war, it''s only a matter of time before the capital falls. To protect the Cui family and ensure our continued success through the transition of power, we must exhaust every means to plan and create opportunities. The most important reason for attending the Imperial Academy is not to study but to form connections with useful people. Recognizing and utilizing such connections comes first, and studying comes second."

入学堂前，姑姑就告诉我：“如今我们王朝的弊端蛀虫非常严重，已经身处于风雨飘摇之中了，摇摇欲坠，随时随地都有可能改朝换代。现如今群雄四起，战火不断，攻破京城是迟早的事情，想要保护崔家在新旧王朝中屹立不倒，风华依旧，我们就要想尽办法，用尽手段去谋划，去创造机会和机遇，我来这京师学堂第一重要的事情不是为了学习，而是为了结交一些对自己有用的人，识人而谋之是首位，其次才是学习。”

Aunt was never wrong. As soon as I entered the academy, I found it was indeed a gathering place for the best and brightest.

姑姑说得从来都没有错，一入学堂后，我就发现这里真的是聚集了龙子凤孙，天下英杰。

The Cui family, one of the four prominent families with a century of prosperity, pooled all its resources and racked its brains to get me into the Imperial Academy. Of course, being a girl made it even more challenging to gain admission than it would have been for a boy.

百年繁华的四大家族之中的崔家倾全家之力，合族之能，想破了脑袋，用尽了计谋才能把我送来这京师学堂，当然也因为我是女儿身，所以比一般男儿更难进。