The Academy was situated behind Ding Manor, formed by combining a row of unused back buildings from the Ding residence with two civilian houses from the back alley to create its initial structure.
Initially, the academy appeared to be nothing more than a makeshift team—buildings of varying heights stood unevenly, and furnishings were haphazardly scattered about. Fortunately, with few students at the time, it managed to function adequately.
In the following years, a Recommended Man mentored by Ding Hanzhang successfully passed the Imperial Examination, ranking seventeenth in the Second Class. Overnight, the academy gained widespread fame, and many families eager for their children to study diligently sought to enroll them here.
Had it been anyone else, they might have hesitated, as rejecting so many influential figures would carry psychological pressure. But who was Ding Hanzhang?
He was a Three-Dynasty Elder who had retired from the position of Minister of Rites. Not only was he highly respected, but many officials currently in court had been selected during the Imperial Examinations he presided over while serving as Minister of Rites.
Regardless of who you were, he showed no favoritism. To study here, one had to pass the entrance exam.
However, due to the old master Ding’s lingering wariness toward students from humble backgrounds, those with insufficient financial means could not afford the academy’s fees.
In Da Jin, there were no academies with low tuition fees that supported students from poor families. The more prestigious the academy, the higher the costs.
By the time He Yunzhao’s senior brothers enrolled, families of the students were finding excuses every year to donate silver to the academy, helping to construct classrooms and other buildings.
By the time He Yunzhao entered the academy, it had taken on a proper form. Most of the civilian houses along the back alley facing the street had been rented out by the academy’s students.
Those from out of town settled here permanently, while those from the capital came at noon to rest.
Old Master Ding enforced strict discipline. The academy also had an instructor specifically tasked with conducting surprise inspections of the students’ residences, absolutely forbidding any frivolous amusement or mischief.
At first, He Yunzhao didn’t fully understand what “frivolous amusement” entailed, assuming the academy imposed a high-pressure, college-entrance-exam-style management that prohibited all forms of entertainment.
It wasn’t until a senior brother, blushing and scratching his nose, explained that it meant banning feasts, revelry, singing, dancing, and similar entertainments.
He Yunzhao understood immediately: healthy entertainment was allowed, but drinking and womanizing were not.
Given Old Master Ding’s character, it was surprising that he would allow a “transfer student” to enroll. Just what background did this “Xiao Changfeng” have?
He Yunzhao returned to his small courtyard, where Mu Liu had already instructed servants to prepare a table full of dishes, waiting for his return.
Mu Liu’s real name was Mu Yan, and he was the sixth child in his family.
The two had been friends since childhood. Mu Yan’s mother was Mother He’s close friend, and the two women had maintained their relationship, hoping to extend this friendship to the next generation. Thus, Mu Yan had been He Yunzhao’s playmate since they were young.
Due to concerns about her identity being exposed, Mother He had kept He Yunzhao mostly confined at home. Mu Yan was the only child who frequently visited to play with her.
The small courtyard was filled with an array of flowers and plants, all bought by the two youths during their leisurely strolls. The servants on both sides had exerted great effort to arrange these mismatched, garish plants into something that barely conveyed a sense of artistic conception.
“Come eat quickly! I’ve prepared marinated beef today. I just had a bite—it’s incredibly fragrant,” the chubby boy beckoned.
He Yunzhao’s eyes lit up, and she hurried over. She couldn’t resist pinching the plump, tender cheek of the little fatty. “Well done! How did you manage to get beef?”
The chubby little Mu Yan grinned, his plump cheeks dimpling. "Someone else's estate reported an old ox to be slaughtered, so I quickly sent someone to buy a portion. Last time you mentioned craving beef."
Casually picking up his chopsticks, he took a slice of marinated beef. The slightly cooled slice was bursting with spices and meaty flavor, filling his senses from nose to stomach with the aroma of beef.
He Yunzhao gave Mu Yan a thumbs-up in appreciation of his efficiency.
At the small square table, the two sat side by side, happily enjoying the meal.
Mu Yan waited until He Yunzhao had taken a couple of bites before starting to eat himself, though he avoided the plate of beef.
As she ate, He Yunzhao gradually noticed. She loved beef, but in Da Jin, unrestricted slaughter of plow oxen was prohibited. Only old, weak, or otherwise incapacitated oxen could be slaughtered after being reported, and they were rarely sold, often at high prices.
Although her family owned two estates, plow oxen were still precious, and naturally, they wouldn't slaughter one just for a meal. She never even mentioned her preference to her mother.
Mu Yan was the only one who knew she loved beef. The boy was more of a foodie than anyone, which was why he was so round.
Now, with a plate of braised beef in front of her, she noticed it barely diminished despite her taking several bites—clearly, Mu Yan was letting her have it.
With a flick of her wrist, she piled a thick portion of beef into Mu Yan's bowl. "You eat too, don't just focus on me."
Mu Yan stubbornly retorted, "I'm the older brother. Taking care of you is only right."
No sooner had he spoken than his chopsticks deftly delivered the beef to his mouth. Glancing at He Yunzhao's puffed cheeks, he chewed contentedly.
His heart leaped with joy. Good thing I heard the news and sent someone to buy some beef, so Xiao Zhao can enjoy a happy meal.
Since childhood, Mu Yan had known his awkward position at home. He was the sixth child. His eldest sister and second brother were from his father's first wife, while his third brother and fourth sister were born to the favored Bai Yiniang.
His mother was the stepmother, entering the household to care for four children, none of whom she could neglect. Fortunately, she was lucky and gave birth to his fifth brother the following year.
His eldest sister and second brother were treasured by their father, who feared others might bully them for having lost their mother.
His third brother and fourth sister were protected by Bai Yiniang, who often lamented their plight.
His fifth brother was his mother's first son, helping her secure her position in the Mu family and regain control of the household.
Mu Yan himself was nothing special, especially since he had twin younger sisters, and even his mother prioritized her eldest son and the two younger daughters.
Compared to his siblings, who fought like frenzied roosters, he preferred to think of Xiao Zhao as his younger brother.
His gaze, warm as the spring sun, gently rested on He Yunzhao, his dimples reappearing.
Noticing the stare, He Yunzhao turned her head. "…"
"Why are you smiling so creepily?"
Mu Yan withdrew his smile, his expression cooling as he picked up more meat for his bowl.
He Yunzhao was speechless. What's gotten into the little fatty now? Could it be that his scheming older siblings are causing trouble again?
Finally, after they had eaten their fill, Momma cleared the table, and a maid served two cups of tangerine peel water to aid digestion.
Running her fingers over the teacup, He Yunzhao gathered her thoughts and turned to Mu Yan. "Xiao Yan, what do you know about that newcomer, Xiao Changfeng?"
"Xiao Changfeng?" Mu Yan was momentarily stunned, then thought for a moment. "I mentioned him to you last time, but you were practicing calligraphy so I didn't disturb you."
"Xiao Changfeng is the eldest son of General Xiao, the Jizhou Military Governor. I haven't heard much else about him."
Mu Yan's father also came from a military official background, making him more familiar with military affairs than the He family.
He Yunzhao racked her brain – the Xiao family… Xiao?
Suddenly it clicked. "Isn't that Dean Ding's son-in-law?"
She looked at Mu Yan, their eyes meeting as they finally dredged up the memory together.
The academy didn't have many students, but there were still over thirty. With more people came factions, scheming against each other over minor interests. This kind of rivalry was particularly fierce among men, often spontaneously forming hierarchical cliques.
Last time when two groups of senior students were subtly mocking each other, He Yunzhao had overheard something – one was the cousin of the dean's son-in-law, while the other made veiled criticisms.
Rumor had it that when the dean's youngest daughter married, she had been deceived – only after entering the household did she discover there was already an illegitimate eldest son waiting for her.
"So… Xiao Changfeng is that illegitimate eldest son of the Xiao family?"
He Yunzhao nodded. "That must be it."
…
Meanwhile, Old Master Ding Hanzhang, who had been 'forced' to teach his non-blood-related grandson, was extremely frustrated.
This marriage had originally been guaranteed by the Ding family's aunt. No one could have anticipated such a huge pitfall. Aunt Ding had returned home crying several times, wishing she could personally go and berate General Xiao.
Initially, everything had sounded perfect – with no elders to handle family affairs, they had asked a colleague's mother to help propose the marriage. At that time, General Xiao was at the peak of his career, his future success already half-achieved, with only his marriage yet to be settled. Such a golden son-in-law had practically walked through the Ding family's doors, and Aunt Ding couldn't have been happier.
She had even added some gifts from her own possessions to bring back to her maiden family, cheerfully proposing the match.
General Xiao, young and already highly valued, was known for his noble character and clear thinking – a perfect match for the Ding family's daughter. With their own aunt serving as matchmaker, the Ding family had settled the matter with peace of mind.
Who could have predicted that this solemn marriage, which had followed the Six Rites for two years, would collapse into such a huge pitfall the moment she entered the household? A fully grown son had appeared out of nowhere.
Miss Ding had no choice but to swallow her bitterness, her face ashen when she returned home after the third-day ceremony.
Fortunately, General Xiao had always treated this illegitimate son coldly, as if he didn't exist, which somewhat eased Miss Ding's heart.
Naturally, Ding Hanzhang held no goodwill toward the son-in-law who had deceived them in marriage, let alone any affection for this suddenly appearing grandson. The only reason he was grudgingly teaching him now was because the Military Governor Xiao had sent over ten letters earnestly requesting the old master's guidance.
Shameless! Utterly shameless!
If not for the marriage deception, Ding Hanzhang might not have felt such aversion toward this grandson. According to propriety, Xiao Changfeng's mother should be Lady Ding.
Moreover, his own mother's identity was unclear, said to be the result of General Xiao's former indiscretions. With such an embarrassing background, he should have been trying to please his legal mother instead.
For some unknown reason, Madam Xiao had also written to her father, requesting that he provide some guidance.
The old master was so angry he couldn't sleep half the night.
Seeing the students of the pre-examination tutoring group all in their seats early this morning, especially He Yunzhao who effortlessly answered his questions with a smile in her eyes, the old master's mood finally improved somewhat.
He Yunzhao leaned against the desk and moved closer to Old Master Ding, asking with curious laughter, "Sir, I heard a new junior disciple will be joining our class today—someone we've never seen before."
She wore a blue-gray round-collared robe, practical for grinding ink and writing without easily getting dirty. This simple cleanliness instead accentuated her striking features, making her every movement radiate effortless elegance.
Boldness was the privilege of good students. Ding Hanzhang didn't mind the young one's informality, even casually straightening the crooked pouch at her waist before frowning: "Focus on your studies instead of worrying about such trivial matters…"
After a moment of silence, the old master glanced at the other disciples still reciting texts outside, then secretly raised a hand to cover his mouth as he whispered: "Keep your distance when that boy arrives. Don't let anyone disrupt your studies. With the Prefectural Examination approaching, you're our most promising candidate—we can't let others affect you."
He Yunzhao nodded obediently with her clear black-and-white eyes, making the old master unable to suppress a smile as he patted her shoulder.
Her seat was by the window in the front row. Ding Hanzhang hadn't considered waiting for his tardy grandson, starting the lesson immediately after roll call with questions from last year's Prefectural Examination.
"Beyond the Imperial Examination system, are there alternative methods for selecting talent? What are their respective advantages and disadvantages?"
He Yunzhao listened attentively when suddenly a figure appeared in her sight—standing quietly at the doorway waiting.
Ding Hanzhang waved impatiently, "Go sit in the back."
The room was small with few people—only five including the teacher. Eight eyes watched this "unexpected guest."
Contrary to He Yunzhao's expectation of arrogance and Ding Hanzhang's assumption of delinquency, this "eldest son born of a concubine" was remarkably quiet.
His silence resembled a withered tree—pale complexion, calm eyes, wearing slightly worn black robes, moving with light, soundless footsteps.
He walked with lowered head to the very back, gently arranged the desk and chair, sat down, straightened his garments, and kept staring at the empty desktop without ever looking up to follow the lesson.
He Yunzhao's curiosity lasted only a moment before she refocused on the teacher. When studying, she always maintained profound concentration, undisturbed by external matters—this was what Ding Hanzhang admired most about her.
These two likely held the most diametrically opposed perspectives.
Ding Hanzhang waved emphatically and declared loudly: "Therefore! While presenting substantive arguments, you must never harshly criticize the current examination system, yet must propose one or two feasible improvements! And! Don't copy that fellow Li's writings verbatim in the examination hall! Understood?"
He Yunzhao nodded earnestly and immediately responded, "Understood, Sir!"
Her overly loud voice nearly startled Ding Hanzhang who was leaning against her desk. The old master glared, "Now begin writing a 600-word policy essay! I'll review them one by one later!"
Xiao Changfeng finally looked up, watching the cheerful interaction between the teacher and disciple ahead, a flash of envy in his eyes before hurriedly lowering his head again before Ding Hanzhang could notice.
Meanwhile, He Yunzhao had already begun grinding ink—her wrist gently poised as she rotated the inkstick twice across the inkstone, added a spoonful of water, tested the consistency with her brush tip, found it perfect, and began writing with lifted brush.
…
After an hour and a half, the group's pace slowed down. One senior disciple had already set down his brush. He Yunzhao was neither the fastest nor the slowest, finishing right in the middle.
Ding Hanzhang carefully reviewed each candidate's policy essay. Unnoticed by others, Xiao Changfeng had borrowed writing materials from a nearby disciple and completed one as well.
The old master's eyes were sharp, honed by decades of scholarly practice. With just a glance, he could assess the general level of the essays. The best was by He Yunzhao, followed by a student from Class A who was four years older than her. The weakest was…
Ding Hanzhang gazed with mixed emotions at this unremarkable yet passable essay. The unfamiliar handwriting belonged to his cheap grandson.
So be it.
After learning about Xiao Changfeng's background, He Yunzhao lost interest. Her studies demanded full attention, leaving no room for distractions.
There was no shortage of petty schemes before examinations, and she had no intention of inviting unnecessary trouble.