Chapter 24: Finding Instructors for Each Subject to Teach Your Highness

Qiushuang said with a smile, “Based on the subjects Your Highness the Eldest Princess expressed interest in learning earlier, I have found instructors for each discipline. Starting tomorrow, they will begin teaching, answering questions, and resolving doubts for Your Highness.”

“These instructors are all masters in their respective fields. I hope Your Highness will remain true to your original aspiration and diligently pursue your studies.”

Qiushuang continued her introduction with a smile, “Once Your Highness has caught up on the previously missed coursework, you will have the confidence to find an appropriate opportunity to bring up the matter of returning to Juxian Elegant Lodge for studies with His Majesty.”

“The instructors I found for Your Highness are naturally among the finest in the world, though compared to Juxian Elegant Lodge, they still fall slightly short.”

Qiushuang smiled apologetically but quickly offered gentle encouragement to Su Yingxue, “However, Your Highness’s willingness to resume learning is a wonderful development for the entire Princess’s Palace.”

“Qiushuang, you’ve worked hard,” Zhang Susu rose and looked sincerely moved at Qiushuang, who had been bustling about for her.

She performed a deep bow of respect to the seven instructors before her, “Your student Su Yingxue pays respects to all esteemed instructors. Though lacking in knowledge and slow-witted by nature, I humbly request your guidance and support in the days to come.”

The seven instructors had previously heard some unfavorable rumors about the Eldest Princess’s reputation before entering the palace and had approached Su Yingxue with some caution.

They never expected to encounter a Su Yingxue whose demeanor was so graceful and composed, who performed the formal student’s greeting upon their first meeting – quite different from the Eldest Princess of the rumors.

Overwhelmed by the honor, the seven instructors eventually had Mr. Qingming step forward as their representative to help Su Yingxue up. He replied earnestly, “Your Highness, we accept your sincere intentions, but such formalities are too overwhelming for us!”

Su Yingxue didn’t stand on ceremony and rose gracefully at his words. After some polite conversation, Mr. Qingming and Su Yingxue went to the study to begin lessons, while Qiushuang led the remaining six instructors to their accommodations in the Eldest Princess’s palace, ensuring they were properly settled. After all, this academic endeavor was going to be a challenging battle.

The current Su Yingxue was Zhang Susu, and Zhang Susu was Su Yingxue. Zhang Susu believed her greatest strength was her refusal to give up or accept fate. Even though her Book Transmigration to the Da Sheng Kingdom had dealt her an extremely poor hand from the start,

Zhang Susu believed that her destiny was hers to control, not heaven’s to decide. Even with bad cards and no luck, she would still risk everything to strive, venture, and try. If heaven made things difficult for her, she would find ways to overcome the obstacles before her.

There were no paths in the world to begin with – all paths are created by people walking them. So even if she had to feel her way forward like a blind person crossing a river by stepping on stones, she would rely on herself to forge ahead. Who knows? She might actually reach the opposite shore, right?

Since Su Yingxue was actually a modern person, her previous university education had focused on completely different content from what ancient people studied. Therefore, when Mr. Qingming began teaching her, he initially selected relatively simple texts, historical records, and poetry for her to study. Fortunately, the principles of literature and poetry have been interconnected since ancient times.

The Six Arts in the Da Sheng Kingdom were slightly different: Rites, Music, Archery, Equestrianism, Calligraphy, and Mathematics. The “Equestrianism” here referred to horsemanship and riding skills.

With renowned instructors providing explanations, combined with Su Yingxue’s diligence and eagerness to learn, her daily dedicated study, and her previously weak foundation allowing ample room for knowledge absorption, she quickly made significant progress.

For two consecutive months, under the guidance of seven teachers and through her own diligent studying—so intense it felt like hanging her hair from a beam or pricking her thigh with an awl to stay awake—Su Yingxue could honestly say that even during her high school years, Zhang Susu had never studied as earnestly as she did now.

After all, it was a matter of life and death. If she failed to complete the Conquest Mission, wouldn’t she perish here?

Thus, this time, Zhang Susu was determined to study relentlessly, pushing herself to the limit. Two months later, aside from falling slightly behind in three of the Six Arts—music, archery, and equestrianism—due to her background as an art student, her calligraphy, painting, poetry, literary composition, and classical essays had improved quite well. Though not yet at a level to astonish everyone or stand out among the best, she was already far better than the ignorant and incompetent person she had been before.

Even Mr. Qingming praised her for being intelligent and diligent, saying that if she persisted this way, she might have the qualifications to re-enter Juxian Elegant Lodge for further studies in another six months.

Su Yingxue was very satisfied with this outcome.

During this period, she had devoted herself entirely to studying and hadn’t visited Chu Xingchen. According to Qiushuang, at the beginning of the month, Chu Xingchen’s injuries had mostly healed, with scabs forming over them.

Thinking of his scarred and battered wounds, Su Yingxue felt somewhat guilty. She instructed Qiushuang to let him continue recuperating in the Side Hall and to minimize his movements outside.

Qiushuang mentioned that the clothes she had sent fit Chu Xingchen perfectly. Indeed, fine feathers make fine birds—dressed in brocade robes and paired with his strikingly handsome face, Chu Xingchen now carried the air of a noble young master. He was a far cry from the dirty, smelly, and ragged Chu Xingchen who had lived in the Cold Palace.

Fearing he might grow idle with nothing to do, Su Yingxue specifically ordered Qiushuang to deliver the same study materials she used to Chu Xingchen.

When she first saved Chu Xingchen, Su Yingxue knew that changing his impression of her would be as difficult as climbing to the sky. In the Original Work, Chu Xingchen was twisted, obsessive, and paranoid—traits Su Yingxue believed stemmed from her bullying and humiliation of him during his time as a powerless Hostage Prince.

Chu Xingchen had never been educated in poetry, literature, etiquette, or other scholarly pursuits since childhood, which later contributed to his authoritarian, bloodthirsty, and suspicious nature, leaning toward that of a tyrant after he seized power.

After careful consideration, Zhang Susu concluded that Chu Xingchen’s dark and troubled youth, devoid of proper education in the Six Arts and etiquette, was to blame. This prevented him from being nurtured by virtuous and learned teachers into a refined gentleman like Mo Yunsheng, who was as noble as Yuanchai Lilan. In this life, Zhang Susu wanted to defy fate and change destiny not only for herself but also for Chu Xingchen.

Considering that Chu Xingchen had never properly rested, toiling, being beaten, and enduring cold all day, which left him rather gaunt, Su Yingxue took advantage of his convalescence in the Princess’s Palace. She had the imperial kitchen prepare medicinal cuisine based on prescriptions from the Imperial Physician, combined with herbal decoctions and tonics from the Imperial Hospital, to help nourish his body.

“Qiushuang, This Palace hasn’t visited Chu Xingchen in quite some time. Fetch the first-class Four Treasures of the Study from Lingyun Pavilion that were recently stored in the treasury and deliver them to Chu Xingchen on my behalf.”

Su Yingxue set down her brush and rubbed her sore hand. With the end-of-month tests approaching, Mr. Qingming had assigned her significantly more homework.

Su Yingxue never expected that even after crossing over, she still couldn’t escape the demands of studying. Over these two months, she had studied diligently and with unwavering focus.

Looking at the thick stack of handwritten test papers in front of her, filled with elegant and graceful small regular script, it had to be said that Zhang Susu was once an art student—calligraphy and painting were her strengths.