Qingchen stood up, rubbed his cold and sore knees, straightened his robe, and stepped into the main hall.
Zhu Yulu sat in a grand chair in the study, a cup of hot tea and his gold necklace on the table beside him. His right hand rested on the armrest of the chair, palm up, fingers slightly curled, holding the handful of snow that Qingchen had sent him.
The snow melted some of the heat from the heating in the room, and glistening snow water dripped down between his fingers.
Wang Lishun was worried that his hands would get cold, so he found a dry cloth to wipe them for him, but he gripped it even tighter and shook his head, saying, "I'm not cold."
Qingchen thought to himself, "He's quite a sentimental kid."
Zhu Yuluo's gaze fell on Qingchen, and after a long while, he spoke calmly, "How do you know that I, the Crown Prince, will definitely see you?"
Qingchen lowered his head slightly and said calmly, "His Highness the Crown Prince misses his mother dearly. Upon hearing the poem related to Empress Chen and seeing this snow, he will surely be curious about how I know it and will summon me to the palace to inquire."
His thoughts had been exposed, and he couldn't help but raise his head. His handsome face, which was not yet fully developed, had dark eyes. "How did you know that I was thinking about the Empress Dowager?"
"Your Highness was just standing outside the main hall, facing the wind and gazing northwest. The direction you were looking in was the Kunning Palace, where Empress Chen once lived," Qingchen said slowly, his gentle tone showing respect for the deceased. "Moreover, Your Highness was holding this gold necklace. This necklace is too small; it can only be worn by children under five years old. It also has a longevity lock hanging on it, which must have been a gift from Empress Chen to Your Highness. Therefore, I think Your Highness must be thinking of your birth mother, Empress Chen."
Zhu Yulu pursed her lips, her slightly lowered eyebrows partially obscuring her eyes, watching the snow in her hand melt into water little by little, becoming less and less.
After a moment of silence, he looked up at her. He hadn't expected that a mere glance from afar, a choker, would allow the person before him to guess his thoughts. This person possessed such keen observation and a delicate heart.
"Then why that particular line of poetry?"
"'But it enters the empty nest, chirping sadly all night long.' This is from Bai Juyi's 'Swallow Poem,' which speaks of filial piety and reincarnation. I have read some records of Hanlin officials lecturing to Your Highness, and Your Highness mentioned this poem twice. Therefore, I guess this poem must hold a great place in Your Highness's heart."
Qingchen looked at his face as he slowly drifted into memories and continued, "I have consulted the 'Veritable Records of the Ming Dynasty' and learned that Your Highness suffered a serious illness when you were young. Empress Chen cared for you tirelessly day and night until Your Highness finally recovered. Empress Chen loved Your Highness very much and was also afraid of losing you, so she poured her love into this poem and taught Your Highness to recite this 'Yan Poem'. Your Highness is pure-hearted and filial, and you must often think of Empress Chen, which is why you couldn't help but mention this poem."
Upon hearing this, Wang Lishun's expression changed slightly. He hadn't expected that someone who had only been promoted three days ago would know so much about the Crown Prince, and he was caught off guard.
Crown Prince Zhu Yuluo lost his mother at a young age, and his father, Zhu Rui, neglected him, leaving him deeply lonely. The Cining Palace was vast, and many served him, but few truly cared about the young man's inner world. In the cold palace, he was the Crown Prince, the heir apparent, and many coveted and schemed for his position, forcing him to mature prematurely and confront the complexities of human relationships far too early. Yet, deep down, he remained a child who had lost his mother.
Qingchen's words struck a chord with him. Because of this, the distance between the two was bound to shrink.
The boy in the yellow dragon robe raised his head and looked at his teacher, who was ten years older than him. "Then how do you know that the Empress Dowager loved snow and had this handful of snow sent in? The Empress Dowager... has been gone for many years, and many people don't know that."
“Your Highness, I was formerly a junior official in the Hanlin Academy, where I assisted the compilers in revising books. I had the privilege of participating in the revision of the Veritable Records of Empress Chen. I know that Empress Chen loved snow the most during her lifetime, and she even told Your Highness that if she were to pass away one day, she hoped that Your Highness would offer a tribute of white snow. Unfortunately, she left us in the summer.”
Qingchen continued, “People’s preferences often reveal their inner selves. Snowflakes are pure, crystal clear, sacred and inviolable. Empress Chen is the same, with a kind and pure heart. Your Highness loves your mother, so you also love snow. At last year’s birthday banquet, you composed a poem called ‘Lament for Snow’.”
Zhu Yulu listened quietly, the snow in her hand having completely melted.
The person before me had a clear and gentle voice, a mild expression, a slightly red nose from kneeling outside the hall for a while, and clear and sincere eyes.
He had always believed that she had caught the Emperor's eye and obtained four positions because of the Xu faction, because she was adept at opportunism and flattery. He had grown up in the Forbidden City, at the heart of the political vortex, and had seen far too many people like her, both in the court and the harem.
But he had never seen a scheming person who could both attach himself to Xu's faction and calmly and seriously study so many volumes, and even remember an ordinary poem that Xu had mentioned.
Thinking of this, Zhu Yulu frowned, a hint of confusion appearing in her slightly childish eyes, and she pursed her red lips.
Could it be that the rumors are inaccurate, and he's misunderstood this person? But Wang Lishun also said that this person has always been closely associated with Xu's faction, and Xu Silin even forced him to apologize to her, which so many people witnessed...
Zhu Yulu couldn't understand it. He just felt that this minister who would be with him for a long time was a little different from those he had encountered before. But he couldn't quite put his finger on what was different.
"You may leave. I am tired and need to rest."
"Yes." Qingchen replied, taking out three booklets from his bag and placing them on the table beside him.
Zhu Yuluo glanced at it. "What is this?"
"A picture book about filial piety. For Your Highness to relax in your leisure time."
As the crown prince, Zhu Yuluo's childhood was unlike that of ordinary children. Because he would inherit the throne, his life was filled with activity; he had to study numerous classics and national policies every day, and stay informed about world events. Since his mother died early, he had no powerful relatives to rely on, and Consort Zheng had given birth to the fifth prince, requiring him to exert even more effort. Therefore, this child was usually very tired.
Constant pressure is detrimental to his mental health; he needs proper relaxation. The record also shows that the child rarely smiles. Therefore, she brought the "Calabash Brothers" cartoon she had shown Lin Yu.
Zhu Yuluo flipped open the comic she had drawn and was immediately attracted by the fresh drawing style and the content. After looking at it for a while, she asked, "Did you draw this?"
Qingchen nodded.
Why does this woman have a snake's tail?
"Because she is a snake spirit."
"Is she a good person or a bad person?"
"Your Highness, you'll find out as you read on..."
Wang Lishun's expression grew increasingly grim as he watched Zhu Yulu's focused expression while reading the comics.
Qingchen couldn't worry about all that. All she knew was that Zhu Rui trusted her and had entrusted her with the task of mentoring the crown prince of the country, so she would do her best to fulfill her duties.
A few days later, Feng Qingchen took a day off.
She accepted Song Yue's invitation to spend the Lunar New Year at his home, so he suggested that they go shopping for New Year's goods together. The agreed-upon day was today.
Before that, Qingchen sent a letter to Shen Qian, saying that she would be able to go to teach later so that he wouldn't have to wait for her.
It snowed last night and stopped at dawn. When Qingchen opened the door this morning, she saw that the eaves and courtyard were covered with snow, and the bare branches were also covered with white, which shimmered in the sunlight. Although it was a bit cold, the weather was very clear, and cotton-white clouds floated in the pale blue sky.
She had just settled her father in and swept the snow in the yard when Song Yue's carriage arrived, even earlier than the agreed time.
As soon as Song Yue got out of the car, she spotted a figure sweeping snow in the courtyard. She was wearing a green cotton robe with a cloth belt around her waist, and the white collar of her undergarment was visible at her neck, making her look elegant and simple.
After sweeping the snow, Shen Qingchen straightened up and breathed a sigh of relief, just in time to see Song Yue not far away. His tall figure was bathed in sunlight, casting a long, pale shadow on the snow.
The two looked at each other for a moment, then Song Yue waved to her, "Let's go!"
The carriage started moving, bouncing along, and soon arrived at the market. So fast that the two barely had time to exchange a few words. Song Yue asked Qingchen about her work at the Eastern Palace, and Qingchen gave a brief answer before asking, "Is Teacher still so busy lately?" Song Yue replied, "Yes."
Then Qingchen said, "You're busy, but you still have time to buy New Year's goods." After thinking about it, she didn't ask.
The market was bustling with activity.
The shops along the street were filled with New Year's goods, piled high with a dazzling array of items, most of which were wrapped in red paper, creating a vast expanse of festive red as far as the eye could see.
There were also many porters and mule drivers, whose baskets and carts were full of everything: chicken, duck, fish, meat, grains, pastries, fruits, couplets, paper-cut window decorations, lanterns, firecrackers... you name it.
The snow on the roadside was so thick it reached above the knees, but the street was bustling with people, filled with the joy of the upcoming New Year, so it didn't feel cold at all.
Shen Qingchen followed Song Yue into the market, and the crowded throng quickly brought them together, leaving almost no distance between them. His carriage slowly followed behind them.
He usually walks quickly, but today he slowed down considerably, carefully browsing the streets. After walking for a while, he turned to the side and asked, "What did you usually buy for the New Year in previous years?"
Qingchen was always short of money and couldn't afford much. "I'll buy some meat, vegetables, and red paper," she said. That was all. She bought very little meat, cooking only a small amount for each meal, and the meat was already quite delicious.
"Red paper?"
"...I use it to write couplets."
Song Yue's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at her, "Your handwriting..."
She was a little embarrassed, "My writing isn't very good, but not many people read it anyway."
I'll write it for you this year.
She paused for a moment.
His calligraphy is so exquisite, and given his position as a high-ranking official, his works are likely to be carefully treasured by others. Now that he wants to give her a couplet, should she put it on her door?
If you paste them on the door, they will be exposed to wind and rain; but if you don't paste them, the couplets lose their original meaning...
I'm a bit conflicted.
The two walked to a general store. Song Yue stopped, asked the shopkeeper to wrap some red paper, and then picked up some paper-cut window decorations to look at. "Let's pick some paper-cut window decorations."
Qingchen nodded. "Okay."
Many designs were displayed on the counter. Qingchen saw him first pick up a design of "Five Sons Passing the Imperial Examination," featuring five smiling, adorable children. Then he picked up a design of "Immortal Children Holding Peaches," also beautifully cut. After that came a shepherd boy riding an ox, a family reunion… each design featured children.
She thought he would choose something like the Three Friends of Winter or the Four Gentlemen.
Qingchen watched him pick out paper-cut window decorations. His handsome face glowed slightly in the sunlight, and he looked extremely serious as he pondered the decorations.
He finished picking, selecting many and placing them aside, then turned to her and asked, "Have you chosen?"
"Hmm." She just grabbed a few at random.
"Look at these I picked, aren't they good?"
"It's fine." As long as the paper-cut window decorations aren't badly cut, they're not hard to spot.
Song Yue nodded and continued picking out other things. After looking at them for a while, he pointed to a dark-colored incense burner and asked her, "Do you like this one?"
Qingchen thought that his study was already dark and gloomy, and it would be better to add some brightness, so he pointed to another one with light green geometric patterns and said, "I think this one is better."
He glanced in the direction she pointed and asked the shopkeeper to bring it over. "Does this look good?"
"Hmm...it's better than the one before."
He nodded. "Then I'll buy this one."
Later, Song Yue saw a velvet mat and asked Qingchen, "Is this mat alright?"
Qingchen examined the cushion; it was earthen yellow, embroidered with a black thrush, but the bird's eyes were made of red silk... It really wasn't very pretty.
His taste is really getting better and better...
She couldn't help but pick up another one and put it in his hand, "That one isn't quite right for you. I think this one with the bamboo pattern is better."
He picked up both and examined them carefully, comparing them meticulously. He seemed puzzled as to where his aesthetic sense had gone wrong after the incense holder.
The shopkeeper smiled and pointed at Qingchen, saying, "This young man has excellent taste. Many people say that this mat is the best-looking one here."
Song Yue nodded, finally putting down his yellowish-brown thrush, and pointed to the one Qingchen had picked out, saying, "I want this one."
Qingchen couldn't help but smile slightly, then asked, "Shopkeeper, how much are these red paper, window decorations, incense holders, and cushions in total?"
The shopkeeper quickly calculated the amount and gave a price. Qingchen then took out her purse, ready to pay. In previous years, she didn't have enough money to buy New Year's goods, but this year she received a reward from Zhu Rui, which was enough to buy these things.
Song Yue watched her actions quietly, and before she placed the silver on the counter, he finally couldn't help but grab her wrist. "What are you doing?"
Qingchen smiled and said, "Since we're spending the New Year at your house, I should be the one to buy the New Year's goods."
Song Yue looked at him quietly, and after a moment said calmly, "These are the things I want to buy. Why are you paying for them? Are you trying to keep the Grand Secretary as a mistress?"
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