The schoolteacher was quite old, but not so old that his hair was completely white and his beard was gray.
The old gentleman's hair was already gray, with only a few black strands remaining. Moreover, whether due to the long journey and the fatigue of travel or the lack of exercise typical of scholars, he was extremely thin.
The school is located in a beautiful place that is so pleasant to look at that it makes one feel relaxed and happy.
This auspicious location was specially chosen by Empress Zhaoyuan, who ordered people in the palace to find such a comfortable place to use as a school.
The school was a large hall, and directly opposite the hall was a lotus pond, with a small pavilion next to it.
I heard that Empress Zhaoyuan has consulted a feng shui master, and this place is the most suitable for studying.
Through Zhao Zhongquan's skillful maneuvering, Grand Secretary Guan sent his granddaughter and some virtuous and well-behaved members of the Guan family into the palace.
The Imperial Study also prepared all the necessary items for the students, such as writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, books, and picture albums.
Before the teacher arrived, the students were already seated in the classroom.
Sitting in the very center of the first row was naturally Yun Duoduo.
Sun Huohuo sat to her left and Jin Zhuangzhuang to her right.
Her eighth brother, Yun Yidong, sat in the second row, her seventh brother, Yun Yiqiu, sat next to Yun Yidong, and her fourth, fifth, and sixth brothers also sat in a row.
However, Yun Yibo, Yun Yizhong, and Yun Yishu did not come to the school. The eldest prince and the second prince were older and had their own teachers, while Yun Duoduo was only at the preschool level.
As for the Third Prince Yun Yishu, his attention was not on his studies at all. Consort De wanted him to go to school, but the Empress thought that Yun Yishu was naughty and would affect Yun Duoduo's studies, so she gave him extra tutoring and hired a private tutor instead of letting him go to school.
"What's your name?" Sun Huohuo noticed a fair-skinned, well-behaved little girl sitting alone in the corner reading a book.
"Guan Guan." The girl's voice was very soft. She didn't look up or even glance at Sun Huohuo. She just continued looking at the book on the table.
"Guanguan? What a cute name!" Sun Huohuo said to himself, completely ignoring the fact that the girl opposite him was not paying any attention to him.
[Guan Gong?]
[Surname: Guan.]
Yun Duoduo overheard their conversation and turned around to whisper to them.
"Are you Grand Secretary Guan's granddaughter?" Yun Duoduo asked in a low voice.
Guan Guan nodded.
Ah, so the painting "Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains," which Father loved most, was given to this little girl's maternal grandfather.
"What kind of official is Grand Secretary Guan? Is he as high-ranking as my father?" Sun Huohuo asked innocently.
Tsk tsk tsk, comparing fathers in school and comparing cars outside school, seems to be the norm.
"My maternal grandfather was a Grand Secretary of the Imperial Academy." Guan Guan's answer was concise and to the point. She showed no interest whatsoever in the two little ones who were asking her so many questions.
Grand Secretary of the Hall of Fame...
Yun Duoduo pondered, "Is that equivalent to the modern Politburo XXX?"
[Oh my god, this is incredible!]
To build a culturally strong nation, these Grand Secretaries in the Imperial Academy play a crucial role.
This person, if treated well, will be a pillar of society; he'll be very useful in the future!
She glanced at the several children sitting behind Guan Guan, presumably all children of the Guan family, sent to the palace to serve as study companions.
The children, big and small, introduced themselves to each other in the school. Some of the more introverted and quieter children sat on their stools waiting for class to begin.
After everyone had been sitting in the school for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Grand Tutor Wang walked in, causing quite a stir.
"Is this the schoolteacher?" a member of the Guan family asked the person next to him in a low voice.
"Is this Grand Tutor Wang?" The Fifth Prince was somewhat puzzled. Why did his father hire such a frail-looking schoolteacher?
Grand Tutor Wang placed the book on the table in front of him and looked at the students sitting below.
"My surname is Wang, and my name is Wang Runsheng. I used to teach in Yuze. Now, thanks to His Majesty's grace, I have come to the capital to teach the princes, princesses, and sons of noble families how to read and write." Wang Runsheng picked up a book from the table.
"Sit still, we're about to start class."
"Sir, what are we going to learn?" asked the Sixth Prince, Yun Yixia.
"Call me Grand Tutor, that's disrespectful." Fifth Prince Yun Yichun tugged at Yun Yixia's arm, signaling him to watch his manners.
“Today we’ll start by learning the Book of Songs,” Wang Runsheng said as he walked to the middle of the students.
Wow, they're starting with the Book of Songs?
[Logically, shouldn't we first teach her the basic strokes of Chinese characters, such as horizontal, vertical, left-falling, and right-falling strokes, and then teach her radicals, characters, and how to recognize and write them?]
Yun Duoduo was a little confused.
However, when she visited her grandmother's Shouchang Palace and her father's Zichen Palace, her grandmother and father would always hold her hand and teach her to write.
So now she can write and draw with a brush, but her handwriting is extremely ugly! Every time she wields the brush, it's like putting a giant centipede on the snow-white rice paper!
"Open your books, I'll read a sentence, and you repeat after me."
"Yes, Grand Tutor!"
"The ospreys cry 'guan guan' on the river's islet," Wang Runsheng recited.
"Guan Guan cry the ospreys, on the islet in the river." The students recited along.
"Guan Guan, the Grand Tutor is calling you!" Sun Huohuo couldn't sit still at his desk and read. He twisted and turned and heard the Grand Tutor say something like "Guan Guan," so he thought he was calling Guan Guan. He turned around and saw that Guan Guan didn't react, so he reminded her.
"Sun Huohuo, pay attention to discipline." Upon hearing Sun Huohuo's voice, Grand Tutor Wang walked to his side and reminded him.
Before he came to class, the people from the Imperial Study introduced him to the students in the school. Judging from their age and appearance, he could tell that the naughty child was Sun Huohuo.
Sun Huohuo was hit on the head with Wang Taifu's ruler. He felt the pain and quickly turned around and sat up straight.
As she continued reading, Yun Duoduo shook her head, recalling her student days. Sure enough, in Chinese class, it was unavoidable to read aloud with head shaking.
"The water plants grow unevenly, drifting left and right."
"The water plants grow unevenly, drifting left and right."
"Jin Zhuangzhuang, cheer up!" Grand Tutor Wang straightened Jin Zhuangzhuang's body, which had slumped to the side.
This strong guy was drooling, and he didn't seem very bright.
Yun Duoduo glanced at her sideways. "Sigh, poor Zhuangzhuang, so young and already forced to suffer here."
Looking at Jin Zhuangzhuang, she thought of Jin Jinzhi, [I wonder how Jinzhi-gege is doing now?]
...?
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