Chapter 10 - ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 10

Li Zhizhi sat by Li Suwans desk, listening to the master lecturing above. She could feel someones gaze on her, so she turned her head and met eyes with that personit 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 Cla.s.sic, the Hundred Family Surnames, and the Basics of Phonology.

These were all very basic books, and as expected, Teacher Wu frowned, saying, Why didnt 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; its just that peoples 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 couldnt 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 n.o.ble families. Many of them didnt care much about what Teacher Wu taught or whether they could learn the subjects. After all, they didnt need to pa.s.s any exams or earn any official t.i.tles. 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 Zhizhis earnest words made Teacher Wu reflect on himself. During his time at Mingyuan, had he lost some of his pa.s.sion as a teacher and started to believe that students with less knowledge shouldnt 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 dont 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 Zhizhis 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, Im 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, Im Li Zhizhi. My father currently serves as a minister in the Ministry of Revenue.

Youre also surnamed Li? Su Tangyu was a bit surprised. Then your father

She probably realized something and didnt continue the question. Li Zhizhis expression dimmed slightly as she said, Both my parents have pa.s.sed away, and Im 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 couldnt 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. Dont 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, its 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 Zhizhis hand and earnestly said, From now on, we are cla.s.smates. If you have anything, just come to me. If theres anything I can help with, I wont 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 cant help but want to hold and cuddle it.

Oh my! She thought, the first friend, such a solemn and precious ident.i.ty, 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 girls 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 Waner!

Her face beamed with a bright smile, causing Li Suwans 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 att.i.tude, 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 theres anything I dont 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 couldnt be too rude, so she simply said, Studying requires talent. How can you rely solely on others?

Mocking, Su Tangyu couldnt fear her and said, Well said! By your reasoning, someone who gets kicked out of cla.s.s by the teacher probably has no talent for studying and should just pack up and go home.

You Li Suwans expression changed slightly.

Su Tangyu wasnt afraid of her at all and sneered, What about me? In any case, it wasnt me who got expelled by the teacher. Hey, speaking of which, if I did something so shameful, I wouldnt be able to stay at Mingde Hall anymore.

Li Suwans 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, dont 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? Dont forget what Mother said this morning. Dont bring shame to the Li family!

After saying this, she left in a huff. Su Tangyu snorted softly at her back and commented, Shes always trying to please Rongan Countys young ladies, thinking everyone is like them.

She turned back to comfort Li Zhizhi, saying, Dont 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 couldnt forget Li Suwans att.i.tude towards Li Zhizhi. She hesitated for a moment and then vaguely reminded her, You should be careful of your cousin. Its best to watch out for her.

She had been Li Suwans cla.s.smate for more than half a year and knew what kind of person she was. But Li Zhizhi still didnt 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 Shaner also leaned over and asked, Whats the relations.h.i.+p 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 Tangyus sarcastic remarks had angered her, causing her to forget about the matter. Now she felt a bit embarra.s.sed and weakly said, I Ill go back and ask again

Hearing this, Xiao Man seemed displeased, So useless! You cant even handle a simple task.

Zhao Shaner chuckled, With Su Tangyus 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, youll have a hard time, wont you?

Li Suwan forced a smile and said, Ive always been bad with words and not good at scolding others. Ill have to ask my elder sisters to teach me more.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Su Tangyu was curious and asked Li Zhizhi, Since youre new to the capital, how do you know Princess Yongning?

Princess Yongning? Li Zhizhi was taken aback, I havent met her.

In her previous life, Li Zhizhi had only caught a glimpse of the princess from afar and couldnt 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 Yongnings 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, Youre quite talented, being able to climb a tree. I get scared when Im up high, and my legs go weak.

Li Zhizhi found this focus completely off track and couldnt 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 pus.h.i.+ng the carriage. Given that Qingluo was the Princess Yongnings personal maid, serving such n.o.ble and prominent figures meant that he wasnt an ordinary servant. How could he serve others?

This was enough to prove that Liu He had a close relations.h.i.+p with Princess Yongning, and he seemed to be quite generous After thinking for a while, Li Zhizhi couldnt recall any prominent family in the capital with the surname Liu. However, she had heard that Princess Yongnings husband had pa.s.sed away early in her previous life, and she never remarried. She didnt 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 Hes handsome and good-looking face, she felt that she might have guessed the truth.