Chapter 75: Really Dare to Take Action

n the curtain.Rong Jing smiled but his smile was somewhat faint. He asked softly: "Then what age is considered old""When the old emperor dies, I’ll be old," replied Qianyue without turning around."Are...Chapter 75: Really Daring to Take Action

Following Rong Jing, Yun Qianyue walked with a light step and admired the beauty of the imperial palace. Eunuchs and maidservants came and went, and when they saw the two people from afar, they immediately knelt on the ground in greeting. Yun Qianyue felt helpless seeing the trembling and tense figures kneeling on the ground. She thought this was how it was in ancient times; hierarchy had seeped into their souls.

"I've told you many times to change your ways, but one day when you twist your ankle, you'll walk properly," Rong Jing turned his head to look at Yun Qianyue with a gentle voice filled with helplessness.

Yun Qianyue did not take it seriously and glanced at Rong Jing. "I've noticed that you really do meddle in everything."

"You have Then, haven't you noticed how much I meddle in your affairs" Rong Jing stopped walking and looked carefully at Yun Qianyue with a low voice hinting at something unusual.

"I've noticed! Do you like bullying me I don't have a grandmother; it makes me think of my grandma," Yun Qianyue said.

Rong Jing's body trembled, and he continued walking. After two steps, his voice sounded somewhat sulky and resentful, "You're really beyond help!"

"Yes! So you don't need to keep managing me! I'm truly hopeless. I've already given up; why do you still manage me" Yun Qianyue felt that arguing with this guy was quite a rewarding experience. Her footsteps immediately lightened, and she caught up with Rong Jing in two steps. She tilted her head to look at his face and said cheerfully, "Hey, go manage Qin Yuning instead! She must like it when you meddle in her affairs. Don't you notice how that little girl can hardly move when she sees you She... "

Rong Jing's steps stopped, and he turned his head to look at Yun Qianyue with a black gaze.

Yun Qianyue shrank back, her voice abruptly cut off.

Rong Jing stared intently at Yun Qianyue for half a moment. When Yun Qianyue was on edge and thought he was about to lose his temper, he slowly said, "You are really beyond help!"

With that, he continued walking forward.

Yun Qianyue blinked her eyes, pursed her lips, and changed her expression silently following Rong Jing.

The two no longer spoke as they walked side by side to the Upper Study Hall.

The Upper Study Hall was an independent palace in the imperial city with no other palaces around it. It was indeed a quiet place suitable for reading and studying.

Rong Jing continued walking inside without stopping.

Yun Qianyue lowered her head, following Rong Jing behind him with a light step, carrying a book case, looking like a little scribe.

"Prince Consort Jing is here!" Someone shouted from somewhere.

"It's indeed Prince Consort Jing!" Someone else inside shouted again.

"He really is Prince Consort Jing. We've been waiting for so long and haven't seen him, we thought he wouldn't come at all!" Another person said.

Immediately after, voices from the chamber started to chatter.

Hearing the constant sounds coming from inside with both male and female voices, it seemed there were many people. Yun Qianyue muttered softly, "This old emperor is really prolific; he doesn't even fear exhausting himself."

"Most of them are children of the various princely houses and court officials who come to study here, plus the crown prince and thirteen princes, fifteen princesses, with three thousand concubines in the harem. He isn't particularly prolific," Rong Jing turned his head to look at Yun Qianyue and sized her up from top to bottom, "But your small body probably won't ever have that many children!"

Yun Qianyue immediately straightened up and glared fiercely at Rong Jing. "You feel uncomfortable if you don't criticize me I might not be able to bear so much, but having a few healthy kids is fine. My kids don't need to be numerous; just one or two will do. In the future, they'll all be talents surpassing others, far better than a bunch of youngsters who can't amount to anything."

"Yes, you make sense!" Rong Jing looked deeply into Yun Qianyue's eyes and seemed to smile as he walked in.

Yun Qianyue felt uncomfortable under that glance from Rong Jing. She thought she was crazy for discussing having children with him. This was just asking for trouble. She blushed slightly, but then rubbed her cheeks red away bravely, and followed behind Rong Jing into the chamber.

When Rong Jing entered through the doorway, there was an instant of silence inside.

Yun Qianyue thought this must be due to Rong Jing's personal charisma! When even the emperor came, it wouldn't be any different. She glanced around the grand hall and was immediately stunned; it was packed with people, both men and women, over a hundred at least. She never imagined there were so many in the Upper Study Hall. With young or tender faces, some bright and others graceful, none older than twenty and few younger than eight years old. Stopping her steps, she stared at everyone in shock.

Everyone also saw her behind Rong Jing and changed the reverent looks they had for him into a myriad of expressions. There were doubts, confusion, disdain, envy, indifference, fear, and so on, but no joy.

Yun Qianyue thought to herself that her popularity was truly terrible!

This was what she called being treated with incomparable differences! Yun Qianyue had fully experienced it today. She felt that Rong Jing deliberately waited for her to come up to the study room together so as to hit at her. This man indeed did not know where he couldn’t bully her; his black-heartedness made him reviled by both gods and men!

Yun Qianyue glared at Rong Jing, looking at his serene face and amiable appearance who showed no extra expression when facing the hundred or so people in the main hall. She instantly felt it was perfect! She thought that being a person shouldn’t aim for perfection. Perfection could also be a burden.

"Give me your bookcase!" In the silence, Rong Jing spoke softly to Yun Qianyue.

The moment he opened his mouth, gasps were heard from all around.

Yun Qianyue did not understand what effect a single sentence could have that would cause such reactions. She handed over the bookcase she had been carrying since they left the house and searched for an empty seat without looking at him. However, she saw Yu Ning sitting there with an empty seat next to her where she had put down her flower basket. Her face was stiff and her expression terrible as she stared at Yun Qianyue and Rong Jing. Yun Qianyue felt that this little beauty must hate her inwardly again. She helplessly took a step toward her.

Right after the first step, unexpectedly, Rong Jing did not catch the bookcase. It fell to the ground with Yun Qianyue’s shock and she immediately turned around and took two steps forward as she reached out to catch it, but she stepped on the edge of her skirt. Her body went off-balance, heading straight toward Rong Jing.

Rong Jing seemed to sigh helplessly and held onto Yun Qianyue’s body with his hand, causing him to retreat two steps due to their collision. Their bodies had yet to steady when they heard a heavy thud as the bookcase fell on the floor, scattering its contents everywhere.

Around them, gasps were heard again.

"I gave you the bookcase, so why didn’t you catch it" Yun Qianyue did not care about those people and glared at Rong Jing before pushing him away. She looked down and saw her skirt had been torn. She thought ancient clothes were a hassle. Then she looked up and mocked Rong Jing, "Indeed a weak beauty! Even catching a bookcase is too difficult for you, and you fell back several steps. Truly useless!"

This time the main hall was deathly silent as everyone stared at Yun Qianyue with their jaws dropped.

"It’s because you let go of it before I could catch it. How can you blame me Why don’t you say that you’re too heavy instead If only I knew, I would have just let you fall then, rather than do a good deed and not get any credit for it." Rong Jing did not get angry at Yun Qianyue’s mockery but bent down to pick up the bookcase from the ground.

"Forget it. Don’t dirty your noble hands. I’ll pick them up!" Yun Qianyue could no longer bear the gazes of a hundred people in the main hall and bent down to put all the books back into the bookcase. She thought that indeed she was wrong since she had been looking for an empty seat instead of noticing this fellow let go of the bookcase before he caught it.

Rong Jing really stopped and looked at Yun Qianyue with a gentle expression.

The main hall was so quiet, even breathing could not be heard. Everyone seemed to have turned into statues as they watched the two people by the door. They all thought that the rumors were true—Prince Jingshi treated Yun Qianyue differently. Even the emperor and crown prince kept a three-foot distance from Prince Jingshi, yet just now, everyone had seen how intimately Prince Jingshi embraced Yun Qianyue in public. It was as if he did not even notice the closeness of their bodies. If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, no matter who tried to convince them, they would never believe it.

Some people were even questioning whether the person standing by the door was Prince Jingshi

If not for his poetic features and elegant appearance, as well as his serene demeanor that none dared to imitate in all of Tiannan or perhaps even the entire world, they would think this person really wasn’t Prince Jingshi.

Yu Ning’s face turned deathly pale. She stared blankly at Rong Jing. Although she had never gotten close to Prince Jingshi before, she had been paying attention to him for many years and even the slightest piece of information did not escape her. Moreover, every time they met over these days since he left the manor, she would pay no mind to any other details but his expressions. She found that only when facing Yun Qianyue was Prince Jingshi’s face filled with a multitude of rich emotions. Otherwise, he was like an immovable statue high above in the clouds, indifferently looking down at everyone without anyone being able to get close to him.

"Alright! Here you go!" Yun Qianyue put all the books back and stood up straight, handing the bookcase to Rong Jing.

"Listen carefully in class. Don’t sleep," Rong Jing took the bookcase and softly instructed her.

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes but did not respond as she walked toward Yu Ning. Seeing that this little beauty’s face was deathly pale, she blinked her eyes and thought to herself, ‘Buddha should save all living beings! Quickly rescue this woman who’s gone overboard with love or else one day she might just fall off the cliff. She isn’t at all merciful, nor would she save her.

The study room was silent as only Yun Qianyue’s footsteps could be heard.

Qin Yuning’s position naturally was in front so Yun Qianyue didn’t have to walk far before reaching Qin Yuning. She did not stay, but instead took the basket and walked to the back. She had already seen two empty seats at the back row. She thought that this little beauty probably wouldn’t want her sitting next to her right now, so she would go sit at the back.

"Senior Sister Moon, where are you going" Qin Yuning snapped out of her reverie and called softly after Yun Qianyue.

"I’m going to the back," Yun Qianyue said without turning around.

Rong Jing watched as Yun Qianyue walked to the back but did not speak. Instead, he walked slowly to the front and put down the bookcase on a table in front of him before taking out a book from it, slowly opening it, then raising his head to scan the crowd until he looked at Yun Qianyue.

More than half of the people in the main hall were chasing after Yun Qianyue’s figure. They followed her all the way to the back row and watched as she threw her basket carelessly on a table, then kicked a tilted chair upright before sitting down. Then they saw her take out all the books from the basket and place them on the table without looking up, flipping through each book page by page, and finally picking up one of the books to read while ignoring everyone around her.

The gazes of everyone present fell upon the book she had picked up upside down, with many people's expressions shifting from curiosity to disdain.

"Qin Qianyue, it is said that you and Prince Yun as well as Jing have each studied for half a month. Now, you can't even pick up a book right side up; indeed, you are the book-blind woman of Heavenly Saint, an ignorant female!" A familiar voice dripping with sarcasm rang out.

Qin Qianyue frowned at hearing this familiar voice and looked towards its source, only to see Leng Shaozhu sitting不遠處。她愣了一下，剛纔冇看見他，在玉凝之外竟然還有熟人。似乎還不止一個，容鈴蘭和冷疏離也在，不過這兩人不像以前焦孟不離的樣子，而是隔得很遠坐著，此時冷疏離臉色也是鄙夷地看著她，而容鈴蘭則是疑惑地看著她，並冇有以往厭惡的情緒。收回視線，心想怎麼到哪裡都有蒼蠅。

"Ignorant woman, didn't you hear what this little prince said You're as stupid as a pig!" As Leng Shaozhu saw that Qin Qianyue had not replied and no one was scolding him, his voice grew louder, audible throughout the entire upper study hall.

"I don't talk to pigs! If you want to speak, go find your kind!" Qin Qianyue delivered her reply coolly without even looking at Leng Shaozhu.

Leng Shaozhu instantly grew enraged and leaped up from his seat, walking towards Qin Qianyue in two steps. "Ignorant woman, say that again Who is the pig"

"What's wrong with picking up a book upside down Does picking it up upside down make you a pig Your mother gave birth to you upside down too. If she had given birth normally, she would have suffered from dystocia and wouldn't have been able to give birth to such a big person. Does this mean your mother is a pig Are you a pig" Qin Qianyue snorted coldly, her body remaining still as she faced Leng Shaozhu without an ounce of fear.

A burst of laughter erupted around them, though some people dared not laugh out loud for fear of Leng Shaozhu's wrath. However, there were also princes and princesses present who did not fear him; hearing Qin Qianyue curse in such a novel manner, they laughed heartily, secretly admiring her.

"I'll kill you!" Leng Shaozhu waved his hand at Qin Qianyue.

Qin Qianyue knew that Leng Shaozhu had no inner strength. She remained seated and instantly grabbed his wrist, applying a slight force, causing him to cry out in pain. She glared coldly at him, "Do you know what happened when I disabled Yun Xianghe's hand It looks like you're willing to lose this one!"

"Qin Qianyue, if you dare touch me, then..." Leng Shaozhu had only spoken halfway before Qin Qianyue tightened her grip and caused him another cry of pain; he swallowed the rest of his words.

"If you dare hurt my brother, Emperor will certainly punish you. My father and grandfather won't let this go either." Cold Shiuli rose abruptly, taking two steps to stand beside Leng Shaozhu and warningly looking at Qin Qianyue.

Qin Qianyue raised an eyebrow, sizing up Cold Shiuli, "Are your eyes blind Didn't you see he started provoking me first Even if your eyes are blind, it's not the same for everyone else. If I disable his hand today, how is that a problem His hand was reaching out to hit me; he should have been prepared to lose it."

Cold Shiuli was shaken by Qin Qianyue's sharp gaze and could only open and close his mouth in silence.

"Would you prefer I disable your one hand or both hands" Qin Qianyue ignored Cold Shiuli, turning her attention to Leng Shaozhu. After a short period of fighting, the pain from Leng Shaozhu's face had made him sweat profusively. She sneered inwardly at his cowardice, feeling that even touching him was beneath her.

"You... Qin Qianyue, if you dare touch me, my father will never forgive you..." Despite the pain, relying on being the sole heir of Prince Xiuqing's house and favored by both Prince Xiuqing and his grandfather, Leng Shaozhu had always acted arrogantly. Moreover, Emperor protected Prince Xiuqing’s house, so even when he intercepted Qin Qianyue in the street last time, despite knowing about it, Emperor showed leniency to him; this only fueled his arrogance further. He was certain that Qin Qianyue wouldn't dare do anything serious to him.

"Is that so Then let's see how your father will forgive me!" Qin Qianyue narrowed her eyes and a sharp light flashed across them as she twisted Leng Shaozhu’s wrist, hearing the sound of bones breaking accompanied by a pig-like scream that echoed throughout the upper study hall.

Everyone was shocked; none had expected that Qin Qianyue would actually take action! Each pair of eyes were filled with shock as they looked at her in disbelief, no longer showing any disdain or indifference earlier.

Leng Shaozhu, who hadn't suffered such treatment before, fainted after a scream when he saw his hand disabled.

Qin Qianyue was disgusted by Leng Shaozhu and released her grip as his body fell to the ground. The person seated in front of Qin Qianyue did not dare approach him but quickly moved away, leaving his body to crash onto the floor with a thud.

"Brother..." Cold Shiuli shouted but didn't rush over to help Leng Shaozhu; instead, he glared angrily at Qin Qianyue, "Qin Qianyue, you actually dared take action You'll be waiting for..."

"Waiting for what Exile or death" Qin Qianyue coldly sneered with disdain in her voice like ice, "I've already made it clear that if I see this dog barking again before me, I won't treat him kindly. The last time he was spared because of Prince Xiuqing's favor and the emperor’s grace; but he didn't heed his parents' advice and came to provoke me again. This time hurting one hand is too lenient."

"You... you..." Cold Shiuli stared at Qin Qianyue angrily, but then something seemed to occur to her as she quickly turned around to face Jing Shi, "Prince Jing, are you just going to watch this woman hurt others without doing anything"

Everyone was shocked by the scene earlier and upon hearing that Prince Jing was present, all eyes turned to him.

Jing Shi glanced at Cold Shiuli with a cold expression. "This prince merely serves as a temporary substitute for some days, responsible for teaching lessons; His Majesty did not instruct me to handle brawls."

Qin Qianyue was about ready to applaud Jing Shi’s response.

"Prince Jing, can you just let Qin Qianyue act lawlessly here This is the upper study hall. And now that it's your turn to teach, how could you sit idly by" Cold Shiuli couldn't help but be angry; however, when he met Jing Shi’s gaze, he dared not provoke him.

"Do you know this is the upper study hall Since it is a place for lessons, nobody should cause trouble here. I am clear about who started the trouble. Young Prince Leng got what he deserved because of his inferior skills. Should His Majesty or Prince Xiuqing ask about this matter, I will provide evidence." Jing Shi spoke without looking at Cold Shiuli and said to some eunuchs responsible for managing the upper study hall that had rushed over after hearing the screams, "Take Young Prince Leng out and call a physician!"

"Yes! Prince Jing!" The young eunuchs trembled as they came in to lift the cold and injured Cold Shuzhuo.

"Stop!" Colder Shuli shouted loudly, "Do not touch my brother. I will go get His Majesty and my father right now."

The hands of those young eunuchs that had reached out immediately withdrew.

"Princess Colder, you must think carefully. If your brother's hand is not attended to by a court physician in time, it might truly be ruined," Rong Jing reminded her coldly.

“Yes, Princess Colder, you should quickly go and call the court physician!" Qin Yuning stood up and walked over, gently telling Colder Shuli.

"You all go get the court physician. I will go fetch His Majesty and my father." After a moment of hesitation, Colder Shuli instructed those young eunuchs and quickly ran out from the upper study room. Her father and brother had always hated Yun Qianyue to the core; she originally also disliked Yun Qianyue but without any hatred. Knowing that the Crown Prince did not like that silly woman either, she found that recently the Crown Prince seemed to be paying more attention to that woman, especially yesterday when he heard that the Crown Prince had destroyed the study in his residence after requesting an imperial decree for a royal marriage between him and that woman, Yun Qianyue. How could she not be furious Yun Qianyue would never get married into the Crown Prince's household. She was determined to make her pay with her life today because of what had happened to her brother’s hand.

Yun Qianyue watched Colder Shuli run away, thinking that this woman wasn’t too stupid and knew to preserve the scene. But it also showed how selfish she was and had no regard for family ties. Rather than quickly taking her unconscious brother to a physician, she wanted the young eunuchs to bring the court physician here. This would waste time. But why did it matter She didn't believe that His Majesty could do anything to her under everyone's watchful eyes today even if he had reason on his side. If he really wanted to do something to her, then there was no need for him to rule the country.

The young eunuchs looked at Rong Jing and didn't follow Colder Shuli’s instructions as she said.

"Since Princess Colder has given this instruction and Cold Young Marquis is his brother after all, then do it like that! You all go get the court physician," Rong Jing told them coolly without seeming to mind at all.

“Yes!” The young eunuchs immediately ran out.

"Let’s start class!" Rong Jing ignored Cold Shuzhuo on the floor and spoke softly to everyone.

Everyone obediently listened, even the most unruly of princes and princesses. Although they all thought that once His Majesty and Prince Consort Xiao arrived and saw Cold Shuzhuo in such a state, he would definitely issue severe punishments for Yun Qianyue, no one spoke about it to anyone else out loud. Some people felt pleased with what was happening today. Colder Shuli usually loved bullying others and acting tyrannically; she deserved this!

Qin Yuning looked worriedly at Yun Qianyue and noticed that the other didn’t even look at her, holding a book upside down as if it had no effect on her at all. She turned around and sat back in her seat properly. However, she secretly wondered what would happen to Yun Qianyue once Colder Shuli brought His Majesty and Prince Consort Xiao here. But she felt that Yun Qianyue wouldn’t have any trouble, as Crown Prince Jing’s words of making a public announcement earlier clearly indicated his intention to help her. She was somewhat annoyed with Yun Qianyue for being so audacious while still under the protection of the crown prince.

Yun Qianyue looked at Qin Yuning and curled her lips into an amused smile. This woman had been flattering Colder Shuli just now, but she was looking worriedly at Yun Qianyue as if they were friends now. She really knew how to work both sides.

"The lecture from the Grand Scholar will continue once he has recovered. Today's topic of discussion is on learning!" Rong Jing didn’t raise his voice, not even glancing at a book in the box before writing two characters on an imperial edict paper and lifting it up to show everyone.

Everyone immediately started praising him.

Yun Qianyue looked up and saw those two clear and bold characters written on the paper—Learning!

This was the first time she had seen Rong Jing’s handwriting. If Yun Muhuan's penmanship was rugged and dignified, then Rong Jing’s was ethereal like him. It made her realize that even ancient calligraphers were not as good as this. Neither sharp nor flamboyant, yet it somehow felt distant and unapproachable. As if the words could depict a vast sky and boundless earth for one to see. This penmanship would make everyone think highly of it, no matter whether they were experts or illiterate commoners.

Yun Qianyue thought that this man indeed was exceptional!

He was thin yet graceful as he stood there quietly and confidently, able to instill awe in others with just his presence alone.

Rong Jing noticed Yun Qianyue’s gaze on him and raised an eyebrow. He seemed to have understood her admiration. A faint smile appeared on the corner of his lips but vanished before it reached the corners of his mouth. Then, he put down the paper and spoke again in a warm voice, "Who would like to tell me what Learning means"

Yun Qianyue curled her lips and continued reading her book without looking at him. F***ing high up in the clouds—this guy was just being pretentious!

Rong Jing finished speaking, but nobody spoke or raised their hand to answer his question immediately. A few people lowered their heads as they tried to think of an answer—people like Qin Yuning and those who admired Rong Jing would want to show off in front of him. Some earnest scholars wanted the prince’s recognition too, while others had no idea what Learning meant and just looked around at each other cluelessly. The only two who didn’t care were Cold Shuzhuo lying unconscious on the floor and Yun Qianyue reading her book upside down.

After Rong Jing said those words, he ignored everyone else, glanced at Yun Qianyue, lifted his robe elegantly and sat down behind his desk. He started to read a book upside down too while ignoring everyone’s gaze.

The people who had been watching him suddenly widened their eyes when they saw the way he held his book as if it was normal. Some of them even almost cried out in surprise. Then, they turned around and looked at Yun Qianyue sitting behind them; they noticed that both of them were holding the same book upside down, one that was not part of their curriculum. At first glance, everyone thought this must be a mistake as the cover of the book had fallen off.

At this moment, Yun Qianyue suddenly turned a page and the words on it blocked the view of the leather paper; everyone could clearly see that the characters were upside down. They couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise and turn their heads to look at Rong Jing again.

Rong Jing seemed to have tasted something delicious as he finished reading the first page and turned another one—upside down too. The crowd was stunned; they had never heard that Crown Prince Jing read books upside down! How could one read such characters

Feeling the unusual atmosphere, Qin Yuning raised her head and saw Rong Jing holding a book in the same manner as Yun Qianyue did earlier. She couldn’t help but freeze; she turned around to look at Yun Qianyue again and noticed that she was also holding it upside down in exactly the same way. Her face paled.

"Have you all thought it through Who would like to speak" Rong Jing didn't look up and spoke in a mild tone.

The moment Rong Jing finished speaking, one of them immediately stood up. It was a young master with an upright appearance. He had yet to speak when his face turned red and he said hesitantly, "Jing... Young Master Jing, may I speak"

"You can!" Rong Jing still didn't look up but his voice was gentle, as if encouraging him.

"I think studying is for books. The books are left by our forefathers to allow us to accomplish great things," the young master mustered up courage and said one sentence before he dared not look at Rong Jing anymore.

Finished Rong Jing raised his head.

The young master shook his head. He asked timidly, "Jing... Young Master Jing, did I say something wrong"

"It's not entirely incorrect, you got a point there! Just sit down," Rong Jing glanced at Yun Qianyue and saw that she wasn't reading the book anymore but was raising her head to look at the young master with interest. He lowered his head and asked calmly, "Is there anyone else who would like to speak"

After Rong Jing spoke, another person stood up. It was a slightly older young nobleman than the previous one; it seemed that he had just entered the phase of voice mutation. He bowed politely at Rong Jing and said, "Studying is for books. Books teach us about rightness and propriety. An ancient saying goes: to study means to learn from our forefathers' teachings so as to broaden our knowledge and understanding. We can achieve a higher level of enlightenment and regulate ourselves in doing things properly."

Yun Qianyue blinked her eyes. A higher level of enlightenment, huh Flying into the heavens

"Is there anything else" Rong Jing didn't look up as he asked.

"That's all! Please give your instructions, Young Master Jing!" The young nobleman shook his head and looked at Rong Jing in a very sincere manner.

"Just sit down. Is anyone going to speak" Rong Jing raised his head and glanced at the man before he lowered it again and asked.

The man was uncertain whether what he had said was right or wrong, so he sat down uneasily.

After Rong Jing finished speaking, another person stood up. It was a young nobleman with a rather delicate face. Yun Qianyue almost mistook him for a girl due to his looks if it weren't for the fact that he had his hair tied up in a topknot. He bowed at Rong Jing as well and said elegantly, "Studying is about accumulating wisdom from everyone else so that I can be aware of things around me, become more enlightened, straighten myself, earn my place, then honor our forefathers and make the family proud. A man should build up his achievements to serve his country."

Yun Qianyue thought that she had better not judge a book by its cover.

"Is there more" Rong Jing didn't look up as he asked in a mild tone.

The young nobleman seemed to be surprised that his impressive speech hadn't earned him Young Master Jing's approval. He felt somewhat uneasy and shook his head, "There isn't anything else! Please give your instructions, Young Master Jing!"

"Sit down," Rong Jing raised his head, looked at the young nobleman for a moment before he lowered it again and asked in a calm tone, "Is there anyone who would like to speak"

No one stood up immediately this time. Instead, everyone exchanged glances.

"I didn't expect that such a weakling sitting here would be so pompous. Don't mislead the students! I wonder what's wrong with Uncle Emperor that he actually asked you to come and teach in the Imperial Academy What if everyone learns from your black-hearted ways" A mocking voice suddenly came through, followed by someone who walked into the room confidently. It was Ye Qingran.

Seeing Ye Qingran enter, many people's expressions on the upper floor changed dramatically. Some of them were whispering earlier but now they didn't even dare to breathe loudly anymore. Everyone looked at him with fear in their eyes.

Yun Qianyue saw Ye Qingran and thought that he was indeed capable if his mere presence could make everyone back off!

Rong Jing tilted his head slightly when he heard the voice, glanced at Ye Qingran mildly and said gently, "Aren't you supposed to be resting in Prince De's residence Why are you here"

Yun Qianyue suddenly remembered what happened yesterday. She fixed her gaze on Ye Qingran and studied him from top to bottom. He had a pale face and was walking unsteadily, which was very different from his usual confident demeanor; he looked weak today. His dark eye bags were also obvious as well. Yun Qianyue twitched at the corner of her mouth, thinking that it was probably due to the castor beans that he couldn't sleep all night long. Yet, here he was able to come to the Imperial Academy!

"Isn't this a rare opportunity for you, my weakling, to teach How could I miss out" Ye Qingran spotted Yun Qianyue sitting in the last row and winked at her. Suddenly, he approached Rong Jing, took just two steps before reaching his desk, looked down at him and said with gritted teeth, "You really have amazing skills for putting castor beans in a little girl's food. Are you even going to spare her"

"She never eats anything else when she has a dish of steamed mandarin fish," Rong Jing replied.

Yun Qianyue raised her head and looked at the ceiling, thinking that this person really knew everything about her! Steamed mandarin fish was so delicious. She would never get tired of it; how could there be any other dishes in her eyes In her heart, if steamed mandarin fish were on the table, all other dishes would pale in comparison!

"I see!" Ye Qingran suddenly understood and glared at Rong Jing with hatred. After a while, he suppressed his anger and said to him softly, "Please pray that you never fall into my hands! Otherwise, I'll make sure that your life is worse than death and even after you die, I will peel your skin off!

Night Qingran left a threatening remark and walked towards Yun Qianyue.

Rong Jing pretended not to hear him, continuing to read his book.

"What is this pig doing lying on the floor" Night Qingran saw Leng Shaozhuo on the ground at this moment, raising an eyebrow and asking.

No one answered him.

Yun Qianyue let out a laugh. Sure enough, Night Qingran was also in agreement with her; to her, Leng Shaozhuo was indeed like a stupid pig! She lazily looked at Night Qingran and said, "This pig kept calling me names, so I wanted to cut off his hooves, but it seems that I wasn’t successful since they’re still attached!"

At this moment, Night Qingran saw the injured hand of Leng Shaozhuo which was swollen and covered in blood. He raised an eyebrow and looked away, sitting down arrogantly next to Yun Qianyue’s empty seat. He said disdainfully, "It's just a pig; I don’t mind getting my hands dirty. For your future tasks, leave them to me. I’ll ensure that the pig doesn’t even have its brain left."

The people around let out gasps.

"Good!" Yun Qianyue answered simply and straightforwardly.

“What book are you reading Let me see!” Night Qingran noticed that Yun Qianyue was holding her book upside down, which piqued his curiosity.

Yun Qianyue wasn’t reading anyway and was listening to everyone’s discussion. She handed the book over to Night Qingran who continued reading without changing position; he too held it upside-down.

The people around them stared at Night Qingran in astonishment, thinking that Yun Qianyue not knowing how to read properly wasn’t surprising and neither was Jing Shizi reading books upside down since nothing seemed impossible for him. However, the fact that even Xiao Wang of the Yan Clan held his book upside-down was a strange occurrence of today.

"Bring someone in here to inform Duke Deying. Say that Xiao Wang is not resting at home as he’s causing trouble in the Imperial Study Room," Rong Jing said without lifting his head, addressing his servants outside.

"Yes!" A small eunuch left immediately.

“Rong Jing! Where am I causing trouble” Night Qingran looked up and glared at Rong Jing.

"No But did you not see that you’ve made everyone too scared to study properly Besides, the Emperor sent Yun Qianyue here to learn, not to play around. If you keep interrupting her, how can she concentrate on learning I would call this a disruption," Rong Jing said coolly while glancing at Yun Qianyue.

Night Qingran snorted and raised an eyebrow in triumph, "I came here to listen! As soon as I arrived, I informed Grandpa Emperor and my father. They were so proud of how much I love learning that they praised me highly. Weak beauty, you can’t get rid of me! How am I disrupting her studies anyway"

"Oh So the Emperor allowed you to come here!" Rong Jing put down his book and looked at Night Qingran. He turned to address those outside again, "Is there a guard on duty in the Imperial Study Room"

“Yes, Your Highness!” Several voices answered loudly from outside.

"Escort Xiao Wang of the Yan Clan back to Duke Deying’s residence," Rong Jing instructed.

“Yes!” Guards immediately walked in and approached Night Qingran. Although they were somewhat afraid of him, they still obeyed Rong Jing's orders without hesitation.

"Weak beauty! You dare send me away When did the Imperial Study Room’s guards ever take your orders" Night Qingran was furious at this weak-looking girl for her bold move and snapped, "Grandpa Emperor and my father know that I’m here. They gave their permission; didn’t you hear them"

"I heard! But when I took up the responsibility of teaching in the Imperial Study Room, I also requested an imperial decree from His Majesty to appoint 100 guards for me so as to prevent any disturbances. Everything within this room is under my authority. So even if you have permission from both the Emperor and Duke Deying, it’s still not allowed because I haven’t given the go-ahead," Rong Jing met Night Qingran's angry gaze coolly, calmly observing him without changing his tone.

Yun Qianyue cursed inwardly. This person was truly heartless! With 100 guards appointed for her protection, he was clearly guarding against Night Qingran. Not long ago, when Cold Disengagement questioned him, who said that he only taught classes and wasn’t involved in anything else So quickly turning into someone with absolute authority over all matters within the Imperial Study Room…

Yun Qianyue was speechless! She pitied Night Qingran, whose face had turned red from anger. If it were before, even 200 guards wouldn’t have been able to control him. Now he looked as if a gust of wind could blow him away. It made her anxious.

"If any of you dares take another step forward, I’ll make your lives miserable!" Night Qingran glared at the approaching guards.

Their faces changed and they stopped in unison. Although Xiao Wang’s reputation was still there, they didn’t dare to move at this moment. They all turned to look at Rong Jing, whose expression remained unchanged.

Night Qingran chuckled triumphantly, "Weak beauty, can you do anything about me"

“I couldn't believe that such a troublemaker as yourself would come here until I heard from Rong Shizi. So it's true! If Jing Shizi cannot control him, the emperor will," Night Qingran’s words were followed by an elderly voice booming outside, "Escort this troublesome Xiao Wang back to Duke Deying’s residence for rest. Without my permission, he is not allowed to enter the palace or come to the Imperial Study Room during Rong Shizi's lectures!”e as they looked at each other."Didn’t you hear" Rong Jing asked again."Prince, the carriage has just arrived. Shall we send Miss Yun back tomorrow instead" Xiangge tried to keep Yun Qianyue here."Tod...