Chen Shuyi had never suffered such a great shock in all her years. And because she had already had conflicts with Jiang Xuening before, this indignity was something she could not swallow no matter what. For a moment she lost her head in anger, and in her fury raised her hand.

Even if Shen Zhiyi hadn’t appeared, that slap might not have actually fallen.

After all, they were all companion readers to the Grand Princess. Arguing a few words could still be called a quarrel, but whoever struck first would be in the wrong. There was no need for her to go through all this trouble with Jiang Xuening.

But Grand Princess Leyang appeared neither early nor late, but precisely at this moment.

It was too awkward.

Simply impossible to explain!

Chen Shuyi felt as if someone had poured a basin of cold water over her from head to foot. Her entire body went cold through and through. She hastily bowed to Shen Zhiyi: “Your Highness the Grand Princess, please allow this subject daughter to explain. This subject daughter and Miss Jiang Er had a disagreement and argued. Miss Jiang Er is eloquent, and this subject daughter couldn’t match her in words. For a moment I lost my head in anger. It is this subject daughter’s fault. I hope Your Highness the Grand Princess will be magnanimous and forgive this subject daughter’s rudeness this time.”

Her voice trembled slightly, clearly showing her fear.

Without her earlier anger, she easily calmed down. She knew how serious what was happening now was, and she knew even more that Shen Zhiyi had originally been somewhat partial to Jiang Xuening. At this moment, she absolutely could not make excuses. It was best to clarify while bowing her head in apology, endure this moment, and find opportunities to settle accounts slowly in the future.

Jiang Xuening scoffed inwardly, thinking privately that she was quick to cower and curry favor with those in power. Of that earlier arrogance where she looked down on everyone, how much remained when facing someone of more noble status than herself?

Originally everything had been peaceful—Chen Shuyi had provoked first and acted cheap first!

In any case, the grudge had already been formed. She didn’t want the other party to smooth things over so simply. She had to infuriate her and make her feel even more uncomfortable!

So, with an utterly pitiful and miserable appearance, Jiang Xuening lifted her teary, hazy eyes and looked at Chen Shuyi. Her body even began to tremble slightly, as if she couldn’t believe Chen Shuyi would say such words that turned black into white: “Sister Chen’s meaning is… is that I’ve bullied you? I, I…”

She couldn’t continue halfway through.

She bit her lip, opened her eyes wide, as if recognizing Chen Shuyi for the first time, and even revealed several points of realistic indignation and heartache.

The entire Fengchen Hall became so quiet that not a sound could be heard.

Zhou Baoying was dumbstruck. The paper bag containing preserved fruit slipped from her hand and fell to the ground.

You Yue felt chills at the back of her head, grateful that she had been distracted earlier and hadn’t joined Chen Shuyi in mocking Jiang Xuening, otherwise right now…

Fang Miao also had a dazed expression. She had thought this Miss Jiang Er was formidable, but she hadn’t expected “formidable” to this degree.

…

Even Xiao Shu couldn’t help but look at Jiang Xuening with shocked eyes, as if she had never truly known her. Thinking back to how she had pushed You Yue into the fish tank that day without explanation, it felt as distant as a dream.

That fierce and cold manner…

And this current weak, pitiful, and touching figure—were they the same person?

But Shen Zhiyi walked to Jiang Xuening’s side, hesitated, then still gently reached out her hand to rest on Jiang Xuening’s shoulder.

Jiang Xuening felt it and was about to turn her head back to continue playing the victim.

However, the instant she turned her eyes, she met an unusual pair of eyes: Shen Zhiyi’s gaze at her no longer held that dreamlike sweetness that always seemed full of admiration. Inside were some darkness, some guilt, wanting to speak but stopping, wanting to say but holding back.

At the end, she bloomed with a comforting smile toward her.

In this instant, Jiang Xuening thought of Yan Lin’s gaze at her yesterday—suffering concealing forbearance—and her heart clenched violently.

Shen Zhiyi had returned from Cining Palace, and Cining Palace was investigating the Imperial Household Department. Was the jade ruyi case finally going to implicate the Yongyi Marquis Manor?

If not for this, Shen Zhiyi wouldn’t look at her this way.

Once this thought emerged, the petty dispute with Chen Shuyi suddenly became unimportant.

But Shen Zhiyi wasn’t prepared to let it go so easily.

She ultimately remembered that Jiang Xuening initially hadn’t planned to enter the palace. It was Yan Lin who came to find her, and she also wanted her to enter the palace, which was why after all that fuss, she had forcibly kept her here.

What would be so difficult for her in this palace?

First, Yan Lin would protect her, and second, she herself would back her up. Even if there were some filthy matters, they wouldn’t necessarily harm her.

But today, the bloody storm she faintly sensed in Cining Palace made her realize she was wrong. It also made her suddenly understand somewhat why Yan Lin had publicly disavowed his relationship with Ningning yesterday.

If it were her, she would have to do the same.

But not knowing at the time, she had felt indignant for Ningning and even angry. After knowing, she blamed herself and felt heartache for Ningning.

Perhaps in the future, Yan Lin would no longer be able to protect her, so only she herself would remain.

No matter how naive and indulged, Shen Zhiyi was still a child who grew up in the palace.

She could tell that Ningning’s expression held several points of theatrical exaggeration—she was deliberately putting on a show to anger Chen Shuyi. But Chen Shuyi’s presumption just now was not false. Moreover, she knew that Ningning was absolutely not someone who would actively frame others.

The Jiang Xuening who could lift a brush to dot over her old scar, cover it with powder petals, and say those words was absolutely not a bad person.

Shen Zhiyi gently lifted her eyelashes and gazed at Chen Shuyi. Without any appearance of anger, yet her calm was even more chilling than anger. She said clearly, word by word: “I don’t want to hear your explanations. You, as a subject’s daughter, were selected to enter the palace as my companion reader. And you and I have some acquaintance from the past. I don’t wish to brush off Grand Secretary Chen’s face by having you enter the palace only to be sent away. But you, and all of you, must know that Miss Jiang Er of the Jiang family, Jiang Xuening, is someone this Palace personally selected to enter the palace. From now on, being rude to her is equivalent to being rude to this Palace. You didn’t know before, but now that this Palace has spoken today, whoever commits this offense again should not blame this Palace for disregarding propriety.”

No one had expected Shen Zhiyi to say such weighty words!

For a moment everyone fell silent as cicadas in winter.

But Jiang Xuening seemed to confirm something from Shen Zhiyi’s words, becoming somewhat dazed.

Chen Shuyi also completely didn’t understand why Shen Zhiyi’s attitude had suddenly become so serious. Though the words were extremely harsh—like slaps across her face one after another—she truly didn’t dare refute anything. She only feared trouble would reach her, so she could only lower her head and respond trembling: “Yes.”

Shen Zhiyi continued: “Since you already know you were rude and are so easily angered to lose your head, copy both the Book of Rites and the Heart Sutra ten times each. First, to improve your memory, and second, to calm your thoughts. Don’t come to a place like Fengchen Hall for reading and still always think about other messy things.”

Chen Shuyi felt resentful in her heart, and her face turned livid.

She forcibly suppressed her breath and bowed again: “Thank you for Your Highness the Grand Princess’s magnanimity. From now on, Shuyi will definitely be cautious in words and actions and will not dare to offend again.”

Only then did Shen Zhiyi turn her gaze away, no longer paying attention to her. Instead, she went to Jiang Xuening’s desk, half-crouched down, her two palms stacked on the desk, her pointed chin resting on her own palms, revealing only a pretty head adorned with pearl and jade hairpins and ornaments. She blinked at her: “Ningning isn’t angry anymore, right?”

Jiang Xuening had mostly been pretending from the start.

In her previous life, she had endured far worse slights than this. How could she not tolerate this?

But seeing Shen Zhiyi treating her with such care, her heart felt joy one moment and sorrow the next. She could only force out an ugly smile and step forward to pull her up: “A dignified Princess, what kind of appearance is this?”

Shen Zhiyi didn’t dare tell her about what happened at Cining Palace. She only hoped to coax her into happiness: “Isn’t this to amuse you? I was afraid you weren’t happy.”

Jiang Xuening could vaguely guess her purpose, so she broke into a smile through tears.

She muttered: “Being so valued and favored by Your Highness, even if there were a thousand or ten thousand bitternesses, they would all dissolve. How could I not be happy?”

Only then did Shen Zhiyi smile along with her.

For a moment, the scene in the hall had a warm and harmonious feeling.

But this harmony belonged only to them. The others watching from the side couldn’t insert themselves at all.

The expression on Chen Shuyi’s face changed and shifted.

But Xiao Shu’s gaze swept across all the faces in the hall, and she only inexplicably thought: Chen Shuyi was usually a cautious person who spoke little and made few mistakes. Though her pride was inevitably a bit high, she was still someone who understood the situation clearly. But once she arrived in the palace, in such a constrained place, and encountered conflict, she inevitably lost her usual nature and lashed out. This Miss Jiang Er, after entering the palace, seemed domineering and confused, yet actually hadn’t made any truly foolish moves. She showed no discomfort or panic about palace life. What she was like when entering the palace seemed to be what she was still like now—truly making one not dare to underestimate her.

Fortunately, this scene didn’t last long.

At the second quarter of the hour of the Dragon, Zhang Zhong, who taught the Book of Rites from the National History Bureau, with a cold face and several thin books tucked under his arm, walked in from outside.

Everyone, including Shen Zhiyi, returned to their seats.

“Students greet Teacher Zhang.”

Zhang Zhong had a square face with two thick, bushy eyebrows, but his eyes were narrow. When he frowned, he naturally gave people a feeling of being mean and difficult to get along with.

At this moment, sweeping his eyes over everyone, he showed no pleasant expression.

He raised his hand and handed the books he’d brought to the little eunuch beside him, saying: “I came to teach ritual, which is not any critical subject. But having read history for many years, I only know that without rules, nothing can be accomplished in this world. The collapse of Zhou Dynasty’s ritual and music led to the chaos of the Spring and Autumn period. Initially, we teachers discussed that since we’re teaching the Princess and young ladies from families of high officials and nobles, we would set this subject to study the Admonitions for Women. But Teacher Xie Shaoshi said that all you companion readers are learned and reasonable, that you’ve already studied what you should have studied long ago, so there’s no need to be redundant. He suggested teaching matters of family and national righteousness instead, which is why the book was changed to the Book of Rites. However, according to what I’ve heard recently at the Hanlin Academy, although Fengchen Hall is a place of learning, there are people who don’t understand hierarchy and status. They cannot even demonstrate the gentle, dignified, and virtuous demeanor expected of women. I truly feel it’s absurd and deeply feel the weight of my responsibility. Therefore, today I’m taking the liberty of changing the curriculum. I will first properly teach you all the Admonitions for Women, and after finishing the Admonitions for Women, I will then carefully explain the Book of Rites to everyone.”

The little eunuch presented the books to everyone’s desks one by one.

Jiang Xuening looked down and saw two prominent characters written on the cover—

Admonitions for Women.

She couldn’t quite say why, but she was disgusted to the extreme. Even just now when she had that conflict with Chen Shuyi, she hadn’t felt this nauseated.

Even Xiao Shu beside her couldn’t help but slightly change color upon seeing this book.

The others looked at each other.

Only Chen Shuyi finally showed a relaxed expression, even slowly nodding her head, as if she greatly agreed with Zhang Zhong’s words.

Zhang Zhong was an extremely strict person by nature. Having made his decision, he didn’t care at all what expressions the people below—including the Grand Princess—had. After all, the Grand Princess would marry in the future too, so listening to this couldn’t be wrong.

He opened the book pages on his own and told everyone to first read the first chapter, “Humble and Weak.”

He only said: “In ancient times, several months after a female infant was born, she could not sleep on the bed, but was made to lie beneath it, to play with spindles, given bricks and tiles, and offerings made to ancestors. This was to show her humble birth and lowly status. The spindle and tiles were meant to make her understand that she should devote herself to labor, engage in farming and weaving, and help her husband prepare wine and food for sacrifices. Therefore, as a woman, one should be diligent, respectful, yielding, forbearing of humiliation, always harboring fear…”

The entire hall was silent.

Shen Zhiyi’s expression was somewhat uncertain.

Sitting in the back corner, Jiang Xuening couldn’t help but involuntarily recall from her previous life when she was fighting ruthlessly with the Xiao clan—those memorials that flew like snowflakes from the previous court, urging the Emperor to depose the Empress. She had secretly read them when Shen Jie was ill. Every single character and sentence spoke of women’s virtue and women’s calamity, overlapping seventy or eighty percent with what Zhang Zhong was saying at this moment.

A female infant born didn’t even deserve to sleep in a bed!

What kind of bullshit reasoning was this!

Zhang Zhong was still lecturing up front with a stern face.

But Jiang Xuening suddenly stood up and directly pushed away the desk in front of her!

“Screech, crash!”

The four legs of the desk scraped heavily across the smooth floor of the great hall, making a harsh, unpleasant sound. The books and writing materials piled on the desk all toppled and rolled down with a chaotic clatter, startling everyone to turn and look at her.

Zhang Zhong immediately frowned at her: “What’s going on?”

Jiang Xuening said: “Teacher, I feel nauseous.”

Zhang Zhong also knew she was a troublemaker. Hearing these words, his expression changed: “Who are you cursing!”

Jiang Xuening looked confused: “How strange. I said I feel nauseated, so how can Teacher say I’m cursing people? Perhaps I wasn’t careful and ate something bad yesterday, or maybe today I smelled something unclean and reeking. If I vomit in this hall, I’m afraid it will disturb Teacher’s lecture. So today, please forgive Xuening’s rudeness. I’ll take my leave first.”

Her words were polite, but the smile at her lips was clearly mocking no matter how one looked at it, without a trace of actual politeness. When she turned to leave the hall, she didn’t even bow once.

Everyone was stunned.

They’d seen people skip class, but to skip so brazenly and boldly—this was truly the first one they’d seen!

Zhang Zhong hadn’t expected that not only was this Jiang Xuening insubordinate, she actually lied to his face and walked out of his class. His originally dark face instantly turned the color of pig liver with anger. He raised his hand and pointed at her back, trembling continuously, only saying sternly: “Good, good, what an insubordinate girl! Such a stubborn and willful person—if she’s allowed to remain in Fengchen Hall, I, Zhang Zhong, might as well not teach this class at all. When the time comes, let’s see whether you’re more capable or I am!”

Jiang Xuening’s footsteps had long since gone far.

Hearing him shouting behind her, she didn’t even bother to turn her head.

In her previous life, she had never attended this old man’s class, so she didn’t know his temper was this explosive. But she figured he couldn’t make any real waves anyway—after all, in her previous life she hadn’t attended classes from the beginning, and she hadn’t seen this old man have the ability to discipline her.

Thinking this, she gave a cold laugh.

However, it wasn’t yet past the hour of the Dragon. If she wanted to walk around this palace, the palace was probably currently surging secretly with undercurrents over that jade ruyi case. If she wanted to return to her room to sleep, it seemed boring to be alone.

After some consideration, Jiang Xuening simply turned direction and went to the side hall.

Yesterday Xie Wei had told her to come learn the qin in the afternoon after class. In any case, she had time now. It would be better to go see if Xie Wei was there. If he was, she could learn today’s portion early and save herself from having to come in the afternoon to be tormented.

The side hall of Fengchen Hall was right beside the main hall, just around the corner.

When she looked, there was actually no one outside.

The little eunuch who had been guarding outside last time wasn’t there. Those two doors were also pulled shut and tightly closed, with not a sound coming from inside. It seemed Xie Wei wasn’t there at this hour, and the little eunuch seemed to serve him specifically, so naturally he wasn’t there either.

Jiang Xuening pursed her lips, sighed, and prepared to leave.

But just as she was about to lift her foot and step down from the platform, a “meow” suddenly sounded from beside a flower pot in the corridor.

Her footsteps immediately stopped.

This meow sounded familiar.

Following the sound to the corner by that flower pot, Jiang Xuening looked and saw that in the narrow gap, a palm-sized little white cat was curled up. Its two soft little paws were pressing on a piece of fish meat from who knows where, its pink little tongue extending to lick and eat it, then swallow it into its mouth.

“It’s you!”

She immediately recognized this as precisely the kitten that had been crouching on Xie Wei’s windowsill that time and was carried away by that little eunuch. She was delighted beyond measure.

She hadn’t held a cat in too long. Her hands were a bit itchy.

Jiang Xuening crouched down to watch it for a while. The more she looked, the cuter it seemed. Finally, she couldn’t resist. She gently reached out her hand and picked up this little bundle, placing it on her knees, and sat down right there on the steps of the side hall.

The little kitten wasn’t afraid of strangers at all.

The fish meat had already been eaten into its belly. It licked the soft white fur on its paws a little. Jiang Xuening’s slender fingers gently supported its small head, and so it very contentedly squinted its eyes, curling up in her sleeves in a lazy posture.

At this moment, Jiang Xuening felt all her worries were gone.

The side hall was quiet and empty. Sunlight fell on the steps. The young lady dressed in a snow-blue dress sat lazily on the steps, gently stroking an equally lazy little white kitten.

Faintly, the sound of Zhang Zhong lecturing could still be heard from the main hall.

Jiang Xuening pretended not to hear.

But after sitting on these steps petting the cat for a while, she suddenly heard hurried footsteps from the other side of the palace wall, along with a eunuch’s lowered voice: “This servant will come to invite Teacher Shaoshi later…”

Xie Wei!

Jiang Xuening froze. Those footsteps had already reached the palace gate.

Instinctively, she swiftly picked up the little kitten that had been on her knees with both hands and hid it in her wide sleeves, tidying things slightly to conceal it thoroughly. Then she lifted her head to stare at the palace gate.

Xie Wei indeed appeared there.

He clearly hadn’t expected anyone to be in front of the side hall. When he looked up and saw Jiang Xuening, the frosty coldness on his face hadn’t had time to be put away. His still forbidding gaze fell upon her.

Jiang Xuening froze. The hair on the back of her neck nearly stood up.

But in the next moment, he restrained himself, making this chilling aura quickly disappear, as if it were an instant’s illusion. In the blink of an eye, there was no trace of it.

Appearing before Jiang Xuening again was that Xie Wei without any flaws.

He glanced at Jiang Xuening still sitting on the steps, then looked in the direction of the main hall. His two clear, handsome eyebrows couldn’t help but furrow. He walked forward and stopped, asking: “I told you to come in the afternoon. Teacher Zhang is still lecturing at this hour. You’re not listening to class but sitting here—what kind of behavior is this?”

Jiang Xuening held the cat in her sleeves and didn’t dare move recklessly.

But seeing Xie Wei, if she didn’t stand up to bow, it would inevitably arouse his suspicion. So she moved very carefully, slowly standing up while still letting her wide sleeves cover her hands. She bowed slightly: “Greetings, Teacher Xie. I didn’t want to listen to Teacher Zhang’s class. My heart thought that if I could come here to take Teacher Xie’s class first, and if Teacher Xie happened to be here, I could learn the afternoon’s qin lesson and save myself from having to make another trip.”

She cursed herself inwardly for being possessed. The best choice just now had clearly been to throw the cat away and pretend it had nothing to do with her.

But it was too late for regrets now.

So while speaking, she was still praying in her heart: Little kitty, little kitty, be good and obedient. The great demon king is right in front of you. Please don’t meow at this moment, or he’ll immediately change his expression and cook you up to eat!

Hearing her excuse, Xie Wei’s brows not only didn’t relax but furrowed even deeper. He only said: “Teacher Zhang hasn’t dismissed class yet, but you appear here—you must have left early or are skipping class. Not attending Teacher Zhang’s class but coming to mine—if Teacher Zhang heard this, what would he think? Yesterday when I saw Yan Lin, I even told him you were sensible and well-behaved, that he needn’t worry. I never expected you to be incorrigibly unruly and show no remorse!”

Jiang Xuening was left speechless.

Although in her previous life, things with Xie Wei had also been very unpleasant, and she both hated and feared this person, she subconsciously and naturally assumed he was different from other teachers. Moreover, he didn’t look down on them as female students like other teachers did. Yet right now, he was harshly reprimanding her without distinguishing right from wrong, and even brought up Yan Lin.

This was a soft, painful spot for her.

Never mind that today she had also detected some ominous clues from Shen Zhiyi’s unusual attitude!

She looked straight at him.

Her eyes reddened, but she wasn’t crying. Rather, she harbored an unprecedented sense of injustice and anger. As her chest rose and fell, she only felt a surge of indignation that could not be suppressed no matter what.

So much so that in this moment when Xie Wei coldly lifted his foot to walk past from the side, evil arose in her courage!

The kitten originally hidden in her sleeves was directly pulled out by her. With a cold expression on her face, she held it straight out toward Xie Wei!

“Meow!”

The little kitten had been drowsy and lazy in her sleeves. Suddenly being lifted up, it was so frightened that the fur along its spine stood on end. Very timely, it cried out in panic!

Xie Wei had just received a secret report from Cining Palace and had just returned to see Jiang Xuening skipping class, so naturally he couldn’t very well put on a pleasant face. He flicked his sleeves, about to ascend the steps into the side hall.

How could he have anticipated that Jiang Xuening had something hidden in her sleeves!

When that bundle of kitten was thrust before him, his pupils contracted violently, the depths of his eyes dark as a tide, his face iron-blue. Goosebumps rose all along the back of his hand. He immediately retreated a step and raised his sleeve to brush Jiang Xuening’s hand away!

Jiang Xuening had been holding the little cat lightly to begin with, afraid of hurting it. After being brushed away, the little cat, frightened, immediately struggled free from her hands and jumped to the ground. As if seeing the King of Hell, it scampered away along the palace wall in a flash.

Only Jiang Xuening and Xie Wei remained standing face to face.

Jiang Xuening’s face showed no expression. Xie Wei’s face also showed no expression.