Scholar Liu

A young man walked in from outside.

About twenty years old, dressed in a green robe, with proper features and a somewhat frail build, he appeared to be a gentleman of integrity.

Walking in, he praised, "Well said. Admiration has its dignity and is not meant for ridicule. Guangwen Hall not only teaches lessons but also cultivates virtue."

All the students fell silent.

Ye Lily stared intently at the young man.

Liu Yan, the arithmetic teacher of Guangwen Hall, talented and virtuous, was the only teacher who entered the hall with just the status of a scholar.

Teacher Liu was gentle and patient. Unlike other strict teachers, he was more respected among students.

Even for someone like Ye Lily, who often fell behind in studies, Teacher Liu never scolded her, always patiently explaining things again and again.

If that was all, this person was indeed a good teacher. His morality and talent were rare. Unfortunately, Ye Lily knew another identity of his.

He was Xu Hao's most trusted advisor. After Xu Hao ascended the throne, he appointed him as the national teacher. National Teacher Liu Yan, at the height of his power, was second only to the emperor.

As a national teacher, he indeed performed well. Ye Lily thought Liu Yan was a smart and upright person, but in the end, during the deposing of the crown prince, he said nothing.

Ye Lily and Liu Yan had a decent private relationship. Initially, the proposal for Ye Lily to go to Qin as a hostage was suggested by Liu Yan.

Liu Yan said, "It's all for Mingqi's benefit. If you go and solve the Emperor's urgent problem, in the future, the whole country will be under your protection, and everyone will be grateful to you."

But in reality, when she returned to the palace five years later, there was a new concubine in the harem. And those who used to respect her, Liu Yan's subordinates, began to be wary of her.

When the crown prince was deposed, Ye Lily even knelt down to beg Liu Yan.

Because Liu Yan was Xu Hao's confidant, if Liu Yan spoke, Xu Hao would listen to his opinion.

But Liu Yan helped her up and said, "My Lady, the Emperor has made his decision. This humble servant can do nothing."

"Liu Yan! Are you just going to watch as the crown prince is deposed? You know this shouldn't happen!" She was furious, questioning him sharply.

"It's already the trend, My Lady. Accept your fate." Liu Yan sighed.

Accept your fate.

How could one accept their fate? If given another chance at life, would she still accept it? Wouldn't that be too tragic, too hateful?

Ye Lily stared deeply at the young man ahead. He was open and upright, yet he stood by and did nothing. He was gentle, yet cold-hearted.

As a minister, he thought only of the country, making him a loyal subject. But… as long as he stood by Xu Hao's side, this life would be a battle to the death with her!

At this time, Xu Hao should not have yet won over Scholar Liu. So, should she cut off their connection before it happens and bring Scholar Liu to her side? Or simply… eliminate him before he becomes a threat.

Scholar Liu put down his book, sensing a gaze fixed on him. He looked up, meeting Ye Lily's ambiguous stare.

Ye Lily sat further back, yet she still stared at him obstinately and properly. It felt strange.

Scholar Liu thought that gaze contained scrutiny and judgment, as if weighing pros and cons, evaluating something. Extending further, it was a kind of condescending oversight.

He paused, wanting to see Ye Lily's expression clearly, but saw the girl pick up the pen on the table and lower her head.

Liu Yan chuckled inwardly, shaking his head. How could a young girl have such a condescending look? As for judgment and scrutiny, that was even more impossible.

Ye Lily was known as the most stupid and timid in Guangwen Hall.

He organized his things and began today's lesson.

All the second-year students were somewhat sleepy.

Arithmetic classes were naturally boring.

No matter how exciting Scholar Liu's teaching was, they were teenagers around fourteen or fifteen, full of energy, unable to sit still.

Plus, it was a beautiful autumn day, and everyone felt a bit drowsy.

Other teachers would use a ruler to scold, but Scholar Liu was the gentlest, never punishing students.

Thus, in his class, students were boldest.

Except for Ye Cindy, who always ranked first in arithmetic and listened attentively, others were bored, doing their own things.

But today, Ye Lily was different.

She stared unblinkingly at Scholar Liu, sitting upright, seemingly listening very carefully.

This was quite unbelievable because she usually hated studying and found arithmetic especially uninteresting.

Not falling asleep was already a miracle, let alone listening attentively?

Sitting next to Ye Lily was a beautiful girl wearing a thin embroidered chrysanthemum-patterned dress, her expression somewhat haughty.

Seeing Ye Lily like this, she couldn't help but look surprised, glancing sideways at Ye Lily's attentive listening.

Ye Lily didn't care about any of that. In her past life, she wasn't interested in arithmetic, but after becoming queen, everything was unstable at first, and managing the harem required careful budgeting.

As queen, she had to cut expenses. After doing it herself, she found arithmetic wasn't so difficult.

From grand ceremonies to small snacks for concubines, she reviewed every account. These textbook calculations were nothing.

She just wanted to understand Scholar Liu better.

Only then could she know what approach to take with him.

Her focused expression caught the eye of the girl next to her, who found it quite unusual.

After the arithmetic class ended and Scholar Liu left, Ye Lily finally withdrew her gaze.

The girl next to her nudged her, her tone surprised, "Ye Lily, are you possessed?"

"Why do you say that?" Ye Lily asked. The girl in front of her was Feng Anning, the eldest daughter of the Ministry of Light and Honor.

Feng's family was once a noble official in the capital. Feng Anning was raised with a spoiled nature. But in her previous life, Lord Feng picked the wrong side.

After the new emperor ascended the throne and stripped him of his position, the Feng family, to protect their daughter, hastily married her off to a distant cousin.

Later, the Feng family fell, and Feng Anning, after marriage, didn't get a good outcome. That cousin turned out to be all show and no substance.

Within a year of Feng Anning entering the house, he kept a mistress, had a son, and even scolded her as a burden left by the Feng family.

Feng Anning, unable to endure such injustice, immediately took scissors and killed both the mistress and herself.

Past events now seemed like fleeting clouds. Looking at the proud girl in front of her, who would have thought of her future downfall?

Now, Ye Lily viewed the boys and girls of Guangwen Hall like children of Xu Yi and Qing.

She found it hard to feel angry. Except for hypocrites like Ye Cindy and Ye Amy, most were just spoiled kids.

And these pampered youths would face the cruelty of fate in just a few years.

Seeing her not speaking, Feng Anning grew dissatisfied. "Are you deliberately ignoring me? Ye Lily, you're working so hard today. Is it for the inspection next month? I heard from your sister that you want to make a splash during the inspection to catch someone's attention."

After all, they were just kids. Having heard Scholar Liu's words earlier, she refrained from mentioning Duke Ding.

"Inspection?" Ye Lily raised an eyebrow.