Chapter 33 Disclaimer: This chapter does not contain any...

As the saying goes, food is the most important thing for people.

The thing that Fusu was most concerned about when he went to the Imperial Academy was its dining hall. The Imperial Academy's dining hall was no ordinary dining hall; it was the one that Su Shi had strongly criticized, that King Cheng had used a poem to remonstrate with, and that the current prime minister had specifically named in a memorial to the throne.

According to a rumor, among the many reforms proposed by Minister Fu in his memorial to the throne for the Imperial Academy, the first one that the Emperor approved was the reform of the "meal allowance." He also specifically ordered the Three Departments to allocate sufficient funds to subsidize the Imperial Academy's dining hall, ensuring that students could enjoy meat every day.

"Really?"

"Shouldn't the Emperor be busy with countless affairs of state? How come he has time to pay attention to the humble Imperial Academy's dining hall?"

Fusu, small in stature, moved among the students, becoming extremely inconspicuous once others' attention turned to him. He stayed at a distance, following behind the crowd, and overheard the discussions among the students of the Imperial Academy about the matter.

Judging from their attire, the two individuals mentioned earlier did not come from prominent families. After Fan Zhongyan initiated reforms at the Imperial Academy, officials of the eighth rank and below, as well as outstanding students recommended by local authorities, were also allowed to study at the Imperial Academy.

Although many reform measures were abandoned midway, the students couldn't just be kicked out, could they? They continued their studies in prison.

Like Su Shi, this type of student had no spare money and was the one most concerned about the changes in the dining hall.

"They don't know, this is actually His Highness's achievement." A teasing voice suddenly came from beside Fusu.

Fusu turned his head: "Huaiji, stop teasing me."

She then made a zipping motion around her mouth: "And also, don't call me Your Highness here—"

He glanced around furtively, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that no one was paying attention.

Liang Huaiji nodded, indicating that he had remembered.

As for why Liang Huaiji appeared at the Imperial Academy, that's a question for Princess Miaowu. Originally, with her only younger brother studying at Zishan Hall, her opportunities to meet and play with others were very limited. Then she heard from the Empress that Su'er was going to leave the palace to study for a period of time, and wouldn't even be returning to the palace at night anymore.

How can that be?

Miaowu stormed into the palace and caused a huge scene.

Of course, no matter how powerful Emperor Renzong was, he couldn't get his five-year-old daughter into the Imperial Academy, but this commotion wasn't entirely fruitless. Her most trusted confidant, Liang Huaiji, became Fusu's attendant, responsible for facilitating their communications.

Fusu had no objection to this matter. However, he privately asked Miaowu, "Are you sure he's willing?"

Miaowu replied, "Of course! What could Huaiji be unhappy about? He didn't sleep a wink yesterday when he found out he could study at the Imperial Academy."

Fusu glanced at Liang Huaiji's two huge dark circles under his eyes. Well, Miaowu really wasn't lying.

Liang Huaiji was clearly extremely excited, his eyes shining at everything he saw, his bookworm persona intact.

Fusu tugged at Liang Huaiji's sleeve: "Let's go. Let's catch up with those two ahead."

Liang Huaiji immediately took him and ran.

"Brother—"

"My two brothers—"

The two people in front of me stopped in unison. Could they be calling me? But why did their voices sound so childish?

They turned around, almost thinking they were seeing things. Two children were running towards them, and it was the younger, cuter one of them who called out to them. Come to think of it, was he three years old?

"Gentlemen, please wait a moment. This is my first day at school, and I don't know how to get to the dining hall. Could you show me the way?"

One of them looked surprised, as if he had made a connection to something: "...Could it be that you are that three-year-old child prodigy?"

Another person suddenly recited: "Yan Hui was happy with simple food, how could the wise men talk about hunger? Don't say that food and supplements are not a blessing, for the country is built on the foundation of learning."

He finished reciting with rapt attention, then looked at the soft, chubby little baby in front of him, a look of astonishment on his face. It seemed difficult to connect the two.

"You're the author of this poem?"

"..."

Fusu's smile froze on his face: "Haha, is that right?"

Being publicly executed felt incredibly awkward. Fusu instinctively tried to make a gesture to cover it up, but then he remembered the dream of Qin Shi Huang, which made him even more embarrassed. He felt like he wasn't in the Song Dynasty, known for its demureness, but rather in the socially awkward elevator of America.

But the first person misunderstood Fusu's expression: "Brother Guanlan has no ill intentions, he is just surprised that such a great writer has appeared before us."

Moreover, he possesses such a delicate and adorable appearance, like a celestial child from a painting. One can't help but wonder, does Heaven truly show favoritism?

He also bowed to Fusu, saying, "Even I was surprised. Now that I have seen it with my own eyes, I can believe that the legend is true."

Fusu asked curiously, "Rumors? What are they saying about me?"

He had a bad feeling, but he still needed to find out the details.

Come on, he's ready.

The two exchanged a glance, both assuming that the child wanted to be praised, so they embellished and exaggerated the rumor.

He could compose poems on the spot at the age of three.

His first victory over Zhang Jifu made him famous throughout the Imperial Academy.

Another poem remonstrates with the wealthy minister, which in turn prompts the emperor to issue a decree of favor.

The topic of Bianjing (Kaifeng) remained at the top of the trending searches for over ten days.

He is still the most watched child prodigy since Yan Xiangong.

Fusu's ears were ringing: "What is all this?!" How could it be even more shameful than the worst he had ever imagined?

A hint of a smile flashed across Liang Huaiji's eyes behind him.

The two students were both taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter at Fusu's flushed face: "Hahahahahaha!"

After laughing, the first person considerately changed the subject: "We didn't know you had this kind of personality, young master. If we said anything inappropriate, it was our fault. But in any case, we are grateful to you for allowing us to smell the meat at the Imperial Academy."

"By the way, I still don't know your name, young master?"

Only after the topic was changed did Fusu dare to raise his head: "My name is Zhao Zongsu."

"Zong" was the generational name of a member of the imperial clan of the same generation as Fusu, just as "Yun" was the generational name of an official. However, the imperial family did not have to follow this constraint. When Fusu was thinking of a new name for his vassal, he simply took a shortcut and added the generational name into the name.

Only those extremely familiar with the royal family would notice the flaw. How could a mere member of the royal family use the same character as His Highness Prince Cheng? But for the vast majority of people, they neither know nor care about His Highness Prince Cheng's name; they generally just call him Prince Cheng.

For example, these two young men, without any suspicion, also revealed their family background.

"My name is Li Guanlan, and I haven't been given a courtesy name yet."

"My name is Zeng Gong, and my courtesy name is Zibu."

Huh? That's a familiar name.

Fusu's gaze swept over one of the future Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties. He was the first to recognize him and the one who considerately changed the subject. So, he was studying at the Imperial Academy at this time.

He immediately greeted everyone warmly. Of course, he didn't neglect Li Guanlan either. Finally, he extended an invitation: "Would you like to come to the dining hall with me?"

The two nodded in unison: "It would be impolite to refuse!"

Fusu was unaware that he had left an extremely good impression on these two. Just as Zeng Gong and Li Guanlan said, the meat they ate in the dining hall was all due to the little boy's poem of remonstrance, and they were naturally indebted to him.

In RPG games, this would be equivalent to the pre-generated affinity level.

These two individuals, both recommended by the local authorities to study in the prison, were under twenty years old and were once renowned "little geniuses" and "child prodigies" in the area. Among the child prodigies they encountered, many were arrogant and conceited, while few were willing to be humble.

Fusu is the only one who blushes after being praised a few times.

Finally, and most importantly.

This little prodigy is only three years old this year.

Although they showed remarkable talent at the age of three, they could only memorize the "Three Character Classic," "Hundred Family Surnames," and "Thousand Character Classic" after reading them once, and their answers to the teacher were only slightly faster; they were far from being able to compose impromptu poems. By the way, could they communicate fluently with others at the age of three?

Taking advantage of the altitude, the two exchanged a glance.

This child is destined for greatness.

Even if it's not for personal gain, but out of affection and appreciation for talent, they still need to befriend people, they must befriend them.

"By the way, brothers, I heard you talking about this earlier. Is it really true that the Imperial Academy's dining hall can serve meat at every meal?"

“Of course it’s true.” Zeng Gong immediately laughed when he heard this: “Perhaps, as the rumors say, it’s because the Emperor is taking pity on us students in the Imperial Academy. I haven’t eaten so well in a long time.”

"Really?" Fusu asked expectantly. "Then I have to go and try it."

As it turned out, his expectations were unfounded.

Fusu stared at the food on his plate, lost in thought: No wonder later generations called canteen food the ninth major cuisine of China; it's not without reason. The answer is simple: nowhere else in China can you make food taste like this.

Zeng Gong and Li Guanlan were right. The canteen no longer only served rice and leeks, but also added meat. But what they didn't say was that the meat was the fattiest pork, and it wasn't seasoned with enough salt.

What fell before Fusu's eyes was a lump of oily white fat.

Fusu hesitated and took a bite of the edge, only to have something resembling hand cream stick to his throat, making it difficult to breathe and almost causing him to vomit. He glanced at Zeng Gong and Li Guanlan, who were both eating with great relish, not even looking up.

Is there something wrong with his sense of taste?

Fusu took another bite and fell silent. Staring blankly at the kitchen staff, who thought he looked adorable, Fusu deliberately scooped up a large spoonful of rice and stared into space.

"What's wrong, Zhao Xiaolang? Is the food not to your liking?"

Fusu hesitated: "Hmm..."

It's really not to my taste.

But seeing that people were enjoying their meal, he was too embarrassed to say anything.

Zeng Gong replied, "We've made Zhao Xiaolang a laughingstock."

He and Li Guanlan exchanged a glance and smiled sheepishly: "To be honest, this may not be as good as the food at your home, but it's a rare treat for us. At least we'll have some oil in our stomachs in the middle of the night, so we won't be hungry until dawn."

Fusu's eyes widened: "Too hungry to sleep?"

“Yes.” Zeng Gong closed his eyes, recalling the feeling of acid reflux in his stomach, and couldn’t help but frown, but quickly relaxed his brows: “But if I read for a while and wait until the dining hall opens in the morning, it’ll be fine.”

He was the one who could best understand Fusu's inability to eat. Just a year ago, his family had also been a prominent official family. Unfortunately, his father had been convicted of a crime, and the family had fallen on hard times, leaving him to support his younger siblings alone. The Imperial Academy's dining hall, which didn't require students to pay, naturally became Zeng Gong's best option.

So what if the food is hard to swallow? If he swallows a bite, his younger siblings can have one more bite to eat. Zeng Gong said he was happy to do so.

But he still kindly offered Fusu a solution: "The Imperial Academy is not far from the Xiangguo Temple Night Market. If you don't like the food in the dining hall, you can go to the night market for a meal, or have your servants bring some back to the academy."

“However…” he suddenly lowered his voice: “Many of the sons of prominent families in the prison also go there. Be careful not to run into Zhang Jifu and their friends.”

Hmm? Zhang Jifu?

Fusu paused for a moment before matching the name with the incident. He had been busy with other things these past few days and had almost forgotten about this culprit.

He made a gesture near his neck: "Do they want...me?"

Zeng Gong visibly choked up for a moment. "No, who taught him that? How could a child have such dangerous ideas?"

"Of course not. I'm afraid they'll use it against you for sneaking out and report you to the chief priest and the doctors."

Fusu coughed.

Excuse me, I almost forgot, this is the Song Dynasty, not the Qin Dynasty. Everyone here is generally quite refined. The ultimate weapon is to file a serious complaint with the government. Unlike before, when blood would actually be drawn.

But he shook his head: "Thank you for your kindness, Brother Zibu. However, the night market is not a long-term solution."

"And if I can eat at the night market, am I just going to stand by and watch you guys eat this?"

Moreover, the Imperial College's dining hall might have been forced to stagnate because the food at Xiangguo Temple Night Market was so delicious that it couldn't attract any students.

But that won't do!

Does this justify the government's personal allocation of funds?

Zeng Gong smiled without saying a word. Only after Fusu left did he mention it to Li Guanlan: "I originally thought that this young Zhao was just a friend worth making. But after our first conversation, I was already captivated by him."

"In my opinion, he is only three years old, yet he has the ambition to benefit the world."

Li Guanlan said knowingly, "It's that line, 'I may be able to eat at the night market, but am I supposed to just stand by and watch you all eat this?'"

Zeng Gong didn't answer, but stared at the plate in his hand, which was filled with white meat that was hard to look at: "How about I make a bet with Brother Li?"

"Is it a gamble to see if Zhao Xiaolang can force the dining hall to change its ways?"

Zeng Gong nodded.

Li Guanlan said, "It's really unfortunate, I really can't take this bet with Brother Zibu. Because I also think he can do it."

-

After bidding farewell to his two newly acquainted friends, Fusu returned to his dormitory, took out a blank sheet of paper, and immediately began to write furiously.

The Imperial Academy has one advantage: due to its vast area and small number of students, it provides students with a quiet and undisturbed living environment. Fusu pondered as he sketched with charcoal, occasionally muttering to himself, not caring if outsiders overheard and made a fuss.

Liang Huaiji remained silent. Only after Fusu finished writing did he ask, "Is this a letter destined for the palace?"

"Oh dear." Fusu slapped his forehead: "I almost forgot about this."

Today was his first day at the Imperial Academy, and his relatives in the palace must be very concerned. He sat down again, buried his head in his desk, and quickly wrote three letters back home: one to the Emperor, one to the Empress, and one to his sister.

Liang Huaiji carefully put it into his bosom and prepared to go to the palace.

Fusu stopped him: "I'm going out for a bit. Don't be surprised if you don't see me. I'll be back in a little while."

"Where is Your Highness going?" Liang Huaiji paused. "It's not that I'm curious, but I'm afraid His Majesty will ask."

"It's alright, I'm going to see Dr. Mei. Just tell the truth when the official asks you, so he can be at ease."

Fusu didn't care about that. He wasn't a rebellious teenager who felt that being asked about his whereabouts was an interference with his freedom. He knew how his family treated him and didn't mind being more detailed to put their minds at ease.

Just one point—

"Tell the Emperor and the Empress to stop sending me things. I don't need anything here, really."

Looking at the piles of belongings filling every available space in the room, Fusu was both amused and exasperated. The supplies his parents had packed were enough for him to travel around the entire Song Dynasty and still have some left over.

Heaven knows, he even delayed his enrollment by a few days because of this, just to avoid people associating him with a "fallen member of the imperial family" and prevent his true identity from being exposed at the start.

Liang Huaiji scratched his face: "If they insist on sending it...?"

"Then don't... never mind, you should still accept it." Fusu finally succumbed to his parents' affection: "Rent a house near the Imperial Academy and put it there, don't pile it all up in the dormitory."

Fusu said that he really couldn't find a place to put his feet.

Fusu then found another box, and the two left the dormitory one after the other, closing the door behind them. Everyone else was in class at the dormitory, but he was the only one reporting for duty for the first time, and had a day to settle in.

He easily found his way to Mei Yaochen's office. Last time, Mei Yaochen had hosted him and Fu Bi here, and the mutton at that meal was delicious, leaving a deep impression on Fusu, who also remembered the location.

"Ta-da!"

The door wasn't closed properly, but he still knocked a few times.

Who is it?

"It's me."

Mei Yaochen was speechless. Who would answer their teacher like that? But he could recognize the person's identity from the childish voice. Then he thought, even if he said the name, it wouldn't matter, since he didn't know the person's name at all.

Fusu: Of course you wouldn't know.

Because I made up the name a couple of days ago.

One of his goals today was to make Zhao Zongsu's identity public to Mei Yaochen, and even more professors at the Imperial Academy.

Fusu had considered whether to reveal his true identity to his teachers, but ultimately decided against it.

Given Mei Yaochen's loyalty and integrity, he would certainly have paid a respectful bow to Fusu and then offered strong remonstrances against his actions that day.

Fusu: _(:з」∠)_

...I really don't want to get scolded again for crawling through the dog hole.

Upon entering, Fusu bowed first, then tiptoed and pushed the brocade box he was carrying onto Mei Yaochen's table.

"I haven't thanked Dr. Mei for her guidance before. This is a family recipe passed down through generations. Please try it, Dr. Mei."

Fusu was referring to the incident where Mei Yaochen, unaware of his identity, hinted that he should write a poem on the spot so that Fu Bi could include it in a memorial to the emperor, thus avoiding retaliation from Zhang Jifu.

Because he understood his father's good intentions, Fusu obediently complied and managed to compose a poem. However, it spread so widely that anyone on the street could recite it, causing Fusu great embarrassment.

Regardless of what happened later, it cannot deny Mei Yaochen's good intentions in protecting him, which Fusu always kept in mind.

Mei Yaochen's expression softened slightly, but he declined Fusu's gift: "It was just a casual remark. You only managed to write a good poem because of your quick wit and the fact that you were valued by Master Fu. It has little to do with me."

"Then let it be a student's way of showing respect to their teacher."

Fusu, as if presenting a treasure, took the initiative to open the lid of the brocade box. Inside was the result of his and the kitchen staff's efforts—a simplified version of candied hawthorn, infinitely similar to the sugar paintings of later generations.

However, according to Fusu's understanding, this was unprecedented in the Song Dynasty.

The sugar painting he gave to Mei Yaochen depicted a landscape, inspired by the imagery in Mei Yaochen's famous lines, "Frost falls, bears climb trees; forests are empty, deer drink from streams." Fusu wasted a lot of syrup on this painting.

Fusu had thought Mei Yaochen would be pleased to see it. To his surprise, Mei Yaochen was both shocked and angry: "How could you send me such a valuable gift? Zhao Xiaolang, I never thought you were one of my people."

His voice was filled with regret for his well-intentioned but misplaced kindness.

"..."

"Wait, Dr. Mei, this is candy!"

Mei Yaochen didn't believe it: "How could something so crystal clear be candy? Zhao Xiaolang, don't try to fool me!"

"But this really is candy..."

Before Mei Yaochen could kick him out of his office, Fusu, in a moment of inspiration, twisted off half of the bear in the drawing and fed it to his mouth.

"Crack!"

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Author's Note: Fusu: Too many technological barriers aren't necessarily a good thing. [Chin resting on hand]