Chapter 63

All night long.

Emperor Chongzhao had no peace of mind before Qu Dubian fell asleep.

He snatched the book and asked Eunuch Yu to hide it, but he couldn't stop his youngest son from whispering in his ear.

This child does have a good memory and a talent for studying, but he never uses this knowledge on memorizing serious books.

Qu Dubian recited the contents of "Instructions for Women" taught by Nanny Su several times.

Of course, it was different every time. Some were jumbled, some sentences were vague, some needed to be thought about, and then they were suddenly read out when my cheap dad wanted to fall asleep.

Emperor Chongzhao stayed awake, unable to sleep until midnight, hearing the muttering of "a woman's words, virtues, appearance, and work should be done with integrity and good conduct in serving her husband..."

Until Qu Dubian fell asleep.

Early the next morning.

Emperor Chongzhao's decree flew to Shunning Palace.

The Seventh Prince was ordered not to study in the study with Princess Zhiyi. When Princess Zhiyi was studying, the Seventh Prince had to stand five steps away from the study.

In the afternoon, Nanny Su entered the study again.

Qu Dubian squatted at the gate of Shunning Palace, holding up his face, and he really couldn't get in.

Can’t cheap dad afford to play?

When they can't win, they use their power to cheat.

He stood up, clapped his hands, and touched Dahei's head, "Let's go, Dahei, let's do something big."

Dahei nudged him with the tip of his nose, signaling the two-legged cub to get in the car.

The puppy carriage drove past Xiuxiang Palace and the Sixth Prince went out. The puppy carriage drove past Fu'an Palace and the Fourth Prince went out. The puppy carriage drove past Changxin Palace and the Fifth Prince went out.

The four princes finally gathered in the east hall of Zichen Palace to discuss swordplay. They were very tactful and did not disturb Emperor Chongzhao who was still working in the west warm pavilion.

Qu Watanabe slammed "Legislation for Women" on the table.

"Brothers, I discovered a shocking secret!"

Sixth Prince: "What secret?"

Qu Watanabe said mysteriously: "There may be peerless martial arts in here."

The three brothers opened their eyes wide, and went to the east side hall, listening to the sound of "Wow". Which child doesn't dream of becoming an unparalleled master?

Qu Watanabe: "I have inquired about it clearly. In the entire harem, only my sister is learning it. Father is worried that she will be bullied in the future, so he prepared it specially for her and not for us."

"I only found out after I secretly learned a few moves."

The Sixth Prince: "Brother! Then you teach us."

Qu Watanabe: "No matter who you forget, you must not forget your brothers. I will teach you everything I know."

He brought the Sixth Prince to the first place. Although the Fifth Prince felt that it was not right, but... if his younger brother wanted to play, he should just let him go. He was the older brother and had the obligation to coax his younger brother.

So he stood still silently.

The fourth prince was only alert for a second. When he heard that he was going to train, he immediately fell asleep. Qu Dubian grabbed his pillow and said, "Fourth brother, go quickly. Once you learn it, I will go to Fu'an Palace to sleep for two nights!"

In less than a second, the Fourth Prince immediately became alert.

"Keep your word."

Three little boys of different heights were being directed around by the youngest brother.

It was near evening.

Eunuch Yu went to the West Warm Pavilion and said, "Your Majesty, the ladies in the three palaces, Xiuxiang Palace, Changxin Palace and Fu'an Palace, have all sent people to call the princes back for dinner."

Emperor Chongzhao: "Come to my place to look for someone? I didn't ask them to come."

Eunuch Yu: "They are all in the East Palace accompanying His Highness the Seventh Prince... uh..."

"you say."

Eunuch Yu sighed, thinking of the scene he had just glimpsed, and suddenly frowned: "Why don't you go and see it yourself."

Emperor Chongzhao didn't take it seriously, he stood up and said with a smile: "Can he turn the world upside down?"

Two minutes later.

Through the window of the east hall, Emperor Chongzhao's face turned ashen.

Inside the window, inside the hall.

The youngest son held a small branch in his hand, like a ruler, and shook his head and sighed: "What's going on? What's going on? Straighten your waist, and lift your finger, yes, your little finger."

"Fourth brother! Hey, take two steps, okay?"

"Brothers, tell me what I just taught you."

The fourth, fifth and sixth princes said in unison: "It is the will of heaven to support one's husband and educate one's children. I should know the beauty, work, words and virtues of a woman."

Qu Duanbian: "Great, this is Aunt Su, the powerful teacher who taught me. She taught me this skill specifically for me. It must be a very powerful skill. Let's recite it several times."

"Qu Xiaoqi!!"

With a bang, Emperor Chongzhao pushed open the door.

Looking at her sons, some of them raised their index fingers, some of them performed the feminine etiquette, it seemed as if they had been transformed from princes into princesses in just one afternoon.

His eyes turned dark again and again.

With a sullen face, he walked over quickly, accurately caught his youngest son who was trying to escape, tucked him under his armpits, and slapped him on the butt.

"How did you teach your brother!"

Qu Dubian howled indignantly: "It's not fair! Why can't we learn what my sister can learn!"

The veins on Emperor Chongzhao's forehead were throbbing, "Yu Decai, send them back to their respective palaces. Whoever dares to fool around with Xiaoqi again will have his homework doubled!" One by one, they were really bored and would fool around with their younger brother.

The kid tucked under my armpit was twisting and turning very restlessly.

A stubborn voice came: "If you drag me away today, there will be thousands of me standing up tomorrow to spread my peerless martial arts to my brothers!"

"However many people stand, I will drag them!"

The fourth and fifth princes put down their little hands with orchid fingers and sighed softly.

The Fourth Prince: "Seventh brother must have been deceived."

The fifth prince also sighed and said, "Zhiyi was also deceived. How can peerless martial arts be practiced like this?"

"But it's better not to expose it, otherwise my brother will be sad. I can send some books to Zhiyi later." The fourth prince yawned, "I'm tired and sleepy, I'm leaving now."

Zhiyi is the younger sister of the Fourth Prince and the older sister of the Fifth Prince.

But they were very close in age and not too close to Zhiyi. They were only somewhat familiar with each other because Qu Watanabe often went there, so he usually called Zhiyi without adding "Ajie" or "meijie" at the end.

Only the Sixth Prince broke through the defense on the spot.

Tears welled up in his eyes: "Seventh brother was deceived, and I was deceived too. That really is not a martial arts secret book!"

The fifth prince: “…”

-

For the next three full days.

Qu Dubian tried every means to eavesdrop on Nanny Su's lectures and learn the princess's etiquette and passed it on to his brothers.

Emperor Chongzhao couldn't keep an eye on her all the time, so in order to prevent him from eavesdropping, he could only ask Zhiyi to move to another place. But with Dahei around, he could find Zhiyi no matter where she went.

Emperor Chongzhao watched helplessly as his youngest son recited "Instructions for Women" more and more fluently, the princess learned etiquette more and more proficiently, and even the painting styles of his older brothers became distorted.

Finally, Master Fang and Master Xi came together.

Master Xi said, "Your Majesty, the fourth, fifth and sixth princes have been behaving very... strangely these past two days. I asked them to recite a book, but they recited it together with the 'Instructions for Women'."

Master Fang was puzzled.

"Does the prince have to read this book now? I also saw the eldest prince and his two companions secretly taking a look. I wonder if it was out of curiosity or your Majesty's request..."

Emperor Chongzhao tried to take a deep breath, but after a long time, he couldn't continue.

He sighed heavily and pressed his thumb hard on his temples.

“This child…”

He recounted what Qu Dubian had done in the past two days. "I don't know what has possessed him. He insisted that all the martial arts taught by Nanny Su were peerless. I know he loves martial arts, such as Tai Chi and horse stance. They are all very good and good for his health. But this female commandment? He even learned his elder sister's blessing body ritual!"

When I showed him how to do it in the evening, he almost died of anger.

Master Fang stroked his beard and said, "If the Seventh Prince is upset and feels unfair because Princess Zhiyi studied the books "Female Commandments" and "Female Training" alone and did not teach others, then Your Majesty should not let the princess study. In my opinion, the Seventh Prince is not someone who will give up easily."

"You won't give up easily?" Emperor Chongzhao said, "That sounds too nice. You are obviously being stubborn."

He frowned again and said, "Zhiyi is a princess. When she gets married, she will represent the royal family. How can she not learn? All the women in the Great Zhou Dynasty read it in their boudoirs. She is a princess, so she should be a role model."

Master Fang: "Then I have no choice. You either keep the Seventh Prince locked up or don't let the princess learn." What is the little guy doing? He doesn't quite believe that the Seventh Prince, that clever guy, would really regard a book as a peerless martial art.

Master Xi: "In fact, the princess is the emperor's daughter. When she marries a prince consort, even if there are some mistakes in etiquette, it doesn't matter. In name, they are husband and wife, and the husband is the leader of the wife. But on a deeper level, the princess is the monarch, and the prince consort is the minister, and the monarch is the leader of the ministers. The lower should obey the upper, and small mistakes in etiquette are not a big deal."

Master Fang raised his eyebrows in surprise.

How could Xi Shiqiu say such things? Could it be that after being promoted to the Minister of Justice, his mouth became more open?

Emperor Chongzhao: "Who should teach the princess, and what should she learn? I'm afraid that the Sixth Palace of the East Garden..."

"Dad! Dad!"

The cordial call made Emperor Chongzhao subconsciously alert. He saw a child running in at the door. Qu Dubian didn't know how long he had been eavesdropping at the door.

He ran over and said, "Sister goes to school with me! I'm watching her to see if she's secretly learning martial arts without telling me."

Emperor Chongzhao was very hesitant: "Your three brothers' companions are all boys. Although Zhiyi is young, it will not be convenient for her in the future."

Grand Tutor Fang bowed and said, "Three years later, the eldest prince will leave the palace to build a mansion, and the second and third princes will follow closely behind. The study companions will naturally follow him out. If the other princes also want to choose a study companion, we can talk about it then."

It's better than the Seventh Prince forcing other princes to learn women's commandments and princess etiquette.

Although Master Xi did not quite agree, he did not refuse.

After much consideration, Emperor Chongzhao compromised.

"Just add another table in the academy... and put it next to the Seventh Prince." He nodded Qu Watanabe's head, "Then you can't go whenever you want and not go if you don't want to. You have to stay with your sister."

Qu Watanabe hummed twice casually.

After bowing and saying goodbye to Master Fang and Master Xi, he quickly rushed to Shunning Palace.

He informed Concubine Xuan and Concubine Guo of the news.

Zhiyi was confused and didn't quite understand what going to school meant, but that didn't stop her from being happy. What Nanny Su taught was really boring!

It’s best to go to school with everyone.

Guo Changzai had a complicated expression. As a girl from the boudoir, she knew that the books her daughter had to study were actually a bondage. It was just that she had no ability to change and was used to obeying. She could only watch Zhiyi gradually become like her past.

But what she didn't expect was that after the Seventh Prince made a fuss, she didn't have to learn Zhiyi anymore - at least as long as the Seventh Prince kept it in mind, Zhiyi wouldn't have to learn it.

She touched her daughter's head and held Zhiyi in her arms.

"Mother hopes you will always be happy."

Zhiyi: "I hope everyone is happy."

Guo Changzai: "The Seventh Prince is close to you, so you should take good care of him in the future."

"I know mother, you said that my brother had a hard time in the past."

Guo Changzai nodded softly.

Zhiyi can live happily for a few more years, this is the luck brought by the Seventh Prince.

The other side.

Inside the main hall.

Concubine Xuan was fiddling with a pot of newly sprouted seedlings, of which she had no idea what they were.

"Empress Xuan doesn't believe you when you say you want to practice martial arts. What do you think, little guy?"

Qu Dubian held his chin in his hand and sat opposite her, swinging his feet.

He: "I just don't want my sister to read those books. It feels bad."

Concubine Xuan: "How can you know it's not good without reading it carefully?"

Qu Watanabe: "If it is good, why doesn't the teacher teach us and not His Majesty? Besides, my sister is also my father's child. The teacher will receive the same salary no matter how many he teaches. I don't understand why he refused."

Concubine Xuan put down the potted plant and said, "Yes, it's a very simple truth. Some people are just dull and not as smart as Xiao Qi."

"..." Qu Dubian paused, "Empress Xuan, have you read it?"

Concubine Xuan: "I have torn it."

Even if someone has the courage, he can't say the above words, Qu Dubian thought.

Concubine Xuan called out the window, "Xinqing, are the snacks ready?"

“Almost there!”

"Empress Xuan, I want to eat."

"Not this time, I can only give you one piece at most," Concubine Xuan said, "I will send it to the Cining Palace tomorrow for Nanny Su. She has been tormented by you these past few days. She is old and has been exhausted from moving back and forth."

Qu Dubian: "Ci Ning Palace?"

Concubine Xuan: "Madam Su has been in charge of the place where the remaining concubines live. She is actually a good person, but a little old-fashioned."

Qu Dubian said with a guilty conscience: "Then I'll go tomorrow too."

"Didn't His Majesty ask you to go to the academy with Zhiyi?"

Qu Watanabe: "Yes, I'm going to go. I'll wait until they finish the first section before going. It won't delay them."

Concubine Xuan thought about it and agreed, so the matter was settled.

It would take another five or six days before he could move in. Before leaving, Qu Dubian inspected the progress of the interior construction of his future room. The room was a little dark.

Turning his head, he saw Yi Twelve hanging upside down by the window.

He climbed in through the window, and under Qu Dubian's gaze, silently took out a book: "The Four Books and Five Classics".

Yi Twelve said softly, turning to the page that Qu Watanabe had read on New Year's Day: "Your Highness, how many characters do you know?"

The domineering and romantic martial arts plot was printed on paper. He once told the little prince that this was a book of sages.

He lied to the little prince, and now looking back, wasn't he actually being fooled by the little prince?

Qu Watanabe: “…”

He looked up and scratched his head politely but awkwardly.

B Twelve: “…”

Yi Twelve disappeared in front of his boss in the blink of an eye.

Qu Duanbian turned his head: "Is he shy?"

Ye Xiaoyuan sighed: "Your Highness, his ears are red."