Seeking Truth with a Sword

Chapter 432 - 383 Leadership

"I’m here," said Li Leqing, dressed in a goose-yellow long dress, her step light as she crossed the courtyard. She skillfully placed a box of pastries on the table and smiled, "Good morning."

"Good morning."

Chai Chai, who had just eaten until she was about eighty percent full, lifted the lid of the pastry box. She picked out two pieces of rice cake to toss into her mouth, mumbling indistinctly, "Are you two going out to have fun today?"

"It’s not really for fun," Li Leqing replied, a light cough escaping her as her cheeks reddened slightly. "It should be considered an inspection. We’re going to see how the courses are being taught at the Imperial Medical Bureau."

In the Yu Country, upheld as a model of a family-run state, princes and princesses also held certain powers. The extent of this power was influenced by multiple factors: the trust of the Emperor and Empress, recognition by the ministers, the influence of their maternal families, their assigned fiefdoms, their past achievements, and whether they had a background at the Academic Palace, among others.

Today, Li Ang was scheduled to teach at the Imperial Medical Bureau. Li Leqing would be attending in her capacity as a "leader" to conduct an inspection, and she would also prepare a petition detailing her observations from the class.

"That’s nice." Chai Chai smacked her lips with envy and said dejectedly, "We fourth-year students of Zaiqian still have to go and do a big cleanup at the Academic Palace. Sweeping trash, trimming the bamboo forest, fishing out the sunken weeds and leaves from Chuiyun Lake... Sigh, when we first enrolled, those Doctors told us we were freshmen and should embrace labor, to live up to the spirit of the Academic Palace. The second year, they said we were already senior students and should set an example for the new ones. I guess by the third year, they’ll say we’ve been doing this big cleanup for two years and are quite skilled at it, so they might as well contract it out to us permanently."

Chai Chai rambled on, even the motion of eating her pastry becoming listless, her grievances apparently profound.

Li Ang and Li Leqing exchanged smiles. Li Ang patted her on one shoulder while Li Leqing patted the other.

In reality, the major cleanup was only once a month. For disciples who had already embarked on the Cultivation Path, it wasn’t considered exhausting. The annoying part was simply that it took up a day of their vacation time.

"It’s about time for us to go," Li Ang said. He glanced at the wall clock, tousled Chai Chai’s hair, picked up the bag he had prepared earlier, and left the mansion with Li Leqing to get into the carriage.

It was winter, and the weather was cold. Many pedestrians on the road had their hands crossed and tucked into their sleeves, hunching their necks to resist the biting wind. Inside the carriage, however, with its fur-lined seats and a small stove, it was a completely different world compared to the outside. Furthermore, because it was fitted with a Wind Talisman, the interior didn’t become overly stuffy or humid.

Li Ang cast an idle glance over the carriage interior, silently wondering when he could buy a carriage like this for himself, or even build one.

Li Leqing watched through the carriage window as the Golden City Mansion receded further into the distance and sighed, "Time flies so quickly."

"Hm?" Li Ang snapped back to the present. "What?"

Li Leqing tilted her head and said, "Time flies so quickly. It feels like the experience of tutoring Cui Qiao happened just yesterday. More than a year has passed unknowingly, and Cui Qiao has become a senior."

"Yes," Li Ang agreed sincerely. Time always slipped away unnoticed. Many of the old clothes he had brought from Yizhou were now almost too small to wear.

Li Leqing blinked and asked softly, "Is the date for Song Dalang’s wedding set yet?"

"It should be soon. It was almost supposed to happen in the fall, but then the Qixi incident occurred, causing a delay." Li Ang thought for a moment and said, "It should be in the spring or summer. You’ll be invited then."

According to Yu Law and popular customs, Song Shaoyuan and You Xiao weren’t young anymore. Some familiar senior students at the Academic Palace were already married with children, and even some of Li Ang’s peers were beginning to discuss marriage.

Ugh, actually, according to Yu Law, at my current youthful age, it’s quite normal to get married or even become a dad, he thought. Getting married...

Li Ang pondered this and shook his head. Indeed, from the perspective of a modern person, it’s hard to imagine settling down and starting a family so early. Getting married and having kids at sixteen or seventeen, and then becoming a grandfather by thirty-four or thirty-five? That’s way too bizarre... "By the way, how is Princess Yue?" Li Ang asked. "Has she been in good health recently?"

Princess Yue was Li Hui’s wife, Yan Xuan. Following the Qixi incident, Li Ang and the Mountain Master had concealed the fact that Yan Xuan was at the center of the anomalies. They had taken her to the Academic Palace under the pretense of recuperation and medical treatment, keeping her under protection and surveillance. This surveillance lasted for two months, and only after confirming there were no further risks did they announce her recovery.

However, soon after, Prince Yue, Li Hui, who had achieved first place in the scholarly exchange, was due to go with others to Taihao Mountain Zhanquan for further study. Thus, Yan Xuan, as Princess Yue, wasn’t able to spend much time with her newlywed husband. Li Ang was certain that the Mountain Master had dispatched people from the Supervision Department to lurk within the Prince Yue Mansion and continue secretly monitoring Yan Xuan, ensuring she wouldn’t become a target for Zhao Ming again.

"Sister Yan is fine. I just visited her a few days ago," Li Leqing said. "Alas, I wonder how long Fourth Brother and the others’ studies at Zhanquan will take..."

On the surface, the Qixi anomaly had nothing to do with Yan Xuan. Yet, in public perception, the Demon Sect had indeed used the Qixi wedding as a cover to smuggle Giant Tooth Whale Oil into Chang’an, which eventually led to the disaster. As one of the main parties in the wedding, Yan Xuan inevitably became the subject of rumors and even accusations. Moreover, she was currently separated from Prince Yue, and it didn’t seem likely that she would be able to have children to solidify her position anytime soon.

The affairs of the Royal family were no less complicated than the domestic troubles of lesser households. Li Leqing sighed. Before she realized it, the carriage had stopped outside the Imperial Medical Bureau.

"We’ve arrived."

Li Ang stepped out of the carriage and, together with Li Leqing, entered the Imperial Medical Bureau.

Compared to the Academic Palace, this new teaching department of the Imperial Medical Bureau, which Li Ang had personally participated in designing and constructing, more closely resembled a "school" from his Otherworld memories. There were concrete roads with drainage grates at regular intervals; steel-reinforced concrete buildings faced with white ceramic tiles; neatly arranged desks and chairs in the teaching buildings; and the timely ringing of bells signaling the start and end of classes.

Li Ang and Li Leqing walked along a tree-lined path and entered a classroom. The students in this classroom had been informed the previous day that a Princess would be coming to inspect their course. Consequently, they were all sitting upright, unlike students in other classes on different floors who were typically rowdy during break time. They sat behind their desks, looking at Li Leqing, who followed Li Ang, with a mixture of curiosity and awe.

Li Ang placed his bag on the lectern. Qiu Feng, his Assistant Tutor for the class, was already waiting there. Qiu Feng took a white coat from a chair and helped Li Ang put it on.

Li Ang adjusted the collar of his white coat and glanced at Li Leqing. He saw her smiling and nodding to the students in the class. Her demeanor was elegant and reserved, her smile gentle and infectious. She was not at all like the troubled young girl who had been anxiously discussing family issues in the carriage just moments before.

Just like... just like when the Emperor and Empress came to inspect the Academic Palace, he thought. It was like... leadership...