The negotiations that had just begun started with a fierce standoff and ended with one side conceding everything.
The meeting between Qu Dubian and his uncle, Xu Tingfeng, concluded successfully. After bidding farewell to his uncle, Qu Dubian left the remaining matters to Xia Fuyang, Xi Zixing, and Xue Letian to handle.
Sitting in the carriage, Qu Dubian asked, "Ye Banban, how much do you know about my uncle?"
Ye Banban: "Young Master Tingfeng was once a junior general."
Qu Dubian was surprised: "A junior general?"
Ye Banban: "Yes, he was personally trained by the old marquis. Later, he violated military regulations, was caned, and that's how he became as he is now. After returning from the northern frontier, he took up commerce."
"After the incident with Young Master Tingfeng, the Third Master and his wife ceased all contact with the old marquis, and it has remained so until now."
As he himself didn't know much, he only gave a brief account.
-
Two days later, Qu Dubian returned to the imperial palace.
He had been leaving the palace too frequently lately and estimated he wouldn't be able to go out for a while.
The affairs of the bookstore had also completely stabilized.
Although Xi Zixing had guessed Qu Dubian's identity, he promised Xia Fuyang to keep it secret. The two gradually became familiar due to their cooperation on the bookstore.
Xi Residence.
Xi Zixing entered through a side gate and made his way to a secluded pavilion in the rear courtyard.
This was where he lived within the Xi residence.
His father was the current Vice Minister of Justice, Xi Shiqiu, who also held the duty of instructing the imperial princes on the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty. He was so busy his feet hardly touched the ground.
Xi Zixing's mother had been an inconspicuous concubine who passed away a few years ago. Now, the primary wife controlled the entire household, and above him was his legitimate eldest brother.
As a motherless illegitimate son who didn't study and received no attention from his father, he naturally held little presence within the mansion.
He only had his childhood servant, A Dong, and the bookstore manager who had grown up with him.
After he entered the courtyard, A Dong anxiously asked, "Young Master, how is the Nian'an Bookstore? That's the only thing the concubine left for you. If it's gone, you'll have even less money at your disposal."
Then he would have to go ask the primary wife, inevitably facing a round of harsh criticism and sarcastic remarks.
Their primary wife was exceptionally fierce. Barely maintaining the demeanor expected of an official's family, she would give him, the illegitimate son, what he was due, albeit skimped on, but asking her for anything extra was harder than climbing to the sky.
Xi Zixing: "It's fine, the bookstore is doing well, no need to worry."
He entered his study and pulled out some long-sealed scrolls.
A Dong was both surprised and delighted: "Young Master, you...?"
Xi Zixing: "The painting I placed in the bookstore was turned upside down. Since fate has arrived, it's time to start studying."
A Dong: "Have you met the person you've been waiting for?"
Xi Zixing thought of that clever child wearing a bamboo hat, hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
The Seventh Prince was young and sickly. He and the Seventh Prince could only be considered fated to meet and might become close friends when they grew up.
But the enlightened ruler he was waiting for in his heart was not him.
Xi Zixing sat upright at his desk and took out his [Criteria for Selecting an Enlightened Ruler] again—he hadn't written the words 'enlightened ruler,' mainly fearing that someone with ulterior motives might see it and make a big issue out of it.
The first item on the list read:
1. Physically healthy, lives a long life (won't be harmed by being angered by ministers or exhausted by state affairs)
2. Compassionate towards the common people, cares for the world (best to combine benevolence with authority)
3. Humble and tolerant in character, broad-minded (won't suddenly order beheadings when ministers get angry and remonstrate)
4. Accomplished in both civil and military affairs, capable and astute (has the ambition to annex the Northern Frontier and Nanning, unifying the Central Plains)
5. ...
Xi Zixing silently recited and memorized the list several times. His face, earnest to the point of obstinacy, finally revealed a childishness fitting for his age.
The Seventh Prince didn't meet even the first criterion in his mind.
After reciting, he, with a touch of obsessive-compulsiveness, rearranged the ornaments on his desk from largest to smallest, then perfectly aligned the spines of all the books he had just taken out.
A Dong's mouth twitched; his young master's peculiar habit was acting up again.
After finishing, Xi Zixing let out a long sigh of relief and opened a book.
Anyway, he still had several years of study ahead. He'd start observing from the Eldest Prince.
-
Imperial Palace.
East Garden, Sixth Hall.
As soon as Qu Dubian returned, he had Grand Tutor Fang's class.
The study hall felt much emptier.
After the Eldest Prince established his own residence, the Second and Third Princes occasionally accompanied him. Following court sessions, they attended to listen to governance matters with Emperor Chongzhao, so they didn't come to the study hall every day either.
Only the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh Princes, and Zhiyi remained here.
Before class, the Fourth Prince secretly told him, "The day before yesterday, Grand Tutor Fang was looking for you, but you weren't in the palace again. Grand Tutor Fang didn't look too pleased. You'll probably be kept after class."
Qu Dubian: "It's fine, so be it."
The Fourth Prince gave him a thumbs-up.
"Seventh Brother, what do you do when you leave the palace? What's fun out there?" The Sixth Prince leaned over, wrinkling his nose. "My mother told me the people outside are commoners, not qualified to speak with the imperial family." She also said the Seventh Brother often went out and mingled in the markets, lowering his status.
Of course, he didn't say this last part. Having grown three years older, he had gained a bit more sense.
Zhiyi said, "Actually, it's quite fun outside. Sister Xie and the other young ladies are all very interesting."
Sixth Prince: "Zhiyi..."
Qu Dubian punched him lightly, saying fiercely, "No respect for seniority, call her 'elder sister'."
The Sixth Prince yelped exaggeratedly, then said reluctantly, "Elder sister, the ones you play with are children of court officials, not those common weeds outside."
Zhiyi rubbed her brother's hand, worried he might have hurt it from punching, and frowned, "I think what you said is wrong."
"Wrong?" The Sixth Prince tugged at the Fifth Prince's sleeve, "Am I right or not?"
Fifth Prince: "Mm, right."
Qu Dubian: "Alright, alright, stop."
Seeing they were about to start arguing, Qu Dubian cut in promptly, placing his hands on the desk and sitting obediently, "Grand Tutor Fang is here."
Grand Tutor Fang walked over slowly. The old man and the young boy locked eyes for a moment. Grand Tutor Fang gave a light humph, flicked his sleeve, and picked up his book. "Class begins!"
Qu Dubian felt a tiny twinge of guilt. Ever since their tacit understanding last time, he hadn't had a proper conversation with Grand Tutor Fang, being busy with the bookstore matters.
Don't let his young age fool you; his schedule was truly packed.
Outside the palace, he had his grandmother, uncle, Xia Fuyang, and Xi Zixing. He needed to visit his grandmother often, and maintain regular contact with the latter two to build rapport. Inside the palace, he still had to tell stories to Liuliu, help Consort Xuan with farming, teach Zhiyi mathematics, visit the senior consorts, compose new music pieces, practice martial arts, walk Da Hei...
He felt like a little spinning top.
Those like Grand Tutor Fang and Xi Zixing, whose favorability triggers came later and weren't too important for now, were prioritized lower.
Sure enough, when classes ended at noon, Qu Dubian was called by Grand Tutor Fang to a side hall.
Grand Tutor Fang took out the calligraphy and homework he had submitted the day before. "Which one of them wrote this for you again? The handwriting imitation is quite good."
Qu Dubian blinked, playing dumb.
"This old man isn't fooled by your tricks."
Grand Tutor Fang's beard quivered. "Starting today, I will set examination papers for you separately. It's settled, no slacking off."
Qu Dubian: "But you already gave me an exam paper."
Grand Tutor Fang: "That one was meant to be answered in three to five years! Could it be that if you never answer it, this old man should never assign you any other questions?"
How could there be such a good thing in the world?
"You can have others handle other tasks, but this one, you must do it properly."
Grand Tutor Fang handed over the exam questions he had prepared specifically for him. "Don't worry, I know you're quite busy. I'll assign them to you once every ten days."
Qu Dubian: "Alright."
Grand Tutor Fang: "Surely that's much better than your teacher who constantly springs sets of mathematics problems on you at irregular intervals." His tone, meant to be very kind, was somehow tinged with a hint of sarcasm.
Qu Dubian: "..."
An ancient version of the rivalry between a liberal arts teacher and a science teacher?
-
Life in the imperial palace became regular again for Qu Dubian.
The bookstore outside was thriving, and Xia Fuyang even sent him a batch of finished storybooks.
This included a complete set of "Even in Death, the Chivalrous Bones Remain Fragrant," with all its accompanying merchandise—a gold-shimmering plus version—as well as several other best-selling storybooks and their related merchandise.
Qu Dubian gave them all to Yi Shier.
Although the latter didn't express lengthy words of gratitude upon receiving the gifts, the favorability genuinely increased by +4.
It was like a diligent office worker suddenly receiving a full set of their favorite official merchandise from the boss one day. Words of thanks felt hollow; they could work for the boss until the end of time.
Zhiyi also received a set. Worried that his elder sister might be influenced by those sappy stories about poor scholars and rich young ladies, Qu Dubian specifically sent her these stirring tales of chivalry and righteousness.
However, Zhiyi seemed somewhat preoccupied.
Qu Dubian: "Elder Sister, if there's something you can't figure out, talk to me about it."
Zhiyi sat by the edge of the vegetable plot in the rear courtyard of Shunning Palace. This was cultivated through the diligent labor of their Shunning Palace family of four—though, of course, the main contributors were Consort Xuan and Lady Guo.
He and Zhiyi mainly assisted, and Da Hei would also patrol the vegetable plot daily, catching insects and pulling weeds.
Zhiyi had a flower basket by her side, weaving a flower crown as she spoke: "It's about the topic I discussed with Sixth Brother. He said we are of the imperial family, very different from the common people. I think what he said is wrong. I asked Consort Xuan, and she said I should think for myself. Then I asked Mother, and she said our statuses are different."
Qu Dubian sat on the nearby swing. He wanted to say that all people are born with one life and should be equal, but in Great Zhou, in the present, the more one thinks about it, the more painful it becomes.
Sometimes, being oblivious is more comfortable than being clear-headed.
He didn't put it so bluntly. Psychologically, he was more like Zhiyi's older brother and could offer some guidance to his younger sister.
After some thought, Qu Dubian said: "Elder Sister, it is precisely because of those common people Sixth Brother mentioned that Great Zhou exists. The people of Great Zhou support the imperial family. Without the people, there would be no princes, princesses, or even our Imperial Father."
"Those who guard the borders are Great Zhou's subjects. When loved ones pass away, we shed tears, and so do they. No one's grief is nobler than another's."
Qu Dubian swayed gently on the swing.
He understood his own nature was somewhat selfish, only wanting his own smooth path, wishing for the well-being of his relatives and friends. Matters unrelated to him, he didn't want to concern himself with.
But he also knew that living in this era, there would always be many unavoidable circumstances. Perhaps one day he would be drawn into the vortex, or perhaps blood would ultimately stain his hands.
But no matter what, he hoped that day would come later, even later.
Zhiyi: "I understand a bit now. When the common people farm and when we farm here in Shunning Palace, the vegetables grown taste the same. Eating vegetables won't turn them into immortals, and it won't turn us into immortals either."
Qu Dubian laughed heartily, "Elder Sister is absolutely right!"
Zhiyi walked up to the swing and placed the woven flower crown on her brother's head.
Qu Dubian tilted his little face upward, beaming like a little celestial child: "For me? Is it pretty?"
"Very pretty."
Zhiyi suddenly reached out, pinched the soft flesh of her brother's cheeks, and looked seriously into his eyes. She said: "Little Qi, I felt you were a bit lonely just now."
She felt that sometimes her brother gave her the impression of a star in the sky. Even though many other friends might surround it, the star remains alone, a solitary point of light shining by itself.
Qu Dubian: "Not at all."
"Yes, there was. Your eyes weren't as lively. Like this..." Zhiyi tried hard to mimic, "The corners drooped down a bit, not shining anymore."
Qu Dubian sighed: "Elder Sister, you're going to give me wrinkles from all this pinching."
Ignoring his nonsense, Zhiyi generously gave her younger brother a warm hug.
"Don't be lonely. Elder Sister is here."
"..."
Buried in the flower crown and his elder sister's shoulder, Qu Dubian closed his eyes for three seconds before opening them again, his tone returning to the earlier feigned worry: "Elder Sister, I still want to swing. You're in the way."
Zhiyi: "Then I'll push you. Let's go secretly pick fruit from Consort Xuan's trees tonight."
"Sounds good."
The siblings were in immediate agreement, sharing a conspiratorial chuckle.
As the swing rose, Qu Dubian used his mouth to nudge the flower crown that had slipped onto his nose. He wanted to say that Elder Sister had woven this crown a bit too large.
And also, he wasn't lonely.
