Chapter 10 Would you be willing to study at my Bai family's school...?
"Third Sister, take good care of him, you promised me." Aunt Ge looked at Bai Xuerou and repeated, "You promised me, and you'll keep your word."
"Of course, Auntie, don't worry," Bai Xuerou said confidently.
Aunt Ge then looked at Ling Xun again, and then she stopped moving, her smiling eyes fixed on Ling Xun.
"Lan'er,"
In the silence, Bai Xuerou heard the Prince of Zhenbei's extremely cautious voice and saw him touch Aunt Ge's breath.
After that, everything became somewhat chaotic.
The doctor examined her pulse repeatedly and confirmed that Aunt Ge was indeed gone, and there was nothing that could be done to save her. The Prince of Zhenbei was furious, but was persuaded to calm down by Ling Zheng and the arriving Madam Wu.
Afterwards, the Prince of Zhenbei looked at Consort Ge for a long time before finally instructing people to prepare for her funeral and to discuss it with Lady Wu.
The concubine's burial should not be a grand affair, but the Prince of Zhenbei insisted that it be done properly.
While things were commotion on the other end, Bai Xuerou briefly drifted off into a daze—
She always felt that Aunt Ge's last words meant more than just what they appeared on the surface.
Is the agreement between Bai Xuerou and herself, or between the mysterious person who wrote the letter and herself?
Did Aunt Ge discover something?
Yesterday she asked Bai Shan to check if the medicine had left any traces.
He glanced around and saw Ling Xun standing guard beside the Prince of Zhenbei, so he quietly walked over to Ling Xun and gently patted the overly silent young man on the shoulder.
"Are you alright?" She leaned slightly forward to look at his expression.
Ling Xun is tall for his age, but given his age, he only reaches Bai Xuerou's shoulder. If she lowers her head slightly, she can't see his expression clearly.
Ling Xun's body tensed up almost imperceptibly after she approached.
He was just so good at disguising himself that no one noticed.
Only after hearing her concerned voice did Ling Xun relax slightly and look up at Bai Xuerou with some hesitation.
The woman before him had gentle eyes and was looking at him with concern.
"I'm fine." After a moment of silence, Ling Xun said, barely managing to hide the awkwardness in his eyes.
If Bai Xuerou knew what his mother had just given them, she would probably have panicked and wouldn't have bothered to care about him.
Aunt Ge actually administered the love potion to the two of them.
Ling Xun frowned inwardly, not understanding what she was thinking.
Although Aunt Ge has treated him coldly all these years, she has not missed any of the things she should teach him. In addition, he probably has some talent, and he has long since learned all her Gu poison skills. Now he only needs to put them into practice.
Therefore, Ling Xun was certain that he would never admit his mistake.
Although he could solve it, it wasn't easy. What troubled him even more was the reason why Aunt Ge did it.
She's still rational; she wouldn't have gone mad for no reason. There must be a reason for what she did.
Why?
The matter of the Gu poison was a secret between the mother and son. Ling Xun could not tell anyone, and he could not bring himself to talk about the love Gu. Therefore, in the end, he said nothing.
The Love Poison will only activate after he turns eighteen; we'll deal with that then.
The whole afternoon was chaotic. Only after things were finally arranged did Ling Zheng take Bai Xuerou back to Zhiwei Courtyard.
As for Ling Xun, he remained at Xiefang Courtyard.
Bai Xuerou strongly disapproved of this. Someone had just died at Xiefang Courtyard, which wasn't necessarily bad luck. But leaving an eleven-year-old boy in a courtyard where someone had just died was somewhat worrying.
However, Ling Xun insisted, and she couldn't stop him from fulfilling his filial duty to his birth mother, so she had no choice but to give up.
Sitting down on the couch, Bai Xuerou took the tea and served it to Ling Zheng. She hesitated for a moment before saying, "Third Brother, is there anything wrong with Sixth Brother's matter? I originally wanted to discuss it with you, but there wasn't enough time then."
"Don't say that." Ling Zheng put down his tea, took Bai Xuerou's hand, his expression brightened slightly, and he said with obvious pleasure, "If anyone should say something, it should be me. Although Sixth Brother is not young, taking care of someone is not a simple matter. I'm afraid I will have to trouble you in the future."
Ling Zheng was not unhappy; in fact, he was quite pleased with the outcome.
The events of the past few days have been enough for Ling Zheng to understand how much his father valued Consort Ge and her son. Now that Consort Ge is gone, Ling Xun is still alive. Who knows if the Prince of Zhenbei will transfer his affections to him?
It's likely that the concubines in the mansion have all considered taking care of Ling Xun recently, but who knew that Concubine Ge would come up with such a brilliant idea and entrust the matter to Bai Xuerou, which was exactly what he wanted.
Ling Zheng held Bai Xue Rou's hand and carefully instructed her to take good care of him. He also specially summoned the servants and personally inquired about the accommodations arranged for Ling Xun.
Zhiwei Courtyard is extremely large. Currently, only the two of them are staying there, and there is still plenty of space left. Bai Xuerou had already instructed people to arrange the courtyard in the afternoon, and now that he had asked, the courtyard was arranged to be even closer together.
Bai Xuerou watched from the side, seemingly lost in thought.
The novel begins several years later and doesn't delve further into Aunt Ge's affairs, nor does it mention any entrustment of the child to her. However, details suggest that the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion didn't treat Ling Xun well, and the Zhenbei Prince likely didn't provide him with much care either.
I wonder if the situation has changed now?
The household was quite busy for some time due to Aunt Ge's funeral.
Bai Xuerou would visit Ling Xun every day. He stayed at Xiefang Courtyard until Aunt Ge was finally buried, at which point he moved to Zhiwei Courtyard. It was already December.
The household was becoming increasingly lively as preparations for the New Year began.
At breakfast one more day, Ling Zheng and the Prince of Zhenbei left, and Bai Xuerou led Ling Xun back home.
Half a month later, it snowed again yesterday, covering the black tiles and red walls of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion with silver, adding a touch of elegance to its magnificent appearance.
A maid stepped forward to hold an umbrella for Bai Xuerou, but Bai Xuerou waved her away and took the umbrella herself.
She doesn't like people to get too close when she walks, always feeling like she might bump into someone if she's not careful.
Ling Xun was also holding his own umbrella. Seeing her like this, he felt a sense of kinship and couldn't help but smile.
He simply doesn't like people getting too close.
There was little wind today, and the snow was falling softly. If it were quiet, you could even hear the sound of the snow falling.
Ling Xun followed Bai Xuerou all the way back to Zhiwei Courtyard. Just as he was about to take his leave and return to his own courtyard, Bai Xuerou called him back:
"etc."
"Come with me, I have something to tell you." Bai Xuerou held a hand warmer and smiled at the young boy in front of her.
For the past two weeks, Aunt Ge had been busy with her affairs, but Bai Xuerou hadn't been idle either, as she had been preparing to take care of Ling Xun.
For example, the winter clothes he was wearing were made from materials she obtained from her own storeroom, and she specially commissioned an embroiderer to make them.
Because he was in mourning, he wore plain clothes, but both the fabric and the stitching were much better than what he had worn before. The cloak was made of the finest leather, and the collar was trimmed with white fox fur, which made his delicate face look even more radiant.
Who doesn't like good-looking people? Bai Xuerou is no exception.
Ling Xun was a little curious and obediently agreed, but as he walked further and saw that he was entering Bai Xue Rou's dormitory, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy, and his pace slowed down.
He's been at Zhiwei Courtyard for several days now, but he hasn't been here yet. He's already eleven years old, and he'll be twelve next year. He's no longer a child, so it's naturally inappropriate for him to get too close to the women.
In addition... the love curse in both of their bodies made Ling Xun feel somewhat uneasy when facing Bai Xue Rou, even if nothing was wrong.
Seeing Bai Xuerou lead him to the side instead of to the main living room, he felt relieved, but then couldn't help but despise himself for being so nervous.
Although it was a living quarters, it was still very large. Following the corridor forward, even though it was winter, the flowers and trees under the corridor were still evergreen, and the fragrance of winter plum blossoms wafted through the air.
Just as Ling Xun saw the winter plum blossoms, a maid lifted the heavy windproof curtain, and Bai Xuerou turned and went into the room. He followed her in, realizing that this was the place for entertaining guests.
Inside, a heated wall and a stove were burning, and you felt warm all over as soon as you entered.
The maidservant helped remove Bai Xuerou's cloak, but Ling Xun had already taken off his own cloak, and the maidservant only had time to take it and put it down.
Bai Xuerou smiled, and after taking a seat, she first drank some tea before bringing up the real reason for summoning Ling Xun.
“I’ve been watching your studies these past few days, and you’re doing quite well,” she said with a smile. “But it’s not good enough. With your intelligence, you shouldn’t be only at this level.”
"I've inquired about the tutors in your household; they're not bad, but that's about it. Would you be willing to study at my Bai family's private school?"
Bai Xuerou genuinely wanted to train and mentor Ling Xun, partly because of her promise and partly because of her own selfish motives.
The young masters of the Prince's mansion were all taught at home by tutors hired by the Prince of Zhenbei. However, the tutor who had previously taught Ling Zheng and his brothers had gained the Prince of Zhenbei's favor a few years ago and received an official position. The Prince of Zhenbei didn't care much about the remaining children, so the new tutor he hired was rather mediocre. She had attended a few classes and found that most of the lessons were just reading from the textbook, too rigid, and not as good as the lessons taught in her own family.
Ling Xun's future achievements are extraordinary; if a good relationship can be cultivated, that would be ideal.
and……
Bai Xuerou always knew one thing: if her plan really succeeded, it would only be the beginning.
If Ling Zheng dies, both the Ling family and the Zhenbei Army will definitely investigate him frantically.
Bai Xuerou didn't think she could escape, and explaining might even implicate the Bai family. So she had planned from the beginning to support someone who could take over the Ling family.
Besides Ling Zheng, the only other decent member of the Ling family is Ling Xun.
In this way, both sides benefit.
Therefore, Bai Xuerou had long ago made up her mind to teach him both literary and martial arts.
Ling Xun couldn't help but look up, surprised that Bai Xuerou had called him here for his studies.
He had naturally heard of the Bai family's reputation for scholarship. The Bai family had a history of hundreds of years, and their ancestors were among the first to pass the imperial examinations. They were a family of scholars for generations, and they did not refuse to let anyone audit their classes as long as they could pass the examinations. Many famous scholars had studied at the Bai family.
While the Bai family might not be considered much in terms of sheer power, they are among the most influential among scholars.
“The Bai family has a distinguished reputation, and I would naturally be willing to study there,” Ling Xun said earnestly. “Thank you, sister-in-law.”
He never misses an opportunity to become stronger.
Things were going so smoothly that Bai Xuerou couldn't help but smile.
“Then it’s settled,” she said, before turning her attention back to Master Wu.
"You need to be proficient in both literature and martial arts. Since you are studying literature, you should not neglect martial arts. It would be best if your father could teach you, but he is usually very busy and I'm afraid he won't have the time. I was thinking that it would be best to find a general in the army to teach you properly. What do you think?"
“It’s wonderful that you’ve considered everything so thoroughly, sister-in-law.” Ling Xun hadn’t thought about this before.
The Prince of Zhenbei had always treated him coldly, and he had never harbored any illusions that the Prince would let him get involved with the Zhenbei Army. However, in recent days, although his father was still indifferent, he was much gentler than before, and would occasionally ask him questions and teach him some things.
If that's the case, he might give it a try.
Born in a chaotic world, even the most skilled martial artist can only rely on one person's strength. If one could command an army, that would be the best outcome.
Seeing that he seemed to be deep in thought, Bai Xuerou smiled and asked, "Do you have someone in mind? I'd like to ask around for you."
“There is one person,” Ling Xun answered quickly.
Bai Xuerou's eyebrows twitched slightly, and her eyes smiled, signaling him to continue.
“Wei Yi, General Wei,” Ling Xun said.
A note from the author:
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