The Imperial Academy was an ancient site from the previous dynasty. Several generations of emperors of our current dynasty had studied here, so it was not only beautiful but also covered a vast area.
Fewer than a hundred students were admitted each year, most of whom were noble youths from the capital. In the Academy, young masters waiting to inherit titles like Marquis were everywhere. Before I left for the capital, although my father had slapped me, he privately had his attendant warn me to be careful—to mind my own business and not provoke others unless provoked.
Even Third Uncle, who personally escorted us to the Academy, said earnestly that the young masters of the capital were all raised with great indulgence and were very willful.
Lin Chongtan reacted calmly to this, as if it didn’t bother him, but I was very nervous. Besides students of our background, there were also children of the royal family, such as the Crown Prince.
It was said the Crown Prince was only four years older than us and was currently studying at the Academy as well.
Students usually lived in the dormitories, even the relatives of the Emperor, except for the princes themselves. We were allowed to go home for visits four days every month, which was actually more vacation time than Big Brother had at Hanshan Academy.
There were no classes on the day we reported. The dormitory I was assigned to was not in the same place as Lin Chongtan’s, and neither was our level. The Academy was divided into the Upper, Inner, and Outer Halls. Normally, as newcomers, both Lin Chongtan and I should have been in the Outer Hall. However, I was surprised to see Lin Chongtan’s name on the Upper Hall list on the official results board.
Because ages were listed next to the names, sixteen-year-old Lin Chongtan stood out among the young men in the Upper Hall, most of whom had already reached their twentieth year.
Just while looking at the board, I heard several people talking.
“Lin Chongtan? Who is that? I’ve never heard the name.”
“Is he a new student? Where did such a talented newcomer come from?”
“You don’t know? Lin Chongtan is the last disciple of Master Daoqing and the second son of the main Lin family in Gusu. He was known as a child prodigy at age three—people call him the ‘Pride of Gusu.'”
“The Pride of Gusu? I want to see if this prodigy lives up to the name.”
Hearing their chatter, I pulled Liangji out of the crowd. Liangji was still acting silly. “Young Master Chun, they are talking about the Second Young Master!”
As soon as Lin Chongtan entered the Academy, he was invited away by the professors and was not with me. I was glad I didn’t have to be near him.
He wasn’t a peacock; there was no need to be so flashy.
“Be quiet,” I said to Liangji. “Let’s find our dormitory.”
Liangji gave an “oh” and followed me obediently.
The dormitory was certainly not as comfortable as our courtyard at home, but it wasn’t bad. My window faced an apricot tree. It was the season for apricot blossoms—white with a hint of pink—and a faint fragrance drifted into the room with the wind.
Seeing this tree put me in a great mood. Liangji and I moved my desk under the window so I could sit there to practice my writing and study.
While we were tidying up, I heard a commotion outside.
“Damn it! My old man sent me here to study so early. This stupid Academy doesn’t even allow us to bring servants, only pageboys—and only two at most! I usually have eight maids serving me in my room; how can two pageboys take care of me? And what kind of broken room is this? It smells like mold! I’m so angry! You, go back and tell my father I won’t study here. Have someone pick me up immediately!”
Another person’s voice sounded very cautious. “Young Master, the Master said you cannot go back.”
Before he could finish, there was a heavy thud.
“If I tell you to go, then go! Why are you talking so much?”
The noise made me lean out from my desk to look out the window. I saw a young man in expensive silk clothes punching and kicking a boy dressed as a page. The boy didn’t dare make a sound, let alone move; he just stood there taking the beating.
The young man in silk seemed to get tired. He stopped, looked around, and strode toward the apricot tree. He snapped off a branch, planning to go back and continue the punishment. As he turned, his eyes suddenly met mine before I could pull back.
I was actually terrified by what I saw. Images of when Fan Wu used to hit me flashed through my mind, and I froze until the young man spotted me.
When he saw me, he seemed startled for a moment, then narrowed his eyes. “What are you looking at?”
I didn’t dare answer and quickly pulled back. I thought to myself that I was unlucky to have such a bad-tempered neighbor. I wondered what the person on my right would be like. I hoped they would be easier to get along with.
Since classes started the next day, I went to bed early. However, it wasn’t quiet to my left. I heard the sound of someone screaming and crying—it was heartbreaking. I wondered if that young man in silk was punishing someone again.
I had my suspicions, but I didn’t dare get up to look. I just covered my head with the blanket and fell into a fitful sleep.
I studied in the Outer Hall, which had the most students. Since most of us were new, the instructors were very strict with us.
The people who came to study at the Academy were all excellent, besides having high-status backgrounds. Therefore, the instructors moved much faster than my previous tutor. For example, we had to memorize two long essays a day, plus practice calligraphy, painting, and playing the zither.
The instructors said this was already considered slow. In the Upper Hall, the professors and even the Imperial Tutor taught the classes. They had even higher demands. For instance, while we struggled, Upper Hall students were expected to memorize at least ten long essays a day.
I… I couldn’t even fully memorize one yet. The articles were full of difficult, ancient words and deep meanings. I would start stuttering after only a few sentences. Even though Liangji wanted to help me, he understood the texts even less than I did.
Because I didn’t want to fall behind, I had to stay up late every night to study. Even so, the instructors only had criticisms for me. One day, because I hadn’t slept well for a long time, I couldn’t help but fall asleep in class.
“Lin Chun Di!”
A shout startled me awake.
I opened my eyes and met the instructor’s grim face. I knew I was in trouble and sat up straight immediately, but it was too late. The instructor told me to stand up and recite the article we had learned yesterday. I struggled through about a dozen sentences and then couldn’t go on.
I had accidentally fallen asleep last night. This morning, I hoped the instructor wouldn’t pick me to recite, but as they say, “when it rains, it pours.”
The instructor got even angrier, staring at me with wide eyes. He picked up his wooden ruler, and my fingers trembled as I held out my hand.
Whack, whack, whack…
He hit me ten times in a row. “You people better not treat the Academy like your home! I won’t tolerate laziness! Lin Chun Di, go stand outside as punishment!”
The weather in the capital was getting warmer. The spring breeze carried the scent of flowers and felt like soft feathers against my cheek. My curled palm stung, and so did my face. After a while, amidst the loud sounds of students reading, someone walked down the hallway.
From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of white silk clothing that seemed to shimmer with light. I quickly lowered my head, not wanting whoever it was to see me being punished. I didn’t even know who it was.
“Little Di?”
The voice made me freeze.
Why did it have to be Lin Chongtan?
“Why are you standing outside?” he asked again.
I didn’t want him to laugh at me anymore, so I looked up. “It’s none of your business. Go away.”
Actually, I hadn’t seen Lin Chongtan for many days. Since entering the Academy, he studied in the Upper Hall and lived in a different area. He had his pageboys deliver things a few times—brushes, paper, inkstones, and even some pastries.
Having not seen him for a while, Lin Chongtan seemed to have grown even more beautiful and tall. He stood before me, his neck long and elegant like a crane’s above his collar. He looked down to ask his question, his long lashes partially hiding his eyes. I was dazed for a moment, so I didn’t even react when he grabbed my hand.
Lin Chongtan opened my hand and saw the red, swollen marks from the ruler. He frowned slightly. “Why did the instructor punish you so harshly? I’ll have Baichi bring you some medicine later.”
I didn’t want to cry, but for some reason, my eyes began to sting.
The instructor said I was lazy, but I had really been working hard. It was just that I wasn’t as naturally talented as others; I was slow and stupid.
When Lin Chongtan saw my face, he gave me a comforting smile. “Alright, don’t cry. Tell me, why did the instructor punish you?”
The more he told me not to cry, the more I couldn’t help it. I was afraid the students inside would hear me, so I gritted my teeth and whispered, “I… I fell asleep in class, and I couldn’t recite the text. Those articles are too…”
I stopped, unable to continue.
Lin Chongtan understood. “If you can’t memorize them, it might be because you don’t understand the meaning. How about this: come find me every night at 10:00 PM.”
Just then, the instructor’s voice came from inside. “Who is talking out there?!”
Sounding hurried footsteps approached. I quickly pulled my hand back and signaled for Lin Chongtan to leave, but it was too late. The instructor had already seen him.
Even though he was caught, Lin Chongtan remained calm. He bowed to the instructor. “Student Lin Chongtan greets Instructor Li.”
Instructor Li looked Lin Chongtan up and down, and his usually gloomy face actually broke into a smile. “So, you are Lin Chongtan! I heard the professors in the Upper Hall all praise you constantly. Come, come inside. I just came up with a poetic couplet that no one can match. You should try.”
Lin Chongtan followed Instructor Li inside gracefully. But just before entering, he stopped, looked back at me, and said hesitantly, “Instructor Li, he…”
Instructor Li gave me a look of disgust. “Fine, you come in too. Watch how Lin Chongtan answers.”
I had stood in that hallway for so long and Instructor Li never called me in, but now, just because of Lin Chongtan, he changed his mind.
I don’t remember much of what happened in the classroom after that. I only know that Lin Chongtan’s name was mentioned often by Instructor Li, who told us to learn from him.
Between Lin Chongtan and me, there was a vast canyon.
At that time, I was still stubborn and refused to seek him out for help. However, before long, I had to give in.
I was punished to stand outside again.
When I finally went to find Lin Chongtan several days later, he didn’t look surprised. He put down his brush and asked which article I was studying.
The way he explained the texts made them much easier to understand than when the instructors taught them. With his help, my memorization speed improved significantly. Once, Instructor Li even praised me.
“You’ve been working hard lately.”
Instructor Li’s praise made me overjoyed. That day, I bathed early and took my books to find Lin Chongtan ahead of schedule, but he wasn’t there.
“Where is your master?” I asked Lin Chongtan’s two pageboys.
The two boys looked at each other. Baichi wanted to speak, but Qiongqiu, who was next to him, stopped him.
“The Young Master went for a walk.”
They were lying. If he was just for a walk, why didn’t they say so when I first asked? They were hiding something from me. I walked into Lin Chongtan’s room, planning to wait for him and ask him directly when he returned.