CHAPTER 005
Since Han Ranzhi had taken Lu Yun'er and the others to Jingyi Pavilion earlier using a quicker route, they saved some time but missed out on much of the academy's beautiful scenery.
After leaving Jingyi Pavilion, Han Ranzhi planned to take Lu Yun'er to the Doctor’s Hall [1] later, but first, she decided to show her around and introduce the general layout of the Imperial Academy.
The Imperial Academy covered a vast area, with ancient trees towering above, providing shade and serenity. The atmosphere was elegant and tranquil, and not far away, the sound of students reading aloud occasionally drifted from a pavilion.
As the two engaged in a pleasant conversation, they occasionally encountered male and female students returning to their dormitories[2]. They were all dressed in white student robes and respectfully greeted Han Ranzhi, sneaking curious glances at Lu Yun'er.
Just as Lu Yun'er and Han Ranzhi had taken a few steps, a young girl’s voice called out from behind, “Master Han!”
They turned to see three girls, about fifteen or sixteen years old, full of youthful energy, approaching them.
As the students greeted them, they cast curious looks at Lu Yun'er. One of the girls asked, “Master Han, is she a new female student?”
Han Ranzhi and Lu Yun'er exchanged smiles, and Han Ranzhi explained, “This is our new doctor. You may respectfully address her as Doctor Lu.”
The students were surprised and quickly bowed, saying, “Doctor Lu.”
Lu Yun'er smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.
“Doctor Lu, let's continue,” Han Ranzhi suggested.
Just as Lu Yun'er was about to take a step forward, one of the girls called out, “Doctor Lu, we are all students from Chengxin Hall! Welcome to our academy!”
The Imperial Academy was divided into three levels with six halls. Depending on the students' knowledge, they were placed in different halls. To advance from the lower-level halls to the higher ones, students had to accumulate points through exams to determine if they could graduate or move up.
The beginner halls were Zhengyi Hall, Chongzhi Hall, and Guangye Hall; the intermediate halls were Xiudao Hall and Chengxin Hall; the advanced hall was Shuixing Hall.
As Han Ranzhi watched the students leave, she remarked with satisfaction, “I didn't expect our Doctor Lu to be so popular with the students. Along the way, more students have greeted you than they usually do me.”
“Is that so? I think these students are so respectful and well-mannered. This must be due to the excellent education at the Imperial Academy!” Lu Yun'er said with a soft gaze, her eyes gently rippling with a smile.
Han Ranzhi smiled and replied, “I see you’re complimenting me on my good teaching!”
Meanwhile, two male students in the distance were secretly watching the two women chatting.
“No wonder so many male students said they saw a particularly beautiful woman outside the Jixian Gate today. It turns out it’s true. The Doctor Lu beside Master Han looks stunning and has such an extraordinary, refined temperament. I wish she could teach in the male academy.”
“Is that so? I also think Doctor Lu has a beautiful smile, especially those enchanting peach blossom eyes. I almost got lost in them. I wonder if Doctor Lu is already married. If she is…”
Before the boy could finish his sentence, a cold voice suddenly interrupted from behind them.
“How shameless!”
The two male students turned around in displeasure, but upon seeing the person behind them, they immediately showed a look of panic and quickly said, “Your Highness.”
They had heard that the Little Prince would be studying at the Imperial Academy, but they had found it hard to believe. Normally, members of the royal family would have a Grand Scholar from the Hanlin Academy come to teach them at home, so there was no need to attend the Imperial Academy. Now that they saw him in person, they had no choice but to believe it.
Su Qingwan had initially not wanted to stay at the Yun Prince’s Mansion, so he had gone to the quarters with Xiaoyuan. But upon seeing the simplicity and austerity of the place, he decided against it. The rooms were basic and shared among four people, though there were single rooms available in the eastern courtyard, they were adjacent to the students' quarters, and no attendants were allowed. All daily chores had to be done independently, so Su Qingwan decided it would be better to return to the Yun Prince’s Mansion.
Just as he was leaving the quarters, he overheard a conversation. At first, he ignored it, but when he heard the name “Lu,” he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Feigning indifference, Su Qingwan followed the direction of the conversation and saw a figure gradually fading into the distance, laughing and talking with someone. Judging by her graceful silhouette, he could vaguely see a bit of elegance.
That woman named "Lu Yun'er."
As his gaze flickered, his mind suddenly conjured up those clear peach blossom eyes. Thinking of someone else praising her for her beautiful smile inexplicably filled him with annoyance.
Su Qingwan shot them a cold, disdainful glance and said indifferently, “You two are students of the Imperial Academy, yet it seems you’ve completely forgotten the virtues of propriety, justice, integrity, and honor. If you’re so idle, why not go back and thoroughly review the ‘Principles of Conduct for Men,’ don’t you think?”
“Yes, yes, Your Highness is right,” the two male students hastily responded, then quickly hurried away.
Xiaoyuan, who had been standing nearby, noticed that the Little Prince had been acting unusually today. Since they left Jingyi Pavilion, he had often seemed distracted, only snapping out of it when something caught his attention.
Concerned, Xiaoyuan asked, “Your Highness, what’s the matter today? Are you feeling unwell at the Imperial Academy?”
Su Qingwan lowered his gaze, his expression unreadable, and asked quietly, “Xiaoyuan, I’m fine. Any news about what I asked you to investigate?”
Xiaoyuan replied earnestly, “Your Highness, there hasn’t been any news these past few days. Based on the attire of the person who saved you, the fabric was simple and plain, something common among ordinary women. However, the magnolia flower embroidered on the clothing was exceptionally lifelike. I took the embroidery sample to all the tailoring and embroidery shops in the capital, but they all said it wasn’t made by them.”
As Xiaoyuan thought about the white magnolia flower, he grew more excited. “They all praised how realistic it was, saying the woman must have married a man with extraordinary embroidery skills. They all asked me for the embroidery pattern. Honestly, Xiaoyuan has never seen such…”
Before Xiaoyuan could finish, a deep voice interrupted.
“So you’re saying this woman is already married?” The light in Su Qingwan’s eyes dimmed, his gaze growing melancholic and his tone disappointed.
Seeing the Little Prince’s gloomy expression, Xiaoyuan realized that Su Qingwan had taken a liking to the woman. He quickly tried to comfort him, saying, “I don’t know, it’s just a guess by those embroiderers, not necessarily accurate.”
Su Qingwan fell silent for a moment, a faint hint of determination flickering in his eyes as he bit his lip and said, “I don’t care about anything else, just find her!”
Even if she was married, so what? He only wanted to see her once, to know that she was safe and healthy.
Inside the Doctor’s Hall.
Three doctors greeted in unison, “Master Han!”
Han Ranzhi introduced, “This is Lu Yun’er, our new Doctor Lu.”
Lu Yun’er warmly glanced at the three people and smiled, greeting them, “Hello, everyone! It’s a pleasure to meet you. Please take care of me!”
The three doctors nodded in return, though their expressions varied, each matching their unique personalities.
Along the way, Han Ranzhi had already explained everything to Lu Yun'er in detail. The Boshi Hall[1] had four doctors, one of whom was a male doctor.
Standing on the left was a slightly thin woman who, though plain-looking, maintained a cold expression from beginning to end. Her demeanor matched her name—this must be Liu Bing.
On the right was a dignified and poised woman who appeared kind and approachable, likely Wen Qing.
The woman in the middle, with a slightly plump figure and a lively demeanor, must be Zhu Miaomiao.
Noticing that one person was missing, Han Ranzhi curiously asked, "Where is Doctor Sheng?"
Wen Qing explained, "Doctor Sheng had some business in the East Court; she’ll be here later."
"Alright, in that case, you all should get to know each other first," Han Ranzhi said, glancing at Lu Yun'er, indicating that he had to leave to attend to other matters.
Since everything had already been explained, Lu Yun'er replied, "Alright."
As soon as Han Ranzhi left, Liu Bing, still expressionless, turned and walked away first, returning to her desk to review her work.
This left Lu Yun'er with Wen Qing and Zhu Miaomiao, and the three of them exchanged glances in a slightly awkward silence.
Zhu Miaomiao, however, enthusiastically approached Lu Yun'er, grabbing her arm and exclaiming, "Doctor Lu, let me show you around!"
She led Lu Yun'er to her workspace, saying, "This is where you'll be handling your duties from now on."
Pointing to the spot next to her, she added, "I’m right beside you. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself—I’m Zhu Miaomiao, and this is Wen Qing." Then, she gestured with her chin, "The cold-hearted but warm-spirited one over there is Liu Bing."
Lu Yun'er smiled and nodded at Wen Qing, intending to greet Liu Bing as well, but the latter completely ignored her, showing quite the strong personality.
Unbothered, Lu Yun'er asked, "By the way, isn't there also a male doctor?"
Wen Qing replied, "Yes! The only male doctor at the Imperial College—Sheng Qingzi."
Lu Yun'er knew that the Imperial College had separate academies for men and women, and they usually attended classes apart from each other.
Typically, the curriculum at the Imperial College included the Six Arts: Rites, Music, Archery, Charioteering, Calligraphy, and Mathematics. For women, martial arts were an elective, often replaced with lessons in embroidery, female virtue, and similar subjects.
Zhu Miaomiao glanced around cautiously before leaning closer to Lu Yun'er and whispering, "Let me give you a heads-up—Sheng Qingzi may be handsome, but he’s a real piece of work... Ouch! My ear!" Zhu Miaomiao yelped in pain, "Sheng Qingzi, let go! It hurts!"
Who would have guessed that Sheng Qingzi had silently appeared behind Zhu Miaomiao and, in his anger, grabbed her ear. "How dare you talk behind my back! Apologize."
Lu Yun'er observed Sheng Qingzi—his eyebrows were like strokes of a brush, his demeanor elegant, and his features as beautiful as peach blossoms. He truly stood out.
Feeling unsure of what to do in this situation, Lu Yun'er glanced at Wen Qing, who smiled and signaled her not to worry. Clearly, this playful banter was a regular occurrence.
With her face twisted in pain, Zhu Miaomiao quickly sought forgiveness, "I’m sorry! Please, just let me go! At least save me some face in front of Doctor Lu!"
"Doctor Lu?" Sheng Qingzi hesitated, turning his gaze to the elegant woman standing beside Wen Qing. She had a bright expression, her eyes sparkling with a hint of an amused smile.
Feeling a bit flustered, Sheng Qingzi's face turned red as he nervously replied, "Sheng Qingzi."
Letting go of Zhu Miaomiao's ear, Sheng Qingzi fidgeted with his hands, looking uncomfortable, while Zhu Miaomiao quickly retreated to a corner, rubbing her sore ear with a pitiful expression.
Lu Yun'er smiled and said, "Nice to meet you. My name is Lu Yun'er."
Sheng Qingzi, still a bit uneasy, responded, "Nice to meet you too, Doctor Lu."
Author’s Note:
[1] Boshi Hall: The office space for doctors in charge of teaching.
[2] Dormitories: The residence for students.
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