Five Years To Ascend The Throne, Three Years Of Mock Simulations - Chapter 7

Over on that side, Lin Shurong lifted her eyes, and her gaze instantly met Ming Tan’s, who was staring straight at her in a daze.

She was not surprised. Instead, she smoothly curved her eyes and smiled at her, gentle and graceful, then turned her head and said to Teacher Qin, “I never expected that the Ninth Princess, despite her young age, would understand The Book of Rites so well. She truly is quick-witted and fond of learning.”

The Book of Rites was one of the Five Classics among the Four Books and Five Classics.

As far as Ming Tan knew, the imperial examination system of the Tiancheng Dynasty was similar to that of the Ming Dynasty. The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, The Analects, and Mencius—the Four Books—were required subjects, while the Five Classics of poetry, documents, rites, changes, and spring-and-autumn annals were electives. During the imperial exams, one only needed to choose one of them.

Therefore, students also referred to choosing a certain subject as “specializing in that Classic.”

In the past, the lower age limit for the Upper Study had been low, so it mostly taught basic primers like the Three Character Classic. But after Emperor Dezhen’s reforms, it had now also aligned itself with the imperial examination system. Even the princes and princesses of the palace now had to be like all the scholars under heaven, studying the Four Books and Five Classics from childhood and receiving the influence of Confucian culture.

“This old man is also quite surprised.”

Perhaps because he had once served in court alongside Chancellor Lin, Teacher Qin was very courteous toward Lin Shurong. Stroking his short beard, he praised, “The Ninth Princess has never attended the Upper Study before, yet she can think so quickly and cite the classics so aptly. It is truly astonishing.”

After being praised one after another by these two, Ming Tan could hardly keep staring only at the beauty. She skillfully put on a smiling face, blinked her eyes, and pretended to be modest while actually humblebragging. “What use is being good at memorizing books? It is only showing off a few quotations. How could that count as quick thinking?”

As the Fourth Princess, who had ranked last in recitation checks year-round and had thereby become famous throughout the inner palace, Ming Xiao stood to the side, her face gradually turning green.

She had reasonable suspicion that Ming Tan was indirectly mocking her!

Who knew whether Teacher Qin had heard the hidden meaning in Ming Tan’s words. He looked her over, still unhurriedly stroking the beard beneath his chin. His eyes narrowed slightly, making him look like an old scholar, quite thoughtful.

“May I ask, Ninth Princess, have you specialized in The Book of Rites?”

When this question came out, not only did Ming Tan pause, even Fifth Prince Ming Yao beside her widened his eyes in surprise.

The Four Books were required subjects, with abundant and complicated content. Every one of them was a difficult, weighty tome. Therefore, to make it easier for the highnesses to digest the knowledge, the Upper Study would first finish teaching two of the Four Books before allowing the highnesses to choose one of the Five Classics to specialize in.

Only a very small number of students would be asked by the teacher to begin specializing in a Classic as soon as they enrolled.

And across the entire Tiancheng Dynasty, there had been only one prince who had ever received such treatment from the Upper Study.

Ming Yao’s eyes gradually deepened.

That person was the empress Gu Ying’s legitimate eldest son, Ming Tan’s eldest imperial brother—

The former crown prince, Ming Yan, who had died young in Jiangnan at the age of sixteen.

Ming Tan did not notice anything unusual about her fifth imperial brother.

She shook her head at Teacher Qin and answered blankly, “When I was in Kunning Palace before, this student merely read through The Book of Rites a few times. It really cannot be counted as specializing in the Classic.”

Ever since she transmigrated to this world, Ming Tan had been especially bored every day, and the empress was also unwilling to let her always run around outside, so she could only pass the time with the books stored in Kunning Palace.

The Book of Rites recorded many ancient rites, penal laws, thoughts, culture, and so on. It was the best choice for her to familiarize herself with Tiancheng’s culture.

But casually reading it once like Ming Tan had done was worlds apart from the “specializing in the Classics” referred to in “Do you think I want you to study the Classics and become a learned scholar?”

Yet facing her denial, Teacher Qin seemed to have expected it already and nodded slightly.

“In that case…”

He turned his head and looked toward the calm Lin Shurong, asking as if seeking her opinion, “Eldest Miss Lin, in your view, which Classic would be most suitable for the Ninth Princess to specialize in?”

…Eldest Miss Lin?

Ming Tan widened her eyes in shock.

Could this beauty with such an air of noble upbringing be the study companion the emperor had personally chosen for her—

That Lin family’s eldest daughter, Lin Shurong, who was rumored to be pure-hearted, kind, and famed for her talent throughout the capital?

As if noticing Ming Tan’s burning gaze, Lin Shurong turned her head and gave her a gentle smile, while saying lightly, “This subject’s daughter believes that Spring and Autumn Annals would be quite suitable for Her Highness the Ninth Princess.”

At the words “Spring and Autumn,” Teacher Qin froze solid. He was so startled that he even yanked out one of his own beard hairs. “The writing style of Spring and Autumn Annals is concise, with subtle words and profound meaning. It is the most difficult of the Five Classics… Eldest Miss Lin, the Ninth Princess is still young and has only just entered school. If she specializes in this Classic, would that not be a bit too much like pulling up seedlings to help them grow?”

After thinking about it, he did not dare act arrogant and immediately added, “Even this old man has not studied this Classic in many years. I fear I may have difficulty teaching Her Highness the Ninth Princess!”

…From the moment Lin Shurong opened her mouth and said “Spring and Autumn,” Ming Tan had listened with her heart trembling in fear.

She had once casually flipped through Spring and Autumn Annals while in Kunning Palace, but unsurprisingly—she had not understood a single word.

Because not only was it far too obscure, it also had to be studied together with several history books as supplementary texts… Such a complicated Classic was countless times more troublesome than the other four. Over time, even the Tiancheng examination candidates had learned to avoid its edge and would not easily choose to specialize in Spring and Autumn Annals.

Let alone Ming Tan.

She was only planning to come to the Upper Study to slack off and muddle through her days. She had no real intention of studying! She absolutely did not need to research something this profound, aaaah!

—However, Lin Shurong could not hear the thoughts nearly roaring out of her heart.

“When this subject’s daughter was young, she specialized in both Book of Documents and Spring and Autumn Annals. I will certainly do my utmost to assist the Ninth Princess.”

Her face carried a breathtakingly dignified smile, but the words she spoke were especially vicious, making Ming Tan’s vision go dark. “Her Highness is clever and quick-witted, and so fond of learning. It certainly will not have the opposite effect. Teacher Qin may rest assured.”

Ming Tan, who was not particularly clever and had never been fond of learning: “……?!”

Spring and Autumn Annals was subtle in wording and profound in meaning; Book of Documents was ancient, abstruse, and difficult. They could be considered the two hardest Classics among the Five.

It was said that in the eyes of many Tiancheng candidates, anyone who chose those two was either an unrivaled genius planning to astonish everyone in the examination hall, or an unparalleled fool whose head had some serious illness.

And Lin Shurong—no matter how one looked at her, she did not seem like a fool.

Even Teacher Qin could not help feeling solemn respect for her at this moment. He nodded and praised, “As expected of Eldest Miss Lin, who has long been known as a woman worthy of the jinshi degree!”

Seeing that the situation was about to develop in an extremely serious direction, Ming Tan swallowed and hurriedly raised one hand, shouting loudly, “I object!”

Lin Shurong raised her brows and said warmly, like a spring breeze, “Your Highness, please speak.”

“Can’t I study something simple?” Ming Tan protested without hesitation. “I’m only eight years old!”

“Something simple? With Your Highness’s exquisite intelligence, how could you be allowed to drift into mediocrity for nothing?” Lin Shurong smiled faintly and said unhurriedly, “Spring and Autumn Annals records historical materials in full. It is clearly very interesting to read… Street rumors often contain mistakes. This Classic is not that difficult. Your Highness need not worry.”

“But…”

However, Lin Shurong did not wait for Ming Tan to finish speaking. She curtsied to her, then turned her head and reminded Teacher Qin gently, “Teacher Qin, it is already the chen hour.”

Ming Tan: “…”

Teacher Qin nodded. Putting on a stern expression again, he flicked his sleeves and turned. “All right, sit down. Today’s lessons will begin at once.”

Ming Tan: “…………”

Half a breath caught in her throat, neither rising nor falling, nearly choking her to death.

The study companions of the other princes and princesses had been peeking around outside for a long while. At this moment, they were finally permitted to enter the hall, and each sat down beside the highness they were assigned to attend.

Beside a desk in the front row, Lin Shurong stayed perfectly calm next to Ming Tan. She took out a book scroll and smiled brightly at the little princess, who was glaring at her with puffed-up cheeks.

Her smile made Ming Tan gnash her teeth, the veins on her forehead throbbing.

What pure-hearted and kind? What gentle and graceful?

Street rumors really did often contain mistakes! Rumors absolutely could not be trusted!

…

“Your Highness, do not prop your head up while listening. It will make you sleepy.”

“Your Highness, Teacher is about to explain the next page. Please turn the book.”

“Your Highness, you should make a note here… Why have you not even picked up your brush?”

“Your Highness—”

Ming Tan gripped the shaft of her writing brush tightly and suddenly turned her head. Unable to bear it any longer, she accused, “Are you done or not?”

Lin Shurong seemed to have expected this. She was neither startled nor angry. Her face still carried that calm, faint smile, and her tone was gentle as she said to her unhurriedly, “Your brush-holding posture is wrong. You are too close to the tip. The characters you write this way will not look good.”

Teacher Qin had just assigned a page of fill-in-the-classics exercises, asking the students to fill in the missing parts of the original text from The Analects. They were required to hand it in after one incense stick of time for him to review.

Ming Tan was not used to holding a writing brush. Her characters were slow and ugly. At present, she had only just filled in a quarter of the blanks on the page, while more than half of the rest was still empty.

Half the incense stick had already burned, and Lin Shurong had long since finished writing. Ming Tan was already anxious to begin with, yet she still had to be lectured so seriously by the other girl. Instantly, she felt unbearably annoyed, and nameless anger began rising rapidly in her heart.

“This is only my first day of class, Eldest Miss.” Ming Tan glanced at Lin Shurong, scoffed rudely, and deliberately said lazily, “Besides, I’m just a blockhead to begin with. I don’t like studying. Could you stop using your standards for smart people to demand things from me?”

This sentence was said with full confidence and not the slightest shame, fully expressing Ming Salted Fish’s tireless pursuit of her current-stage goal of “eating, lazing around, and waiting to die.”

Yet these words actually provoked Lin Shurong, who had been calm the entire time, successfully making her furrow her brows.

“How can Your Highness…”

She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but under Ming Tan’s impatient gaze, she ultimately swallowed the rest of the sentence back down.

Ming Tan revealed a victorious smile. Just as she was about to strike while the iron was hot and continue with a few more sarcastic remarks, she saw Lin Shurong straighten her expression, smooth out her brows, and return to that composed, unruffled appearance from earlier.

“I was discourteous, Your Highness.”

Lin Shurong pressed her lips together and apologized softly. Before Ming Tan could react at all, Lin Shurong suddenly raised her right arm, reached around behind Ming Tan’s back, and unexpectedly drew her loosely into her embrace.

Ming Tan froze, her eyes widening. Caught completely off guard, she was pulled right into Lin Shurong’s arms, so startled that her hair nearly stood on end. “What are you doing!”

“Please do not move.” Lin Shurong spoke blandly, but her fingertips had already climbed to Ming Tan’s elbow joint, which had been suspended for quite some time, and lightly tapped the bone twice.

“Raise it a little higher.”

“You still want me to raise it higher?”

Ming Tan shuddered hard, her face full of disbelief. She could not even spare attention for the faint tingling sensation coming from her elbow and hurriedly lowered her voice to shout at her, “My arm is sore to death. I can’t lift it!”

Lin Shurong’s face was calm as still water, and she said nothing. She merely spread her palm a little flatter and lifted the other girl’s bent arm upward—

The arm that had originally been tense instantly lost its strength, leaning against Lin Shurong’s palm as though fully dependent on it. Ming Tan let out a soft “eh,” frowning from the aching feeling brought by her relaxing muscles while also realizing at the same time…

If she maintained this posture, then, it seemed, she really did not have to use any effort herself?

She blinked and reflexively turned to look at Lin Shurong, only to discover that the distance between the two of them was extremely close now. She could practically smell the faint scent of books on the other girl.

“I will support you, Your Highness.”

Lin Shurong lifted her eyes and looked into the little princess’s eyes, which were full of surprise. Her expression softened slightly, and she gave the other girl a half-smile. “Now, if there is no other discomfort in your arm, would you be willing to hold the brush shaft a little higher?”

“…”

Ming Tan blushed.

…Actually, she could not be blamed for having no self-control.

While obediently shifting the writing brush downward, she quietly defended herself in her heart.

It could only be blamed on Lin Shurong’s looks… Mm. Seen up close, the destructive power was truly far too great.