Zhang Qi was in a great mood, she leaned against Zhang Xuan and softly spoke for a while until the sun set before taking her leave.

  In the courtyard, lanterns swayed in the wind, and only faint candlelight could be seen in several girls' rooms.

  Candles are very expensive, even if the Zhang family is wealthy and noble, only those young masters can use them sparingly. The supply for the concubine-born daughters is limited.

  A bright moon in the sky, amidst the swaying candlelight, Zhang Qi stepped on a patch of spilled silver white and walked quietly towards her own room at the farthest end.

  When she came out of the house, several maidservants emerged from the dark room and bowed to her, saying: "Young lady." Ah-Luan was not among them.

  It seems that tonight is a good night for moon appreciation, she probably went out to play with other maids.

  "En." Zhang Qi nodded and stepped into the room.

  A dreamless night.

  The next day, Zhang Qi got up early and carefully combed her hair. She applied the powder given by Xiao Mo to her face and neck, then went out.

  That powder, she's started using it now, preparing to make each time more intense than the last. As the days go by, people will gradually forget her original skin tone and think that she was always this pale with a hint of sickness.

  In the courtyard, three younger sisters of the same family had already dressed up and were preparing to rush to school. Seeing Zhang Qi walk out, a pair of eyes simultaneously looked at her.

  Under their gaze, Zhang Qi lowered her head and gave them a timid bow.

  Several girls saw her acting cowardly and were satisfied in their hearts, so they glanced at her and left together.

  Zhang Qi and the others walked for a while before catching up with them.

  Before long, Zhang Gui arrived outside the school.

  They saw her coming. The maids gathered outside stopped their chatter and looked over. They had heard about Zhang Gui's talent astonishing the Emperor, and they were curious.

  Under everyone's gaze, Zhang Qi entered the school.

  It wasn't until then that she discovered. Behind the crowd of girls, there was a special dressing table prepared just for her. It seemed that her treatment had changed in every way.

  Alas! Where is Zhang Jin? Why can't I see her?

  The first lesson was still about genealogy. Zhang Gui lowered his head, amidst the murmurs of the girls, an old man with a thin build appeared. This old man's surname was Chen. Like Yuan Jiao Shi, he came from a prominent family.

  Chen's teacher has three long whiskers, his eyes are dull and cold, he is a famous conservative. Unlike the popular Taoist, he believes in Confucianism and Legalism. In this era where Han Fei and Li Si are widely criticized and Legalism is completely discredited, he is lonely.

  Mr. Chen walked in.

  He stood still for a moment. Then he noticed that Zhang Yi had changed seats. Frowning, he asked in a low voice: "What's going on?"

  A servant came in from the doorway and whispered a few words to the old man.

  Wait until he finishes. The old man nodded and signaled the servant to withdraw, then turned to Zhang Qi and suddenly called out: "Zhang Shi A Qi?"

  "Yes."

  Zhang Qi looked up.

  The old man slowly recited: "If a prostitute has a son who can be a concubine, what's the explanation?"

  Zhang Qi blinked and replied clearly: "It says that if a prostitute has a child, she can be promoted to concubine."

  The old man's expressionless face remained still as he said in a hoarse voice: "In that case, was your mother a concubine or a prostitute?"

  One sentence was spoken, and at first there was a moment of silence, but then suddenly the whole room erupted in laughter!

  Zhang Qi never thought that Chen, who was notorious for being stubborn and unyielding, would humiliate her so viciously!

  Her face suddenly turned bright red.

  The laughter grew louder and louder. When the crowd quieted down a bit, Zhang Ke tilted her head slightly.

  She gazed innocently at Chen, staring straight at him until the surrounding laughter subsided and Chen's eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. Only then did Zhang Qi speak up in a clear and crisp voice, "My mother loved reading Zhuangzi. I remember it was also on a spring day like this that she sat by the window and recited to me, 'The world praises him without making him more diligent, the world criticizes him without making him more despondent. He is settled in his distinction between inner and outer, and discerning of the boundaries between honor and shame.' My mother explained to me that this passage means that even if the whole world praises someone, that person won't become more diligent, and even if the whole world criticizes him, he won't become disheartened. Why is that? Because this person has recognized the distinction between his inner self and external things, and is no longer surprised by either honor or shame. My mother said she was also such a person."

  Pausing for a moment, Zhang Qi tilted her head and spoke with an increasingly innocent tone, "Doesn't Teacher dislike my mother because you're not that kind of person?"

  She asked if Teacher Chen denied her mother because he valued fame and fortune too much and drew a clear line between right and wrong.

  She has a naive and innocent air about her, with a clear and pleasant tone that is music to the ears. Her eyes are bright and clear, her expression natural, and she speaks with an open and honest demeanor as if she were a real person.

  This is still an era of talking about abstruse and mysterious things, emphasizing simplicity!

  This is still an era of debate and reason, seeking individual liberation!

  Zhang Yi used the Zhuangzi she had learned in her xuanxue studies to sarcastically criticize Chen Jiao's rigid and worldly ways, which was sharp and piercing, causing Chen Jiao's face to change color.

  The surroundings fell silent.

  All the girls turned their heads to look at Zhang Qi. Although Xuanxue was an important subject, they were just a group of girls who usually listened and forgot during class. They never thought that Zhang Qi, who looked gentle and weak, would master Xuanxue so thoroughly! And she even refuted the teacher in one breath!

  Chen's eyes widened in anger, his face red with rage as he glared at Zhang Qi. "You! You..." He paused for a moment before shouting, "What a fine Zhang Qi you are, what a sharp tongue!"

  Zhang Qi still tilted her head, looking at him with a naive expression. Seeing that Chen was so angry that he couldn't even speak properly, she blinked and said in a soft voice: "Teacher, why are you angry? You scolded my mother for no reason, but I'm not even angry. Why are you angry?"

  This is sarcastic! Chen's teacher has a narrow mind!

  "You!" Coach Chen pointed at Zhang Qi, his face red with rage, his eyebrows furrowed, and his beard disheveled. He was so angry that he couldn't catch his breath, but he couldn't refute it either.

  The genealogy of each big family is long and far-reaching, and the Zhang family is no exception. He spent his whole life on it, although he knew that scholars all over the world recited and sang about abstruse learning, but what did he know?

  If we really talk about being knowledgeable and versatile, he can't even compare with Zhang Gui!

  Zhang Qi stood behind. Seeing Chen Jiao Xi, she got angry and her face turned red, shaking and trembling with fear, shrinking her head. She spat out a clove tongue and muttered to herself: "It's terrible, if Ah Wong gets angry. Isn't it a great disaster?"

  The voice was still not low, and it was still heard by Chen Jiao. Seeing him shaking, Zhang Qi shrank his head. He hurriedly tiptoed to the door and disappeared into the classroom in the blink of an eye.

  Until Zhang Qi escaped far away, Teacher Chen came back to his senses. He looked curiously at his niece who was staring at him in the previous class. At the door, the servant girl who was eavesdropping suddenly remembered that what happened in this school would always spread quickly.

  Similarly, Zhang Qi's words just now will also spread out at the fastest speed!

  Everyone in the world believes in abstruse learning, her words will make herself a laughing stock!

  Suddenly, his old face turned bright red again!

  Zhang Qi slipped out of the school. The whole person was a relief. She ran to the side garden pond, squatted down beside the fake mountain, and stuck out her tongue. She thought to herself: I'm just about to show off my talents step by step, and you, you stubborn old man, came crashing in on your own!

  "Hmph. Each and every one of you humiliated me, scolded me in front of my mother. Although I'm also ashamed of my mother, I absolutely cannot let you all scold her for nothing!"

  Zhang Qi's illegitimate daughter's birth brought her endless trouble and shame. She often thought that if her mother had not given birth to her in the first place, how good would it be?

  At first, when she was at her maternal grandparents' home, everyone scolded her as a wild seedling, and the elders often hid her away, not letting her see anyone. As for all kinds of mistreatment and torture, that was even more common.

  When her mother was still alive, she resented her. After her mother passed away, she felt even more superfluous. It's impossible for someone who has been in a state of long-term isolation and exclusion to not have any resentment. Zhang Qi's resentment is actually minimal; she just can never feel filial affection towards her mother.

  After thinking for a moment, Zhang Qi let out a soft hum from her nose.

  She knew that among the high-ranking officials and nobles, there were also some noblewomen who had eloped or remarried. Once these noblewomen heard her words, they would look at her with different eyes.

  Zhang Qi didn't hide for long, because the second class was taught by Yuan Jiao Shi, so when the time came, she returned to the school with a nonchalant expression.

  This time, when she came in, all the girls turned their heads and stared at her.

  Zhang Qi lowered her head and obediently came to her own desk.

  The sound of footsteps approached, and the murmurs of the crowd subsided slightly.

  Before long, Teacher Yuan's voice came from above, "The last time's elegant lady painting, did you all paint it well?"

  "Done!" replied the young lady with a smile.

  "Alright, everything is on the table."

  Zhang Qi lowered her head and also placed her own paintings on the table.

  The sound of footsteps approached.

  Yuan slowly looked at each of them one by one. When he passed Zhang Qi, he just glanced at her and turned to another girl.

  Seeing him leave without hesitation, Zhang Qi was extremely disappointed!

  It seems that the temptation of those two ancient zither scores is still not great enough.

  In her disappointment and distraction, a class was soon over.

  Zhang Qi turned around and walked back.

  She returned to the courtyard, hugged her pillow and fell asleep. She didn't know if she was tired or what, but she slept for a whole hour and a half.

  A burst of footsteps came thudding. In an instant, with a bang, Ah Lu rushed into her bedroom.

  As several servants curiously looked over, Ah Lu hastily closed the door and rushed to Zhang Qi's side, softly saying: "Ah Qi, Ah Qi?"

  Zhang Qi lazily opened her eyes, "What's wrong?"

  "Ah Qi, you're so lazy, how can you still sleep? Those maids are all talking about you, they say you disobeyed Teacher Chen and that Mistress will definitely punish you, aren't you afraid?"

  A Lu's voice was a bit flustered.

  Zhang Qi's eyes curved into crescent moons, "I'm not afraid." Her face rubbed against the pillow twice, "To clear my mother's name is filial piety, to cite the classics and provide evidence is talent. With both a reputation for filial piety and talent, Zhang Xiao will not dare punish me."

  Jian saw A Lu staring at her with a puzzled expression, Zhang Qi thought it was pointless to say these things to her since she wouldn't understand anyway, so she stopped talking.

  She sat up and asked in a low voice: "Have you found out about the thing I told you to investigate?"

  "I see. So Ah Yue is a born daughter of the Fu family..." Zhang Qi interrupted her, saying in a low voice: "No, it's about Xiao Lang proposing marriage."

  A Lu shook her head, "Still haven't heard any news."

  Haven't heard any news yet?

  Xiao Mo, that person won't do things without a head or tail. Could it be that he has already made his move, but the news is being blocked?

  Zhang Qi thought for a moment and said, "Let's go out for a walk."

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