#97 - Ci Ci, who do you think did this?
White Deer Academy is located in the White Deer Mountain Range.
The mountain range, encompassing ten peaks and the White Deer Town below the academy, all fall within the academy's territory.
As for the State of Wei where White Deer Academy is situated,
Wei, as a human dynasty, has an area about one-tenth the size of the State of Wu, and its military strength is less than one-tenth of Wu's.
Wei is not only inferior compared to the ten major human dynasties, but also weaker than seventy percent of all human dynasties.
Moreover, Wei borders three major human dynasties.
However, Wei has managed to survive surrounded by these three major dynasties without being annexed.
Wei has maintained a neutral stance of non-interference for the past thousand years, which is one factor.
The most important reason is the existence of White Deer Academy.
Although Wei is a small country with relatively weak national defense and military capabilities, the surrounding three major human dynasties consider annexing Wei to be an extremely simple matter.
However, these human dynasties must give White Deer Academy some face.
White Deer Academy does not belong to Wei, nor is it affiliated with any other power; White Deer Academy is simply White Deer Academy.
The history of White Deer Academy is even longer than that of all existing human dynasties.
White Deer Academy is the dream destination for all scholars in the world.
Scholars who graduate from White Deer Academy either become great Confucian scholars or important ministers in various courts.
These great Confucian scholars also establish academies, and retired court ministers also go on to teach.
It can be said that White Deer Academy's alumni are spread throughout the world.
Not to mention that the Dean of White Deer Academy is also one of the top ten figures in the world.
Therefore, as long as Wei does not cause trouble, White Deer Academy can ensure its peace and tranquility.
Four years ago, a little girl came to White Deer Academy.
It's not strange for White Deer Academy to have female students, as many human dynasties have a certain quota to send some royal descendants to White Deer Academy.
These royal descendants are not considered students of White Deer Academy, nor are they seeking knowledge; they are merely opening their minds, cultivating their character, and learning right from wrong.
After a certain period, these royal descendants must leave the mountain.
However, the little girl who came four years ago was different.
She was a genuine student recruited by White Deer Academy, and also the closed-door disciple of the Dean of White Deer Academy.
In an instant, that little girl, who was only eleven or twelve years old, had a seniority higher than most people in White Deer Academy.
As time passed, the little girl from four years ago gradually grew up.
When the young girl reached her teenage years, she had blossomed into a graceful and elegant young woman.
Many of the royal relatives and nobles from various dynasties within the academy were enamored with this young girl, who possessed a natural literary talent and was filled with the fragrance of books.
Dynasties and aristocratic families all proposed marriage to this young girl with extraordinary etiquette.
Some dynasties even offered the position of crown princess as betrothal gifts.
However, all were rejected by this young girl one by one.
No one knew what the young girl's true intentions were.
Then, when the young girl reached marriageable age, she gave her reason.
Once, envoys from the States of Wei and Liang came to White Deer Academy, simultaneously proposing marriage with the etiquette befitting a crown princess.
The young girl did not show her face.
When the crowd arrived in front of the young girl's courtyard, they only saw the ground covered with fragrant tea, adorned with petal after petal of jasmine flower cores.
Jasmine flowers symbolize fidelity.
A faithful heart, remaining on that fragrant tea.
And that "tea" (茗, míng) sounds like "engraved" (铭, míng).
In an instant, everyone knew the young girl's intentions.
The young girl already had someone in her heart.
Although the young girl did not explicitly say it, most people had already guessed.
That "tea" (茗, míng) sounded like "Ming" (铭, míng).
It was very likely Xu Ming, who had given the young girl that poem "Zhu Yan Ci Jing Hua Ci Shu" (Red Faces Bidding Farewell to the Mirror, Flowers Bidding Farewell to the Trees).
Many people felt surprised, yet also within reason, that the young girl was fond of Xu Ming.
After all, if someone gave you that poem, how could you not be infatuated?
After that, the dynasties and countries that proposed marriage to the young girl restrained themselves a lot.
However, they still did not give up, still hoping to have their descendants approach Zhu Cici.
Because in many people's eyes, Zhu Cici and Xu Ming were simply impossible.
It was impossible for Zhu Cici to marry outside.
Xu Ming, having heard that he had achieved the Triple Crown in the imperial examinations, had a promising future in the State of Wu, and it was even more impossible for him to become a son-in-law in the State of Qi.
The three princes of the State of Qi in the academy often sent gifts to Zhu Cici; even if the gifts were returned, they acted as if nothing had happened, continuing to send gifts and trying their best to please Zhu Cici.
Currently, the position of crown prince in the State of Qi has not yet been determined, and these three princes all want to compete for it.
Zhu Cici is not only beautiful and possesses a natural literary talent, but her father is the Marquis of Yunyi of the State of Qi, the State of Qi's number one Confucian general.
Marrying Zhu Cici is equivalent to gaining the support of the Marquis of Yunyi, which makes these three princes unable to resist.
As for that Xu Ming?
They simply did not take him seriously.
That poem was indeed good, but that was a matter of many years ago.
Not to mention that Xu Ming and Zhu Cici were simply impossible.
Waiting for the passage of time, the influence of that poem in Zhu Cici's heart would diminish, and as she gradually matured and realized that she and Xu Ming could only be friends, she would give up.
At that time, it would be their opportunity.
"Cici... Cici..."
Outside a courtyard in White Deer Academy, a girl kept calling towards the inside of the courtyard.
Soon, from within the courtyard, a young girl holding a book walked out.
The young girl wore a long ink-white brocade dress, the hem of which was embroidered with pure white plum blossoms. A white brocade belt cinched her slender waist, and her dark hair was styled into a ruyi bun, adorned with only a single white jade plum blossom hairpin. Although simple, it exuded a fresh and elegant charm.
The young girl lightly applied powder to her face and wore a light blue palace dress embroidered with cloud geese. On her head, she wore a freshly picked white plum blossom, and besides that, she only wore a delicate jade hairpin, from which hung delicate silver-threaded bead tassels.
As the young girl walked, the tassels of the hairpin swayed gently.
Compared to the childishness of four or five years ago, the young girl, now of marriageable age, had fully blossomed. Beneath the ink-colored dress, her graceful curves spoke of the beauty of youth, and her oval face carried the purity unique to this age.
Knowledgeable, gentle, and refined, these qualities came naturally to this young girl.
The young girl was like an ink-colored lotus flower, pure and elegant.
"Weiwei, what's wrong?" Zhu Cici walked out of the courtyard with a smile.
"Cici, the teacher is calling us to class," the girl named Xia Wei said, holding the young girl's tender and delicate hand.
"Class?" Zhu Cici blinked her eyes. "Isn't today a day of rest? Why are we going to class?"
"I heard that the academy has received a famous essay. The teacher couldn't wait and is eager to explain it to us."
As she spoke, Xia Wei seemed to have remembered something, and the corners of her mouth curled up as she looked at Zhu Cici playfully.
"Cici, who do you think wrote that famous essay?"
