Chapter 31 He's best at being someone else's child...
Prince Pu, Zhao Yunrang, was the grandson of Emperor Taizong of Song, Zhao Kuangyin. In terms of bloodline, he was the emperor's cousin, separated by two generations. He himself was also modest and unassuming, and not particularly prominent among the imperial clan, at least far inferior to the head of the clan, the Eighth Prince.
The only noteworthy event in recent years was the adoption of his thirteenth son, Zhao Zongshi, into the palace for upbringing, making him the emperor's adopted son.
Unfortunately, with the birth of Prince Cheng, Zhao Zongshi's existence became sensitive and awkward. At the time, many busybodies mocked the Pu family behind their backs, saying that sacrificing a son not only brought them no benefits but also caused them a lot of trouble.
However, the Prince Pu's family ignored all the rumors circulating outside and lived their lives behind closed doors. Those people, having made a fool of themselves, gradually stopped mentioning it. With new news emerging daily in Bianjing, over time, their entire family disappeared from public view.
But everything in the world follows the principle that things will turn into their opposites when they reach an extreme.
In the fourth year of the Qingli era, the Prince Pu's Mansion embarked on a period of great fortune.
First, Zhao Zongshi, the emperor's adopted son whose status was unclear, was officially promoted to the position of Prince Cheng's study companion, instantly becoming the most promising young member of the imperial family.
If this was nothing more than a pipe dream, then a month later, Zhang Xiuyuan filed a lawsuit before the emperor accusing the youngest son of the Prince of Pu's family of bullying her cousin. As a result, her own nephew was expelled from the Imperial Academy. This was like a firecracker, completely igniting a huge uproar in Bianjing.
Who is Zhang Xiuyuan? She is the emperor's most favored concubine, without exception.
His uncle, Zhang Yaozuo, rose to a high official position through nepotism, which repeatedly aroused public outrage within the censorate. It is even said that he was involved in the failure of the Qingli Reforms.
How could she have fallen into the hands of a remote royal family?
For a time, all eyes in Bianjing were fixed on the Prince Pu's residence, trying to find out what they were up to.
However, to everyone's surprise, even the King of Pu himself was confused. He was even more bewildered than the others!
The most pressing question is, where does he get a three-year-old son?
The princess said with a forced smile, "If there really is a child prodigy born into the prince's family, it would be a blessing for our family. Why not bring him into the manor and raise him properly? If the prince does not believe me, just look at Zongshi. He is not born out of wedlock. Have I ever mistreated him in the slightest all these years?"
Of course not.
King Pu thought to himself: The Queen is virtuous and proper, and she takes good care of the children who are not her own.
The problem is, that's really not my mistress!
The more Prince Pu wiped the sweat from his brow, the more sweat he produced. He knew that a hasty rebuttal would only deepen the princess's misunderstanding, making her think he was making excuses because he didn't trust his wife. He couldn't answer like that.
His expression suddenly hardened: "Your Highness."
Princess Pu: "?"
Just as she thought her husband had some secret to reveal, Prince Pu said seriously, "I suspect that our Prince Pu's mansion has been set up."
princess:"……"
princess:"…………"
"Zhao Yunrang! Tell me, who would want to frame you? Would even the Emperor cooperate in this charade for your sake?!"
Seeing that the master and mistress were about to have a big fight, the old servant mustered up his courage and stepped forward, trembling as he reported, "Your Highness, Your Highness, Thirteenth Prince... he has something to ask to see you."
Thirteen is Zhao Zongshi's birth year.
Prince Pu opened his mouth but didn't dare to say a word, while the princess was still angry about being teased: "His father and mother have important matters to discuss. Tell him to come back tomorrow if he has anything else to say."
“But, but Thirteen Lang said that he came precisely because of the matter that you two are currently worried about.”
The couple calmed down, exchanged a glance, and said, "Let him in."
Zhao Zongshi walked in properly. Behind him followed a short, adorable little boy. The little boy was curious about everything and looked around curiously, unaware that he was the center of everyone's attention.
Who is this?
Prince Pu looked closely and exclaimed, "Your Highness Prince Cheng!"
The princess exclaimed in surprise, "Your Highness Prince Cheng, what brings you to the Prince Pu's residence?"
The couple had met Prince Cheng before, only briefly when they escorted Zhao Zongshi back to his residence to visit relatives. Fusu was in a hurry to buy Su Shi's painting at the time and didn't even have a sip of hot tea; after seeing Zhao Zongshi off, he turned and left.
Later, worried that the Prince of Pu might overthink things, he asked Zhao Zongshi to tell him that he really had urgent business that day and that he was not being negligent.
So this was their second meeting.
Fusu greeted them: "Hello, Uncle and Aunt."
Her smiling face was incredibly adorable.
How could someone from a remote, distant branch of the family be worthy of being called "uncle" by the future crown prince? Prince Pu subconsciously declined, saying, "This humble prince is unworthy of such a title."
Hmm? Wait a minute.
Three years old, a genius, protected by the government.
Prince Pu was speechless again, his fingers trembling as he raised them: "You wouldn't happen to be..."
"Smack!"
The princess slapped Prince Pu's finger away and greeted the little unexpected guest with a smile: "Your Highness Prince Cheng, are you thirsty? Would you like your aunt to pour you some water? The kitchen also has some freshly baked pastries, which would be perfect with hot tea."
She then glared at her husband out of the corner of her eye: "What kind of gesture and tone is that? They've come to visit, they're trying to explain things to you properly. Are you going to question them?"
Fusu didn't stand on ceremony: "I'd like to try it, please, Auntie!"
The princess immediately and eagerly made arrangements: "Alright!"
Fusu sat on the table with anticipation, swinging his short legs as he waited for the snacks, looking incredibly cute.
But the host, Prince Pu, was restless and secretly pulled aside his son Zhao Zongshi, whom he didn't know very well: "Thirteenth Brother, tell your father in secret what exactly happened."
Zhao Zongshi's expression was complicated: "Let His Highness speak to you."
It wasn't that he didn't want to clear things up for his father; he was just as confused himself. Wasn't this a fake identity he used in private for emergencies? Why was His Highness Prince Cheng making such a big deal out of the mansion, wanting to personally pay respects to his "parents"?
Zhao Zongshi recalled the moment when His Highness greeted him with a smile and called him "Thirteenth Brother," and he got goosebumps all over his body.
Tea and snacks were quickly served to Fusu. Fusu casually picked up a piece that looked appealing and put it in his mouth, his dark eyes immediately lighting up.
Fresh, creamy hawthorn berries paired with a light caramel-colored, transparent syrup offer a sweet and sour flavor without the heavy, filling feeling of flour-based desserts. A sip of green tea further dilutes the stickiness of the honey, leaving only a delicate tea and fruity aroma lingering in the mouth.
"Delicious! What is this?!"
The princess said, "This is honey-fried hawthorn, a dessert passed down from my maternal family. If you like it, I will copy the recipe and send it to you."
"Okay, okay," Fusu nodded repeatedly.
He felt that this snack was somewhat similar to the candied hawthorn berries of later generations. Since candied hawthorn berries hadn't been invented yet, perhaps it could be improved from the secret recipe.
But Fusu was shy and embarrassed to eat and drink for free or take someone else's secret recipe for free: "Then when the kitchen finishes making it, I'll send a portion to you, Aunt, to see if it's authentic or not, okay?"
The princess was overjoyed: "Then your aunt will wait for Your Highness's good news."
Fusu had only asked for food and drink to ease the tension between the couple, but he hadn't expected to receive such an unexpected surprise. However, seeing the princess's raised eyebrows, he knew his initial goal had clearly been achieved.
So, let's get down to business—
"Uncle and Aunt, have you guessed who the three-year-old child was that day?"
Who else could it be? It's you!
The Prince and his wife thought to themselves.
Fusu nodded vigorously: "That's right, it's me."
After admitting it, he seemed a little embarrassed: "Actually, it was all a misunderstanding. I didn't take the money on my own initiative."
He recounted everything that happened that day, starting from how he wanted to make it easier to communicate with Su Shi, to how he ended up in a difficult situation, unintentionally taking on someone else's identity, and how the news reached the emperor, ultimately becoming what was rumored.
Finally, he said, "If Uncle and Aunt want to blame someone, then blame me!"
What could the Prince and Princess Pu say? They could only wave their hands and say it was alright. After all, Prince Cheng had made it very clear that he hadn't done it on purpose; it was all just a coincidence. Who could have imagined that he would run into a powerful relative of the Empress Dowager while out and about, and then be brought before the Emperor by the favored concubine?
At the same time, the princess also gave Prince Pu a look: You know what, this is actually a good thing!
As the saying goes, status is determined by comparison. Nobody knew what the Pu Prince's Mansion was worth before. But then they ran into Zhang Xiuyuan and won decisively. Even if it was all a sham, so what? The Pu Prince's Mansion's status has undeniably risen significantly.
—If you ask me, we should thank him.
The princess immediately smiled and said, "Being able to share some of the burdens of His Majesty and Prince Cheng is a way of fulfilling our loyalty."
Fusu exclaimed, "Really?"
The princess nodded vigorously: "Of course it's as real as it gets. Thirteenth Prince, don't you agree?"
Zhao Zongshi remained silent.
Fusu spoke again: "What if I want to continue down this wrong path?"
The princess readily agreed: "Then naturally... um???"
What? Did she mishear?
“In the past, the emperor took Zongshi’s cousin as his adopted son, but now in a sense, he has brought him back. It’s fair.”
The Prince of Pu, who had been silent all along, let out a wail: "Your Highness, you dare to say these words, but I dare not listen to them!"
Fusu: "But that's exactly what I said before the Emperor."
King Pu: "..."
Princess Pu: "..."
Zhao Zongshi: "..."
Is this something I can say?
In an instant, everyone in the room stared at him, as if they were looking at some Spartan warrior.
Fusu shrank back, indicating his innocence: this was the condition he agreed to the Emperor's reform of the Imperial Academy—he could go, but only under the guise of the Prince of Pu's household. The reason, as mentioned above, was the same one.
Oh right, there's one more.
That is—
"If I ever do something like crawling through a dog hole again, surely it won't get out that it was His Highness Prince Cheng who did it. Otherwise, where would you and the Empress put your faces?"
The emperor was speechless and stared at him for a long time.
Can't you just stop thinking about the dog hole?
You still remember your father and mother?
The Zhao Song imperial family lost face, but does that mean I have a lot of face?
Fusu gleaned at least three layers of meaning from his father's eyes. But Emperor Renzong, despite his pent-up complaints, managed to suppress them all, simply waving his hand wearily to indicate his agreement.
Fusu: "Huh?!"
So you just agree to it like that?
He looked left and right with curiosity, thinking he was going to have to deal with the emperor for quite a while, since not everyone could accept their son calling someone else "father." This was ancient times, and the emperor was no exception!
Emperor Renzong could tell what he was thinking at a glance.
He held Fusu in front of him; the tiny baby was so big, yet so soft and light on his knees.
“In the past, Zeng Shen slaughtered a pig to keep a promise he made to you. Now that I have promised to let you do as you please, how can I make things difficult and restrict you at every turn? Otherwise, wouldn’t I become a petty person who breaks promises at will?”
Fusu was stunned: "Your Majesty..."
After a while, he checked his fingers again: "But someone who is determined to investigate will surely find clues. Your Majesty, can you help me think of a way?"
The emperor nearly laughed in anger: "After being moved, you're now pushing your luck? You want me to hand over my son and then expect me to clean up the mess?"
“But I am your son.” Fusu looked into Emperor Renzong’s eyes and said earnestly, word by word, “That will never change.”
He truly regarded Emperor Renzong as his father ever since the day they exchanged vows in the Fengxian Hall. Even when his father questioned him in a dream and he panicked, he never once changed his words.
"You... never mind."
At this moment, Emperor Renzong clearly understood a truth he had once scoffed at: children are all debts!
Fortunately, he was wealthy enough to own a country; it was just a sudden whim of his young son. He could afford to pay it back, he could afford to pay it back.
"So," the princess swallowed hard, "the Emperor has established a new 'Grand Clan Court' to manage affairs of the imperial clan, and our prince is in charge of it?"
"Yes, yes, this was Father's idea."
Fusu said, "If anyone doubts my identity in the future, please help me cover it up, Uncle and Aunt."
"Well……"
King Pu's eyes widened in disbelief.
Zhao Zongshi was startled: "Father, Your Highness, what's wrong?"
"Don't panic, Zongshi, I'm perfectly fine."
The King of Pu, who had intended to stroke his beard to appear calm, ultimately placed his hand over his eyes. Could he say that he was simply startled by the unexpected windfall?
They were in charge of clan affairs and were independent of the bureaucracy.
How could there be such a good thing in the world, and it happened to him?
Even after Fusu took his leave, the Prince and Princess Pu remained in shock. The Princess, her face full of astonishment, said, "I'm finally starting to feel the truth of the rumors."
King Pu nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes."
He didn't say much throughout the whole thing; he was mostly scared.
Well, at first glance, Prince Cheng gave the impression of being a poised and endearing young man. Not only was he handsome, but he was also confident and charming when visiting others, and his words were always sweet. All elders were captivated by his endearing qualities. The Prince and Princess Pu immediately understood why the Emperor doted on Prince Cheng so much.
But it wasn't until after the man left that the Pu King and his wife suddenly remembered that their rumored three-year-old son was a child prodigy who could write poems on the spot.
"More than that," the princess said. "You said when you were three years old..."
King Pu shook his head.
"That official is three years old..."
King Pu thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"Is Master Yan three years old?"
Yan Shu, the prime minister, is the epitome of a child prodigy, the highest level of child prodigy. When people talk about child prodigies, they think of his existence.
Prince Pu: "I have never seen him." He paused for a moment, then added: "But Prime Minister Yan only gained fame for his poetry at the age of seven."
The princess remained silent.
After a while, he said, "With a son like this, what more could one ask for?"
It's unclear whether she was lamenting her own temporary identity or the fate of Fusu's biological father, the Emperor.
However, one thing will never be wrong—
"Our Prince's Mansion has really struck it lucky!"
So, after that day, a new version of the rumors that were already burning fiercely because of the rivalry between the favored concubine and the imperial family began to circulate.
On the very day that Zhang Xiuyuan's cousin confronted the youngest son of the Prince of Pu, Fu Xiangong, disguised as a commoner, visited the Imperial Academy and overheard the youngest son of the Prince of Pu composing a poem. Moved by the poem, he wrote a petition on behalf of the students of the Imperial Academy, requesting a stipend for their meals.
Everyone realized this and then understood.
Oh, so it wasn't because Prince Pu was anything special, but because the Emperor had taken a liking to talent. And the opponent was a child prodigy who could compose poetry at three years old? Tsk tsk tsk, Zhang Xiuyuan's defeat this time was truly deserved.
A few days later, another imperial edict was issued in the Chuigong Hall, bringing this farce to an end: the Emperor, pitying the young talent, granted the young prodigy Fu Bi, who wrote poems to remonstrate with the Emperor, permission to study at the Imperial Academy.
Then everyone understood.
Zhang Xiuyuan's cousin has left, and the child prodigy from the Prince Pu's mansion has arrived.
This time, the royal family won a great victory.
However, some people disagreed, arguing that the imperial family had won a great victory. Even if the three-year-old child was not a descendant of the imperial family, wouldn't the emperor still favor him?
It was clearly the child prodigy himself who won by a landslide.
Amidst the uproar in the government and among the public, another piece of news that should have attracted attention seemed insignificant.
Recently, His Highness Prince Cheng has been plagued by illness and is unable to study. He will return to Zishan Hall after recovering. His companions, who should not hinder his future studies, will also be enrolled in the Imperial Academy, without taking up their family's privileged quota.
-
"Your Majesty, please try this."
Fusu personally brought a plate of pastries and crept furtively toward Empress Cao.
This was the Northern Song Dynasty version of candied hawthorn that he improved after studying the secret recipe for candied hawthorn given to him by Princess Pu. He spent several hours in the kitchen working with the chefs. Besides himself, Empress Cao was the first person to try it.
Several round, red hawthorn fruits, like lanterns, are placed on a white porcelain plate. Their surfaces are covered with a shimmering, amber-like luster, making the round, red hawthorns appear even more vibrant and juicy.
Empress Cao carefully picked one up, as if afraid it would break, and examined it for a long time by the candlelight.
"This isn't glass?"
"It's delicious."
Fusu puffed out his chest, looking somewhat proud.
Although there were honey-glazed candies and icing sugar at that time, he was the first to invent the transparent hard candy shell. Judging from its appearance alone, it does indeed resemble some kind of rare trinkets. If it could be carved into an openwork shape, it would not be an exaggeration to call it a work of art.
Fusu decided that next time he would try working with a chef and a craftsman.
Empress Cao was clearly reluctant to eat it, but she gave in to her son's eager gaze. She took a small bite of the edge, but instead of the hawthorn flesh, only a tiny bit of sugar shell fell into her mouth, and her face immediately lit up with amazement.
"See? I told you it was delicious."
Empress Cao nodded with a smile, finished the whole hawthorn, and then washed her hands with a damp cloth: "Why did you think of trying to curry favor with your mother?"
"I...I didn't..."
Fusu's voice gradually lowered.
Okay, he does.
Empress Cao: "Is it because you're going to the Imperial Academy?"
Fusu gave a muffled "hmm," his head bowed, looking dejected. Empress Cao already knew he was going to the Imperial Academy, and she certainly knew what identity he would use. Would she feel sad?
If his act of donning a disguise was a trade with the Emperor and beneficial to Prince Pu, then for Empress Cao it was purely a negative influence.
What mother in the world would feel comfortable knowing her son has become someone else's son, even if only in name?
Fusu couldn't help but blame himself: Why did he speak so rashly and directly bring up the conditions with the Emperor? He should have at least discussed it with the Empress beforehand, so that she could be mentally prepared.
He could only try to salvage the situation by making some unassuming desserts to cheer people up a little.
Empress Cao picked up another hawthorn and fed it to Fusu's mouth: "Why do you do this? Su'er, can you tell Your Majesty?"
There was no accusation in his words, only curiosity.
"because……"
It's strange, but in front of Empress Cao, Fusu always easily let down his guard and poured out his heart.
"Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?" He suddenly raised his head and said, "The person who says this is hoping to become a king or noble himself."
"Just like those people in the Imperial Academy who enjoy undermining others, if I go in to study under my current identity, they will run away in fear when they see His Highness Prince Cheng, simply because I am someone who can crush them with a single thought, that's all."
Fusu's mind conjured up the image of Zhang Jifu's arrogant demeanor.
Then I recalled Su Shi's complaint to him: For him, the Imperial Academy was not a good place to study.
"If I use my current identity to supervise the Imperial Academy and promote good conduct, perhaps it will be effective, I don't know. But I do know that once I'm gone, or in places I can't see, some people will revert to their old ways."
Governing a country requires absolute power and decisive action.
But education and moral guidance are not necessarily the same.
Perhaps it was too idealistic, but Fusu wanted to give it a try. Could he, without using his power to oppress others, rely solely on his own strength to make the Imperial Academy a truly supreme institution of learning, a place where young Su Shi could study happily?
"Oh? Has Su'er already figured out how to overwhelm everyone and uphold the academic atmosphere at the Imperial Academy as a member of the imperial clan?"
"Of course!"
Fusu tilted his head back and said earnestly.
After all, the thing he was best at in his three lifetimes was being the "other people's child" who caused trouble and was hated by everyone!
-----------------------
Author's Note: This should include a CG: The Rise of a Genius Scholar!
Meanwhile: What is King Cheng doing? King Cheng is recuperating from an illness.
Then we can start doing some dual-account operations, yay!
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