In late June, following an imperial decree from Xiao Chengjing, Ye Liangyu, who had packed his bags long ago, was ready to set off for the capital.
Standing before the carriage loaded with chests, Ye Liangyu could not help but repeat the instructions he had already given several times over the past few days.
"I have already spoken with Dean Mu. From now on, you will submit your extracurricular assignments to him for review every two days. If there is anything you do not understand, you can ask him. There are less than two months left until the provincial examination. You must not slack off. I will wait for you in the capital."
Song Qiming cupped his hands and bowed, promising in a serious tone, "I will definitely not disappoint you, sir."
Watching the carriage gradually move away, Song Qiming slightly clenched his hands by his sides, suppressing the reluctance in his heart.
The night was as dark as ink, like a smudged inkstone. The candle in Song Qiming's room was not extinguished until midnight.
He slept soundly until dawn, without a single dream.
Song Shixue, who was warming up, heard the door open and turned her head. Seeing Song Qiming come out, a wide smile immediately spread across her face.
"Brother, you haven't been home these past few days, your martial arts practice must have slacked off."
Splashing cold well water on his face, Song Qiming stretched his arms and loosened his joints. "The guards at my teacher's house wake up before dawn every day to drill. I followed them and didn't miss a single day."
The siblings stood side by side in a horse stance. Half an hour later, they began to spar with real weapons.
Lan Xi stood to the side, holding a sword and watching. While Song Qiming was away, he had been the one sparring with Song Shixue. Now, watching them, he felt a bit empty inside.
Covered in sweat, Qingshuang downed the water in the teapot in one gulp, grabbed her whip, and walked toward Lan Xi. "Let's the two of us have a go."
Lan Xi looked at the middle-aged woman who was more than twice his age. She looked about the same age as his deceased mother, and fighting her made him feel somewhat disrespectful.
Seeing Lan Xi standing still, Qingshuang, eager to test some new moves, struck a stance and urged, "Hurry up, attack me with your fastest speed."
Lan Xi glanced at the siblings sparring fiercely beside them, then darkened his face, swung his sword, and darted forward.
Half an hour later, after being whipped flying for the fifth time, Lan Xi lay sprawled spread-eagle on the ground.
The first time it locked his waist, the second time it snared his leg, the third time it wrapped around his arm, the fourth time it nearly struck his neck, and the fifth time it drew blood. This was not just a simple spar; it was clearly bullying the young.
Qingshuang put away her whip with satisfaction and walked over to help Lan Xi up. "Your lower body is unstable, and you are not as strong as the Second Miss. You still need more practice."
Lan Xi, who was two years older than Song Shixue, felt a lump in his throat. The Second Miss was personally taught by the Eldest Miss; how could they be compared?
Song Jinzhao leaned against the door with her arms crossed, her gaze sweeping over the four of them. The potatoes planted in the garden were growing very well and would be harvested in August. October was the fiftieth birthday of the Emperor of the Dongzhao Kingdom.
She planned to enter the capital before the birthday, but it seemed like these few people would not be enough.
After finishing his morning exercises, bathing, changing clothes, and eating breakfast, Song Qiming arrived at the academy with nearly half an hour left before the morning recitation.
As soon as he sat down, Ji Youming picked up an essay from the desk, turned around, and leaned closer. "Qiming, I feel like what I wrote is too superficial, but I cannot think of any other arguments to write about. Could you help me see how to revise it?"
Under Ye Liangyu's one-on-one guidance, coupled with Song Qiming's desperate efforts to catch up, his ranking had skyrocketed in the several monthly exams since entering the Upper House. He had already left Ji Youming far behind, showing a faint momentum of catching up to He Feixuan, the top student of the Upper House.
At the academy, he was reading books anytime and anywhere. His intense level of competition exerted extremely strong pressure on the other students in the Upper House.
Afraid of falling behind, everyone started to push themselves relentlessly, leaving them all with dark circles under their eyes.
