Upon hearing Yixiu Junzhu’s provocative challenge, Chu Linlang lowered her head and raised an eyebrow slightly. She had already considered this point herself, and truly did not feel she was a suitable fit.

Since that was the case, there was no need to make things difficult for the academy’s master — she would simply take her leave graciously.

Yet just at that moment, an aged voice rang out: “When my son founded this academy, his original intention was to broadly accept impoverished scholars from all over the realm, so that all might have a place for study and cultivation. The names of the men’s hall, Yi Lin, and the women’s hall, Rong Lin, taken together, mean ‘the accumulation of timber that readily yields talented individuals.’ There was never any notion of specifically accepting the gilded sons and daughters of wealthy and noble families. In the realm of learning, there is no distinction between high and low. If any young lady feels that sitting within this academy soils her reputation, she is welcome to leave at once!”

Everyone glanced over. It turned out to be Qi Gong, the Libationer of the Imperial Academy, who had arrived accompanied by his son, Qi Jingtang.

Beside Qi Gong stood another man — tall, with refined features and an extraordinary bearing — whose presence immediately drew the furtive glances of the assembled noble young ladies, many of whom could not bring themselves to look away.

Some of the noble ladies had encountered the severe official Situ Sheng before. His reputation as an official was consistently poor: in the past he had been known for abusing punishments, and more recently, because he had moved against the estates of various high officials, he had acquired the new title of “treacherous minister who harms the state.”

Because their fathers and mothers spoke so contemptuously of this man, those who happened to have seen him before had naturally never looked at him closely. And those who had never seen him at all leaned toward one another, whispering, asking who he was.

Today, Situ Sheng was not wearing his official robes. His long robe of pale smoky blue with wide sleeves suited his tall frame well. With a black gauze cap atop his head, his sword-sharp brows and bright star-like eyes appeared all the more dashing and unrestrained.

With no one whispering in these noble ladies’ ears about treacherous ministers and ruined states, they were free to quietly appreciate this official’s brows and eyes, distant as green mountain ridges.

Such a handsome man truly made hearts flutter, and more than a few cheeks grew faintly flushed.

Yixiu Junzhu was among them. Even having been rebuked without a shred of mercy by Libationer Qi Gong, she could not bring herself back to her senses, her eyes fixed straight and unblinking upon Situ Sheng.

The nanny at the Junzhu’s side was quick-witted, and gave the Junzhu’s sleeve a discreet tug, which barely managed to help the Junzhu maintain the composed and graceful bearing expected of a noble young lady.

Gathering herself, she thought of how Qi Gong had humiliated her so openly, and at once felt a flush of shame and anger: “You… do you know who I am?”

She was the own niece of Lady Jing, the imperial consort currently enjoying immense favor in the rear palace. Her father was none other than the current National Uncle. How could anyone be permitted to put her in such a position?

Qi Gong lifted an eyelid and looked at this little yellow-haired girl. He did not recognize her, so it was his daughter-in-law Hua Shi who stepped over and quietly introduced the Junzhu’s identity to her father-in-law.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Qi Gong let out a cold snort and said: “Oh, the daughter of Lord Yun? How quickly time passes. Lord Yun’s own father was once no more than a minor county magistrate’s assistant. It was because he had a daughter who entered the palace that he gained promotion. He once came to the gates of this old man’s residence hoping I would introduce a tutor to his good-for-nothing younger son. Out of regard for his sincere manner, I permitted that boy to enter Yi Lin Academy. And now that little rascal’s own daughter is already sixteen — no longer young. It does seem, however, that her upbringing has been somewhat lacking.”

These words caused Yixiu’s cheeks to flush scarlet.

The Libationer of the Imperial Academy was an elder who had served three reigns — a preeminent Confucian scholar of current affairs. Even the Emperor held him in respectful esteem. To Yixiu, he was as senior as a patriarch to her own father’s lineage. How could she shout and carry on before him like this?

With Qi Gong’s words, none of the assembled young ladies dared say anything further.

That such an exalted figure as the Libationer of the Imperial Academy, who had served three reigns, would come to speak up for a mere female household manager — surely there was some personal connection at work behind the scenes.

Everyone present was sharp enough. Not one of them wished to be expelled from the women’s academy by offending Qi Gong, lest they become the greatest laughingstock in the capital.

However, after that elder Qi had thoroughly silenced the noble young ladies, he also raised an eyebrow and appraised Chu Linlang with a cold snort: “Chu Niangzi certainly has a casual air about her — strolling into my academy as though wandering through her own courtyard.”

Hmm, this… Chu Linlang lowered her head and looked at her half-new, half-worn layered skirt. Indeed, she was somewhat out of place compared to the meticulously dressed noble young ladies.

But she could hardly explain that she had been forcibly dragged out by that scoundrel Situ Sheng, and had not dressed at all.

Hearing this, she forced an awkward smile, using the motion of raising her sleeve as cover, then shot Situ Sheng a fierce glare.

Qi Gong said dryly: “Although my son’s academy accepts talent without regard to rank, and judges not by high or low birth, it must still be seen whether those accepted are individuals who can be forged into talent. This Rong Lin Women’s Academy does not simply accept any fool.”

Chu Linlang understood. So this old gentleman was still nursing a grudge.

It was only because she had earlier compelled his family’s “land-god” to accept a gift that he now intended to find another way to make things difficult for her through the examination questions. In any case, Chu Linlang was not particularly enthusiastic about this kind of noble ladies’ academy. If the old man’s tricks prevented her from passing, so be it.

Just then, the academy’s book-boy brought out the examination papers. The noble young ladies were asked to be seated at individual desks, their attendants to withdraw, and for the duration of three incense sticks they would sit the examination.

The Qi family’s examination supervisor and Situ Sheng sat at the front of the hall, monitoring the proceedings while sipping tea brought by the servants.

Qi Gong drank a mouthful of tea and glanced at Situ Sheng beside him. The man was drinking his tea while keeping a subtle, concealed watch on Chu Niangzi as she filled in her examination paper.

Qi Gong could not help but shake his head. Having lived to his age, he had become one sharp, perceptive old man — what was there he could not see through?

This Situ Sheng was ordinarily so busy he was nowhere to be found, yet today he had gone out of his way to come here, and had just been urging the father and son to come over quickly. Was it because he feared that Chu Niangzi would be treated badly?

Young people, after all — he might look composed and seasoned, but he could not resist the test of a beautiful woman.

Thinking this, Qi Gong again frowned at the young woman — apart from her rather pleasing looks, her mouth full of sharp retorts, and a belly full of cunning tricks, what else did she have to bewitch a person beyond all reason?

Young Situ was being foolish indeed.

Chu Linlang was seated in the corner. She lowered her head and looked at the examination paper. On it, written in large characters, were two words: “Wifely Conduct.”

This was the subject of today’s “essay question” — the ladies wishing to sit the examination were asked to speak freely on what constituted wifely conduct.

For those young women well-versed in the Precepts for Women, what difficulty could this pose? So one by one, with expressions of delight, they hastily picked up their brushes, dipped them in ink, and began copying out passages from the Precepts for Women.

There were, however, a few who had not yet moved their brushes, seemingly lost in thought. Tao Yashu, the late Empress’s own niece, was one such — she thought quietly for a while before setting brush to paper.

Yixiu Junzhu glanced at the examination question, then looked over at Tao Yashu. Only when Tao Yashu had begun writing did the Junzhu also pick up her brush and write quickly.

Chu Linlang lowered her head and looked at the examination question. Inwardly, she could not help but laugh at herself.

She had thought that an academy founded by such a great Confucian scholar would have something exceptional about it, yet even here they were talking about this business of treating one’s husband as heaven.

And yet she actually did know how to answer this question. A few days earlier, Situ Sheng had suddenly brought her a copy of the “Model for the World” to read, even pointing to a few passages and asking her to memorize them.

Chu Linlang remembered clearly. One of the passages read: “Only if a woman understands accounts and letters herself, and the person she is entrusted to can independently provide food and clothing, and has some grasp of public righteousness, will things be nearly right. Otherwise, the family will rarely avoid ruin.”

He had her memorize this passage and copy it out several times, then explained its meaning to her: roughly, that if a husband is foolish and useless, a woman should set up the household, manage food and clothing, learn business, and prevent the family from falling into decline.

This was, in principle, a reasonable point — though Chu Linlang had lived such a life for eight years and knew its inner bittersweet truth all too well. So she asked Situ Sheng whether his having her memorize these things was mockery.

Situ Sheng had replied blandly: “Sometimes one must memorize absolute nonsense. There are always times one must deal with conventional people.”

Having said that, he also had Chu Linlang expand on the passage and write an essay, which he then revised and polished.

At the time, Chu Linlang had not understood — memorizing these things to deal with what kind of conventional people?

But now she could see: that scoundrel had long since laid the groundwork, and had from the very beginning wanted her to enter this women’s academy, even preparing some examination questions in advance for her to study and memorize.

Had he, when sitting for the Imperial Examinations back in the day, also memorized many nonsensical essays he did not agree with?

So today, if Chu Linlang were willing, she truly could fill up that examination paper from top to bottom and muddle through the task.

But she looked up at Situ Sheng, seated at the head of the hall, and decided she had no intention of simply following his plans.

She dipped her brush in ink, thought for a moment, and slowly wrote a single line on the paper. Then she set down the brush, propped her chin on one hand, and let her gaze wander idly over the clothing and hair ornaments of the noble young ladies around her.

Situ Sheng, watching her absent and inattentive manner, narrowed his eyes slightly. His long fingers tapped slowly on the armrest of his chair, in a way that would unconsciously cause anyone watching to feel a certain pressure.

Unfortunately, Chu Linlang was not the Sixth Imperial Prince. She did not take the least notice of him, and only occasionally darted a provocative glance his way.

Very soon, the time of three incense sticks was up. The book-boys came to collect the examination papers from the young ladies and present them to Qi Jingtang, who was overseeing the examination.

The papers were not many, and there was no need for the days-long posting of results as was done for the men’s examination.

While Hua Shi invited the young ladies to the adjoining hall to drink tea and admire paintings, Qi Jingtang sorted through the papers beside his father.

Those dull papers that were mere copies of the Precepts for Women were taken out by Qi Jingtang without hesitation and set aside — clearly, these papers were eliminated in the very first round.

The remaining papers varied considerably in content. Among them, it was Tao Yashu’s that most satisfied Qi Jingtang.

The delicate and graceful brushwork alone was a delight to the eye. In her essay, she cited historical exemplars — famous empresses of past dynasties, or ladies holding honorific titles — drawing from their examples to illustrate standards worth emulating, and laying out her own views.

From this, one could see that Miss Tao had read widely in history books. Yong Ning Ducal House was indeed a family of deep scholarly tradition; it was no surprise that they had produced Empress Tao, and it seemed this youngest legitimate granddaughter of the Duke of Yong Ning was likewise a woman of considerable talent.

Yixiu Junzhu’s paper was also not bad. Although her brushwork was somewhat inferior to Miss Tao’s, she had also written at length in flowing prose, her citations decently proper. It was evident she had come prepared, having studied at home the kinds of questions commonly asked in women’s academy examinations.

The remaining essays, while not merely copying from books, nonetheless mostly revolved around bearing sons, serving one’s husband, and the observance of filial piety.

After all, this was not intended to cultivate pillars of the state. When Qi Jingtang had originally composed the examination questions for the women’s academy, he had been quite lenient, setting the most common questions used in ordinary women’s academies rather than anything unusual.

These young ladies raised in their inner chambers, as long as they did not merely copy from books verbatim and showed some literary refinement, would all pass.

However, one particular sheet stood out rather conspicuously. That expanse of white paper had only a single line of somewhat uneven brushwork in the center.

Qi Jingtang read it, shook his head with a resigned sigh, and tossed it to one side.

But Qi Gong was rather curious. He stretched out his hand and picked up that paper to look at it. On it, in brilliantly clear characters, was written a single line: “I have long since ceased to be any man’s wife. What has so-called wifely conduct to do with me?”

Qi Gong looked at the crooked shape of the characters — without even checking the name at the bottom, he could tell which little girl had written this rubbish.

He raised his salt-and-pepper eyebrows, feeling something like gleeful schadenfreude, and said to Situ Sheng: “No wonder you were chatting with my son the other day, working your way around to asking when the women’s academy would begin its term — you had long since planned to stuff someone in. But how could you not have prepared her with some examination questions in advance? How could you just let her come and make a spectacle of herself like this? No matter how hard you try, mud simply will not stick to a wall. Situ, my lord — it is not that this old man’s son is unwilling to give you face. Look at your female household manager’s examination paper. How could this possibly pass?”

Situ Sheng took the examination paper. He was silent for a good long while before speaking: “What is wrong with this line of hers? Heaven gave this sort of woman no ordinary path through life — how then could she write about ‘wifely conduct’? These two characters, for her, are nothing less than a mortal blow to the heart…”

Qi Gong had given up on this young man and all his nonsense — the old man’s whiskers bristled: “What of it? She and her husband could not get along, so the whole world owes her a debt? If the women’s academy does not accept her, that is a mortal blow to the heart? Situ Sheng, don’t push things too far!”

Situ Sheng seemed to be in a poor mood. He only rose, clasped his hands in respect, and explained to the Qi family father and son: “I am not blaming either of you two. What Qi Gong does not know is this: this woman spent eight years in her husband’s household. Through her own efforts alone, she managed a failing family into perfect order, and helped her husband rise from nothing to a sixth-rank position at court. What these worldly people call ‘wifely conduct’ — she performed it without a single flaw. And in the end, she was thrown out of the door. Given that examination question today, for her to write this one line was wholly candid and open, with a clear conscience. But it makes me feel deeply ashamed… It was I who harbored selfish motives and forced her into a difficult position — compelling her to come and face this wretched question. A mortal blow to the heart, indeed — nothing more than this…”

Having said this, he said no more. Leaving the Qi family father and son staring at each other in bewilderment, he turned and went toward the adjoining hall.

Situ Sheng had, in truth, been scheming for a long time to get Chu Linlang into the women’s academy. The appearance of Xia Qingyun had given Chu Linlang thoughts of leaving the capital. A mere household manager’s position — how could that have sufficient weight to keep her? But she had always been proud and strong-willed. If she could enter the women’s academy, study under learned teachers, and also make connections among the capital’s noble young ladies, that would surely keep her.

So he had used the advantage of his acquaintance with Qi Gong to learn the general direction of the women’s academy entrance examination, and had in advance led Chu Linlang through revision and preparation.

Yet in the two days before the examination, the two of them had unexpectedly shattered through the barrier between them — an intimate, close embrace — something wholly contrary to his original plans. And Chu Linlang, unwilling to be false and evasive, had discarded the essay he had prepared for her, and mocked the examination question with this dismissal — something he had also not anticipated.

At this moment, Situ Sheng’s heart was indeed full of accumulated frustration. But he was not angry with Linlang for failing to appreciate his efforts. As he had told Qi Gong, compelling Linlang to sit for this examination had been a mortal blow to the heart.

He was angry with himself. Knowing full well that her true nature was different from those other women who followed rules and conventions — why had he still made her go through this?

If Rong Lin Women’s Academy only taught young ladies how to be good wives and mothers — to be virtuous housewives — then there was no need to study there at all.

So at this moment, he simply wanted to take her away quickly.

He had assumed that, being left in the adjoining hall among a crowd of unfamiliar noble ladies, she would surely be in an extremely awkward situation.

Yet he had not expected that, when he made his way to the side hall, he could hear from quite a distance away the sound of delighted laughter coming from within.

He slowed his steps, and through the gaps in the window lattice looked inside. Chu Linlang was shaking her ancient tortoiseshell divination shell with an air of great authority, then reading the fortune for a plump young lady sitting before her.

“Miss Guan, your romance star has moved in the most auspicious way! According to the hexagram reading, the happy news should arrive around the fifth month of this year!”

That Miss Guan had indeed recently been in negotiations for a marriage, and just yesterday her mother had quietly told her the date was being set for the fifth month. Hearing this, she was utterly delighted: “Goodness, you are too accurate!”

Several young ladies who were familiar with Miss Guan, hearing this, were also astonished and impressed, and each clamored for Chu Linlang to calculate when their own romance stars would move.

Regrettably, Chu Niangzi indicated that the Tortoise Immortal’s gathered spiritual energy was limited and could not be called upon at all times. Today she had already read three hexagrams, and the spiritual energy was exhausted. If anyone wished for another reading, they would have to wait for another day.

Having said this, Chu Linlang looked up and spotted Situ Sheng standing by the window. With a smile, she made her farewells to the other young ladies and came out to say to Situ Sheng: “Have you finished talking with Qi Gong and the others?”

Situ Sheng nodded and led Chu Linlang along the academy’s small bamboo-lined path for a stroll.

He was silent for a moment, then said: “I still did not know that besides divination, you also have the skill of reading people’s romantic prospects.”

Chu Linlang laughed out loud: “It’s all a bag of tricks. I’m also selective about who I read for. Several of the young ladies’ stewards and wives I had seen at the Fourth Imperial Prince’s full-month celebration, and I’d overheard a few things from their idle chat. As for adding colors and celebrating good fortune — looking at their ages, none of them could drag it out to the following year. When holding a wedding isn’t done too hurriedly, isn’t the fifth month of spring the usual time? I just made a bold guess, purely to amuse the young ladies. And besides, if my reading turns out to be wrong, I won’t be afraid of anyone coming to smash my stall.”

Using fortune-telling to liven up the mood had always been one of her best skills. She couldn’t exactly stand stiffly in the hall, letting that Junzhu and her followers mock her, could she?

Having heard her bag of tricks and mystical performance, Situ Sheng’s face showed no sign of amusement. Thinking of his having forced Linlang to sit the examination, he was silent for a moment, then said: “It was my fault. I am sorry.”

Chu Linlang fell silent. This out-of-nowhere “I am sorry” — could it be he was referring to… the other day, when he had abruptly embraced her?

But how was she supposed to respond to this kind of apology from a man who had tangled with her and now regretted it?

She could only clear her throat, and with forced magnanimity said: “It wasn’t entirely your fault. I had my shortcomings too. I was simply bewitched at the time, and… I ask for your understanding, my lord…”

After all, it had been she who had kissed him first. If they were going to apologize, she ought to have some accountability too.

Such an awkward topic — let it end there.

But Situ Sheng was not about to let it go. Seeing that Linlang’s response was perfunctory, and assuming she was afraid he would make an issue of her handing in nearly a blank paper, he said with gravity: “How could it be your fault? I was the one who compelled you. You… ought to be angry with me.”

Chu Linlang turned her face away awkwardly, and with some embarrassment gave an honest reply: “Well… I’m not actually angry. After all, I also… benefited from it…”

Situ Sheng frowned. He lowered his voice and asked: “If it was so unbearable, how could you have benefited?”

What? Chu Linlang was dumbfounded, staring at the man in disbelief.

She hadn’t even called him out for being too hasty and clumsy at the time, yet this green cucumber had the gall to use a word like “unbearable”?

Chu Linlang was so furious that her fine brows trembled uncontrollably. She ground her back teeth and forced a smile: “Unbearable it may have been, but it was still a blank page — untouched by anyone. I was the first to use it. How could I not feel I benefited?”

This handsome man’s first kiss was hers for the taking, and she felt she had benefited. So what of it?!

Situ Sheng pressed his lips together with a complex expression. Though he could not quite comprehend it, he had been thoroughly silenced by her singular wit. With a heart full of mixed emotions, he said: “In that case, good. Since you are not angry with me for compelling you to sit the examination, there is no need to wait for the examination results. Let us go back.”

What? Chu Linlang blinked and finally worked out the meaning. She could not help but blurt out: “You are apologizing to me because you forced me to come and take this exam?”

Situ Sheng also felt something was off. He looked down at the somewhat startled expression on Chu Niangzi’s face and slowly asked: “If not that — what did you think I meant?”

Chu Linlang covered her mouth with her handkerchief and laughed in rigid embarrassment, her frame trembling as she tried to cover up: “I… I thought you meant the matter of my fortune-telling readings…”

Unfortunately, the man before her was no fool. His mind turned far faster than the average person’s.

When he once again looked at Chu Linlang with a meaningful, knowing gaze, Linlang truly wished the earth would split open and swallow him into a crevice, rather than have him staring at her like this.

“It seems you rather benefited from it indeed…”

Before he could finish the words, Chu Linlang’s face had already flushed red. She reached out and covered his mouth with her hand, gritting her teeth: “Silence! Silence! Don’t say another word!”

Situ Sheng was smiling. Those pair of eyes — usually so cold — were now suffused with a faint spring warmth.

Just then, a voice suddenly called out from not far outside the bamboo grove. It turned out the grading was finished and the results were about to be announced.

However, to preserve the dignity of the young ladies who had not been selected, each person’s admission notice was placed in a small wooden box, and the young ladies could open them privately when they returned home.

If one had been accepted, the box would contain a list of supplies needed for enrollment along with a congratulatory message.

If one had not been accepted, there would also be a personal letter from Qi Jingtang expressing that the young lady was of outstanding talent and greatly admired. It was only that this year there were so many talented women and spaces were limited, and he could only regretfully let her go, hoping she would try again the following year, and so forth.

However, Chu Linlang was not curious about what would be in her box.

Given that she had written so boldly and carelessly on that white paper, it would be a wonder if she were accepted.

So she could not even be bothered to look, and on top of that, still stung by her earlier verbal slip, she walked out of the house without a backward glance and got into the carriage first.

Situ Sheng watched her huffy retreating figure and let out a quiet laugh. Then he casually opened the wooden box in his hand.

As for Chu Linlang, having settled herself in the carriage, she waited a long while without seeing Situ Sheng get in. So she poked her head out to look, only to see Situ Sheng with his head lowered, reading a sheet of paper. Then he looked up and said: “What now? You’ve been accepted into Rong Lin Women’s Academy…”

What? Chu Linlang was somewhat incredulous. She jumped down from the carriage and snatched the paper from his hand in one motion. On it were only a few characters written with vigorous strokes: “Though you are a gnarled piece of wood, you may yet prove worth carving. Come to enroll in three days!”

According to Situ Sheng, this handwriting appeared to be Qi Gong’s own personal annotation.

All the way back to the house, Chu Linlang kept pressing Situ Sheng on exactly how much gift money he had secretly slipped to that old Libationer.

Otherwise, how could his son have gone so entirely blind as to accept a sea-bottom glass bead like her?

Situ Sheng maintained he had handed all his silver over to her, and even his daily pocket money was collected from her — he had no other private funds to give as a gift.

His expression was entirely innocent. Chu Linlang finally believed that her admission to the women’s academy had truly nothing to do with Situ Sheng.

But Situ Sheng also said that if she did not wish to go, he would personally explain to Qi Jingtang that she need not force herself to study alongside those noble young ladies.

Yet Chu Linlang rolled her large eyes and indicated that since such a fine opportunity had presented itself, why not take it?

She had only been chatting today and had already made the acquaintance of several noble young ladies she would not ordinarily have the chance to meet. If she could spend a few days studying in this academy, the connections she would build would be firmly in hand.

Just recently, she had seen a shop on West Street in the capital being put up for sale, and the price was quite tempting.

Calculating her available funds, if she also sold the two shops back in her hometown, the proceeds would just be enough to purchase one thriving shop here in the capital.

Business in the capital was incomparable to what two shops back home could achieve. And if she further cultivated friendships with these noble young ladies, the shop’s future business would be easier to expand.

Thinking this through, she promptly agreed: “Go, of course I’ll go. An opportunity like this for study and cultivation is not something everyone can obtain. It’s only… if I attend the women’s academy, the miscellaneous things I handle…”

Situ Sheng said indifferently: “I never once treated you as a household manager. The house now has others besides you. As for everything else, you need not concern yourself with it.”

Chu Linlang understood that he truly had not treated her as a servant.

She just wasn’t sure which carried more weight and prestige — the title of his kept mistress, or his household manager.