Chapter 33
After what happened in the Imperial Garden yesterday, Qu Dubian stayed in the Purple Palace obediently for three days before he finally got the chance to go out.
His father was very narrow-minded. It was just a rumor that was known to everyone in the palace. Why did he let him stay in the bedroom for three days under the pretext of letting him recuperate?
You are so stingy and have no tolerance.
If you are so stingy now, what will happen in the future? You still need to practice more.
But during the three days, Qu Dubian asked several questions indirectly and finally understood the reasoning behind Concubine Yun's posthumous title of empress.
Emperor Chongzhao's move, at least on the surface, put all the princes on the same starting line. The tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. For the young him now, this is both a restraint and a protection.
In the former dynasty and the harem, checks and balances are everywhere.
"Your Highness, don't worry too much. Someone will arrange for you on the day of the posthumous ceremony for the Queen in a few days. You just need to follow the process."
Ye Xiaoyuan thought that the young prince was so concerned because he was worried that something might go wrong with him that day.
Qu Watanabe: "It's better to know more about mother's affairs. Banban, have you found out who will be coming that day?"
Ye Xiaoyuan gently touched his head, "The concubines in the harem, including the queen, must be present. The queen will personally light the lamps and lead them into the palace. You will only need to have a ceremonial meal in the palace."
"The Guanglu Temple is responsible for your meals. In fact, the current Guanglu Temple Minister is nominally your second great uncle."
Marquis Chijian is the eldest son of the Xu family, and his second great uncle is Marquis Chijian's second brother.
The old marquis almost broke off relations with his two brothers in recent years. Ye Xiaoyuan knew something about it, but after thinking about it, he did not mention it to the young prince. It was too early to talk about it now.
Even if the diplomatic relations are severed again, they are still relatives of the young prince, and it is an assignment issued by the emperor himself, so the young prince will not be embarrassed openly.
"Is there anything else?" Qu Dubian asked in a low voice, "What about those people who said bad things about me?"
Ye Xiaoyuan was stunned, and met the young prince's eyes, "Your Highness..."
Qu Watanabe: "That day was very important to my mother. I didn't want them to say bad things about me that day. I think my mother would be unhappy if she heard it."
Ye Banban treated him like a child. She was worried about his emotions and would not tell him some things. If he wanted to get information, he could only do it in a roundabout way.
"Those people are talking nonsense. Your Highness must not take it seriously, understand?" Ye Xiaoyuan felt distressed. The subtle words still affected the little prince. He had to correct his own prince's wrong perception.
Ye Xiaoyuan said seriously, "Your Highness, just remember that you are the best child in the world, and the Queen will never dislike you."
"Those who say bad things about His Highness are the bad guys. The Director of the Astronomy Department was spanked by His Majesty a few days ago. He has been unable to get out of bed for several months and is recuperating at home. The person in charge of the Astronomy Department now is the Deputy Director... the one who gave His Highness the amulet last time."
"On the day of the ceremony... there is no need to go to the Astronomical Bureau, but the date is set by them."
Qu Duanbian fell into deep thought.
"Ye Banban, is the amulet that the deputy chief gave you last time still there?"
"Yes, I have been keeping it."
"Take it. I want to go and thank the deputy director."
Ye Xiaoyuan was surprised: "Your Highness is going to the Astronomy Department?"
Qu Watanabe: "Well, let's go now!"
Ye Xiaoyuan wanted to say something but stopped himself, but he had no resistance to Qu Dubian, so he tried to persuade him with a few words, then called Wen Xiaochun and a few palace servants to go to the Astronomical Observatory together.
It's not that he wants such a grand ceremony. The little prince is very easy to talk to most of the time, but sometimes he gets angry and even His Majesty can't beat him.
He was really worried that the situation would get out of control and a fight would break out.
What's the difference between this and kicking open the door of someone who is secretly cricketing behind your back?
-
Qu Dubian led seven or eight people and walked in front with his hands behind his back.
Unless he is extremely tired, he usually doesn't ask anyone to carry him around. His physical fitness is still poor and he needs to increase the amount of exercise.
Wen Xiaochun was quite helpless. The little prince was too independent and he had no place to use his strength.
When they were approaching the Observatory, they ran into a patrol team in front of them. The leader bowed and saluted. Although he had never seen the Seventh Prince, at this moment, the other princes were in school, and he was the only child who could wander around the palace with so many people without anyone supervising him.
After the patrol guard finished his salute, he looked up and glanced at the team behind the Seventh Prince. When his gaze fell on Wen Xiaochun, he suddenly exclaimed.
"etc."
Qu Watanabe looked up: "Hmm?"
The patrol guard bowed again and said, "The eunuch behind you looks familiar to me. I wonder if I can pull him over to take a look."
"Look familiar?" Qu Duan turned his head.
Wen Xiaochun stood there calmly with his head lowered, his palms slightly tightened.
He remembered that this was the patrol guard who checked his manure cart that night. It was dark at that time, and he had covered his mouth and nose with a dark blue cloth, so he should not have been discovered.
Ye Xiaoyuan frowned slightly, glanced over inconspicuously, and felt nervous.
Patrol Guard: "Yes, I have a good memory of people's figures. On the day of the fire in the Astronomy Department, I took a look and thought they looked a bit like me."
Wen Xiaochun exhaled, raised his head, and smiled: "Of course."
He just raised his foot when he heard a crisp voice: "Of course not!"
Qu Duanbian's face turned serious, and for the first time he acted like a prince, "Xiaochun is mine, if I don't agree, you can't watch."
Wen Xiaochun paused, and His Highness raised his hand to protect him, even though due to his stature, the short arm only reached his legs.
But it also protected him firmly.
【Name: Wen Xiaochun
Favorability: 50】
The patrol guard was embarrassed: "But..."
When Qu Duanbian heard the report that his favorability was increasing, he did not have time to be happy. His original intention was not to increase favorability, but he really wanted to protect it.
Seeing that the patrol guard was still insisting, he turned around and hugged Wen Xiaochun's legs, "Go quickly, I don't want you to see it. Xiaochun, don't be afraid."
Xiaochun only knows how to teach him Tai Chi, and he is bossed around by Ye Banban. Such a well-behaved person, doesn't he know if he is the murderer who burned down the Star Observatory?
He muttered to himself, could it be that someone wanted to cut off the people he trusted from him one by one, and then put some spies around him?
According to the routine of palace fighting dramas, if Xiaochun leaves this time, she may never come back.
"Since His Majesty the Seventh Prince is here, why don't you come in?"
Zhang Chansi came out of the main gate of the Astronomical Observatory and saluted Qu Dubian first, then said to the patrolling guard: "How dare you stop the prince and snatch the palace maids around him?"
The patrol guard was immediately shocked: "I dare not!"
Zhang Chansi said calmly, "Let's not talk about the fact that it is not the duty of your patrol team to investigate the murderer. Let's just say that the chief of my Astronomy Department has admitted that the fire was caused by his lying to His Majesty, and that's why he was punished. Do you want to refute the chief's words and confront him in front of the palace?"
The patrol guard was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and immediately bowed his hands: "I know I was wrong. Thank you for your advice. Your Highness, I have offended you just now. Please forgive me!"
Qu Watanabe waved his hand generously, "Let's go, it's so cold in winter."
The patrol guard then left with the people behind him.
A storm disappeared without a trace.
Qu Dubian let go of Wen Xiaochun's thighs, looked up and asked, "Huh? Did you guess that I would come?"
Zhang Chansi chuckled: "I know a little bit about the art of divination, and I can tell that a distinguished person is coming. Please come in, Your Highness."
She took Qu Watanabe into the Observatory.
Behind.
Ye Xiaoyuan glared at Wen Xiaochun, moved closer silently, and pinched the soft flesh on his waist viciously.
The latter knew he was in the wrong, so he hung his head even more and dared not say a word.
The most eye-catching thing in the Observatory is the stone tablet that was burned by fire. Although it has been cleaned, traces are still left.
Stargazing is not about spying on ghosts, gods, monsters or Buddhas; fortune telling is only about fortune and misfortune.
Sixteen large characters were printed on it like they were carved with a knife or an axe.
Qu Watanabe just felt it was ironic.
The Lord Si who was recuperating at home must have been involved in a lot of ghosts, gods, monsters and Buddhas. I don’t know how many people he had killed with these words.
The rest of the palace servants stayed outside the palace, and only Ye Xiaoyuan followed him into the palace.
There is a very unique tea room inside.
Zhang Chansi poured him a glass.
Qu Dubian sat in an untidy manner, cross-legged opposite her, and put his nose close to the teacup to smell it.
Well, it doesn’t smell as good as the tea from the Purple Palace.
His thoughts wandered, what to do, he felt like drinking milk tea.
"What do you want to ask me, Your Highness?"
Qu Dubian held his chin up and blinked, quite surprised that the deputy director did not treat him as a child, "Aren't you afraid that I won't understand?"
Zhang Chan thought: "Your Highness is very smart. I heard Master Fang mention this before."
Was the deputy chief's initial favorable impression of him due to guilt? Qu Watanabe decided to give it a try.
He leaned forward, grabbed Zhang Chansi's sleeve, and gently pulled it, and his tone became softer: "I want to ask, will my influence make the weather on the day of the Mother's Ceremony worse?"
"You..." Zhang Chansi was stunned.
The child in front of him said in a negotiating voice, "If so, can you change it for the better? I can use your Majesty's small incense burner, spices, delicious food, boots, jade rings... so much, I will give them all to you to change for good weather."
[Favorability +1]
Zhang Chansi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Even if the young prince dared to give it to her, she would not dare to accept it. She would be punished for any consequences. Then she sighed in her heart.
Although it was just childish words, she could feel that the Seventh Prince cared and valued his biological mother.
Zhang Chansi said seriously, "Don't worry, the Astronomical Observatory has checked several times, and it will definitely be sunny that day. And your highness, don't listen to the rumors from the outside world, the miasma will eventually dissipate."
Qu Watanabe took this to heart.
Does the deputy director mean that the evil power surrounding him will eventually disappear? There is no evidence now, but if this matter is really proven to be false, a mere director of the Stargazing Department cannot bear the wrath of the emperor.
That is a grave crime punishable by execution of the entire family.
Qu Dubian raised his head and met Zhang Chansi's clear eyes. He couldn't tell what the other person was thinking.
He just smiled and said, "Okay! Then I feel relieved."
After receiving the information that the Stargazing Department would not play tricks on that day, Qu Watanabe glanced at a few pieces of paper on the table and said, "Huh?"
It turned out to be a solid geometry problem. Words like "qiandu" and "yangma" came into his sight, and he immediately remembered the "Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art" that he had read in his previous life.
But this question is very simple. If you apply the formula correctly, you can solve it in three to five minutes.
Zhang Chansi's calm eyes were stirred, as if the fake person finally came to life, and the empty emotions came to reality, "Your Highness is interested in this?"
There was an undetectable excitement in her eyes, as if if Qu Dubian just said he was interested, she would tell him right then and there.
Qu Duanbian keenly sensed the key to conquering Zhang Chansi, and he asked tentatively: "...What if I say yes?"
Zhang Chansi's face instantly glowed, and the image of a calm and self-contained deputy director was shattered. She turned the small desk around and took out a pen from somewhere.
"Let me tell you about it!"
The Great Zhou never paid much attention to mathematics, and the princes had never been interested in it either, thinking it was a skill that only merchants and legal advisors needed to master.
But Zhang Chansi understood that astronomy and mathematics were all contained in these graphics and numbers!
It’s a pity that no one in the world would join her in exploring this treasure.
Zhang Chansi was helpless to see that the emperors of this and the next generation of the Great Zhou would be indifferent to this. However, if someone among the royal family was interested in this and spread the word, it would attract some students of the Great Zhou to study it.
The prince's liking for counting is very different from that of a mere deputy chief minister. It is of great benefit to the seventh prince to also like counting.
Paper exhibition!
Zhang Chansi was worried that she might scare away the little prince who was interested in mathematics and whom she had finally caught, so she forced herself to put on a gentle smile that was inconsistent with her personality.
"Your Highness, please listen."
The high-end tea room of the Stargazing Department instantly turns into a kindergarten's sunflower class.
Qu Dubian looked at the calculation problem similar to "one plus one equals two" on the paper, and thought of the geometry problem he had just solved halfway on the paper, and sighed inwardly.
Should he tell the deputy director that his level seemed good enough to be her teacher?
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