Chapter 36: A Friend Not Seen For Many Years
“I suddenly received a letter telling me to buy braised meat at a certain place at a certain time. It really startled me.”
Ling Yu walked along the long corridor again, but this time he was no longer reading. The book was held in his hand behind his back, and his beautiful eyes scanned the scenery on both sides.
“I went but didn’t see you. So you were waiting for me here.”
“Since you’ve come, why not go in directly? Whether to find Mister or me, why go to such lengths?”
Because speaking up would leave traces of her appearance, Mo Zheng did not answer behind him, only smiling and saying, “After so many years without seeing each other, Senior Brother Ling can recognize my handwriting. I’m truly happy.”
“What’s there to be happy about?” Ling Yu shook his head. “It means that after all these years, my handwriting hasn’t improved at all.”
Mo Zheng laughed heartily. “I indeed can’t compare to Senior Brother’s handwriting.”
Ling Yu shook his head again. “You can’t compare to me. I was born into wealth, without worries about food or clothing, with healthy parents and harmonious brothers and sisters.”
He turned to look at Mo Zheng, as if seeing again the child led by that hunched old man, who had apologized: “Little Mister, please don’t blame us. My grandson likes reading, hid outside to eavesdrop, got absorbed in reciting, and disturbed you.”
The child held a branch in his hand, head lowered, secretly erasing with his toe the words written on the ground.
Calculating it, it had been six years since they last met.
Seeing her again now, he didn’t feel unfamiliar at all.
Although her face had matured, childishness faded, and she had grown much taller, the youth’s eyes were still as clear and serene as before.
Ling Yu smiled slightly.
“Back then, Mister wanted to take you as a disciple, but your grandfather was also getting old, and you needed to fulfill filial duties. I just saw your cousin at the butcher shop and heard your grandfather has passed away. Your family rushed to the capital city. So now you’re here to see Mister to continue reading?”
Mo Zheng shook her head with a smile. “No, I now work as a guard for someone. I’m here accompanying my family’s young lady for the exam.”
Ling Yu was slightly stunned, successively surprised by guard, young lady exam, and subconsciously looked toward a palace nearby.
“The princess companion reader exam?”
……
……
“Names are placed on the desks. Please, young ladies, find your positions and take seats.”
Since it was said to be selecting companion readers, the noble ladies in the building at this moment were not yet princess companion readers, so when the princesses arrived, there was no chatting, and they were led upstairs by palace maids and instructors.
Desks were already set up in the lobby on the second floor, with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone fully prepared on the desks.
The women dispersed in the hall, looking for their seats. Except for the four princesses sitting at the head, the others were arranged casually.
“Miss Liu, your position.”
While Yang Luo was searching, Qin Ying waved and called her.
Yang Luo hurried over, thanked Qin Ying, but saw Yang Hui also coming over. Seeing the two sitting together, she pursed her lips.
“Liu, or is it Miss Fu?” she asked.
Qin Ying glared at her. “Yang Hui, restrain yourself. This companion reader selection puts conduct first.”
Yang Hui was not afraid of her and said, “I’m just joking with her to help her relax.” Then looking at Yang Luo, “Miss Liu, ask me anything you don’t understand.”
Yang Luo smiled at her. She was used to her cousin’s spoiled behavior at home, but didn’t expect it to be the same outside.
Was she not afraid of being criticized?
Or did she just bully the weak, fear the strong, despise the poor and love the rich, flatter superiors, and hide it well in front of most people?
Or perhaps her talents were outstanding, flaws not hiding virtues?
So in the end, she could be selected as a companion reader and often kept by Princess Pingcheng’s side.
Qin Ying bumped her arm and said, “Ignore her.” Thinking of something, she whispered a reminder, “Don’t provoke her.”
It seemed Qin Ying still feared Yang Hui in her heart. Was it because of Duke Ding’an’s title? Yang Luo smiled gratefully. “Thank you for looking out for me. You’re really nice.”
Qin Ying giggled. “Anyway, I won’t pass the exam. I’m just here to befriend. Befriending princess companion readers will raise my status too.”
Over there, the instructors had started urging, “Find your positions and sit down quickly.” Qin Ying said no more.
“Do well on the exam. You came from so far away; you must have real skills. Surpass them.”
After saying that, she walked away to her own position.
Yang Luo sat down. She would do well on the exam, but not to surpass everyone, which was impossible anyway.
She just needed to surpass Yang Hui.
“There were forty people then, selecting eleven. I fought my way through.”
Yang Luo’s ears echoed with Yang Hui’s then smug recounting. Such recountings, from entering Duke Ding’an’s Mansion to getting married, went on nonstop for five years. She couldn’t remember which occasion it was, but the family’s other brothers and sisters were all there. When hearing Yang Hui recount, the eldest cousin said,
“You ranked last, eleventh place, barely selected.”
Yang Hui was very angry then. “Eleventh is still selected, still fought through, a narrow win is still a win.”
This time, she came to be that eleventh, kicking Yang Hui out.
Yang Luo lowered her head, looking at the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the desk.
“……Start by writing calligraphy to check handwriting.”
Accompanied by the sound of Yang Hui from her memories, drumbeats sounded in the hall.
Yang Luo lifted her head and saw a palace maid holding drumsticks, an instructor standing in the center of the hall.
“Young ladies, for our first item, we’ll check handwriting.” The instructor said, gesturing with his hand. “An essay has been placed on the desks. Please copy it once; calligraphy style unrestricted.”
As soon as the words fell, rustling sounds rose in the hall. The women busily found the essay on the desks and began spreading out paper.
Yang Luo was not in a hurry, watching the instructor and listening to his last sentence.
“……Collect papers after the drum sounds three times.”
Yang Luo then looked beside her. Yang Hui had already picked up the essay to read, frowning slightly and muttering “so many words.” Perceiving Yang Luo’s gaze, she immediately squeezed out a fake smile.
“Miss Liu, stop looking at me. Hurry and write, or don’t cry if you can’t finish.”
Yang Luo smiled at her. “I can finish. I’ve practiced for a long time.”
After saying that, she withdrew her gaze, ignoring Yang Hui rolling her eyes there.
Yang Luo looked at the laid-out paper.
Back then, she both envied and revered Yang Hui, thinking her scholarship was excellent, able to be a princess companion reader, a famous noble lady in the capital city.
She too was young and youthful, liked to fantasize, wondering if she studied diligently, could she also become a princess companion reader.
So she copied her handwriting, her qin playing, her essays.
She wrote it over and over, played over and over, and even had a female teacher give pointers.
After an unknown time, three or four years, the female teacher who had always smiled without speaking and only told her to work hard finally nodded and said, “Better than hers.”
She was especially happy then, believing the female teacher’s words.
However, after rebirth, recalling it, maybe the female teacher was just coaxing her to be happy.
As to whether it was coaxing or she truly surpassed Yang Hui, today would show.
Yang Luo picked up the brush and wrote the first character.
……
…….
Everyone in the hall focused on writing calligraphy.
Princess Wuyang, sitting above, looked at the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone in front of her and frowned. “Do we have to write too?”
The palace maid beside her hadn’t spoken yet when Princess Pingcheng spoke first.
“It’s to select companion readers for us, but we also need to enter the National Academy to study.” She said, “Naturally, we need to be examined too.”
Her gaze swept over the three princesses.
“The Libationer is strict in scholarship. Best not let him tell Father Emperor you’re ignorant and incompetent.”
Princess Wuyang immediately became unhappy. “How can you say that about us? What about you? We’re all about the same age, enlightened together in the imperial palace.”
Princess Pingcheng’s expression was calm as she glanced at her. “I am indeed a bit better than you.”
After saying that, she no longer looked at them and picked up the brush to write.
Princess Wuyang was so angry she wanted to stand up, but was stopped by the palace maid. “Princess, don’t make noise.” “Everyone is watching.”
Although sitting at the very front, separated by some distance from everyone, they were still in the same indoor space. The voices here had already drawn many gazes.
Princess Wuyang could only suppress her temper, glaring at Princess Nangong and Princess Shengping. What about you two? Nothing to say?
Princess Nangong nodded timidly. “Older Sister is indeed better at studies than us. I’ve heard Father Emperor praise her.”
Princess Shengping waved her hand aggrievedly. “Older Sister Wuyang, I wasn’t enlightened with you all. Don’t include me.”
Sycophant! Coward! Princess Wuyang cursed inwardly, hatefully picked up the brush, then thought of something and looked toward the instructor nearby.
“Is the Libationer personally reviewing today’s exam?”
Hearing this, Princess Pingcheng, who had been seriously writing, paused slightly.
The instructor smiled and said, “It’s called an exam, but it’s actually to let the princesses and companion readers get familiar, understand everyone’s progress. No need for the Libationer to review. It will be judged by two Five Classics Doctors from the academy; they are disciples of the Libationer.”
Princess Wuyang breathed a sigh of relief. Not that old man, good.
Princess Pingcheng felt some regret. They weren’t yet worthy of the Libationer’s attention.
But this was only temporary.
Her eyes held determination.
As Father Emperor and Mother Empress’s most beloved daughter, Great Xia Dynasty’s future first Grand Princess, she was outstanding and would surely enter the Libationer’s door, becoming his first female disciple.
