Chapter Seven, Guangwen Hall

I believe it is because General Shen and Madam Shen are not present to provide guidance," said another young girl with a disheveled bun. "With a lack of discipline, it is only natural that she does not even know the basic principles of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and honor that a young lady should be aware of

"I suppose you are too embarrassed to show your face now," said the girl, who was beautiful in appearance but had a rather loud voice, her face adorned with a hint of mockery. "I heard that the Crown Prince fell into the water while peeping. Is it because of a lingering cold or simply because you cannot bear to face others?"

Unfortunately, both Shen Xin and Madam Shen come from a family of military generals, and the eldest brother Shen Qiu is particularly prone to headaches when it comes to studying. Shen Miao was raised beside the old Madam Shen, who was a singer and could not recognize a single character. Shen Miao's enlightenment was taught by Madam Shen San, Chen Ruoqiu, who came from a scholarly family, but the texts she used to teach Shen Miao were all obscure and difficult to understand. Children naturally have a playful spirit, and after repeated attempts at teaching, it only led Shen Miao to completely detest reading and writing.

It is still early, and the teacher has not yet begun the class. The second-year students have arrived in dribs and drabs, sitting in the classroom and chatting. As soon as Shen Yue and Shen Qing arrived, they were warmly greeted by several girls.

The awakening of spring has brought about a sense of confusion, and she does not know why. Her daughter’s words are becoming increasingly incomprehensible to her, yet she finds this quite agreeable. Shen Miao has always been overly timid, with everything being controlled by the second and third branches. However, after experiencing a near-drowning incident, she seems to have developed her own opinions, which is as it should be. As the legitimate daughter of the main branch, her status and position should not be inferior to anyone else, nor should she be treated like a maid.

On weekdays, Shen Miao always shares a carriage with Shen Qing and Shen Yue, as she feels more courageous with her sisters by her side. As for Shen Yue and Shen Qing, perhaps it is because they have a foolish younger sister to contrast with, which naturally makes them appear more outstanding.

You are just too protective of your sister," Yi Peilan said, "Such a foolish person does not resemble a young lady from the Shen family at all, yet you constantly shield her. However, she truly is eye-opening; usually appearing timid and soft, but when encountering His Highness the Prince, she is remarkably brave. Those who do not know would think she is an uncultured girl raised in a humble household.

This remark was somewhat harsh, to which Shen Qing responded with a smile, "Fifth younger sister is merely being mischievous for the moment"

She does not resemble a young girl; rather, she resembles... those noble ladies in high positions, or perhaps the decisive demeanor of a father who is the head of the household.

"She is deliberately throwing a tantrum at me." Shen Qingling snorted, never hiding her disdain for Shen Miao in front of Shen Yue: "Let her be, after all, it won't be me who ends up embarrassed in the end"

After traveling for nearly half an hour, the carriage finally arrived at the Guangwen Pavilion

A girl in a pink dress said, "Yue Niang, why is Shen Miao not here today?" Usually, Shen Miao follows Shen Yue and Shen Qing like a maid, so it is rather strange not to see her today

In another carriage, Shen Yue lifted the curtain to sneak a glance behind and softly said: "Elder sister, Fifth younger sister is following behind."

The officials and nobles of the Ming and Qing dynasties often sent their sons and daughters to the Guangwen Academy, where the instructors were renowned scholars or talented individuals celebrated across the four regions. Young children of the nobility took pride in being able to attend the Guangwen Academy

Shen Yue and Shen Qingyue are outstanding, while Shen Miao appears to be utterly lacking in talent. She is even inferior to Shen Dongling, the illegitimate daughter of the first wife.

What Cai Xuan said is not correct, Shen Yue gently spoke: Although Uncle and Aunt are not in Dingjing, Fifth Sister has also been raised by Grandmother, and my mother and Second Aunt have always provided guidance, never neglecting their discipline

Shen Yue? Shen Qing said: "How could I not know what you are thinking in your heart? Stop pretending to be a good person here. If you truly care for her and feel sorry for her, why don't you go sit in her carriage? Why bother talking to me here?"

On the carriage, Jingzhe asked: "Miss, why are you not traveling with the eldest and second young ladies?"

Her footsteps were slow, the hem of her skirt remained perfectly still, and each step, though light, carried great weight. It was hard to say why, but there was an inexplicable sense of grandeur and elegance. With her chin slightly raised and her expression calm and composed, her eyes, reminiscent of a puppy, became deep and unfathomable, as if all strength was contained within, like a fierce beast that had retracted its claws.

"Peilan, it is not like that..." Shen Yue shook her head

However, now Shen Miao no longer wished to engage in pretense or flattery

The implication is that it is entirely due to Shen Miao's innate shamelessness

Among the three legitimate daughters of the Shen family, Shen Yue is the most renowned for her talents, excelling in all arts such as music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Although Shen Qing is not as outstanding as Shen Yue, she also performs well, particularly in embroidery, where she demonstrates exceptional skill, and she excels in subjects like mathematics and accounting. For someone who will eventually marry into another family and become the mistress, the better her skills in literature and mathematics, the more favor she can gain from her in-laws, thus Shen Qing is also able to earn a reputation for her competence.

The facial features remain charming, appearing cute due to their roundness, yet there is not a trace of clumsiness to be found, as they have not yet fully developed. Coupled with a dignified demeanor, this unexpectedly does not seem out of place.

Shen Yue bit her lip, lowered her head, and fell silent.

Chen Ruoqiu noticed that Shen Miao did not enjoy studying, and never forced her to do so. Instead, she taught her to pay attention to her food, clothing, and lifestyle, allowing her to live a life of a true young lady. Later, when she reached the appropriate age, she attended the Guangwen Academy, but Shen Miao struggled to keep up with the knowledge presented by the teachers, performing even worse than the students in the first grade. Consequently, she became the lowest achiever. Over time, Shen Miao grew even more disinterested in her studies, earning a reputation in Jingjing for being ignorant and foolish.

The classroom gradually became quiet

Shen Yue expressed her concern, saying: "But she has already caught a cold, and moreover, regarding His Highness the Duke of Ding, this matter is..."

The Guangwen Pavilion is an academy in the capital.

A young girl slowly approached the entrance, dressed in a deep red double-cornered cloud goose outfit with intricate silk threads, and draped in a deep blue satin embroidered cloak. Such colors might be considered overly mature for a woman, especially given Shen Miaosheng's round and delicate features, which could easily make her resemble a child who had inadvertently donned an elder's clothing

Indeed, as soon as Shen Yue's words came out, Yi Peilan remarked, "How strange, coming from the same family upbringing, Yue Niang and Qing Niang, you are truly worlds apart from Shen Miaoke. This is probably what the teacher meant by saying: you can't help a rotten mud to stand up. " As she spoke, she burst into laughter, and the circle of noble ladies around her also laughed. Even some young gentlemen couldn't help but glance over. This is probably what the teacher meant by saying: you can't help a rotten mud to stand up. " As she spoke, she burst into laughter, and the circle of noble ladies around her also laughed. Even some young gentlemen couldn't help but glance over.

In the Guangwen Hall, among the women, Shen Yue is renowned for her exceptional talent. She is beautiful, and her demeanor is humble and gentle, which naturally attracts the admiration of many. Although Shen Qing may not possess the outstanding talents of Shen Yue, she is capable in her work and adept in handling affairs, making her well-liked in the circle of noble ladies

In the next moment, someone shouted: "Look, Shen Miao has arrived!"

Shen Miao also studied at the Guangwen Pavilion

Everyone looked towards the door with the anticipation of watching a good show

We are not people who share the same roof, and the paths we take are completely divergent; how can there be talk of traveling together?