It was clear that Qin Yi did not wish for anyone to know his and Pan’er’s identities.
Understanding the Emperor’s intent, Su Ke imdiately burst into a hearty laugh with a cupped fist salute, "Ke’er greets my sister and brother-in-law! Sister, brother-in-law, what brings you to the academy today?"
Although Su Ke had been appointed the Emperor’s brother-in-law, he had not given up on his studies, nor had he revealed his identity to his classmates. Yingtian Academy might not have many casual observers, but it was filled with sons, grandsons, and nephews of high-ranking Imperial Court officials. Furthermore, among the teachers were nurous influential ministers from the court, and even the Grand Scholar from the leading academy would sotis co to teach a class or two. The presence of such high-ranking court officials had beco commonplace.
That’s why Su Ke enjoyed the scholarly atmosphere here so much. He was also determined to earn his academic credentials this autumn, to make a na for himself without relying on others!
"We’re all family here, no need for formalities."
Being in front of his beloved wife, how could Qin Yi dare to show any displeasure to his young brother-in-law?
Imdiately, his face brightened with joy.
"We were just passing by today and wanted to see the environnt of the academy. I must say, it’s tranquil and picturesque, nestled near the mountains and by the river, with many fellow students around. You must have made great progress in your studies, haven’t you? There haven’t been any conflicts among your peers, right? And how do the teachers treat everyone? Have you fully grasped the content of their lectures?"
Su Pan’er had a deep affection for Su Ke, and upon seeing him, a stream of questions naturally flowed from her.
"Sister, it’s lucky you don’t usually co often. You just asked so many questions, where should Ke’er even begin to answer?"
Su Ke couldn’t stop smiling. Just then, a classmate who had been travelling with him earlier approached out of curiosity, glancing at Qin Yi and Su Pan’er. They looked familiar to him, but he couldn’t be sure, which made his face show a touch of hesitation.
"Co, co, let introduce you."
Seeing him approach, Su Ke waved, "Sister, brother-in-law, this is Lord Xue’s legitimate son, Xue Qian. We’re kindred spirits, and we haven’t been short of fun together. He’s also my desk mate and we get along really well."
Su Pan’er looked intently at Su Ke, then turned to scrutinize Xue Qian carefully.
Xue Qian appeared to be around twenty, his eyebrows and eyes brimming with mirth when he smiled. Though his eyes were small, they occasionally sparkled with wisdom, clearly indicating he was no ordinary person!
However, it wasn’t hard to imagine, given that his father was the Grand Scholar Lord Xue and that he was the legitimate son, he was bound to inherit his father’s legacy. If he were simple, he probably wouldn’t have caught Su Ke’s eye.
Xue Qian laughed affably, "So, you are Su brother’s sister and brother-in-law. Xue Qian greets you with respect!"
"Good to hear, good to hear!"
Qin Yi looked at Xue Qian with pleasure, "You’re Xue Qian? Indeed, ’like father, like son.’ A fine young man! Since you’re Ke’er’s good friend, feel free to visit more often. You can also discuss academics together to avoid learning in isolation and wasting ti."
"Rest assured, brother-in-law! Qian and Su brother have always been the best of partners, we’re practically joined at the hip!"
Xue Qian assured them earnestly, patting his chest as if making a promise.
But a glint flickered in the depths of his eyes.
The person in front of him... looked so familiar... and this beardless servant with the stern guards behind him... they looked so much like... perhaps...
His laughter made everyone join in!
"Excellent! Very good! Truly fitting for Yingtian Academy’s reputation as the number one academy." Qin Yi lavished praise without stinginess.
He then turned to look at Su Ke, "Ke’er, have you finished class? Where are you planning to go?"
"Indeed, we had a music lesson this morning, and we just finished class. I’m so hungry that my stomach is sticking to my back; we were planning to go to the canteen for a al."
Su Ke glanced at the two of them, the look in his eyes carrying a deeper aning.
Qin Yi, however, laughed heartily.
"The canteen? Perfect, we’ll also go take a look and have a al there to see if the academy’s food is any good."
He also wanted to see just how good the food at Yingtian Academy was.
When His Majesty wished to sample the academy’s food, Su Ke naturally did not dare to decline. Laughing and chatting with Xue Qian, he led a group of people to the canteen.
It must be said, even though Yingtian Academy had a good teaching environnt, the food in the canteen really couldn’t be considered good!
Plain porridge and millet rice were the staples. In addition, there were mixed flour noodles and stead buns, but the variety of dishes was notably simple: one at and two vegetables. The at dish was diced pork stir-fried with radish; the pork was chopped into tiny cubes, largely concealed within the pickled radishes. As for the vegetables, they were just seasonal greens, lacking in both oil and flavor.
Su Ke placed the big bowls filled with food in front of Qin Yi and the others, then smiled sowhat awkwardly, "There are many people in the academy, and the head chef is said to have been an Imperial Chef in the Imperial Palace before he retired and was invited here by the dean. Although he has a bit of a temper, he’s quite agreeable. It’s just that the portions... are not very large..."
But what kind of temper did the head chef have; it was more than a bit fiery!
Qin Yi could hear the head chef’s voice scolding students from far away.
Regarding the portion size of a al, Qin Yi glanced at the half-filled bowl of millet rice and silently picked up his chopsticks.
In the at dish, there were four small cubes of at, the rest were radish pieces, and the vegetable dishes were stir-fried plainly without oil or much salt. After all, in those days, salt was controlled by the governnt office and Official Salt was expensive, so the chef was not willing to use too much salt.
Qin Yi silently ate with his chopsticks and did not speak from beginning to end.
Su Pan’er, on the other hand, thought the food was quite nice. Although it was bland, it closely matched the academy’s philosophy of maintaining a simple and restrained desire.
The students around them, although finding it strange to see Qin Yi and the others in the canteen, occasionally paid their respects, and those familiar with Su Ke and Xue Qian even ca up to greet them. Upon hearing that Pan’er and the other were sister and brother-in-law, many ca forward to greet them, exchanging jokes and laughter.
It was not hard to see that Su Ke and Xue Qian were quite popular in the academy!
However, out of kindness, so students quietly pulled Su Ke aside, "You brought your sister and brother-in-law into the academy? You should be careful! If Gloomy Face sees them, he’ll surely penalize you again!"
Gloomy Face was their nickna for Teacher Tong, who was in charge of discipline at the academy!
The reason was that Teacher Tong was rigid and inflexible, his words often hurtful and yet he remained self-righteous. As he was specifically responsible for discipline at the academy, he had caught quite a few students and never allowed them to plea for leniency! Always wearing a stern face and being particularly detestable, the students discussed him often in private.
Over ti, the nickna Gloomy Face beca even more well-known than his actual na.
"Don’t worry! Nothing will happen."
Su Ke said reassuringly, but inwardly he was cursing!
He had indeed brought his sister and brother-in-law to the academy, but they were two significant figures!
It wasn’t as if they wouldn’t enter the canteen if he said they couldn’t!
Reviews
All reviews (0)