On her first visit, Yun Shu was completely at ease and acted very familiar with everyone.
He was the first to run to the peach tree and sit down to look at the books Xie Chang'an had placed on the table.
However, after only one glance, he hurriedly put the book down.
The two characters "易经" (I Ching) caught Ye Jingchen's eye.
Although he also found the I Ching difficult to understand, it was clear that Yun Shu disliked it even more.
"Xie Chang'an, you're sick, why are you still reading the I Ching? Aren't you afraid it will make your illness worse?" Yun Shu's face clearly showed her disgust.
"Why does reading the I Ching make my illness worse?" Xie Chang'an asked, puzzled.
"Have you forgotten? The day before you fell ill, you stayed behind to study the Book of Changes with His Highness the Crown Prince, and then you fell ill the next day. Do you dare say there's no necessary connection between the two?" Yun Shu asked with absolute certainty.
Xie Chang'an: ...
"We won't be able to tell fortunes for people anymore, so I really don't understand why we have to learn the I Ching!" Yun Shu complained softly.
Hearing him talk about fortune telling, Ye Jingchen suddenly remembered that Yun Shu's favorite thing to do after growing up was to tell fortunes for the noble ladies and wives in the capital, especially for marriage. She could make those noble ladies and wives very happy with just a few words.
Xie Chang'an had just thought of this as well, and looked at Yun Shu with a complicated expression.
"Perhaps—this will be your means of making a living in the future?" Xie Chang'an said meaningfully, and then placed the Book of Changes into Yun Shu's chubby little hands.
"Impossible! How could I, the heir of the dignified Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion, stoop to fortune telling? Isn't that something only charlatans do?!" Yun Shu threw down the book and jumped up and down in agitation.
"Don't talk nonsense. The Book of Changes is not just about teaching people how to divine, but also about teaching us how to be a person. It is revered as the 'source of the Great Way'," Ye Jingchen said with a smile.
"Your Highness, how do you know everything?" Yun Shu muttered under her breath, scratching her head.
"Reading ten thousand books is like traveling ten thousand miles. The more you read, the more you'll know." Ye Jingchen said, casually patting his head.
"Then I'd rather travel ten thousand miles than read ten thousand books, it's too terrifying!" Yun Shu said in horror.
“Traveling thousands of miles is fine, but that’s something you should consider when you’re older. At your age, you should focus on your studies.” Ye Jingchen admired his expressive face and wanted to try pinching his chubby cheeks full of collagen.
Although he himself has some flesh on his face, it's not as fleshy as Yun Shu's, and there's no point in pinching his own face.
Xie Chang'an couldn't help but laugh when he saw Ye Jingchen earnestly advising Yun Shu to study.
He's good at giving advice to others, but when it comes to himself, all he thinks about is how to be lazy and shirk responsibility. Yun Shu should really see how he dozes off during his morning reading!
Xie Chang'an smiled, and Ye Jingchen knew he was up to no good, so he glared at him.
Yun Shu had an extraordinary desire to share when she was with Xie Chang'an. She told him everything that had happened during the few days he was absent, including what he ate for breakfast and lunch, what delicious pastries he ate during the break, and she focused on what happened after he left the palace today.
While listening to his rambling talk, Ye Jingchen kept a low profile and observed Wu Zemin and Gu Beichen.
Although the two of them rarely spoke, they listened very attentively when Yun Shu spoke, especially Gu Beichen, whose eyes often showed envy when he looked at Yun Shu.
As the eldest grandson of the Gu family, Gu Beichen was famous from a young age and was a well-known child prodigy throughout the entire Dayuan.
In the novel, he will have a smooth life ahead of him, and at the young age of eighteen, he will pass the imperial examination with top honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations. He will become the most famous genius in Dayuan and the envy of all scholars in the world.
Originally, he had a bright future, but unexpectedly, a madman appeared in the royal family. Yes, it is the now well-behaved and lovely Ye Jinghe. He suddenly clashed with the aristocratic families, and the first family he targeted was the Gu family.
Gu Beichen fought against the imperial power for the sake of his family, but was smeared by Ye Jinghe, who did not play by the rules, and his great reputation became a stain.
Ye Jingchen didn't know what his final fate would be, but after this upheaval, he wondered if the once high-spirited and arrogant prodigy could persevere and have a peaceful end.
After Yun Shu finally told Xie Chang'an everything that had happened in the past few days, except for her studies, Ye Jingchen poured him a glass of water and handed it to him.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Yun Shu was feeling thirsty, so she calmly took the water and drank most of it.
At this moment, he completely ignored Ye Jingchen's identity.
"It's getting late. Now that you've finished sharing, it's time to head back. Your family will worry if you go back too late," Ye Jingchen reminded him with a smile.
"Time flies! I wish it would go by this fast during class!" Yun Shu exclaimed.
"Young Master Xie, things have been rather unsettled in the capital recently. They didn't bring many people with them. For their safety, could you please trouble the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion to send someone to escort them home?" Ye Jingchen said to Xie Chang'an.
"Is it not peaceful? I don't feel anything. My house is actually quite close to Xie Chang'an's house, so I shouldn't need any special escort, right?" Yun Shu said nonchalantly.
Xie Chang'an's heart stirred.
Indeed, the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion is just across the street from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Even the Minister of Rites' mansion and the Gu family are not far from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. This area is inhabited by either noble families or important officials of the court. The Imperial City Guard and the Jingzhao Prefecture have patrols every twelve hours of the day. The security is definitely the best in the entire capital. Which scoundrel would dare to cause trouble here?
Unless it is a purposeful and premeditated crisis.
Of these four people, only Ye Jingchen, the crown prince of Dayuan, is the one who attracts the most attention.
Xie Chang'an instructed the servant in the courtyard to call the steward over.
After the steward arrived, Xie Chang'an instructed him to arrange for twenty guards to escort Yun Shu, Wu Zemin, and Gu Beichen home, while for Ye Jingchen, he arranged for double the number.
Noble families in Dayuan could maintain a certain number of guards to protect their homes. The number of guards they could maintain varied depending on their rank.
The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion maintained two hundred soldiers, and this arrangement immediately took away half of them.
The steward was puzzled. It was just sending the Crown Prince back to the palace and a few young masters home. Why make such a big fuss?
You should know that the soldiers of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion are all veterans who have retired from the battlefield. They are all experienced in many battles and have rich combat experience. Twenty soldiers can form a small square formation on the battlefield!
However, ever since the young prince became the Crown Prince's study companion, the old lady has decreed that the young prince has the right to make decisions on all matters in the mansion.
So the housekeeper didn't ask any questions and went straight to make arrangements.
So when Yun Shu and the others left the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, they found that each of their carriages was guarded by twenty well-trained guards.
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