“Chapter 0051: Side Story: The Verdant Hills I See Are Charming”

"Chapter 0051: Side Story: The Verdant Hills I See Are Charming"

"Thirteen-year-old Yun Li was already breathtakingly beautiful."

"She enjoyed talking with her tutor, an interesting old man who believed in lifelong learning."

"Despite a life of hardship, he was a person of integrity."

"He lived on this street, and it seemed like all the cats and dogs knew him, often coming to him for food."

"He loved cats and dogs, in fact, all animals."

"When he began teaching Yun Li and her fifth sister, he didn’t show any nervousness despite their noble status."

"Later, Yun Li's fifth sister stopped coming."

"But Yun Li continued to visit every day, spending each morning there."

"Sometimes, she would bring snacks from the small kitchen for her tutor."

"The tutor would accept them with a chuckle, eating happily."

"He would also prepare some snacks from outside for Yun Li."

"When together, besides discussing scholarly topics, they also talked about all sorts of amusing anecdotes from far and wide."

"Yun Li once joked with her tutor, 'I know many things that you don’t.'"

"She shared with him some stories and knowledge from her previous life, albeit in an abridged form."

"The tutor could see Yun Li’s uniqueness, but he never commented on it."

"Yun Li playfully said, 'We have a friendship that transcends age.'"

"The tutor was delighted, saying it was an honor to have a young friend at his age."

"Though he had lived a life of hardship, he was very open-minded. Even in Jin, where women were given more freedom, how many men truly respected women?"

"But the tutor was different."

"He even encouraged Yun Li to maintain her independent spirit, advising her that even after marriage, she should not just be a woman dependent on a man."

"Even if unable to resist, she should have her own convictions and opinions internally."

"He said that way, if the world ever felt dull or tainted, she would still have something to sustain her."

"He had never married, but he understood the challenges women faced."

"Yun Li never discussed these things with her parents, but she shared a lot with her tutor."

"Sometimes, when she didn’t feel like studying, she would sit on the steps of her tutor’s house, looking up at the sky, and chatting about everyday matters."

"Fortunately, the tutor was in his sixties, almost seventy, so nobody thought their interactions were inappropriate."

"Yun Li didn’t come alone; she always brought a maid with her."

"Fortunately, although the tutor’s son was not very accomplished, he was dutiful."

"This allowed Yun Li to enjoy a few years of carefree happiness."

"She once told her tutor that she wanted to explore all the mountains and rivers here."

"Knowing it was difficult, the tutor suggested, 'Then read more books, and see the world through others’ eyes.'"

"Back then, Yun Li never imagined she would have any connection with the imperial palace."

"She thought, since her family already had a daughter in the palace, it was unlikely they would send another."

"Aware she couldn’t avoid marriage, Yun Li believed her parents truly loved her and thought she would at least have some say in her marriage choice."

"Thus, she was carefree at that time."

"The tutor, concerned, would sit with her on the stone steps and worry, 'What if you clash with your husband due to your temperament?'"

"Yun Li would laugh, her laughter lacking the demureness expected of a noble daughter."

"Or the tutor would say, 'You have high standards, and the good men in this world might not be your ideal. But you can’t remain unmarried, what will you do?'"

"The old man's worried expression was endearing."

"Sometimes she would playfully tug at his beard and say, 'What if I find someone I like? Maybe marry a general who can sweep through thousands of troops!'"

"The tutor would sigh, 'Unfortunately, generals often die young. Wouldn't that be tragic for you?'"

"Yun Li would then rest her chin on her hands and start sighing too."

"Regrettably, such carefree times always come to an end."

"Yun Li's carefree days ended in the year she turned thirteen, just before her birthday."

"She was born on the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, and her family always celebrated her birthday. At that time, her parents, Qi Tongkang and Lin Shi, truly cherished her."

"Even her own younger brother didn't necessarily have a celebration every year."

"On the nineteenth day of the eleventh month, she went to visit her tutor, bringing him gifts."

"She knew the tutor disliked bustling gatherings and that her family wouldn't invite a down-and-out tutor to their home for a feast."

"So, she brought him plenty of food in advance."

"They talked."

"During their long conversation about what a young girl should be like, the tutor remarked that sometimes she acted like a boy."

"Spontaneously, Yun Li wrote a verse at the tutor's desk."

"'After kicking the swing, I rise lazily arranging my delicate hands. The dew is thick, flowers wilt, thin sweat seeps through light clothes."

"Seeing someone approach, socks slipped down, golden hairpins slide. Shyly fleeing, leaning on the door to look back, I take in the scent of green plums.'"

"The tutor laughed heartily, praising her, 'Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! That's exactly how it should be.'"

"Truly lively and spirited."

"Yun Li was about to say more when her maid came to hurry her."

"Yun Li blinked, 'I should go back now, next time I'll tell you what this verse really means.'"

"The tutor waved her off cheerfully."

"Yun Li, as always, smiled brightly, bowed, and left."

"With so much future ahead, she felt no regret in parting."

She never thought of a permanent farewell.

Yet, after celebrating her birthday for the year, she received news that her master had passed away on the night of the nineteenth day of the twelfth month.

He died peacefully in his sleep.

When she visited again, all she saw was a sea of white.

For thirteen years, her best friend, the only one who truly understood her soul in this world, was gone.

She offered incense to her master, bowed with the respect of a disciple, and wore white on her arm.

But she knew these rituals were not what mattered most.

What was important was the friendship she shared with her master.

She viewed it this way, and she believed the master did not merely see her as a little girl.

Before parting, there's always the illusion of a future meeting.

Only after a sudden departure do regrets surface about the many things left undone, the many words left unsaid.

Yet, upon reflection, she realized perhaps they weren't necessary.

Her encounter with such a person in a foreign world was a privilege. And for her master, in his difficult sixty years, meeting her might have been a privilege too.

So, after her master's funeral, she went alone to his grave and burned a lot of paper money.

In the end, she burned a fragrant, flower-scented note.

On it was written just one sentence: "I see the green hills with such admiration; I imagine the green hills view me in the same way."

In her heart, she thought: "Master, you are like the everlasting green mountains."

And then, the girl grew up.

She experienced the harshness of the world and entered the imperial palace, a place she once thought was unrelated to her.

"She had reined in her temper."

"And the tutor was right – when the world seems sullied, one must have their own convictions."

"With memories of her previous life, Yun Li understood many truths and perhaps didn’t need the tutor’s consolations."

"Yet, having had such a friend, a teacher, was still a blessing."

"When Yun Li opened her eyes, it was snowing outside."

"The bright moonlight made the snowy landscape even more luminous."

"Yun Li turned over and closed her eyes again."

"The past cannot be retained, but she would always remember the tutor, the elderly man who was still eager to learn."

"Yet her journey in this life was still long, and she wouldn’t shy away."

"Having entered this world, she was determined to walk any path that lay ahead."