"What did you say??"
Emperor Chongzhao could hardly believe his ears.
"He crawled through a dog hole and hid under the desks in the schoolroom to eavesdrop on the lesson??"
Yi Shier: "Yes, Your Majesty."
Emperor Chongzhao: "..."
Yi Shier: "This subordinate did not enter the schoolroom, so I do not know the exact situation inside. I only approached when the lessons ended. By then, the young prince had already been caught by Grand Tutor Fang."
Emperor Chongzhao sighed with feeling: "After all, he once served in the Five Military Commissions. His sharpness is indeed different. But why didn't he come and tell me about it?"
Yi Shier: "Grand Tutor Fang decided to keep it secret."
Emperor Chongzhao: "………"
Yi Shier: "The two made a bet. If the young prince could answer three questions he posed, he would not reveal the prince's eavesdropping—he believed the prince was the child of a secret affair between a palace maid and a guard.
They swore on their ancestors. Whoever lost and broke the promise would have their ancestors become poor, lonely ghosts in the afterlife."
"Preposterous," Emperor Chongzhao's voice suddenly rose, his usual inscrutable imperial demeanor completely gone: "That little rascal! That little rascal, how dare he use our ancestors for a bet!"
Fuming, he stood up and paced a couple of steps, then suddenly turned his head: "Who won?!"
Yi Shier: "The young prince won."
Emperor Chongzhao: "Hmph! That old scoundrel can't even win against a child, disgracing his ancestors."
Yi Shier: "..."
Emperor Chongzhao's anger subsided somewhat. After calming down and thinking for a moment, he gave a cold laugh.
"That old fox clearly recognized my son but pretended not to. We'll set this matter aside for now. When Little Seven goes again the day after tomorrow, you follow for another day. I want to see what trick he's really up to."
Yi Shier acknowledged the order and withdrew.
After a while, Eunuch Yu entered.
Emperor Chongzhao was rummaging through the paper and brushes on his desk, and the Four Books placed on the bookshelf.
"Your Majesty, what are you looking for? Let this old servant do it."
Emperor Chongzhao: "Take this new set of books to the Jiu'an Hall. Send some paper and brushes as well." He paused, then picked up the inkstone he commonly used at hand. "Give this one too."
Eunuch Yu's eyes widened. This was His Majesty's favorite Qingshan inkstone.
Emperor Chongzhao: "Deliver it early tomorrow morning."
Using only old books and worn-out paper, how could he possibly learn anything properly?
-
The next day.
Although Yi Shier was not around, when Qu Dubian received the writing materials from Emperor Chongzhao, he knew he had won his bet.
He told Ye Xiaoyuan to put the items away properly. They were good things, but using them now would just be a waste.
However, only receiving study tools without any other message... did it mean he was allowed to go to the schoolroom openly or not?
For the moment, Qu Dubian couldn't quite grasp Emperor Chongzhao's intention.
When Grand Tutor Fang's lesson day arrived again, he went to the East Garden's Sixth Hall secretly, just like last time.
This time, only Wen Xiaochun escorted him. Although Wen Xiaochun held a steward's title in the main kitchen, it was merely nominal, and he only went there occasionally.
He usually stayed in Jiu'an Hall and was very familiar with the East Garden's Sixth Hall, so the task of transporting Qu Dubian was still entrusted to him.
Ye Xiaoyuan stayed behind in Jiu'an Hall to deal with the palace servants who would soon deliver the morning meal. The two had a clear division of labor.
After all, the matter of the young prince sneaking off to the schoolroom still needed to be kept under wraps.
-
The familiar schoolroom, the familiar route.
This time, Yi Shier had hidden himself on the schoolroom's roof beam in advance, watching the practiced and furtive movements of this master and servant.
He saw Eunuch Xiaochun, just like the day before, lower the young prince through the window again. After a quick, low glance around and a few whispered instructions, and once the young prince had nodded to each one, he closed the window and quickly left.
As for the young prince, he was struggling to drag his satchel—
and crawled right back under the teacher's lectern.
[Yi Shier is 7 meters from the host.]
No wonder there was no sign of Yi Shier near Jiu'an Hall. So he was waiting here for him.
Qu Dubian ate a few bites of pastry to stave off his hunger.
He even had a small bamboo cup of honey water.
The cup was wrapped in a thick layer of cloth, barely managing to keep it warm in the bitterly cold winter weather.
Yi Shier pricked up his ears, faintly hearing from under the lectern the soft sounds of eating, the rustle of pages being turned, and the light huffs of breath from the cold.
Soon, palace maids entered, chattering softly as they placed charcoal braziers by the seats of the princes. They came and went in a hurry, completely unaware that someone was hidden beneath the teacher's desk.
By the time he was half-full, the princes had arrived one after another. The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Princes, being younger, came and immediately lay their heads on their desks to catch up on sleep. Only the Fifth Prince sat upright, flipping through a book and reciting silently.
Today, the First, Second, and Third Princes did not bicker like the day before. Instead, they were discussing another matter.
First Prince: "When it comes to servants, you have to discipline them regularly. Otherwise, no matter how obedient they seem on the surface, you never know what petty schemes they might be harboring in secret. After all, the one living in Jiu'an Hall is also of our father's bloodline. Even if his birth was inauspicious and he is disliked by our father, he shouldn't be bullied to such an extent."
Yi Shier heard the nearly inaudible sound of chewing from under the teacher's desk stop.
"Big Brother is right," the Third Prince surprisingly agreed. "Seventh Brother's life is truly too miserable. He couldn't even get enough to eat. If it hadn't come to light some time ago, we, his older brothers, would still be unaware. But now it seems his luck has turned. Even Father sent him his own commonly used inkstone. It's truly enviable."
Second Prince said with a smile: "Why don't you all go visit him after lessons? It would be a good way to express your elder brothers' concern for your younger brother."
At these words, both the First and Third Princes fell silent.
After all, none of them were genuinely concerned at the moment, and none wished for their father's attention to be divided further.
Moreover, they were all old enough to remember when Consort Yun was favored. Everyone knew how much their father had doted on Consort Yun and the child she was carrying back then.
Fortunately, Little Seventh Brother was considered an ill-omened reincarnation; otherwise, what status would they, his sons, hold in their father's eyes now?
While they understood that the Seventh Prince was neither the legitimate heir nor the eldest, had lost his mother's protection, and had no powerful maternal family to support him, making it impossible for him to contend for the throne and thus not a threat...
Still, none of them wished for their father's attention to be divided any further.
First Prince snorted lightly: "Who would want to go to such a filthy place? Better to wait until three years have passed, when the inauspicious aura around him has dissipated, then..."
Second Prince frowned: "Big Brother."
"Your Highness, choose your words carefully!"
Grand Tutor Fang entered from the doorway, immediately cutting him off.
The old man's face bore none of its usual smile, only sternness.
The six princes in the schoolroom immediately stood up to bow and offer greetings.
Grand Tutor Fang told them to sit down, but called only the First Prince to remain standing. He stood with his hands behind his back, lightly tapping a ruler in his palm. The First Prince's heart began to pound.
"Did Your Highness's words just now show even a shred of compassion for a brother's loneliness and hardship? This is a lack of benevolence befitting an elder brother. Your Highness has studied in this schoolroom for several years. Where have all the teachings of the sages gone? Do you remember what is said in the 'Wei Zheng' chapter of the Analects?"
The old tutor's measured, unhurried questioning carried immense pressure.
What, which line? The First Prince's scalp prickled. Out of the corner of his eye, he kept glancing at his study companion beside him.
The companion quietly mouthed a few words.
The eldest prince said, "Filial piety is the foundation of all virtue, and brotherly love is its extension. This principle should be applied in governance."
Grand Tutor Fang snorted, his gaze sweeping around the study hall.
"Your Highness is now thirteen. In our dynasty, princes typically have marriage proposals discussed at fourteen, establish their own mansions at sixteen, and then take up official posts and attend court. Considering your words today, can they be said to contain even a trace of brotherly love? And how could such a spirit of filial piety and fraternal duty be applied to court affairs?"
This was a severe criticism.
Since the Emperor was not present, the classroom evaluations and the tutor's assessment would become crucial factors for the Emperor to judge a prince's aptitude. A poor evaluation might even delay a prince's departure from the palace to establish his own mansion.
The eldest prince understood the gravity of the situation.
He quickly said, "This student admits his fault. Please do not be angry, Master. After class, I will go and send some food and clothing to my seventh brother as an apology."
Grand Tutor Fang was succinct. "Apology lies in action, but more importantly, in the heart. Hold out your hand."
The eldest prince had no choice but to extend his hand and receive three strikes of the ruler. The crisp sound was accompanied by a burning pain. Having been punished last time and now again, he was filled with frustration.
"Sit down. Let us begin the lesson."
The sound of teaching filled the study hall.
Qu Dubian, having overheard this matter concerning himself, found it rather amusing.
What was the difference between this and the fake brotherly affection in those idol boy bands from his previous life? Only that one was performed for the Emperor and the tutors, and the other for the fans.
Grand Tutor Fang did not ask any questions today, perhaps being in a somewhat poor mood, and directly began the lecture. He first reviewed the assignments of the three elder princes, and only in the latter half did he begin instructing the younger princes.
After reviewing the previous material, he started from where they had left off last time.
Qu Dubian felt that Grand Tutor Fang's teaching pace had slowed slightly this time, and his explanations of the meanings were more detailed. He wondered if it was to accommodate and look after him, the student under the table.
He pondered for a moment.
It seemed Grand Tutor Fang had not revealed his presence. And his cheap father clearly knew about Grand Tutor Fang's concealment but had taken no action.
He wondered what schemes everyone was brewing.
Qu Dubian didn't use the new book, but silently turned the pages of his own tattered little book, following along and memorizing the text three times.
When the younger princes also began their own recitations and calligraphy practice, his studies for the day were finally over.
The simulator showed it was now half past eleven in the morning, still half an hour before dismissal. Qu Dubian tidied up under the table, bundled his things into a makeshift pillow, rested his head on it, crossed his legs, and nibbled on the pastries he had brought in the morning.
Hmm... squatting for so long made his bottom feel a bit cold.
He should bring a cushion for his bottom next time.
He wondered if there would be a third chance to squat under the table.
As dismissal approached, he was still idly letting his thoughts wander, but Grand Tutor Fang seemed somewhat distracted.
He wanted to see if the little prince had come today. If he hadn't, it would be good that he hadn't heard the eldest prince's words. But if he had...
Grand Tutor Fang didn't believe that a child who, at just over two years old, knew to come here to study and could endure sitting quietly under a table to listen to lessons, would fail to understand the meaning behind the eldest prince's words.
It was truly too hurtful.
Such words would sound harsh even to an adult's ears, let alone a child.
Would he be crying secretly?
Finally, when it was time to dismiss, Grand Tutor Fang hurried the princes out of the study hall. Once everyone was gone, he peeked outside, then carefully closed the door.
Grand Tutor Fang lifted the tablecloth and reached his hand under the table.
"Are you in there? Come on out, get some fresh air."
"Don't rush, don't rush."
Qu Dubian took his hand and crawled out. Then, he reached back under, pulling out all his belongings and packing them away one by one.
Grand Tutor Fang held his hand protectively over the child's head, fearing he might bump it on the table leg.
"You told me to report your presence here. I thought you wouldn't come today. It seems you're quite a bold little one."
Qu Dubian hopped down, brushing off the pastry crumbs from his clothes, but didn't answer.
Grand Tutor Fang continued, "And it's very cold too." He examined the child carefully but found no signs of him having cried. "About what the eldest prince said this morning... don't dwell on it too much."
Qu Dubian gave him a strange look. This guy, could it be that he had known his identity all along and was just pretending to be ignorant?
"He was talking about the seventh prince."
Grand Tutor Fang faltered. He stroked his beard and calmly added, "What this old man means is, the eldest prince's words were incorrect. You haven't yet studied the sages' teachings, so it's best not to think too deeply about such matters for now."
He earnestly advised the child not to overthink, as those vile words weren't even worth hearing.
"Oh, oh, don't worry, I understand."
From the perspective of a palace maid or guard's illegitimate child, this was probably the tutor subtly warning him not to gossip about royal affairs, to pretend not to understand even if he did.
He patted Grand Tutor Fang on the shoulder, giving him a reassuring look.
"Don't worry."
Grand Tutor Fang: "..."
He felt the child's look was a bit odd but couldn't pinpoint why. He scrutinized Qu Dubian's expression and, seeing it truly wasn't clouded by others' words, felt somewhat relieved.
"Did you understand everything taught today?"
"More or less," Qu Dubian thought for a moment. "Master, how much longer will we study the Three Character Classic? I want to..."
As if realizing something, he suddenly stopped.
Grand Tutor Fang raised an eyebrow. "Think I'm teaching too slowly? Want to move ahead?" He snorted, unsurprised. "Don't hide it, child. I could tell last time your progress wasn't limited to just that bit. Since you don't wish to speak of it, I won't press you. Learning requires a solid, step-by-step foundation. Learning too fast is like building a castle in the air; the older you grow, the faster it will collapse."
He gently pinched Qu Dubian's overly thin wrist.
"Have you practiced calligraphy before?"
Qu Dubian pinched his little finger, "A tiny bit."
"Come here and write something."
Although it wasn't yet the proper time for calligraphy practice, practicing occasionally wasn't harmful and would be beneficial for the future.
Grand Tutor Fang led him to the eldest prince's desk and placed a thin brush in his hand. Qu Dubian asked, "Write what?"
Grand Tutor Fang pondered.
"Write the character for 'father.'"
Qu Dubian said "Oh," clenched the brush in his right hand, and wrote a large character for 'dog.'
Grand Tutor Fang: "......"
Yi Shier fell silent.
The previous vow was one thing, but if he reported this truthfully, the little prince would surely be pummeled by His Majesty.
