Chapter 5: Hidden Dragons and Crouching Tigers in the Doctoral Hall

Sheng Qingzi’s cheeks were burning hot. He dared not make eye contact with her, unconsciously lowering his gaze. His mind was in chaos, and thinking about his recent rude behavior, he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

As a beautiful young man, spending his days with the three uninteresting women in this doctoral hall had long since become tedious.

One was as cold and silent as a block of ice, another talked too much and had a sharp tongue, and the only decent one left was, unfortunately, already married.

It was rare for the doctoral hall to have a change of atmosphere with a newcomer, especially such an elegant and fairy-like woman.

If it weren’t for that wretched Zhu Miaomiao speaking ill of her and being overheard, he wouldn’t have acted so rashly. It was all Zhu Miaomiao’s fault. Now his image as a “tigress” was solidified.

Lu Yuner watched quietly, a hint of contemplation flashing in her eyes. After all, in this matriarchal world, Sheng Qingzi was still a man, and should have quite thin skin.

The three obediences and four virtues for men – including male virtues, male speech, male appearance, and male skills – as well as behavior and manners, were too restrictive. But there was no way around it; these were the social rules of the matriarchal society.

Although the Emperor had issued laws regarding men’s rights, these were still in the minority, and most women didn’t agree with them deep down.

But Lu Yuner wasn’t from this world. Although she had lived here for a year and seen all aspects of life and human nature, she sincerely hoped that every man could follow his heart and be as free as the wind.

Seeing Sheng Qingzi’s current cautious demeanor, she wanted to ease his discomfort, but as it was their first meeting, she didn’t know where to start.

Suddenly, Lu Yuner thought of something. Her beautiful eyes carried a clear and pure smile as she said, “Doctor Sheng, you look very handsome in this blue robe!”

That’s right, a compliment! Even in an unfamiliar environment, facing unfamiliar people, an appropriate compliment can quickly close the distance between two parties and ease awkwardness.

“Wh… what?”

Sheng Qingzi’s eyes widened slightly. His gaze fell on Lu Yuner’s beautiful face, and his already confused mind completely exploded at her words. His fair face now turned completely red.

Sheng Qingzi never expected to receive such a proper, simply worded compliment for the second time in his life.

He came from a humble background. His mother was a fifth-rank official in the Bureau of Operations under the Ministry of Works, who used her small bit of official power to covet his father’s beauty, forcing him to marry her as a secondary husband. He and his father often suffered from the intentional bullying, mockery, and contempt of the primary wife.

In those years, his father was depressed all day long and eventually passed away in bed.

So from a young age, he decided to be self-reliant and strong. Whether woman or man, only by being strong oneself could one protect those they loved. His current position as a doctor at the Imperial Academy was the result of his own hard work and dedication of time and energy.

Others all knew him for his fiery temperament, without a trace of masculinity, but no one knew this was just his protective coloring. Because of his looks, he was often harassed by women with ill intentions, hearing all sorts of frivolous compliments and suggestive, explicit words.

Sheng Qingzi knew they were just like his mother, not good women.

But this Lu Yuner was different. Her clear eyes and the gentle warmth that slowly emanated from her every move fell right into his heart.

He slowly reached out to lightly pinch his clothes, his voice low and tinged with shyness, “This… is the doctoral robe of the Imperial Academy. You’ll have one too when the time comes, Doctor Lu.”

The doctoral robe was mainly blue, embroidered with orchids in a sword shape, symbolizing uprightness and justice, praising the teachers. The students’ white robes were embroidered with bougainvillea, which blooms with brilliant branches, like a brocade sash, symbolizing a bright future for the students.

“Little brother Qingzi, are you feeling shy?” Zhu Miaomiao watched from the side in amazement. As she rubbed her ears and walked over, she said honestly that in all their time working together, this was the first time she had seen him act so shy as a man. Forgetting the pain of past injuries, she fearlessly moved closer to him and teased with a smile, “Little brother Qingzi, you wouldn’t happen to have feelings for our Doctor Lu, would you?”

As soon as Zhu Miaomiao said this, everyone’s expression changed slightly, including Lu Yuner’s. She hadn’t expected Zhu Miaomiao to misunderstand and speak so bluntly.

Sheng Qingzi awkwardly glanced at Lu Yuner, then quickly averted his gaze in panic.

Since Lu Yuner had already seen, he disregarded his image as a gentle man and said through gritted teeth to Zhu Miaomiao, “I see you’ve forgotten the pain of your past wounds. Let me help you remember!”

Seeing those eyes about to shoot sparks, Zhu Miaomiao knew she was in trouble. A sense of unease suddenly welled up in her heart.

She hurriedly backed away and turned to run, but was blocked by Wen Qing. She reacted in surprise, “Wen Qing, what are you doing? I’m trying to escape!”

In the past, no matter how much she and Sheng Qingzi bickered, Wen Qing never got involved.

Wen Qing, like an elder, looked serious and solemn as she said, “Miaomiao! Your joke at Doctor Lu’s expense shows a lack of manners. You should be punished.”

Zhu Miaomiao: “…” Now she was really in trouble.

“See where you can run now!” Sheng Qingzi’s mouth curved into a smile, revealing a strange grin as he walked towards her step by step.

Zhu Miaomiao’s eyes darted around, and she shouted towards the door, “Director, what brings you here?”

Hearing that the Director had arrived, Wen Qing and Sheng Qingzi were startled and immediately stood to the side, only to find the doorway empty and realize they had been tricked. Zhu Miaomiao had already made her escape.

“How dare you trick me!” Sheng Qingzi ran out angrily, his blue robe fluttering in the wind.

Seeing this situation, Lu Yuner asked with concern, “Should we go help?”

Wen Qing smiled and shook her head, “Qingzi is the youngest in our doctoral hall, and also a man. Although Miaomiao can be loose-tongued at times, she always treats Qingzi like a little brother. He needs to face the consequences, but when it comes to protecting him, she won’t hesitate either.”

Lu Yuner thought back and indeed, in their bickering, Zhu Miaomiao had never retaliated, always letting Sheng Qingzi strike back. However, Wen Qing’s last sentence was clearly concise yet profound, quite meaningful.

Suddenly.

“My, what a handsome young gentleman, so lively!” Liu Lan’s improper voice came from outside.

“It’s General Liu!” Wen Qing was the first to speak.

“Let’s go out and see,” Lu Yuner frowned slightly as she walked towards the outside.

As soon as Lu Yuner came out, she saw Sheng Qingzi lying diagonally in Liu Lan’s arms. It looked as if Sheng Qingzi had almost fallen and Liu Lan had caught him by the waist. However, why did this scene look so familiar?

Lu Yuner suddenly had a flash of memory, instantly realizing something. She walked forward and asked, “General Liu, what brings you here?”

Zhu Miaomiao stepped forward, taking three steps in two, and quickly pulled the still dazed Sheng Qingzi behind her. She frowned, carefully observing Liu Lan, her calm gaze carrying a hint of sharpness. She had heard about this General Liu.

In the blink of an eye, the person in her arms was gone.

Quick, agile, and clean movements, with both offensive and defensive skills – not bad at all!

Liu Lan habitually curved her lips, slowly resting her ambiguous yet excited gaze on Zhu Miaomiao, feeling quite the satisfaction of finding a worthy opponent.

Over the years of reviewing troops on the autumn battlefield, she had galloped across battlefields and understood a principle deeply: an incompetent general exhausts a thousand soldiers, a strategist without wisdom frustrates ten thousand troops.

Rivers of blood form dry bones, millions of corpses sink into yellow earth.

So what she wanted were people with superb martial arts skills and extensive knowledge. Moreover, with the enemy’s recent small movements on the northern border of Huabei, she had to be prepared.

Liu Lan showed no concern at all, raising her hand to adjust her slightly disheveled clothes. Instead, she looked up at Lu Yuner with a smile and said, “I’ve just finished my business and went to the neighboring martial hall to familiarize myself. Thinking that your doctoral hall was quite close, I wanted to come and take a look.”

As she spoke, Liu Lan’s burning gaze passed over Zhu Miaomiao and fell on Sheng Qingzi. Staring at him intently, she continued, “As soon as I arrived, I saved a beautiful young gentleman. Although it was a small matter, shouldn’t I at least receive a word of thanks?”

Sheng Qingzi sensed Liu Lan’s ill intentions. He was also somewhat aware of the rumors about this General Liu. Although she had an outstanding appearance, her thoughts were not proper. She had just said she went to the martial hall, so it seemed they would inevitably cross paths in the future. Moreover, from her conversation with Doctor Lu, it was clear that the two had a close relationship.

But how could this elegant and refined Doctor Lu be on good terms with such a person?

Sheng Qingzi pondered for a moment, then stepped forward and said, “Thank you, General Liu.”

Liu Lan pursed her lips without speaking, a satisfied smile appearing at the corners of her mouth.

At this moment.

“Dong dong dong!” Suddenly, exceptionally heavy and melodious bell sounds kept coming from afar.

Wen Qing looked into the distance and spoke, “This was originally the vegetable offering ceremony held at the Confucian Temple on the first day of each month during the rest period, but it was delayed until today due to some matters. Everyone in the Imperial Academy must dress up and attend. Since you and General Liu just arrived today, you don’t need to. Zhu Miaomiao and I will return to the East Garden to change into our doctoral robes. Sheng Qingzi will take you two to the Confucian Temple first.”

Lu Yuner responded, “Alright.”

Liu Lan, listening to Wen Qing’s words from the side, suddenly raised her beautiful eyebrows and cast her gaze on the two again, her smile growing even wider.

The Imperial Academy and the Confucian Temple were very close, following the architectural etiquette of “temple on the left, school on the right,” just to the east of the Imperial Academy.

Zhu Miaomiao felt somewhat uneasy, taking two steps in one. As she left, her face rarely serious, she gave Lu Yuner a particularly meaningful look, like a kind old mother worried about her child.

Lu Yuner smiled lightly. This Zhu Miaomiao was indeed protective, and to Lu Yuner’s surprise, she was also a well-hidden expert. It seems that General Liu’s reputation for philandering was deeply rooted in people’s hearts!

To be honest, this Liu Lan was indeed a woman worth savoring. Although flirtatious, she had strong principles and never did anything illegal or unruly. She maintained balance and moderation, never bullying the weak or using her power to oppress others.

When facing the enemy, she never dared to relax for a moment, shouldering the heavy responsibility of protecting the country and guarding the millions of civilians behind her.

Seeing her calm and collected demeanor in the military camp when faced with crises, and her resolute attitude of focusing on issues rather than people, she was indeed a talented leader capable of commanding thousands of troops.

Lu Yuner saw Liu Lan’s mouth curve into a smile, all too familiar with this small habit of hers when she was interested and excited, and knew exactly what she had in mind.

Author’s Note:

[1] Bureau of Operations: In charge of manufacturing, receiving, and distributing various official items, managing weights and measures, and minting coins.

[2] Director: An official in charge of school regulations.

[3] Reviewing troops on the autumn battlefield: From the Song Dynasty poet Xin Qiji’s “Breaking the Battle Array – Writing a Heroic Poem for Chen Tongfu and Sending It to Him”

[4] An incompetent general exhausts a thousand soldiers: From “Biography of Yue Fei”

[5] A strategist without wisdom frustrates ten thousand troops: From “The Three Knights and Five Righteous Men”, a sequel to “The Five Righteous Men”

[6] Vegetable offering ceremony: Using vegetables to make offerings to the sage teachers of the past, as a sign of respect.

[7] The strong bullying the weak, the many oppressing the few: From the Warring States period, Song Dynasty, Zhuangzi’s “Zhuangzi – Robber Zhi”