Chapter 90 – The Sophomore Senior Sister Is Beautiful as Clouds

The vast southern lands, abundant in resources and fertile soil, nurture a new generation either exquisitely elegant like water or gently refined like water.

They possess both the resilience and delicacy of water, along with its scholarly grace and cultivated refinement!

Meanwhile, the northern landscape blends mountains and rivers, producing outstanding talents who embody robust strength, Herculean power, and an untamably heroic spirit; their subtle smiles could topple cities, as captured in the poetic line: “In northern hometowns dwell peerless beauties.”

During the first literature class of the semester.

The teacher reached this point in the lesson and couldn’t help but pose a soulful Dao Inquiry: “Does anyone know which legendary beauties throughout history were said to ’cause cities and kingdoms to fall’?”

“Teacher, I know! I know!”

“Very well, let’s hear from Fat Tiger.”

“There was Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun; also Diao Chan and Yang Yuhuan.”

Hearing this, the literature teacher adjusted his rectangular glasses and smiled: “It seems Fat Tiger has done quite some research on these Four Great Beauties.”

“Hahaha…” The class erupted in amused chuckles.

The teacher continued: “Xi Shi, born Shi Yiguang, was commonly known as Xi Shi, later honored as ‘Venerable West’. As she often washed silk by the river with her mother since childhood, she was also called ‘The Silk-Washing Maiden’. Endowed with natural elegance and city-toppling beauty, she became the embodiment and synonym of beauty, ranking first among the Four Great Beauties. These four legendary women shared the reputation of ‘beauty that makes fish sink and wild geese fall, outshining the moon and shaming flowers’. The ‘sinking fish’ reference specifically describes Xi Shi’s silk-washing tale.”

“Wang Zhaojun, named Qiang, styled Zhaojun, childhood name Haoyue, was the ‘wild goose-faller’ among the ancient Four Great Beauties.”

“Diao Chan, a character from classic novels and derived works, originally named Ren Hongchang, was known as ‘moon-hider’ among the Four Great Beauties.”

“Yang Yuhuan, also called Taizhen, was an imperial consort, court musician, and dancer in ancient times, renowned as the ‘flower-shamer’ among the Four Great Beauties.”

After this detailed explanation, the teacher readjusted his glasses again. Seeing the students’ attentive expressions, he swelled with a sense of achievement and clearly grew more enthusiastic.

Fat Tiger asked: “Teacher, which of these Four Great Beauties do you think was the most beautiful?”

The teacher replied: “Let’s save that discussion for next class. Today, we’ll focus on Diao Chan.”

After a brief pause, the students’ curious gazes intensified, evidently familiar with snippets of Diao Chan’s legend.

The teacher elaborated: “Mentioning Diao Chan inevitably brings to mind the warrior Lü Bu and the treacherous minister Dong Zhuo. According to classics, Diao Chan cast amorous glances at Lü Bu while charming Dong Zhuo, maneuvering between them until Dong Zhuo’s death paved way for subsequent events. This alone reveals her extraordinary nature.”

Then his tone shifted with a sigh: ‘Since ancient times, beauties fate oft turns bleak, / Behind closed doors spring ends with willow down.’ These fourteen characters by poet Su Dongpo perfectly capture the tragic destiny of great beauties.”

He continued solemnly: “It’s truly lamentable. While Diao Chan was a peerless beauty, to Lü Bu she became a jinx that brought down mighty warriors. This shows that those aspiring for greatness must master their desires, or else face equally tragic destinies.”

The teacher concluded by asking: “Class, what are your thoughts on this perspective?””Perhaps. I think so. Whether it’s a ruthless hero or a noble hero, without a powerful force behind them, everything is in vain. Not to mention how many ruthless heroes throughout history have met their end precisely because their strength wasn’t enough to change their fate.”

“Hmm, I think so too.”

“I don’t quite agree with that.”

Hearing this, the Chinese teacher couldn’t help but look over.

It was Ye Kuang, sitting in the corner.

The Chinese teacher: “Oh, would student Ye like to share his viewpoint as well?”

Seeing this, Ye Kuang straightened his expression, then suddenly smirked lewdly: “Those who aspire to achieve great things have never been bound by trivialities. The understanding of ‘drunk lying on a beauty’s lap and awake holding the power of the world’ essentially means the same thing. Whether it’s the War God Lü Bu or Dong Zhuo, they were all successful—after all, they once possessed it all, so how can one say their fate was tragic?”

But then his tone shifted as he continued: “I ask you: You are not a fish, so how do you know what brings joy to fish? You are neither Lü Bu nor Dong Zhuo, so how can you know their misfortunes or blessings? This reveals a truth: living in the present, one must know to cherish each moment as it comes, only then can one live up to the shared insights of both ruthless and noble heroes.”

“Uh…”

As these words faded, they provoked uproarious laughter in the classroom.

“Hahaha… Well said, brilliantly put! As people, we should be like ruthless heroes, unbound by petty details. As heroes, we must not confuse the essential with the trivial—that’s what reveals the true nature of a hero.”

At this point, the Chinese teacher’s face inevitably darkened. After collecting himself for a moment, he finally asked with a smile: “Class, can the teacher interpret this as meaning that what lies behind success is more important than the outcome itself?”

Ye Kuang, without hesitation, responded: “That naturally can’t be lumped together. Some people care about the outcome, but others may not. This illustrates a problem: when we consider issues, we only focus on the result without distinguishing who the subject is.”

Fat Tiger: “In my opinion, no matter the outcome, happiness is what matters most.”

Gao Qing: “I’ve never noticed you being unhappy.”

Zheng Xiucai: “This is what they call ‘meeting a fatty in this lifetime is the fortune of three lives.’ I heard you once said you’d slim down into a bolt of lightning this year to dazzle everyone, but who would’ve thought you’d end up bulking into a nut wall, blocking my line of sight.”

“Hahaha…”

Hearing this, the Chinese teacher was momentarily at a loss for words. After an awkward laugh, he finally interrupted: “Alright, let’s end today’s discussion here. Instead, let’s talk about Diao Chan. As we all know, ‘sinking fish, falling geese, eclipsing the moon, shaming flowers’—each phrase describes a person, and ‘eclipsing the moon’ specifically refers to Diao Chan. It’s foreseeable: her beauty belongs only in the heavens, not among mortals.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the students below couldn’t help but drift into fantasy. The boys imagined Diao Chan’s peerless beauty—exactly how beautiful she was remains unknown—while the girls secretly compared themselves to her, wondering who was more beautiful.

It could be said that every student had their own opinion about Diao Chan’s beauty, each holding different views. Yet, it’s undeniable that her beauty was absolutely exceptional; otherwise, there wouldn’t have been the subsequent series of plot developments.

Seeing this, the Chinese teacher couldn’t resist asking again: “Class, do you know of any other beauties throughout history who could topple cities and captivate nations?”

“The sophomore seniors are as beautiful as clouds!”

Ooh ooh ooh…