The Imperial Academy was located in the south of Shengjing City. Its crimson walls meandered like a sleeping dragon, and its green tiles overlapped like layered clouds. As the highest institution of learning in the Great Qian Dynasty, this place was not only a temple of knowledge but also a compass of destiny where the children of the powerful and wealthy intertwined.
The morning light spilled over the nine-ridged double eaves, spreading a solemn, gray-blue halo across the glazed tiles. Two white marble lions in front of the gate had weathered a century of wind and rain. With the weight of time settled in their eyes, they silently watched every young person who stepped through the Lingxing Gate.
The academy was divided into two divisions: civil and martial.
They were like twin entities of a single body.
In the eastern civil division, hidden among bamboo groves, winding paths led to secluded spots. The clear sounds of reading intertwined with the melodies of zithers and the scent of ink, crossing corridors and waters, drifting through the carved window lattices. In the western martial division, the training grounds were expansive. The neighing of fine steeds mixed with the twang of bowstrings, and dust flew in the sunlight, full of a vigorous and sharp vitality.
One civil, one martial; one still, one in motion.
Nurturing talents for the Great Qian Dynasty.
And also dividing the factions of the royal court.
Back then, Pei Ciling had also studied at the Imperial Academy. However, as the heir of a marquis estate, his future lay in the military, so he attended the martial division. Now, Pei Cijing aimed for the imperial examinations, so he stepped through the doors of the civil division.
Passing through the towering Lingxing Gate, the view suddenly opened up.
The bluestone paved path was as straight as a ruler, leading deep into layers of halls and pavilions. Ancient cypresses towered on both sides, their branches twisting like the claws of an old dragon, casting deep green shade that filtered out most of the late summer heat.
Occasionally, students dressed in green robes with wide sleeves hurried past.
As their robes fluttered.
The quail ribbon patterns on their collars, symbolizing their status, faintly appeared. Those who could stand here were either descendants of nobility or children of high-ranking officials; all were future pillars of the imperial court.
The court had always been lenient with these future pillars.
Although the Imperial Academy had arranged a class schedule, whether they listened or not depended entirely on the individual's disposition. After all, which noble family didn't have a few unmotivated playboys?
As long as they didn't go too far, the teachers in the academy were happy to turn a blind eye.
Pei Cijing held the plain paper schedule he had just received. The paper was fine and crisp, the ink still slightly damp. His eyes swept over it: the Book of Documents interpretation at the hour of Chen, policy essay writing at the hour of Si, a lunch break, and a detailed lecture on laws at the hour of Wei...
It was certainly packed tight.
He gathered his cuffs, planning to attend the Book of Documents class first. Just as he bypassed a cluster of tall bamboo, a sudden uproar exploded in the classroom ahead!
"Zhao Zihuan! You are going too far!"
A voice, sharp with anger, pierced the tranquility of the academy.
"Heh, what?" another voice sounded slowly, carrying undisguised mockery. "Is the girl from Zuiyue Pavilion raised by your family? You can book her, but I can't?"
"Yan'er is already my woman! You knew this, yet you deliberately booked her for a whole month. If this isn't a public slap to my face, what is it!"
"Your woman?" The voice sneered. "Could it be that Brother Zhao suddenly decided to study hard and read yourself silly at night? When Lady Yan'er debuted, she was a pure entertainer who didn't sell her body. When did she become your woman? Could it be... it happened in your dreams?"
"You—!"
Before he could finish speaking, there was a loud crash!
It sounded like a desk had been violently overturned, smashing heavily onto the ground.
Pei Cijing paused his steps, his ears suddenly perking up.
There was drama to watch!
His eyes lit up slightly, and his body reacted before his mind did. He silently pressed close to the corridor pillar, using the thick pillar for cover, and poked half his head out to look into the classroom.
He saw that a whole row of neatly arranged desks had been knocked over.
Brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were scattered all over the floor.
Two young men wearing student uniforms were wrestling together, tearing and rolling around haphazardly, kicking up fine dust.
The one on the left was slightly chubby, his face red and his neck thick, veins bulging on his forehead. The one on the right was taller and thinner, with glaring mockery hanging on his brows and eyes, but the force of his hands was not weak at all.
A circle of onlookers had already gathered around them.
Some shook their heads and sighed, their faces full of what a disgrace. Some crossed their arms and watched, the corners of their mouths holding a gloating smile. Even more had their eyes shining, pointing and whispering, their buzzing voices filling the air.
"Oh, aren't these the Second Young Master Zhao of the Vice Minister's family and the Third Young Master Wang of the Minister's family?"
"Is it over that pure entertainer named Yan'er from Zuiyue Pavilion again?"
"Exactly! Third Young Master Wang has been supporting that girl for half a year, spending money like water. For some reason, Second Young Master Zhao also took a fancy to her a few days ago and booked her for a whole month in one breath. So, they clashed."
"Tsk tsk, fighting in the classroom, aren't they afraid of losing face for both families if word gets out..."
Pei Cijing watched with great relish.
He looked left and right, and seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he shook his sleeve and took out a bulging silk pouch. Inside was not money, but five-spice sunflower seeds he had specially ordered the small kitchen to freshly roast this morning.
"Crack."
He gently cracked one open, the crisp sound barely audible.
The sunflower seed kernels were plump, appropriately salty and fragrant, roasted to perfection. As Pei Cijing ate the seeds, he observed the battle situation of the two playboys. As a martial arts master, he couldn't help but comment in a low voice:
"What kind of fighting is this!"
"Their lower bodies are unsteady, their power relies entirely on brute force... The one on the left, what kind of skill is pulling hair? Your right hand clearly has an opening, punch him in the ribs!"
"The one on the right too, you've been pinned to the ground, and you only care about protecting your face? Thrust your knee up! Yes, right there, the weak spot! Hit your opponent's weak spot hard!"
"Sigh, with these skills, I could fight ten of them alone..."
"These two actually have the nerve to fight out of jealousy. Even if they are playboys, they should have the professionalism of playboys. They can't do civil studies, and their fighting is so ugly, how embarrassing..."
He shook his head, muttering softly and indistinctly, completely absorbed in his commentary.
At some point, a figure had appeared beside him.
The person was wearing a plain green student uniform. The fabric looked ordinary, but it shimmered with very faint flowing water patterns in the sunlight. His posture was as straight as bamboo, standing at the boundary of shadows in the corridor, his face half in light and half in darkness.
The bridge of his nose was high, his lip line straight, and his eyes were as still as a deep pool, betraying no emotion.
Li Chengyu was originally just passing by, but his footsteps were halted by the commotion here. He cast a faint glance, and then his gaze fell on Pei Cijing.
Watching this new face hiding behind the pillar.
Cracking sunflower seeds.
Watching the drama with flying eyebrows and dancing eyes while muttering in a low voice, a very faint, elusive glimmer flashed through the depths of his eyes.
It seemed like surprise, like amusement, and also like...
A bit of probing interest had arisen.
In his previous life, Pei Cijing had endured countless intense stares from homeroom teachers looking through the window, so he had always been sensitive to the gazes of others. He quickly realized there was another person beside him.
He turned his head.
Their eyes met.
The air fell silent for a moment.
Pei Cijing blinked. His gaze dropped, seeing the small mountain of sunflower seed shells piled in his palm, and then he looked up at the other person's expressionless handsome face.
It suddenly dawned on him—
Oh!
Enjoying things alone is not as good as enjoying them together.
When watching drama, sharing is a virtue.
As fellow drama-watchers, Pei Cijing naturally wouldn't be stingy about sharing some sunflower seeds. It wasn't anything precious anyway, so he very naturally reached out his hand to the other person, handing over the silk pouch. His tone was as sincere as if he were offering some rare treasure:
"Brother, want some too?"
"Freshly roasted, five-spice flavor, very fragrant."
The person remained silent for a moment.
His gaze moved from Pei Cijing's face to the open bag of sunflower seeds in his palm.
And then, he slowly raised his eyes.
"..."
A cypress leaf, swept down by the wind, drifted softly between the two of them.
