The largest city in the Great Liang Dynasty was called the Divine Capital. That was the capital city of Great Liang.
There was a lake in the Divine Capital that was located in the southeast direction. It was the largest lake in the city called South Lake.
There was an academy next to the shore of South Lake.
The academy was just called the academy. It was the holy land in the hearts of all intellectuals under the heavens and also where the Dao teachings of the confucianism lineage cultivators was.
Youngsters who did not want to travel far away to foreign sects to cultivate or cultivate martial arts to become a martial artist, their only option was the academy.
The academy was the Great Liang Dynasty's highest-level institution. Not only did they groom cultivators, they even groomed intellectuals for the Great Liang Dynasty and established several subjects, covering countless concepts.
Every March, in the depths of spring, the academy would open its doors to recruit talents. It had always been a grand event in the Divine Capital.
In order to fight for the academy's examination spots, the various major families of the Divine Capital would virtually all choose to spend money extravagantly at this moment, employing all of their connections. That was often something more interesting than the academy opening its doors to recruit talents.
But earlier this year, before March, there was something that came out of the academy. It spread across the divine capital and shocked the world.
The academy made an exception and admitted a young girl without taking the examinations.
The academy had always placed importance on rules. Ever since its establishment, it had always abided by its rules. Every year in March, it would open its doors to recruit talents. This rule had never changed. The vast majority of people could only take this path if they wanted to enter the academy. Even if it was His Majesty, the Emperor, he could at most request for an examination spot, but he could not directly send the person into the academy.
But actually, there was another path other than taking the examinations. It was just that that path was too difficult. So, many people would not view it as a path.
In the academy's rules, each generation's academy dean had three chances to recruit a student by exempting the examination.
But in reality, this rule was very lame. Because how could someone who was regarded highly by the academy's dean not be able to pass the academy's exam?
Hence, such a thing did not happen more than a few times in the history of the academy.
But every person who entered the academy without needing to pass the examination all became remarkable figures.
Hence, information about that young girl had been spreading wildly in the imperial capital these few days. Letter after letter was continuously sent from various large mansions and coming back from White Deer afterward.
But the result that everyone obtained in the end were roughly the same. They just knew that the young girl originated from White Deer's ancestral Xie Clan and was the most outstanding person in this generation. It was just that she had never begun cultivation before 16 years of age. Only when she reached 16 years old, did she arrive in the Divine Capital from White Deer. Before the Divine Capital's Xie Clan could find a way to get an examination spot for this young girl, the dean already personally exempted the young girl from the examination and allowed her to enter the academy.
And that young girl's name was Xie Nandu.
……
……
There was a bamboo building on the east bank of South Lake, it was where the academy's students resided. Further in front, there were several independent small courtyards. Most of the students who could stay here were special.
In that quiet and beautiful little courtyard near the lake, a young girl wearing a blue gown was reading a book. Her brows were picturesque and her head full of black hair was casually draped behind her head. There was no rouge or powder applied.
The moment she lifted her head, she could see the lake outside the window.
This should be one of the most suitable places in the academy to view the scenery. For it to become her, a new student's residence, it was clear at a glance how highly the dean regarded her.
Wind blew on the surface of the lake and slowly entered the courtyard. The wind chimes under the eaves rang slightly, which sounded rather pleasant. The young girl raised her head. Smelling some of the fragrance that wafted over, she asked rather anxiously, "How is it?"
There was a stove in the middle of the courtyard. A sweet potato the size of a palm was on the stove and a pretty maidservant was currently squatting next to the stove, flipping the sweet potato on it seriously. Hearing the urging of the missus from inside, the maidservant answered softly, "Miss, it will take a while more."
As a Xie Clan descendant and also an academy student, there was naturally no lack of sweet potatoes.
The girl gave an 'oh' rather disappointedly. Then, she smiled and said, "Liu Ye, there's no hurry."
The maidservant was called Liu Ye. She was not the prettiest, nor the smartest, but the young girl only picked her when choosing a maidservant.
Because she said that her sweet potato roasting skills were very good. She learned it from her mother when she was a child in the countryside.
The young girl had eaten it once before and found it pretty good. But compared to what she ate in that small county town, it was much worse.
But it was acceptable too.
Most importantly, she could only make do with this.
She had no way of eating the sweet potatoes of that county and she could not see that youth in black either.
Suddenly feeling a little irritated, she simply put down the book in her hand and walked out of the house.
Liu Ye hurriedly went to fetch a bamboo chair and placed it by the stove.
She slowly sat down. Taking a look at the sweet potato by the stove, she did not speak.
Liu Ye flipped the sweet potato before mustering up her courage to say: "Miss, when I came back yesterday, I heard that there were many people talking about Miss over there. They said that Miss didn't attend a few classes and said that Miss..."
She did not dare to continue saying the words at the back.
But the young girl did not care, she just said nonchalantly, "I've studied those classics for more than ten years. The teachers over at the ancestral hall have also taught for more than ten years, I naturally know it all already. Why is there still any need to go and listen now? If they want to say, let them say. In the future, you don't have to tell me about this sort of thing anymore either, I don't want to hear it."
Not that she did not dare and also not unwilling, she just did not want to.
Liu Ye gave an 'oh' and was about to apologize for the offense.
But the young girl shook her head.
Liu Ye had just wanted to speak when suddenly, there was some noise outside the courtyard door.
"I'm Nanxing Huangzhi. I've admired Miss for a long time and wish to meet Miss."
Liu Ye lifted her head and opened her mouth as she said softly, "It's him again."
Ever since entering the academy, there had actually been quite a number of academy students who came here to express their feelings of adoration to this Divine Capital's Xie Clan's girl. A large portion of them was aimed at Xie Nandu's Xie Clan descendant identity. There was also a portion who might be sincere. This Huangzhi was the most diligent of them.
The young girl did not speak, she just looked at the sweet potato on the stove.
"Miss, we're schoolmates. Putting other things aside, it's at least okay to study the literary works of sages together, right?"
Outside the door, a young man who was dressed as a scholar was pacing outside the door. He would glance inside the door from time to time.
It was just that the courtyard door never opened from start to end.
Inside the courtyard.
Liu Ye could not help but ask, "Miss, since you don't want to meet him, why don't you tell him straight? Why do you allow him to yell freely here?"
The girl laid back and closed her eyes as she said calmly, "If I go out to see him, he'll definitely still have a lot to say. I don't want to hear it."
It was still "don't want".
Liu Ye probed, "Then next time, I'll tell the family and have Eldest Uncle they all send people to stop him?"
The young girl still shook her head.
Liu Ye was somewhat disheartened and mumbled, "Just what in the world are you thinking, Miss? You have to tell me instead of making me guess all the time. My brain isn't as smart as yours."
The young girl did not speak.
It was just that very soon, the young girl opened her eyes.
She lifted her head.
A wooden bird flew in from outside the courtyard. This was something created by the Ministry of Works. There were array formations engraved in it and it was extremely fast. In the early days, it was used to deliver the imperial court's military intel. Over the years, it had already been adopted for day-to-day use. It was not easy to be intercepted by someone along the way when using this wooden bird to send letters. It was just that the fees were not cheap. It was very hard for ordinary folks to be able to afford such an expense.
Liu Ye hurriedly stood up and went to catch that wooden bird. Then, she took out the letter inside. Glancing at the letter, she said with some surprise, "Miss, it's sent from Wei Prefecture."
The young girl stood up. There was a slight smile on her face as she asked, "Who signed off?"
"Chen Chao."
"Give it to me."
The young girl took the letter. Hearing the voice outside the door sound out again, she frowned and said, "Go and chase him away."
As she said, the young girl headed indoors.
Liu Ye was taken aback, but nodded very quickly and walked towards the courtyard door.
After a while, Huangzhi left reluctantly and there was no more noise.
The young girl sat in front of the window.
Taking out the letter paper inside, she placed it on the table.
Mmm... the writing looks pretty good. Although it can't match up to mine.
The young girl smiled and began reading the letter seriously.
Very soon, her expression became solemn.
She originally thought that this letter was Chen Chao writing to ask for some spirit medicines. But she did not expect that the letter did not mention such a thing at all, but an even more bigger matter.
"I killed people, they were a few qi refiners. One is called Guo Xi, he was from Three Streams Manor. Another was called Yan Ruoshui, from the South Heaven Sect. I don't remember the other two. Either way, they were all from the southern qi refiner lineage..."
"Those few people were nothing impressive, they were all not my match. I didn't even get injured when I killed them." "But after killing the youngsters, the people behind them will definitely come and find trouble with me. I can't handle it, so I'll have to trouble you to help me."
"I saved you more than once. Now that I'm asking you for help, you definitely won't make things difficult for me. I know that I didn't misjudge you, you're the same as me: both warmhearted and compassionate people. I'll be thanking you then. You're so clever and also so beautiful, you're also so kindhearted..."
Reading up to here, the corners of the girl's mouth curled slightly, seemingly recalling those days before.
When she returned to her senses, she continued reading.
"On the surface, they came to look for ores. But, their true goal wasn't that. However, I can only tell you the specifics in person. Either way, I definitely killed them for a reason. I'm still a child, I don't want to die. So you must help me..."
……
……
The young girl read the letter quietly. Only when she finished reading the last word, did her eyebrows ease up momentarily. It was just that it furrowed again right away. Holding it in for a moment, she still failed to hold herself back and said, "You can really cause trouble."
She rubbed her forehead and put the letter paper down, letting out a long sigh.
Footsteps sounded out outside the door.
"Miss, it's done!"
Liu Ye walked in holding a piping hot sweet potato in, her face full of excitement.
"Put it over there."
The girl's mind was currently not on this. She was somewhat absent-minded.
Liu Ye did not know why her Miss did not even eat the sweet potato that was normally her favorite thing. But it must be because of that letter.
She detested the person who wrote that letter for no reason. If she saw him, she would definitely give him a beating.
Liu Ye thought sullenly.
"Come, let's go back home."
The young girl stood up and walked out of the house.
Liu Ye got another shock.
Miss had never returned home ever since she entered the academy. She heard that there were several young masters in the family who disliked Miss greatly. Therefore, Miss was not willing to be there either. But since that was the case, why was she going home today?
