Chapter 55: Old Friend’s Tale
But Wang Zaitian was different from Jiang Wangchun.
Jiang Wangchun was originally a retainer of the Qi Clan, assigned to give her enlightenment, so he knew her identity from the start, and then became true teacher and student during their time together.
Later, the Qi Clan was destroyed by others, and they each started new lives, but they never broke contact, always treating each other as teacher and student.
Her background left her without freedom, but in that lack of freedom, she had one hobby, which was reading.
And Zhang the Eunuch also indulged this hobby of hers.
At that time, they had just escaped others’ control, and on the way back to Zhang the Eunuch’s hometown, they learned that Wang Zaitian was nearby opening a school.
“Oh dear, this person is quite famous. Back then Zhao Tan had people everywhere trying to capture him to gain fame for himself, but he always escaped.” Zhang the Eunuch said, pulling her along. “Come on, come on, we can’t miss this. Studying with him for a few days would be worth a lifetime.”
So she followed Zhang the Eunuch to where Wang Zaitian was.
Of course, she did not pay tuition to study at the school.
She could not leave any traces.
So she squatted outside the school eavesdropping.
Then she got acquainted with Ling Yu, who followed Wang Zaitian. Ling Yu copied down the words she wrote on the ground and the essays she wrote, and showed them to Wang Zaitian…
Unexpectedly, Wang Zaitian wanted to take her as a disciple, saying she had talent for reading.
He sought her out repeatedly. Zhang the Eunuch trusted his character and had some mischievous intentions, so he told him Mo Zheng’s true identity—of course, only the prince’s identity.
The secret of her being a woman was something Zhang the Eunuch always kept, and no more than five people around him knew.
“She can listen to Mister lecture, but she cannot follow you to study. Even if she has talent, it won’t do, because she does not have the fate for reading.”
She could only hide from the world, could not be seen by others, and certainly could not become a disciple of a famous scholar or great scholar, otherwise her life would be gone, and the lives of those connected to her would be gone too.
Wang Zaitian was very shocked at the time. He had not expected Emperor Ai to have an heir, and he also knew what that identity meant.
He did not insist on taking her as a disciple again, nor did he report it.
Mo Zheng thus continued eavesdropping outside the school, writing calligraphy herself, writing essays herself, until Wang Zaitian finished his lectures there and left with Ling Yu.
After that, she never saw Wang Zaitian again, until now.
Well, actually she still hasn’t seen him now, she only saw Ling Yu.
She also had no intention of seeing Wang Zaitian.
With Jiang Wangchun’s death, she did not want to and would not take a teacher or call anyone mister again.
She was dangerous, would bring death and bad luck.
Mo Zheng raised her hand to throw the firewood into the stove, and the crackling sound rang in her ears.
“That Wei Jiao is also going to the National Academy. Young Master, you are too dangerous.” Zhang Sheng You said. “Why not find an excuse, like twisting your leg or something, and I’ll send Miss Yang instead.”
Mo Zheng shook her head: “No, the more dangerous it is, the less I can leave Miss Yang.” Smiling as she spoke, “Don’t worry, Miss Yang is very capable. Look, she must know Wei Jiao is coming to the National Academy too, but she doesn’t mention it at all, nor does she say she won’t go to school. Clearly she doesn’t take it seriously and has a way to deal with it in mind.”
Tao Hua pursed her lips: “I think she’s deliberately hiding it from you, afraid of scaring away you this guard. This Miss Yang seems straightforward, but in reality has deep thoughts, keeping things hidden, not open with you at all, Young Master.”
Mo Zheng smiled and said: “Don’t point at the pot calling the kettle black. Haven’t I been keeping things hidden too?”
Tao Hua snorted: “Keeping things hidden is one thing, but I’m just afraid she’ll go mad again at some point.”
Indeed, stealing someone else’s identity to take the exam, quarreling with the young lady from Duke Ding’an’s Mansion on the first day of class at the National Academy, fawning over the princess in public—this Miss Yang’s actions really aren’t something a normal person would do.
Mo Zheng looked at the burning stove fire and said softly: “Her heart must be so bitter, that’s why she goes mad.”
If it weren’t absolutely necessary, with no way out, who would want to go mad.
With that, she looked toward Zhang Sheng You and Tao Hua.
“We can’t interfere with others, nor control them, so let’s just do what we can, to prepare for any eventuality.”
Zhang Sheng You and Tao Hua said no more and acknowledged.
……
……
In the next three days of classes at the National Academy, Wei Jiao did not come again. Mo Zheng safely read books in Ling Yu’s dormitory for three days, and Yang Luo, perhaps to avoid displeasing the princess, did not compete with Yang Hui again over sending notes to the princess.
However, when Yang Hui provoked her, Yang Luo unceremoniously replied, “I need to study hard. Mister’s lectures are getting more and more profound, so I won’t even be able to copy notes for the princess properly.”
These words made Yang Hui both angry and force herself to pay attention to the instructors’ lectures. Although the princess did not need her notes, she had come under this name, so she couldn’t just do nothing.
The four days of classes ended smoothly except for the first day, with the remaining three days passing without incident.
After respectfully seeing off the princesses, the young ladies’ tense nerves also relaxed.
Yang Luo, as before, tried to leave alone first, but this time she was called to stop.
“Miss Liu.”
Yang Luo turned her head. Although she had not joked or befriended everyone, in four days, she had learned the names of these companion reader young ladies.
The one calling her now was Shen Xue.
Except when facing Yang Hui, Yang Luo had no desire to provoke others.
“Miss Shen.” She nodded.
Shen Xue handed over an invitation: “Tomorrow Qin Ying is inviting everyone to tea at Dengyun Tower. She doesn’t know your home and couldn’t find you, so she entrusted me to bring this to you.”
Qin Ying, ah. Yang Luo took the invitation handed over.
“She only invited us companion readers.” A young lady’s voice came. “No princesses.”
These words were a bit…
Yang Luo looked up and saw several young ladies with disdainful looks.
It seemed everyone thought she was there to befriend the princess and disdained others.
Yang Luo smiled without refuting or replying. She thanked Shen Xue, took the invitation, and left, hearing discussion voices behind her.
“Why give it to her? She definitely won’t go.”
“She looks down on us.”
“Sigh, it’s from Qin Ying anyway. I’ve delivered the message; whether she goes is up to her.”
……
…….
“So, are you going?”
Mo Zheng asked lightly, swinging the whip.
She knew Yang Luo was not just befriending the princess, but because her identity was fake, she did not dare interact too much with others, lest she reveal flaws.
“The less you befriend people, the more unique you seem, the more people notice you—this isn’t safe either.”
“Also, there’s no such thing as a leak-proof wall in the world. No matter how careful you are, you can’t really keep studying at the National Academy forever.”
Yang Luo sat inside the carriage looking at the invitation in her hand, and lifted her head upon hearing this.
“I know. I didn’t plan to study forever.” She said. “As long as I can persist until the end of the month.”
At the end of the one-month course, the Emperor would personally come to the National Academy to visit the studying princesses and reward the companion readers.
This was one of the things Yang Hui often boasted about in that life.
At the time, Yang Hui had also mentioned one sentence, but after saying it, she was scolded by her aunt and taken away for a lecture, and never said it again.
But she had been curious and envious of everything about Yang Hui back then, so she remembered that sentence.
Yang Hui had said.
“His Majesty personally praised me, saying I was so clever, with the bearing of one of his old acquaintances.”
Yang Luo placed one hand in front of her, clutching the jade pendant she wore through her clothes.
Before, she had only cared about Yang Hui saying the Emperor praised her, and felt very envious and awed.
She had not paid attention to the last part of the words at all.
The bearing of an old acquaintance.
Yang Luo’s hand moved up to touch her own face.
When the Emperor arrives at the end of the month.
She would remove her makeup powder, reveal her true appearance, and when the Emperor saw this face of hers, would he also think she had the bearing of an old acquaintance?
