When it was time for school to end, Eunuch Wang came to the Imperial Academy again.
This time, however, I'm here to post a notice.
The students who crowded around to get a good look at the notice stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief, muttering, "So that's how it is..."
"What do you mean?"
Lou Yingyu and Deng Qingji squeezed in together, and both fell silent after reading the notice.
Lou Yingyu said gloatingly, " Deng Qingji, didn't you want to go? Go now."
Deng Qingji's face turned red with anger. "My Deng family is full of loyal and righteous people. How could there be a traitor among us? Lou Yingyu, don't insult me."
Why don't you say that you provoked them first?
"You..." Deng Qingji met Lou Yingyu's eyes, intimidated by the fierce look in them, and said timidly, "I won't stoop to your level."
"Tsk, if you can't win an argument, so be it."
Before Deng Qingji could even retort, Deng Qingji had already dashed away, as if afraid of being beaten up by Lou Yingyu.
Lou Yingyu lowered her fist. "What a coward."
Tong Aning and Azhu each took one of her arms, and Tong Aning said, "Come with me to the temple."
Lou Yingyu: "Beg me."
Tong Aning: "..."
She tugged at Lou Yingyu's sleeve and said softly, "Please."
Lou Yingyu clutched her chest, Tong Aning asked anxiously, "What's wrong?"
I really want to marry you.
Tong Aning: "..."
Tong Aning released Lou Yingyu's hand and walked quickly forward, looking as if she was embarrassed and angry.
Lou Yingyu muttered, "Why are you so easily teased?" She quickly lifted her skirt and chased after them, while Azhu followed with a smile.
*
"Now you can rest assured."
The three of them came out of the main hall. Lou Yingyu pointed to the amulet in Tong Aning's white palm and said, "They've all been blessed."
Tong Aning smiled and said, "I also want to Yingyu and Azhu for keeping me company."
"These are minor matters..."
"Hey," Tong Aning said, "Isn't that Teacher Xie?"
Teacher Xie?
Lou Yingyu, as if she had been grabbed by the tail of a fox, grabbed one of them with each hand and dragged Tong Aning and Azhu to the side of the main hall.
Xie Zhilin closer and closer, but didn't notice the three of them, and went straight into the main hall.
Tong Aning looked at Lou Yingyu with a deep gaze, " Yingyu, what are you doing?"
Lou Yingyu pulled too fast and too hastily, and Tong Aning's hair bun became a little loose. As for Azhu, she was tidying up her skirt.
Lou Yingyu scratched her head sheepishly, "It's become a habit; I want to hide whenever I see a teacher."
Tong Aning: "..."
Azhu: "... Miss, it seems you're only avoiding Teacher Xie, aren't you?"
Lou Yingyu: "... I'm just afraid of making her cry."
Her father will definitely not let her off the hook then.
Three heads peered into the hall. Xie Zhilin knelt on a prayer mat in front of the Buddha, his eyes closed and his hands clasped together, looking exceptionally devout.
Tong Aning asked, "Shall we go?"
Lou Yingyu muttered, "What do you think Teacher Xie is asking for?"
Azhu shook her head. "I don't know."
"It's probably something like praying for blessings. Yingyu, if you don't leave soon, you'll run into Teacher Xie."
Hearing Tong Aning's words, Lou Yingyu felt somewhat relieved. Fortunately, the three of them had come in the Marquis's carriage today.
Lou Yingyu said, "Then let's go."
The three of them left the temple and boarded the carriage. Just as the carriage was leaving, they saw Xie Zhilin coming down the steps.
A man brushed past the carriage to greet Xie Zhilin.
Lou Yingyu: "!!!"
Tong Aning: " A Shu, slow down the horse."
A Shu did as he was told, but no matter how slow the horse was, how slow could it be? The three of them still couldn't see what the man looked like, or whether he was a teacher at the Imperial Academy.
"Actually," Lou Yingyu said mysteriously, as the three heads huddled together after they had walked a distance, "We can rule it out."
Azhu asked, "How do we rule it out?"
Lou Yingyu: "That person just now looked taller than Teacher Feng, so it definitely wasn't Teacher Feng."
[ Teacher Feng is most proud of his height and his superb Danqing. If he knew he was excluded in this way, he would definitely cry his eyes out.]
Lou Yingyu didn't care; she continued eliminating possibilities, "The rest..."
After going on and on, Lou Yingyu on her hand, somewhat dejected, and said, "It seems like none of them are suitable."
Azhu raised her head. "Then they're not from the Imperial Academy."
[That's definitely not it.]
Oh wow.
Now we know, right?
Lou Yingyu had no intention of guessing anymore, and she slipped a piece of pastry into Tong Aning's hand.
Tong Aning looked bewildered. "Why are you giving me pastries all of a sudden?"
Lou Yingyu blinked. "This is a reward for you."
Tong Aning: "...?"
Something's wrong, something's very wrong.
A Shu first escorted Lou Yingyu and Azhu back to their residence. As soon as they arrived at the Marquis's residence, before Tong Aning had even gotten out of the carriage, Tong Fengye came running over from a distance.
Seeing Tong Fengye hugging the horse and crying his heart out, Tong Aning withdrew her foot and asked, "Third Brother, what's wrong?"
Tong Fengye looked up at him; he had just finished crying, his eyes were red. "Third Brother, you're so touched."
Tong Aning asked in confusion, "What's so touching?"
Tong Fengye sobbed, "You actually went to ask for a peace charm for Third Brother! He must have kept it with him day and night, my dear Fourth Sister."
Tong Fengye tried to hug her, but Tong Aning dodged him. Tong Aning said, "Third Brother, you're so strange it scares me."
Tong Fengye: "..."
He scoffed, "I just wanted to be a little more enthusiastic, so as not to waste your efforts."
"That's it!" Tong Aning said happily, "This is the right way."
Tong Fengye: "... You're like a wild boar that can't stomach fine food."
Who is he cursing?
[Host, he's insulting you.]
The two started fighting, chasing each other until they were both out of breath.
Su Zhouyue slapped Tong Fengye on the back, "What's all the fuss about?"
Tong Fengye turned around, his gaze passing over Su Zhouyue, and saw what Tong Siyan was holding. His eyes immediately lit up, "A breastplate?"
Tong Siyan, "That's right."
"Thank you, Second Sister."
Tong Fengye held the breastplate in his arms like a precious treasure.
Su Zhouyue said, "The breastplate isn't cheap."
Tong Siyan smiled and said, "I have to buy it no matter how expensive it is, for my good third brother."
Tong Fengye: "Waaaaah, Second Sister, you're so good to me."
"There were exactly two of these breastplates; I got one, Feng Chu's sister got the other."
Tong Fengye looked up. "Feng Chu is pregnant too? That's great."
"Hey, Siyan even bought this treasure for you, you'd better live up to her expectations."
"Mother, I know, I will definitely live up to your expectations!"
"Having expectations is one thing, but the most important thing is not to let yourself down."
Tong Fengye blinked, "Mother..."
He's about to cry again, Su Zhouyue said, calling him spineless.
Tong Fengye: "With this, I'm sure I'll amount to something."
Su Zhouyue couldn't help but remind him, "Even with this, don't be careless."
"Yes, Mother." Tong Fengye was delighted with it.
"It's so lively!"
This was Xue Ruyun's first visit to the Eunuch Wang's residence since she was summoned to the palace by Eunuch Wang.
Tong Aning asked in surprise, "Master, what brings you here?"
I'm here to check your homework.
Tong Aning: "..."
She tugged at Xue Ruyun's sleeve, "[Why do I keep wanting to call her Princess?]"
Xue Ruyun: "..."
She asked deliberately, "Aren't you happy that the master is here?"
"I'm so happy! My whole family and friends have risen to prominence!"
really!
Xue Ruyun said, "Stop thinking about such nonsense."
"Oh."
Tong Aning nodded obediently. When they arrived at the medicine hut, Tong Aning realized that Xue Ruyun had actually come to teach her how to prepare medicine for injuries.
"Your third brother is about to join the army, so I'll teach you how, and you can make it for him yourself. That way, you can fulfill your wish."
Tong Aning, with tears in her eyes, said, "Master, why are you so good to me?"
"You are my disciple, how could I not treat you well?"
Xue Ruyun looked at Tong Aning and felt extremely happy.
She had just returned from the palace, a place of wealth and splendor, yet endless infighting still raged within. She was utterly fed up with it, feeling as if she had returned to those suffocating days.
Now that she saw Tong Aning and looked into her clear, innocent eyes, Xue Ruyun's heart finally calmed down again.
*
On the third day after Tong Fengye and Feng Chu left, Yang Rong went to the Jingzhao Prefecture to report that Feng Chu had run away with his mother's dowry.
Cen Yu summoned Feng Jingruo.
Feng Jingruo composed and said that she and Feng Chu had simply moved their dowry to a different location.
She looked at Yang Rong and said, "Madam Yang has always worried a lot about Mother's affairs. Now that Achu and I have grown up, we have to take care of our own affairs, no matter how hard it is. We won't trouble Madam Yang with the matter of protecting our dowry."
Yang Rong was so angry she felt like she was having a heart attack, but she still managed to smile and say, " Jingruo, you're being too polite..."
"You and I are complete strangers."
Yang Rong: "..."
Feng Jingruo walked up to Yang Rong and whispered in Yang Rong ear, "Now that Achu has gone to the army and I'm in the Yan residence, what leverage do you have over us? Don't be complacent. Do you think you're all that's in charge of the Marquis's mansion now? Just wait and see. Feng Bo is a selfish and self-serving person. He doesn't love or like anyone."
Looking at that face, Yang Rong couldn't understand Feng Jingruo had grown up, or when she had become so imposing.
By the time Tong Aning arrived, it was already over.
Feng Jingruo took her hand and said, "Don't worry, I can handle it."
"I definitely believe you, but I'm still coming."
Tong Aning stared intently at Feng Jingruo, "I'm here to support you!"
Feng Jingruo a moment, then belatedly laughed twice, but with tears in her eyes, she left with Yan Yunze.
Tong Aning was invited by Xue Lin to visit her old shop.
" Teacher Xie, what are you doing here?"
Xie Zhilin said, "This is my sister's shop. I often come to visit her."
When Tong Aning looked at her and the shop owner again, she suddenly felt that they had a slight resemblance in their eyes and brows.
" A Lin, I've put the things away."
The man walked past Tong Aning and Xue Lin and went straight towards Xie Zhilin.
This must be the man the three of them saw that day.
only...
[I always felt there was something off about the way he looked at Teacher Xie. It was like he was looking at someone else through Teacher Xie. Could he be using Teacher Xie as a substitute?]
Yes.
Tong Aning: "..."
[There's such a pervasive culture of using stand-ins in literature.]