Kunning Chapter 31: Realization

Alone?

Perfect!

Jiang Xuening's heart raced, and she replied almost instinctively, "Thank you, Mr. Xie! Since there are no doubts for the unsuccessful candidates, Xue Ning has no queries. It would be presumptuous to trouble Mr. Xie further."

Xie Wei continued to gaze at her, questioning, "Are you truly certain?"

Jiang Xuening forced a smile and stumbled, "No, no, really no need."

Xie Wei withdrew his gaze, announcing, "Since everyone has no uncertainties, today's school examination will conclude. I hope the ladies who won't have the chance to study with His Royal Highness will continue their studies diligently at home. Those fortunate enough to stay and accompany Princess can return to prepare for two days. Organize the next six months of assignments for His Royal Highness and all of you to accompany me. Starting now, you will be treated as students. I hope you won't slack off. With this opportunity, you can gain something in the next six months."

The ones without the chance to stay left with a heavy heart. Those who remained were somewhat trembling.

Everyone bowed, saying, "Yes, sir."

As they left the palace, there were now eight students left out of the original twelve: Xiao Shu, Chen Shuyi, Yao Xi, Zhou Baoying, Fang Miao, You Yue, Yao Rongrong, and Jiang Xuening.

Except for Jiang Xuening's melancholic expression, the others were more or less happy.

Zhou Baoying, overcome with joy, couldn't contain herself and danced as she left Fengchen Hall, exclaiming, "Oh my God, I passed! Mr. Xie isn't as serious as Daddy said at all! He has such a nice voice. I thought studying in the palace would be really tough. Isn't this pretty good? My father must have been scaring me!"

Jiang Xuening thought to herself, you've never seen him serious; it would be an understatement to say he's terrifying.

Fang Miao casually walked to Jiang Xuening's side, hooked her arm affectionately, and looked at her like a savior, saying, "Miss Jiang Er, you're truly a lifesaver! I saw the test paper earlier, and I wanted to hug and kiss you. I passed all the books you recommended this morning. If you hadn't pointed them out, I would've been eliminated today!"

Yao Rongrong barely made it through.

Upon hearing Fang Miao's gratitude, Yao Rongrong lowered her head and timidly added, "Yes, thank you very much, Sister Jiang. It's like you knew what the exam would be beforehand, and your predictions were incredibly accurate."

Fang Miao's words initially didn't strike a chord with the group, but when Yao Rongrong chimed in, an unspoken tension filled the air.

Leading the way, Xiao Shu suddenly turned to look back at Yao Rongrong.

Jiang Xuening's pupils contracted slightly. For the first time, she seriously considered whether Yao Rongrong was genuinely unable to speak from birth or if it was a deliberate act.

Glancing at Yao Rongrong, she remained frail and meek, not daring to raise her eyes much—a picture of shyness and vulnerability.

Fang Miao frowned, asking, "Why are you so reticent?"

Yao Rongrong flinched again.

Unable to articulate her thoughts about Yao Rongrong, Fang Miao inexplicably held her breath, feeling a certain tension in her chest. She turned her attention to Jiang Xuening and commented, "But Miss Jiang Er, you're truly amazing. Most of us were interacting with Mr. Xie up close for the first time, and you still had the courage to stand up and propose checking the papers with him. I was scared to death at that moment! I thought, what if Mr. Xie reprimands you?"

Jiang Xuening, listening to her words, felt that she had found a rare ally.

Unexpectedly—

Fang Miao switched gears in the next sentence, wearing a smile on her face as she continued, "Mr. Xie is truly good-natured. He didn't intend to rebuke you at all. He was quite amiable. He even suggested solving your doubts alone. He's truly a gentleman. How fortunate we are to encounter such a gentleman!"

Jiang Xuening: "…"

All the words that were about to be uttered got stuck in her throat.

Chen Shuyi, who rarely spoke before, expressed agreement and added softly, "My father mentioned that Mr. Xie may not find fault in conduct, but he's extremely meticulous in his studies. As long as we take our studies seriously after entering the palace, Mr. Xie won't intentionally embarrass anyone. He's an outstanding gentleman. My father also said that if I can gain a little knowledge, it would be worthwhile to work hard to enter the palace."

Hearing these words, Jiang Xuening suddenly realized a predicament she hadn't considered before. At this moment, in the eyes of everyone, Xie Wei appeared as an impeccable wise man, a saint with prudent morality. She was the only one viewing him as a villain wholeheartedly, guarded and jealous, even afraid.

The memory of Xie Wei promising an assassin, "I will never hurt your life," was vivid in her mind. Yet, as soon as the assassin showed his head, the arrow mercilessly pierced through him, and Xie Wei remained calm. It was as if he hadn't made any promises to the assassin before.

Such a scheming and deceitful person was soon to become her teacher, even though she already harbored doubts about him. The imperial palace is an environment where people can easily be blamed. How could she escape this dire situation?

Just thinking about it made Jiang Xuening feel a cold shiver down her spine.

As they walked, her footsteps abruptly stopped.

Fang Miao and the others were discussing what to prepare for their return to the palace. They were about to ask Jiang Xuening about what items to bring for entertainment when they turned around and found her standing motionless under the high palace wall. Bewildered, Fang Miao questioned, "Hey, Miss Jiang?"

Jiang Xuening stood there, her expression fluctuating as if she were in the midst of a profound internal struggle, on the verge of making a very difficult decision. Fang Miao, noticing the change, asked, "Are you alright?"

Jiang Xuening straightened her lips, then suddenly raised her head and declared, "I'm going back to find Mr. Xie."

Fang Miao's eyes widened, "Go back and find Mr. Xie?"

Jiang Xuening took her hand and said solemnly, "If I haven't returned to Yang Zhizhai after two quarters, I would like to ask Miss Fang to come to Fengchen Hall to save me!"

Fang Miao was completely confused. She wanted to say, "If you go back to find Mr. Xie, will you encounter danger that needs me to 'rescue'?" But after Jiang Xuening finished speaking, she immediately let go of her hand and turned around resolutely. She lifted the corner of her skirt and walked back quickly!

After a while, Jiang Xuening circled around the palace wall and entered Fengchen Palace.

At this time, Xie Wei was reading the answer sheets on the case, having a few words with the other three gentlemen, and was about to go to the side hall. When he looked up, he saw Jiang Xuening's figure reappearing in front of the hall door.

The other gentlemen and palace attendants saw her and looked at Xie Wei hesitantly. Xie Wei smiled at them and said, "I will stay and deal with this; the elders can leave first. We can discuss the content of the lecture when I arrive at the Imperial Academy tomorrow."

The gentlemen, not eager to be involved in the matter of teaching the princess to read, bid their farewells and left the hall.

Xie Wei waved his hand, and the palace attendants also retreated. The hall, once filled with people, suddenly became deserted.

In the semi-dark light of the hall, Xie Wei's figure in Taoist robes appeared otherworldly, his face calm. He spoke, "I'm afraid the second Miss Ning wants to ask about someone else's answer sheet, but instead, you brought your own answer sheet?"

Jiang Xuening had been harboring anger for a long time.

The entire matter of entering the palace had been beyond her expectations from the beginning. First, Yan Lin intervened and forced Shen Zhiyi to submit her name. Later, Shen Zhiyi went to settle matters with the Ministry of Rites, enabling her to be selected as a companion to the palace. She also explained that female officials in the palace would not agree with her, causing her trouble.

When it came to Xie Wei, she had hoped for a turning point. After all, he was renowned for his rigorous scholarship.

However, she never expected that Xie Wei would let her pass with such an ignorant and deviant answer sheet, as if he had turned a blind eye to her shortcomings!

Where did Xie's scholarly ethics go?!

The experiences of this life began to overlap with those of the previous life, and the anger that she couldn't change anything gradually overwhelmed her fear of Xie Wei. It also gave her the courage to question him in this moment of extreme embarrassment.

Standing in the hall without taking a step back, Jiang Xuening spoke coldly, almost in a questioning manner: "The world respects Mr. Xie for his sage legacy. He is known for his rigorous studies and love for books. Yet today, I realize that his knowledge is superficial. The answer sheet is nothing more than random writing. How can those who answered better than me leave, and I, who made a mess, can stay instead?"

Xie Wei smiled lightly, "Miss Ning Er, stop pretending."

Jiang Xuening remained silent.

Xie Wei selected her answer sheet from the desk, holding it delicately on his fingertips, giving it a slight shake before proceeding to read aloud: "The Master said, 'The virtues of nature are born with me, and I am as good as I am.' What? Please use the word 'de' to make an argument. Miss Ning wrote on the answer sheet that the sage Confucius had nothing to do with virtue as well as Huan Qu. Because of fire, the sage Confucius and his disciples saw the danger and ran quickly; this is a matter that has nothing to do with 'virtue' and cannot be argued. Also, who said that Huan Qu can't be like the sage Confucius? Beheading, cracking fires, burning, and so on. There is a way to cure him. Either wash Sage Confucius, sprinkle salt, put it in a steamer, and wait for it to soften; or marinate Sage Confucius, put it in an oil pan, and fry it until golden…"

His voice, though pleasing, took on a chilling tone as he calmly recited those words.

"…"

Jiang Xuening suddenly felt the courage to face death, which had just emerged, waning within her.

Xie Wei, unaccustomed to dealing with such a challenging "student," maintained his gaze on her after finishing, remarking, "I have been immersed in sage books for many years, but I didn't know that Confucius engaged in these 18 things. Why, Miss Ning, do you include even eating raw ingredients? While you may not have gained much knowledge from your studies, it appears you have garnered ample experience in the culinary arts."

The statement was clearly a bit sarcastic.

Jiang Xuening was not pleased to hear it and subconsciously retorted, "In the art of cooking, in front of Mr. Xie, how dare you teach me—"

But with the word "axe" stuck in her throat, she suddenly felt a chill rushing up from her feet, crawling along her spine to the back of her neck, causing her to shiver!

This should not be mentioned!

"…"

Xie Wei's slender fingers, holding the answer sheet, tensed for a moment. The creased lines seemed to carry an undercurrent about to explode.

But after a brief moment, the tension dissipated.

He delicately flattened the answer sheet, his lips curled slightly, and he spoke softly, "I thought Miss Ning Er had forgotten what happened four years ago, but I didn't expect her to still remember."

Jiang Xuening trembled all over, wanting to run, but reason held her in place, anchoring her feet to the ground. She couldn't even move. Attempting to calm herself, she said, "Xue Ning was impulsive, speaking nonsense momentarily. Forgive me, Mr. Xiao. Today, I came here solely to inquire about the answer sheet, so I request Mr. Xie's explanation."

With a polite tone, Xie Wei responded, "Miss Ning's answer sheet indeed stands out, displaying unconventional thinking and a lack of restraint. If other gentlemen were to see it, they would likely reject your passage as a companion. However, I, lacking talent, observed that Miss Ning has read a variety of books. The phrase 'every man sees humiliation' is from 'Liuhou Lun,' and 'every man's blood splashes five steps in one in anger' is from 'Warring States Policy.' Ordinary girls do not read such texts. To boldly claim Confucius spoke nonsense indicates that Miss Ning has a talent for expressing unconventional ideas."

Jiang Xuening's heart sank.

Xie Wei perused the stack of answer sheets once more and continued, "While rotten wood may not be carved, as a teacher, I must carve into it to ascertain whether there hides gold or jade. What does Miss Ning think?"

After becoming a queen in her past life, Jiang Xuening delved into her studies, particularly during the time she contended with Xiao Shu. However, she never exerted such effort even during her years in the palace. Familiarity breeds comfort, and frequent discussion of certain topics made her unaware of the discrepancy in her arguments. When she answered the test paper, she did so without defense, refuting the words of the saint.

Little did she know that Xie Wei would walk down from the hall, holding her answer sheet.

Upon reaching her side, he paused, saying, "You are currently contemplating what excuse you can find to persuade me not to allow this answer sheet to pass, enabling you to avoid accompanying study and leave the palace to return home, correct?"

As he approached, Jiang Xuening involuntarily took a half step back.

But Xie Wei chuckled, "If that's the case, there's no need to expend energy on convincing me. Firstly, your father recently entrusted me with taking care of you in the palace. Secondly, Prince Yan copied a set of test papers yesterday, requesting me to tutor you. Thirdly, as the ancients said, the kindness of a drop of water is repaid by the spring…"

Jiang Xuening instinctively looked up at him, sensing an ominous feeling.

Xie Wei's demeanor remained composed. Clad in a green robe, he exuded a majestic air, saying, "It's been several days since you were selected as a companion, haven't you heard? Although each family submits candidates for the palace companion list, the Ministry of Rites finalizes the list and requires my review and approval before it is issued. In other words, your name has already been approved by me."

If he disagreed…

Any name could be struck from the list!

These words landed like thunder, leaving Jiang Xuening instantly stunned.

There was another copy in Xie Wei's possession!

The earlier question of "who plotted against me" was now answered conclusively, leading her to a realization that nearly shattered her spirit—

It wasn't a matter of "who plotted against me," but rather "who wanted to take me."

Jiang Xuening's mind became chaotic.

She wanted to curse.

Quietly observing her, Xie Wei's eyes glimmered with a hint of thought. Suddenly, he smiled, "You are so unwilling to enter the palace to study with me because you fear that I'll silence you by killing you, aren't you?"