Chapter 10 - ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 10
Li Zhizhi sat by Li Suwan’s desk, listening to the master lecturing above. She could feel someone’s gaze on her, so she turned her head and met eyes with that person—it was Xiao Man. As always, Xiao Man was dressed in red with a golden hairpin holding up her hair, and her eyes and eyebrows exuded a sense of arrogance.
Li Zhizhi pretended to be unaware and raised her eyebrows with a friendly smile. Xiao Man slightly furrowed her brows, withdrew her gaze, and stopped looking at her.
After a while, it was time for a break, and Teacher Wu called Li Zhizhi over and said, “There will be someone bringing a desk and writing materials later. You will sit in that spot.”
He pointed to a location and asked, “What books have you studied before?”
Li Zhizhi thought for a moment and replied, “When I was at home, my teacher taught me the Thousand Character Classic, the Hundred Family Surnames, and the Basics of Phonology.”
These were all very basic books, and as expected, Teacher Wu frowned, saying, “Why didn’t your family send you to a preliminary school and instead brought you to Mingde Hall?”
Mengtang, as the name suggested, was an elementary school where most students started in Mingyuan before coming to Mingde Hall.
Teacher Wu straightforwardly stated, “You might struggle to keep up with the pace here.”
Li Zhizhi smiled shyly and replied, “I once heard a saying that nothing is difficult in the world; it’s just that people’s hearts are not determined. I might be slow to understand compared to others, but if they spend three hours on a lesson, I will spend six or eight hours. As long as I study diligently, there will be progress.”
Upon hearing this, Teacher Wu couldn’t help but be moved. As an educator, he naturally liked diligent and eager-to-learn students. Most students who could come to Mingyuan came from good backgrounds, either wealthy or noble families. Many of them didn’t care much about what Teacher Wu taught or whether they could learn the subjects. After all, they didn’t need to pass any exams or earn any official titles. These young ladies from prominent families only aimed to spend some time at Mingyuan, and then they would have the status of a Mingyuan student, which brought them prestige.
Now, Li Zhizhi’s earnest words made Teacher Wu reflect on himself. During his time at Mingyuan, had he lost some of his passion as a teacher and started to believe that students with less knowledge shouldn’t listen to his lectures?
Initially, Teacher Wu had heard about Li Zhizhi helping others and had a liking for her. Now, his fondness for her grew even more. He happily stroked his beard and said, “In that case, if you encounter anything you don’t understand in your studies, feel free to come and ask me for help.”
Li Zhizhi immediately performed a gesture of respect, saying, “Thank you, Teacher.”
Because she enrolled late, Li Zhizhi’s desk could only be placed towards the back. On her right side was a girl dressed in lilac clothes, around the same age as her, with a delicate appearance. When she smiled, her eyes narrowed slightly. The girl curiously looked at Li Zhizhi and introduced herself, “I’m Su Tangyu. My father is a senator, and my older brother is a Hanlin attendant.”
A senator held the rank of a third-grade official, so her family background was already quite impressive. In Mingyuan, students often introduced themselves with their family backgrounds, making social status clear at a glance. Li Zhizhi was already accustomed to this.
She smiled and said, “I’m Li Zhizhi. My father currently serves as a minister in the Ministry of Revenue.”
“You’re also surnamed Li?” Su Tangyu was a bit surprised. “Then your father…”
She probably realized something and didn’t continue the question. Li Zhizhi’s expression dimmed slightly as she said, “Both my parents have passed away, and I’m the only one left in my family. After handling their funeral affairs, I came to the capital to seek refuge with my uncle.”
Su Tangyu couldn’t help but let out a soft exclamation and looked at her with a hint of pity. She consoled, “The departed are already gone, and the living remain. Don’t be too sad.”
“Okay!” Li Zhizhi perked up and forced a smile. She continued, “Fortunately, my uncle is willing to take me in, and my cousins treat me very well. For me, it’s a fortunate thing, and I will definitely repay their kindness in the future.”
Hearing this, Su Tangyu felt even more sympathetic. As the youngest in her family, born into a prestigious background with both parents, and with elder siblings to care for her, it was the first time she had heard of someone her age experiencing such a tragic life. In her eyes, though Li Zhizhi was facing adversity, her character was resilient, and she was grateful and willing to repay kindness. She thought Li Zhizhi was someone worth befriending.
Su Tangyu held Li Zhizhi’s hand and earnestly said, “From now on, we are classmates. If you have anything, just come to me. If there’s anything I can help with, I won’t refuse!”
Li Zhizhi was taken aback by her words, and her smile became more genuine. She nodded and said, “Thank you, then… are we friends now?”
“Of course,” Su Tangyu replied happily.
Li Zhizhi pursed her lips, looking at her with a hint of shyness, and softly said, “Really? Then you are my first friend.”
Her cheeks turned slightly red, indicating a touch of bashfulness. Su Tangyu was momentarily stunned, and for some reason, she was reminded of a small white rabbit she had raised when she was young. It was pure white and fluffy, making people can’t help but want to hold and cuddle it.
Oh my! She thought, the first friend, such a solemn and precious identity, was unexpectedly given to her just like that.
Feeling a bit excited, Su Tangyu quickly composed herself. In her heart, she mentally rearranged the positions of the other people she had met and moved Li Zhizhi to the front. Holding the girl’s hand, she said solemnly, “From now on, you are also my good friend.”
Although these words might sound a bit silly, Li Zhizhi felt the long-lost warmth. The two girls exchanged a smile. While they were talking, someone approached them. Li Zhizhi turned her head and immediately brightened her expression, greeting with a beaming smile, “Sister Wan’er!”
Her face beamed with a bright smile, causing Li Suwan’s steps to hesitate as she instinctively became alert. She suspected that Li Zhizhi might be up to some mischief again. With a cold and impolite attitude, she asked, “What are you doing?”
The icy demeanor made Su Tangyu frown subconsciously, but Li Zhizhi seemed oblivious and continued to smile, saying, “From now on, I will study together with my sister. If there’s anything I don’t understand, I hope my sister can teach me.”
Li Suwan tugged at the corner of her lips, deeply disgusted by Li Zhizhi. She wished the other person would disappear on the spot. How could she possibly teach her anything? But with Su Tangyu by her side, she couldn’t be too rude, so she simply said, “Studying requires talent. How can you rely solely on others?”
Mocking, Su Tangyu couldn’t fear her and said, “Well said! By your reasoning, someone who gets kicked out of class by the teacher probably has no talent for studying and should just pack up and go home.”
“You—” Li Suwan’s expression changed slightly.
Su Tangyu wasn’t afraid of her at all and sneered, “What about me? In any case, it wasn’t me who got expelled by the teacher. Hey, speaking of which, if I did something so shameful, I wouldn’t be able to stay at Mingde Hall anymore.”
Li Suwan’s face turned red. She almost lost her composure, but Li Zhizhi reached out and pulled at her sleeve, advising her in a soft voice, “Sister, don’t be angry. Tangyu is my friend, and she means no harm to you.”
This statement only added fuel to the fire. Li Suwan angrily shook off her hand, unable to confront Su Tangyu directly. She could only vent her anger on Li Zhizhi, “You have your own abilities too. Why do you try to please everyone? Don’t forget what Mother said this morning. Don’t bring shame to the Li family!”
After saying this, she left in a huff. Su Tangyu snorted softly at her back and commented, “She’s always trying to please Rong’an County’s young ladies, thinking everyone is like them.”
She turned back to comfort Li Zhizhi, saying, “Don’t listen to her.”
Li Zhizhi shook her head and said sincerely, “My sister misunderstood. I am your friend, and I am not trying to please you.”
Although she liked Li Zhizhi even more after hearing these sincere words, Su Tangyu couldn’t forget Li Suwan’s attitude towards Li Zhizhi. She hesitated for a moment and then vaguely reminded her, “You should be careful of your cousin. It’s best to watch out for her.”
She had been Li Suwan’s classmate for more than half a year and knew what kind of person she was. But Li Zhizhi still didn’t understand her cousin fully, and she even had a favorable impression of her, which worried Su Tangyu.
Meanwhile, Li Suwan, who was full of anger, returned to her seat and heard Xiao Man ask, “How did the information you wanted to find out go?”
Zhao Shan’er also leaned over and asked, “What’s the relationship between her and the Princess Yongning?”
Li Suwan was taken aback and only then remembered that she had gone to find Li Zhizhi earlier to inquire about it. However, Su Tangyu’s sarcastic remarks had angered her, causing her to forget about the matter. Now she felt a bit embarrassed and weakly said, “I… I’ll go back and ask again…”
Hearing this, Xiao Man seemed displeased, “So useless! You can’t even handle a simple task.”
Zhao Shan’er chuckled, “With Su Tangyu’s abilities, she managed to make you so angry. In the future, when you get married, if your sisters-in-law and younger sisters-in-law tease you all the time, you’ll have a hard time, won’t you?”
Li Suwan forced a smile and said, “I’ve always been bad with words and not good at scolding others. I’ll have to ask my elder sisters to teach me more.”
Meanwhile, on the other side, Su Tangyu was curious and asked Li Zhizhi, “Since you’re new to the capital, how do you know Princess Yongning?”
“Princess Yongning?” Li Zhizhi was taken aback, “I haven’t met her.”
In her previous life, Li Zhizhi had only caught a glimpse of the princess from afar and couldn’t even recognize her face clearly. In this life, it was even less likely. However…
She remembered something and asked sharply, “Is it the maid named Qingluo? Is she one of Princess Yongning’s attendants?”
“Yes,” Su Tangyu nodded, “Princess Yongning has two close maids who have been with her for many years, and they have never been replaced. How do you know them?”
Li Zhizhi then truthfully recounted the events of the morning to her. Su Tangyu exclaimed, “You’re quite talented, being able to climb a tree. I get scared when I’m up high, and my legs go weak.”
Li Zhizhi found this focus completely off track and couldn’t help but laugh. Then she thought of the young gentleman she had encountered earlier and asked, “Does Yitang have a teacher named Liu He?”
Su Tangyu thought for a moment and shook her head, “Yitang currently has four teachers, and I know them all, but none of them are surnamed Liu.”
So, who is this self-proclaimed Liu He? Li Zhizhi carefully recalled the scene from earlier. Liu He was sitting in the carriage, with the maid Qingluo standing behind him, apparently pushing the carriage. Given that Qingluo was the Princess Yongning’s personal maid, serving such noble and prominent figures meant that he wasn’t an ordinary servant. How could he serve others?
This was enough to prove that Liu He had a close relationship with Princess Yongning, and he seemed to be quite generous… After thinking for a while, Li Zhizhi couldn’t recall any prominent family in the capital with the surname Liu. However, she had heard that Princess Yongning’s husband had passed away early in her previous life, and she never remarried. She didn’t have any children and only kept a few male favorites in her residence. Could Liu He be one of them?
As Li Zhizhi thought about Liu He’s handsome and good-looking face, she felt that she might have guessed the truth.