After becoming pregnant, the cold-hearted nobles all went mad.

The carriages were already packed full, but it still wasn't enough.

"The academy is a bit cold, so bring extra bedding... to avoid catching a cold. Peony can't come with you, so you'll have to learn to take care of yourself."

"Yes, Mother."

Shen Lingyi pushed Jiang back; if she delayed any longer, she feared she wouldn't be able to leave.

Among everyone present, Shen Lingyi was definitely the one with the biggest entourage.

The Jiang family, as her backing, would never allow her to fall behind in terms of food, clothing, and daily necessities, so no matter how hard Shen Tingjiao tried, she couldn't compete.

One after another, the three carriages arrived in a grand procession that left everyone dumbfounded.

Not to mention the row of maids who followed them.

These maids were all arranged by Madam Jiang, just in case Shen Lingyi couldn't pack all those things properly. After the maids helped her, they would naturally go back.

But this makes for an incredibly grand spectacle.

At the entrance of the academy, an old man in a gray robe had eyebrows that looked like they were about to fly to the sky.

He pointed to the slowly moving carriage ahead and said to his page, "Is this the second young lady of the General's Mansion?"

The page wiped his sweat. "Yes, yes, General Shen has some connections with our household."

To be precise, it is related to Master Du's wife.

Shen Su once went to assist in suppressing bandits and saved Madam Du's life.

He couldn't leave the life-saving grace unpaid, so when Shen Su came to his door, even though Master Du loathed aristocratic families, he had no choice but to reluctantly agree.

But he never expected it to be so outrageous!

Master Du was practically jumping up and down. "What kind of behavior is this? Even the young ladies from noble families know to behave themselves when they come to school. But Shen Lingyi is different. Even a princess's procession might not be as grand as hers."

The carriage was stopped by Master Du.

Shen Lingyi lifted the curtain and saw an old man glaring at her while blowing his beard, and she was still a little puzzled.

"...Miss, this is Master Du," Peony reminded her from the side.

Shen Lingyi then stepped forward and gave a student's salute.

Master Du was unconvinced and pointed to the group of people behind her, saying, "Send these people back. The academy is for you to immerse yourselves in listening to the teachings of the sages, not for you to compete with each other!"

"Especially for someone like you who doesn't even deserve to be admitted, the academy is being exceptionally lenient by giving you this opportunity!"

It's all thanks to Shen Tingjiao.

Shen Lingyi's reputation was so bad that even a pedantic old man like Master Du had heard of her.

Master Du openly looked down on Shen Lingyi.

Not far away, Shen Tingjiao's carriage also stopped, and a figure with flowing black hair watched this scene quietly, a smug smile playing on her lips.

Shen Lingyi has finally met her match!

"It's my fault for not asking about the academy's rules beforehand." Shen Lingyi got off the carriage and surprisingly didn't argue with Master Du.

"I can go in myself and have them bring the things in."

"No, unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter the academy," Master Du said expressionlessly.

This is deliberately making things difficult.

If the maid isn't allowed to bring things in, does that mean Shen Lingyi has to bring nothing at all?

Peony was furious. "What kind of teacher is this! He should just apologize for breaking the rules, and at worst be punished later. Why won't he even let us bring things in?"

Shen Tingjiao was about to join in the fun when a gentle voice came from the side:

"Master Du must have his own reasons. I know you've always been pampered, but this isn't home."

Master Du nodded slightly, his expression softening somewhat: "Indeed, there are reasonable people in the General's Mansion."

"Then I'll just ask if the academy has any rules prohibiting servants from entering?"

Master Du paused for a moment.

He tried to explain, but Shen Lingyi saw right through him. She smiled slightly and said, "It seems there's nothing more. Isn't that Master Du abusing his power?"

Master Du's face turned red, and his breath betrayed his anger.

Shen Lingyi is the first person to dare say that he abused his power!

But it has to be said that this trick worked quite well for him.

Master Du took a few breaths, then suddenly suppressed his anger and disgust, and said coldly, "Then you can go in. Whatever happens, you'll have to bear the consequences yourself."

Shen Lingyi wasn't afraid at all, even though she had offended a teacher as soon as she entered the academy.

Luming Academy is the best academy in the Great Wei Dynasty, without exception.

The academy is built halfway up the mountain, where there is said to be a mountain spring and beautiful scenery. Studying here is a way to cultivate one's mind and body.

Shen Lingyi's entry into the academy caused quite a stir.

The main reason is that everyone thought she was illiterate.

Many people were secretly waiting to see me fail when I entered the academy.

Shen Lingyi didn't care what these people thought; the first dormitory assignment was coming soon.

It was none other than our nemesis, Master Du, who came to assign them dormitories.

Upon seeing Shen Lingyi, Master Du immediately snorted but said nothing. Holding up a name card, he began to call out, "The academy has limited dormitories, four people per room, divided into four types: A, B, C, and D. There is no distinction between them."

"Now let's assign you roommates for the next few years. First up, Shen Lingyi, room A..."

After dividing it up like this...

In the end, the students sharing a dormitory with Shen Lingyi were none other than Su Yuheng, the daughter of the Minister's family, Xie Chichun, and Shen Tingjiao.

When this list came out, Shen Lingyi couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

It's true what they say, enemies are destined to meet.

Sharing a dormitory with these people, even on the first day of school, she already had a premonition of chaos to come.

As the first rays of sunlight streamed through the window, Shen Lingyi opened her eyes and headed to the school.

I glanced at the sundial outside; it was only early morning.

Hearing soft snoring, she looked to the side and saw that Xie Chichun was fast asleep, drooling on the back of his hand.

There were also many people who were not used to the school environment.

When they first arrived at the academy, they were excited, since girls had never been allowed to study there before, and boys and girls were in the same classes. But after that initial excitement wore off, few could bear to get up before dawn.

Shen Lingyi had only enjoyed such treatment when she was practicing martial arts back then.

The teacher glanced down and coughed unhappily.

"School's over already?"

Xie Chichun suddenly stood up, his eyes still closed. "No, I need to go back to sleep. I'm so sleepy..."

The teacher's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He puffed out his beard and glared, saying, "Xie Chichun! Go stand outside!"

After school, the academy and its classrooms would open.

Xie Chichun and Shen Lingyi were walking together.

Since the last Xie family banquet, the relationship between the two has become less strained, and they can now be considered friends who can exchange a few words.

In contrast, the relationship between Xie Chichun and Shen Tingjiao is somewhat awkward.

On the way, noticing Xie Chichun glancing to the side intentionally or unintentionally, Shen Lingyi asked, "Aren't you going up and say a few words?"

"...Never mind." Xie Chichun shook his head and said again:

"I gave you the invitation last time but not to Jiaojiao, because I felt embarrassed to go see her."

Actually, we've already met once in private.

Shen Tingjiao didn't say anything, but looked at her with eyes full of disappointment and betrayal, which Xie Chichun couldn't stand.

It would be better not to meet at all.

Shen Lingyi stopped asking questions and went with her to the cafeteria to buy two dishes: scrambled eggs with toon leaves and chicken with black bean sauce.

Exhausted and starving after a long morning, Xie Chichun picked up his chopsticks and began to eat heartily.

Shen Lingyi noticed a particularly unusual figure.

The man slowly walked into the crowd, dressed in a light and elegant blue robe. He exuded a scholarly air without appearing weak, and his features were exquisite, with a serene and gentle demeanor.

"Who is that?"

She felt that the person looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen him before.

Xie Chichun looked up and his eyes lit up with understanding. "Oh, that's Princess He Ning, Pei Qingrong. You haven't seen her before, have you?"

"Prince Qing only has this one daughter, and she is also one of only two princesses in the imperial clan. She is a million times better than the willful and capricious Princess Kening."

The late emperor's generation had only one prince, and most of these members of the imperial clan were descendants of those who were granted titles of nobility during the founding of the dynasty and were not of the same surname.

Only the lineage of Prince Su can be considered the legitimate royal family, as their ancestor had married a princess born of the principal wife. However, Prince Su died early, and the Prince Su's mansion has long faded from public view.

Among the imperial clan, Prince Qing is considered to have real power and a significant presence.

In this way, Princess Ning's status becomes even more precious.

"This Princess Ning is a talented woman just like my aunt. She could compose poems at the age of five and write essays at the age of eight. She was deeply loved by the Empress Dowager." Xie Chichun lowered her voice as she spoke, "She is also a strong candidate for the Crown Princess."

After she finished speaking, she wanted to see how Shen Lingyi would react.