Chapter 38, a letter home—it must also be written to the First Emperor! ...
Fusu could imagine how the rumors would escalate after the Emperor visited the Imperial Academy to protect him.
So, some emperor has taken a fancy to a member of the imperial clan and wants to adopt him as his godson. Oh, by the way, given that Fusu is still nominally the youngest son of the Prince of Pu, and with Zhao Zongshi's achievements as a precedent, the rumors circulating today and in later generations will only become more outrageous. Claims like "the legitimate successor of the Song Dynasty lies with the Prince of Pu" are just child's play.
In his previous life, Fusu, concerned about his own fate and that of the Qin Dynasty, had read extensively on Qin history and also been exposed to historical materials from other dynasties. Therefore, he was certain that his conjecture was not unfounded.
For example, Emperor Qianlong treated his brother-in-law Fuheng's son, Fukang'an, with exceptional favors, sometimes even surpassing those given to his own sons. When this reached outsiders, Fukang'an became known as Qianlong's illegitimate son.
Even Fukang'an's mother, Lady Fuheng, who had absolutely no connection with Emperor Qianlong, was implicated in the fabricated rumors, which spawned countless versions in various fictionalized accounts.
The thought of being rumored to be the emperor's illegitimate son sent shivers down Fusu's spine, his hair standing on end: He is the emperor and empress's biological son, okay? Their biological son!
He didn't bother opening the remaining two letters and immediately wrote a reply to the official: "I'm doing quite well at the Imperial Academy; I haven't suffered any hardship in terms of food, clothing, or lodging. A son of a wealthy family shouldn't sit under a dangerous roof; if you don't have anything to do, you shouldn't come here so casually!"
The last two sentences were in larger and bolder font to show his determination.
After writing this sentence, Fusu then detailed his observations of the day: He met two new students at the Imperial Academy, who could recite his poems off the cuff—truly astonishing! He met Mr. Mei, and the gift he gave him was very well received. The Imperial Academy's dining hall now has meat, but it's still sloppy and the food is unappetizing. However, he has come up with a plan and believes it will soon improve the dining hall's atmosphere; just you wait and see.
In the evening, I went to the Xiangguo Temple night market to set up a stall and met Fan Chunren, the son of Fan Zhongyan. He's such a kind person! (Enlarged and bolded) I also ate some incredibly delicious braised duck, which was just as good as the imperial cuisine. I brought some for you and Your Highness, so you won't miss me too much while you're enjoying your duck.
After writing down this series of events, Fusu realized how much he had experienced that day; even a brief summary filled a whole page. He had originally intended to include the story of setting up a stall, figuring Emperor Renzong wouldn't mind his business dealings. However, thinking about his later encounter with the thugs, Fusu stopped writing. Since the matter was resolved, there was no need to cause his family unnecessary worry.
Empress Cao's concerns were similar to the Emperor's, focusing more on Fusu's living conditions. Fusu thought for a moment, and besides honestly reporting that he was safe and sound, he also wrote a detailed account of the various delicacies at the Xiangguo Temple night market. In addition to the braised duck, he also commented on all the other snacks he had tasted.
The roasted duck has crispy skin and tender meat, and it's especially delicious with the special sweet sauce. The pan-fried lamb intestines are full of flavor. The chilled glutinous rice balls are refreshing and sweet, and one bite will dispel the summer heat. The Kaifeng steamed buns are bursting with soup after just one bite...
The letter read less like a personal letter and more like a gourmet's review. Fusu himself read it through and couldn't help but slurp, swallowing hard. He was sure Empress Cao felt the same way, perhaps even able to eat two more bowls of rice with the braised duck.
That way, she won't have to worry about suffering outside! Plan works!
The last letter was delivered by Miaowu. Aside from the usual words of concern, she also inquired about Fusu's daily life at the Imperial Academy. At the end, she reminded him not to forget to take her along next time he went out! Otherwise, she really would tell on him!
"When is the next day off for the Imperial Academy?" Fusu muttered to himself, "Let's invite Yan Jidao and Li Qiu along too."
Anyway, they're all around the same age, so it's good for them to play together. It also lets Miaowu have more contact with the opposite sex when she's young, so she can desensitize herself to boys early on and not grow up with a sex-obsessed mindset, thinking about everything in terms of romantic relationships.
Okay, it's settled then!
Fusu carefully collected the replies, along with the braised duck he had brought back from the night market. He planned to have Liang Huaiji take them back to the palace the next morning. After doing all this, he leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh of relief; it had been such a tiring day.
Suddenly, Fusu remembered something, picked up a fresh sheet of Xuan paper, and wrote: Father Emperor…
Needless to say, this one was for Qin Shi Huang.
With a machine to observe time and space, Qin Shi Huang could certainly survey the entirety of his day and know his movements through the letters he wrote to the emperor and others. But that was different.
Family letters are written specifically for family members.
The Emperor, the Empress, and Miaowu all have them; Father Emperor must have them too.
As usual, Fusu also informed Qin Shi Huang that he was safe and sound, assuring him not to worry about his solitary life. Writing the same thing four times would normally bore anyone, but Fusu didn't feel that way. As he wrote, he imagined the various reactions the emperor would have upon receiving the letter. Would he be happy? Or would he continue to worry? Reading this, doesn't it bring a knowing smile to your face…?
As I pondered these thoughts, even the time spent moistening the brush and letting the ink dry felt incredibly pleasant.
After finishing the letter, Fusu lay on the table for a while, rubbed his fair face, and then took his toothbrush and tooth powder to brush his teeth. Fortunately, toothpaste and tooth powder already existed in the Song Dynasty; otherwise, given Fusu's fastidiousness, he would have invented them even at the risk of being exposed.
This day was truly chaotic and disorganized.
Fusu thought to himself, nestled in his blankets.
He'd finally finished dealing with everything... Oh no, not quite, there was still one more thing! He'd forgotten to update the information about "Mei Yaochen being arrogant" and "Fan Chunren being kind" in his notepad.
Fusu was about to struggle to get up, but the bed and his eyelids seemed to be glued on, preventing him from getting up. He then fell into a deep and sweet dream.
"..."
When Fusu opened his eyes again, he heard the loud crowing of a rooster, which jolted him awake. According to Su Shi, this rooster was specially brought back by the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy; it was the communal alarm clock in the students' dormitory. Its voice was as loud as a bell, and there was no one it couldn't wake.
Once upon a time, a few sons of officials who loved to sleep in and couldn't get up in the morning tried to cause trouble for it, but they ended up getting pecked hard instead. After telling their superiors, they were severely punished. What bad luck!
The letters on the table (except for the one for Qin Shi Huang, which Fusu had secretly hidden himself) and the braised duck had vanished, suggesting that Liang Huaiji was already on his way back to the palace. Fusu didn't dare to delay any longer and quickly got up to tidy himself up; today was his first day officially studying at the Imperial Academy.
He hurried toward the Jingyizhai, feeling himself attracting countless stares along the way. But Fusu was too embarrassed to meet their gazes, so he pretended to be socially awkward to avoid another tragic incident of having his poetry recited to his face.
But what's meant to come will always come.
"Zhao Xiaolang—"
Fusu's body stiffened instinctively, but the newcomer's hand was already on his shoulder: "First day of class, are you nervous?"
What? It's Su Shi.
Fusu immediately returned to normal, and even had the leisure to complain to him: "Meeting you made me even more nervous."
"Hahahaha!" Su Shi said without taking offense, "Then you'd better be prepared!"
"What preparations?"
"Zhao Xiaolang, since you dislike me so much, of course I can't tell you."
Fusu gritted his teeth. Then, as soon as he entered the classroom, he was greeted with the teacher calling out his name in front of the whole class: "Are you the child prodigy who was granted special permission by the Emperor to study in the prison?"
"..."
Su Shi struggled to cover his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. He had already made quite a spectacle of himself when he entered prison, and the teacher had only used the opportunity of calling on him for questions to probe his situation. Zhao Xiaolang was truly remarkable; he had even managed to get the teacher to stop acting altogether. It seemed he was genuinely extremely curious.
"It's me," Fusu said, barely suppressing his fear.
"Do you know which text will be discussed in the Classics Study Hall today?"
After receiving an affirmative answer, the teacher said, "Then you should memorize the 'Great Learning' chapter of the Book of Rites."
Fusu was a little depressed.
Unlike Su Shi, who was still young and thought his teacher was testing him out of curiosity, Fusu had lived through three generations and was a sensitive and meticulous person. He could naturally perceive the subtle dislike in this person's words and actions.
Aside from the one who was forced to act young, there are other historical figures who wrote poetry at the age of three. For example, there's Luo Binwang, who wrote "Ode to the Goose." But expecting a three-year-old Luo Binwang to recite the "Great Learning" chapter of the *Book of Rites*? That's asking too much.
Hmph, luckily I'm very image-conscious and was prepared!
"The Great Learning teaches us to manifest our bright virtue, to love the people, and to attain the highest good... Those in ancient times who wished to manifest their bright virtue to the world first ordered well their own states; those who wished to order well their states first regulated their own families..."
The entire "Great Learning" chapter of the *Book of Rites* contains 1,600 characters, and Fusu memorized several hundred of them in one go, reciting them fluently and smoothly. Judging from the astonished looks of his classmates, his academic level was definitely not among the worst in the class; on the contrary, he was quite good!
The man's expression grew increasingly grim: "Alright, that's enough for now."
He then asked, "Can you interpret its meaning?"
This is getting more and more outrageous.
Even Su Shi noticed something amiss. Fusu was utterly speechless: Putting aside the fact that I'm only three years old, if I knew what the Book of Rites meant, why would I be studying at the Imperial Academy? I could just go straight to taking the imperial examinations.
His soft, innocent face was full of guile as he retorted, neither too softly nor too harshly, "This student has not heard of your profound insights, sir, and dares not speak presumptuously."
"..."
What? You mean you actually have your own understanding?
The gentleman looked like he had an upset stomach, so he had no choice but to let Fusu sit down.
After Fusu sat down, ignoring the surprised yet admiring looks from those around him, he began exchanging glances and flirting with Su Shi: What's going on here?
Su Shi twisted his eyebrows: I don't know either. I didn't see anyone targeting me like this when I first arrived.
Something's strange.
Several guesses surfaced in Fusu's mind, but he still needed to verify which one it was. He decided to ask around... His connections at the Imperial Academy, hmm, seemed to be only Mr. Mei and Senior Brother Fan Chunren?
Fusu was still hesitating about who to ask, but when he went to the dining hall for lunch, one of his two connections came to him.
"Young Master Zhao, I heard you were being given a hard time by the teacher?"
Fan Chunren asked with a serious expression.
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The author says: My old computer wasn't working well, so I spent almost five figures to buy a new one, but I'm not used to the keyboard. My hands hurt terribly after typing just a few words. I'm so sad.
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