Sheng Qingzi secretly gritted his teeth, his fine brows slightly furrowed, and immediately took over the conversation: "The Director sent people to carefully inspect inside, and there was nothing there at all. For the safety of the students, that's why the Jade Garden was sealed off. For the past half year, everything has been peaceful."
Lu Yuner pondered for a moment before speaking: "If it's 'haunted,' has anyone actually seen the ghost?"
Initially, she didn't believe in such talk of spirits and ghosts either, but after experiencing it herself, she had to believe to some extent.
Sheng Qingzi turned his gaze towards Lu Yuner, his expression softening as he said, "I don't know about that. Because it involves the reputation of the Imperial Academy, only the Director and the Deputy Director know the specific details. Anyway, don't go..."
Before he could finish speaking.
"Qingzi, have you forgotten the consequences of delaying this sacrifice ceremony!" Suddenly, a cold voice came through.
Recognizing the speaker, Sheng Qingzi immediately turned and responded, "Alright, Sister Bing, I'm coming right away."
Lu Yuner looked towards the source of the voice and saw Liu Bing standing at the intersection ahead, wearing a robe and looking at them expressionlessly, exuding a chilling aura in the sunlight.
Sheng Qingzi hurriedly said, "Let's go quickly! Otherwise, we'll really be late!"
Lu Yuner and Liu Lan also quickened their pace to follow.
They entered through the Gate of the First Teacher[1] and arrived at the second courtyard, which is the central location of the Confucian Temple, the Hall of Great Accomplishment, where every grand ceremony to honor Confucius is held.
At this time, all members of the Imperial Academy were already standing in neat rows. On the altar placed in front of the spirit tablets were the most commonly used sacrificial offerings: dates, chestnuts, turnip pickles, and celery.
Each had a different meaning: dates symbolized early ambition, chestnuts represented reverence, turnip pickles stood for talent, and celery for talent as well. Although the offerings were simple, they contained respect for the Most Sacred Teacher and lofty aspirations.
Sheng Qingzi led them to stand in the ranks.
About half an hour later, the sacrifice ceremony ended. The Deputy Director noticed that Lu Yuner and Liu Lan were not wearing their doctoral robes, so he took them to the Hall of Rectifying Faults[2]. Along the way, Lu Yuner heard many flattering words. After receiving their doctoral robes, the two chatted briefly with Han Ranzhi before returning home.
At this time, the sun was setting in the west, approaching dusk.
Lu Yuner sat in the carriage, half-leaning against the wall, her eyes quietly closed. Unexpectedly, today's visit to the Imperial Academy had allowed her to meet quite a few people. Recalling the various events of the day, the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned upward. It was indeed much more relaxing compared to maneuvering against sycophants in the court.
Over the past year, she had spent no small amount of mental energy on affairs, truly taxing her little brain.
Qiu Yi, holding the lady's robe in her arms, sat beside her. Seeing the lady in a good mood, she smiled along and spoke up, "My lady, did something happy happen today?"
"Mm, I met a few nice friends," Lu Yuner replied with a contented expression, her eyes still closed.
Although Qiu Yi was happy for her lady, she still had some concerns. Frowning slightly, she said, "My lady, now that your status has changed, the court officials have always been the type to curry favor with the powerful. Moreover, the Imperial Academy is under the Ministry of Rites. Qiu Yi fears that someone might..."
"You're afraid someone might give me a hard time." Lu Yuner slowly opened her eyes. The issues Qiu Yi was considering, she had already thought about. Although the Lu family was from a military background, times were different now. Plus, she had offended quite a few people, who would surely try to cause her trouble secretly.
Lu Yuner's eyes curved in a smile, "Your lady has worn quite a few tight shoes, but you know what! After a few days, those tight shoes don't fit anymore. Maybe your lady's feet are too big and stretched out the shoes. Why don't you accompany me to the shoe shop to buy a new pair in a few days?"
As she spoke, she looked down at the shoes on her feet.
"My lady, please don't joke around. I'm talking about serious matters!" Qiu Yi sighed helplessly. Every time she brought up important issues, her lady would beat around the bush with her.
Lu Yuner composed herself slightly, but still maintained a smile, "Alright, I know what you're worried about. Look at how big the world is, sunlight can't reach every dark corner. But speaking of which, you should also trust General Liu!"
When Qiu Yi heard about General Liu, this powerful backer, the wrinkles between her brows gradually smoothed out, and the worry in her heart dissipated.
Lu Yuner: "Really, in a few days, accompany me to buy a new pair of shoes. Oh, I've decided to stay at the Imperial Academy during the teaching period. I'll stay at the mansion for these few days. The Imperial Academy doesn't allow attendants, so you'll stay at the mansion and help me take care of the house."
"My lady? This..." Qiu Yi furrowed her brows, her pupils widening, a look of confusion spreading across her face. She was clearly startled by her lady's sudden decision. She had been by her lady's side since childhood, personally taking care of all her lady's daily needs. What if she became uncomfortable living at the Imperial Academy?
Lu Yuner patted Qiu Yi's shoulder and said softly, "Don't worry, I'll come back when I have time. The Imperial Academy is a place for education and nurturing talent, known for its rigorous scholarship and strict management. Moreover, the Lu mansion is quite a distance from the Imperial Academy. If I were to live at the mansion, your lady would have to get up early and return late every day with dark circles under her eyes. Don't you want your lady to get a good night's sleep? Besides, didn't Mu Yang send a letter saying he'd be coming to the capital in a few days? You'll have company then."
Qiu Yi pursed her lips and nodded obediently.
This Mu Yang was actually her lady's sworn brother. Years ago, when General Lu was still alive, on the way to Jiangnan, they found a little boy who was unattended and lost. So General Lu sent people to look for his relatives. Later, they found the child's family; it turned out the boy's mother had been busy with business and neglected him. Seeing that he had a connection with this little boy, General Lu adopted him as his sworn son.
Over the years, the two families have frequently exchanged letters, maintaining a deep friendship.
Lu Yuner smiled with satisfaction, thinking about starting her teaching tomorrow, feeling inexplicably excited. After all, she had only been a student before, and it would be her first time standing on the teaching platform with a textbook to educate others. To avoid misleading the students, she planned to return to the mansion to prepare her lessons well and improve her own literary quality.
Fortunately, both her parents were high school Chinese teachers. Under their influence since childhood, she developed a strong interest in literature. So in high school, she resolutely chose to be a liberal arts student, and in university, she also chose the Chinese language major.
Combined with the memories of the original owner, she might not be able to claim vast erudition, but she could barely be considered well-read.
Author's Note:
[1] Gate of the First Teacher: The main gate of the Confucian Temple.
[2] Hall of Rectifying Faults: The office of the Deputy Director.
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