Chapter 1205: 1125 are not fools
“Lady Iryn!” A young elf girl clutching a stack of books approached the girl who was reading, lightly squatting down to perform the customary greeting of noblewon.
The elf “princess,” who possessed beautiful silver-white hair, looked up, her lips curling into a charming smile. “Good morning, Tina.”
In all of the schools across the Great Tang Empire, there were elves, dwarves, and nobles from various other nations.
The Chang’an Won’s Academy, where Iryn studied, was no exception. Beautiful girls were everywhere, and due to lineage, those who made it into this university were generally top-tier in appearance.
There was no other way. Wealthy nobles had the luxury of being picky when selecting spouses, and years of arranged marriages and selective breeding ensured their features were remarkable.
“Good morning!” The elf girl nad Tina blushed slightly, lowering her head shyly. “The math test results are out. I asked about it—you’re first again.”
Compared to other universities in the Great Tang Empire, the Won’s Academy was essentially a pay-to-enter noble school. Tang Mo had enrolled Iryn, his elf “wife,” here because he assud she wouldn’t excel academically.
After all, while arranged marriages among the nobility might bring advantages in appearance, they didn’t necessarily guarantee intellectual prowess.
The rich second-generation heirs studying in the Great Tang Empire were mostly uninterested in serious academics. They ca to gild their resus, expand their social circles, or simply kill ti.
In Chang’an—or rather, in the Great Tang Empire—there were far too many luxuries that they could never experience in their own backwater holands. So, they ca, spent their money, and then returned ho.
Iryn seed like an outlier; she genuinely enjoyed difficult academic subjects and studied diligently. Her outstanding academic performance at this noble school surprised Tang Mo.
Initially, he assud Iryn would, like other nobles, dabble halfheartedly in learning, focusing on royal etiquette and networking, then hastily finish three years of education to beco another mindless “Imperial Concubine of Tang.”
After all, Tang Mo already had five Imperial Concubines. If one of them ended up being a brainless fool, it wouldn’t matter much. But, as it turned out, Iryn was also “a clever woman.”
Indeed, Tang Mo had realized to his surprise that none of his five wives were easy to deal with. Each had their own sches to varying extents—perhaps only Yue’er was a genuine, simpleton sweetheart.
Yet even this naive sweetheart effectively had her own power base: Yue’er controlled the Empire’s literary and art circles and wielded the support of tens of thousands of orc slaves.
“I think if you were willing to focus on your books, your grades wouldn’t be bad either.” Iryn closed her book and smiled, encouraging the young elf.
She had been reading a Great Tang Empire-published economics text, learning many new concepts.
In truth, she had loved books back in the Elf Empire too, though useful texts had been scarce.
Apart from the Great Tang Empire, the national libraries of other countries mainly consisted of poetry collections, travelogues, and a jumble of nonsensical stories—many filled with implausible or even obscene content.
The literature of the Great Tang Empire was different. If you engaged with it, you could discover technical texts packed with practical knowledge—reading even one could be greatly beneficial.
“I’m actually quite dumb,” Tina sheepishly scratched her head, her voice bashful. Despite clutching two books, they were rely props to maintain her scholarly facade.
Like many girls studying here, Tina had simply wanted to et a young Great Tang noble—or the son of one—then marry him and bear a child to inherit his estate.
The girls who studied here ca from affluent families; after all, tuition fees were prohibitively high. Yet after rigorous selection, many prominent foreign nobles and so up-and-coming Great Tang elites did indeed find marriage prospects at Chang’an Won’s Academy.
The rising Great Tang nobility, especially those with little background, sought to marry the daughters of prestigious families to secure alliance and support.
Foreign aristocrats also hoped to find refined Tang girls in elite schools as daughters-in-law, as it added prestige.
In short, Tina was looking for a husband. Her interest in forming ties with Iryn stemd from the fact that the elf princess was the most distinguished student in the academy.
Iryn was an Imperial Concubine—or rather, a confird future Imperial Concubine. Marrying into nobility paled in comparison to clinging to Iryn’s coattails. If Tina beca best friends with an Imperial Concubine, wouldn’t she dominate the Great Tang Empire?
Who knew if the Emperor of Tang harbored a peculiar fondness for his wife’s close friends? If that were the case, wouldn’t she…?
Every ti Tina fantasized about eting His Majesty, imagining being flirted with by the Emperor, her face turned red uncontrollably.
Iryn remained unaware that soone was fantasizing about her husband and continued comforting Tina, as if the elf girl truly were her bosom friend.
But after all, being the daughter of a Poplar Empire duke—a bona fide noble—certain habits lingered.
In noble circles, true friendships didn’t exist. Blood brothers sold each other, let alone close friends. After becoming the “prospective Imperial Concubine of Tang,” Iryn had seen countless people swarm to her, vying for connections. She knew all too well why.
Even if she pretended otherwise, she couldn’t mistake their motives: the imnse power of the Great Tang royal family was her sole shield and untouchable taboo.
A single misstep could spell disaster! Her father had warned her early on: staying immovable was her best strategy. Sotis doing nothing at all was the truest display of wisdom.
Iryn reflexively held back her words, rely smiling. She didn’t think Tina was stupid; the elf girl definitely had far more cunning than she let on.
When won gathered in groups, things often played out like this: eight girls in one dorm, six separate group chats, affectionately calling each other “Darling.”
While the two chatted, a strikingly beautiful woman approached them, flanked by maids. Anyone who could stroll around with maids here clearly held terrifying status.
The stunning woman walked up to Iryn and tilted her head slightly toward the scheming Tina, blatantly impolite.
However, the maid beside her spoke politely, performing standard etiquette: “Miss, may we ask for the two ladies to have a private mont together?”
The phrase “two ladies”—at first, Tina found her sowhat arrogant, but the realization instantly humbled her. There weren’t many in this country who warranted such a title.
“We might be eting for the first ti, aren’t we? My na is Ying Yue.” The graceful black-haired woman extended her hand, and silver-haired Iryn followed suit, clasping hands with her.
Iryn’s palm was slightly cool and soft to the touch. Ying Yue smiled faintly, glanced around, and said, “Are you comfortable here? Anyone bothering you?”
“Everyone’s been very kind and helped a lot.” Iryn understood her companion was rely being courteous, so she instinctively reciprocated.
Their conversation andered effortlessly from cruise liners to this year’s warfare—broad topics without any drama.
While many girls hoped to approach and worm their way into the circle of the two Imperial Concubines, they were reluctantly scared off by one look from Ying Yue’s maid.
One casual glance was enough to suppress any thoughts of intruding. As always, anyone who could bring maids into Chang’an Won’s Academy was unquestionably influential—no one dared stir trouble.
Parked outside the academy’s main administrative building were two top-tier Rolls-Royce vehicles. Only the Great Tang royal family used such cars, and this ti, there were two of them.
Through a window, soone was staring at the courtyard, watching as the two girls conversed harmoniously, gracefully, without blemish on their smiles. Yulin, expressionless, shifted her gaze away.
“Not bad. Neither of them are fools. Next ti, don’t bother having co for things like this.” She addressed a maid beside her: “Today’s eting went smoothly, aning future ones will too. Let’s go—I have other matters to handle.”
The academy’s principal stood nearby, smiling as she saw Yulin out of the office. In their youth, this girl had studied court etiquette alongside her; now, she had beco an Imperial Concubine.
“Teacher, please don’t let them know I’ve been here,” Yulin remarked as she approached her car, glancing back at the elderly woman trailing her.
“This old lady understands,” the principal nodded lightly, smiling as she replied, “Having you visit already makes happy.”
Although she knew Yulin hadn’t co out of sentintality, the elder still conveyed due respect for Her Highness.
“Don’t say that, Teacher,” Yulin replied bashfully, addressing the woman from inside the car window. “You are now the instructor of four Imperial Concubines.”
Apart from Ying Yue, it seed all of the Great Tang’s Imperial Concubines had studied court etiquette under this elderly woman’s guidance.
The principal smiled contentedly. As long as the Imperial Concubines still called her “teacher,” that was the source of her deepest pride.
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