The Third Prince was saved, but he had lost his mind.
Now, whenever he saw water or heard the sound of cracking ice, he would scream in terror and lose control of his bladder.
The Emperor came to see the Third Prince once, but during that single visit, his dragon robe was stained by the yellow liquid on the floor, and he left with a dark expression.
Consort Shu washed her face with tears all day long, constantly sending people to the dead woods to search for clues. However, the footprints had long been covered by snow, and given the panic of the attendants at the time, it was impossible to tell whose footprints were whose.
The Imperial Study.
Ji Zhaoxi finally officially became a study companion.
The other princes were taken aback when they saw Ji Zhaoxi. Xiao Yanchen could actually have a study companion?
The most surprised of all was the Second Prince. He stood beside Ji Zhaoxi and asked, "Xiao Xizi, how did you become Seventh Brother's study companion? Aren't you Eunuch Liu's godson?"
Xiao Yanchen silently squeezed past the Second Prince from behind and poured a cup of hot water for Ji Zhaoxi.
Seeing that the Second Prince knew Ji Zhaoxi, the others also gathered around.
"Second Brother, who is this little eunuch?"
The Second Prince impatiently pushed them away and looked at Ji Zhaoxi with a smile. "You might as well be my study companion. It's all the same anyway."
Xiao Yanchen was just about to fetch a paperweight for Ji Zhaoxi. Upon hearing this, he said angrily, "Xiao Xizi is mine!"
He glared at the Second Prince, his fists clenched tightly. He was trying to steal Xiao Xizi from him again.
It was the first time the Second Prince had been disrespected like this. His face turned extremely ugly, and he couldn't help but mock him.
"Look how anxious Seventh Brother is. I am not like you, guarding a mere study companion so fiercely. If I wanted to, I could have as many study companions as I please."
After saying that, he walked back to his seat without looking back, and the others quickly followed suit.
The tutor was also momentarily stunned when he came in and saw Ji Zhaoxi.
Logically, Ji Zhaoxi should have been standing beside Xiao Yanchen. But Ji Zhaoxi had never been a study companion, and Xiao Yanchen had never had one, so the two of them just sat together as they usually did.
With Ji Zhaoxi sitting beside him, Xiao Yanchen couldn't focus on his books or the lesson. Before long, he couldn't resist turning his head to look at Ji Zhaoxi.
Ji Zhaoxi appeared to be listening intently to the tutor's lecture, but a closer look revealed that her gaze was completely unfocused.
A hand warmer was suddenly stuffed into Ji Zhaoxi's hands. Ji Zhaoxi looked over to see Xiao Yanchen smiling at her.
A ruler suddenly slammed heavily onto the desk, startling both of them.
"I was just speaking of 'governing a large state is like cooking a small fish.' Seventh Prince, tell me, what is the key meaning behind this word 'cooking'?" The tutor's expression was rather grim.
Ji Zhaoxi pretended to flip through her book; this was something she couldn't help him with.
Xiao Yanchen stood up and replied calmly, "To answer the tutor, the word 'cooking' emphasizes governing by doing nothing that goes against nature, and it emphasizes patience..."
Ji Zhaoxi held her brush, slowly writing out characters stroke by stroke.
The Imperial Study was exceptionally quiet. The Second Prince turned his head and looked at Ji Zhaoxi, who was writing. He furrowed his brows tightly, wondering how this Xiao Xizi had gotten mixed up with Xiao Yanchen.
Xiao Yanchen continued his earnest answer: "Governing a country is like this, and so is how people get along with one another."
His gaze unconsciously fell on Ji Zhaoxi's writing beside him. She was practicing writing his name. Xiao Yanchen's ears suddenly turned red.
The tutor frowned and told him to sit down. "Seventh Prince, when I am lecturing, focus on your writing and don't keep looking around."
Xiao Yanchen didn't say a word. He wasn't just looking around; he was looking at Xiao Xizi.
Ji Zhaoxi placed the finished characters on Xiao Yanchen's desk, her eyes full of expectation.
She thought her handwriting looked very nice, but she hadn't really written the characters; she had drawn them.
Xiao Yanchen smiled shyly and whispered, "Xiao Xizi is amazing."
At noon, when the eunuchs served the meals, the serving eunuch impatiently slammed the food box onto Xiao Yanchen's desk.
The moment Ji Zhaoxi opened it, she complained loudly, "It's just two leaves! How are we supposed to eat this?"
Wasn't it said that study companions got good food? Why was hers so terrible?
The Imperial Study instantly fell silent.
The eunuch hadn't expected the study companion to speak up. He looked embarrassed for a moment but quickly recovered, "Seventh Prince, today the kitchen..."
But in the very next second, Xiao Yanchen directly grabbed two food boxes from the baskets behind him and sat back down in his seat without a word.
Ji Zhaoxi opened the food box, and her eyes lit up.
The eunuch's face immediately turned ugly; he had saved those two for himself.
"Seventh Highness, those are not your food boxes."
Xiao Yanchen frowned. "Then whose are they? All my other royal brothers have their food boxes. Only Xiao Xizi and I don't, so these must be ours."
It wouldn't matter if he had to eat those leaves by himself, but Xiao Xizi couldn't eat them. She got hungry easily as it was.
"Exactly!" Ji Zhaoxi was also a bit angry. "Were you planning to keep these two to eat yourself?"
The eunuch's face flushed bright red. "You little eunuch, what... what nonsense are you spouting?!"
"I'm not spouting nonsense, otherwise why would you be keeping these two food boxes?" Ji Zhaoxi argued righteously.
He had almost made her eat vegetable leaves!
Xiao Yanchen also nodded vigorously. "Xiao Xizi is not spouting nonsense."
Seeing Xiao Yanchen immediately back her up, Ji Zhaoxi felt very gratified.
The eunuch wanted to say more, but looking at the two of them glaring at him, he sheepishly walked away.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the Imperial Study was eerily quiet.
The Second Prince's brows were tightly knitted.
He watched as Xiao Yanchen gave his meat to Xiao Xizi, and then ate the rice that Xiao Xizi had left over.
He suddenly felt a bit nauseous.
A prince nearby whispered, "Could it be that Xiao Yanchen is a cut-sleeve..."
Who would be so intimate with a eunuch? Just thinking about it made one's scalp tingle.
As the other princes watched Xiao Yanchen constantly smiling at Ji Zhaoxi, their feelings of disgust grew even stronger.
No wonder Xiao Yanchen was not favored by their imperial father. Perhaps he had known all along that he wasn't normal.
During the day, the tutor hadn't found a chance to discipline Xiao Yanchen.
In the afternoon, just as class was about to end, he suddenly noticed that Xiao Yanchen had brought an ugly embroidered pouch into the Imperial Study. With a cold face, he said, "Personal playthings are strictly forbidden in the Imperial Study. After school, the Seventh Prince and his study companion will go to the Library Pavilion to face the wall and reflect on their mistakes."
This would serve as a good warning to the other princes in the Imperial Study as well. They kept bringing all sorts of things in; last time, it was because the Third Prince secretly brought a slingshot that his Duan inkstone was smashed to pieces.
Thinking of the Third Prince's current state, he feared the boy would never have the chance to break his things again in this lifetime.
After school, the other princes left, and Ji Zhaoxi and Xiao Yanchen obediently went to the Library Pavilion.
They had no choice but to be obedient, because there were two eunuchs behind them holding rulers, urging them toward the Library Pavilion.
Ji Zhaoxi couldn't help but sigh. The Department of Punishment attacked you openly, while the Imperial Study plotted against you in the dark. No wonder Xiao Yanchen had said the Imperial Study was dangerous.
