She looked at Duke Luan Yi, feeling bitter and helpless.
Things had taken a turn for the worse. Forget making a living—whether she could leave here alive today was now in question. Just as she worried that she might lose her head, Luan Xin studied her face with a serious gaze and let out a sigh for some reason. "What are you called?"
"Miao Ne."
Luan Xin asked again, "Do you have a courtesy name?"
Women had only been able to cultivate for the past few years, so most parents gave their daughters names that leaned toward the virtuous and well-mannered. Miao Ne's name clearly didn't belong in that category. Luan Xin wanted to learn more about her, so he overstepped and asked another question.
Miao Ne answered frankly, "My courtesy name is Ximin."
Luan Xin said, "A gentleman is cautious in speech and diligent in action?"
Seeing that Luan Xin had no intention of shouting for her death, Miao Ne's taut nerves relaxed a little. An embarrassed blush crept across her cheeks. "Yes. I was too mischievous when I was in school and caused my teacher trouble time and again, so when it came time to choose a courtesy name, my teacher specifically asked the dean to give me this one."
The dean Miao Ne mentioned was none other than Ning Yan.
Back in Longwu Commandery, Ning Yan's main task had been construction: establishing and refining the rules and teaching methods of the official academies. Miao Ne wasn't among the first batch of students, but she had enrolled during that period. At the time, she still harbored resentment, believing that all the upheaval in her family had been caused by the bandit Shen Tang. Her father's death, her clan's dispersal, her mother's tears, her own dependence on others—all of