Chapter 40
The morning classes were not even over.
Gobang became popular within the school.
The five princes were secretly passing notes while playing chess in class, and were discovered by Imperial Tutor Xi. Then almost all the imperial tutors knew about it.
Unlike the angry Master Xi Shiqiu, Master Fang was quite tolerant about this.
"It takes too long to play a game of Go from start to finish. Only by learning to play the game and studying it carefully can you experience the fun of it. Gobang has a faster pace and is easier to learn. It is also a good choice for exercising your brain."
Master Xi: "It is a minor path after all."
Master Fang: "I heard from the Fifth Prince that the Seventh Prince learned this from a palace maid when he was in Ju'an Palace. The wisdom of the palace maids should not be underestimated."
Master Xi held his forehead with a headache.
"You just caught them drinking milk tea in class yesterday, and today I caught two princes playing Gobang. What's more, all these stories came from the Seventh Prince. This little prince is really——"
Master Fang: "How clever."
Master Xi: “?”
Master Fang had already turned around, looking at the sky outside, stroking his beard, and missing his youngest student even more.
At the same time, I was also confused.
That little kid used to love studying and would even study under the table, but why doesn’t he come now?
-
Emperor Chongzhao felt much more relaxed last night as he didn't have the child to bother him.
Especially after reviewing the memorials, he finally had time to study new recipes and develop new incense.
But no matter how relaxed he felt, he still felt a little uneasy inside, as if something was missing.
Today, just after the court session, Emperor Chongzhao asked as he was walking back, "Did the Seventh Prince really not come when I was in court?"
Eunuch Yu: "You know the Seventh Prince, he woke up just when you were about to leave the court."
Emperor Chongzhao: "Did he really not make a scene in Changxin Palace last night?"
"I was just about to say that there was news from Changxin Palace. The Seventh Prince did not sleep at Concubine Chu's place last night. He slept in the Fifth Prince's bed. It is said that the two brothers had a good time together."
"He didn't sleep with Lady Chu?" Emperor Chongzhao frowned. "Isn't this just a temper tantrum? Did he eat dinner?"
Eunuch Yu: "I ate with the Fifth Prince."
Emperor Chongzhao: "He never treats himself badly when it comes to food. It's okay for him to live with Lao Wu to strengthen the relationship between brothers. It would be fine if he could be more honest."
A little eunuch came running from a distance. He was from the academy. Usually, the palace servants who came to the academy would report which prince was punished by the teacher today, or which prince did not listen to the class well.
It’s like a messenger used by teachers to complain to parents.
Emperor Chongzhao even sighed: "I guess, it's still the boss."
He took the note handed to him by the palace servant and unfolded it.
From the eldest prince to the fifth prince, no one is missing, and their names are all written neatly on [Today's Punishment List].
Emperor Chongzhao: “?”
After a brief silence, he said, "Are they rebelling?"
Palace servant: "The fifth prince brought Gobang to the academy, and the other princes learned it and started playing it. The fourth prince beat the sixth prince, and the sixth prince got angry and bit the fourth prince's pillow to pieces. The fourth prince threw the broken pillow on the sixth prince's face.
The school was in chaos, and Master Xi investigated and found that the three older princes were also playing. So all the princes were punished with a ruler.
Emperor Chongzhao imagined the scene and felt a little anxious for the teacher who was teaching today: "Who did Lao Wu learn from?"
The palace servant bowed her head and said, "It's the Seventh Prince."
“…This brat,” Emperor Chongzhao clenched the paper into a ball and laughed in anger, feeling both surprised and not surprised, “He really is restless no matter where he is!”
In just one night, his brother was abducted and turned into this.
Apart from the fourth prince who was obsessed with sleeping, the fifth prince was the most honest and least troublesome of the princes. Even though the youngest son was not around, his presence was not diminished at all.
It really makes me worried.
"What is Gobang? Find someone who knows how to play it and come to the West Warm Pavilion."
"Call the eldest, the second and the third, and forget about the other two young ones."
How much fun must it be to make the princes lose their ambition one by one with this toy!
-
Noon.
The fifth prince returned to Changxin Palace dejected.
Concubine Rong had already heard the news and was standing in the bedroom with an angry look on her face.
The fifth prince hid his slapped palm, held onto the door frame, and walked in quietly: "Mother..."
Noble Lady Rong: "How dare you come back? Do you know how big a mistake you made?"
The fifth prince lowered his head and said, "I shouldn't have taught my younger brother and older brothers Gobang. We were all punished with a ruler because I didn't study hard. I'm sorry for my mother's expectations of me."
"That's just one of the reasons," Noble Lady Rong said, "When the Fourth Prince and the Sixth Prince were fighting, why didn't you help the Sixth Prince fight back?"
The fifth prince opened his eyes slightly, "But... it was the sixth brother who started it first. He tore the fourth brother's favorite little pillow. The fourth brother treasured his pillow the most."
"It's just a pillow!"
Noble Lady Rong was impatient to be interrupted and asked, "Are you closer to the Fourth Prince or the Sixth Prince?"
The Fifth Prince: "It was my Sixth Brother who made the mistake first. It is right for me not to help him."
Rong Guiren squatted down and held his shoulders tightly, "My dear child, remember this, in this world and in this harem, only power represents right and wrong, and only power determines right and wrong.
The fourth prince’s mother is Concubine Yi, who has no prominent family background and is not favored. The sixth prince’s mother is the Imperial Concubine... If you don’t help him, what if Imperial Concubine Lan gets unhappy and whispers in his ear that His Majesty gives you to someone else to raise?
At that time, you will be like the Seventh Prince, choosing a mother and concubine everywhere. You will never see your mother again."
She said softly, "No one in the harem will treat you better than mother. The Seventh Prince has no mother. Look at how he lived before."
The fifth prince showed fear in his eyes, "I don't want to, I don't want to, mother, please don't abandon me."
Noble Lady Rong was satisfied. "So if the Fourth Prince and the Sixth Prince fall out, which side will you stand on?"
The Fifth Prince: “I—”
"Fifth brother! Fifth brother, fifth brother!" A crisp and excited voice interrupted the conversation between mother and son in the room.
Qu Duanbian's voice came from outside: "Fifth brother, come out and play."
He was standing outside. It was obvious that such conversations between Rong Guiren and her son were common, otherwise they would not have left the door open like this.
Qu Duanbian sighed. In fact, he had been standing outside for a while. Hearing this, he couldn't help but interrupt. Isn't this the simplest and crudest PUA? What kind of life has Fifth Brother lived since he was a child?
No wonder last time in the Imperial Garden, Fifth Brother was holding a vase in the middle of winter, his hands were frozen purple, but he didn't dare to move, and followed behind the Sixth Prince like a little servant.
It turns out there is such a mother.
The sound of conversation inside stopped, and after about ten seconds, Concubine Rong came out with the fifth prince.
She smiled politely and cordially: "Seventh Prince, is there something you want to talk to your brother about?"
Qu Watanabe: "I want to go out and play with my fifth brother for a while."
Rong Guiren smiled and said, "Okay, Xiaowu, take good care of your brother."
The fifth prince's eyes were still a little red. Hearing this, he silently bowed to Rong Guiren and said, "Don't worry, mother."
-
The Fifth Prince followed Qu Dubian out. He seemed to have not recovered his emotions yet and was even more silent and quiet than usual.
If it were expressed using comics from later generations, the highlight in the eyes would be lost.
Qu Dubian asked someone to find his puppy car.
After leaving Changxin Palace, he poked the Fifth Prince's arm and said, "Fifth brother, come and sit on it. The puppy cart is also called the happy cart. If you are unhappy, sit on it and all your troubles will go away!"
Dahei held his head high with his chest out, his whole body had very beautiful lines and he looked more and more energetic, and even the wooden bite stopper looked majestic.
The fifth prince raised his head, "Happy car?"
In a daze, he was pushed up by Qu Dubian. After the fifth prince sat firmly, Qu Dubian also went up. He stood and grabbed the fence, and said to Dahei, "You have to be steady today too."
Dahei started to run slowly, and the Fifth Prince subconsciously grabbed the railing of the cart.
Qu Dubian opened his hands and squinted his eyes, "It feels so good."
The frightened Fifth Prince quickly grabbed him and said with a tense face: "Seventh brother, seventh brother, why don't we go down! You will fall down like this!"
Qu Watanabe: "Dahei, speed up!"
Dahei gradually sped up, and the palace servants behind him changed from walking quickly to jogging.
The fifth prince finally shouted out, "Ahhhhh——"
Qu Watanabe: "Hahahaha! Take off! Ye Banban, hurry up, you need to exercise!"
Hearing his brother's laughter, the Fifth Prince gradually felt that there was nothing to be afraid of. His heartbeat gradually quickened, and the childish nature that had been suppressed since birth was finally revealed.
He looked at his brother's grinning face and finally burst out laughing. He didn't know what he was laughing at, but he was just very happy.
A vague idea came into my mind.
It turns out that I can be so happy when I’m not with my mother.
The puppy car was parked in front of Shunning Palace.
They had been laughing all the way here, and coughed several times when they got off the car. Qu Dubian held the hand of the Fifth Prince that was not hit, and asked, "Is Fifth Brother happy now?"
The fifth prince nodded heavily.
"Happy. But brother, where is this?"
Qu Watanabe said mysteriously: "The food here is better than the imperial kitchen. I will only bring you here for one meal."
After saying this, he shouted at the gate of Shunning Palace: "Empress Xuan! Sister! I'm here again!"
The first time is strange, the second time is familiar, the third time is to eat and take, the fourth time is to come in freely and this is my home.
-
The other side.
The spices and two gold ruyi given by Emperor Chongzhao yesterday were delivered to Changxin Palace.
The eunuch who was supposed to deliver the reward didn't see anyone, so he asked Concubine Chu to keep the reward on his behalf, and also asked her to take good care of the Seventh Prince with a few words from the Emperor.
After the eunuch who delivered the reward left, Concubine Rong came out from the east hall and smiled with her lips covered with a handkerchief.
"Just now, the Seventh Prince came to look for Xiao Wu. I thought he was going somewhere else. It turns out that he took Xiao Wu to Shunning Palace for dinner. Oh, he snatched her away last night, and she went again today. If you ask me, if there is no fate between mother and son, don't force it, so as to avoid embarrassment, right?"
How many people in the harem are keeping an eye on Concubine Chu, just waiting for the Seventh Prince to dislike her and for His Majesty to choose a new one.
Concubine Rong stared at Concubine Chu's calm profile and said in a low voice, "You haven't heard about it yet, have you? His Majesty has started to look at the list again, and he probably knows that the Seventh Prince has no special regard for you."
Concubine Chu: "Don't worry, sister. Even if His Majesty changes people, the Seventh Prince will still be with me for the next four days."
She glanced at the things bestowed by His Majesty. Every single one of them was extremely precious. How could such things be given so casually?
The Seventh Prince's position in His Majesty's heart is probably higher than the person behind the scenes who sent her the message thought. In this case, the possibility of her brother in prison being rescued is greater.
After returning to the bedroom, Concubine Chu did not have lunch. She sat by the window and thought for a long time.
His Majesty only allowed the Seventh Prince to live with her for five days, and one day has passed. If the remaining four days cannot make the Seventh Prince want to stay, then she will definitely be replaced.
But the Seventh Prince hardly stayed with her. He slept with the Fifth Prince and went to Shunning Palace for meals.
What could she do in just four days?
She struggled for a long time, and finally found a small bottle of powder in the secret compartment under the bed.
This was sent to the palace by someone before my younger brother was imprisoned.
She repeatedly told herself that this was not poison and that it would only take a few days and would not have much of an impact.
Concubine Chu took a deep breath.
"In the evening, make sure the Seventh Prince comes back from Shunning Palace for dinner."
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