The fake academic failure Ninth Prince: "..."
Qi Qi began to persuade him: "Actually, I only know arithmetic. I can't understand or learn other subjects, so Your Highness, you should study hard. That way, if I don't manage things well in the future, you can teach me. Didn't you say you would let me manage the treasury? I'm afraid I'll squander all the money... If you learn, you can earn more money to support your family."
"And martial arts, you must learn that. If you're not healthy, you won't have the strength to make a revolution. You can play whatever you want and eat whatever you want later."
The Ninth Prince rolled his eyes.
"This prince has more money than he can spend, why would he need to earn money to support his family? Martial arts, on the other hand, might be something I could consider."
Qi Qi chose to shut up and then looked at him without saying a word.
Her big eyes blinked.
After watching for two minutes, the Ninth Prince couldn't take it anymore: "What are you doing? Don't look at me like that!"
Qi Qi remained silent.
The Ninth Prince remained silent until the school bell rang.
He reluctantly managed to squeeze out, "I can learn, you can learn too."
Qi Qi: Actually, I just wanted him to learn kung fu so he could run away later. I didn't expect this unexpected surprise.
Qi Qi said solemnly, "Then you must study hard."
They're all good friends. If there's a chance in the future, remind him to run away so he doesn't become a victim of the male lead's blade.
After lunch, Chen Dianji and I chatted for a while before both of us fell into a deep sleep on the second floor. The newly made mat was made of extremely thin fabric, and I didn't know what it was filled with. It wasn't as hot as a regular mat, but when I got up, my forehead was still inevitably covered in sweat.
Afternoon classes were moved indoors.
They practiced boxing and archery indoors, without a track, but Qi Qi knew that even if they didn't practice riding, horses from the stables would still be sent over in preparation.
Stables were set up in the training ground outside, and the stables were also hot, so they could only stand in the corners to avoid the heat. When it got really hot, some people would suffer from heatstroke.
The indoors was much better. To prevent the princes from getting too hot, ice basins were set up, and the pageboys stood to the side fanning them. They all said that they were using ice basins so early this year, and that this summer would probably be difficult.
The afternoon classes are five hours long.
Qi Qi also had some pastries in his bag to bribe Gu Siyan. He and the Ninth Prince made an excuse to check on the horses and slipped out of the indoor training ground.
Outside, several stable boys and stewards were chatting animatedly, while Gu Siyan leaned to one side, not joining them.
A major event occurred at the racecourse today.
For breakfast, they surprisingly served fragrant, soft, and hot coarse flour buns, each the size of a fist, one for each person. Before, all they had was a bowl of thin, watery porridge made from corn or brown rice, which at most filled them up with water. How could that satisfy hunger in the horse farm where they did heavy labor? Slaves didn't receive a monthly allowance, unlike others who could buy some food to tide them over. Several people fainted from hunger every day and almost stole horse feed. Everyone suffered from stomach problems.
Moreover, the lunch was no longer a mushy mess or spoiled coarse flour buns; instead, it was a choice between coarse flour steamed buns and sweet potato rice. Since everyone was often hungry and had small stomachs, this food was enough to fill them up to about 70%! There were also radishes and greens with oil on them, and each person got a small spoonful!
Everyone at the horse farm can eat this! Slaves and stewards alike get the same! You know, there's a drought outside, and the palace has already made preparations. Vegetables and such are prioritized for the nobles; the common folk are lucky to even have some scraps of vegetables to eat.
The transition was made directly from pig feed to human food.
Good heavens, what a day this is! It's so wonderful! The slaves are almost crying with joy as they eat, wondering if this is their last meal before they're taken away to be beheaded...
It was only after the steward explained that they learned it was an order from above, saying that someone had gained favor with the higher-ups and had their food rations improved, which was why they were eating so well.
This unprovoked act of kindness immediately sparked gossip among the crowd, who had been trying to find out who it was for most of the day... Moreover, everyone guessed that the person was probably a slave, because the manager emphasized that slaves ate the same food as everyone else.
Gu Siyan is a lone wolf. He is proud and doesn't care about social status. He won't easily befriend just anyone, especially since he lives in a place where everyone is starving and their minds are empty except for work.
He looked down on people who had no self-respect or brains. Others looked down on him and would often scold him for pretending to be something he'd never seen before, saying they were all slaves and shouldn't act superior.
He's been here for several years, but he hasn't made any friends. He's been in quite a few fights, though. The Gu family is away fighting wars all year round, so he has very few acquaintances in the capital. Even if they are acquaintances, they're afraid of getting into trouble, so they never come to see him. Instead, there are quite a few people who kick him when he's down.
He was not the first person in the Great Xia Dynasty to fall from the position of crown prince to slave, but he was certainly the one most desired to rebel against the Xia Dynasty.
Just as he was lost in thought, someone nudged him from the side. Gu Siyan was about to become alert when several stable boys and stewards beside him gave him a knowing smile and gestured forward with their mouths: "Little Gu, the young eunuch has come to play with you again."
Gu Siyan subconsciously looked towards the entrance of the indoor training ground and saw the little eunuch waving at him, his round face beaming with a bright smile, his sparkling eyes curving into crescent moons.
Gu Siyan was actually a little impatient. He was puzzled and didn't know why this little eunuch kept coming to talk to him. He didn't care about this kindness at all. Who knew if it was true or false, and what he was after?
"Is it him?"
"Right? He's the only slave who gets to talk to the eunuch every day..."
"That jade pendant is no ordinary item..."
The whispers were quite loud, and Gu Siyan was nudged in that direction by the steward: "The young master is calling you, hurry up and go."
Gu Siyan had no choice but to lead Taxue over. Outside, under the long eaves, Taxue lay down on the ground, feeling hot. Qi Qi patted the horse's head and said, "Hey, I called you, I didn't ask you to bring Taxue."
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