Chapter 40: Scenery

Yifeng Year 7, Autumn

White Deer Academy, Guanlan Pavilion.

Late autumn day, verdant mountains and mist, red maples all over the trees like fire.

Guanlan Pavilion was built on the edge of a cliff on White Deer Mountain, with towering mountains and deep forests outside.

Inside the pavilion, two people were playing chess.

The elderly person, holding black pieces, sometimes frowning deeply, sometimes hesitating.

The young woman, holding white pieces, appeared calm and composed, placing her moves decisively.

On the chessboard, the black pieces had already occupied most of the board, while the white pieces were being continuously killed off, seemingly heading towards defeat.

The elderly person looked up, smiling happily at the woman opposite: “After two years, this old woman has finally won a game against you.”

The woman in white silk, holding a white piece, just as these words were spoken, placed it on the board with a “pa” sound.

She raised her head, giving a cool glance at the elderly person, and said calmly: “I’ve won.”

The smile froze on the elderly person’s face. She looked down at the board as if seeing a ghost, carefully observing the situation. With that one move, the previously certain victory had completely collapsed, resulting in a total loss.

The elderly person’s cloudy eyes remained fixed on the chessboard for a long while, before finally leaning back in the chair, exhausted.

She sighed, waved her hand, and glanced sideways at the young woman across the stone table, saying with displeasure: “You’re about to leave, and this old woman has at least guided you for half a year in poetry, prose, classics, and texts. Who would have thought that you, you little monkey, wouldn’t even let me win one game before you go.”

The elderly person, with her white hair, usually strict and rigid, was today sighing and showing resentment in her eyes, a stark contrast to her usual demeanor.

The woman in white remained expressionless, but a hint of amusement spread in her moist almond eyes.

She straightened up slowly, walked around the stone table, and bowed formally to the elderly person sitting in the wooden chair: “Thank you, teacher, for your guidance and enlightenment over the past half year. However, there’s no retreat in chess. If the student deliberately let you win, it would be disrespectful to you.”

The frost-tinged temples of the elderly person showed no trace of anger, her gaze falling on the young woman standing with bowed head before her. A flash of satisfaction passed through her cloudy eyes.

She stood up and walked unsteadily to the railing of Guanlan Pavilion, raising her eyes to look into the distance at the nearby mountains, valleys, and steep cliffs.

After a while, she sighed: “Cangyun calling me ‘teacher’ might be too much for this old woman. This past year, we’ve been both teacher and friend. Although I taught you articles and classics, your unique insights on mathematics, geography, and topography have also broadened this old woman’s horizons.”

The young woman stepped forward, standing behind the elderly person, and said with a smile: “Teacher Jia deserves Cangyun’s respect. This year, without your careful guidance, the student would probably need three more years before taking the imperial examinations.”

Mountain breezes blew, ruffling her half-bound, half-loose black hair. As her hair strands fluttered, they revealed her cold and otherworldly face. She stood aloof from the world, as if a celestial being.

The elderly person turned her head to see her student with the air of an immortal. She was stunned for a moment, then curved her lips: “Alright, since I’ve accepted your address as ‘teacher’, and you’re about to take the imperial examinations and enter officialdom, this old woman will give you some more advice.”

The young woman lowered her head, respectfully listening.

“Your teacher has experienced the rule of three empresses, and has navigated the official circles for many years. As for connections in the court, you can make full use of them when you enter the capital with Ziyun. However… the current court is overcrowded with officials, and the relationships between noble families are intertwined, where pulling one thread affects the whole fabric. There are constant undercurrents between the aristocratic faction led by the Southern Marquis and the reform faction led by Chang Diqing.”

The elderly person paused, her cloudy eyes fixed on the young woman before her, showing concern: “Although I encourage you to enter officialdom and bring new blood to the court, I also have worries. In factional struggles, one is not always in control of one’s fate. A slight misstep can lead to irreversible consequences. You’re now entering officialdom as the top scholar from Lingnan, and the articles you’ve written in the past two years have made you famous among scholars from humble backgrounds. Standing out like this, you’re likely to attract various factions trying to recruit you as soon as you enter the capital.”

The young woman nodded and listened quietly, her face steady and composed.

The elderly person looked at her closely, seeing that she was neither arrogant nor impatient, and felt even more satisfied. She took out a letter from her bosom and tucked it into the young woman’s clothes, advising: “Your teacher hopes you’ll maintain your original intentions and use your talents to rectify discipline and reform the administration. The current court of the Golden Phoenix Dynasty needs a clear stream, not belonging to any faction, to tackle issues like military corruption, official bribery, and nepotism among clans. If you encounter difficulties in the future, giving this letter to Chang Diqing should help you avoid disaster.”

The young woman accepted the letter with both hands and bowed in gratitude: “Cangyun thanks the teacher for her guidance!”

The mountain wind beat against the maple leaves, making the maple forest rustle.

The view was full of red maples. Liu Changning’s lips curved slightly, but it was a bitter smile.

Originally, because of the hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, with scholars holding the highest position in the entire Golden Phoenix Dynasty, she had planned to obtain an official title and then stop there.

But in the spring of Yifeng’s sixth year, while traveling south, she passed through Chunan County and saw an entire city of corpses.

Due to a severe drought, the court had allocated relief funds, but local officials had secretly embezzled them.

The entire county was filled with starving people, many dying of hunger on the streets.

Liu Changning was naturally aloof, but in that city full of corpses, she felt intense anger.

The local officials, instead of seeking to benefit the people and govern diligently with love, had become executioners due to their greed.