A Startling Glimpse

A distant cousin arrives at the Prince of Xuanping's estate to sponge off the family. She brings her younger brother along, with delicate shoulders, a slender waist, and striking beauty that no plain clothes can conceal. Everyone in the estate looks down on her, privately guessing that this Miss Cousin must be scheming to become one of the young masters' concubines.

In her previous life, Xu Zhi, an orphan of the Xu family from the northwest, sought refuge with the distant relatives, the Marquis of Xuanping. From then on, she became an insignificant Miss Cousin in the estate, unable to escape the fate of becoming a concubine. People condemned her all her life, saying, "Her ambitions soar to the heavens, but her fate is as thin as paper."

Given another life, Xu Zhi decides to live differently. She puts on her late elder brother's clothes, standing tall and straight with the air of a bright moon and a gentle breeze. Then she heads to the academy. The sweltering summer leaves her drenched in sweat, but only strengthens her resolve. The winter cold freezes the inkstone, yet she perseveres, her hand gripping the brush.

The poorer her circumstances, the stronger her resolve. She lives freely and refuses to let go of her ambition to rise to the top.

#A classical-era coming-of-age academy story

#A top student takes down the children of the nobility in all sorts of ways

A little scene:

The young heir of Xuanping is delighted when they first meet and invites him to share his bed. Xu Zhi raises her head, her cool eyes full of defiance. "Zhizhi is the child of a military family. I will not suffer such an insult."

2. Her younger brother comes to report, "Zhizhi, hurry! The young marquis is being beaten up!"

Xu Zhi has just finished memorizing a passage from the classics. She frowns. "This is an utter disgrace to proper conduct!"

In the blink of an eye, this 'respectable scholar' has a foot on the heir and is punching the nobleman's son, grinding his face into the ground. "Are you done picking fights?"

Reader's guide:

1. One-on-one romance, a girl disguised as a boy, an academy and imperial-examination story

2. Her identity is revealed later. Not a powerful female lead (emphasis added).

3. A romance, but a female supporting character has a crush on the heroine.

Theme: Serve the country with unwavering loyalty.