Chapter 429
Yuan'er was utterly baffled.
Li Qingxun cheerfully entered the room to change her clothes.
The next day, Li Qingxun went to the Guangwen Academy to study.
The Guangwen Academy was currently the place where imperial princes and princesses received their education. Previously, Li Qingxun hadn’t even been qualified to step inside, but recently, as the Empress and Consort Xie were locked in a fierce rivalry, she had luckily secured the opportunity to study there.
The current students at the Guangwen Academy were four princes and the unmarried Seventh Princess, Li Qingling.
Li Qingxun stepped into the academy’s lecture hall.
The moment she entered, probing gazes swept over her—some filled with disdain, others with contempt. Especially from the recently released-from-confinement Seventh Princess, Li Qingling, whose glare seemed sharp enough to pierce Li Qingxun through.
Only the Third Prince, Li Ang, greeted her warmly, beckoning with a friendly wave. "Sixth Sister, come sit down."
The princes and princesses in the hall were all dressed in lavish silks and brocades, while Li Qingxun’s attire was the plainest, without even a single hairpin to adorn her hair.
She was simple, unadorned.
Her looks weren’t those of a peerless beauty either, far from the regal elegance of Princess Li Qingling.
Yet for some reason, Li Qingxun carried an undeniable presence, one that made it impossible not to notice her.
"Thank you," Li Qingxun said, taking a seat at an empty desk and flipping casually through the books laid out. A scientific genius in her past life, her academic prowess was naturally exceptional, and she had quickly mastered the written language of Qing State after arriving.
She skimmed the pages—tedious ancient texts filled with lectures on etiquette, rules, and moral virtues. Li Qingxun found them dull and had no interest in reading further.
Not far away, Li Qingling observed her covertly. After two months of confinement, following a heart-to-heart talk with the Empress, she had gradually come to recognize her own mistakes.
She was trying hard to suppress her willful temper, striving to be an obedient daughter to win her father’s favor.
"She’s actually reading..." Li Qingling thought warily. If Li Qingxun studied diligently and mastered courtly manners, she might very well earn the Emperor’s regard.
Clenching her sleeves, Li Qingling resolved to outwork her sixth sister.
But before she could tighten her grip for more than a few seconds, the supposedly "diligent" Li Qingxun had already sprawled across the desk, using the ancient texts as a pillow as she closed her eyes in boredom.
Li Qingling: "..."
She had overestimated Li Qingxun.
Any other princess, given the chance to study at the Guangwen Academy, would have seized the opportunity to better herself. Yet here was Li Qingxun, napping atop the books like mud that refused to cling to the wall.
...
Li Qingxun dozed for about the time it took to drink a cup of tea before stirring at the sound of movement around her. Li Ang nudged her arm. "Sister, wake up. Minister Zhang is here."
Li Qingxun’s eyes snapped open.
Zhang He'an was a protégé of the Grand Chancellor, a former top scholar in the imperial examinations, whose career had soared smoothly. Despite his youth, he already held dual positions in the Ministry of Rites and the Hanlin Academy, earning the respect of the imperial children, none of whom dared misbehave in his presence.
As the curtains swayed slightly, Li Qingxun turned her head and caught sight of a figure in jade-green robes stepping over the threshold.
Today, Zhang He'an wore a round-collared, wide-sleeved robe, his hair bound with a delicate silk crown. Bamboo embroidery adorned the hem of his garment, his collar and cuffs immaculately arranged—even a single strand of hair seemed perfectly in place.
His features were coldly refined, his beauty like carved jade. Li Qingxun stared, transfixed.
So handsome!
She wanted him!
Zhang He'an walked to the lectern at the front, opened a book, and spoke in a voice like shattered jade. "Today, we shall discuss The Annals of Qing State. Please turn to the first page."
Li Qingxun had no intention of reading. Her gaze remained fixed on Zhang He'an.
Even his voice was a delight—clear and resonant, reminding her of the crisp chime of laboratory instruments colliding in precise experiments.
It was mesmerizing, heart-stirring.
Zhang He'an seemed oblivious, calmly proceeding with the lecture. The class lasted an hour, and by the end, his voice carried a faint rasp.
When the break arrived, Li Qingxun darted forward, intercepting the tea a servant had brought and presenting it to Zhang He'an. "Minister Zhang, have some water. Don’t strain that lovely voice."
Zhang He'an lifted his eyes to hers. "Thank you, Sixth Princess."
His gaze was cool and clear, like peach blossoms in early spring. Li Qingxun felt dizzy with admiration and didn’t hold back her praise. "Minister Zhang, your eyes are stunning—like black onyx."
Zhang He'an paused mid-sip.
He studied the Sixth Princess with a deeper look.
Nearby, Li Qingling had reached her limit. Fuming, she marched over and snapped at Li Qingxun, "Li Qingxun! How dare you ogle Minister Zhang during class!"
Li Qingxun spread her hands innocently. "Nonsense. When did I ogle him? I was looking at him openly."
Li Qingling had never imagined her sister could be so brazen. Flustered, her pretty face flushed red as she stammered, "You—you—you’re utterly shameless!"
Li Qingxun shrugged. "Everyone appreciates beauty. I’m just an ordinary person. If Zhang He'an were ugly, I wouldn’t spare him a glance."
Li Qingling: "..."
She had never met someone so thick-skinned!
With a huff, Li Qingling stormed off.
By afternoon, Li Qingling had gone to serve the Empress and practice tea-brewing. Uninterested in such arts, Li Qingxun followed the princes to the training grounds instead.
Fascinated by horseback riding and archery, she requested a pony. The servants initially refused, but after dragging Li Ang into the matter, she got her way.
She had never ridden before.
Li Ang, kind-hearted, volunteered to teach her the basics. Li Qingxun visualized the motions in her mind, observed how the other princes rode, and quickly pinpointed the key techniques. In no time, she was mounting the horse and practicing.
Within half an hour, she had mastered the essentials, leaving Li Ang dumbfounded.
"Sixth Sister, you—you learned this fast?" he stammered.
Li Qingxun tugged the reins, grinning from atop the horse. "Everything follows its own formula. Master the formula, and you can learn anything quickly."
Li Ang didn’t understand, but it sounded impressive.
After riding a few laps, Li Qingxun suddenly noticed Zhang He'an standing beneath a pavilion, seemingly watching her.
Delighted by the discovery, she turned her horse and trotted over to him.
Gripping the reins, she looked down at Zhang He'an, scrutinizing his attire before smirking. "Minister Zhang, were you watching me?"
Zhang He'an replied, "I was not."
Li Qingxun scoffed, flicking her black riding crop lightly. The tip grazed Zhang He'an’s shoulder, then trailed deliberately along his throat, brushing his Adam’s apple before sliding down the embroidered collar of his robe, all the way to his waist.
Zhang He'an remained still, cool as moonlight.
Li Qingxun teased, "Fine clothes make the man, and a good saddle makes the horse. That outfit really shows off your slender waist, Minister Zhang."