2. Prince
The matter of the second prince was settled. Yun Zhihe was exhausted and wrote a letter to advise the prime minister's son not to be stubborn and to act cautiously.
His handwriting was elegant and beautiful, but his words were not flattering. It seemed that one could still see that he was gentle and decent in front of outsiders, but in the next moment he became too proud of her.
"He has such a bad temper and you still help to speak well of him. I won't suffer any loss."
"If you make me angry, I will tell them all about your ugly childhood and let them see that Madam Yun, the most beautiful lady in the capital, was also a fool when she was young."
One can seem to see his aggressive look in the letter.
At the end of the letter, he drew a cute little fox and said, "The little fox is living a good life now."
He was a talented man in the capital, the only son of the prime minister, a lady from a prominent family, and countless scholars and writers wanted to marry him. But no one could have imagined that he, who was famous for his elegance and clarity, was like this in private.
Yun Zhihe's eyes were filled with smile as he flipped through the letter. The pen at his fingertips fell, sketching a chubby little boy holding a furry little fox. The expression on the boy's face was also angry.
This thing...
Um?
Yun Zhihe was stunned by the sight, but also found it cute. Perhaps it was called a Q version? He paused for a moment, but didn't take it seriously.
These things are inexplicably natural and not worth being surprised about.
She always felt that there was something different about herself since she was a child, but she couldn't figure out what it was.
"Madam Yun... His Majesty is calling you over."
When he came to his senses, it was Eunuch Li who came to deliver the oral instructions. He was very respectful and did not announce it or scold Yun Zhihe loudly for his distraction. Instead, he waited with a smile.
Yun Zhihe quickly agreed to apologize, asked Azhi to pick up the piano and followed.
Everyone in the palace knows that His Majesty is pleased with her piano skills. Her skills are extraordinary and her melodies can soothe people's hearts. State affairs are complicated and His Majesty is wise, so she is happy to share his worries.
Moreover, for many years, she has been raised by His Majesty himself, and he has long regarded her as an elder worthy of respect. It is really not easy for Your Majesty to govern the country as a man.
When Xuanyuan Ying saw her coming, he waived his greetings. He was a man with a calm and noble temperament. He picked up the pen to write a memorial and chatted softly.
"Jinniang, you don't need to play the zither today." His voice was clear and light, and he changed the subject and said, "I heard that you want to... take the imperial examination?"
Jin was her nickname, which was chosen by Xuanyuan Ying himself. It means fine clothes and delicious food, glory and wealth, swearing to the people of the world his preferential treatment of his loyal subjects.
Yun Zhihe nodded. She didn't want to hide anything. The imperial examination had been the way for women to make a fortune since ancient times, but the imperial examination she was talking about was not a one-level examination. The Ling Dynasty stipulated that disciples in the capital could directly take the Jinshi examination.
"I have long thought of arranging for you to serve as an official in the imperial court. Jinniang is extremely talented, so there is no need to go through all those formalities."
Yun Zhihe is a talented woman in Beijing, and her literary attainments are also among the best among her peers.
Xuanyuan Ying looked at the girl, who was as clear and bright as the moon, with a cold and slightly gentle look at the end of her eyes. Her skin was as white as jade and her temperament was as elegant as pine trees. She was worthy of the saying, "Zi Yan is unique and there is no one like her in the world."
She only answered softly, her voice clear and bright.
"I have lofty ambitions and seek peace of mind. Mother must want me to excel in the examinations. How can a woman, in her conduct, use kindness to blackmail others?"
"This humble servant seeks peace of mind. I not only want your Majesty's approval, but also the approval of the world."
She seemed to be completely unafraid that the person in front of her was an emperor who could decide life and death with just one word, and she bluntly rejected Xuanyuan Ying's arrangement.
Xuanyuan Ying paused with the tip of his pen, letting the ink smear on the paper.
It was rare for him to smile. At this moment, he raised his head, the corners of his lips slightly raised, and a smile appeared in his usually dark and deep eyes. He said.
"I underestimated Jinniang's lofty ambitions."
"Jinniang's teacher, Madam Huayin, has fallen ill. I'm afraid she won't be able to teach you in the near future. You will go to the Grand Tutor and share your teachership with the Crown Prince."
Yun Zhihe paused, his eyes filled with joy.
It was rare for her to show her joy. Madam Huayin was a famous teacher in the capital, and the position of her disciple was hard to come by. She particularly appreciated Yun Zhihe, but he had recently fallen ill and was unable to teach, which worried her.
Who is the Grand Tutor? Madam Fu Ya, the foremost of the Ya family, whose literary attainments are unmatched. It would be a great honor to seek even a little guidance from her.
She smiled and thanked him. Because of her joy, her breathing became a little faster and her face was slightly red. She looked at Xuanyuan Ying with her eyes curved, and her voice was light.
Xuanyuan Ying paused, and added another stroke of ink to his writing. His voice was slightly hoarse, and he lowered his eyes to continue reviewing the memorials.
He considered for a long time before asking.
"I heard that you and the Second Prince agreed to go to the West Market?"
West Market is where caravans from the Western Regions trade with the Central Plains. It is located at the west gate of the capital and is very prosperous. She has already asked someone to reserve the little black panther and is only waiting to go with the Second Prince to claim it in a few days.
Although she didn't know how it reached Xuanyuan Ying's ears, she still answered respectfully.
"I offended the Second Prince half a month ago, so I went to the West Market and ordered a little black panther to apologize to the Second Prince."
Xuanyuan Ying's pen tip stopped moving, and he pursed his lips before speaking.
"He has a bad temper and is very reckless. If you have any questions, just tell me and I will take care of it for you."
Yun Zhihe paused, and for some reason he heard a hint of hostility in His Majesty's words, as if he didn't like the Second Prince very much.
Although they were not related by blood, they always called him "Father". Normally, they were a loving father and a filial son. No one knew how something went wrong.
But Yun Zhihe did not dare to speculate on the emperor's intentions, so he just lowered his head in response.
Xuanyuan Ying opened his mouth as if he wanted to ask something, then he frowned and pursed his lower lip.
"...Grind the ink for me."
Yun Zhihe walked forward, happy that he was going to be taught by Madam Fu Ya. There was a smile in the corners of his eyes, and he ground the ink block in his hand with great skill. His every move was full of gentleness.
Xuanyuan Ying couldn't help but feel relieved. When his eyes met Yun Zhihe's, he smiled at him gently and was very polite.
Madam Xiaoyun is like the hazy bright moon in the clouds, a wild crane flying across the sky, with the mountain moon as her pillow and thin dew as her quilt, and even her smile is otherworldly.
The sunlight is hazy and clear, and the years are peaceful.
Although there are not many nobles in the palace, it is difficult to calculate the accounts.
The current emperor Xuanyuan Ying was the second Queen Phoenix of the late emperor, and also the nephew of the previous Queen Phoenix. Following the family mission, she married the elderly late emperor at the age of fifteen.
The third prince was the child of the late Empress Feng. The world had changed its surname to Xuanyuan, and among the three princes, only the third prince had the blood of the late emperor and the Xuanyuan family. He immediately won the hearts of the old and new ministers, and was named the crown prince because of his pure blood.
The old ministers supported him because he was of the Qin family's bloodline. Even though he was a man, there was not much obstacle when he was named the crown prince. Instead, everyone supported him.
It's much better than letting the Xuanyuan family's side branch get a bargain.
Some people had a plan: once the man who crowed at dawn died, the third prince would be young and incapable, and if he gave birth to a princess of the orthodox Qin family bloodline, then the Qin family would rightfully rule the world again.
Xuanyuan Ying naturally knew what those people were thinking. He went along with the decision and had the third prince named the crown prince. Naturally, he had his own plans.
He was extremely strict with the third prince. Although he was not yet of marriageable age, he was busier than some princesses in history.
When he was named crown prince, his surname was changed from Qin He to Xuanyuan He.
Yun Zhihe also seldom sees the prince often. In the past few years, Xuanyuan He has had almost no rest time. However, when he was a child, the boy who was much younger than her often ran to the corner and cried, and could fall asleep in her arms while sobbing.
She arrived at the Prince's Eastern Palace early, and was eager to see Madam Fu Ya.
Madam Fu Ya, such a highly respected person, was given such an important task as teaching the Crown Prince, so naturally she rarely appeared in the capital.
It's a rare opportunity to meet her, and now Yun Zhihe is going to be taught by her personally, so you can imagine how excited he is.
The last time I saw Xuanyuan He was at a palace banquet. The two of them just bowed and nodded in response, and didn't say much. It seemed like they hadn't had a good conversation for a long time and had become strangers.
It was still very early. As soon as Yun Zhihe entered, she saw the prince sitting at his desk, reviewing his textbook with an upright posture. When he saw her coming, he raised his eyes, glanced at her, and then lowered them, exempting her from the salute.
Looking at it this way, his temperament is similar to Xuanyuan Ying's, calm, dignified and introverted, but she still vaguely remembers that when he was a child, he always cried convulsively, his little face couldn't hide his emotions, he was delicate and tearful, but when he cried, he didn't look like a lady from a noble family, with tears and snot all the time.
The boy's figure has not yet fully grown, but he is extremely handsome in the prince's clothes. Although he has no direct blood relationship with Xuanyuan Ying, he has his dark phoenix eyes.
Madam Fu Ya arrived soon. The old woman, who was nearly eighty years old, came slowly. Her face was full of wrinkles from time, her eyes were sharp, and her temperament was deep.
She looked at Yun Zhihe, examined him, and nodded in acknowledgement without saying a word. After paying her respects, she began to teach.
I have to say that Madam Fu Ya is worthy of being the number one in the Ya family. The viewpoints in her articles are well-reasoned and not grounded in empty talk. The old woman, despite looking frail, was full of energy when she lectured, and Yun Zhihe was fascinated by her lectures without realizing it.
She was born with a literary temperament and especially liked poetry and prose.
After that, he tried it himself. After thinking for a moment, he picked up the pen and wrote as smoothly as flowing water without pausing. After he finished writing, he read it through. The always humble Yun Zhihe also felt a sense of pride.
She learned a lot and mastered it all in just one class. This article can be considered a work of her high level.
Madam Fu Ya took the article she had just handed over, and the more she flipped through it, the more her brows furrowed. More wrinkles appeared on her already wrinkled face. Her words were sharp and straightforward.
"How did Hua Yin teach you? You don't even understand such a principle?"
He is obviously the first person in the Ya family and is known for his elegance and refinement, but his words of rebuke are particularly fierce and harsh, and one can see the oppression.
"This isn't right! Don't be careless!"
Fu Ya looked at it carefully, pointing at the article and cursing it sentence by sentence. She seemed to be not feeling well and coughed violently twice.
"Ahem—how can you be so careless as to want to be an official? Can you be worthy of the people of Dawn?!"
She took a deep breath, seemed a little uncomfortable, but still forced herself to curse out loud.
"Ahem...mm."
"What do you mean by the most knowledgeable woman in the capital?!"
"The article is empty! The ideas are childish!"
“Crash—”
Madam Fu Ya looked at the paper in her hand, took a deep breath, and threw all the articles written by Yun Zhihe to the ground.
"I……"
Yun Zhihe was stunned and almost couldn't react to such a contrast.
She could listen to Madam Fu Ya's scolding. She was a spoiled child, and the articles scattered all over the floor almost made her stunned. The knowledge she was proud of was devalued to nothing, and she almost became autistic.
She wanted to open her mouth to defend herself but found that she couldn't say anything. She opened her mouth and closed it again.
He turned to look at Xuanyuan He again. His expression was calm and neither humble nor arrogant. He seemed not to care about Yun Zhihe's embarrassment at all. He handed the article with both hands and bowed his head respectfully.
Yun Zhihe, who had just been scolded, looked at Madam Fu Ya's already bad expression and it became even uglier. He became more and more nervous and started coughing while covering his chest. The atmosphere began to become depressing.
“Bang!”
The old lady, who had experienced many years, took a deep breath and threw all the papers in her hand at Xuanyuan He's face. The sound of the papers hitting his cheeks was crisp, and the papers fluttered in the air. Madam Fu Ya cursed with trembling lips.
"Do you have any responsibilities as a prince?"
As if he had aged ten years, he turned and left.
Her article was thrown to the ground, and Xuanyuan He's article was thrown in his face.
Yun Zhihe was a little stunned, and Xuanyuan He had already squatted down and skillfully picked up the papers on the ground. Only then did she react and squatted down to pick them up as well.
Yun Zhihe didn't know why, even though the prince was hit in the face with paper and insulted and scolded, he remained calm as usual. He was very different from the crybaby and spoiled boy in her memory.
She didn't know what to say, she just pursed her lips and picked up the paper, and the atmosphere became cold for a moment.
Xuanyuan He, who was standing aside, lowered his head and picked up papers. He spoke in a hoarse voice.
"She threw your article on the ground, which was already a compliment."
Yun Zhihe responded softly.
She opened her mouth but couldn't say anything. This young boy, who was not even her age, was humiliated like that but he could still comfort her.
She felt a little distressed. He was at an age where he should be pampered, but he was burdened with such a heavy responsibility. She had naturally heard the court officials' evaluation of the prince, his wisdom and virtue, and his reputation for working day and night.
Even when he was sick, he never slacked off, which caused his mild illness to become more serious and he almost lost his life.
Yun Zhihe originally thought that his eyes would be moist or his eye sockets would be red, but when he looked up, he was still as calm as ever.
Yun Zhihe was depressed for a while and was also in a low mood when he returned to the palace at night.
Azhi asked her what happened, Yun Zhihe shook her head and just sighed.
She still asked, "Azhi...what do you think of the Third Prince?"
Yun Zhihe's impression of him still remains from the time when he was the third prince.
"The prince is diligent, resilient, and wise. He is a blessing to Daling."
"It's not this..." Yun Zhihe frowned and sighed.
Ah Zhi said "Ah?" and then spoke softly, looking at the person beside her and lowering her voice.
"Have you forgotten? The Third Prince was very attached to you when he was little. Whenever he hid himself, only you could find him."
"At that time, the Third Prince was always crying, and you even held him and told him stories."
"and……"
She seemed a little scared, her voice became even softer, and she mumbled, "...and she said she wanted to marry you."
Yun Zhihe felt a sense of disconnection, as if he couldn't understand how the crybaby from back then had turned into a calm and lifeless teenager.
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