Chapter 34: Lihe Hall
Wu Yingniang happened to arrive at this time, and the whole family was together.
After returning home, Xue Che and Su Zhizhi talked about what had happened in the academy in the past few days.
Old man Qin clicked his tongue:
"Silly girl, you were wronged in the academy, you should have reported back earlier."
Kong Wu nodded beside him.
Su Zhizhi asked doubtfully, "I wrote a letter."
She turned around and looked: "Where's Po?"
Gu——
A shadow fell over my head.
Po fell down.
Su Zhizhi went over and touched Abao's head:
"Abao, where have you been? Why did you deliver it so late?"
Po cooed and looked down at his paws.
Two letters were tied to the eagle's claws.
Hao Ren opened the letter.
One was written by Su Zhizhi before, and the other was written by Bai Xun.
Hao Ren read the letter written by Bai Xun, and rubbed his temples with his thumb and middle finger.
Wu Yingniang took the letter and asked, "Aren, what's wrong?"
Hao Ren handed the letter over: "Zhizhi's letter was sent to the mountain by Abao. They said they would go down the mountain."
Su Zhizhi's smile lit up and she clapped her hands:
"They're all coming? Great!"
Hao Ren looked at Su Zhizhi's carefree smile and felt a little relieved.
If those things had not happened back then, Zhizhi might have been studying in the palace.
With her personality, I wonder what the situation will be like.
…
Chang'an City.
Prince Gong's Mansion, Tinglan Courtyard.
Murong Wan turned over in bed, and when she opened her eyes, she saw the vague figure of the maid through the brocade curtains.
Chunyue asked softly, "Princess, are you ready to get up?"
Murong Wan had just woken up and hummed vaguely.
The door was opened, and a row of maids came in one after another in the backlight.
The brocade curtain was slowly lifted, and sunlight filtered through the intricately patterned window lattices onto the brocade spread on the bed.
Chunyue helped Murong Wan get up from the bed, and a maid came over with a silver basin in her hand to help Murong Wan wash.
After washing up, Murong Wan felt a little more awake and sat in front of the dressing table to let Chunyue comb her hair.
"Just a simple hairstyle today. We can't be late for the palace."
"Yes, Princess."
Chunyue was very skillful, and Murong Wan's hair seemed especially soft in her hands.
It was because of her dexterity that Murong Wan kept her by her side to serve her.
Last time, after the princess gave Chunyue twenty lashes, she replaced Murong Wan with a maid.
But Murong Wan was not used to the new maid and still felt that Chunyue was more useful, so she let Chunyue come back.
Chunyue combed her hair quickly and well, and inserted two pearl flowers symmetrically into Murong Wan's bun.
Murong Wan took a few bites of the white jade chicken porridge and got on the carriage to go to the palace.
Also sitting in the carriage was her twin brother Murong Ming.
Murong Ming was lying on the couch, chewing some dried fruit, looking quite carefree.
"Hmph, go a little slower. I thought you were afraid of Ning An and didn't want to go."
Murong Wan glared at her brother:
"Who said I was afraid?"
Starting this month, Murong Ming and Murong Wan will both go to the palace to study.
This is all thanks to Crown Prince Murong Zhen.
Murong Zhen originally studied with Tutor Zhang in the Eastern Palace, but he felt it was too lonely and wanted to be with other royal family members of the same age.
The emperor was particularly fond of the prince and readily agreed.
After all, it is still the enlightenment period, and it is okay if the prince likes some lively atmosphere. They can be separated when he is older and needs to learn the art of governing the country and the art of checks and balances.
It is a great honor to be able to study with the prince, not to mention having the guidance of Tutor Zhang.
After the Seventh Princess He Yan learned about this, she said a lot of good things in front of the Queen Mother, and only then was her two children allowed to enter the palace to study with her.
When Murong Ming and Murong Wan arrived at the Lihe Hall, several princes and princesses were already seated inside.
The seven-year-old Princess Ning'an saw Murong Wan, snorted, and turned her head to look away.
Murong Wan was a very precocious child. She was unhappy in her heart but did not show it.
At least no one in the palace will see it.
She took out a small brocade box the size of a palm, walked up to Princess Ning'an and bowed:
"Princess Ning'an, Wan'er was rude yesterday. This is my apology."
Yesterday, Princess Ning'an and Murong Wan had an argument over a trivial matter.
After returning home, Murong Wan told her mother He Yan about this. He Yan comforted her daughter and then asked her to take some apology to Princess Ning'an.
Princess Ning'an is the daughter of Concubine Shu. She is usually favored by the emperor and cannot be offended.
Even though Murong Wan was unwilling, she had to swallow her anger.
The first lesson for these children is to understand their own status and respect the imperial power.
Ning An took the brocade box from Murong Wan's hand.
When you open it, you will see a magpie made of turquoise and sapphire, which is lifelike, exquisite and dazzling.
Since they were children, Ning An fell in love with her at first sight, and even began to like Murong Wan:
"Nothing, this princess doesn't care about those little things."
Ning An played with the magpie in his hands.
This magpie pearl flower was a New Year's gift from her maternal grandparents to Murong Wan last year. Murong Wan felt a little reluctant to give it up, but there was nothing she could do.
Her mother said she would buy her a better one next year.
"Thank you, Princess." Murong Wan returned to her seat.
"Master Zhang is here."
Someone called out and everyone quickly sat down.
Crown Prince Murong Zhen sat in the middle of the first row, and the palace maids had already placed his homework and writing materials on the table.
Murong Zhen looked like the queen, very handsome, with a square face, a broad forehead, and thick and long earlobes.
It’s not very beautiful, but everyone says it’s a sign of great fortune.
An old man in his sixties walked in from outside the hall.
He has silver hair, is thin, and has a very straight body.
Like a pine tree covered with snow.
Zhang Taifu looked around the hall and saw that everyone had arrived:
"This old minister greets His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the princes and princesses, and the princesses and princes.
I wonder if your Highnesses have completed the calligraphy lessons assigned by this old minister yesterday?"
The first thing I do every morning is to check my homework.
Tutor Zhang felt a headache when he saw the group of little nobles who were only as tall as his waist.
Although it is a blessing for a minister to teach the royal heirs, they are still a group of children after all.
There were so many young and handsome men outside asking for his advice, but he had no time to give them any advice. Instead, he just taught a group of children how to read.
"Master Zhang, I've finished everything." Ning An spread out his calligraphy.
Zhang Taifu walked over to take a look and said, "It's OK."
After looking at Murong Zhen and Murong Wan's calligraphy, Grand Tutor Zhang said, "Not bad."
Then he looked at other people's calligraphy, and the words he kept saying were "not bad", "acceptable", and "passable".
Murong Zhen spent two hours carefully yesterday to complete his homework, but he only got a "not bad" from Master Zhang.
He felt slightly disappointed. "Master Zhang, I will try my best to practice better next time."
Zhang Taifu: "The prince is intelligent. With diligent practice, he will surely be able to do better."
Taifu Zhang praised Murong Zhen's intelligence, which was a polite remark he would make to the son of any nobleman.
To be fair, the prince is neither stupid nor lazy, but in terms of talent and understanding, he can only be considered mediocre.
But no one dared to say it, not even Master Zhang.
How can a country's crown prince, the future emperor, be called mediocre?
Princess Ning'an asked, "Who is the most outstanding student that Grand Tutor Zhang has ever taught?"
Upon hearing this, Murong Zhen also looked at Tutor Zhang.
Zhang Taifu: "It is a great blessing for this old minister to be able to serve as the prince's teacher."
The children were young and thought that Master Zhang was praising the prince.
Crown Prince Murong Zhen also thought so and a smile appeared on his face.
There was a hint of doubt between Murong Wan's brows, feeling that Master Zhang seemed to be avoiding Ning An's question, but she did not speak.
Tutor Zhang put his hands behind his back, turned to face the podium, and hid the sadness in his expression.
The most outstanding student he has ever taught?
Of course he remembers.
When he was not yet the Grand Tutor, he once taught a talented junior.
The child learned to read at the age of three, wrote poems at the age of five, and wrote essays at the age of seven. He later became famous in Chang'an.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
