Another juicy revelation

After checking with one another and learning that every family had received the letter, they each began weighing their options.

In the end, they unanimously decided to send their daughters to test the waters. If things worked out, the girls could continue studying there. Meeting more people would be good, too; those connections could benefit their families in the future.

If it did not work out, they could simply find an excuse to come home. Surely the academy could not refuse to let them leave.

When the young women learned that they could attend school, they cheered with delight and eagerly packed their belongings, hoping to leave for Girls' School as soon as possible.

The news of Girls' School caused a stir not only among the nobility. Commoners also received notices from Girls' School, though theirs differed somewhat from those sent to the noble families.

The notices said that women could attend Girls' School to learn practical skills and how to read. Not only was tuition free, but meals and lodging were provided as well.

Many women were immediately tempted. They did not share the grand ambitions of the noble young ladies; they simply thought it would be good to learn a trade and support themselves. At the very least, if they married in the future, they could hold their heads high in their husbands' households, rather than being looked down on and mistreated.

And so, after discussing it with their families, some women from impoverished households packed their bundles and set off on a journey that would change their lives.

The women enrolled one after another. Three days later, their new lives officially began.

After traveling for over a month, Xiao Lie and Bai Lixi finally reached the Capital.

Sitting astride his horse, Xiao Lie looked up at the familiar words "Capital" on the plaque overhead. He could not help feeling excited, with a trace of the apprehension that came with returning home.

Looking at the city gates of the Capital, Bai Lixi pressed his lips together nervously. As he gazed at the vermilion gates, he suddenly felt the urge to turn back.

For the sixteen-thousand-eight-hundred-and-forty-fifth time, Xiao Lie mentally rehearsed how to explain his relationship with Bai Lixi to his mother and elder brother, failing to notice that anything was wrong.

He had no idea his sweetheart had nearly run away.

As Xiao Lie fretted over what to say, he was completely unaware that someone was already explaining everything for him.

At morning court, Shen Shixu listened listlessly to two ministers arguing. It was the same old story: one wanted money, and the other refused to give it. They had been bickering for almost fifteen minutes.

Shen Shixu raised his sleeve and discreetly yawned. Glancing at the people beside him, he edged to the right, hoping to find somewhere to sneak in a nap.

Just as he found the perfect spot to slack off, 011 suddenly piped up and told him excitedly, [Bro, I've got some juicy gossip. You'll definitely perk up once you hear it.]

The moment 011 said that, the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of Works stopped arguing, returned to their places, and pricked up their ears to hear what this juicy gossip was.

Emperor Wu'an, who had also been secretly dozing on his dragon throne, perked up as well.

The Third Prince and Sixth Prince quietly moved farther back, too. Everyone was looking for a good spot to enjoy the gossip.

[What gossip has you so excited?]

[Hehe, bro, I guarantee this will shock you so badly your eyes will pop out.]

011's exaggerated claims thoroughly piqued Shen Shixu's curiosity. Everyone else felt the same, inwardly itching with impatience. What was this juicy gossip? Why wasn't 011 getting on with it?

*[Ahem. Emperor Wu'an has a younger brother born to the same mother—Carefree Prince Xiao Lie. This Carefree Prince loves freedom and dislikes the strife at court, so he went off to roam the martial world.

He was highly skilled in martial arts and a loyal, righteous man, so he soon made a name for himself in the Martial World as the "Carefree Swordsman."

The gossip I have is about his love life. Carefree Prince was born late in the Empress Dowager's life and is about the same age as the Crown Prince. He still hasn't had anyone by his side, which has worried the Empress Dowager terribly.

Today, he returned with the person he loves. But his beloved has a very unusual identity: he's the Holy Son of the Southern Border.]*

Hearing this, Emperor Wu'an wondered whether something was wrong with his ears. He had just heard through Shen Shixu's thoughts that his younger brother had fallen for the Holy Son of the Southern Border. Did that mean his brother preferred men?

Emperor Wu'an glanced at Quan Xi beside him. Quan Xi was also deeply shocked that the young prince had fallen for a man, but when Emperor Wu'an looked to him to ask whether he had misheard, Quan Xi confirmed that he had not.

Emperor Wu'an's usually straight back suddenly slumped for a moment. Xiao Jinyi, who had been watching him closely, caught the reaction.

Xiao Jinyi had never liked attending court, but ever since Shen Shixu began attending, he had come every day as well.

When he heard that his uncle had fallen for a man, he felt as though he had found a kindred spirit. At the same time, he secretly watched Emperor Wu'an's reaction to see how he felt about love between men.

Seeing his father's back suddenly slump, his heart turned cold. He could almost picture Emperor Wu'an putting every possible obstacle in his way after learning of his feelings.

Emperor Wu'an was merely shocked for the moment. He had never expected his younger brother to prefer men and had not yet thought much beyond that.

*[After Prince Carefree made a name for himself in the Martial World as the Carefree Swordsman, the Martial Alliance leader at the time invited him to travel to the Southern Border and seek out its Holy Son to save his son.

Prince Carefree ran into the Holy Son on his very first day in the Southern Border, but neither knew who the other was at the time, and they got into an argument.

After learning each other's identities, they argued even more fiercely and agreed to fight a year later.

The Holy Son had agreed to treat the Martial Alliance leader's son. Doing so would take a great deal out of him, and he would need time to recuperate afterward, so they didn't fight then and agreed to face off in a year.

But they met again before the year was up. The Carefree Prince had concealed his identity while roaming the Martial World. Because of their trip to seek treatment in the Southern Border, the Martial Alliance leader held him in high regard, which made some people jealous.

Someone ambushed Prince Carefree and poisoned him with an unusual toxin. When the poison took effect, he ran into the Holy Son, who had likewise been targeted and had ended up stranded in Great Qian.

These two had argued before and disliked each other, yet seeing one another in such a sorry state, they suddenly felt a measure of mutual sympathy.

The Holy Son cured Prince Carefree's poison, and Prince Carefree helped him deal with the people who had plotted against him. Their relationship improved by leaps and bounds, and they became close friends.

Neither had forgotten their promised match, however. When the time came, Prince Carefree went to meet him. They fought in Blue Smoke Valley, on the border between the Southern Border and Great Qian, and Prince Carefree ultimately defeated the Holy Son.

After the match, the Holy Son took Prince Carefree sightseeing around the Southern Border. At that point, they still felt nothing beyond friendship for each other.

While traveling through the Southern Border, they passed through a tribe whose chief's daughter took a fancy to Prince Carefree. While the Holy Son was in secluded cultivation, she slipped Prince Carefree the Passion Gu.

As its name suggests, this Gu could only be cured through intercourse. Once Prince Carefree realized someone had planted a Gu in him, he forced himself to flee and went to find the Holy Son for help.

The Holy Son was in secluded cultivation, and the interruption caused him to suffer a backlash. Instead of curing the Gu, he ended up getting himself caught in it, too. And that was how the two spent a night of passion together.]*