Chapter 33: The Princess’s Might
On the day of selecting companion readers, early in the morning, the princesses rode chariots out from the palace, then changed to traveling carriages and horses outside the Imperial City Gate.
Princess Wuyang and Princess Nangong arrived together, started quarreling after three sentences, and then the eight-year-old Princess Shengping arrived, throwing a tantrum because she got up too early, being picky about the carriage she was to ride and refusing to get on; the palace maids and eunuchs tried to persuade, apologize, and replace the items inside the carriage, in a chaotic mess.
Until Princess Pingcheng’s chariot arrived.
“What are you quarreling about!”
Princess Pingcheng got down from the chariot and shouted, instantly silencing the noisy princesses.
Princess Pingcheng was the daughter of the Emperor and the Empress; the year she was born, the Emperor ascended to the throne, and she was greatly favored.
The fifteen-year-old her combined the merits of the Emperor and the Empress, tall and slender, fair-skinned, with delicate features.
Princess Wuyang and Princess Nangong reluctantly lowered their heads to pay respects; Princess Shengping shrank her shoulders and hid behind the palace maid.
Princess Pingcheng said coldly: “This is to go reading, to see the teacher, not to go to the rear palace to see your mother consort; coquetry and quarreling should also consider the occasion. If you know to rely on Father Emperor’s favor, you should also know not to lose Father Emperor’s face.”
Princess Nangong timidly said, “Older Sister is right to teach us.”
Princess Wuyang clenched her hands tightly, eyes full of defiance but not daring to speak.
Princess Shengping’s eyes brimmed with tears.
Princess Pingcheng said no more: “Get in the carriage; do you want the teacher and classmates to wait for us?”
The princesses reluctantly turned and got into their carriages.
Princess Pingcheng frowned and looked over. She saw a group of black-clothed men approaching, and her gaze instantly fell on Wei Jiao among them. Her brows smoothed, and she pressed her lips together.
Wei Jiao walked closer: “Grand Princess’s majesty.”
Princess Pingcheng gave him a sidelong glance: “Don’t mock me.”
Wei Jiao raised both hands: “How would I dare to mock you? It would be good if the princess doesn’t mock me.”
Princess Pingcheng laughed: “Don’t bullshit me, Wei Jiao. You got scolded by someone again on this trip out, didn’t you?”
Wei Jiao said, “If one day I’m not scolded by others, that means I’m dead.”
Princess Pingcheng spat two times: “What nonsense.” She then looked at Wei Jiao, “Don’t be afraid of being scolded. Just do the right thing, and those scolding you are the ones feeling guilty.”
Wei Jiao smiled and said in a low voice, “Keep your voice down. If they hear what the princess said, you’ll get scolded along with me.”
Princess Pingcheng looked at the youth whose eyebrows and eyes danced with a smile, like a flower bud blooming, and lightly hummed: “How could I be afraid of others scolding me.”
Inside the carriage behind, Princess Wuyang clutched the carriage curtain, watching the two people ahead who were almost leaning together and laughing, her eyes blazing with anger.
“This will go on forever!” She gnashed her teeth. “Won’t this make the teacher and classmates wait?”
Turning back to look behind, she saw Princess Nangong almost leaning half her body out the window.
Princess Wuyang gave a look, wanting Princess Nangong to speak up and interrupt them, but Princess Nangong only stared dazedly at Wei Jiao’s smiling face.
Still, Wei Jiao took a step back, gestured with his hand invitingly: “Princess, hurry and go to class.”
Princess Pingcheng smiled and nodded, supporting herself on the palace maid as she stepped onto the imperial carriage.
The Imperial Guards ahead went first, and the imperial carriage proceeded forward.
Princess Wuyang urged, “Hurry up,” watching the increasingly near Wei Jiao, but before she could greet him, Wei Jiao turned and walked away, leaving her so angry that she hatefully pounded the window.
They’re all princesses. Can’t I take one more glance at them?
“Princesses are not all the same,” Princess Nangong’s carriage caught up with her. Leaning on the window, she said aggrievedly, “There is only one princess who is the eldest legitimate daughter.”
With that, he looked at Princess Wuyang.
“Older Sister, we are both born of concubines.”
Princess Wuyang sneered: “Don’t use those outside rules to judge us. Our Father Emperor is the Emperor, and don’t try to drag me. My Mother Consort is the Imperial Consort.” With that, she flung the carriage curtain aside and sat inside.
Princess Nangong was no longer as aggrieved as before. She pursed her lips and silently mouthed, “Imperial Consort, Imperial Consort is also a consort.” After that, she also got into the carriage.
Wei Jiao didn’t care at all about this unfair treatment of him, which disturbed the princesses’ moods.
If everyone goes to Longxi to inquire, they will know that when he was at home, the Wei family was in what kind of unrest.
The household is peaceful, everyone gets along amiably, full of joy and delight, yet Wei Jiao only smiles faintly—how dull.
“Captain.”
An Embroidered Uniform Guard stepped forward, holding a booklet in his hands.
“The roster of students taught by Jiang Wangchun from Zhao County has been compiled, but it only covers Zhao County.”
Wei Jiao put away his smile, took the booklet, and listened to the Embroidered Uniform Guard continue speaking.
“Jiang Wangchun once traveled and studied everywhere. At that time, the world was in chaos, and his movements have not yet been investigated clearly for the time being.”
“He returned to Zhao County five years ago, and afterward taught and compiled books, with simple personal relationships.”
Wei Jiao sneered: “With the world in chaos, you still dare to wander everywhere. Claiming to be one of the scholars, Your courage is truly not small.. It’s not surprising to be involved with the Previous Dynasty Treasure, but what does the Previous Dynasty Treasure have to do with him? Reading?”
After saying that, he laughed himself.
“Is the Previous Dynasty Treasure this idle?”
……
…….
On the road to the National Academy, after the princesses’ imperial carriages passed, other people’s carriages could then proceed.
But the journey did not become very smooth either.
Although there were far fewer people compared to the real National Academy exam, and although no accompanying maids were allowed inside the National Academy, it did not say one could not see them off, so carriages and horses streamed by in a lively bustle.
The National Academy was outside the city at the foot of Bi Yun Mountain.
It was originally a villa of the previous dynasty’s royalty. The emperor did not bother repairing the imperial palace damaged in the wars and first had this villa repaired, granting it to the Confucian scholars for teaching.
Mo Zheng reined in her horse and looked toward the resplendent golden building ahead.
“Young Lady, we’re here.” She turned back and said softly.
Yang Luo lifted the carriage curtain and also looked toward the National Academy, her gaze complex.
“So this is the National Academy.” She murmured.
In her previous life, she had only heard of it; this time she finally saw it.
Thinking of this, she reached out to touch her face and asked a bit nervously.
“The makeup powder on my face is still there, right?”
…….
…….
Early that morning, Yang Luo woke up and without bothering to eat, rushed to the kitchen to find soot from the bottom of a pot. She said it was because the young lady from Duke Dingguo’s family was also coming. Although she had never met her, she was still worried about being recognized, so she wanted to disguise her appearance.
Mo Zheng found it somewhat amusing: “They definitely won’t recognize you. You won’t even make it through the gate and will be directly dragged away by the imperial guards.”
Which family’s young lady would show up to such an occasion with a face full of pot bottom soot? That kind of occasion was not like pretending to be a beggar in White Horse Town.
Yang Luo of course knew pot bottom soot did not look proper. She reached out to touch this face of hers; she looked very much like her mother. Although not many people knew her mother, what if….
“If you want to disguise your appearance, I have a kind of gray powder.”
The hunter youth suddenly said, then handed her a box of powder.
Yang Luo opened it and saw it was similar to common spice powder, emitting a faint indistinguishable spice scent. She dubiously applied it to her face, and sure enough it covered her original skin without looking out of place. Moreover, using different amounts on her cheeks and eyelids made her cheeks and eyes appear thinner and smaller.
The whole person seemed to have become another appearance.
It was too miraculous.
“A Sheng, how do you have this?” she asked in surprise.
Wasn’t A Sheng male? How would she have makeup powder?
“This isn’t makeup powder; it’s disguise powder.” The hunter youth corrected. “When we hunt, we need to camouflage, so we have need for it.”
Did hunting require such trouble? What prey needed disguising one’s appearance? She had never been a hunter, but now she had no time to think more about it.
To her, anything strange did not matter, as long as it was useful to her.
……
…….
Mo Zheng took a small mirror from the little basket in front of the carriage and held it up in front of Yang Luo.
Yang Luo looked at herself in the mirror, still that face even she found somewhat unfamiliar, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Alright, then I’ll go in.” She said.
Yang Luo got out of the carriage, carrying the little basket as she headed inside. First, the imperial guards checked her identity and invitation, then the academy’s instructor and palace maids from the imperial palace led the way.
When stepping through the academy’s tall paifang, Yang Luo could not help turning back to look. Outside were people everywhere, carriages and horses, chaotic gazes.
The hunter youth stood up from in front of the carriage and waved at her.
Yang Luo inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief, then gave a self-mocking smile.
Since her rebirth, this was the first time she had gone to do something without this young guard by her side.
She was still a bit nervous.
