Chapter 50: Verbal Dispute
Because one hand was holding the food box, Ling Yu occasionally diverted his gaze from the book to check it.
The lid did not shake loose.
The box did not tilt.
Suddenly, a cold snort came from ahead.
Ling Yu frowned slightly, reluctantly diverting his gaze to look at the newcomer.
“Wei Jiao.” He called out, “What are you doing here at this time?”
Wei Jiao looked at him, not cursing, threatening, or mocking as usual, but with eyes narrowed, looking him up and down, his gaze lingering on the food box in his hand.
“I’m asking you.” Ling Yu asked again.
Wei Jiao spat, sneering, “Deceitful person, putting on an act.”
With that, he shoved his shoulder against him and staggered forward.
Fortunately, Ling Yu was on guard, steadied himself, and the food box was not knocked away.
What madness was this lunatic up to?
Ling Yu looked back and saw Wei Jiao heading to the Library.
His madness wasn’t a day or two thing.
“Dr. Ling.”
“Third Senior Brother—”
Shouts came from ahead.
Ling Yu withdrew his gaze and looked over, seeing seven or eight students standing at the door of his dormitory, their expressions angry.
What happened? Ling Yu hurried over, and before he could ask, the students chattered, “Wei Jiao kicked the door open,” “Wei Jiao went in,” “Quick, check if Senior Brother’s books are damaged,” “This is too much,” “Entering without notice.”
Wei Jiao entered his dormitory? Then A Sheng… Ling Yu hurriedly looked inside, no youth’s figure, hidden away?
He hurried into the room, the students standing outside asking concernedly, “Did anything go missing?” “Were the books destroyed?”
No one behind the screen either, Ling Yu looked up and out, seeing the youth had emerged at some point, standing behind the students, looking inside curiously.
“What happened?” “What’s going on?”
He even joined in asking.
Ling Yu breathed a sigh of relief, reassuring the students, “It’s fine, nothing missing, nothing damaged,” “Wei Jiao is just like that, ignore him,” and the students dispersed.
Ling Yu signaled Mo Zheng to come into the room and closed the door again.
“You…” he began to ask.
“I was still worried earlier, so I went to check on my young lady.” Mo Zheng said, asking, “What happened?”
Ling Yu breathed a sigh of relief: “So you weren’t here.” Then shook his head, “It’s nothing, Wei Jiao came to go mad…” Thinking of this, he asked again, “Do you know Wei Jiao?”
Mo Zheng nodded: “I’ve heard of him.” Curiously asking, “Isn’t he Embroidered Uniform Guard? Why come to the National Academy? From what everyone said, he’s here to study? Real or fake?”
Ling Yu nodded: “Before the National Academy was established, due to His Majesty’s request, the teacher took him as a disciple, but he only comes once or twice a month.” At this point, unable to hide his disdain, “Saying he’s studying is simply an insult to books, he’s just here for amusement.”
Mistake, didn’t check this beforehand, thought wouldn’t encounter Embroidered Uniform Guard in a place like the National Academy, but unexpectedly it’s more dangerous here than on the street, Mo Zheng pondered, looks like preparations need to be made early.
Ling Yu said: “This person is crazy, just now he even cursed me as a deceitful person putting on an act, totally inexplicable.”
Mo Zheng looked sympathetic: “Even someone like Senior Brother gets cursed by him, indeed inexplicable.”
But damaging one’s reputation is still better than colluding with suspects.
Ling Yu smiled: “Let him curse, for someone like him to curse me only makes him more disliked, no harm to me, no more talk of him, ignore him if you see him in the future.” With that, he placed the food box on the desk, clearing a space, “Come try the pastries, today the imperial kitchen made them, it’s imperial cuisine.”
Mo Zheng said okay, cleared a space and sat down.
…….
…….
“Make way, let me through.”
Yang Hui hurried from behind to the front.
The princesses and companion readers’ class was simple, only one essay in the morning, then waiting for the afternoon calligraphy instructor to come and practice writing two pieces.
Midday was rest time, palace maids brought tea and pastries made by the accompanying imperial kitchen.
The women crowded around the princesses, eating, drinking, and chatting.
For many women, compared to reading and classes, this was the most important homework for being selected as companion readers.
Yang Hui, sitting at the back, was a step slow walking over, and Princess Pingcheng was already surrounded.
It made her stamp her foot: “I’m the princess’s lady-in-waiting.”
The young ladies already seated beside the princess pretended not to hear, anyway the princess hadn’t spoken.
Of course there were two or three like Jiang Rui who were just here to study, quietly eating tea and pastries on the side.
Hearing Yang Hui’s clamor, Princess Pingcheng also lost face and could only ask: “Did you take notes for me?”
With Princess Pingcheng speaking, the young ladies surrounding her immediately made way.
Yang Hui glared smugly at them: “Yes—”
But just as she stepped forward, someone overtook her.
Yang Hui was caught off guard and nearly stumbled.
Who!
She looked angrily and saw the figure she’d been staring at all morning, now standing in front of Princess Pingcheng.
Seeing Yang Luo, Princess Pingcheng didn’t react at first.
“Princess.” Yang Luo paid respects, holding several sheets of paper in both hands, “These are the notes I organized from Mister’s lecture on the classics.”
Princess Pingcheng was stunned for a moment, this was…
“Princess needs a lady-in-waiting, I can do it, no need to specially select Miss Yang.” Yang Luo said, “My grades are better than Miss Yang’s.”
Everyone present was stunned.
Unable to believe what they heard.
Yes, everyone wanted to curry favor with Princess Pingcheng, but saying it so bluntly was unprecedented.
Even Princess Pingcheng, accustomed to flattery, was stunned; she’d never seen such blatant… currying favor.
Yang Hui behind was also stunned, furious.
How dare this person!
“Liu, the one surnamed Liu!”
Yang Hui stamped her foot; this person didn’t even deserve to have her name remembered, yet dared to humiliate her like this.
“You, you are so shameless!”
Seeing this, Princess Wuyang, who didn’t like being with Princess Pingcheng and was dragging Princess Nangong to a separate resting place, already at the doorway, let out a laugh, stopped, and turned around.
Though used to others fawning over Princess Pingcheng, this was the first time seeing young ladies fall out.
Interesting, fight it out.
Jiang Rui on the side couldn’t focus on her book, her expression complex; she knew this young lady had declared coming to befriend the princesses, but doing it so publicly to this extent still exceeded her imagination.
Under the surrounding gazes, Yang Luo seemed oblivious, turning to look at Yang Hui.
“Miss Yang, I am the princess’s companion reader, I’m here to accompany the princess in studying, it’s only right to serve the princess, how is that shameless?” she said, then looked Yang Hui up and down, “If anyone’s shameless, it’s you; clearly you were not selected, meaning your knowledge is lacking, yet you dare come serve the princess as lady-in-waiting.”
Yang Hui’s face paled with anger.
She grew up in the capital; in all these years, no one had ever dared speak to her like this.
She was not selected, but even so she could come; anyone with brains knew how powerful her status was, they should be flattering her, yet dared to humiliate her!
“You, you.” Yang Hui stamped her foot, “You are so bold, it was the Empress who instructed Marquis Yichun to invite me, you are cursing the Empress, this is disobedience!”
Princess Pingcheng’s face changed abruptly, slapping the table: “Shut up!”
Yang Hui’s face flushed red, body stiff, not daring to speak again.
Everyone in the hall had varied expressions, silent.
Yang Luo slightly lowered her eyes.
When people show off from a position of superiority, they might still have some sense, not saying everything.
So in her previous life, Yang Hui never mentioned who valued her, nor had she thought about it, always assuming Yang Hui got in on her own.
But when people are angry, they want to use all their power to smash the opponent.
So it turned out the Empress and Marquis Yichun were the ones valuing and supporting Yang Hui and Duke Ding’an’s Mansion.
