The Sacrificial Officer’s speech introduced nothing new, only reminding the students to study hard, not to disappoint His Majesty’s expectations, the court’s support, and the common people’s hopes, and so on.
Li Ang and others in the audience were yawning profusely until, at the end of the speech, the Sacrificial Officer paused before instructing the students to pay close attention to safety in the coming period.
Should they encounter events suspected of being anomalies, or people or items that seemed alien, they must report to the garrison and the Academic Palace immediately, and by no means try to be heroes.
If caught up in an anomaly, they should prioritize sending a signal and wait for rescue. The Academic Palace would distribute Alarm Talismans and portable fireworks (similar to Cloud Piercing Arrows) to the disciples shortly.
Some students in the audience perked up immediately.
Li Ang pricked up his ears, listening to the whispered discussions from the front row.
"What does the Sacrificial Officer mean by that? Reminding us to be safe? This is Chang’an..."
"Could it be that anomalies have become more frequent? There have been similar mentions in past speeches, but the tone has never been this strong."
"Why not ask Prince Yue? He might have some information."
"Forget it, let’s not. If it’s not serious, asking is pointless. And if it is serious, Prince Yue isn’t going to tell you anyway."
After the Sacrificial Officer concluded the new term’s opening speech, the students in the square gradually dispersed.
Li Ang watched the dwindling crowd, frowning slightly.
He had a feeling something was amiss.
The Academic Palace differed from other ordinary institutions in one key aspect: the high turnover of personnel.
In the spring term of the New Year, many Doctors in the Academic Palace changed. Some were busy with their own projects and research, while others returned from posts outside the capital, finally able to lay down their burdens and rest for a while.
The impact on freshmen was relatively minor; the list of instructors hadn’t changed much.
To assess the students’ self-study during the winter vacation, the first few days of the new term were packed with exams in various subjects.
This is worse than any holiday homework, Li Ang muttered, sitting at his desk after the national history exam. "Fortunately, the Academic Palace and the Imperial College have no direct competition. Otherwise, there might even be joint exams between multiple schools..."
"The Imperial College students certainly wish for that," Ji Linglang, sitting in front, turned his head and smiled. "To defeat Academic Palace Disciples on the same exam paper would give them bragging rights for a long time after leaving."
"Some people actually do that," Yang Yu added after a moment’s thought. "I’ve heard that disciples from the Imperial College privately collect exam papers that have circulated from the Academic Palace, attempt them in secret, and then compare their scores to the Academic Palace’s average. If they can exceed it, especially if they rank among the top students of the Academic Palace, they can prove themselves exceptionally competent. This makes it much easier to seek official positions from Chang’an’s eminent figures by presenting their accomplishments."
Li Ang snarked, "...So what we’re doing now is the equivalent of exam papers from Huanggang and Haidian, huh?"
Li Wei, not comprehending, asked curiously, "What’s that?"
"Nothing, just an adjective," Li Ang waved his hand dismissively. Yang Yu and the others blinked but didn’t press further. Li Ang often uttered cryptic words; over time, they had grown accustomed to it.
Footsteps approached. Yang Yu and Li Wei stood up nervously, saying respectfully, "Princess."
"Just call me Le Ling."
After a winter break, Li Leqing’s Essence Qi seemed much improved, her complexion far rosier.
Yang Yu and Li Wei nodded in acknowledgment. Li Leqing’s gaze shifted to Li Ang as she hesitated, "Li Ang... classmate, could we talk outside for a moment?"
Li Ang felt a flicker of curiosity but stood up and followed her out of the classroom to the flowerbeds behind the supervision building.
"Princess... cough," Li Ang coughed, then asked, "Le Ling, is there something you wanted to talk about?"
"Um..." Li Leqing pretended to admire the vibrant, colorful flowers in the bed, asking cautiously, "Does Cui Qiao dislike me now?"
Li Ang blinked. He had pondered various questions she might ask: about academics, medicine, or even if she was recruiting him on behalf of her imperial brother—regardless of which brother it was.
But he hadn’t expected this question.
Li Ang thought for a bit and answered, "Uh, no, she doesn’t dislike you, Princess."
Chai Chai might not enjoy deep thinking, but at heart, she possesses a simple yet rigorous logic for distinguishing good people from bad. She has an incredibly sharp and accurate ability to judge who is a sycophant and who is a genuine friend—one might call it an animal’s intuition.
"Then why does she refuse to come to the Imperial Palace when I invite her?" Li Leqing tilted her head slightly and asked softly, "And she’s also rather unwilling to say why."
"Well," Li Ang pondered for a moment before answering, "maybe it’s because there are too many rules in the Imperial Palace."
Li Ang nodded. "In the Imperial Palace, palace maids monitor your every step, wet nurses watch you as you eat, you can’t speak too loudly, and you can’t run boisterously. She probably doesn’t like that kind of atmosphere."
"Oh..." Li Leqing’s mouth fell agape. "Is it really because the palace atmosphere is very stern?"
Li Ang, observing the genuine surprise on Li Leqing’s face, shook his head. "Le Ling, you are the Emperor and Empress’s most adored Princess, and having been considered physically frail since childhood, no one dares to impose the palace’s strict rules on your speech and behavior. Consequently, you naturally find the atmosphere there relaxed."
Although Li Ang had never attended any gatherings of noble young ladies, he could deduce with common sense why Chai Cuiqiao, after visiting the Imperial Palace once to see Li Leqing, was reluctant to return.
Chai Cuiqiao’s servant registration had been expunged, but her current status was still that of a commoner without official rank.