Chapter 18: Something Really Happened

After the palace banquet, Cheng Xi left the palace.

Halfway there, Yan Shengyu blocked her path and said with a smile, "Eldest Miss Cheng, may we go have a cup of tea together? I know a wonderful place for tea."

Cheng Xi looked at Yan Shengyu, "Miss Yan, there must be a reason, right?"

Yan Shengyu smiled, "For example, I also do not like that stepsister of yours."

Cheng Xi raised her eyebrows slightly; she hadn't seen Yan Shengyu show much dislike for Cheng Fenglan at the banquet, but the way she looked at Li Taifei was certainly unusual.

"Alright."

Yan Shengyu led Cheng Xi all the way to Xishi and entered a teahouse. As soon as she stepped inside, Cheng Xi felt something different; the Spirit Essence here was more abundant than outside, and upon entering, she felt her body become a bit lighter.

She looked at Yan Shengyu and said, "The place Miss Yan chose is indeed a good one."

Yan Shengyu did not show it on her face, but her heart gave a slight jump. She had deliberately brought Cheng Xi here to secretly test whether she truly had talent.

Those with talent could sense the spiritual aura the moment they entered.

Cheng Xi had sensed it.

The smile on her face deepened, "I said I was sincere about inviting you for tea. There are only a few places like this in all of Jindu, and this one is run by our Yan Family."

Cheng Xi was a bit surprised. The Spirit Essence here was denser than outside, so there must be a Spirit Gathering Array. Although it was only a low-level Spirit Gathering Array, it was still beneficial for her current physical condition.

Yan Shengyu led Cheng Xi into the innermost room. Pushing open the window revealed a pond. Looking out from here, the setting sun hung in the sky and the evening glow filled the eyes; it was truly beautiful.

Cheng Xi saw Yan Shengyu take out a jade token and push it toward her, "This is a small token of my sincerity."

Cheng Xi glanced at the jade token and asked, "What is this?"

"A jade token for Tianwei Tea House. With this, Eldest Miss Cheng can come anytime, and a room will be reserved for you here."

Cheng Xi picked up the jade token with her fingertips and said with a smile, "This gift is truly too valuable. What does Eldest Miss Yan want me to do?"

Yan Shengyu looked at the jade token between Cheng Xi's fingers and, seeing that she was not overly excited or agitated by it, held her in even higher regard, "I only hope that on the day of the Qinghe Academy entrance exam, Eldest Miss Cheng can suppress Cheng Fenglan."

"I have a grudge against Cheng Fenglan; even if you didn't give me this, I would still settle the score with her."

Cheng Xi looked at Yan Shengyu and said slowly.

Yan Shengyu met Cheng Xi's gaze and smiled even more sincerely, "Eldest Miss Cheng, how about we just say I want to make a friend of you? I imagine Eldest Miss Cheng awakened a bit late, and with the Li Shi mother and daughter suppressing you at every turn, they likely never told you about Qinghe Academy."

Cheng Xi really did not know how one cultivated in this space-time, so she nodded honestly, "Please, tell me."

"Do you know about Spirit Pearls?"

"What are Spirit Pearls?" Cheng Xi frowned; she had never heard of them.

"As you know, only one in a thousand can awaken talent in the entire dynasty, but after talent is awakened, it is not a smooth path; there are levels of talent. Once you enter Qinghe Academy to cultivate, you can no longer use gold or silver; the circulating currency is Spirit Pearls."

Cheng Xi had never used any Spirit Pearls in her previous life; she used Dharma Artifacts, treasures, Talismans, and Pills for cultivation, and the common currency was RMB.

Of course, when she reached the underworld market, she used another set of currency.

But she had never heard of Spirit Pearls.

However, the general rules were similar. Cheng Xi understood, nodded, and asked again, "Then how does one purchase Spirit Pearls?"

"If you exchange them with gold or silver, ten taels of silver for one Spirit Pearl, or one tael of gold for one."

Cheng Xi:...

She calculated the property left behind by the original owner's mother; it probably wouldn't exchange for many Spirit Pearls.

This was simply an astronomical price!

No wonder Li Shi wanted to move back even by asking Li Taifei for help; she had her eyes set on the property left by the original owner's mother.

"Besides that, there are other ways to obtain Spirit Pearls. The four major academies issue Spirit Pearls every month, but the quantity is small. If you want more, you have to take on academy missions."

"There are missions too?" Cheng Xi went silent. This schooling was like leveling up and fighting monsters...

Leveling up and fighting monsters!

She suddenly remembered the leveling-up novels she had read. If it were like that, it would be truly annoying; she might as well have transmigrated back.

To transmigrate once and still have to start training from a low-level account—who wouldn't be annoyed?

Seeing Cheng Xi's poor expression, Yan Shengyu said with a smile, "I only heard this from others; I'll only know the specifics once I get into the academy."

Cheng Xi suddenly didn't want to take the exam anymore; it was too much trouble.

"Eldest Miss Cheng, I believe in you. You will definitely be able to suppress Cheng Fenglan and successfully enter Qinghe Academy." Yan Shengyu's expression grew more solemn, "The Li Shi mother and daughter have Li Taifei standing behind them. You don't want to be suppressed by them for a lifetime, do you?"

"Then what is your reason for wanting me to definitely defeat Cheng Fenglan?"

"Naturally, it is to keep Li Taifei in check. Li Taifei is ambitious and has been causing trouble by taking advantage of the discord between the Empress Dowager and the new Emperor. Our Yan Family certainly cannot sit idly by," Yan Shengyu said.

Cheng Xi suddenly realized, "When the Emperor ascended the throne, I heard Li Taifei contributed quite a bit. She is a person of merit, so you find it difficult to do anything to her, which is why you are attacking from other angles, right?"

"Exactly. Li Taifei is very cautious and slick in her dealings; it is hard to catch her in a trap. If not for her instigation, the relationship between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager would not have become increasingly stiff."

As Yan Shengyu spoke, her expression turned cold. The family's interests were her interests; once she entered Qinghe Academy, she would need a large number of Spirit Pearls, which would require family support.

Cheng Xi was indeed unwilling to be suppressed by the Li Shi mother and daughter using Li Taifei's status. In an imperial power society, under the heavy pressure of authority, unless she could ascend to immortality on the spot, she would still be shackled.

"Fine, it's a deal," Cheng Xi said.

Yan Shengyu let out a long sigh of relief, personally poured tea for Cheng Xi, and looking at her, added, "There is one thing I must ask presumptuously: what is really going on with the engagement between you and Jiang? If you need it, I can help you clarify."

With Yan Shengyu's status and position, what she said would carry more weight than what Cheng Xi could say with her current status.

Cheng Xi said nonchalantly, "It's nothing much. It's just that Jiang Weiran and Cheng Fenglan had an affair, and it just so happened that I didn't test for talent while she did, so the Duchess of Zhenguo got the idea to swap the bride without breaking the engagement."

Yan Shengyu said angrily, "How shameless! I remember that your engagement to Jiang Weiran was settled because your mother saved his life once."

"That's right. So, if he wants to break the engagement, he can, but I'll cut off one of his arms, and from then on, the debt and grudge will be cleared."

"Well done!" Yan Shengyu praised her highly. The more she looked at Cheng Xi, the more she felt their temperaments were compatible, "Don't worry, I will definitely help you spread this matter far and wide, and let that pair of dogs have their moment of fame!"

"Then thank you," Cheng Xi raised her tea in a toast.

The two clinked their cups, looked at each other and smiled, and drank it all in one gulp.

Before the teacups were even set down, they suddenly heard a series of noisy sounds from outside. Yan Shengyu frowned and asked aloud, "What is the commotion outside?"

"Reporting to Eldest Miss, the Tongtian Division Guards are chasing a Four-Eyed Demon Fox, and it's causing a scene outside."

Cheng Xi was stunned; Li Zhi'an had said that Jiang Boyu was setting an ambush today to capture the Four-Eyed Demon Fox, and she had made a joking remark that day, never expecting that something would actually go wrong!

She stood up almost immediately, pushed open the door, and walked out; the moment she looked up, she saw Jiang Boyu rushing toward her, a wound on his cheek so deep the bone was visible, with fresh blood streaming down!