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墨書 Inktalez
But little did they know, this was merely a prelude orchestrated by the Chongjing Emperor for an execution set to take place months later. This groundwork had been laid multiple times over those months, becoming increasingly frequent, yet the arrogant Sang Family paid it no mind.
Only Sang Jue retained a semblance of clarity and repeatedly warned his family, but his concerns fell on deaf ears. Coupled with his own sense of luck, the tragedy of the Sang Family unfolded just as it was destined to.
Sang Qingxiao seized this opportunity; if she could kill directly, that would be ideal. If not, a visit to the Office of Censors would surely bring her close to death.
Qi Xiaomian understood her intentions and internally agreed.
"Are you feeling any better?" Qi Xiaomian asked with concern.
"Not really. I've been lying down all day; my bones ache, and it seems to have worsened."
"The Emperor wants the court physician to come and take a look."
Sang Qingxiao scoffed. "Just come to take a look? I've seen enough of the court physicians in the palace. Their medical skills aside, they are adept at avoiding responsibility. I wouldn't dare let them examine even a simple wound, let alone one inflicted by a demon. I can't risk them pretending to understand and making things worse."
"I told the Emperor the same thing, so he sent Yong Huai over to check on you. But Yong Huai is too busy now. There are suspicions in every palace, and everyone is vying for his attention. They insist he must be right in front of them for them to feel at ease. I'm afraid you'll have to wait your turn."
"Ha! It seems your uncle's attitude is rather dismissive," Sang Qingxiao remarked.
Qi Xiaomian did not respond directly but continued, "Li Cu insists on joining you at the Women's Academy. I've already mentioned it to the Emperor."
The Emperor agreed and deemed it a splendid idea. He immediately summoned Wen Jijiang, Xiao Wen, the Headmaster, into the palace specifically to discuss this matter. Wen Jijiang nodded in agreement at that time, but his companion Cui Zhangyuan expressed some concerns.
"Cui Zhangyuan? Cui Qianwu? Is he related to the Imperial Teacher Cui Cheng from years ago?"
"You seem quite familiar with him; you remember his name so clearly," Qi Xiaomian noted with some curiosity but also confusion. She probed further, "Cui Zhangyuan is the youngest son of Cui the Imperial Teacher. When they were young, he had a good relationship with Sang Jue. Sang Jue even knelt before Cui the Imperial Teacher once to save his life from exile."
As Qi Xiaomian recounted those past events, she found no discernible reaction on Sang Qingxiao's face and sighed inwardly; ultimately, she still didn't fully trust herself.
She continued, "Cui the Imperial Teacher is over fifty now and has welcomed a son—what joy! Riri dotes on him as well. This man is exceptionally gifted; when Sang Jue took part in the Imperial Examination back then, he must have been Second Place Scholar but chose not to enter government service and instead proposed establishing an Imperial Academy."
With Cui the Imperial Teacher's backing, he quickly became an assistant supervisor upon entering and just a few years later—before turning thirty—he became Headmaster first of the Women's Academy and later of the Boys' Academy. This position made him second only to Wen Jijiang.
Everyone says he aims for the title of Grand Scholar; some even claim he wants the Cui Family's status in literature to surpass that of the Wen Family.
In my view, both motivations exist.
Sang Qingxiao casually remarked, "He certainly has grand ambitions. The Wen Family has been established for generations; their descendants are all upright, low-key, and accomplished."
"The Cui Family only began rising during Cui Cheng's generation," she continued. "Cui Cheng was a late bloomer among several generations; there were hardly any notable figures before him—just a handful you could count on one hand."
"How could they possibly compare!"
However, having dreams is always good; what if they come true?
I haven't paid much attention to the Imperial Academy, but today, observing the interactions between Wen Jijiang and Cui Qianwu, I noticed that Wen Jijiang, being over ten years older than Cui Qianwu, appeared more composed. Cui Qianwu seemed youthful and impetuous; he spoke the most and seemed to garner more of the Emperor's attention. However, upon closer observation, it was clear that the entire conversation was actually dominated by a few words from Wen Jijiang.
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