were the real reasons He Zi opened his heart to her.
After all, when had He Zi ever lacked talented people around him? But most of those people were submissive and cautious in word and deed, absolutely lacking Tie Ci’s flexibility to be gentle or firm, advancing or retreating. How could he dare entrust such great matters to them?
However, that person obviously wasn’t like ordinary Dayan people. Though vicious and cold by nature, he had an all-round smooth character. As soon as he spoke, people frequently agreed with him. Someone sighed: “Master He values sentiment. Lady He died young, and Master He has regretted it all his life, building a hut to guard her grave with unwavering devotion. Naturally he looks favorably upon Lady He’s family.”
Another said ominously: “Who told us we were unlucky, not born from that jianghu crude’s belly!”
Someone immediately said: “Silence! How can you speak so wildly and slanderously! Since Master chose that person, he naturally has his reasons. Such pettiness and random speculation—where is your dignity?”
Tie Ci looked—hey, another familiar face. It was Young Master Qi.
He seemed to hold considerable status among the First House students. As soon as he spoke, everyone fell silent, showing some embarrassment.
The small gate opened wide for these academic stars to enter elegantly. First House students didn’t need to queue in the cafeteria because they had their own small window. Basic food was the same, but they could add dishes according to individual academic records.
They formed their own small group in the northwest corner of the cafeteria, with no one approaching nearby. Everyone cast envious glances from afar, and they quite prized such attention, each straightening their backs to dine slowly.
Tie Ci didn’t see Shen Mi—presumably still assigned to dormitories and organizing belongings.
She sat down at the boundary between First House students and other students’ seating areas, looking neither like a First House student nor far from the other three houses’ students. Chi Xue and Dan Shuang went to get her food and sat beside her to eat slowly.
Though the dishes were the same, the portions were obviously smaller. The cabbage and pork had a few big fatty meat slices floating greasily, completely different from others’ full portions of lean meat. Chi Xue whispered: “I watched that cook scoop up lean meat, and his wrist shook twice, forcibly shaking all the lean meat back down…”
That group was still discussing grand topics. This time they didn’t mention Master He, only saying they’d gotten news that this nouveau riche had indeed been assigned to First House! Everyone became even more indignant. One fellow, speaking heatedly, suddenly slapped down his chopsticks, stopped eating entirely, and said: “If you ask me, even with Master He’s recommendation, we can’t let an illiterate brute join First House just like that. This is clearly unfair—we should find the administrators and instructors to reason with them!”
Everyone also said: “Right! Isn’t this insulting to scholarly culture!”
“We students should be unafraid of power, daring to act and speak!”
The first student to suggest this became even more passionate, immediately wanting to petition. A dark mass of people stood up, wanting to protest, petition, and stage sit-ins—their momentum was alarming.
But someone nearby said slowly: “Brother, the academy doesn’t allow waste. If you leave without finishing your meal, points will be deducted.”
Hearing this was quite reasonable, he said: “We’ll go after eating!” He sat down to hastily wolf down his food. The person sitting not far behind him waited until the food entered his mouth before saying: “Brother, you seemed to have eaten something inappropriate just now…”
The person was startled and instinctively tried to vomit but couldn’t. Then that person took a quick step forward, reached out to pat his back, and the man vomited up a large ball of rice with a “wah!” Inside the rice was a fat, white thing already broken in two, still slightly wriggling.
“Ugh…”
Now it wasn’t just him who wanted to vomit. The dining hall filled with retching sounds for a while. All talk of protests, petitions, and sit-ins was temporarily forgotten.
The one who helped was naturally Tie Ci, very sincerely saying to that unlucky fellow: “Brother, I just saw something moving in your rice. Look, look—if I hadn’t called out in time, you would have swallowed that thing! Who knows what filthy thing it was? You would have been vomiting and having diarrhea for days…”
The person heard this and deeply agreed, thanking her repeatedly. Tie Ci pointed at the food service window: “I just found sand in my rice. When have First House students ever eaten such things? It’s all because the cooks aren’t doing their jobs properly, right?”
The person said: “Exactly! These lazy good-for-nothings are getting more and more slack—we should settle accounts with them!” He angrily led people over.
Soon they had overturned the pot there, spilled soup all over the table, creating quite a commotion.
Tie Ci scurried around nearby, fanning the flames, and secretly overturned a soup pot sitting on the fire. But just as the soup pot was about to splash on that group, she shouted loudly and pulled away the person at the front.
Everyone was startled momentarily. While cursing the cooks, they also thanked her repeatedly. Tie Ci instantly won their sincere friendship.
Not everyone participated in that chaotic battle. The foreign person, Young Master Qi, and several others stood aside. Young Master Qi watched Tie Ci darting around in the crowd and slowly frowned. The foreign person also murmured: “That kid—why does he look somewhat familiar?”
Tie Ci’s hair hadn’t grown long yet. When entering the valley she had used her original face but deliberately made it somewhat grimy and unremarkable. Not wanting to cause trouble due to her appearance like in Ziyang when coming to study at the academy, she had Chi Xue, who was skilled at disguise, modify her appearance again. Now her eyebrows were thickened and darkened with a changed shape, her skin color deepened, her eye tails extended, and dark lip color made her lips larger and thinner.
She now appeared as a handsome young man, but with somewhat harsh features. Those few people had good eyesight and though they felt he looked familiar, with the dining hall full of bobbing heads and swaying figures, how could they see clearly?
After a short while, rapid footsteps sounded, and someone shouted “The instructor is coming!” Only then did everyone stop.
Footsteps approached. A middle-aged man with a slightly red face and delicate features, accompanied by several administrators, hurried over with disbelief written all over his face. Young people were hot-blooded and fights were common, but they mostly occurred among the lower three houses. First House students greatly valued their status and had almost never engaged in such outrageous behavior. What was happening today?
When he understood the reason, he was even more furious to the point of confusion. He spun around in a circle and angrily said: “Disgraceful to scholarly culture! Disgraceful to scholarly culture! How are you any different from cart-pullers and street vendors! All of you get out—stand at the bottom of the lecture hall and copy the twenty-first volume of today’s studied ‘Rites’ three times. You, you, you, you,” his finger pointed them out one by one, “all go!”
He was pointing randomly, and people in the center of the crowd all backed away, afraid of being selected.
Only Tie Ci didn’t retreat, naturally getting pointed out. She calmly followed those unlucky fellows who had fought to stand at the bottom of the lecture hall in reflection, having Chi Xue bring paper and brush as she leaned against the wall to earnestly copy the Book of Rites.
Those few fellows asked while being punished with copying: “Brother, you didn’t seem to participate in the fight earlier—seemed like you were even trying to break it up. Why didn’t you avoid or yield, but also came to copy books at the lecture hall bottom?”
Tie Ci smiled with squinted eyes: “Share blessings together, share troubles together—that’s what brotherhood means.”
“Good brother!” The few were delighted. The unlucky one who ate the bug said: “Truly loyal—worth befriending! Today we acknowledge you as our good brother!”
Tie Ci extended her palm: “Let’s high-five to complete our brotherhood ceremony! I hereby swear never to betray any of you big brothers!”
After several slaps were completed, that fellow excitedly said: “Good brother, we’ll never betray you either! Big brothers will take you flying! After this matter is settled, we’ll petition the teachers together! We’ll do great things together and drive away that power-abusing, unlearned guy. There’ll definitely be benefits for you later… By the way, brother, you look unfamiliar—newly promoted? May I ask your honorable surname? Which region are you from?”
“Me?” Tie Ci smiled with crescent eyes, saying kindly: “My humble surname is Ye, from Suzhou, nephew of Master He’s late wife. That is, the power-abusing, unlearned guy you’re talking about who needs to be driven away through petitioning.”
“…”