Chapter 100 The Prince Who Failed to Revolt
Zhang Xiaojia carried an exquisite food box, held Lin'er's hand, and slowly walked into the gate of the Grand Tutor's Mansion.
The morning sun shone on the bluestone pavement, casting long shadows of mother and son. Zhang Xiaojia gently warned him, "Be good in the front hall. Your teachers are your mother's senior brothers and senior teachers. Even if your mother is a first-rank county lady or the consort of Prince Jing, it won't matter to them. If they beat or punish you, your mother won't be able to plead for mercy, or I will be beaten too."
He Lin: "Mom, don't worry! I'm very good, Mom. I'm going to class now. My uncle is teaching today. You can go back first! Don't worry."
Zhang Xiaojia watched her son enter the classroom.
Zhang Xiaojia walked towards the main courtyard in the backyard alone.
When I pushed open the door to the hall, I saw Master Liao and his wife sitting in the hall.
Zhang Xiaojia immediately collected his thoughts and bowed respectfully, saying, "Master, Master's wife, I wish you good health."
Master Liao looked up at her and said calmly, "Come on, I haven't had breakfast yet. Come eat some with me."
Zhang Xiaojia responded obediently, handed the lunch box to the master's wife, and silently said that the fried lotus flowers were delicious.
She immediately followed her master into the dining room.
At the dinner table, Zhang Xiaodi waited for his master to pick up his chopsticks first.
Seeing that the dishes in front of her master were still untouched, she took the initiative to peel an egg for him and gently placed it in his bowl.
Liao Taishi raised his eyelids slightly, his gaze as deep and calm as an ancient well, his tone as calm as water: "No need to wait on me, there is no rule here that says you can't talk while eating."
Zhang Xiaojia raised the corners of his lips slightly, revealing a faint and elegant smile, and responded respectfully: "Yes, Master."
She knew full well that the old man was simmering with inexplicable rage. Later, she would probably be scolded as a "pig-brained person"...
As expected, Liao Taishi's voice suddenly rose, with a hint of anger: "You pig-brained person, how many times have I taught you, how many times!
Don't always take everything on yourself. You need to keep a low profile, especially don't get involved in the disputes among the next generation of princes.
Is he someone you can adopt at will?
Prince Jing was poisoned and left no offspring, and your own body was also damaged. This may be a good thing for you and your wife.
In this way, the emperor will never be afraid of you for the rest of your life, you can be arrogant and domineering all your life, and no one will dare to say a word against you.
But you dared to take in the son of a criminal! Even though he is the emperor's blood, his mother is the mastermind of this rebellion! "
Grand Tutor Liao sighed deeply, his tone revealing endless helplessness and worry. "You brought him here. What exactly do you want me to teach him? Is it the way of a ruler, or the way of a minister?"
Zhang Xiaojia smiled mischievously and said half-jokingly, "Can't we teach him both? And at the same time, teach him the principle of 'doing his job well'."
Her expression quickly grew serious again. "Master, I can't leave Lin'er to be taught by others. I'm worried they'll inflate his ambitions and turn him into a clueless little white rabbit. Therefore, you have to teach him yourself. You must teach him the ways of a ruler, and even more so the ways of a minister. Although Lin'er calls me 'mother,' in the royal family tree, he's still the Emperor's second son."
Liao Taishi's fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a rhythmic "thump thump" sound. His tone remained calm, yet with a hint of unquestionable majesty: "I have taught three generations of emperors. Do you think I can teach another..."
Before he could finish his words, Zhang Xiaojia already understood. With a slight smile on her lips and a sly glint in her eyes, she continued, "Old man, your ambitions are even greater than mine. I just want my family to be safe and sound, that's all."
Upon hearing this, Grand Tutor Liao raised his eyes slightly, looked at Zhang Xiaojia with a sharp gaze, and slowly said, "Since you want me to teach you, there are a few requirements that you must fulfill."
He paused, stretched out his bony fingers, and enumerated the items one by one. "First, for three years, you or Prince Jing must personally pick up and drop off Lin'er. You must not allow anyone with ulterior motives to take advantage of the situation to spread rumors and stir up trouble. Second, Lin'er must complete the homework I assign on time and may not ask for leave or be absent for any reason. Third, especially you—" He emphasized his tone, staring directly at Zhang Xiaojia, "You are not allowed to teach him, take him out to play, or let him develop even the slightest bit of dandy behavior."
At this point, Grand Tutor Liao's tone revealed a hint of helplessness and self-mockery: "In my lifetime, I have taught four students. Three of them became emperors, but there is one who, I thought, was a female Zhuge Liang. You actually became the most dissolute young man in the Great Zhou Dynasty. I don't want to bear this reputation again."
Zhang Xiaojia couldn't help but chuckle after hearing this, but her eyes were full of seriousness. "Don't worry, old man. Lin'er is my son. I want him to succeed more than anyone else. I won't fail to fulfill any of your requests. As for the dandy boy—" She blinked, her tone a little teasing, "That's not my fault. Who in the Great Zhou dares to mess with me? My cousin is the emperor, my husband is the emperor's half-brother, Prince Jing, and my master has taught three generations of emperors. And most importantly, who made the 'Great Zhou's No. 1 dandy' your favorite student?"
Grand Tutor Liao snorted coldly, turned his head away and stopped talking, but the corners of his mouth rose slightly, obviously he was quite satisfied with Zhang Xiaojia's answer.
Liao Taishi spoke slowly, his tone filled with dignity and profound meaning: "You asked me to be Lin'er's teacher again. Have you ever thought about the waves this move will cause in the court? How will those old ministers view it? Go and make trouble for the emperor and ask Lin'er to take the same surname as you! ... This way, He Lin will definitely be included in the emperor's family tree."
When Zhang Xiaojia heard this, her eyes instantly widened. She looked at Master Liao in disbelief. This old man was clearly deliberately making things difficult for her. She was going to be scolded to death.
Those conservative old ministers would certainly firmly oppose such a proposal. If the emperor's son were adopted by a prince, it would be acceptable, but according to tradition, the child must retain his father's surname to maintain the orthodoxy of the bloodline.
The royal family members will not give up. They regard the royal surname as the supreme honor, so how could they give it up easily?
There was also a group of court officials who were deeply influenced by Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism. They valued etiquette and respected tradition. They would strongly oppose changing surnames and regarded it as disrespectful.
He Lin's situation was somewhat special. Even if he retained the He surname, he could still be considered a descendant of Prince Jing, because everyone in the Great Zhou knew that Prince Jing would definitely do anything Zhang Xiaojia said.
The only person who will be hurt is her. She will be impeached and punished, and her merits and demerits will probably offset each other.
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