She is Jianxiu

That afternoon, in a small courtyard of the Sique Mansion.

As soon as Si Queyi put down his pen, the sisters Lu Zhu and Yue Zhu, who had been waiting nearby, couldn't wait any longer and stepped forward. One held the pen in the left hand and the other in the right, and they spread the yellow paper with the script on it in front of everyone. They said with a smile, "Miss, your handwriting is really good. I don't think there is anyone in the school who can learn faster than you!"

The handwriting on the paper was neat and elegant, with three large characters arranged on the left and right. These were all characters that Si Queyi had recently learned. Although his writing wasn't exactly flowing and powerful, it was still quite presentable. If the three tutors from the Bingzi Room were to see it, they would probably all praise it. Moreover, these scripts had only been taught for a few days, and Si Queyi's ability to write them down so readily showed that he had put in a lot of hard work in private.

But she dared not be arrogant because of this. Instead, she frowned and said angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about? You're getting bolder and bolder."

Knowing her usual good temper, the Yuezhu sisters were not afraid at all. They simply pretended to know their mistake, smiled at each other, and nodded.

Si Queyi then took the paper and handed it to Zhao Chun, who was sitting upright beside him, and asked in a low voice, "Please help me take a look, senior, and tell me if there is anything that needs to be improved in these characters?"

Since gaining Master Zhan's favor last time, more than ten days have passed. With Zhao Chun's help, she has now become the center of attention in Room C. The siblings Si Que Jingchuan and Si Que Tan, who used to make things difficult for her, now avoid her, fearing that Si Que Yi might hold a grudge and gossip to Master Zhan.

Strangely, after breaking free from this situation, Si Queyi didn't want to waste her energy on Jingchuan and the others. Now that she was learning calligraphy with Zhao Chun, she felt that a day was too short. She wished she could divide an hour into several parts, but even so, it was not enough for her to diligently study the Qi script.

Sometimes, she would even have a rebellious thought: that the knowledge taught by Zhao Chun was far more profound than that of the tutors in the Bingzi class, and that even the geniuses in the Jiazi class might not receive the same treatment as her, the Siqueyi.

This is a third-rank scholar!
The Sique clan, with its thousand-year history, has never produced a third-rank scholar. They only hear casual conversations among their own students that any family in Mianzhou City with a third-rank scholar in charge is enough to challenge envoys from the capital and stand on equal footing with the city's governor. And such families, besides the Chao family of Guangtong Lane, are only the Suotu clan.

Even so, neither of the three third-rank scholars were in Mianzhou City. Instead, they had been summoned by the academy early on and were focused on their studies at the upper academy.

The upper academy of Gushe Academy is located in Lijing, where more than 70-80% of the outstanding scholars in Jinlai Kingdom gather. Every year, the ancestor of the Sique clan would spend two or three months going to the upper academy to listen to the lectures of the chief priest. It wasn't that she didn't want to stay, but that she was already past the age limit. According to the requirements of Gushe Academy for upper students, those over two hundred years old could not be promoted to the third rank, which meant that they had passed the age limit for schooling.

But now, a person comparable to a third-rank scholar is willing to stay by her side and give her detailed guidance. Si Queyi really feels like she is dreaming.

Soon, the mentor in the dream lifted his sleeve, made some slight marks on the yellow paper with his fingers, and said, "You have made good progress these past few days. Improve these few places a little, and no one will be able to find fault with the shape of the characters."

In Zhao Chun's opinion, Si Queyi's calligraphy was too contrived, merely copying his teacher's work. He wanted every stroke and outline to be exactly the same as his teacher's, but he didn't realize that this would cause him to lose his own style and limit his own abilities in the future.

However, given the current situation, she couldn't write it herself and then have Si Queyi trace and explore it. After all, everyone in the Si Que clan followed the way their ancestors did, and if Si Queyi were to do something different, she would become an outcast in the clan.

Zhao Chun thought that unless they entered the Gushe Academy, a place where, according to Si Queyi, one's background was not considered and one could study and write books on one's own, scholars could try to break free from the shackles and explore a path that suited them. Otherwise, those from aristocratic families could only cultivate themselves according to the rules and regulations of their clan.

In fact, this is not entirely a matter of forcing one's feet to fit the shoes. The teachings of the sages are too broad. If disciples are allowed to cultivate on their own without guidance, they are very likely to go astray and fall into confusion. That is why aristocratic families, like the Sique family today, have established a rule of graduating with a sixth rank in their clan schools.

Once a scholar reaches the sixth rank, a lamp is lit in his heart, illuminating truth and falsehood, and discerning the true meaning of scriptures. Only then can he be said to have a solid foundation and be able to explore his own path. If he does not reach the sixth rank, studying a few basic texts from the clan's classics is sufficient for his daily needs.

The same applies to the Siqueyi (司阙仪). If you really want to figure out a system that suits you, you might as well leave it for later and work on it slowly. There's no need to rush.

Take the present moment for example. Si Queyi, who had received Zhao Chun's correction, had no idea what would happen after he entered the academy. He just held the yellow paper in his hand with a happy face, looking at it from the left and right. He had to admit that the script that Zhao Chun had revised was indeed better than before, and it was almost exactly the same as the script taught by his master.

So she carefully rolled up the yellow paper, instructed Huaying and the others to take it away safely, and then clapped her hands, remembering something, and said, "Yuezhu, remember to go to the outer courtyard this afternoon and have Liu'an bring the carriage and horses to wait at the side gate. We're going out to shop today, so I can take you all to the city for a stroll." This was something that had been agreed upon after school yesterday, and Yuezhu happily agreed. Huaying, who was standing to the side, slightly rubbed her forehead, and then quickly went to the room, pulled out a shopping list, and handed it to Siqueyi, saying, "Miss has made rapid progress since starting school, and the pills brought from home are almost finished. I've sorted them out, and this time when we go out to shop, we should prepare enough medicine for two or three months, otherwise it will be too rushed to buy it every time we need it."

Si Queyi nodded hurriedly, and was also surprised when he saw the densely packed paper.

It's no wonder outsiders say that scholars' paths to learning are all paved with money. In the past, when they were at home, they were single-minded and didn't realize it. But now that they are studying abroad, they have to arrange everything themselves, and they can see that there are countless gold and jade items involved in learning. Sometimes they spend money on writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones, and sometimes they exchange them for various elixirs and tonics. It's really like spending money like water, which makes people feel daunted.

Zhao Chun sat upright to the side, listening to the master and servants discussing what they were going to buy this time. In the end, they were talking about nothing more than the best ink, light yellow paper, and brush handles made of lustrous white jade, with hair from the neck and back of a stone rabbit. The best brushes were white with a hint of purple, and had a strong and sharp tip, which was especially loved by scholars.

Various elixirs and tonics are indispensable. Si Queyi is now learning calligraphy under Zhao Chun, and her progress is rapid, far surpassing that of others. The energy she expends on her studies every day, apart from some that she can replenish through rest and meditation, must be obtained from external medicines. In addition, as the scholar's primordial spirit grows stronger, the burden on the physical body also gradually increases. To replenish the body's needs, using medicine for this has become a common ailment among scholars throughout the world.

Si Queyi, for example, is currently taking Sanyang Zishen Soup to invigorate his vital energy, Chi Kui Dan to nourish his blood and flesh, and several pills to calm his mind or prolong his life. He takes several kinds of external medicines every day, which Zhao Chun really cannot agree with.

After all, in the eyes of Taoist cultivators, any cultivation built upon external objects is merely a superficial and shallow skill. Even if one can gain an advantage at the beginning, it will not last long. Therefore, Taoist cultivation always revolves around laying a solid foundation. While elixirs and miraculous medicines can be used, they cannot be relied upon entirely, let alone relying on external medicines for the physical body while completely neglecting one's own health.

Seeing that Si Queyi and the others seemed used to it, Zhao Chun didn't say anything more. She just waited until the afternoon to go out with them to investigate the situation in Mianzhou City.

Unexpectedly, Yuezhu went to the outer courtyard in the afternoon and soon returned in a panic, saying that she could not find the coachman Liu'an. Instead, she was told by the servants in the outer courtyard that Liu'an had left the mansion through the side gate a month ago and had not returned since.

Si Queyi was stunned upon hearing this, and for a moment he did not react. He simply stood up, leaning on the table, and said, "It's gone? How is that possible? Liu An is not connected to the literary tradition. Without the few of us boarding the carriage, how could he have driven the bronze horse?"

Yuezhu replied, "The person is missing; the family's carriages and horses are still in the outer courtyard."

“That’s even more wrong.” Si Queyi was extremely surprised and paced around the room. “Without a carriage, he can’t leave the city. If he doesn’t leave the city, what’s the use of just leaving the Si Que Mansion?”

She clenched her fists and muttered to herself, "It's not easy to be a runaway slave these days. Just buying the official deed and documents costs several hundred coins. If Liu'an wants to escape, he can't leave the carriage and horses behind. Otherwise, where will he get the supplies?"

After much thought, Si Queyi couldn't find any reason for Liu'an to become a runaway slave. After all, servants were sometimes richer than ordinary people. As a servant, Liu'an's parents and relatives worked in the mansion. Betraying the Si Que family would bring him no benefit whatsoever.

Just then, Zhao Chun strolled into the room. After listening to the other party's explanation, she understood the situation: "Miss Si Que, your coachman has probably made enemies outside and may have already been killed."

The people in the room couldn't believe it and remained silent for a long time before Si Queyi said in a low voice, "If that's really the case, does Senior know who the person who did it is?"

To be honest, Si Queyi asked the question casually, without harboring much expectation. There were already several thousand such outer courtyard servants like Liu'an within the Si Que clan. Once they left the manor and entered the city, they were like fish disappearing into the sea, impossible to find again. Therefore, it was difficult to determine whether they were alive or dead.

Zhao Chun remained silent, but with a quick pinch of her hand, a thought flashed through her mind, and all the changes in this vast mansion since Si Queyi enrolled were displayed before her like a scroll.

She achieved divine powers through the Xuan Yuan Tai Yi method, and could deduce the yin and yang from the smallest details, trace the past, and extract a piece of cause and effect from Si Que Yi. It was not difficult for her to deduce the whereabouts of the coachman Liu An.

But soon, Zhao Chun raised her eyebrows, realizing that a causal link between the coachman Liu An and herself pointed directly to Zhao Chun. (End of Chapter)