The carriage came to a halt. First, a maid in a bright pink brocade dress stepped out and set down an embroidered footstool.
Lü Songyuan slowly alighted from the carriage.
Her hair was coiled up high into an intricate flying fairy hairstyle, with a hibiscus and warm jade gold hairpin slanting through it. As she walked, the hanging beads gently swayed, as if all the stars in the courtyard had gathered in her hair.
She was wearing a moon - white long dress. The pleated skirt was like snow, winding and flowing to the ground, trailing for more than three feet, making her gait even more graceful and charming.
There were large lotus flowers embroidered in dark patterns on the cuffs. The silver thread outlined the rippling water, making her look even more noble and inviolable.
Guo Xinyue never expected Lü Songyuan to come. She opened her mouth in surprise.
Since the incident at General Feng's banquet last time, the person she feared most was Lü Songyuan.
She was afraid that she would suddenly realize something, start to suspect her again, and take her anger out on her.
Therefore, in the past two or three months, she always deliberately avoided Lü Songyuan at the banquets for noble ladies in the capital.
Unexpectedly, she would meet her here today.
What was Lü Songyuan doing here?
Coming to pick a fight with Li Wanming?
Suddenly, a hint of triumph welled up in her heart. She felt that she had come to the right place. Finally, there would be a good show to watch!
After Lü Songyuan got off the carriage, her gaze lingered briefly on the sister - in - law pair. Then she said to Li Wanming, "I'm here. We can start."
Xiao Jingnan smiled slightly. "Miss Lü, please."
Qinglan beside them ordered people to hang up two long strings of firecrackers and get everything ready. Then she asked someone to bring over a small red lacquered tray with a delicate golden pair of scissors on it.
Guo Xinyue's face gradually changed. She finally realized. "This is..."
Li Wanming said, "Can't you tell? The daughter of Minister Lü is here to cut the ribbon for my disgraceful academy!"
Hearing this, Lü Songyuan frowned slightly. She looked around and said loudly, "It is a matter strongly promoted by the court for women to enter school. What Miss Cheng has done is a great good deed that benefits the country and the people and will be remembered for generations. Who dares to say it's disgraceful?"
Li Wanming knew that with her intelligence, she couldn't have failed to guess who had said that, but she still asked like this.
Because this was meant for the common people present.
It could show that opening the Zhaoyu Academy, a great good deed that benefited the country and the people and would be remembered for generations, also had her contribution.
Although she understood it in her heart, Li Wanming still couldn't help getting goosebumps.
Xiao Jingnan was right. In terms of duplicity and hypocrisy, she still needed to learn more from these high - born young ladies.
At this moment, a man suddenly galloped over on a horse, kicking up a cloud of dust.
After dismounting, Pei Yanqi threw the reins to a young servant beside him and gasped as he stepped forward. "Good, good! I'm not late! I originally planned to come earlier, but I was held up by something just before I left..."
Xiao Jingnan glanced at him and suddenly smiled. He said loudly, "It's not too late for Scholar Pei to come now."
As soon as he said this, there was an immediate uproar among the crowd below.
"Scholar?"
"Did you hear that? There's a scholar in this academy!"
"Oh, you guys are so narrow - minded! You only know about the scholar. That girl in white just now is the daughter of Minister Lü..."
"What? The daughter of the minister? Is the daughter of the minister here to cut the ribbon?"
"I really didn't expect this academy to have such a big background!"
Li Wanming felt proud. This was exactly the effect she wanted.
Seeing that everyone had arrived and the time was about right, she stepped forward and said loudly, "Everyone, our Zhaoyu Academy is opening today. Thank you all for coming!"
"Our academy is for common women. We don't teach music, chess, calligraphy, painting, or poetry. Instead, we teach ordinary reading, writing, accounting, brewing, and weaving... In short, we want to help girls find a way to make a living in the future."
"Moreover, we don't set high tuition fees. You only need to pay twenty copper coins a month to study in the academy.
"If your family is really poor, you can pay the tuition with rice or wheat. If you still can't afford it, you can postpone the payment temporarily. You can pay it back to the academy after you graduate and find a job!"
After she finished speaking, there was a moment of silence below, followed by even more enthusiastic discussions.
"Postpone the payment and pay it back later? Isn't that just free?"
"Not only that. I heard that this academy is training apprentices for the Li family's wine shop. After graduation, you can go to work in the Li family's wine shop. Do you know the Li family's wine shop? The current shopkeeper is a woman!"
"If that's really the case, my second and third daughters won't have to worry about their future!"
Someone wiped away their tears. "My heartless father wanted to sell my daughter to a human trafficker yesterday. Now it's great. With this academy, she can earn money on her own!"
"Not only her, but you can also come to study! In the future, you and your daughter can work together. Then you don't have to worry about your inhumane husband anymore."
"Yes, yes, yes. I'm so happy that I'm confused..."
The voices below grew louder and louder, gradually turning into a chorus of cheers:
"Thank you, Zhaoyu Academy!"
"Thank you, Miss Lü!"
"Thank you, Scholar Pei!"
...
Lü Songyuan never expected that just by coming to cut the ribbon, she would gain such popular support. Her heart was filled with excitement, and a strange glow appeared on her face.
She turned her head. Her eyes looked down condescendingly at Li Wanming's face. She exhorted earnestly, "Miss Cheng, I hope you will manage this well in the future and don't let the court down."
Her expression was very solemn, with a gentle pity, like a goddess saving all sentient beings.
It was as if this academy was really built by her single - handedly.
Li Wanming rolled her eyes in her heart and thought, "Who do you think you're kidding!"
But she didn't show it on her face. Instead, she bowed her head more respectfully and said, "Yes. Miss Lü, please cut the ribbon."
Lü Songyuan nodded reservedly. She stretched out her slender hand, gracefully picked up the scissors, and cut the red silk in front of her.
The firecrackers went off.
The noisy sound resounded through the sky, and the rising smoke was filled with a festive atmosphere everywhere.
In the midst of the joy, Feng Xiao put his hand on Xiao Jingnan's shoulder. "Sister - in - law is really capable. To open an academy and invite a scholar and the daughter of a minister in succession..."
Xiao Jingnan gave him a sidelong glance and said coolly, "Not only that. Isn't there also you, the imperial bodyguard?"
Liang Xiong also laughed heartily on one side. "Yes, yes, yes. And there's also me, the General Yunhui!"
It was natural for him, as an adopted brother, to come and show his support for Li Wanming's academy opening.
He didn't notice any of the undercurrents and intense confrontations in front. He really thought that Lü Songyuan had already reconciled with Li Wanming and came here specially to cut the ribbon.
Now seeing how popular the academy was among the common people, he felt excited and proud. So he was very happy and kept grinning from ear to ear.
Feng Xiao knew the whole story and just snickered in his heart.
He put his arm around Xiao Jingnan's shoulder and teased, "Ah, yes. I almost forgot! And there's also our Prince Ning's heir..."