Gu Zhixing has fallen behind in too many courses over the years, and now the only way to pass the monthly exam is to resort to this "forced growth" method.
"Still need to learn?" Gu Zhixing looked out the window. It was already dark, and the afterglow of the sunset shone on the window frame, making it look exceptionally peaceful.
Logically speaking, this should be the time to have dinner and rest, but Shen Jintang's words made him realize that the so-called study did not seem to be over.
But isn't this the way to learn?
Is this teacher very expensive?
Even if it's expensive, can it exhaust his entire fortune?
Can't we study anymore tomorrow?
Seeing Gu Zhixing's puzzled and reluctant expression, Shen Jintang smiled slightly and said in a gentle tone, "I forgot to tell His Highness about your upcoming mission."
Her voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable firmness.
"A mission?" Gu Zhixing was taken aback, looked up, his eyes full of doubt.
Shen Jintang nodded and continued, "The task of reading begins today, so today we have arranged for you to study 'The Great Learning,' 'The Doctrine of the Mean,' 'The Analects,' and 'Mencius.' Mr. Lu just taught you 'The Analects: Wei Zheng,' which is the second chapter of 'The Analects.'"
She paused, seemingly waiting for Gu Zhixing's reaction.
Gu Zhixing frowned, feeling somewhat dissatisfied, but still patiently listened to Shen Jintang continue: "Given that you just angered Mr. Lu, you will have to make up for the remaining lessons tomorrow."
She seemed to be stating something perfectly ordinary.
"Oh, right, there are tasks for tomorrow as well. Tomorrow's tasks are the Book of Poetry, the Book of Documents, the Book of Rites, the Book of Changes, and the Spring and Autumn Annals. So you can only squeeze out time during your meal tomorrow to listen to the Master finish explaining the Analects."
Shen Jintang's voice was unhurried, but Gu Zhixing became more and more alarmed as he listened.
"The tasks for the day after tomorrow are the Zizhi Tongjian, the Book of Han, and the Zuo Zhuan..."
"Wait, wait a minute, there are so many books, how can I possibly read them all?"
Gu Zhixing finally couldn't help but interrupt Shen Jintang, his voice filled with anxiety and unease.
He looked at Shen Jintang with a bewildered expression, as if asking her, "How is this possible?"
Shen Jintang smiled slightly, her tone still calm: "Your Highness, you should know that the teacher is the one who works the hardest when lecturing. You are at your most relaxed now, you just need to listen and understand."
She paused for a moment, then continued, "You will only be tired after the teacher finishes his lecture. At that time, you will need to take the oral exam, copy the classics, write calligraphy, compose poems and essays, and then the teacher will test your teaching. Only when you meet the teacher's standards can you be considered to have completed the course."
Gu Zhixing was somewhat bewildered, feeling an invisible pressure slowly pressing down on him.
Shen Jintang had already arranged a schedule for him: "I have also arranged the time for His Highness. He should sleep at midnight and get up at dawn. All three meals a day should be simple. I have calculated that the teacher can finish the lecture by focusing on the key points."
Gu Zhixing was still somewhat resistant, feeling that this was an impossible task.
Shen Jintang seemed to see through Gu Zhixing's thoughts and said, "Whether they can finish speaking is their ability; whether the young master wants to listen is the young master's attitude."
"Your Highness, what do you say?" Shen Jintang looked at Gu Zhixing with a smile, a smile like a spring breeze, but it made Gu Zhixing feel cold sweat running down his back, as if he were in an ice cellar.
He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing, then turned and walked outside, his steps unsteady, as if he were walking on cotton, with no support.
"Your Highness?" Shen Jintang called softly.
"I'm not leaving. Go and serve the meal!"
Gu Zhixing's steps did not falter, but his words seemed to freeze in the air, carrying a hint of resolute determination.
After he walked out the door, Gu Zhixing felt his legs go weak and he could barely stand. The exhaustion was even more unbearable than when he had just been in a fight and was waiting for trial.
He leaned against the door frame, breathing heavily, feeling a tightness in his chest, as if a huge rock was pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.
Offending a woman can have serious consequences.
As Gu Zhixing's figure gradually disappeared through the doorway, the smile on Shen Jintang's face vanished instantly, like spring flowers suddenly withering, leaving only desolation.
A hint of sadness flashed across her face, her fingers curled slightly, clenched together, her knuckles turning white, as if she had poured all her emotions into her tightly clenched fists.
"Young Master, I am incompetent and failed to protect the Second Young Master."
Liu Huo knelt down to beg for forgiveness, his expression revealing a hint of self-reproach and guilt.
Xing Hui turned and went out to keep watch, his figure disappearing into the shadows as he warily scanned his surroundings.
Even though she already knew about this, the mention of it again still made Shen Jintang's heart clench, and the pain was so intense that she could hardly breathe.
She closed her eyes slightly, exhaled a breath of stale air, and tried to calm her chaotic emotions. After a long while, she slowly spoke: "It's not your fault. I should have realized that, given his temperament, he would rather die than leave."
Upon hearing this, Liu Huo felt even more ashamed and remorseful, his heart filled with self-blame.
He not only betrayed the young master's trust and failed to rescue the second young master, but he was also captured himself, and even dragged the young master into having to curry favor with a纨绔子弟 (a spoiled, dissolute young man).
How could his and Xinghui's lives be worth the young master having to lower himself to coax a good-for-nothing who can't even read a few words?
"Young Master, let's return to Youzhou, gather the remaining troops, and rebel against this incompetent dynasty!" Liu Huo's voice was filled with resentment and unwillingness, and his eyes seemed to burn with flames.
King You was loyal throughout his life, but he was framed by villains and accused of treason, ultimately leading to the destruction of his family and the death of his people.
Furthermore, given the young master's abilities, he shouldn't have to suffer such humiliation, forced to live here as a maidservant to a纨绔 (a spoiled, dissolute young man).
Upon hearing this, Shen Jintang's eyes instantly turned sharp as knives, and a chilling aura swept over Liu Huo, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
"Since when did it become your place to tell me how to do things?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority, as if it were squeezed out from between her teeth, each word like a heavy hammer striking Liu Huo's heart.
"You wouldn't dare!"
Liu Huo immediately knelt down, pressing his head firmly against the cold ground, his back stiff, not daring to move an inch, feeling cold sweat pouring down his back, soaking his clothes.
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