Chapter 99: School Resumes

Chapter 99: School Resumes

The next morning, when Yu Jianli woke up to have breakfast, he noticed an unusual atmosphere in the Willow Breeze Manor.

It was ultimately Lv Junqi who quietly informed him of the situation: "His Highness's house arrest has been lifted, and his first move was to seek out Ming Zhiyan. The two have been talking privately for over half an hour."

Yu Jianli's good mood for the day evaporated at that moment.

It wasn't hard to figure out.

As long as Ming Zhiyan was free, the Crown Prince wouldn't let this valuable pawn slip away.

If Ming Zhiyan were to pledge allegiance to someone else, the Crown Prince would likely lose sleep over it, given how much Ming Zhiyan knew and his considerable abilities.

Yu Jianli had assumed that the Crown Prince would come to him to inquire about the contents of the secret memorial he had submitted.

To his surprise, the Crown Prince went straight to Ming Zhiyan first, and it seemed only a matter of time before he approached Yu Jianli as well.

Alternatively, Ming Zhiyan might shield him by taking all the blame onto himself, depending on Ming Zhiyan's final decision.

Due to the Crown Prince's arrival, Yu Jianli's mood darkened.

When he entered the dining hall, everyone inside was silent, with only the occasional clink of utensils against bowls and spoons.

He took a seat beside Ji Yanbai, and someone promptly served him a fine meal.

There was soft, delicate white rice porridge, some pastries and small dishes, as well as flatbreads and steamed buns.

Neither of them spoke, eating in silence.

The others merely glanced up at Yu Jianli as he arrived.

It was Lu Huaijing who broke the silence: "Gu Qionghua and Little Fatty left after breakfast."

"Mm," Yu Jianli nodded.

They were merely students at the Imperial Academy and not involved in these conflicts, so leaving early spared them from any awkward situations.

At that moment, the Crown Prince and Ming Zhiyan, who had been chatting, entered the dining hall. Upon seeing Yu Jianli and Ji Yanbai, the Crown Prince immediately smiled and said, "Your Excellency, you were reported today."

Ji Yanbai didn't seem surprised. After returning to the capital, he was assigned to study at the Imperial College, where he was just a student when not at war, exempt from attending court.

However, he was no stranger to being reported, having grown accustomed to it.

"What happened this time?" Ji Yanbai asked.

"They say you privately delivered large weapons to a private residence, frightening the neighbors. They demand that your and Yu Jianli's official positions be revoked. They also request that the Ministry of War improve its discipline, as it is currently too lax."

Ji Yanbai responded softly, then asked, "How was it resolved?"

The Crown Prince casually replied, "Nothing much was done. The Duke's Mansion ordered the items moved to the military camp outside the city walls, claiming it would be more convenient for testing and experimentation there. It's just unfortunate for Doctor Yu, who will now have to travel outside the city for his research."

Yu Jianli was taken aback but then smiled and replied, "No problem."

The Crown Prince maintained his cheerful demeanor, seemingly unaffected by his recent house arrest, and continued speaking normally, "Doctor Yu, will you be busy from now on?"

Ji Yanbai answered for him, "Recently, His Majesty criticized my studies. My mother instructed him to supervise my learning, so he'll be accompanying me to the Imperial College for a while."

"Ah..." The Crown Prince didn't press further.

With both the Emperor and the Duchess of the Duke's Mansion mentioned, he couldn't really say anything more.

Seeing that Yu Jianli had lost his appetite, Ji Yanbai took the initiative to stand up and addressed the Crown Prince, "We need to visit the military camp outside the city to familiarize ourselves with the route, so we'll take our leave now."

Yu Jianli quickly got up and bowed along with him.

On the other side, several members of the Daoist Studies, Si Tiantai, and polo teams also stood up to bow.

The Crown Prince didn't try to retain them, waving his hand, "Go ahead. I have important matters to discuss with the others."

Shi Huaiqi, He Chu, and the Seventh Prince remained seated, while Ming Zhiyan was the one most needed to stay behind.

Lu Huaijing seemed conflicted but ultimately decided to toughen up and stayed as well.

Yu Jianli followed Ji Yanbai out, and for once, Ji Yanbai chose to ride in a carriage.

Once they were far enough away in the carriage, Yu Jianli voiced his concern, "Is Ming Zhiyan going to be alright?"

"For now, no. The Crown Prince is a smooth operator and must have provided a plausible explanation to gloss over the previous incidents. Ming Zhiyan can only continue to support the Crown Prince. To compensate Ming Zhiyan, he might receive a promotion soon."

"I hope he remains safe."

*

When Yu Jianli returned home, the courtyard was indeed empty, except for the long spears and similar weapons still present.

Yu Jinghe was efficient. He spent the night observing the weapons, searched for materials, and within a couple of hours, constructed a weapon rack. He placed the weapons neatly under shelter to protect them from the rain.

He was surveying the area when Yu Zhiyun emerged, surprised. "I thought you'd return after dinner."

"The Crown Prince suddenly showed up."

Yu Zhiyun quickly understood, "So, Brother Ming..."

"He should return after dinner."

Yu Zhiyun didn't ask further, pulling her brother to sit down in the small courtyard and began discussing her own affairs. "The clothing shop is about to open. I want you to help me check the arrangement of the clothes."

"Sure, I'm free today."

"No rush, let's rest for a bit first."

"How's the progress with the clothing shop?"

"It's going smoothly. The princess became a great benefactor in the capital after aiding the disaster victims. Plus, Landlord Wang of the largest clothing shop in the capital had a terrible reputation, which made many people look forward to the opening of our shop."

"Landlord Wang..." Yu Jianli recalled the incident at Lu Huaijing's secondary residence and told her about Rain Stop.

It was the first time Yu Zhiyun heard about it, but she wasn't surprised. Her face betrayed her anger.

"That Landlord Wang is indeed capable of such things. The clothing shop we visited before was severely suppressed by Landlord Wang's shop, leading to a relatively quiet New Year period. They could only survive by making more exquisite clothes."

"You need to be careful in the future."

"The princess is skilled in business. If she didn't have full confidence, she wouldn't have opened this clothing shop. If Rain Stop is honest, we can invite her to our home. She probably wants to see our clothing shop succeed and deal a significant blow to Landlord Wang."

"Alright, I'll talk to Ji Yanbai about it."

"Oh, by the way, our private school is about to start classes. I don't know how the princess managed it, but we're going to participate in the monthly and annual exams alongside the Imperial College. Our papers will also be sent there for grading, although we won't attend the oral exams."

"That sounds interesting. Study hard, and maybe I'll hear stories about you at the Imperial College."

Yu Zhiyun beamed happily, "Okay."

*

The Imperial College resumed, but the lecture hall of the Imperial Studies was... deathly silent.

Yu Jianli, holding his books and brimming with enthusiasm, entered the lecture hall. Seeing the despondent looks on the faces of his fellow students, he couldn't help but feel puzzled. Sitting down, he asked Lu Huaijing, "Why does everyone look so depressed?"

"There aren't many people like you who enjoy reading." Lu Huaijing slumped on the table, looking as if the heavens were against him.

"What happened after that day?"

"Nothing much. On the surface, everything was harmonious and joyful." Lu Huaijing suddenly sat up straight, "Ming Zhiyan is truly bold, daring to win even against the Crown Prince in horse polo."

"It's not that he dares to win; it's that he can't afford to lose."

Lu Huaijing realized the truth in those words. Ming Zhiyan was so poor that he struggled to afford meals, needing to stay at Yu Jianli's place and unable to come up with even two taels of silver.

Yu Jianli, on the other hand, despite facing risks, was bestowed an official position and granted silver.

Ming Zhiyan, as a destitute scholar whose family assets were seized, was even poorer after his release from prison, penniless and too proud to borrow money from Yu Jianli.

Ji Yanbai arrived late to the lecture hall, carrying brand new books. After sitting down, he casually placed the books on the table.

Lu Huaijing turned around to ask him, "After you were reported, did the mansion scold you?"

"Yes."

"How did they scold you?"

"They told me to send smaller items next time and not to get caught by others."

Lu Huaijing raised his thumb, "That's indeed the style of the Duke's Mansion."

Yu Jianli turned around and exchanged his book with Ji Yanbai, showing him the annotations. "If you don't understand something, ask me. I'll write a separate explanation for you."

Lu Huaijing watched the exchange and couldn't help but find fault. "Yu Jianli, why do you only write for him?"

"His studies were criticized by His Majesty. Were yours criticized?"

"Well... no, I didn't even have the chance for a private audience with His Majesty."

At that moment, someone entered the lecture hall and said, "I saw Lin Ting being called away by the headmaster. His points are almost at eight, right? Will he choose to enter politics or advance to our Imperial Studies?"

"If he advances to the Imperial Studies, which lecture hall will he join? Will he come to our lecture hall because of Lu Huaijing?"

Hearing this, Lu Huaijing was startled and hastily waved his hands. "It has nothing to do with me."

The person didn't care. "It's good if Lin Ting comes. The neighboring lecture hall will become even more lively."

Lu Huaijing imagined the scenario and laughed. "True."

Soon, the doctor entered the lecture hall and looked at them, saying, "Starting this year, our studies will become more complex. If you can't keep up... it will be even harder for you to catch up."

The entire lecture hall sighed mournfully.

The doctor ignored their complaints and began the lesson. However, after teaching for a short while, he started questioning Yu Jianli, "Yu Jianli, what's your opinion on this point?"

Yu Jianli stood up and briefly presented a few points.

The doctor was unsatisfied. "Your level shouldn't be like this."

Yu Jianli realized that the doctors must have heard about the memorial he wrote.

Still, this particular doctor seemed overly eager. He had barely begun the lesson when he impatiently asked questions, eager to see Yu Jianli's extraordinary talent. Unfortunately, Yu Jianli found it difficult to demonstrate his abilities under such circumstances.

If this were a novel, wouldn't it be akin to deliberately piling up flowery language for a trivial matter without any suspense, making it appear profound and mysterious?

There was no need for that.

The doctor signaled for Yu Jianli to sit down and continued teaching.

Unfortunately, Yu Jianli hadn't been seated for even fifteen minutes before he was called upon again.

This treatment persisted throughout the day, leaving Yu Jianli physically and mentally exhausted.

*

In the evening, after dinner, Yu Jianli finally had time to tidy up his dormitory room.

Ji Yanbai pushed open the small window and looked at him, asking, "What are you doing tidying up over there?"

This question left him perplexed. "The dormitory room hasn't been used for a long time, so there are naturally areas that need cleaning."

"Tan Hui has already packed up here, you can come and stay," Ji Yanbai's thoughts were almost visibly etched on his face.

"However, this place will eventually need to be tidied up."

"Tomorrow, I will have Tan Hui assist you in tidying up."

The items I've brought along must also be properly placed...

Ji Yanbai, observing Yu Jianli's determination to tidy up his own quarters, couldn't help but feel a wave of displeasure.

He returned to his cell and had barely sat down for a moment when he approached the small window and said, "Ali, there are some things I don't understand; could you help me clarify?"

"Did you learn this today?" Yu Jianli's attention was indeed piqued.

"Um."

"Hold on for a moment, please."

Yu Jianli roughly arranged his belongings, extinguished the candle in his quarters, and moved to the side of the small window.

Nowadays, Ji Yanbai is no longer as polite to him as before. It used to be just a supportive touch on his arm, but now it seems he would prefer to embrace him directly.

Yu Jianli, upon passing by, seemed to embrace Ji Yanbai's arms as naturally as if she were seeking his embrace.

His focus was elsewhere, and he quickly inquired, "What part are you having trouble understanding?"

Ji Yanbai led him to the side of the table, took a seat first, and then embraced Yu Jianli, pulling him into his arms, resting his chin on the young man's shoulder and said, "Everything."

After a moment of silence, he asked, "Did you attend the lecture during the day?"

"Yes."

"Didn't you understand?"

It seemed like I understood at the time, yet it also seemed like I didn't. Upon returning, I realized indeed, I hadn't comprehended it.

Yu Jianli could only open the book and meticulously explain to Ji Yanbai once again.

His voice was gentle and soft, and he spoke in a way that was simple and clear, with a knack for giving examples, which indeed helped Ji Yanbai understand quite a lot.

Unfortunately, Ji Yanbai barely registered any of it.