Chapter 5, we realized they weren't telling Fu...
Night had fallen, and the night was long. The Kunning Palace was brightly lit. A gentle breeze stirred in the night, and the candlelight from all sides illuminated the Mingtang Hall, making it silent and solemn, reflecting on the faces of the Emperor and Empress.
"Li Qiu and Yan Jidao. These two are Su'er's future study companions?"
Empress Cao's gaze swept across the list of companions, then lingered on Emperor Renzong's face for a moment.
She hadn't said a word, but Emperor Renzong felt wronged and immediately explained, "It was all chosen by Su'er himself; I didn't show any favoritism whatsoever!"
Even if he secretly favored the Li family, he wouldn't use the future crown prince's education as leverage. That said, what kind of image did he actually have in the Empress's eyes?
Empress Cao: "Su'er and the Emperor are truly of one heart, like father and son."
Emperor Renzong: "..."
Is this the truth, or is it a veiled attack?
Empress Cao was chosen by Empress Dowager Liu to be Emperor Renzong's successor before her death, and she bore the deep imprint of Empress Dowager Liu's faction. Emperor Renzong also did not particularly like Empress Dowager Liu, which was a major reason for the cold relationship between the emperor and empress. However, Empress Cao herself never shied away from her background, rarely flattered the emperor, and never showed any special favor to the Li family.
After Emperor Renzong finished speaking, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Empress Cao did not object.
To be honest, just like Li Yonghe had predicted, giving the Li family a candidate slot was a gesture of favor, and they hadn't really expected to be selected. But since Li Qiu had some skills that caught Su'er's eye, he naturally went along with it.
However, the Empress had a say in her son's choice of companions, and if she did not want the Li family to be around, the Emperor had to consider her opinion.
Emperor Renzong guessed that perhaps she didn't refute him because of the weight of the words "personally selected by Su'er".
He paused for a moment, then changed the subject: "Lord Yan is the hope of all scholars in the world, and Yan Jidao is the descendant of a child prodigy, so their talents must be quite good. Su'er's judgment is indeed excellent."
Who was Yan Jidao's father? He was Yan Shu, the child prodigy who could compose poetry at the age of five, was recommended for the imperial examination at the age of fourteen, and was the most appreciated minister of Emperor Zhenzong.
It could even be said that the Song Dynasty's fascination with child prodigies was largely due to the fact that this prime minister's illustrious achievements served as a carrot dangling in front of the common people.
Who wouldn't want a talented and beautiful child to grow up in their family, bringing prosperity to the whole family?
Empress Cao noticed another problem: "Su'er is extremely intelligent, and Yan Jidao is unlikely to be any less so. Has Your Majesty decided who should be their tutor?"
Geniuses have their own teaching methods, and mediocre people have theirs. If you invite an old-fashioned rigid person to be your teacher, it will only cause mutual torment and achieve half the result with twice the effort.
Emperor Renzong understood this principle. He stroked his well-maintained beard and said with a smile, "Empress, do not worry. I have long been prepared. Originally, I intended to choose Wang Gongchen, but Su'er chose Yan Jidao. Wang Qing is also the son-in-law of Prime Minister Yan, so he cannot be the husband of his wife's younger brother."
When Empress Cao heard the name "Wang Gongchen," her brows furrowed, but then gradually relaxed: "And then? Who did His Majesty choose?"
"I favor Minister Song. What is the Empress's opinion?"
Song Qi, the Junior Vice Minister.
The two candidates proposed by Emperor Renzong were clearly chosen with great care, just as he had said—Wang Gongchen was the nineteen-year-old top scholar personally selected by Emperor Renzong. Song Qi also ranked first in the first class at the young age of twenty-six.
They were all famous scholars of the Song Dynasty, and in their youth they were also renowned child prodigies in their hometowns. They must have had their own insights into teaching child prodigies.
Empress Cao nodded slightly; she couldn't find fault with this choice. But after nodding, she sighed softly.
"What a pity."
What a pity? Empress Cao didn't say, but the Emperor immediately understood. In an instant, he was even a little annoyed by his tacit understanding with the Empress. That's the downside of couples with poor relationships; everything is understood without words, but the unspoken content is always awkward and unpleasant.
He knew what the Empress meant—it was a pity that Lord Fan Zhongyan had been demoted to Shaanxi. Otherwise, was there anyone more suitable than him for the position of tutor to the eldest prince?
But when Emperor Renzong thought about why Fan Zhongyan was demoted, a shadow crossed his amiable face.
On the surface, it was someone in the court who impeached Fan Zhongyan for forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices. In reality, everyone knew that the emperor no longer wanted to support the "Qingli Reforms." The reformists, who had offended most of the court, naturally did not have a good ending and were all demoted to various places in the country.
By the way, isn't the Empress's brother Cao Ping very close to Fu Bi? Is she taking this opportunity to speak out for the new political party members?
Empress Cao's eyes were clear as water as she met the Emperor's scrutinizing gaze directly, neither flinching nor avoiding it, as if she didn't care about his speculations, or as if she were simply acquiescing.
However, even though the clash between the emperor and empress was almost out in the open, the emperor had to admit that the empress was right.
"Yes, what a pity, what a pity."
The Emperor uttered "What a pity!" twice. Even he acknowledged that Fan Zhongyan's character and scholarship were rare even in the entire Song Dynasty. Having him assume the position of Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince would undoubtedly greatly benefit Su'er.
With Fan Zhongyan in the picture, and then Song Qi, the Emperor's interest waned. It wasn't that Song Qi was inherently bad, but rather that he… was a bit too frivolous, almost identical to the famous line, "Red apricot blossoms herald the arrival of spring." While this might be a compliment for a scholar, it lacked the dignified air of a teacher.
"It's still better than Wang Gongchen." Empress Cao made no attempt to hide her obvious dislike for this man.
Wang Gongchen happened to be among the most vehement in impeaching Fan Zhongyan and others for forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices.
You despicable person, bah!
The Emperor smiled wryly for a moment: the Empress hadn't said anything about Li's son being her study companion, yet she was so protective of the faction that supported the Qingli Reforms. Sometimes, he even felt that he hadn't married an Empress, but rather had a proud and upright official by his side. He couldn't say he liked it; sometimes he even felt a pang of pity.
"Then let's set it aside for now. I will go to the Chuigong Hall tomorrow to inform all the ministers."
Empress Cao: "If Su'er has any other ideas, please consider them carefully, Your Majesty."
"Of course!"
The official answered almost without hesitation.
This is one of the few instances of tacit understanding between the couple.
No one else knew about the conversation in Kunning Palace. The Emperor and Empress tacitly avoided mentioning Fan Zhongyan's name in front of Fusu. They both felt that Fusu was still too young and should not be exposed to the darker side of officialdom too early.
Otherwise, if Fusu were to ask, "Since he's so good, why was he demoted from Bianjing?" how would the adults answer?
Parents have many thoughts they keep from their children, and children also have secrets they keep from their parents. That same afternoon, Fusu went to Rouyi Palace again under the pretext of visiting his sister, but in reality, he wanted to see Liang Huaiji, whom Miaowu had mentioned.
Eunuchs who leave their mark on history generally fall into two categories: those who made outstanding contributions, such as Zheng He and Cai Lun, and those who were traitors to the state, such as Liu Jin and Wang Zhi.
Liang Huaiji can be said to have pioneered a third path – he became famous for his illicit affair with a princess.
When Fusu met Liang Huaiji in person, he was indeed exactly as he had imagined. The young man was quite handsome. No wonder Miaowu had taken a liking to him.
He wore the inconspicuous clothes of a eunuch, and his skin was a shade lighter than others, making him stand out in the crowd. There was also a faint scholarly air about him, and his manner of bowing was more composed and elegant, making him seem less like a lowly eunuch and more like a well-educated young master from a wealthy family.
Considering that Miaowu said he was the grandson of a scholar before entering the palace, everything before us is not hard to understand.
"You're Liang Huaiji? My sister said she learned the Book of Poetry from you?"
Fusu scrutinized the man from head to toe with a critical eye.
But because Liang Huaiji was much taller than him, he had to raise his head to talk to people, which made his precocious manner seem inappropriate and ridiculous.
So cute... but also so funny.
Miaowu's gaze quickly shifted to the other side, her lips pressed tightly together to avoid bursting into laughter.
Liang Huaiji simply bowed without showing any emotion: "It is indeed I. However, I only knew a few more characters before entering the palace. I dare not accept what Your Highness Cheng has said."
Fusu thought to himself that Miaowu must have mentioned himself to Liang Huaiji, but his attitude did not reveal the slightest flaw, as if he were responding to an ordinary question from a nobleman.
Who would have thought that a six-year-old child could be so discreet? But when he thought of Miaowu's enthusiastic and slightly admiring tone when he talked about him, Fusu felt uncomfortable all over.
He pursed his lips and asked again, "How do you know so many characters? My older sister told me that someone in your family was a scholar?"
"My ancestor was a scholar during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong. I grew up under his care and was fortunate enough to learn a few characters."
"and you……"
Fusu wanted to continue asking questions, but he didn't know how to start.
A scholar is a learned man, and his social status is not low. How could his grandson have fallen so low as to be sold into the palace and become a eunuch? Fusu was very curious, but he also knew that it was too cruel to ask a child to recount his tragic past experiences if he couldn't explain them clearly.
Forget it, let's not ask any further questions, lest we reopen old wounds.
Liang Huaiji quietly looked up at Fusu, then quietly lowered his head again, a hint of tears flashing in his eyes.
“My ancestral home is in Sanchuankou, Yanzhou. My whole family moved away two years ago, leaving only me and my mother to depend on each other.”
Battle of Sanchuankou, Yanzhou.
...The Song-Xia War!
Fusu suddenly understood everything. The stories of families being torn apart and people dying due to war have been similar throughout history. He had witnessed many such cases in his first life, and they had also been reported in the newspapers of his second life.
Miaowu was still completely confused: "Sanchuankou? Where is that? Huaiji, why didn't you tell me?"
"It's the West..."
Fusu instinctively wanted to answer, but then immediately suppressed his innate ability to chime in, a trait he had developed from being a top student for two lifetimes. While treating Miaowu as his younger sister, he always forgot that he was only three years old.
He then stealthily glanced at Liang Huaiji, whose refined face showed no change.
...They probably didn't notice his weakness, right?
"Your Highness, the Sanchuankou Pass in Yanchuan is the border between Western Xia and the Song Dynasty," Huaiji said softly.
Miao Wu suddenly realized: "Ah."
She wasn't an innocent princess; occasionally, her father would overhear a few words he said when discussing politics. She knew that Western Xia was the mortal enemy of the Song Dynasty.
“Huaiji, coming to the palace and staying by my side is the same for you.” Miaowu’s expression immediately showed some pity as she gently comforted him.
How can they be the same?
For men in ancient times, becoming a palace attendant meant a sudden and irreversible drop in social status, with little chance of recovery. Miaowu and Liang Huaiji were still young; they would inevitably discover the cruelty of this situation as they grew up.
Fusu remained silent, but sighed inwardly. He felt he had sighed more times in the past three years than in his previous life.
Originally, I wanted to find out who Liang Huaiji really was. After all, history only says that Liang Huaiji had a close relationship with the princess, but doesn't say whether he was a soulmate or just a smooth talker.
What if Liang Huaiji isn't a good person? Then of course he'd have to isolate him just like he isolated Li Wei!
But after being interrogated today, Fusu felt like he had been the villain.
"Being able to serve the princess in the palace, with enough food and clothing, and continue to learn to read and write, is already very fulfilling for Huaiji. I also ask the eldest princess and His Highness Prince Cheng to put my mind at ease."
Upon hearing this, Miaowu's furrowed brows, which had been furrowed with heartache, relaxed.
Even Fusu breathed a sigh of relief, no longer feeling the suffocating oppression he had just felt.
Wow, she's really good with words.
If I had learned a little bit of similar language arts in my first life, would I have been exiled to the north to keep watch on the Xiongnu?
But Fusu could tell that Liang Huaiji's words came from the heart. He was genuinely satisfied and even grateful for his current life, and did not resent anything because of his status as a eunuch.
Is this what they mean by "sincerity is the ultimate weapon"?
Fusu, who was trying to find a weakness in Liang Huaiji, walked out of Rouyi Palace in a daze.
Game over! Good Game! Defeat!
He suffered a crushing defeat, and even he was won over.
After Fusu left, Liang Huaiji stared at his retreating figure for a long time without turning back.
"What are you looking at, Huaiji? Su'er has already left."
"I simply feel that His Highness Prince Cheng is a kind-hearted and exceptionally intelligent person," Liang Huaiji said.
He suffered a major upheaval in his childhood, making him several years older than other children his age. Fusu hesitated several times before speaking, which others might have glanced at and forgotten, but Liang Huaiji noticed it all.
On one occasion, out of consideration for his status as a mere eunuch, he refrained from questioning his past. On another occasion, he demonstrated familiarity with the place name "Sanchuankou".
The problem is that His Highness Prince Cheng is only three years old this year.
Even if we count by the traditional Chinese age reckoning, he's only five years old.
Is this possible?
"You also think Su'er is smart?" Miaowu wrinkled his nose: "That's definitely not my imagination! Sometimes I feel that he is much smarter than me."
Even an older sister needs self-respect! With such a gem like Su'er before her, she won't feel any sense of accomplishment when the female teacher praises her for being "clever" or "intelligent" in the future.
Liang Huaiji seemed to be deep in thought: "When I was little, my mother told me that there were child prodigies who could recognize characters at the age of one and compose poems at the age of three. There is also a saying in Buddhism that some people have wisdom accumulated over many lifetimes and can know things from birth."
"So Su'er is the legendary child prodigy?"
Miaowu nodded in agreement: "But he always tries to hide it from me, and from Father and Mother. Huaiji, you don't know this, it's not the first time. Last time... and the time before that..."
Immediately, she pursed her lips slyly, her delicate and pretty face suddenly coming to life: "However, Su'er thinks we're all fools and didn't see through it. Huaiji, listen to me, even if you do see through it, don't tell anyone. We won't tell him, let him be kept in the dark."
"Hmph, he's fooling us, so we'll fool him back."
"Alright." Liang Huaiji nodded emphatically. After a while, he asked again, "But why is His Highness Prince Cheng pretending to be stupid?"
Liang Huaiji's question immediately stumped Miaowu. She propped her chin on her hand, swung her leg, and said, "Yes, why?"
Liang Huaiji said softly, "I used to study hard to learn to read and write so that my grandfather and parents would be happier, and so that I would be proud when the neighbors asked about me." As for finding enjoyment in books, that came later when I read more.
Miaowu also recalled that ever since she showed a little bit of intelligence, her father had found many female teachers and literate palace maids and eunuchs to accompany her in her studies.
“I think I’m just trying to make Father and Consort Miao a little happier,” Miaowu said. Especially Consort Miao, she and her mother don’t see each other often, and every time they do, Consort Miao tells her to “study hard and not let the Emperor down,” and she habitually does as she is told.
Following this logic, could it be that Su'er/Prince Cheng was trying to cause trouble for the Emperor and Empress?
……ah?
Is this reasonable?
The two children looked at each other, both feeling like their CPUs were about to burn out.
There was nothing they could do; Fusu's actions were simply too counterintuitive and far beyond their comprehension.
“Perhaps, child prodigies are born with their own temperaments and personalities?” Liang Huaiji suggested a possibility, but even he sounded very uncertain.
"Let's ask Su'er next time, no, we agreed to keep it from him. How about we ask Father? He'll definitely know!"
A note from the author:
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Only Fusu himself was unaware that the world where everyone knew he was a child prodigy had been achieved.
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