Chapter 81 Withered One: I Am a Caged Crane
Princess Zhaohui had been studying for less than a year when the emperor personally examined her twenty-three times, each time expressing increasing satisfaction.
The final test was on the Book of Documents, and the princess, who was not yet seven years old, memorized it perfectly.
Xu Heng's smile remained on his face. In fact, when he was Zhao Hui's age, he could also recite it, but in order to hide his shortcomings in front of the Emperor and Empress, he pretended not to be able to recite it and was scolded and ridiculed. Now, after many years, Zhao Hui finally got revenge for him.
He couldn't help but place even greater hopes on Zhaohui, earnestly instructing her: "Reading is not just about memorization, but about understanding and applying knowledge. Pick three sentences from this book that you like best and tell them to your father."
“The first sentence is ‘hold fast to the mean.’” The princess answered without hesitation, “In this life, one must remain true to one’s principles and never be biased.”
The emperor immediately fell silent, remaining tight-lipped about the matter.
"The second line is 'Be diligent every day,'" the princess continued loudly. "It admonishes the child to be diligent every day, which is also the meaning of 'Pride goes before a fall, humility brings benefit.'"
The emperor lifted his eyelids again and nodded approvingly with his chin.
The princess opened her eyes wide at the emperor, her clear, bright eyes reflecting only his image: "The third line is 'Jun Zhe Wen Ming, Wen Gong Yong Sai,' and every time I read this, I immediately think of you, Father!"
This is a passage from the "Shun Dian" describing Yao and Shun. Even though the emperor heard compliments every day, his ears still turned slightly red after hearing the princess's words.
He truly adored Zhaohui; she excelled at everything compared to other children her age. A surge of pride welled up within the emperor, but a moment later, a pang of regret also rose within him: such a wonderful child, why wasn't she his own…
Thinking of this, he looked at the princess again and again. Her nose and eyes were exactly like her mother's. She was radiant and full of energy. She was a little Wang Yuying.
He couldn't find any trace of other men in her, but such a clever child couldn't have come from Wang Yuying or Jing Ye; it could only be Hugu Xumi...
Nearly seven years have passed, and that string has always been taut in Xu Heng's heart, tugging at it every now and then, scraping at his heartstrings and torturing him.
He stared at the princess, who also saw the emperor about to speak, but turned her head and smiled as she looked out the window, calling out loudly, "Mother!"
Wang Yuying, who had come to fetch the princess, was originally quite far away, but upon hearing her daughter's call, she immediately quickened her pace. Xu Heng also looked in the direction of the sound and saw the beautiful figure rushing towards him outside the window. He quickly dispelled his hatred and anger and unconsciously walked towards the door.
Wang Yuying caught sight of Xu Heng approaching, slowed her pace, stopped outside the door, and bowed in greeting: "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty."
"Mother—" The princess stepped over the threshold and rushed into Wang Yuying's arms. Wang Yuying immediately embraced her daughter, her heart always softening when she held her daughter's gentle hand, and softly asked, "Have you finished learning today?"
"Father just finished testing me." The princess smiled and pulled Wang Yuying towards the door. She had no choice but to take a few steps forward, but after crossing the threshold, she was too close to Xu Heng, so she could only smile at him and say, "Your Majesty, you must have worked hard testing Yinyin's studies."
Xu Heng twitched the corner of his lips and turned away, no longer looking at her: "I am Zhao Hui's father, and it is my duty to supervise her studies."
Wang Yuying listened with her head down, offering no further comment.
The silence in the room lasted only a moment before it was broken by the princess's childish voice: "Mother, did you bring me something today too?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Heng turned back. What? How come he didn't know?
Wang Yuying glanced at Xu Heng, then looked down at Yinyin. This was a secret agreement between mother and daughter—Yinyin loved sweets, and she was usually not allowed to eat too much for fear of hurting her teeth. Only when picking her up from school each time would she bring her a handful of her favorite milk candy as a reward for studying hard.
Previously, Yinyin would only ask for it on the way home, but today she couldn't wait and asked for it in front of the emperor.
Wang Yuying planned to play dumb and talk about it after leaving the palace. But Yinyin kept asking, and she couldn't get away with it, so she took out the packet of milk candy from her sleeve. As soon as she opened the oil paper, Yinyin grabbed a piece and popped it into her mouth, then turned to the emperor and said, "Father, this is milk candy that Mother brought for me!"
Xu Heng smiled immediately, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Tang and the mother and daughter.
Wang Yuying swallowed hard: "If Your Majesty doesn't mind, would you like to try some?"
Xu Heng was eager to have it, but his movements as he grabbed the candy were extremely slow, as if he were reluctantly taking a small bite.
The lactose melted in his mouth like fluff, leaving a lingering, sweet aftertaste that clung to his heart. He thought that even if Wang Yuying poisoned the candy, it would just be a matter of taking an antidote, which was worth it.
Seeing the princess sucking on candy like a little glutton again, I was even more delighted—the little one has loved cheese and the like since she was a child.
With a broad smile, Xu Heng instructed Qingfu, "Bring up some crispy mountain."
The milky-white pastry, drizzled with sugarcane juice, was quickly served. The princess sat down and scooped a spoonful into her mouth. Xu Heng sat down to her left, joining his daughter in tasting the pastry.
The princess reached out and took Wang Yuying's hand with her right hand, saying in a carefree manner, "Mother, sit down and eat too!"
Wang Yuying remained silent for a moment, then sat down to her daughter's left and slowly took a bite.
Xu Heng glanced at her without making a sound, then his gaze shifted to the princess, a smile appearing on his face. The scene of them sitting at a table eating crispy desserts to cool off in the summer made everyone think they were a family of three.
He couldn't help but flatter the mother and daughter: "Zhaohui is intelligent and quick-witted, and her studies are progressing rapidly. Private advice is not enough to fully utilize her talents. She should immediately enroll in the Imperial Academy to broaden her knowledge."
In our dynasty, royal children over six years old and children from aristocratic families over eight years old can all enter the clan school. For Zhao Hui's age, it is not considered early, but there has never been a precedent of a princess attending the school.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hui immediately threw a handful of sweet words at Xu Heng and took his arm, thanking him profusely and saying that her father was the best. Her sweet words made Xu Heng's heart flutter with joy, but he waited until Wang Yuying also thanked him before asking for his reward—he took off the white jade pendant that had been his token of love from years ago. It had cracked on the Double Ninth Festival that year, and after being repaired, it had lasted for many years until yesterday when the old cracks broke again.
He casually pushed the jade pendant in front of Wang Yuying: "This jade pendant of mine is cracked. Take a look and see how to fix it."
As he spoke, he realized that today was the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, a day he had long since given up hope for, and his heart skipped a beat.
Without touching the jade pendant, Wang Yuying immediately replied, "I am not a craftsman and do not know how to repair jade. Your Majesty will have to find someone more skilled."
"What is this?" The princess picked up the jade pendant, looking at it in a daze, and unknowingly returned it to Xu Heng. Xu Heng reached out and held the cool white jade again, thinking back to the year they made their vows with the jade pendant. She had been so good to him, teaching him what true and sincere love was, to the point that nothing else could compare to the beauty of Mount Wu. After that, no matter who it was, love and people were so different.
His longing to regain it had become an obsession.
After a while, she thought better of it. At least she was kind enough to let it be fixed, and those two alluring red lips didn't utter anything disheartening like "there's nothing to fix" or "don't fix it."
And they even spent Qixi Festival together this year. There were no arguments, and they spent it peacefully. He fooled himself into thinking that they were treating each other with the same respect.
The following day, Princess Zhaohui entered the Imperial Academy, dressed in a dark blue robe, and was led by a eunuch to meet her teachers, all of whom were renowned scholars of the time. The princess respectfully bowed to each of them.
She listened attentively in class, her eyes unwavering, but during breaks, she chatted and laughed with the students, becoming acquainted with them all in a short time. She addressed everyone she met as "classmate" or "study friend," showing great warmth. In less than an hour, she had thoroughly explored the entire Imperial Academy—although it was called the Imperial Academy, there were very few members of the royal family in this generation. Of the fifty students, more than forty were from prominent families, with the Zheng family and their relatives by marriage being the most numerous.
The Zheng family had an eight-year-old boy named Zheng Yan, who entered school just one day earlier than the princess. He was the most enthusiastic towards the princess, answering all her questions truthfully and without reservation. In the end, another student from the clan school brushed past him and coldly said, "No noise is allowed during the banquet."
The princess and Zheng Yan fell silent simultaneously. The princess looked at the departing student's back; she remembered him—his name was Zheng Ji, the tallest and oldest student in the academy, already eleven years old. When she greeted him earlier, Zheng Ji had been indifferent, showing no regard for her status as a princess, his dislike for the noise written all over his face.
“Don’t mind him,” Princess Zheng Yantong explained. “That’s just how Fifth Brother is; he’s indifferent to everyone at home.”
The princess, her eyes still curved in a smile, remained calm and composed. She was about to say it was nothing, that she must have done something wrong to cause Zheng Xueyi to misunderstand when Zheng Yan suddenly remembered someone and scoffed, "But don't let his current haughty demeanor fool you. Wait until Uncle comes, and he'll be as timid as a mule. Just you wait and see!"
The princess's smile remained unchanged, but her eyes flickered: "Is the uncle you're referring to Prime Minister Zheng?"
She had been eavesdropping in the Imperial Study for over a year and only then did she realize that her mother was right. The beauty was indeed a man, Zheng Yangzhi, the Vice Chancellor of the court. He was a man of simple and indifferent nature, who had lived alone and never married before. After mourning his parents' death, he became a Taoist priest, living a pure and aloof life. He not only abandoned worldly desires but also rarely ate any cooked food.
Because of his childhood friendship with the emperor, he returned to serve as an advisor. People at the time often compared him to Li Bi, the Taoist prime minister of the previous dynasty.
“Yes, court officials often give lectures at the clan school, and my uncle sometimes comes too.” Zheng Yan readily admitted, adding that they, the younger generation, both respected and feared this eldest son of the Zheng clan.
Princess Zhaohui smiled and, after waiting for half a year, finally met this Prime Minister Zheng.
He was over thirty, yet remained exceptionally refined, with a face as beautiful as a woman's. Dressed in white and wearing a magnolia crown, he taught the Six Arts, specifically the art of etiquette. At the beginning and end of each lesson, he would rise and bow deeply, his demeanor flawless, truly otherworldly and immaculate.
On that day, the princess secretly called Zheng Yangzhi, who was about to leave, and even sent her personal maid away beforehand.
Under the eaves where no one else was around, Zheng Yangzhi's attendant silently stepped aside, while he himself turned back to face the princess and slowly bowed: "Greetings, Your Highness."
In the chilly spring breeze, Zheng Yangzhi's clothes fluttered, making him appear even thinner. His slightly upturned phoenix eyes were humble yet carried an indifference and aloofness. Zhao Hui felt a pang of guilt upon seeing him, and the prepared speech suddenly lost its confidence. However, she quickly composed herself and bowed calmly: "Master Zheng, your talent and learning are outstanding. I have long admired you and wish to become your student so that you can guide me through my confusion."
"Your Highness flatters me. The scholars in the Imperial Academy are all highly respected and learned, and they are well-versed in the ways of education. Your Highness should learn from them; this is the right path to understanding the classics and applying them in practice." Zheng Yangzhi politely declined.
Princess Zhaohui persisted, bowing again and saying, "Of the six rites, rites come first. Since you, Master, teach rites, you must be the best. I admire the best teacher, so I beg you, Master, not to be stingy with your instruction!"
The princess glanced at Zheng Yangzhi, who remained silent with a hint of aloofness on his face. Feeling nervous, she blurted out, "If Master is willing to teach me according to the ways of a teacher, I will do my utmost to repay you when I have completed my studies!"
After a long silence, Zheng Yangzhi finally spoke: "Your Highness's words are earnest and sincere. It would be unreasonable for me to refuse again."
The princess smiled upon hearing this.
She was still young, and upon returning, she couldn't help but tell Wang Yuying, "Today, a learned scholar visited the ancestral school, and I had a private discussion with him, from which I benefited greatly."
Wang Yuying smiled at first, but when she learned that it was Zheng Yangzhi, her smile gradually faded. She then instructed her daughter: "The friendship between gentlemen is as light as water. When a disciple serves his teacher, he should also be respectful and courteous, but not too close. There are many eyes and ears in the clan school, so you must always be careful with your words and actions, especially your thoughts, and never confide in anyone lightly."
Wang Yuying hadn't spoken to Zheng Yangzhi for many years. People's hearts are fickle, and she didn't think that the little entanglement between men and women in their youth could still influence Zheng Yangzhi now.
At their age, love and romance have become the most insignificant part of life. In fact, when Xu Heng suggested that she repair the jade pendant yesterday, she was somewhat tempted. She felt that it was an inanimate object, and there was no need to be stubborn. It wouldn't hurt to help him repair it. After Yinyin entered the sect academy, she would inevitably need more and more help. It would be better to use this opportunity to make a deal with Xu Heng and exchange it for more benefits for her daughter.
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