Because of Zhaoyang, he skipped classes quite often, and his teachers had long disliked him and wanted to find fault with him, but they could never find a way to do so.

This time he finally caught him.

So the teacher took out his answer sheet in front of everyone and passed it around, criticizing him for not being able to write such simple words.

Many people laughed at him, but he wasn't embarrassed. Looking at the character "栖" (qi, meaning to perch or rest) circled by his teacher on the answer sheet, Zhao Xuanyang felt a sense of joy, which he himself found inexplicable.

However, this incident did not teach him a lesson; instead, he continued to make the same mistake every time he wrote it afterward. Even when his teacher passed away, he still couldn't write "见贤思齐" correctly.

Before, it was a struggle; later, it became a willingness.

For her sake, he was willing to make one mistake after another. The reason he changed the reign title to "Xian" when he ascended the throne was solely because of this.

Seeing a virtuous person makes one think of "dwelling" in their home. He is virtuous, and she is dwelling. As long as he calls her that, they can be together. Just having them together makes him happy.

Look, their ancestors had already foretold their fate; they were destined to be together. Even their first meeting was before Lu Huai's.

But why... why is this happening?

I still remember the day Lu Huai forced Lu Huai to abdicate. He ordered Zhao Yun to bring Qin Xi to him. Everyone thought he wanted to use her as a hostage to force Lu Huai to withdraw his troops.

But only he knew that such a thought only flashed through his mind for a moment before he dismissed it. That was none other than Qin Xi, his little sister Qi. How could he bear to treat her like that?

When he learned that she had nearly died in childbirth, he began to regret it. He regretted being too selfish, so selfish that he threatened her with Prime Minister Qin, so selfish that he wanted to expel Minister Lu, so selfish that he wouldn't even give her a midwife.

He summoned Zhao Yun to bring her, only wanting to escape with her. He knew he couldn't defeat Lu Huai. Neither in this battle nor in her heart could he compare to Lu Huai.

But all he wanted was to take her with him to a place where Lu Huai couldn't find him. As long as she was with him, what difference did it make whether he was emperor or not? All he ever wanted was Qin Xi.

But Qin Xi was nowhere to be found. Zhao Yun searched the palace from top to bottom, but couldn't find her. Zhao Xuanyang panicked; this was the second time he had panicked like this. The first time was when she married Lu Huai.

Fortunately, she was alright. She had simply run away from him, but instead ran back to him.

The first "him" was Zhao Xuanyang. The second "him" was Lu Huai.

...

...

The young emperor had only been on the throne for three days, yet Zhao Xuanyang, reclining in his chair, had already become emaciated. As if he had seen something, a smile played on his lips, as gentle and kind as ever.

"Brother Qi Yu, come play with me!"

Sister Qi, wait for me.

...

On the 24th day of the twelfth month of the first year of Yuxin, the Fourth Prince Zhao Xuanyang committed suicide in the palace at the age of nineteen.

————

Zhao Xuanyang's side story, the end.