Chapter 8
Gu Qian wasn't like the manor's children who had to go to the National Academy every day. When he didn't want to go, no one could control him.
During the previous period, he wasn't in the imperial capital, having traveled far with Nangong Ming.
Yu Sui answered him: "Big Brother Gu, you weren't in the imperial capital. Even if I wanted to find you, I couldn't."
Gu Qian seemed to realize he had said something he shouldn't have, snorted coldly, and walked away.
Yu Sui didn't know what this child was angry about, but she felt no need to worry about it, focusing all her attention on decomposing the communication array.
This day, Yu Sui left three Five Elements Light Cores in the communication courtyard to monitor operations.
After returning to the manor, she put on protective gear and went to the archery range to begin learning horsemanship.
Elder Brother Han Bing selected a gentle little horse for her. Yu Sui communicated with this little white horse for a long time before daring to mount it. Su Feng and Sheng Hao beside her were ready to catch Yu Sui if she got thrown off, but unexpectedly the two got along quite well.
Han Bing, as the elder brother, taught his two younger brothers while instructing Yu Sui. When he was still explaining, Yu Sui saw it was time and waved goodbye.
This was the first time the elder brother encountered such a situation, standing there stunned.
Sheng Hao grinned with amusement. Finally someone else could experience how he felt before.
Yu Sui had planned to go back and work on the communication array. Today she wanted to try whether she could decrypt those three number mountains and obtain specific information from Wind-Listening Rulers connected to them.
Halfway there, she was called to Lady Su's side.
Lady Su, who had returned to the manor, had nothing particular to do, just monitoring Yu Sui's book recitation and writing.
Yu Sui really hadn't listened to what the teachers taught today, so she could only kneel at the door reading and reciting at the same time.
In the evening when Nangong Ming came over, seeing Yu Sui kneeling at the door reciting books, he smiled: "I heard you've been learning archery with your brothers recently. How are the results?"
"I've learned it already," Yu Sui said.
Nangong Ming hummed, saying with a half-smile: "Studied for almost two months?"
Yu Sui looked up at him: "Though slow, I did learn it."
Over the years, Nangong Ming's expectations for Yu Sui had been lowered repeatedly. She definitely wasn't clever, but she managed not to make Nangong Ming give up on her by being "though slow, I will definitely learn it."
It was just that the children around were all too excellent, and Nangong Ming and Lady Su themselves were extremely outstanding people with high talent, naturally looking down on Yu Sui's "slow learning" ability.
That night Nangong Ming seemed in good spirits, sitting beside her listening to Yu Sui recite texts, waiting until she finished reciting everything before taking her to dine.
After dinner, Yu Sui was finally free. She returned to her room, closed the door, sat under the Liu Dan Jade Stone with paper and brush at hand, observing changes in the number mountains through Strange Fire.
The circular dials and colorful ribbons on the number mountains spun rapidly, the changing numbers dazzling. She selected the newest message before her, recording all numbers and runes to begin decryption.
Tianyuan represented positioning.
Jiguang handled transmission.
Changsheng performed encryption.
Other small number mountains circled the large ones performing different power conversions and fusions. Everything Yu Sui saw was rapidly changing while performing different calculations.
Her separated consciousness was now like another self, two consciousnesses working toward the same goal with different tasks.
Whenever Yu Sui saw rotating numbers and runes on the number mountains, she felt a wonderful power circulating in her body, allowing her to be attracted by numbers while also finding what she needed in the world created by numbers.
From fill-character formulas to stellar positioning, Yu Sui seemed to see a giant net before her. When she eliminated unnecessary things from the net, she saw this message sent from the National Academy's communication array:
"Zhongli family girls are not allowed to learn archery. Just have them watch from the side."
Dawn rose outside the windows. Yu Sui looked at the message she had worked all night to decrypt, lost in thought.
……
So far, the National Academy taught mostly book knowledge, so Yu Sui hadn't felt anything was wrong.
Yu Sui and Zhongli Que had been desk mates for almost three or four months, but the two hadn't spoken a single word.
Among all the noisy, truant children, Zhongli Que was undoubtedly the most dedicated student.
She listened carefully every day. Whatever the teachers said was gospel. She completed every copying assignment, unlike Yu Sui who slept all day.
Zhongli Que was the teachers' favorite student at the National Academy besides Gu Qian.
She was the "other people's child" that parents often mentioned, well-behaved and earnest.
It was just that the surrounding children loved being mischievous or were aloof and independent. They didn't like playing with good children.
Yu Sui only saw Zhongli Que playing with her family's brothers and sisters.
Her clan sisters were in similar situations, only the boys fared better.
Second Prince Su Feng of the manor had a good relationship with the Zhongli family's young master Zhongli Shan.
Both were disciples of the Military School with many topics to discuss.
Today there was a written test. Zhongli Que held her brush, writing seriously. The classroom was very quiet. In this quietness, she noticed that Yu Sui beside her wasn't sleeping but propping her head with one hand, gazing at her longingly.
Zhongli Que was unmoved at first, pretending she saw nothing. Later, as if unable to bear Yu Sui's staring, she hesitated and pushed her test paper toward Yu Sui's side.
Hm?
Now it was Yu Sui's turn to be confused.
Thinking Yu Sui couldn't see, Zhongli Que pushed it further toward her.
When she heard the manor's second prince chatting with her brother, he mentioned that the little princess had to kneel and recite books at home because she was lazy and didn't study at the Academy. If she did poorly on tests, she would also be scolded by the lady and prince.
She's looking at me today, does she want me to help her?
That's what Zhongli Que thought. After an intense internal struggle, she chose to help the pitiful little princess of the manor.
Yu Sui finally understood after Zhongli Que exposed half her test paper to her.
She wants me not to waste time, to study properly since I'm not sleeping.
So that's what she meant.
The two children blinked at each other. Yu Sui picked up her brush and copied from Zhongli Que.
The good child was obviously doing this for the first time. Helping someone cheat was something "bad children" did in Zhongli Que's view, forbidden behavior. She felt very burdened, her heart pounding as she reluctantly helped Yu Sui.
Yu Sui indicated she was done copying, and only then did Zhongli Que sigh in relief.
……
The National Academy's archery classes were in autumn.
During autumn, children spent mornings in classrooms and afternoons entirely at the archery range.
Yu Sui dozed at the archery range, standing in formation, seeing Zhongli Que sitting in the rest area from afar. She sat on a small stool with snacks and tea arranged on the small table beside her.
Zhongli Que held her face in both hands, gazing enviously at the children who could draw bows and shoot arrows.
Princess Shangyang shot an arrow into the bullseye, drawing cheers from others. She proudly raised her head, accepting the acclaim. Holding a long arrow, she waved it at Zhongli Que in the rest area, deliberately teasing her.
Zhongli Que looked away, not watching her.
When it was Yu Sui's turn to shoot, everyone didn't think she could shoot well. They were surprised to see her, like Princess Shangyang, hit the bullseye on her first try, crying out in amazement.
"Could Nangong Sui be an archery prodigy?" someone said.
Princess Shangyang snorted: "What prodigy, she just practiced secretly in private."
Yu Sui, walking by, heard this and nodded, indicating you're right.
Princess Shangyang glared at her, hands on hips: "My archery was learned together with Gu Qian. How about that?"
Besides being somewhat surprised, Yu Sui really didn't have any particular reaction. But Gu Qian came over and pulled Yu Sui away, saying as they walked: "I waited for you at the National Academy archery range before, but you didn't come. Instead Princess Shangyang came."
Yu Sui listened in confusion: "Big Brother Gu, when did you tell me to come to the archery range?"
Gu Qian said with a stern face: "Last month, I went to the manor to find you. Su Feng said you weren't there, so I told him to have you come to the National Academy archery range."
Boys' strange competitive spirit.
When Su Feng asked what the matter was, that he could relay it, Gu Qian didn't need to tell him, but he did, because he was certain Yu Sui would come.
Knowing Su Feng and the others were teaching Yu Sui, he still wanted to "steal her away" in front of Su Feng.
So Su Feng's reaction was to simply not tell Yu Sui, treating Gu Qian's words as background noise, heard and forgotten.
After hearing this, Yu Sui said innocently: "Second Brother didn't tell me. If I had known, I definitely would have gone. Why didn't you tell me directly? I thought you were ignoring me these past few days because I did something wrong."
Let the boys solve their own problems. Yu Sui wouldn't get involved.
After hearing this, Gu Qian had an "I knew it" expression and made up with Yu Sui.
Yu Sui chatted with Gu Qian while glancing toward Zhongli Que behind them.
She sat alone watching the archery field, her eyes full of regret.
Gu Qian was called away by other children, so Yu Sui walked toward Zhongli Que.
Seeing someone approach, Zhongli Que withdrew her gaze and lowered her head. Discovering it was Yu Sui, she picked up her tea cup as if to drink, covering her unease.
"I'm so tired," Yu Sui sat down beside her, collapsing onto the table. "May I borrow your table to sleep for a while?"
Zhongli Que stared at her wide-eyed, thinking you're already sleeping.
She was also a strange child.
Every time Yu Sui did something she couldn't understand, she would add "May I..." as if asking permission, which somehow made Zhongli Que think Yu Sui was very "polite."
She couldn't refuse polite people, so she quietly responded: "Yes."
……
Yu Sui's exceptional performance in archery class reached her brothers' ears. Everyone said how amazing your sister suddenly became.
The brothers would say: Where, where, it's because I taught her well.
They would ask: How long did you teach her?
The brothers: Just a few months.
Yu Sui was called an archery prodigy in the afternoon and debunked by evening.
She didn't care. After returning to the manor, she would still practice at their own archery range.
Physical fitness definitely needed training.
Second Brother Su Feng happened to be there too, so Yu Sui asked him about Zhongli Que.
"What about her?" Su Feng, who was drawing his bow, sensitively and surprisingly turned to look. "Don't tell me you got beaten by her and couldn't win?!"
Yu Sui: "......"
She wondered what kind of image she had in Su Feng's mind.
"She doesn't take archery classes. When we shoot arrows, she just watches from the side." Yu Sui said, "I'm very envious."
Only then did Su Feng relax. He shot the arrow in his hand and explained: "All women of the Zhongli family are forbidden from practicing the Nine Schools arts. They can only be ordinary practitioners. Even as ordinary practitioners, they cannot be involved in any Military School methods beyond literature and science."
Yu Sui turned to look at him.
"This is the oath between the Zhongli family and Qingyang Kingdom. Their family's power is too strong. There must be constraints to put the Qingyang Emperor at ease. The women folk with no self-defense ability are the Zhongli family's weakness."
Su Feng explained clearly: "Look at Zhongli Que's father. He's one of the three War Gods of the Military School across the continent, and also our Qingyang's only Military School powerhouse. He's stronger than all previous Zhongli generals."
"I heard from my mother before that when he was young, not only in Qingyang, but beautiful girls from all six kingdoms wanted to marry him. Princesses and noble ladies, each more formidable than the last."
"But the higher their status and position, the more he couldn't marry them, or it would violate the oath between the Zhongli family and Qingyang Kingdom, resulting in the extermination of his entire clan."
"In the end, he married a farm girl with no background as his wife. Even so, the children of the Zhongli family still have exceptional talent."
Su Feng thought Yu Sui was listening carefully. After he finished, he heard Yu Sui ask: "Why did everyone want to marry General Zhongli? Aren't there two other War Gods?"
"Ah?" Su Feng was confused for a moment, scratching his head. "Maybe the other two War Gods aren't as good-looking as our general."
This wasn't wrong.
The current General Zhongli Ci was so powerful, even stronger than his ancestors, that he faced even more wariness from the Qingyang Emperor.
The children of the Zhongli family were in a period where danger could descend at any moment.
As Zhongli Ci's children, every move of Zhongli Shan and Zhongli Que was closely watched.
If Zhongli Que knew the Nine Schools arts, she would have reached the end of her life.
When her father taught her brother the family sword techniques, Zhongli Que could only watch from the side. She wasn't allowed to touch even practice wooden swords, not even small fruit-peeling knives.
She could only be a gentle, weak woman in everyone's eyes.
Living as the most obvious weakness of the Zhongli family.
……
After archery classes began, Yu Sui could only slack off and rest at the table beside Zhongli Que.
The two still spoke very little, but no longer remained completely silent like before.
When Yu Sui came to rest, she would tell Zhongli Que. When teachers chased after her, Zhongli Que would wake her up in advance.
Autumn passed and winter arrived.
Yu Sui no longer went to the National Academy, so she couldn't obtain information from the communication array.
Winter was still like previous years, frequently attending banquets, meeting Zhongli Que several times at different palace banquets.
When spring arrived, the little princess was nine years old.
The National Academy reopened, but Yu Sui didn't see Zhongli Que.
Zhongli Que was confined for two months for picking up a long arrow at the archery range.
Yu Sui heard about this from conversations between Nangong Ming and Lady Su. The children at the National Academy heard that Zhongli Que was ill and needed to recuperate at home for two months.
As they chatted, they turned to Yu Sui's birthday.
Nangong Ming asked Yu Sui what she wanted.
He'd been in good spirits recently. His planned matters seemed to be progressing smoothly with no worries. Even his daughter he considered foolish had been performing quite well lately.
Yu Sui said she wanted a Wind-Listening Ruler.
Nangong Ming was somewhat surprised. "Just this?"
Wind-Listening Rulers were luxurious rarities for ordinary people, but mere trinkets for the manor.
Yu Sui nodded, using Gu Qian as an excuse: "Big Brother Gu is often not in the imperial capital. I want to chat with him but have no way. I've already learned fill-character formulas and stellar positioning. I know how to use Wind-Listening Rulers. Father, please give me one."
Nangong Ming was more surprised that she had learned fill-character formulas and stellar positioning. Seeing she really could use them, he generously gave her a Wind-Listening Ruler. On her birthday, he also gave other gifts a hundred times more valuable than the Wind-Listening Ruler.
That night after obtaining the Wind-Listening Ruler, Yu Sui modified its operating characters, avoiding the possibility of the communication courtyard retrieving information. She bypassed the manor's communication array and connected to the National Academy's communication array.
After a full year of research, Yu Sui had thoroughly studied the National Academy's super-large communication array. Previously she needed to monitor the communication array through Five Elements Light Cores to retrieve information.
Now she could directly establish connections and monitor through the Wind-Listening Ruler.
Every message she sent vanished instantly in the operating number mountains, disappearing as soon as sent, undetectable by communication courtyard personnel.
Yu Sui played with her Wind-Listening Ruler in the deep night. Everyone she could test with was asleep. If she sent messages to her brothers or Gu Qian, they would know she was still awake late at night.
After thinking for a while, Yu Sui picked up the Wind-Listening Ruler and sent a message to a certain unlucky desk mate confined at home recuperating.
……
Zhongli Que was very distressed about being confined.
She desperately explained and apologized to her father, not even daring to look up at his expression.
A court censor nearby gently persuaded, saying she was young and didn't understand, that she shouldn't be too harshly punished.
Her stern father finally gave the order for her to be confined for two months to reflect.
She threw herself into her mother's arms crying. Her mother gently wiped her tears, softly comforting her, but her eyes were full of worry.
"Remember, you must never let anyone discover this, not even your father."
Zhongli Que firmly remembered her mother's reminder, but she had already made one mistake.
Unable to sleep, Zhongli Que lay by the window watching the falling rain outside. The late night drizzle added to her heart's melancholy.
The Wind-Listening Ruler beside her glowed.
Zhongli Que didn't look. These days she had received many messages of concern and comfort from clan sisters, but had no mood to reply.
The Wind-Listening Ruler's light dimmed and brightened repeatedly. After several times, Zhongli Que curiously went to check.
Which sister was also not sleeping late at night, still sending messages to comfort her?
It was an unknown message.
Zhongli Que looked puzzled. Normally, Wind-Listening Rulers without inscription exchanges couldn't send messages to each other.
She touched to open it.
Yu Sui had sent Zhongli Que all the lessons the teachers taught that day.
"The Academy just reopened and we're having tests. It's so difficult."
"Without you here, I came last on the test and got scolded at home again."
"This is what the teacher taught about literature and science today. I didn't sleep, so I recorded it for you. Once you learn it, I can copy your answers directly."
"I'm Nangong Sui."
Reading message after message, Zhongli Que couldn't help but giggle, all the melancholy between her brows dissipating.