Chapter 376 Resurrection from the dead?
Zhenfei immediately took a step forward and walked towards the classroom in front.
She wanted to see who this etiquette teacher was.
But when she walked to the window and saw the woman sitting at the desk clearly, she opened her eyes wide and froze in place.
The person was wearing an elegant light blue robe, with a face as pretty as a lotus and eyebrows as slender as willows, and her face was exactly the same as the cousin in her memory.
The man was bending down at this moment, reaching out to hold the girl's shoulders, and said softly: "Since you are here for etiquette class, you need to sit properly. If you always bend over and hunch your back, won't it make people laugh? If you think etiquette class is boring, once you have learned to sit properly, let General Zheng show you horsemanship."
"Really? Hoffman? We want to see horseback riding!"
"I saw General Zheng riding a horse yesterday. It looked so interesting. I want to learn how to ride a horse too!"
"There are a lot of ponies in the stable. Are those for us?"
In response to the students' questions, Huo Lan smiled and said, "Of course they are prepared for you. They are all ponies carefully selected by General Zheng and his men. There are all kinds of breeds, and the prices are marked on them. If you want to learn how to ride a horse, bring your parents and we will choose a horse for you."
What Huo Lan didn't know was that at this moment, there were two pairs of eyes outside the window staring at her.
Until a student beside her reminded her——
"Mr. Huo, who are those two sisters outside the window? They have been looking at you."
Huo Lan raised his eyes and looked out the window, meeting the gazes of Concubine Li and Concubine Zhen.
The two of them were stunned, and the latter's eyes were as big as bells.
She suppressed her smile and walked out of the classroom calmly.
The eyes of the two people outside the window moved as she walked.
How is that possible?
They witnessed the death of Concubine De with their own eyes. A person who had been confirmed dead by the imperial physician was now standing in front of them alive.
It would be fine if one imperial physician made a wrong diagnosis, but it is impossible that a whole group of people made the same mistake...
But if the person in front of me is not Concubine De, then who could it be?
When I was listening to storytelling in teahouses in the past, I did hear stories about twin brothers or sisters who were separated when they were young and reunited when they grew up.
Could it be that Concubine De also had a twin sister who was separated from her when she was young? But would the voices of twin sisters be so similar?
Just as the two were stunned, Huo Lan had already arrived outside the door and smiled faintly at the people in front of him: "I haven't seen you three before, are you also new teaching assistants?"
"Cousin, is that you?" Concubine Zhen stepped forward and grabbed Huo Lan's hand. "What's going on?"
Huo Lan was stunned for a moment, then gently broke free from Concubine Zhen's hands and took a step back, "Miss, I think you have recognized the wrong person."
Seeing that the other party denied it, Zhenfei wanted to ask again, but suddenly realized that this was outside the classroom. Although there were a group of young children in the classroom, there were many children with good memory and who loved to talk nonsense. They should not be allowed to hear anything about Defei.
"Yes, yes, I must have recognized the wrong person. I have a question for Master Huo. Can I have a word with you?"
Zhen Fei grabbed Huo Lan's wrist again and pulled her towards the open space ahead.
The two came under a big banyan tree, and Zhen Fei finally let go of her hand, "Okay, cousin, now that there are no outsiders around, you can tell me the truth, what's going on?"
"Miss, I'm not your cousin." Huo Lan denied again very calmly, "The cousin you are talking about, I guess you are referring to the late Concubine De?"
"Why are you pretending to be so? With your appearance and tone, I can recognize you even if you turned into ashes! What late Consort De? Aren't you just standing in front of me? You pretended to be dead without telling me, and made me cry for several days. You have to compensate me for the tears I shed!"
"Miss, calm down. Concubine De is dead. I am her cousin Huo Xinlan. My second uncle and second aunt also said that we look alike. No wonder you mistook the wrong person."
Zhen Fei rolled her eyes when she heard this.
It's fine if you lie to outsiders, but you dare to lie to her! They have known each other since childhood! How can anyone mistake their sisters for sisters who have known each other for many years?
"I can understand how the girl feels at the moment, but the dead cannot be brought back to life..."
Huo Lan paused, then sighed, "Okay, I can't pretend anymore. You're really hard to fool."
Her original intention was to tease Concubine Zhen and see if she would really be fooled by her. However, when she had only made up half of her lie, Concubine Zhen rolled her eyes at her with a ferocious look, as if she would be rude to her if she continued.
She had to stop talking quickly to avoid angering her cousin.
"You really take me for a fool, don't you? You and I have known each other for more than ten years. If I can still admit my mistake, wouldn't I be as stupid as a pig?"
"You damn liar, why didn't you tell me in advance that you were going to pretend to be dead and leave the palace? Would I have stopped you? You didn't say a word, and your death looked just like the real thing! My eyes are swollen from crying!"
"You wanted to trick me just now, didn't you? My hands are itching as I look at you now!"
When Zhen Fei was excited, her lips trembled a little, but despite her anger, she still did not forget to glance around to prevent outsiders from getting close and hearing.
There were no outsiders in Sixian Hall. All the students were in the classroom. Only Zheng Qingshu and Concubine Li were walking slowly towards this side.
"It's my fault, Zhen'er, don't be angry with me."
Seeing that Concubine Zhen was about to cry, Huo Lan quickly held her hand and said, "I didn't mean to hide it, I just didn't dare to say it. At first, I even hid it from my parents, and only dared to show up after they cried enough. His Royal Highness Prince Ning said that only when the closest relatives are sad enough can the death of Concubine De be confirmed."
"I don't want you to be that sad, but I can't let His Royal Highness Prince Ning's efforts go to waste, so... Zhen'er, forgive me this time, I will never lie to you again. You just said your hands were itching, right? Then hit me twice to vent your anger, okay?"
"Alright, alright, I don't want to argue with you." Zhen Fei pulled her hand back and said unhappily, "We agreed that you will never do such a thing to trick me into tears again."
"It definitely won't happen again." Huo Lan grabbed her hand back and said with a smile, "I knew Zhen'er was the best to me."
As they were talking, Zheng Qingshu and Concubine Li also came over.
Huo Lan turned to look at Concubine Li and said apologetically: "I..."
"It doesn't matter." Concubine Li naturally understood what she was going to say and raised the corner of her lips towards her, "It's good that you are not really dead. Being able to live freely is more important than anything else."
Although she was also sad about the death of Concubine De, she did not have the friendship with Concubine De for more than ten years like Concubine Zhen. She did not shed as many tears as Concubine Zhen, and naturally had less blame in her heart.
In short, the most important thing is to be alive.
"I'll make amends to you for deceiving your tears. What do you want to eat later? I'll take you there."
"Let's not worry about apologizing for now. Is it really okay for you to just wander around the school so brazenly?"
Zhen Fei asked with some concern, "What if someone familiar recognizes me..."
"My current identity is Concubine De's cousin. Prince Ning has made all the arrangements. Only you and my family know the truth. Outsiders are not familiar with me and can be fooled. Even if someone suspects, they can't produce evidence. Concubine De's death has been confirmed by the imperial physician."
Huo Lan smiled as he said this, "Besides, Tianqi is decided by His Majesty and King Bingjian. Who else can take care of things they don't want to take care of?"
"So the imperial doctors don't know the truth either? How did you deceive them that day?"
"Thanks to the fake death drug that King Ning gave me, I lost all my breath after taking it. No matter who takes my pulse, they can only find that I'm dead."
When Concubine Zhen heard this, her eyes immediately lit up, "There is such a good thing?"
Seeing that she seemed to be tempted, Huo Lan laughed a little, "This method is good, but it is not suitable for everyone. I can live as my cousin because my uncle died of an acute illness at an early age, leaving very little information. His life experience is like a blank sheet of paper that can be fabricated at will."
"Besides, it's not uncommon for a concubine to die of illness in the palace, and others won't be suspicious. But if concubines die one after another, wouldn't that be too weird? If the news gets out, it will become a homicide case, so Zhen'er, don't even think about pretending to be dead."
"I just didn't react for a moment." Zhen Fei curled her lips, "Seeing that you and Ah Shu are both free, I am really envious. I can't use your method of escape, and I don't have the ability to exchange merits for official titles like Ah Shu. If I want freedom, it's really difficult..."
She couldn't ask His Majesty to demote her to a commoner, as that would be too disgraceful for the Ye family.
"Maybe it's not as difficult as you think."
Zheng Qingshu smiled at the two of them and said, "I called you out today not only to let you and A Lan get together, but also to relieve your worries."
Hearing her say this, Concubine Zhen's eyes were filled with anticipation, "How to relieve the worry?"
"I remember you said, Zhen'er, that you liked horse racing with your brother before entering the palace, but you didn't have the chance to play after entering the palace. You haven't touched a horse for a long time. Have your horsemanship become rusty?"
"Maybe it's because we are not familiar with each other. Why, do you want to race with me?"
"Give it a try. I'll take you around the Sixian Hall first. Alan has to go back to etiquette class. There are equestrian and calligraphy classes in the afternoon. We sincerely invite you to come and visit and give us some guidance."
…
As the sun set, the students left Sixian Hall one after another.
Concubine Zhen and Concubine Li got on the carriage back to the palace reluctantly.
"This is the end of a wonderful day."
Zhen Fei was somewhat emotional. "I haven't ridden a horse for a long time, and I thought my skills would be rusty. I didn't expect that after holding the reins, I quickly found the feel. Those kids are really interesting, and they are all eager to learn."
"Yes, in the blink of an eye, I have to go back to the palace again."
Concubine Li raised her hand and covered the back of Concubine Zhen's hand. "But it doesn't matter. Didn't Ah Shu say that we just need to wait patiently for a few more days. Your father and his men will be back soon."
Speaking of General Ye, Concubine Zhen couldn't help but chuckle, "Father always had high hopes for me, hoping that I would be favored and prosperous. Now I guess he can't hope for much anymore, right? Although he hasn't returned to the court yet, he must have known the news in the court."
I remember when my father was first sent out to hunt for treasure, Prince Ning was still just a prince, but not long after, Prince Ning became a woman and was given the title of King of Side by Side. When my father heard the news, his reaction must have been very interesting.
…
Seven days later, the treasure hunting team led by Generals Zhao and Ye successfully arrived at the imperial city.
The trip was a successful one. Jun Liluo summoned the two men immediately, gave them generous rewards, and set up a celebratory banquet for them in Jinhua Palace, ordering all officials and concubines to come and celebrate.
It was a warm and breezy afternoon. The palace maids were carrying dishes and drinks and walking around the table. After all the officials arrived, Jun Liluo and Song Yunchu also entered the hall surrounded by the palace maids.
"Your Majesty, Prince Ning, we respectfully welcome you."
"No need to be polite, please take a seat."
After everyone was seated, Jun Liluo said with a smile: "Good things have happened one after another recently, and I am very happy. In addition to the large amount of treasures that Zhao and Ye brought back to the treasury, I have another happy event to share with you."
"All the ministers have been worried about the issue of the royal heir. Now you don't have to worry. I am very happy that Prince Ning is pregnant."
When Jun Li Luo said this, everyone was in an uproar.
When everyone came to their senses, they all congratulated him in unison: "Congratulations, Your Majesty, Congratulations, Your Highness."
"Prince Ning has always been my share of worries, and now he is also bearing an heir. He has worked really hard. In the future, you must treat Prince Ning with the same respect and courtesy as you treat me."
As Jun Liluo spoke, he glanced at everyone with a warning, "If you dare to offend me, I will never forgive you."
"Your Majesty's teachings will be remembered!"
After listening to everyone's answers, Jun Li Luo finally showed a look of satisfaction.
While the banquet was going on, Zheng Xueshi suddenly said, "Your Majesty, Sixian Hall has been open for ten days, but there is one matter that still requires your decision."
"What is it?"
"There are nearly 200 students in Sixian Hall now. According to the order of His Royal Highness Prince Ning, they are divided into three classes according to age. However, there are only six female tutors and assistants at present. This number is a bit small, and the talents of the tutors are different. Yesterday, I heard from my adopted daughter Qingshu that we need to add two or three more tutors to teach horse riding and chess."
Scholar Zheng paused and said, "Your Majesty, would you like to consider selecting two more outstanding contestants from the original unsuccessful candidates to teach at Sixian Hall?"
Jun Li Luo heard this and lowered his eyes to think.
Without waiting for his answer, Concubine Zhen stood up from her seat and said, "Your Majesty, may I be allowed to teach?"
All the ministers present were shocked by her words.
Instead of being a concubine, you want to go to school?
What surprised everyone even more was yet to come.
"Your Majesty, I will go too!"
Concubine Li followed Concubine Zhen and introduced herself. "We are both proficient in etiquette, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics. Just now, Scholar Zheng said that you are missing the horsemanship and chess skills. We know more than just these two things."
"Sister Zhenfei is not only good at horse riding, but also at painting. As the daughter of the Grand Tutor, I am not only well-versed in poetry and literature, but also good at calligraphy and chess. How could I lose to those who failed in the Selection Meeting?"
"Sister Li Fei is right. The students in Sixian Hall are all from famous and noble families. To teach them, we naturally have to choose good teachers. I think I am quite talented. Your Majesty, why don't you let us go and give it a try? If we can't teach well, we will naturally not stay."
Concubine Zhen took over the conversation and said, "I and your concubine have nothing to do in the palace on weekdays. We are unable to share your worries like Prince Ning did. We feel deeply sorry. If we can do our best to contribute to Sixian Hall, it would be good."
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