CH44; Tour of school

When Zhang Lian exited the carriage, her flowing robes lightly touched the ground. Her neatly styled white hair gently moved over her shoulders while she looked at the school entrance.

The school's headmaster, an elderly man with a gentle expression, approached her and made a respectful bow. He was dressed in a plain blue robe. His hair was a white color, and his eyes were as dark as most people's. 

The headmaster greeted and bowed to the royal guest, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness." He spoke in a calm and respectful manner.

Several male and female teachers stood behind him, also lowering their heads in respect. They dressed in matching robes, but theirs had slightly more different colors and included small patterns indicating their teaching subjects. 

Surrounded by her guards and Lan, Zhang Lian nodded with a soft smile. "You're allowed to raise your head," she stated in a calm manner. I have arrived to inspect the school and ensure everything is running smoothly. With a teasing smile, she said, I hope I don't hear any complaints from kids. 

The headmaster glanced upward slightly. "Your Highness." There are no problems in management. He responded with a confident smile, saying that, your highness, "the children are happy and learning, so I don't think there's any problem." 

The rest of the teachers behind him nodded in approval. They had put in a lot of effort to ensure the school was operating properly and were eager to display their accomplishments. 

Zhang Lian nodded once more. "Very good. "Give me a tour," she said, gesturing for the headmaster to start showing her around. 

The students gathered behind the headmaster caught her attention.

Headmaster nodded and then turned around. Everyone, show respect to Her Highness before heading back to your classes. The queen will visit the school and might meet with you later. 

The students, clothed in the same outfits, bowed in unison. 

Their loose robes made a gentle noise in the air as they leaned forward at the waist, lowering their heads as a sign of respect. Every student remained in their place until the queen gave a nod, signaling it was okay for them to rise. 

The students were then led back to their classes by the teachers. The teachers guided the younger kids, while the older ones went by themselves. As they walked past, some of the children glanced and looked back from time to time to look at Zhang Lian, their eyes filled with shock at how beautiful the queen was.

Zhang Lian gave a nod of approval to the headmaster. She voiced, "If the school is performing so well, perhaps we should consider constructing additional schools in the upcoming years." 

The headmaster smiled, happy with her proposal. "I would be greatly honored, Your Highness," he answered, nodding his head slightly as he started to guide her around the school. 

Walking through the entrance revealed the school's complete beauty. The structure was created in a classic design, featuring wooden roofs and stone walls. Detailed carvings of scholars and warriors were painted on the walls. 

"This area is the main hall," the headmaster explained, pointing out the big ground they had just walked into. The hall was spacious, had an open space, and was closed by walls at the end.

There was a big notice board, surrounded with wooden walls to guard it from the weather. "We come together here for any event, and that notice board is where we display important announcements," he described, pointing towards the board. 

Zhang Lian gave a nod while looking at the notice board. She saw a poster featuring her own face, but she didn't pay much attention to it. If she had seen it carefully, she would have noticed a message declaring her arrival, with the date specified as the 234th day of the 1st year of the Zhang Li calendar. 

The headmaster led her away from the main hall and towards the martial arts training ground during the tour.

"Now, Your Highness, allow me to guide you to the area where our students train in martial arts," he said, taking her through a hallway with open windows that allowed the warm sunlight to enter.

The guards and Lan stayed close behind, their footsteps creating gentle noises on the wooden floors. 

The training ground was big, with a short stone wall surrounding it and a wooden roof on top to cover the whole area. The surface of the ground was a combination of dirt and sand, offering a solid place for the students to train and spar on.

Along one side was a line of wooden practice dummies, prepared for the students to use. 

Approximately ten students, all approximately 10 years old, were already present, waiting to start their lesson. They were in basic loose robes, their expressions filled with excitement. 

A few students were still coming, hurrying through the yard to catch up with their fellow classmates.

The teacher, a strong man with wide shoulders and a serious expression, remained at the head of the group with his arms folded across his chest. He was dressed in a simple brown robe with a black belt around his waist, and his black hair was pulled back neatly. 

Upon spotting the queen coming, he felt angry in his heart. *Why can't these children ever be on time?* he wondered, before swiftly dismissing the thought and concentrating on the present situation. 

"Students," the teacher announced, "Your Highness has arrived!" with his voice echoing through the training area. 

The students' eyes widened with both fear and excitement as they straightened up and bowed to the queen. Those who were late quickly rushed, bowing alongside their classmate. 

The teacher, along with the students, bowed simultaneously. 

Zhang Lian observed them carefully, her eye's trying to pick up on every little detail, to find the unique kid among them.

Zhang Lian responded with a nod. "You can raise your heads," she announced with a calm voice. "You can continue. I am only here to observe.

If you encounter any issues with a teacher or classmate or have suggestions for improving the school, don't hesitate to share your thoughts. I will ensure that your worries are taken care of.

The cat, flying around her, said, "Nya, pointing at children, she is not going to help you; she is lying in a funny way." 

Zhang Lian ignored it, but inside she thought this guy would need another beating.

----

One of the students, a boy with short hair and a serious expression, stepped forward. "Your Highness, we don't have any problems," he said confidently with a respectful tone. The other students nodded in agreement. 

Zhang Lian looked at them, trying to find anyone who was unique. 

The cat, sensing her curiosity, said, "Nya, these kids are all the same. None of them is unique. Let's go to some other area." 

Zhang Lian nodded at the cat's words with a smile, but it made the people feel like she was satisfied with the boy's answer and turned to the headmaster.

She said calmly, "Let's go to the next area." 

The patiently waiting headmaster nodded and led them to the next part of the school. 

The guards and Lan followed closely to the queen as they walked through the hallways, passing students and teachers bowed as they walked by the queen. 

As the queen left, the martial arts teacher and his students watched from behind, feeling both relieved and disappointed. 

"Alright, students," with a serious face, the teacher said, "today, you're running 50 laps around the training ground." 

The students' faces changed. "Fifty laps?" one of them asked in disbelief, as they usually only ran 20. 

The teacher gave a serious look, which was enough to silence them. "That's right," he said. "And you can thank those of you who were late for the extra laps today. Now, get going!" 

As the students reluctantly began to run, the teacher muttered to himself with a sigh, "I wanted to impress the queen today with my strong muscles, but you all ruined it for me. So now, I'm going to train you harder than ever." He laughed hahaha… 

Meanwhile, the headmaster continued to show Zhang Lian around the school, taking her through the playground, classrooms, medicine hall, library, and kitchen. The school was well organized, and everything was clean and tidy. 

Two hours later, the tour of the school was finished. Zhang Lian made her way back to the carriage, her long robes touching against the floor as she walked. Her guards were following closely, their eyes constantly watching the surroundings. 

The headmaster, along with a few teachers, stood respectfully at the entrance, ready to say goodbye to their queen. 

With a slow movement, Zhang Lian stepped into the carriage, lightly holding the edge of the door for support as she went in and set onto the red, soft cushions inside. Her white hair, slightly messy from the day's activities, fell over her shoulder as she leaned back, taking a moment to rest. 

Lan, standing just outside the carriage, waited until Zhang Lian was seated before following. She carefully lifted the edge of her simple yellow robe to avoid tripping as she climbed in. Once inside, Lan sat down across from the queen, her hands folded neatly in her lap, and her eyes respectfully lowered. 

The guards, sitting on their black horses, signaled to the carriage driver. With a movement of the rope, the driver urged the horses to move forward, and the carriage began to move. 

Inside the carriage, Lan's mind began to wander. *Why does the queen drag me around?* she thought, sighing to herself. *Those kids were all the same, nothing special. Why do I have to be here? But she knew better not to complain. She was the queen's personal maid, and her job was to follow whatever Zhang Lian said, no matter how boring or unimportant it seemed. 

Zhang Lian herself was getting more and more irritated. She shifted in her seat, tapping her fingers impatiently on her thigh. "I can't decide which one to choose," she muttered, sounding confused. She looked at the cat, who was lazily lying beside her. "What do you think?" 

The cat stretched, its tail flicking lazily. "Nya, I don't know," it replied casually. "You can pick anyone you like. None of them really stood out to me, Nya." 

Zhang Lian sighed, leaning back against the cushions and closing her eyes. *Why am I doing this? I'm the queen,* she thought as they moved to the next area.

Suddenly, an idea struck her; she said, "Yes, I am the queen; why should I do this?" and she quickly pulled back the curtain from the carriage window, leaning out to speak to the nearest guard. 

"Change the route," she ordered him to tell everyone. "We're heading back to the palace; the rest of the plans are canceled. I have something important to discuss with the ministers. And make sure all the ministers are there when I arrive."

The guard nodded quickly, caught surprised by her sudden order. "Yes, Your Highness!" he said, moving for his horse to go ahead in order to deliver a message to the lead guard.

The lead guard was a tall man with a serious look; he was leading the way when he received the message and instantly stopped his horse. 

"Stop the carriage! The queen has ordered us to return to the palace," he said urgently. 

He turned and rode back toward the carriage, moving quickly and efficiently. "We're changing course!" he called out to the other guards. "We're heading back to the palace!" 

With quick orders, the carriage turned and then started to go back to the palace. Next, the leading guard sent one guard ahead to inform the ministers of the urgent meeting. 

--- 

An hour later, in one of the rooms of the palace, Zhang Lian sat at the head of a long table, her posture straight.

With its high ceilings and lots of natural light coming in through the wide windows, the hall was beautifully furnished. Around the table sat ten ministers, each in charge of specific areas of the kingdom.

Every minister was seated around the large wooden table. Among these ten ministers, the two new—who had taken the place of those who had been fired earlier—sat there in silence.