Extra Chapter 11
At the break of dawn, the back courtyard of the Mansion of the Guardian General was already bustling with activity.
Sixteen-year-old Zhou Ruolan opened her eyes, awakening from her slumber.
It felt like emerging from a long dream; in the blink of an eye, she had returned to her days as a young maiden.
Indeed, she was no longer the Empress Dowager of Great Liang who had passed away.
Instead, she was once again Zhou Ruolan, the eldest daughter of the Guardian General's family, known by her original name.
Hearing faint commotion coming from outside, she gathered her thoughts, pulled aside the bed curtains, and called for her maid to inquire, "What's happening?"
The maid quickly replied, "I heard that the young master snuck out of the academy last night to drink, and the steward caught him and brought him back. Madam is currently scolding him in the courtyard."
It was that good-for-nothing brother Zhou Yucheng again.
Zhou Ruolan temporarily set aside her thoughts and got out of bed, saying,
"Help me dress, I'll go take a look."
The maid responded and hurriedly began her work.
When Zhou Ruolan stepped out of her room, the sky had grown a bit brighter.
But her brother Zhou Yucheng was still kneeling in the courtyard, while their mother, Madam Zhou, stood nearby, alternating between scolding and crying.
Zhou Ruolan walked up to them and, without a word, raised the horsewhip in her hand and began striking Zhou Yucheng.
Zhou Yucheng, who had been merely enduring the verbal lecture, was caught off guard by the sudden whipping and began crying out in pain. Madam Zhou was also startled and quickly moved to stop her, asking, "Ruolan, what are you doing?"
Zhou Ruolan calmly replied, "He did wrong, and I'm helping you discipline him."
Madam Zhou stammered, then hurriedly said, "The whip is too harsh, be careful not to hurt him too badly."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhou Yucheng began wailing even louder than before.
Zhou Ruolan said coldly, "Without severity, he won't learn his lesson. At such a young age, he already dares to go out drinking and visiting courtesans. Never mind our family's reputation, but if we let this slide, what will become of him in the future? How many times have you given him these mild scoldings since he was young? Has he ever improved? To be frank, Zhou Yucheng has you figured out completely. Every time he makes a mistake, you scold him a bit, he cries a little, and you soften your heart. Then he does it again, and worse than before. Mother, if you want to discipline him, you must steel your heart and give him a proper thrashing, correct his bad habits all at once."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yucheng was frightened and quickly crawled to Madam Zhou's feet, crying for help, "Elder Sister must be possessed, Mother! She's trying to whip me to death!"
Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Ruolan delivered two more lashes, angrily saying, "Shut your mouth! You're supposed to be a man, but what can you do besides cause trouble for the family? Now you have parents to protect you, but who will keep you in line after they're gone?"
The hatred from both her past and present lives combined, making her show no mercy as she whipped that good-for-nothing brother until he was rolling on the ground crying out in pain. This scene frightened Madam Zhou, but seeing that she couldn't stop her daughter, she had no choice but to hurry to the front courtyard to find her husband.
Thus, after finishing with her worthless brother, Zhou Ruolan went to face her father.
Having just heard his wife's tearful complaint, Guardian General Zhou Pengze sternly asked his daughter, "I hear you defied your mother just now. What exactly happened?"
Zhou Ruolan sighed and said, "Father is busy with court affairs daily and has no time to discipline Yucheng, while Mother is too soft-hearted. But excessive kindness breeds disaster. Yucheng is only fourteen, yet he already dares to sneak out to drink and visit brothels. If we don't discipline him strictly now, what will become of him? Unlike you, Father, he was born in peaceful times, lying back and enjoying the peaceful days that our ancestors paid for with their lives. He doesn't understand how difficult life can be or the principle of staying vigilant in times of peace. If this continues, should he make a grave mistake one day, even Grandfather's and your merits might not be able to save him."
After hearing this, the General was quite surprised that his young daughter could speak with such foresight.
He stroked his beard, looked her up and down, and finally nodded, "You speak truly. I have been negligent in his education. From now on, Yucheng will be in your charge. No matter what, you must correct his bad habits as soon as possible."
Zhou Ruolan quickly agreed.
When Zhou Yucheng heard the news, his legs went weak.
Indeed, after that whipping's deterrent effect, Zhou Yucheng behaved much better for the next few days.
Because he discovered that his sister seemed to have become a different person, being particularly harsh with him, whipping him for the slightest mistake without mercy, and even their mother couldn't stop her.
Though Madam Zhou felt heartache, she could do nothing but send someone to deliver medicine for her son's wounds.
However, seeing that her son didn't dare misbehave anymore, she was ultimately relieved.
In mid-March, when spring was in full bloom in the capital.
With her father's birthday approaching in a few days.
As a gesture of filial piety, Zhou Ruolan planned to go to the market to buy a set of scholar's four treasures as a birthday gift for her father, so she made a special trip out that day.
When the carriage reached the front of Academy Street, it suddenly stopped, and then she heard the sound of gongs and drums.
The driver craned his neck to look and reported to her, "Miss, today is the Imperial Examination announcement ceremony, and it seems the road ahead is blocked."
Zhou Ruolan made a sound of acknowledgment, finally realizing that she had stumbled upon the day of the palace examination results announcement.
This was a grand occasion for the court, so she said, "Then we'll wait."
Hearing the drums and gongs getting closer, she couldn't help but lift the carriage curtain to look. The street was crowded with people, all craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the new imperial scholars.
Logically, there should be many familiar faces among them.
After all, in her previous life, most of these people had entered the court and assisted her in managing state affairs.
For instance, the top scholar riding the white horse with red flowers in his cap at the front was He Chengyin, who would later become Princess Yuwen Hui's consort.
She smiled faintly and looked further back, seeing the second-ranked scholar, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, who would later become Lu Kaihe, the Minister of Works.
Looking further back at the third-ranked scholar following the second, she saw another young man, but when she clearly saw his features, she froze.
This was him at barely twenty years old, tall as a bamboo, with eyes like flowing light, seeming even more elegant and otherworldly than when she first met him in her previous life.
Zhou Ruolan stared blankly, almost calling out his name.
Shu Guang...
Yes, it was him.
The man who had accompanied her through several decades of her previous life, in whose arms she had closed her eyes for the last time...
As if reuniting after a long separation, at this moment, she quietly gazed at his appearance, almost bringing tears to her eyes.
As if by some spiritual connection, across the dense crowd, he suddenly cast his gaze in her direction.
Their eyes met, and they silently looked at each other until his horse gradually moved forward, and he could no longer look back at her.
Zhou Ruolan came back to her senses and finally lowered the carriage curtain, but slightly furrowed her brow.
Strange, she remembered that in her previous life, he had participated in the palace examination two years later.
How was he here in this year's examination?
Following tradition, on the third day after the palace examination results announcement, the royal family held a celebration banquet at Changchun Garden to entertain the new imperial scholars.
By afternoon, Changchun Garden gradually became lively, but the guests arriving at the garden were not just the new imperial scholars.
It turned out that today, besides the celebration banquet at Qushui Garden, there was another banquet across the lake at Huifang Garden, hosted by the Empress to entertain the royal clan members and noble ladies for spring appreciation.
Of course, everyone knew that currently in the court, the Princess, the Second Prince, and the Third Prince were all of marriageable age, and the Emperor and Empress wanted to take this opportunity to find suitable matches for their children.
Therefore, all the young ladies who came to the garden today were carefully dressed, each trying to catch the Empress's attention and find chances to speak with her.
However, just after Zhou Ruolan had paid her respects to the Empress, she was pulled aside by Princess Yuwen Hui.
"Ruolan, today my royal parents are arranging my marriage. Quick, come with me to see if the top scholar is truly handsome or not."
Having grown up together and being naturally forthright, among all the noble ladies, only she was most favored by Yuwen Hui and considered her best friend.
As the beloved daughter of the founding Emperor and Empress, Yuwen Hui was pampered and thus outgoing and passionate.
This scene, which truly violated proper etiquette, had also occurred once in her previous life.
However, at that time, Zhou Ruolan had thoroughly discouraged Yuwen Hui, but this time, she nodded and agreed to go along with her.
Taking a pleasure boat across the lake, they soon arrived outside Qushui Garden.
Although Yuwen Hui was naturally vivacious and energetic, she still knew proper etiquette, especially since her royal father was present in the garden today. Therefore, she only dared to peek quietly through the flower-patterned window from outside the wall.
Of course, although there were dozens of people in the garden today, the Top Scholar was easily distinguishable from others due to his distinct attire and his seat being closer to the Emperor, making him immediately recognizable.
After observing for a while, Yuwen Hui nodded with satisfaction, "This He Chengyin looks quite decent."
Zhou Ruolan tried hard to suppress her smile as she congratulated her, "Congratulations, Your Highness."
As she spoke, she also deliberately glanced through the wall several times.
Although his attire wasn't as eye-catching as the Top Scholar's, she still recognized him instantly.
Just like the other day, he maintained that same elegant and otherworldly demeanor.
No one else could compare to him.
She thought to herself that with his scholarly abilities, he was actually no less accomplished than He Chengyin, so perhaps he had deliberately held back this time?
While lost in her thoughts, Yuwen Hui's voice suddenly reached her ears, "Hmm? Ruolan, who are you looking at?"
She quickly feigned shyness and withdrew her gaze, lowering her head as she said, "Just... looking around, Your Highness, please don't tease your humble servant."
But Yuwen Hui insisted on teasing her, wiggling her eyebrows and chuckling, "Don't be so formal with me, tell me, have you perhaps taken a fancy to one of the young lords?"
Zhou Ruolan refused to say anything.
Yuwen Hui then stretched her neck to look again, pondering, "I think the Third Scholar is quite handsome too, though a bit thin."
Zhou Ruolan pretended to be startled and quickly covered Yuwen Hui's mouth with her hand, saying shyly, "Please stop, Your Highness."
Yuwen Hui laughed, "What's wrong with that? If you like him, I can ask Father Emperor to arrange your marriage too. Though I heard his family isn't wealthy or noble, as long as you don't mind."
After giggling for a while, Yuwen Hui remembered something and became more serious, saying to her, "But speaking of marriage, don't you want to marry into the royal family and become my sister-in-law? Today, Mother Empress plans to look for potential princesses for my second and third brothers."
Zhou Ruolan quickly responded solemnly, "Your humble servant is not worthy of such honor and dares not aim so high. I only wish to live as a common citizen."
Seeing this, Yuwen Hui sighed and said, "Well then, I suppose my second and third brothers are the unfortunate ones. Someone with your wonderful personality cannot be found anywhere else in this garden today."
Zhou Ruolan quickly lowered her head again, saying, "Your Highness flatters me."
As they spoke, she caught a glimpse of someone's skirt disappearing behind a nearby tree. Her heart steadied, and she said, "It's getting late, we should head back now, lest someone sees us."
Yuwen Hui nodded and left with her.
