"Your Highness, shall we go in and take a look?"
"No, don't disturb the tutors giving the princes lessons." Song Xia stood by the window, listened for a while, and then sighed softly.
To be honest, she acknowledged the tutors' abilities, but what they taught was all rote memorization. It was obvious that they wanted to explain some things in detail, but then stopped, leaving the princes to figure it out themselves.
This is what happens when a powerful yet suspicious monarch causes his courtiers to become timid and hesitant, afraid to speak the truth or take concrete actions.
"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty the Empress." The Grand Tutor had already noticed Song Xia, so after having the princes read it silently, he came out to pay his respects.
"Grand Tutor, there's no need for formalities. I just came to visit the six princes since I had nothing else to do."
The Grand Tutor was a little nervous. Had the Empress noticed anything in his lecture? As the head of all officials and scholars, the Prime Minister was renowned for his talent even when the late Empress was still a young woman. Surely the current Empress was not illiterate.
"How are the princes' studies going?"
The Grand Tutor replied tactfully, "The princes are all exceptionally intelligent and never slack off."
Song Xia remained silent. If even the princes' studies were not discussed truthfully, and the Imperial Study was like this, then how tense must the previous dynasty be?
The Grand Tutor was also quite uneasy after he finished speaking, but then Song Xia said, "I appreciate the Grand Tutor's hard work in teaching me every day."
He bowed again and said, "It is my duty to instruct the prince; Your Majesty, please rest assured."
"I have faith in the Grand Tutor's knowledge, but the six princes are still young, and in my opinion, their temperaments seem a bit too profound."
The Grand Tutor dared not respond. He knew that the princes' current situation was not good, but who dared to interfere in royal matters? His Majesty was becoming more and more obsessed with elixirs and more and more suspicious each day, and he did not want the princes to stand out.
Song Xia also knew that it was useless to say so much to the Grand Tutor now. It was enough to let the Grand Tutor know these thoughts for the time being. As long as His Majesty did not relinquish power, these people would not dare to step out of the encirclement.
"What time do the princes come to the study? How long have they been attending classes?"
"Your Majesty, the First Prince, the Second Prince, and the Third Prince all start their classes at 5:00 AM, while the Fourth Prince, the Fifth Prince, and the Sixth Prince start at 7:00 AM."
Song Xia frowned: "Getting up this early every day? It's already past 1:45 AM, which means the eldest prince and the others have been studying for more than two hours? Have they taken any breaks in between?"
"There is a 15-minute handwashing time in between."
Song Xia gasped. More than four hours, with less than ten minutes of rest in between. Apart from listening to the Grand Tutor's lectures, he had been reading. Was this mental torture?
No wonder the princes aren't familiar with each other; how can they possibly have time to interact? They don't even have any activities, and their bodies will go to waste.
"The princes are still young, and it would be difficult for them to digest the lessons after listening to them for so long. Even the Grand Tutor himself finds it quite tiring to keep going."
The Grand Tutor lowered his head: "This was decided by His Majesty."
It's him again. Song Xia gritted her teeth. He's always pursuing immortality and enlightenment. Is he trying to drive the princes to their deaths? At such a young age, getting up so early and studying for so long, even washing his hands has a time limit. How can he grow up healthy? No wonder Xiao Jin looks so thin.
"If there is an opportunity, I will bring up the matter of the princes' class schedule with His Majesty."
"Your Majesty..." The Grand Tutor looked up in surprise, seemingly not expecting her to interfere in this matter. Considering His Majesty's temperament, he gently advised, "Your Majesty does not wish for anyone to question the decisions His Majesty has made."
“I know,” Song Xia said firmly. “But if even I don’t say anything, should I just stand by and watch them grow up in such a deformed way? They are the princes of Xuan Kingdom, the hope for the future of Xuan Kingdom. I hope they can all grow up strong and healthy.”
The Grand Tutor was filled with mixed emotions. If the Empress was sincere, perhaps she could really change the status quo. He hoped that the Empress was not like others, who only saw it as a means to seize power.
"What is Your Majesty the Empress doing?" Consort Li, who had rushed over, was panting heavily as she helped a palace maid, her expression extremely wary.
Song Xia simply looked at her indifferently, and then said calmly, "Consort Li, your makeup is ruined."
"What?" Consort Li was stunned, then felt extremely ashamed and indignant. The Empress only cared about this and didn't say a word about her question.
She knew the Empress had ulterior motives for coming. What had she just said to the Grand Tutor? What was she plotting? How dare she target her? What kind of skill is it to deal with the Emperor's son?
"Is Your Majesty concerned about my makeup, or are you afraid that I will find out about Your Majesty and the Grand Tutor's plans?"
“Consort Li, you don’t need to be so agitated. I am the Empress, and all six princes call me Mother. I only wish them well and will not harm them.”
Consort Li twitched her lips; she wouldn't believe a single word of what she was saying.
Consort Zhuang, who had just arrived, secretly rolled her eyes. The new empress was quite the actress and actor; she could actually say such things.
"What were Consort Li and the Empress talking about?" Consort Zhuang tried to appear calm, then nodded to the Grand Tutor. "Grand Tutor, are you well? I wonder if Ming'er was paying attention in class?"
"Your Highness Consort Zhuang, the Second Prince is always striving for excellence, and even His Majesty often praises him."
Consort Zhuang nodded proudly. This was precisely what she was most proud of. Whenever His Majesty reprimanded the eldest prince, he would say that the eldest prince was not as good as her Ming'er. This showed how outstanding Ming'er was and how important she was to His Majesty. How could she not be tempted by that position?
"It is thanks to the Grand Tutor's diligent guidance that Ming'er has achieved what he has today."
"Your humble servant is unworthy of such praise. All the princes are taught in the same way; it all depends on the princes' own intelligence."
"My son Zhen'er is often praised by His Majesty. Last time, he even bestowed upon him a fine jade disc as a reward. Grand Tutor, you have gone to great lengths." When Consort Li heard Consort Zhuang say this, she quickly began to boast about the third prince she had given birth to, afraid that others would spread rumors that the third prince was not as good as the second prince.
After saying that, the two looked at Song Xia. Consort Li said gloatingly, "Speaking of which, His Majesty seems to have never praised the eldest prince in public. However, it is normal that the eldest prince could not focus on his studies after losing his mother. Now that the Empress has entered the palace, with you, his aunt, supervising him, the eldest prince's studies will definitely improve by leaps and bounds in the future."
Song Xia glanced at her indifferently, her voice neither humble nor arrogant, neither annoyed nor angry: "As the eldest son of the legitimate wife, the First Prince is a role model for all the princes. It is normal for His Majesty to have high expectations for him."
Consort Zhuang and Consort Li, upon hearing this, felt that she was deliberately provoking them, and then pretended to be calm.
What high demands? Who doesn't know that His Majesty genuinely dislikes the First Prince?
Moreover, how can the eldest prince compare to the other princes? His Majesty has asked the eldest prince about his studies in front of everyone more than once, and each time he stammers and can't give a clear answer. It's a wonder that she can still be so self-righteous now. She will be embarrassed one day in the future.
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