Chapter 254 - 251: Liu Shengnan’s Special Training

Chapter 254: Chapter 251: Liu Shengnan’s Special Training

"Aunt Zhou, Shengnan has been in the military all this time. Her personality is too straightforward and naive, just like Ping’an five years ago—as innocent as a little white rabbit. If she’s sent out into the world like this, she’ll be eaten alive by all those monsters and demons!" Zhou Lian looked at Mrs. Ping and stated the plain truth.

Hearing this, Mrs. Ping ran a hand over her face, reacting to both Zhou Lian’s candor and the implications of her words. ’Her youngest son was practically molded by Li Xiu’s hand. And now her daughter-in-law needs to be trained by him too? What is this all about? The Ping Family is already deeply indebted to Li Xiu.’ As for Zhou Lian, Mrs. Ping had never given her a second thought, but she never imagined she’d be proven wrong so quickly.

The Liu Family also lived within the Imperial Palace grounds. Upon hearing that Mrs. Ping wanted to see her, Liu Shengnan hurried over. When she entered the room and saw Zhou Lian was there too, her heart began to pound nervously. Everyone said that Li Xiu doted on Zhou Lian so much that she was sheltered from the world, naive and kind. But whenever Shengnan was around her, something always felt... off. It wasn’t that Zhou Lian was doing anything wrong; rather, Shengnan couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming fear of making a mistake, as if Zhou Lian’s eyes could see right through her.

The three women went up to the study on the second floor. After a maid served tea, they closed the door and sat down on the sofa. Mrs. Ping looked at the two before her and let out a nearly imperceptible sigh. When it came to appearance, each had her own merits. Zhou Lian was of the gentle, poised, and sophisticated type, exuding an intellectual grace. Liu Shengnan, on the other hand, was full of spirited, heroic vigor. Though only two years apart in age, if you were to judge by their faces alone, it would seem perfectly normal to say Zhou Lian was six or seven years younger.

"Shengnan, dear," Mrs. Ping began, looking at Liu Shengnan and speaking gently, "Zhou Lian came over to talk about you. What are your thoughts?"

With a small smile, Liu Shengnan replied softly, "Oh, that. Zhou Lian has mentioned it to me before. It’s just... I’m still a bit lost and don’t know where to begin."

Seeing Liu Shengnan’s somewhat downcast expression, Mrs. Ping shot Zhou Lian a surprised glance. ’She’s mentioned it before?’ Turning to Zhou Lian, she said gently, "It’s just the three of us here today. Why don’t you tell us what should be done? Does Jin Chen have time?"

Zhou Lian stared at Mrs. Ping, completely baffled. ’What does this have to do with Li Xiu?’ The straightforward Liu Shengnan immediately asked the same question, "Auntie, what does this have to do with my brother-in-law?"

Mrs. Ping looked at their confused expressions and asked in surprise, "It has nothing to do with Jin Chen? I thought he was going to be the one teaching her."

"Teach what?" Zhou Lian asked, looking at Mrs. Ping in confusion.

Mrs. Ping felt a headache coming on as she looked at them. It was like they were all talking past each other. She rubbed her forehead and said, "Xiao Zhou, why don’t you explain? You’ve both got me completely confused."

"It’s about having Shengnan start some intensive training," Zhou Lian said gently. "The wedding is next June, and afterward, she’ll have to move out of town with Ping’an. That only gives her about six months. But it’s not a huge rush. Since Shengnan will be managing the household, she’ll have time to learn gradually. As long as she grasps the fundamentals, she’ll be fine."

"Elaborate."

"Aunt Zhou, the road ahead for Ping’an will only get harder. The world is full of treacherous people you can’t guard against. This means Shengnan must be able to hold down the fort. Her personality is direct and forthright; she doesn’t understand all these machinations and subtleties. So, just like Ping’an had to, she needs to do some cramming. I’ve already prepared some books for her. If she reads them, remembers them, and applies what she learns, she’ll gradually get the hang of it. Then there’s the matter of official circles. Don’t think it’s useless just because she won’t be an official herself. In the future, nearly everyone she associates with will be connected to that world. Finally, there are languages—various languages. But she can learn those slowly; they aren’t needed right away." Zhou Lian spoke slowly. ’She should start with these, since they’re the things she’ll need immediately.’

Mrs. Ping’s eyes went wide as she stared at Zhou Lian, unable to believe what she was hearing. ’She wants Shengnan to learn *this* stuff?’ Liu Shengnan, however, didn’t seem surprised. Zhou Lian had brought it up before, and Ping’an had even discussed it with her. He just hadn’t known what exactly she would be studying. Seeing his gloating expression at the time, though, Shengnan knew it wouldn’t be easy. After all, the change in Ping’an was plain to see, and that kind of transformation certainly didn’t come without immense effort.

"You want Shengnan to learn all this? What for?" Mrs. Ping asked, shocked.

Looking at the stunned Mrs. Ping, Zhou Lian said gravely, "Aunt Zhou, when Ping’an reaches the top one day, what about Shengnan? She can’t just be his accessory or a burden. She needs to be able to assist him, to support him. Aunt Zhou, a husband and wife are meant to share the good times and the bad. What’s more, the path ahead for Ping’an won’t be easy. When a couple is of one mind, their strength can sever metal. They are each other’s most natural allies and comrades-in-arms! Shengnan cannot be the one to hold Ping’an back! She must become strong. She must become exceptional, to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ping’an in this world!"

At these words, both Mrs. Ping and Liu Shengnan were utterly stunned. To be honest, neither of them had ever thought that far ahead. Mrs. Ping had simply hoped that her son and daughter-in-law would live in harmony, and that Shengnan wouldn’t hold him back. As for Liu Shengnan, she had only thought about taking good care of Ping’an, freeing him from any domestic worries so he could focus on his career, while she might learn something new to better herself.

"Is that really possible?" Mrs. Ping asked, her voice filled with doubt.

"And why not?" Zhou Lian said calmly. "The world is changing faster every day, and our country will continue to integrate with the international community. When that happens, Shengnan’s role as Ping’an’s wife will become crucial. We’ll take it one step at a time. To be honest, I don’t have all the specifics worked out yet either. We can figure it out together as we go."

Watching the eloquent and self-assured Zhou Lian, Mrs. Ping realized for the first time just how bad her judgment of character truly was. ’How on earth did I mistake a cunning fox for an innocent little rabbit?’ she wondered. ’Well, no matter. In the end, this is the Ping Family’s good fortune.’ Full of curiosity, she asked, "What sort of books have you prepared for Shengnan?"

"Oh, there’s the *Chang Duan Jing*, the *Guan Hui jing*, the *Guan Shu Jing*, things like that, and the *Ghost Valley Master*. As for the *Zi Zhi Tong Jian* and the *Zuo Zhuan*, she can just read through them for now. The priority is to thoroughly master the first four books. Then we can decide what else to add based on her progress." Thinking it over, Zhou Lian realized she had already cut Ping’an’s reading list by more than half, choosing only the most practical texts for Liu Shengnan.

Mrs. Ping and Liu Shengnan stared at Zhou Lian in a daze. They had heard of the *Zi Zhi Tong Jian* and the *Ghost Valley Master*, but as for those other books... What on earth were they? They had never heard of them before in their lives.

Liu Shengnan swallowed hard and asked cautiously, "Zhou Lian... has Ping’an read all of these?"

"Oh, this is barely scratching the surface," Zhou Lian said nonchalantly. "I’ve already cut Ping’an’s reading list by more than half for her. Just take it slow. It’ll be a bit difficult at first, but it will get easier. Oh, and after you two are married, you can discuss the books together in your spare time."

’No wonder,’ Mrs. Ping thought. ’No wonder Ping’an’s mind has gotten so complex.’ She asked, full of curiosity, "Just how many books has Ping’an read in total?"

At that, Zhou Lian couldn’t help but smile. "When Ping’an was under Jin Chen’s tutelage," she said softly, "he really suffered. The books I’ve prepared for Shengnan are all in modern, vernacular Chinese. But back then, to temper Ping’an’s character, Jin Chen deliberately made him read everything in classical Chinese, from vertically printed texts. I won’t hide it from you, Aunt Zhou, or from you, Shengnan. At first, it was just books from our family collections. Later, Jin Chen was running all over the Capital City, scouring everything from scrap heaps to the libraries of declining noble families. He searched high and low. Even now, whenever Ping’an returns, the first thing he does is go see Jin Chen—to turn in his ’homework’ and pick up his next assignment."