A young man walked in from outside, appearing to be in his early twenties. Dressed in a simple blue robe, his features were upright, though his physique seemed somewhat frail, giving off an air of an open and honest gentleman. He entered and praised, "Well said. Admiration carries dignity and should not be mocked. While the Hall of Extensive Learning teaches academics, moral conduct must also be diligently practiced."
The students all fell silent.
Shen Miao stared intently at the young man.
Pei Lang, the arithmetic instructor of the Hall of Extensive Learning, was a man of both virtue and talent—the only teacher in the hall who had been admitted as a mere scholar. Gentle and patient, Scholar Pei commanded more respect among students compared to the stricter tutors. Even someone like Shen Miao, who often lagged behind, was never scolded by him; instead, he would patiently explain things over and over.
If that were all, he would indeed be an excellent teacher—his character and learning were exceptional, a rare find. Unfortunately, Shen Miao knew another side of his identity.
Fu Xiuyi’s most trusted advisor, later appointed as the State Preceptor after Fu Xiuyi ascended the throne. State Preceptor Pei Lang, basking in success, stood second only to the emperor, above all others.
As a State Preceptor, he performed his duties impeccably. Shen Miao had once believed Pei Lang to be wise and upright, yet when it came to deposing the crown prince, he remained silent.
Shen Miao and Pei Lang had once shared a decent personal rapport. It was Pei Lang who had proposed sending Shen Miao as a hostage to the Qin State. He had said, "This is for the sake of Ming Qi’s future. If Her Majesty can relieve His Majesty’s urgent crisis, the entire realm will be under her benevolent shadow, and the people will forever be grateful."
Yet, in reality, when she returned to the palace five years later, the harem had gained a Mei Furen, and those subordinates of Pei Lang who had once revered her now regarded her with wariness.
When the crown prince was deposed, Shen Miao had even knelt before Pei Lang, begging him. As Fu Xiuyi’s confidant, if Pei Lang spoke up, Fu Xiuyi would surely heed his counsel. But Pei Lang merely helped her up and said, "Your Majesty, what the Emperor has decided is beyond this humble official’s power to change."
"Pei Lang! Will you stand by and watch the crown prince be deposed? You know this should not be done!" she had raged, pressing him fiercely.
"This is the tide of the times, Your Majesty. Accept your fate," Pei Lang had sighed.
Accept your fate.
How could one simply accept fate? If given another chance at life, to resign oneself to fate would be too tragic, too hateful.
Shen Miao’s gaze darkened as she stared at the young man before her—noble and open, yet indifferent to suffering; gentle yet ruthless. As a subject, devoted to the realm, Pei Lang was a loyal minister. But… as long as he stood on Fu Xiuyi’s side, in this life, they would inevitably be locked in a fight to the death!
At this point in time, Fu Xiuyi had likely not yet won over Scholar Pei. Should she sever their connection before that happened and draw Scholar Pei to her side? Or… simply nip the threat in the bud?
Scholar Pei set down the book in his hand, keenly sensing a gaze fixed upon him. He looked up and met Shen Miao’s inscrutable eyes.Shen Miao was seated quite far back, yet she stubbornly maintained an upright posture while staring intently at him. There was something peculiar about her gaze—Scholar Pei Lang felt as though it carried a sense of scrutiny and judgment, as if weighing pros and cons or evaluating something. To take it a step further, it was a condescending look tinged with criticism.
He paused momentarily, wanting to get a clearer look at Shen Miao’s expression, only to see the girl pick up her brush and lower her head. Pei Lang chuckled inwardly and shook his head. How could a young girl possibly have such a haughty demeanor? As for judgment and scrutiny—that was even more impossible. Shen Miao was, after all, the most dull-witted and timid girl in the entire Hall of Extensive Learning.
Straightening his materials, he began the day’s lesson.
Most of the second-year students were drowsy.
Arithmetic lessons were inherently dull, and no matter how brilliantly Scholar Pei taught, these fourteen- and fifteen-year-olds were at an age of boundless energy—how could they possibly focus? Besides, the crisp autumn weather only made them sleepier.
Any other teacher would have brandished a ruler and begun scolding, but Pei Lang was the gentlest of them all, never punishing his students. As a result, his class was where everyone behaved most boldly. Aside from Shen Qing, who consistently ranked first in arithmetic and listened attentively, the rest of the students idly occupied themselves with other matters.
Today, however, Shen Miao was different.
She stared unblinkingly at Scholar Pei, sitting upright as if listening with utmost concentration. This was truly unbelievable—she had always detested studying, especially arithmetic. The fact that she hadn’t dozed off was already a miracle, but to actually pay attention?
Seated beside her was a graceful girl in an embroidered chrysanthemum-patterned dress, her expression somewhat haughty. Seeing Shen Miao like this, she couldn’t help but cast surprised glances at her, baffled by her sudden attentiveness.
But Shen Miao paid no mind. In her past life, she had no interest in arithmetic, but after becoming Empress, when her foundation was still unstable, even managing the palace’s daily expenses required meticulous calculation. As Empress, she had to cut back on expenditures, and after handling such matters herself, she realized arithmetic wasn’t so difficult after all. From grand ceremonial expenses to the trivial accounts of concubines’ teacups and snacks—she had reviewed them all. What were these textbook problems in comparison?
All she wanted was to study Pei Lang more carefully—to understand what kind of man he truly was.
Only then would she know what approach suited him best.
Her focused demeanor struck the girl beside her as highly unusual. It wasn’t until the arithmetic lesson ended and Scholar Pei left that Shen Miao finally withdrew her gaze.
The girl nudged her, her tone laced with astonishment: "Shen Miao, have you been possessed?"
"Why do you say that?" Shen Miao asked. The girl before her was Feng Anning, the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Ceremonies.The Feng family was once a distinguished noble household in the capital, and Feng Anning had been raised with a spoiled and willful temperament. But in her past life, Lord Feng backed the wrong faction. After the new emperor ascended the throne and stripped him of his position, the Feng family married her off early to a distant cousin to protect her. Yet after the family's decline, Feng Anning found no happy ending in her marriage either. That cousin turned out to be all show and no substance—within a year of their marriage, he kept a mistress who bore him a son, all while berating Feng Anning as the Feng family's unwanted burden. Never one to endure humiliation, she took up scissors and perished together with the mistress in a final act of defiance.
The past now seemed like fleeting smoke. Who could imagine such a tragic fate for this haughty young girl standing before her?
To Shen Miao, the youths in the Hall of Extensive Learning appeared no different from children like Fu Ming and Wan Yu—hard to feel truly angry at. Aside from hypocrites like Shen Qing and Shen Yue, most were merely spoiled children. And within just over a decade, these coddled young souls would come to know life's cruel turns.
Noticing her silence, Feng Anning frowned. "Are you ignoring me on purpose? Shen Miao, all this sudden diligence—could it be for next month's Verification? Your sister mentioned you're hoping to shine during the Challenge to catch Prince... someone's attention."
Still a child after all—having just heard Scholar Pei's words, she now avoided openly gushing over Prince Ding.
"Verification?" Shen Miao arched an eyebrow.
－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－
Male side character makes a cameo~
Still no cover art, so sad (tot)~
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