Palm Strikes

Zhao Huiluan leaned to one side, propped her chin on one hand, and asked with a lazy smile, "Did Brother Yanli tell you?"

Shen Zhiyun raised an eyebrow and neither confirmed nor denied it, though her expression was quite frank.

Zhao Huiluan smiled. "You have a good memory, Wanwan. You must have memorized the top scholar's poem by now."

"Very well, very well." Shen Zhiyun rose and left with her hands behind her back.

"I'll leave the top scholar's precious handwriting for you to treasure."

At the door, she turned back and looked Zhao Huiluan up and down, clicking her tongue in admiration.

She was a slender, graceful young girl, her dark hair falling over her shoulders and her expression languid. The first traces of a bewitching beauty had already appeared.

Once she reached the age of the hairpin...

"The top scholar should be paired with Zhao Huiluan!"

Zhao Huiluan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Only after Shen Zhiyun left did she let her smile fade and look at herself in the mirror.

In this life, there were things far more important than love waiting for her to do.

The wisteria flowers bloomed one after another. From afar they looked like a waterfall; up close, like bells.

The wind blew, carpeting the ground with purple petals. Birds chirped, and green vines swayed in the wind, their reflections rippling in the pond.

Zhao Huiluan was shooting arrows when Zhang Yunchi called for her to look at the scenery.

"Look, look! Isn't this just like 'On the eastern night's path, clouds and trees bloom bright; yellow birds, green boughs, and a jade-green stream'?"

After the Jade Forest Banquet, rumors that Princess Zhenning had taken a fancy to the top scholar spread widely through Yan Capital, along with the poems of the top three scholars.

Zhao Huiluan corrected him, saying it wasn't a rumor but the truth.

Her utter disregard for her reputation was enough to infuriate Zhang Yunchi to death.

Recently, the newly crowned top three scholars had received imperial favor and taken up posts at the Hanlin Academy.

Rong An was a compiler of the lower sixth rank. Of the other two, one was an editor of the upper seventh rank, and the other a reviewer of the lower seventh rank.

The Yongzhao Emperor had also ordered the three of them to teach the young crown prince.

On this particular day, it happened to be Rong An's turn.

Zhao Huiluan put down her bow and arrows early and urged Zhang Yunchi to come with her to the Hall of Literary Glory to eavesdrop on the lesson.

Zhang Yunchi wanted to enter officialdom through the imperial examinations and had long admired Rong An, who had placed first in all three examinations. He agreed with barely a moment's hesitation.

Outside the Hall of Literary Glory, an attendant spotted two figures skulking about and was just about to scold them when he saw that Princess Zhenning was leading the way. He blinked and pretended he had seen nothing.

From inside the hall came the sound of the young crown prince reciting the Great Learning.

Hiding beneath a window, Zhao Huiluan reached up with two fingers and quietly pushed it open a crack. Then she leaned on the sill and peered inside.

Before she could get a clear look at anyone, Zhang Yunchi poked her from behind.

"Jianjian, I can't see. Open it a little wider."

"Shh! Shh!"

Zhao Huiluan turned and signaled for him to be quiet, then pushed the window a little farther inward.

Rong An sat upright at the desk, a book in one hand. When the young crown prince finished reciting, he first asked him to explain the meaning of the passage. He listened attentively, then explained the places where the prince's interpretation was slightly off.

When Rong An recited, his voice flowed as calmly as a stream.

Zhao Huiluan listened, entranced.

Zhang Yunchi saw Rong An walking toward them and hurriedly crouched against the wall to hide, tugging at Zhao Huiluan's clothes as well.

Only then did Zhao Huiluan notice a shadow falling over her.

She looked up and met Rong An's eyes.

With a click, Rong An closed the window.

"Hmph! Just you wait, Rong An!"

Zhao Huiluan strode down the palace path in a huff, rolling up her sleeves as though she were going to pick a fight.

Zhang Yunchi tugged her sleeves back down as he said, "We were in the wrong to eavesdrop in the first place."

"Then next time, I'll go openly and aboveboard!"

"You've thought of a way?"

Zhao Huiluan curled her lips into a smile and looked toward Tianji Hall.

Zhang Yunchi caught on. He rubbed the tip of his nose and said, "Ask him to make me a study companion to the crown prince while you're at it."

Zhao Huiluan gave him a look.

"A study companion to the crown prince is out of the question, but a study companion to the princess is possible."

Zhao Huiluan used her old method.

"Don't you hate reading and practicing calligraphy most of all? Before, I had you study with Consort Jing and even had Great Scholar Shen's granddaughter study alongside you. And look how that turned out: Wanwan has become one of the imperial capital's foremost talented young ladies. What about you?"

Faced with the Yongzhao Emperor's scolding, Zhao Huiluan put on her most ingratiating smile.

"I know I was wrong, don't I? I want to study now, and study hard!"

"Then I'll speak to Consort Jing."

"Consort Jing hasn't been well lately. I don't want her to tire herself out. I can listen to the lessons with my younger brother at the Hall of Literary Glory just as well."

The Yongzhao Emperor fell silent for a moment. "Do you really like the top scholar that much?"

Zhao Huiluan pouted and lowered her head.

The Yongzhao Emperor was at a loss and could only nod his consent.

"You really are the best father!"

Zhao Huiluan threw her arms around her old father. A thousand things might go wrong, but flattery never failed.

The young crown prince was overjoyed to learn that his elder sister would be attending lessons with him. Early that morning, he had someone prepare books and the four treasures of the study identical to his own and went to Jade Balance Palace.

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Zhao Huiluan asked him, "Which master is teaching today?"

"Master Wang."

Zhao Huiluan slipped back into bed to catch some more sleep.

"Alone in Yan Capital, a stranger far from home, too languid to seek plum blossoms or tell the pines my sorrow. One note breaks the unbroken hue and summons the wind; it seems a cloud of stars has fallen from the ninth heaven." This poem was written by the author. ("Too languid to seek plum blossoms" comes from "To the Tune of Song of the Toad Palace: Snow" by Xue Angfu of the Yuan dynasty.)

(I was afraid some people wouldn't read the author's note, so I added this to the main text. Enjoy reading~ 2023/10/28)

Chapter 18: Palm Strikes

It was not until Rong An's next day of teaching that Zhao Huiluan rose early and washed up. As she left Jade Balance Palace, the young crown prince happened to arrive to take her with him to the Hall of Literary Glory.

There were several more young gentlemen and ladies in the hall, study companions selected by the Yongzhao Emperor. Zhang Yunchi was there too.

The young crown prince sat in the first seat on the left, and Zhao Huiluan in the first seat on the right. As the princess's study companion, Zhang Yunchi sat behind Zhao Huiluan. After exchanging greetings, the others each found a place to sit.

Zhao Huiluan looked around but saw no sign of Shen Zhiyun.