"Ah, I know that my daughter will not disappoint you." Pei Shi said, grateful that someone of impressive academic credibility was to assist her daughter.
Being his friend, Lu Yaoyao knew that Mr. Shan was a born tactician, and he doesn't invest time on people whom he knew would not be worthy of it. Also, he never finishes a work empty-handed.
Ye Zhen looked at Pei Shi, did she promised him wealth? But there were families in the capital who could offer him thrice as much gold the Lu family could provide!
Mr. Shan threw a fleeting look across Ye Zhen's direction and nodded his head lightly. "Third miss Lu looks smart. I can tell that it will not be difficult to teach her."
Even Pei Shi couldn't say that her daughter looked smart, but one thing was for sure, books were her enemy. Ye Zhen bowed her head and acted obediently. The only person who knew her best in the world except her father and brother was Mr. Shan, who accompanied her for the longest time in the years before she became Wang Fei of the Qin Dynasty.
After a few exchanged words, Mr. Shan was personally escorted to Ye Zhen's study. On the way, Pei Shi whispered to Ye Zhen. "Yao Yao, it will be tough being a student of Mr. Shan. Even if it is hard, you have to grind your teeth and endure it."
"Well, mother I will."
And she would. This is her only chance. She doesn't want to miss it. Failing to enter the college means misfiring of her revenge and at the same time, tarnishing her sister's reputation.
When they arrived in the study, Pei Shi left the two of them for she had other things to do in her courtyard.
Inside, Mr. Shan looked at Ye Zhen straight and upright as if he wanted to find someone's shadow through her face.
"Sir?" Ye Zhen held her breath for a second, afraid that Mr. Shan would recognize her, though it was impossible.
"Have you lived in a border town since you were a child?" Mr. Shan's eyes suddenly became sharp. The girl looked too much like her former student, except for some distinct difference, she was not at the least, a replica of his deceased student, Ye Zhen. He almost thought that Lu Yaoyao was indeed Ye Zhen.
Maintaining a cool countenance, Ye Zhen replied, "Yes, sir, I have lived in the border town since I was born."
Noticing the books arranged at the shelves, he asked, "And what have you learned?" Mr. Shan's face was indifferent, but his heart was in a storm. What on earth was his master thinking? It was he who told him to consider the idea of being a husband to Ye Zhen before and now, he let him grant Pei's request that she come to teach this little girl of the Lu family.
Originally, he wondered whether his master knew the Lu Family or not. He only knew that his master was truly acquainted with the Ye Family.
Lu Yaoyao …Ye Zhen… What is their relationship?
"Aside from my mother's medical teachings, I also studied Thousand Character Classic** and Biographies of Exemplary Women." This is what Lu Yaoyao learned, but probably Lu Yao did not like reading such books, so she didn't learn much at all.
**T/N: Thousand Character Classic is a Chinese poem that has been used as a primer for teaching Chinese characters to children.
"What's the use of learning tho when surviving the college has become a matter of women's competence in the Six arts… Don't you have any talent to master?" Mr. Shan frowned and asked.
The women's college requires the entrance examination to master six basic abilities: etiquette, music, archery, royal, calligraphy, and mathematics.
If one fails to execute at least one of these, then she definitely couldn't step foot inside the college. For Ye Zhen, this wasn't a problem as she passed this exam before. But for Lu Yaoyao, it was very difficult for sure.
"Please teach me, sir," Ye Zhen made a courtesy and showed great respect.
Mr. Shan lowered his eyes and looked at her for a moment before he uttered in a resolute voice, "Write me a few words."
Ye Zhen nodded, went to the bookcase and picked up the sheep hairbrush beside it. She was at first hesitant to scribble on the spread sheet of paper in front of her. Gripping the brush tightly and with her brows creased, she wrote the phrase that first came out of her mind in shaky strokes.
Clothes might change, but people do not.
Mr. Shan saw the words written by Ye Zhen when he first met his students in the Spring and Autumn** period flash before his very eyes.
**T/N : Spring and Autumn is a period in Chinese history that was marked by a decline in court power and a gradual increase in power of individual states.
"Who the hell are you?" Mr. Shan asked fiercely, "Do you think that looking like the late Wang Fei gives you the reason to imitate her? Presumptuous!"
Is this a coincidence? His mind was nowhere near in peace. Ye Zhen just stared at him, dumbfounded but her hands were fisted under the table tightly, turning her knuckles white.
It was already too coincidental that the nickname and appearance are the same. Now she even writes the same words.
But upon his closer inspection, there was an obvious contrast between their handwriting. No, it's not the same. Ye Zhen's handwriting was far less crooked than those of Lu Yaoyao. They are not ugly at all while Lu Yaoyao's handwriting was no more than that of a child!
If she isn't related to the deceased Wang Fei then why does his master care about this girl?
Mr. Shan became more and more suspicious, but no matter how many questions he had, his master seemed to have fled the moment e accepted this offer. He couldn't find him even if he searched the ends of the earth.
Feigning ignorance, Ye Zhen looked at Mr. Shan with incredulity."Sir, I don't understand what you are saying. Who do I look like?"
Ye Zhen would like to tell Mr. Shan that she is indeed his former student, but she cannot say yet.
"You can't write well if you don't hold the pen in the right position. You need to practice more." Mr. Shan stiffly changed the subject. She didn't want Lu Yaoyao to know too much about Ye Zhen.
Ye Zhen also won't break the pot at this time and proceeded to practice her writing, acting like Mr. Shan's outburst didn't happen.
Mr. Shan stood beside her and looked down at Ye Zhen's beautiful face that was as calm as the ripples of water. No one could predict what she was thinking. Maybe that was one attribute of her that made her different from Ye Zhen. The Ye Zhen he knew wears her emotions on her sleeve. Her grief, her happiness, every emotion she had was palpable in her eyes.
"Pardon my intrusion but Third miss, your eldest brother have come to see you." The maid's apologetic voice came from outside the door of her study.
Her heart began to ram painfully against her chest. At last, she was to face her deepest fear.
Lu Lingzhi had come to meet her. She thought that she'd be given some time before she would finally meet him.
Fear in her gut, yet she knew this fear won't bring Lu Lingzhi into his perils. She is Lu Yao Yao now. If Lu Lingzhi would see Ye Zhen in her, then it was not a thing to be worried about, not hers at least. Let him be haunted by her appearance, let him ponder his mischievous deeds!
Besides, this moment was inevitable. She shouldn't think about how to avoid Lu Lingzhi. Instead, she should let him believe that she truly is Lu Yaoyao, the third miss of his family. Otherwise, how would she take revenge? Their favor and trust towards her would help her achieve her revenge, hold power and lead them to their demise.
"You should take your leave." Mr. Shan said flatly and picked up Ye Zhen's paper and looked at them carefully.
"Of course, sir. If you'll excuse me." Ye Zhen bowed, washed her hands and proceeded to the main hall. She hasn't seen Lu lingzhi in family gatherings since their arrival and this will be the first time she'll see him as Lu Yaoyao.
When she arrived at the hall, Ye Zhen saw a man in blue suit standing by one of the windows, his back facing her. The memory of his betrayal came to her, and she fought back the strong urge to push her through the window.
Yet, she can't. Or else, she'll live the rest of her life in exile, or left on the streets bleeding to death as a just punishment for murdering the assistant minister. So, mustering all her strength, she suppressed her wrath, wore a calm demeanor and approached Lu Lingzhi quietly.
"Eldest brother…" She called in an appropriate strain and shyness of her voice that would not make anyone deem her as strange.
When Lu Lingzhi turned around and saw the girl standing behind him, he was completely stunned. His mouth was agape as he purposely blinked to make sure his mind wasn't playing tricks on him.
But, it can't be! Lu Lingzhi exclaimed in his mind. The girl in front of him is thinner and darker and her eyebrow lacks the aristocratic shape Ye Zhen had. Nonetheless, the resemblance between them was uncanny.
Seeing Lu Lingzhi's face, Ye Zhen knew that he must have shocked himself, giving her just a bit of satisfaction. "Eldest brother? Are you my cousin?"
He snapped out of his trance and realized how impossible it was for Ye Zhen to survive. She drunk the poison and her body burned by the flame. This is the daughter of his uncle
Lu Lingzhi smiled at Ye Zhen. "I heard that Third sister wants to go to the women's college?"
"Yes, grandmother said that women have to go to college to have a good future," said Ye Zhen with a silly smile. "Eldest brother, I know I don't know anything. And I'm afraid that I will be the laughing stock of the family in the future if I stay lacking in academic background."
The girl's expectant and hopeful eyes were quivering as she looked at him. Lu Lingzhi was moved for a moment by Ye Zhen's sincere words, but he still whispered, "What if the eldest brother won't let you go to college?"
The urge to kill the man in front of her became heavier to contain. But Ye Zhen remembered her mission and she spoke in a delicate, grieving voice. "Why? Did Yao Yao do something wrong?