Chapter 15
"What did you say??"
Emperor Chongzhao almost doubted his own ears.
"He climbed through a dog hole and got under the desk in the classroom to eavesdrop on the class?"
B12: "Yes, Your Majesty."
Emperor Chongzhao: “…”
B12: "I did not enter the school, so I did not know what was going on inside. I approached after school. By then, the young prince had already been captured by Master Fang."
Emperor Chongzhao sighed: "After all, he has worked in the Five Military Commandery before, so his sensitivity is different. But why didn't he come to tell me?"
B12: "Master Fang decided to keep it secret."
Emperor Chongzhao: “…”
B12: "The two made a bet that as long as the young prince could answer the three questions he asked, he would not tell anyone about the prince's eavesdropping - he believed that the prince was the child of a palace maid and a guard.
They swore by their ancestors that whoever lost and broke the promise would become a poor ghost without a partner in the underworld.
"Nonsense," Emperor Chongzhao's voice suddenly rose, and his image as an emperor who could not tell whether he was happy or angry was gone. "You little bastard! How dare you bet with our ancestors!"
He stood up angrily and took two steps, then suddenly turned his head: "Who won?!"
B12: "Your Highness wins."
Emperor Chongzhao: "Humph! That old man can't even beat a child, and he brought trouble to our ancestors."
B Twelve: “…”
Emperor Chongzhao calmed down a little, calmed down and thought about it, then sneered.
"That old fellow clearly recognized my son, but he pretended not to recognize him. Let's put this matter aside for now. When Xiaoqi goes there again the day after tomorrow, you can follow him for another day. I want to see what he is up to."
Yi Twelve retreated in response.
After a while, Eunuch Yu came in.
Emperor Chongzhao was looking through the papers and pens on the table, as well as the Four Books on the bookshelf.
"Your Majesty, what are you looking for? Let me come."
Emperor Chongzhao: "Go and send this set of new books to Ju'an Hall, and also some paper and pens." After a pause, he picked up the inkstone he often used at hand and said, "Go and give this one as well."
Eunuch Yu’s eyes widened. This is His Majesty’s favorite Qingshan inkstone.
Emperor Chongzhao: "Send it as early as possible tomorrow."
All they use are old books and scraps of paper, what good can you learn from them?
-
the next day.
Although Yi Twelve was not around, when Qu Duanbian received the writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone from Emperor Chongzhao, he knew that he had won the bet.
He asked Ye Xiaoyuan to put all the things away. They were good things, but it would be a waste if he used them now.
However, he was only given learning supplies and no other news. Should he be allowed to go to school openly?
Qu Dubian couldn't figure out Emperor Chongzhao's thoughts for a while.
When it was time for Tutor Fang's class the next day, he secretly went to the Sixth Palace of the East Garden, just like last time.
This time, only Wen Xiaochun sent him there. Although Wen Xiaochun had the title of manager in the kitchen, it was just a figurehead and he only went there occasionally.
He still stays in Ju'an Hall on a daily basis. He is very familiar with the six halls in Dongyuan, so the task of picking up and dropping off Qu Dubian is left to him.
Ye Xiaoyuan stayed in Ju'an Hall to deal with the palace servants who would come to deliver breakfast. The two of them had a clear division of labor.
After all, the fact that the little prince secretly went to school needs to be concealed.
-
Familiar school, familiar route.
This time, Yi Twelve hid on the beam of the school house in advance and watched the master and servant's skillful and stealthy movements.
Eunuch Xiaochun let the little prince in through the window again, just like yesterday, lowered his eyes to look around, gave a few gentle instructions, and after the little prince responded one by one, he closed the window again and left quickly.
The little prince was struggling to drag his bag——
He crawled under the teacher's desk again.
[B12 is 7 meters away from the host.]
No wonder there was no sign of Yi Twelve near Ju'an Hall, it turned out he was waiting for him here.
Qu Dubian ate a few bites of snacks to fill his stomach.
He even had a small bamboo cup for honey water.
The cup is wrapped with a thick layer of cloth, which can barely keep it warm in this cold winter weather.
Yi Twelve pricked up his ears and vaguely heard the sound of someone eating under the desk, the sound of turning pages of a book, and the sound of someone breathing lightly because of the cold.
Soon, the palace maids came in and placed charcoal basins on the princes' seats, chatting. They came and left in a hurry, and did not notice that there was a person hiding under the teacher's table.
When he was half full, the princes came one after another. The fourth, fifth and sixth princes were young, so when they arrived, they lay down on their seats to catch up on their sleep. Only the fifth prince sat upright, flipping through a book and reciting aloud.
Today, the eldest prince, the second prince, and the third prince did not quarrel like they did the day before yesterday. Instead, they talked about another matter.
The eldest prince said: "This servant needs to be disciplined from time to time. Otherwise, no matter how obedient he is, he may have some ulterior motives behind his back. The people living in Ju'an Palace are also descendants of my father. Even if he is unlucky and disliked by my father, he should not be bullied like this."
Yi Twelve heard the barely audible chewing sounds under the teacher's desk stop.
"Big brother is right," the Third Prince agreed, "Seventh brother is really miserable. He can't even have enough food to eat. If it weren't for the incident a while ago, I, his brother, wouldn't have known about it. But now his luck has turned. Even father gave him his frequently used inkstone. I'm really envious."
The second prince smiled and said, "Why don't you go and have a look after school? It will also help to show your concern for your younger brother."
After these words were spoken, the eldest prince and the second prince fell silent.
After all, they don't really care now, and no one wants to divert some of their father's attention away.
Moreover, when Concubine Yun was in favor, the three of them were old enough to remember things. Everyone knew how much their father cared about Concubine Yun and their unborn child at that time.
Fortunately, the seventh brother is the reincarnation of an illegitimate child, otherwise, they, the sons, would have no status in the eyes of their father.
Although it is now clear that the seventh brother is neither the eldest nor the legitimate son, and has lost the protection of his mother, and there is no successor in his mother's family, it is impossible for him to compete for that position and he does not pose a threat.
But no one wants to take away another part of their father's attention.
The eldest prince snorted: "Who would want to go to such a filthy place? Let's wait three years until the bad luck on him is gone, and then..."
The second prince frowned: "Big brother."
"Your Highness, be careful with your words!"
Master Fang came in from the door and immediately interrupted him.
The old man's face did not have his usual smile, but looked serious.
The six princes in the school immediately stood up and greeted him.
Fang Taifu asked them to sit down, and only asked the eldest prince to stand up. He put his hands behind his back and weighed the ruler in his hand. The eldest prince's heart began to beat.
"Your Highness, did you say anything just now that showed any sympathy for your brothers and sisters who are lonely and helpless? This is a brother's lack of kindness. Your Highness has studied in the academy for several years. How much have you learned from the words of the saints? Do you remember what the Analects of Confucius said about politics?"
The old man's unhurried questioning brought a great sense of oppression.
What? Which sentence? The eldest prince's scalp tingled, and he kept glancing at his companion.
The reading companion gently made a few lip movements.
The eldest prince said: "Be filial to your parents, be friendly to your brothers, and be kind to the government."
Master Fang snorted and glanced around the school.
"Your Highness is thirteen years old now. The princes of this dynasty usually marry at the age of fourteen, build a palace at the age of sixteen, and serve as officials in the court. Can your words today be said to be friendly and brotherly? How can you apply the meaning of filial piety to the government?"
This is a serious statement.
If the emperor does not come, then the classroom examinations and the teacher's evaluation will become important factors for the emperor to assess the prince's qualifications. If the evaluation is too bad, the time for the prince to leave the palace and build his own residence may be delayed.
The eldest prince knew the importance of this matter.
He quickly said, "I know I was wrong, please don't be angry. After school, I will send some food and clothes to you as an apology."
Master Fang said succinctly: "My apology is in my heart, and in my deeds. Please extend your hand."
The eldest prince had no choice but to stretch out his hand and was hit three times with the ruler. The crisp sound was accompanied by a burning pain. He was beaten last time and he was beaten again this time. The eldest prince was extremely upset.
"Sit down, and let the class begin."
The sound of lectures could be heard in the classroom.
After hearing this story about himself, Qu Dubian found it quite interesting.
What is the difference between this and the fake brotherhood of the boy bands in the talent shows of the past? The only difference is that one is performed for the emperor and teachers, and the other is performed for the fans.
Master Fang did not ask any questions today, perhaps because he was in a bad mood, and he started teaching directly. He first dealt with the homework of the three older princes, and then began to teach the younger princes in the second half.
After reviewing the previous part, I started from where I left off last time.
Qu Duanbian always felt that this time Master Fang's reading speed slowed down a bit, and he was more careful when explaining the meaning. He didn't know if it was to accommodate and take care of this student under the table.
He thought about it.
Apparently, Master Fang hadn't told anyone about his existence. And although my cheap father knew about Master Fang's concealment, he didn't take any measures.
I don’t know what they are thinking.
Qu Dubian did not use the new book, but continued to silently flip through his own tattered little book and memorized it three times.
His learning for the day was considered over when the little princes began to recite and practice calligraphy on their own.
The simulator showed that it was 11:30 am, and there was still half an hour before school was over. Qu Dubian tidied up the space under the table, wrapped up a piece of dough and turned it into a pillow, then he lay on it, raised his calves, and bit the cakes he had brought in the morning.
Hmm... my butt feels a little cold after squatting for so long.
You can bring a butt pad next time.
I don’t know if there will be a third chance to squat under the table.
As the school was about to end, he still had time to think about this and that, but Master Fang was a little absent-minded.
He wanted to see if the little prince came today. If he didn't come, it would be good if he didn't hear what the eldest prince said. If he came...
Master Fang didn't think that a child who was just over two years old and knew that he was here to study, and who could endure his temper and listen to the class quietly under the table, would not know what the eldest prince meant.
It's really hurtful.
Those words would be harsh even for an adult, let alone a child.
You won’t cry secretly, will you?
Finally, it was time to leave school, and Master Fang urged the princes in the school to leave. When there was no one around, he stuck his head out to look outside, and then he closed the door of the school quietly.
Master Fang lifted the tablecloth and reached out to the little baby under the table.
"Are you in there? Come out and get some fresh air."
"Don't rush me."
Qu Dubian held his hand and crawled out, then stuck his head back in, took out everything inside and put it away one by one.
Master Fang raised his hand to protect his head, fearing that he would hit his head against the table leg.
"Didn't you ask me to tell others about your stay here? I thought you wouldn't come back today, but I didn't expect you to be so brave."
Qu Dubian jumped a little, brushed off the snack crumbs on his body, and didn't answer him.
Master Fang: "Besides, it's very cold." He looked carefully and found no signs of the child crying. "Don't think too much about what the prince said this morning."
Qu Dubian looked at him strangely. Could it be that this guy had known his identity for a long time and had been pretending to be stupid?
"He was talking about the Seventh Prince."
Master Fang was stuck. He stroked his beard and tried to make amends calmly, "What I meant is that what Your Highness said is not right. You have not yet learned the words of the saints, so don't think too much about it for now."
I earnestly told the child in front of me not to think too much, and those dirty words were so disgusting that they even made him feel disgusted when he heard them.
"Oh, don't worry, I understand."
If we look at it from the perspective of the illegitimate son of a palace maid and guard, this is probably the Master secretly reminding him not to talk about royal affairs everywhere, and even if he understands them, he should pretend not to understand.
He patted Master Fang on the shoulder and gave him an assuring look.
"rest assured."
Taifu Fang: "..."
He felt that the boy's eyes were a little strange but he couldn't tell what was strange. He looked up and down at Qu Watanabe's expression and found that he did not look more gloomy because of what others said, so he felt relieved.
"Did you understand everything I said today?"
"Not bad," Qu Dubian thought for a while, "Master, how long will it take to learn the Three Character Classic? I think..."
He seemed to realize something and suddenly shut up.
Master Fang raised his eyebrows: "Do you feel that I'm teaching too slowly and want to learn more?" He snorted, not surprised at all.
"Don't hide it, kid. I saw last time that you've made more progress than that. Since you don't want to talk about it, I won't force you. Knowledge is acquired step by step. Learning too fast is like a castle in the air. As you get older, it collapses faster."
He gently pinched Qu Watanabe's overly thin wrist.
"Have you ever learned calligraphy?"
Qu Watanabe pinched his little finger, "A little bit."
“Come here and write.”
Although now is not the time to practice calligraphy, practicing occasionally will not harm your health and will be beneficial in the future.
Master Fang led him to the eldest prince's desk and put a thin brush in his hand. Qu Dubian asked, "What are you writing?"
Master Fang pondered.
"Write 'Father'."
Qu Watanabe said "oh", held the brush in his right hand, and wrote a big "dog".
Taifu Fang: "..."
B12 is silent.
The oath he made last time was fine, but if the truth is told this time, the little prince will be beaten to death by His Majesty.
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