Chapter 3: Imperial Academy
The horse passed by the window, three days later, it happened to be the fifteenth.
The Imperial Academy faced south with its back to the north, in a rectangular shape stretching from north to south. It had a three-courtyard layout, centered around the Biyong Hall, with buildings symmetrically arranged on the left and right.
The main gate of the Imperial Academy was called the Jixian Gate. Opposite the Jixian Gate was Jixian Street, lined with various shops on both sides. On this particular day, the students of the Imperial Academy were on holiday and allowed to go out to the streets.
Lu Yuner had originally arrived by carriage, but seeing the many students on Jixian Street, she got off the carriage halfway and instructed Qiu Yi to wait there while she walked the rest of the way.
At this moment, Lu Yuner was standing under a thousand-year-old locust tree outside the Jixian Gate, waiting for the Director of Studies, unaware that she had caught the attention of many male and female students who were quietly discussing her.
Today, Lu Yuner was dressed in white clothes as pure as snow, a color that made her skin appear even fairer. A red sash tied around her waist accentuated her slender figure. She exuded an elegant and otherworldly aura from head to toe.
Dappled sunlight filtered through the leaves, shining on her delicate profile, perfectly capturing a moment of tranquil beauty.
"Has the Director of Studies not arrived yet?" Liu Lan approached Lu Yuner with an innocent smile, while her gaze kept surveying the young students on Jixian Street.
Lu Yuner looked up at Liu Lan and smiled, "Perhaps she's been delayed by something."
Liu Lan's lips curled into an intriguing smile as she drawled, "I suppose her young husband must be clinging to her tightly!"
"General Liu, stop talking nonsense!" Han Ranzhi came running up, her face serious. "This is the Imperial Academy, behave yourself!"
As expected of Han Ranzhi, a role model for others, she never compromised on matters of principle.
Liu Lan immediately apologized, "Yes, Director."
Han Ranzhi turned to Lu Yuner and said, "There was a small matter at home, so I'm a bit late. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, Sister Yuner."
Lu Yuner smiled and politely replied, "It's no problem."
"Please, follow me, both of you."
Inside the Jingyi Pavilion[1].
"Crash!" A crisp sound.
Immediately after, the Chancellor's distressed cry could be heard from inside, "Oh no! My blue and white openwork porcelain..."
Over fifty years old with graying hair, Chancellor Hu Lanzhen sat slumped on the floor, her eyes full of distress as she looked at the blue and white porcelain shattered into numerous small pieces on the ground. Her heart was bleeding.
This was her prized collection, a companion for half her life!
A tall and elegant figure moved away from Hu Lanzhen's side, turning to the pear wood desk. That slender white hand took the stack of white paper on the desk, crumpled it unceremoniously into a ball, and then threw it away.
Hu Lanzhen immediately scurried over, bent down to pick up the crumpled paper ball from the ground, and said with a woeful expression, "The Xuan paper I specially ordered from Huizhou..."
This Xuan paper was known for its soft yet tough texture, smooth as jade. When used for writing or painting, it produced clear ink strokes, and was resistant to insects with a long lifespan.
It had long been renowned as the "King of Papers" and "Thousand-Year Paper."
Hu Lanzhen's heart seemed about to shatter into pieces again, but faced with such willful behavior from the visitor, she could only swallow her anger.
Seeing the person walk towards the cloisonné, Hu Lanzhen hurriedly pleaded, "Young Prince, if you have any requests, please just tell me directly. This humble official will comply!"
The person before her was none other than the young prince of the Yun Qinwang's mansion, of extremely noble status. How could she dare to offend someone above her station?
Su Qingwan smiled mischievously and said in a light tone, "This prince has always been accustomed to freedom and cannot tolerate any constraints."
Hu Lanzhen, speaking in a submissive tone, quickly tried to placate him, "Don't worry, Young Prince. The Imperial Academy is just like your home at Yun Qinwang's mansion. Please feel free to do as you wish."
Su Qingwan glanced at her and said flatly, "What else?"
His low voice carried an indescribable pressure, causing Hu Lanzhen to immediately straighten her back.
She rolled her eyes and had to say reluctantly, "Young Prince, please don't worry about Yun Qinwang. This humble official knows what to do."
"Good that you understand! Xiao Yuan, let's go." Su Qingwan smiled with satisfaction.
Watching the departing figure, Hu Lanzhen finally let out a sigh of relief, wiping the cold sweat from her forehead and muttering, "Finally, that troublemaker is gone."
But turning back to see the scattered pieces of her treasures on the ground, the Chancellor's heart shattered once again.
"Oh, my precious treasures!"