Chapter 42: The Examination (2)

Although Qi Ying had advised her not to stay up late, Shen Xiling still did.

Not only did she stay up, but she pulled an all-nighter, reading through The Book of Songs from beginning to end and flipping through some commentaries. Shuipei, Fengchang, and Zijun took turns trying to persuade her, but to no avail. In the end, each of them stayed awake for a few hours with her, enduring until dawn.

When the sun rose, they helped Shen Xiling wash and dress. Fengchang noticed the dark circles under her eyes and fretted, “Oh dear, Young Mistress, you see? Last night we begged you to sleep, but you wouldn’t listen. Now those dark circles are so obvious that even powder can’t cover them. What are we going to do?”

Shen Xiling yawned and smiled. “Don’t worry, Sister Fengchang. I’m here to take an exam, not to compete in beauty. Why should I care about these things?”

“You don’t need to care,” Zijun chimed in while munching on some edamame. “Even if our Young Mistress stays awake for three days straight and her eyes turn black as charcoal, she’d still be more beautiful than anyone else.”

The maids burst into laughter, and Shen Xiling blushed again at their teasing.

The study where Qi Ning and Qi Le originally studied wasn’t very large. With the addition of three new classmates, the space became insufficient. Moreover, these new classmates were all young ladies. Lady Yao, considering propriety, decided it would be inappropriate for the family school to be too enclosed. To avoid any impropriety, she hastily converted a square pavilion in the rear garden of the estate into a study over the past few days.

This pavilion was spacious, with thick curtains hanging on all four sides. On windy days, the curtains could be lowered to block the wind, while on sunny days, they could be rolled up, offering a full view of the garden’s scenery. Lady Yao was quite proud of this arrangement.

Additionally, Lady Yao asked the Left Chancellor himself to inscribe a name for the pavilion. The chancellor, unwilling to spend time on such a task, eventually gave in to his wife’s persistence and hastily scribbled “Chouqin Study” before handing it over. Lady Yao, however, was delighted and hung the plaque proudly.

That day, Shen Xiling was the first to arrive at the Chouqin Study. After waiting for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Qi Ning and Qi Le arrived together. The two young masters looked even worse than she did, and since they hadn’t applied any powder to their faces, their exhaustion was especially evident. Just by looking at the dark circles under their eyes, it was clear they had stayed up even later than Shen Xiling, which was quite astonishing.

As soon as Qi Le arrived, he picked a seat at random, slumped onto the table, and nearly passed out. Qi Ning, being older and more mindful of etiquette, walked over to Shen Xiling and greeted her.

Qi Ning was already quite tall at sixteen years old. He didn’t resemble Qi Ying very much, though there were some similarities in the corners of their eyes and brows. He could still be considered handsome. Leaning closer to Shen Xiling, he smiled and asked, “Did Little Sister Wenwen stay up late studying last night? You look rather worn out.”

Third Young Master Qi usually addressed her as “Miss Fang,” but now he suddenly switched to “Wenwen,” leaving Shen Xiling feeling somewhat awkward. She didn’t feel particularly close to this young master, but since he was being so warm and friendly, she couldn’t exactly reject him. Suppressing her discomfort, she politely replied, “I’m not very learned, and I was afraid of embarrassing myself today, so I did stay up quite late last night—did Third Young Master also pull an all-nighter?”

“Wenwen is being too formal,” Qi Ning chuckled. “From now on, we’ll all be living in the same estate, seeing each other every day. Calling me ‘Third Young Master’ feels too distant—I see you’re about the same age as Yao’er. Why not follow her example and call me Third Brother?”

This sudden familiarity made Shen Xiling uncomfortable. She didn’t know how to respond, and before she could think of anything, Qi Ning pressed further. “What’s this? Are you saying only my Second Brother counts as your brother, and the rest of us don’t?”

Shen Xiling thought to herself that Second Young Master Qi had saved her countless times, yet she still called him “Master” and hadn’t dared to address him as “Second Brother.” Now, hearing Qi Ning say this, she found herself at a loss for words. Unable to refuse, she reluctantly complied. “...Third Brother.”

Qi Ning had been suppressing a smile, but as soon as Shen Xiling called him that, his face lit up with joy. “That’s better! From now on, if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to tell Third Brother. I...”

Before he could finish, a cold snort came from outside the Chouqin Study. A mocking voice cut in, “What kind of concern is this from Third Brother? With Second Brother around, why would Miss Fang need to rely on anyone else?”

No need to guess—it was Zhao Yao who had arrived.

Shen Xiling and Qi Ning both turned to look toward the entrance of the study. Zhao Yao entered with two maidservants, her gaze sharp with sarcasm as it landed on Qi Ning, and disdainful when it shifted to Shen Xiling.

In previous encounters, Zhao Yao’s mother, Madam Zhao-Qi, had often accompanied her, occasionally tempering her daughter’s haughty temperament. Today, however, since it was a school day, Madam Zhao-Qi wasn’t present, leaving Zhao Yao unrestrained. Her attitude toward Shen Xiling was openly hostile and cutting.

Not wanting to provoke a conflict, Shen Xiling remained silent and lowered her head. Qi Ning, however, wasn’t as easygoing. Though he knew deep down he couldn’t compare to his second brother, being singled out like this in front of the beautiful Wenwen was humiliating and embarrassing. Irritated, he retorted, “What do you mean by speaking like that, Yao’er? We’re all classmates now—there’s no room for such veiled insults.”

The relationship between Zhao Yao and Qi Ning was somewhat complicated. Though they had grown up together, Qi Ning wasn’t like Qi Le, who revolved around Zhao Yao. This made Zhao Yao’s feelings toward Third Brother less affectionate. Especially now, having returned from Lichuan to Jiankang, she had come to understand many things she hadn’t grasped before. For instance, though Qi Ning appeared to be part of the Qi family, he was merely a concubine-born son with little ambition or prospects. As a result, she held him in low regard.

Qi Ning’s feelings toward Zhao Yao were similar. While he viewed her as a younger sister he had watched grow up, he also found her arrogant. First, he disliked how she fawned over Second Brother while looking down on Fourth Brother. Second, he secretly felt that the Zhao family were merely poor relatives clinging to the Qi family, so he didn’t hold her in high esteem either.

Now that they were confronting each other, it was like needle against wheat—they both harbored mutual contempt.

Zhao Yao, stung by Qi Ning’s words, naturally wasn’t willing to back down. But just as she was about to lash out, Qi Le, who had collapsed onto the table upon arrival and fallen into a half-sleep, woke up. The commotion caused by Qi Ning and Zhao Yao’s argument had startled him awake. Rubbing his eyes groggily, Qi Le perked up the moment he saw Zhao Yao, all traces of drowsiness vanishing. Full of energy, he stood up and eagerly approached her. “Yao’er, you’re here! When did you arrive? Have you had breakfast?”

Qi Le’s interruption forced Qi Ning and Zhao Yao to disengage, each returning to their seats.

Zhao Yao ignored Qi Le entirely and sat down in the seat in front of Shen Xiling, huffing angrily. Qi Ning also returned to his spot, casting a glare at his younger brother before scolding him. “You fool!”

Qi Le, still dazed from waking up, first saw Yao’er’s fierce expression, then endured an unprovoked rebuke from Third Brother. Feeling both wronged and confused, and seeing that Yao’er wasn’t interested in talking to him, he could only sulk back to his seat.

Just as they settled down, it was almost time for class to begin.

Teacher Wang was always punctual—he never arrived too early or late, not even by a minute. True to form, as soon as the appointed time arrived, Teacher Wang entered the study, accompanied by Miss Fu Rong, whom Shen Xiling had met the previous day.

Shen Xiling noticed that Teacher Wang’s expression was more relaxed and pleasant than yesterday, no longer stern and rigid. Miss Fu Rong carried an ancient text in her hands, likely having encountered the teacher en route and engaged in a discussion. Shen Xiling had heard of Miss Fu Rong’s reputation for talent the day before, and seeing Teacher Wang’s approving demeanor confirmed that the rumors were true.

Fu Rong surveyed the seating arrangement in the study: there were two rows of desks. The two Qi brothers sat at one end, while Miss Fang and Miss Zhao sat at the other. Naturally, she chose to sit with the girls. Shen Xiling occupied the farthest corner, Zhao Yao sat in front of her, leaving only the head seat available. Fu Rong went over and took her place.

Seeing Miss Fu sitting ahead of her, Zhao Yao inwardly sneered. She detested Fu Rong because she perceived her as competition for Second Brother. However, her mother had repeatedly warned her the previous day, emphasizing that Miss Fu came from a prestigious family and wasn’t someone soft like Fang Jun, urging her to control her temper and avoid provoking trouble. Thus, Zhao Yao merely rolled her eyes discreetly but refrained from making any overt challenges.

Teacher Wang paid little attention to the subtle dynamics among his students. He instructed a servant to distribute the test papers, lit incense to mark the time, and told the students to begin answering.

Shen Xiling glanced at her paper and found it exactly as Qi Ying had described. The teacher simply asked them to write about their favorite book and share their thoughts. She breathed a sigh of relief—her worst fear of being unable to write a single word hadn’t materialized. Feeling slightly reassured, she picked up her brush and began writing earnestly.

Shen Xiling wrote about The Book of Songs, focusing on Ge Sheng. She compared it horizontally with other poems in the Guofeng section and vertically traced its lineage by referencing several later elegies, highlighting the brilliance of Ge Sheng. Though her analysis might not have been particularly profound, she had done her best, and submitted her paper with a sense of calm.

After collecting the papers, Teacher Wang immediately began grading them, causing the students to grow increasingly nervous.

He first reviewed the answers of the two Qi brothers. Initially, his expression was calm, but the more he read, the darker it became. By the end, his eyes were practically blazing with anger, his brows furrowed tightly, and his right hand casually picked up the ruler. He summoned Qi San and Qi Si to the front.

The two young masters reluctantly stepped forward. With a stern expression, Teacher Wang ordered them to extend their hands, then proceeded to deliver a series of harsh strikes with the ruler. Even from her distant seat, Shen Xiling could hear the whistling sound of the ruler slicing through the air and the chilling thuds as it struck flesh, causing her heart to race wildly.

Qi San managed to endure the punishment with some semblance of dignity, but Qi Si, without such restraint, cried out loudly for his parents. Teacher Wang showed no mercy, continuing to strike with vigor while scolding, “Is this how you write policy essays? What should policy essays include? Quotations, references, and extensive citations! Writing ‘I believe’ in every sentence—whom do you think you’re impressing?”

He continued berating them for a long while, only stopping when he grew tired. Though Shen Xiling sat far away and couldn’t see the condition of the two young masters’ palms, she could easily imagine the severity of their punishment. The sound alone was enough to make her shiver.

Witnessing such a terrifying scene naturally left Shen Xiling feeling uneasy, but Zhao Yao seemed even more frightened.