CHAPTER 003
A horse passed by the window; three days later, it would be the fifteenth.
The Guozijian, the Imperial Academy, sat facing south in a rectangular north-south orientation. It was composed of a three-courtyard layout, with the Biyong Hall at its center, arranged symmetrically on either side.
The main gate of the Guozijian was called the Jixian Gate, and opposite this gate was Jixian Street, a road lined with various shops. On this particular day, the students of the Guozijian were on holiday and allowed to go out and stroll the street.
Lu Yun'er had originally arrived by carriage, but seeing the many students on Jixian Street, she decided to alight midway, instructing Qiu Yi to wait for her there. She then walked the rest of the way.
At this moment, Lu Yun'er was standing under a thousand-year-old locust tree outside the Jixian Gate, waiting for the Master of the Academy, unaware that she had attracted the whispered discussions of many male and female students.
Today, Lu Yun'er was dressed in a white outfit as pure as snow, a color that made her skin appear even fairer. A red sash was tied around her waist, accentuating her graceful figure. Her entire being radiated an air of refined elegance, detached from the ordinary world.
The dappled sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a soft glow on her delicate profile, exuding a peaceful serenity.
"Has the Master of the Academy not arrived yet?" Liu Lan approached with an innocent smile, but her gaze was fixed on the young students bustling along Jixian Street.
Lu Yun'er looked up at Liu Lan and smiled, "Perhaps he has been delayed by something."
A mischievous smile played on Liu Lan's lips as she lazily replied, "It must be that his young husband is holding him up!"
"General Liu, stop spouting nonsense!" Han Ranzhi came running over, his face serious. "This is the Guozijian—show some respect!"
Indeed, Han Ranzhi, as a teacher, would never compromise on matters of principle.
Liu Lan immediately admitted his mistake, "Yes, sir, Master of the Academy."
Han Ranzhi turned to Lu Yun'er and said, "There was a bit of trouble at home just now, so I'm late. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Yun'er."
Lu Yun'er smiled politely, "It's nothing."
"Please, follow me, both of you."
Inside Jingyi Pavilion.
"Crash!" A sharp sound rang out.
Immediately, the distressed voice of the Wine Master filled the room, "Oh no! My delicate blue and white porcelain..."
The Wine Master, Hu Lianzhen, who was over fifty with graying hair, sat on the floor, looking heartbroken at the shattered pieces of blue-and-white porcelain scattered across the ground. It was as though her heart was bleeding.
This was her cherished collection, a treasure that had been with her for half a lifetime!
A tall, elegant figure moved away from Hu Lianzhen, turning toward the pearwood desk. A slender white hand placed a stack of white paper in the palm, then, without any courtesy, crumpled it into a ball and discarded it.
Hu Lianzhen quickly ran over, bending down to pick up the crumpled paper, her face a picture of sorrow. "This was Xuan paper I specially ordered from Huizhou..."
This Xuan paper was known for its soft texture, smoothness like jade, and clear ink diffusion, making it perfect for writing and painting. It was also resistant to insects and had a long lifespan.
It had long been praised as the "king of paper" and "thousand-year-old paper."
Hu Lianzhen's heart was about to break once more, but faced with this person's reckless behavior, she could only endure.
Seeing that the person was approaching the cloisonné, she quickly pleaded, "Little Prince, if you have any requests, just instruct me directly, and I will see to them!"
The person before her was none other than the Little Prince of Yunqin Palace, a figure of immeasurable status—how could she dare to offend him?
Su Qingwan smiled slyly, his tone light and teasing, "I have always valued my freedom, and I can't tolerate any constraints."
Hu Lianzhen, bending to his will, quickly coaxed him, "Rest assured, Little Prince, the Guozijian is just like Yunqin Palace for you. You may do as you please."
Su Qingwan shot her a sidelong glance and said coolly, "What else?"
The low voice carried an unmistakable pressure, causing Hu Lianzhen to straighten her back instantly.
Her eyes darted nervously as she reluctantly added, "Don't worry, Little Prince, I'll handle everything with Yunqin Palace."
"You're sensible, at least! Xiaoyuan, let's go." Su Qingwan smiled with satisfaction.
Hu Lianzhen watched the figure leave, finally breathing a sigh of relief. Wiping the cold sweat from her brow, she muttered bitterly, "That little tyrant is finally gone."
But as she turned and saw the scattered remains of her precious belongings, the Wine Master's heart shattered once more.
"My dear treasures!"
Xiaoyuan, following closely behind the Little Prince, whispered, "Little Prince, even though you've given the Wine Master a heads-up, it's still best to show some restraint... Otherwise, if the master finds out, I might really lose my place by your side."
Just last night, the Prince had already spoken to him.
Su Qingwan frowned, stopped in his tracks, and looked at Xiaoyuan. "What did she say to you?"
Seeing Xiaoyuan remain silent, Su Qingwan immediately understood. Knowing that she was firm in her decisions, he suppressed his anger and softened his tone, "Alright, I'll try my best."
However, as soon as Su Qingwan turned around, he unexpectedly ran into Lu Yun'er and her companions at the corner of the corridor.
The collision happened so suddenly that neither party noticed each other in time. Su Qingwan, walking backward, collided with Liu Lan, who was ahead of him. Liu Lan hadn't noticed the person behind him, and given the difference in strength between men and women, Su Qingwan was inevitably the one to fall.
In that split second, Lu Yun'er reacted quickly, stepping forward past Liu Lan, grabbing Su Qingwan's arm with one hand, and supporting his waist with the other, helping him regain his balance and preventing him from falling to the ground.
Lu Yun'er was slightly taken aback when she saw the person in front of her. Wasn't this the young man she had rescued at Liu Su River that day?
He had a handsome face, with rosy lips and pearly white teeth, untouched by makeup, and he was as beautiful as a flawless jade.
Today, he was dressed in a light blue silk robe with embroidered light green willow leaf patterns along the edges. His dark hair was tied up with a fine mutton fat jade hairpin, and his bright eyes sparkled beneath the loose strands of hair on his forehead. He was clearly a distinguished and refined nobleman, untainted by the mundane world.
Just as Su Qingwan snapped back to reality, he realized he was being held by someone, and his expression turned displeased.
He looked up at the person before him and was momentarily stunned. She had an extraordinary beauty, with a pair of enchanting peach blossom eyes, her gaze gentle and clear, without a trace of impurity.
These were the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen, yet they seemed to lack something.
Suddenly, Su Qingwan caught a faint whiff of a rich, cool fragrance at the tip of his nose. His eyes filled with confusion. This scent? Just as he wanted to delve further, Xiaoyuan interrupted him.
"How dare you! Let go of the young prince!" Xiaoyuan scolded, seeing that Lu Yun'er was still holding the young prince.
Han Ranzhi quickly stepped aside and bowed, "I am Han Ranzhi. Greetings to the young prince."
Lu Yun'er immediately withdrew her hand, "I am Lu Yun'er. Greetings to the young prince."
Liu Lan also greeted, "I am Liu Lan. Greetings to the young prince."
Hearing the words "young prince," Lu Yun'er's eyes flickered slightly. To be honest, it had been a year since she had transmigrated here, and given the lack of entertainment, her life had mostly consisted of a routine lifestyle. She hadn't realized that the person she had saved was a young prince.
But fortunately, his complexion looked rosy, indicating that his health had been well-maintained.
Su Qingwan's delicate and fair chin lifted slightly as he glanced at the three people in front of him. Without saying a word of reproach, his gaze briefly lingered on Lu Yun'er before he turned to leave.
"Luckily, the young prince didn't hold us accountable," Han Ranzhi said in surprise as she looked at Liu Lan. "It's strange! It's rare to see General Liu so well-mannered."
"Who wouldn't be, given that the young prince's mother is the Prince of Yunqin? I'm a devoted follower of the Prince of Yunqin," Liu Lan said with a smile. "But it seems that this young prince is studying at the Guozijian. I'll try to get close to him. Who knows, I might even get a chance to connect with the Prince of Yunqin and enjoy the thrill. But seeing how proud this young prince is, it might be a bit difficult!"
After all, being a follower of the Prince of Yunqin for so many years, it would be a dream come true if she could finally have a chance to spar with her.
Han Ranzhi noticed that Lu Yun'er had been silent, "What's wrong, Master Lu?"
Liu Lan also snapped back to reality and looked at Lu Yun'er.
Lu Yun'er smiled softly and said, "It's nothing. We should go see the Wine Master. Otherwise, we might be late."
She led the way, with Han Ranzhi following closely behind, while Liu Lan walked at a leisurely pace, seemingly lost in thought.
When Han Ranzhi saw that the door to the Wine Master's room was open and that she was sitting on the floor with her back to them, she knocked on the door and said, "Wine Master, Master Lu and General Liu have arrived."
The Wine Master, Hu Lianzhen, quickly stood up when she heard someone call her from behind. Instead of replying to Han Ranzhi, she greeted Liu Lan with a fawning smile, "General Liu, what brings you here!"
Han Ranzhi glanced helplessly at Lu Yun'er, signaling her not to take it to heart.
Lu Yun'er smiled without saying anything, understanding why the Wine Master was behaving this way.
The position of Minister of Revenue was responsible for managing the state's finances, including national land, taxes, household registration, military supplies, and salaries.
During her tenure as Minister of Revenue, there had been a fund allocated by the Guozijian that, due to unspecified usage, she had deemed ineligible and did not approve. This caused her to make quite a few enemies.
But no one knew that she was just a wandering soul from another world, with little attachment to this world. She had already put life and death out of her mind and didn't want to form any deep bonds with anyone.
The Wine Master must have held a grudge against her for that, and now that she was no longer serving as the Minister of Revenue and was working under her, she certainly wouldn't receive any kindness from her.
Liu Lan also sensed something amiss and said coldly, "Oh! Wine Master, you're still young, yet your eyesight seems to be failing! Didn't you see Master Lu standing right next to me?"
Hu Lianzhen thought to herself, "She's working under me now, so how is she still a 'Master'!"
But out of respect for General Liu, she feigned politeness and greeted Lu Yun'er, "Master Lu."
Lu Yun'er, understanding the situation, responded, "Wine Master, you're too kind. I'm no longer a 'Master.' Now that I'm working under you as a scholar, I should be learning from you."
Hu Lianzhen, seeing that Lu Yun'er had lowered her attitude, thought to herself, "At least she knows her place." She then adopted a commanding tone and instructed, "Master of the Academy, take Scholar Lu to familiarize herself with the environment and get to know the situation. As for the course arrangements, you can decide."
"Yes, Wine Master," Han Ranzhi replied, then turned to Lu Yun'er, "Scholar Lu, please follow me."
After Lu Yun'er and Han Ranzhi left, Hu Lianzhen immediately put on a flattering expression and approached Liu Lan, "General Liu, what brings you here today?"
There was no helping it—this was another difficult person to deal with!
Author's Note:
[1] Jingyi Pavilion: The office of the Wine Master and the Master of the Academy, the highest officials of the Guozijian.
The romantic plotline develops slowly.
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