Classmates (continued)

Before Zhang Yunchi could finish speaking, there was a clunk as the carriage wheel struck a rock and broke.

"If I'd known, we should have used a palace carriage."

Zhang Yunchi crouched beside the wheel, frowning and at a complete loss.

Zhao Huiluan leaned out the window, craning her neck to look down. "But Father said we mustn't use our power to bully others, so I thought a palace carriage would be too extravagant," she muttered.

"Brother Yanli, think of something?"

But they were in the middle of nowhere, with no village ahead and no inn behind.

Zhang Yunchi stood with his hands on his hips. Hearing hoofbeats approaching, he hurriedly motioned for Zhao Huiluan to lower the carriage curtain.

He turned toward the road they had come from and saw a luxurious carriage approaching, its bells jingling.

"Brother Yanli."

As the carriage pulled up beside them, a folding fan lifted the curtain, revealing half of Wen Yan's face.

Zhang Yunchi cupped his hands and replied, "Brother Qingyu."

"Did your carriage break down?"

Wen Yan lowered his gaze to the wheel of their carriage, then looked up at its tightly drawn curtain. At once, he understood.

He looked at the troubled Zhang Yunchi. "Brother Yanli, I have an idea."

"What idea?"

Wen Yan said nothing. He stood and stepped down from his carriage.

Zhang Yunchi looked at the Wen family's carriage and rubbed his nose. Suddenly, he too had an idea, though he was rather embarrassed to bring it up.

Then he heard Zhao Huiluan whisper to him from the carriage behind him, "Let's hitch a ride in his carriage."

It was exactly what Zhang Yunchi had in mind.

But...

He whispered back to Zhao Huiluan, "We wouldn't give him the private room last year. How can we have the nerve to hitch a ride in his carriage now? Anyway, I'm too embarrassed to ask."

"Some backbone you have!"

Seeing Wen Yan walk over, Zhang Yunchi hastily cleared his throat twice and stood up straight.

"I pay my respects to Princess Zhenning."

Wen Yan bowed respectfully to the carriage.

"Your Highness, your carriage won't be fixed anytime soon. If you don't mind, why not make do with mine?"

Zhang Yunchi raised his eyebrows. This fellow knows what's what.

Zhao Huiluan lifted the curtain and asked him, "What about you?"

Zhang Yunchi shot Zhao Huiluan a sidelong glance, as if to say, "You don't mean to leave Wen Yan behind and take his carriage all for yourself, do you?"

"I would not dare compromise Your Highness's good name."

Wen Yan kept his eyes lowered, doing his best to suppress the ever-widening curve of his lips.

"All right." Zhao Huiluan was happy to accept.

The Wen family's servant helped move Zhao Huiluan and Zhang Yunchi's luggage over, then watched as his master's carriage sped away in a cloud of dust.

"Young master, what are we going to do?"

Wen Yan snapped open his folding fan and waved it back and forth, looking quite at ease.

He glanced at the servant's woebegone face and turned to walk back the way they had come.

"Why, we're going back to Yan Capital to enjoy ourselves, of course!"

"Huh? You're not going to the Imperial College again?"

The servant scampered after him. "If the master finds out, won't he break my legs?"

"Fear not, fear not. I'll find the best physician in Yan Capital to treat your legs. I guarantee you won't be crippled for the rest of your life."

Wen Yan's carriage was scented with fine sandalwood, and dark blue glazed-glass wind chimes hung from its four corners, tinkling pleasantly and putting its passengers at ease.

"He really is the number one wastrel of the imperial capital."

Recalling Wen Yan's conduct just now, Zhao Huiluan lifted the curtain and said to Zhang Yunchi, who was driving, "I rather think this Wen boy is interesting."

Zhang Yunchi nodded. "I've only ever heard that he spends extravagantly and has no ambition, but he really has never done anything wicked."

"I heard that when he goes to the Red Sleeve House and sees the madam beating or berating the girls, he even uses his status to help them out!"

"The Red Sleeve House? That doesn't sound like a respectable place."

Zhang Yunchi laughed. "You don't understand. It's a gold-guzzling den for men. Wastrels naturally have their own places to go."

"Do you go too? Watch out, or I'll tell Uncle..."

"And he'll break my legs!" Zhang Yunchi gave two loud laughs. "You and your uncle, honestly! Hmph!"

Outside the Gate of Assembled Worthies at the Imperial College, a group of assistant directors, professors, teaching assistants, and young men and women from prominent families waited.

When Wen Nihe saw her brother's carriage pull up, she hurried over to meet it.

"Brother! You're finally here. I thought you... Why is it you?"

Once she saw that it was Zhang Yunchi, her delicate brows shot up. But having learned from past experience, she quickly realized who was sitting inside the carriage.

"I respectfully welcome Your Highness."

Zhao Huiluan stepped down from the carriage, and the others waiting came forward to pay their respects as well.

"Wanwan. Why did you come so early?"

She spotted Shen Zhiyun at once and beckoned her over.

Shen Zhiyun smiled. "Thanks to Your Highness, we have the good fortune to study at the Imperial College. We arrived yesterday!"

The Imperial College of Great Yin had never allowed female students.

The Yongzhao Emperor had used that as an excuse to put an end to his daughter's idea of attending the Imperial College.

But Zhao Huiluan had said, "Since there's no such precedent, let it begin with me."

"If Father thinks letting me alone enter the Imperial College would be hard to explain to the people of Great Yin, why not let the women of the prominent families who wish to study attend with me?"

"When Mother was alive, she once said that women must understand reason and righteousness to make their way in the world. I imagine the women of the prominent families, like me, don't wish to contend with men for fame and profit. But if we understand the greater principles, we can help the men keep their households secure."

"I think that if Father sets this precedent, the people of Great Yin will surely praise it as the act of a wise ruler!"

Zhao Huiluan knew all too well that this was exactly the sort of thing her father fell for!

"Your Highness, may I ask about my brother? He..."

Zhao Huiluan looked at Wen Nihe. "My carriage broke down halfway here, so your brother lent me his. As for where he is, I don't know."

Wen Nihe lowered her head, unable to say anything more.

But Shen Zhiyun said, "What bad luck. If you'd been delayed a little longer, perhaps you could have hitched a ride in my Sister Yao's carriage. She hasn't arrived yet either!"