further studies
After Su Musong heard from Xiao Luoyao that Xiao Luochen was punished, he no longer had the heart to go to school. He didn't care that he hadn't asked for leave from the teacher yet, and walked home on his own.
The coachman was originally drinking tea and resting in the teahouse. When he saw his young master walking out of the academy in a daze, he hurriedly drove the carriage forward to wait for him. However, Su Musong did not jump on the carriage as usual. The coachman had to drive the carriage not far away and follow him.
A strong wind suddenly blew up, dark clouds gathered, and it looked like a heavy rain was about to come. The driver called out to Su Musong to get in the car, but Su Musong ignored him and just continued driving slowly.
Suddenly, lightning flashed, thunder roared, and heavy rain poured down. Su Musong neither sought shelter nor boarded the carriage, letting the downpour soak him to the skin. The driver knew he could not persuade the young master, so he had no choice but to hold the horse with one hand and hold an umbrella for Su Musong with the other. However, how much wind and rain could this small oil-paper umbrella protect him from?
Fortunately, Su Musong was still heading towards the Duke of Anguo's Mansion. As long as the direction was correct, he would be able to go home.
After returning home, Su Musong ignored the housekeeper who came to ask him and the maid who wanted to change his clothes. He locked himself in the bedroom without saying a word and refused to answer anyone who knocked on the door.
Seeing Su Musong's appearance, the housekeeper was at a loss for a moment. The Duke was not in Kyoto at the moment, so he had to send someone to deliver a letter to his wife who had gone to Cihang Temple to burn incense at night.
By the time Changsun Qinan returned home, it was already noon the next day.
As soon as Changsun Qinan returned home, he went straight to Su Musong's residence and knocked on the door for a long time, but Su Musong did not respond.
"How long has he been like this?"
"Madam, the eldest young master has locked himself in his room since returning yesterday. Juan'er has been guarding outside the door the entire time. The eldest young master has not come out, nor has he eaten. He got caught in the rain when he returned yesterday, and I'm afraid he's caught a cold."
"You knew he was going to catch a cold, but you still let him act so willfully?"
Changsun Qinan gave the housekeeper a cold look. She was so anxious to check on Su Musong that she had no time to care about others. Su Musong refused to open the door, and she lost her patience. She raised her hand and slapped the door, smashing it into pieces. The servants watching were secretly shocked. If this palm had landed on a person, it would probably have broken bones and tendons.
Su Musong fainted on the ground, still wearing the same clothes as yesterday. They were not dry at all after a night. His little face was red, and when he touched his forehead, he found it was burning hot as expected.
Changsun Qinan ordered someone to change Su Musong's clothes and personally fed him medicine. Only then did he have time to carefully investigate the whole story.
He traced the matter all the way from the housekeeper, maid, servant to the coachman, and finally asked the owner of Wangjing Tower. The owner reported everything that happened that day, and Changsun Qinan began to understand a little.
During the two years at Tongxue, Su Musong often mentioned Xiao Luochen. Although Changsun Qinan didn't know what kind of intersection Su Musong and Xiao Luochen had before, he vaguely felt that the reason why Su Musong went to Tongxue seemed to be because of Xiao Luochen.
It is obvious that Xiao Luochen, this friend, holds a very important place in Su Musong's heart, but Prime Minister Xiao said such words, and Su Musong is just a child, how can he bear it?
Just as the emperor could not bear to see people from Kyoto despise the Duke of Anguo's mansion, Changsun Qinan could not care less about her own reputation, but she could not bear to see Su Musong being looked down upon. She wanted to argue with Prime Minister Xiao.
The next day, Changsun Qinan went to the Prime Minister's residence in a low-key manner with a small entourage, but was turned away just like two years ago. However, this time there was no Xiao Luoqian to intervene.
This time, Changsun Qinan must enter the gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion.
On the third day, Changsun Qinan chose the four-horse carriage bestowed by the emperor, donned her court robes as a first-rank imperial consort, and accompanied by a troop of maids and attendants, a group of thirty or forty people, arrived at the Prime Minister's residence in a grand procession, presenting a visiting card. Although the Prime Minister had instructed the day before not to see anyone from the Duke of Anguo's residence, the gatekeeper, seeing the Duke of Anguo's wife's presence, dared not neglect it and passed the message on.
Soon the doorman came to report
"Madam, please go back. The Prime Minister is not in a position to see guests today."
"Prime Minister, is it only today that you are not able to see guests, or tomorrow as well? Or do you simply not want to see me?"
Changsun Qinan sat in the carriage and did not show up. It seemed that she had expected the doorman to respond like this, and she was not angry.
"This... I am only responsible for delivering the message. I don't know whether the Prime Minister will receive guests tomorrow."
"Well, I won't make it difficult for you. Go tell the Prime Minister that if he is not able to see guests today, I will be waiting respectfully at the gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion."
As soon as Changsun Qinan finished speaking, the attendants behind him spread out the materials they had brought and erected a pavilion at the entrance of the prime minister's residence. This action attracted many passers-by to stop and look. Seeing this, the gatekeeper did not dare to delay any longer and hurried forward to pass on the message.
It must be said that the servants of the Anguo Mansion were well-trained. When the doorman came out again, the simple pavilion had been set up and even snacks had been placed on the table. If he had been slower, the wife of the Anguo Mansion would have had to drink Biluochun at the door of the Prime Minister's Mansion.
This time it was the butler who responded.
"Madam Guogong, Madam Prime Minister invites you into the mansion to chat. Everyone in your mansion has worked hard, so please wait and rest for a while."
"Let's retreat."
The purpose has been achieved, so there is no need to build this pavilion anymore.
Changsun Qinan finally met Prime Minister Xiao and his wife as she wished.
There are many different accounts of the details of the meeting between the Prime Minister and his wife and the wife of Duke Anguo. There were only three of them present at the time, and no one knows what they talked about.
According to the servants of the Prime Minister's Mansion, at first they heard the Prime Minister and the wife of the Duke of Anguo arguing loudly about something, almost quarreling, but later they could not hear anything. It seems that both sides were relatively rational and calm.
The servants of the Duke of Anguo's mansion waited from noon until nightfall, and only then did they wait for their wife to come out of the prime minister's residence.
Prime Minister Xiao and his wife personally escorted Zhangsun Qin'an to the entrance of the Prime Minister's residence. The three of them chatted and laughed, as if they were close friends who had known each other for many years. This only left the Prime Minister's doorman stunned. He had worked at the Prime Minister's residence for nearly ten years and had never seen the Prime Minister and his wife escort a guest together. Who would have thought that just two days ago, the wife of the Duke of Anguo was almost turned away.
When Su Musong recovered from his illness and returned to school, Xiao Luochen had already prepared everything waiting for him.
"Luo Chen, how is your injury?"
"It's nothing serious, just some superficial injuries. Third brother enforced the family rules and didn't want to use too much force. Besides, the wife of the Duke of Anguo sent some medicine, so apart from the new skin being a little itchy, everything else is fine."
"Luo Chen, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have been so playful and caused you to suffer this punishment."
"It's all in the past, so there's no need to talk about it anymore. Just study hard from now on. Besides, I enjoyed watching the acrobatics that day."
Xiao Luochen comforted Su Musong as if nothing had happened and didn't seem to care, but the fear and shame he felt when he was seen by his father in Wangjing Tower that day were deeply imprinted in his mind.
"Luo Chen, I don't understand why your father's attitude has changed so much?"
Although Su Musong knew that his mother had gone to the Prime Minister's residence to seek justice for him, he did not know the details.
"After my father and mother met the wife of the Duke of Anguo, they allowed me to return to school and stopped preventing me from becoming friends with you. My father said that a woman as remarkable as the wife of the Duke of Anguo would surely raise a son who would be no less than remarkable. There was nothing to worry about."
From then on, the stone that had been hanging in Su Musong's heart finally fell to the ground.
I have wasted so much time on this, and the entrance examination is imminent. I really can't waste another moment.
Xiao Luochen led Su Musong to study hard day and night, and finally the two of them passed the competition smoothly. Xiao Luochen was naturally the champion, and Su Musong ranked behind, but it was enough for him to be promoted to the junior high school.
The days of youth were carefree and seemed to pass by especially quickly. A year had passed in the blink of an eye since Su Musong and Xiao Luochen entered junior high school.
In order to avoid having to cram at the last minute when he was promoted to the Bachelor's School in the future like he did when he was promoted to the Junior School, Su Musong studied very hard during this year. He was already very talented, and now if he put his mind to it, he could even catch up with Xiao Luochen in his studies.
Su Mubai had also reached school age. Seeing that Su Musong had made considerable progress during his years at school, the Duke and Duchess of Anguo sent him to a children's school. Unlike Su Musong, Su Mubai seemed born to study. Since he started school, he needed no supervision; he was completely absorbed in his studies. At such a young age, he buried himself in books, sometimes even neglecting to eat and sleep. It was Changsun Qinan who worried that Su Mubai might be overdoing it and harming his health.
Su Mubai had started to learn early and worked so hard, so naturally he left far behind his classmates who had to be coaxed and tricked by their families to go to school. After Xiao Luochen, Yongjing City finally had another child prodigy.
Su Musong and Xiao Luochen were good friends, and they often visited each other's homes. However, Prime Minister Xiao was a stern man, unlike the affable Su Maoyi and his wife. The Prime Minister's residence was full of rules and regulations, with officials frequently coming and going. It couldn't compare to the informality and tranquility of the Duke of An's residence. Therefore, Xiao Luochen was more frequent at the Duke's residence. Su Musong's brothers and sisters were even happier to see Xiao Luochen than they were to see Su Musong.
Su Mubai's birthday was approaching, and Xiao Luochen thought he had to give her something to show his appreciation. So, during his day off, he dragged Su Musong out to the East Market to look around. There were two markets in Yongjing: the East Market, which was mostly run by high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants, and the West Market, where the common people and peddlers gathered.
Thinking that Su Mubai loves reading, the first thing Xiao Luochen thought of was to go to the study.
Hanmoxuan is the largest study in the East Market. There is no book on the market that cannot be found here. It not only has books from Xiangping, but also books from Shenghuang, Yufeng, Yuelong, and Hanyun. It even has rare ancient books that may not be found in the royal library.
Xiao Luochen skimmed through the book, and an hour passed before Su Musong reminded him that although Su Mubai was gifted, he was still young. The rare and precious ancient books here were not suitable for him to read at his age. Some books can be harmful if read at an inappropriate age.
While Xiao Luochen was agonizing over what gift to give, he happily bought the rare copy he had just spotted. Although Su Mubai wasn't suitable for reading, it was just right for him to read. Just as he was about to pay, he saw an acquaintance at the counter.
"Mu Song, look, that's Ji Ziming."
Su Musong followed the direction Xiao Luochen pointed and saw a handsome young man in indigo clothes talking to the shopkeeper.
"It looks like he's here to buy books, too."
Ji Ziming was recommended by the Qingzhou locals to attend the Junior Academy. Orphaned at a young age, he lived with his grandmother. Despite his humble origins, he possessed remarkable talent, and the Qingzhou Academy, appreciating his talent, specially recommended him for admission. He lived up to his reputation, surpassing even the most distinguished sons of Kyoto's families, and even matching Xiao Luochen among the Junior Academy students.
Although they were not close friends, Xiao Luochen still admired Ji Ziming very much. Since they met here, it was inevitable that he would greet him.
When Xiao Luochen and Su Musong stepped forward, they heard clearly that Ji Ziming wanted to buy an ancient book, but when he checked out he found that he was still two hundred yuan short, so he was bargaining with the boss.
"Sir, this book is the only one in the entire Yongjing City. I came all the way from Yufeng to get it back. I can't get any cheaper. If you can't afford it, just put it back where it was."
The shopkeeper was used to seeing dignitaries and officials, so he could tell at a glance that Ji Ziming came from a humble background. He didn't speak too politely, and after saying this, he didn't want to talk to him anymore. Turning around and seeing Xiao Luochen and Su Musong, his expression changed in an instant.
"Gentlemen, please come over here. We just received a new batch of books from Sheng Huang. They haven't been put on the shelves yet. Would you like to take a look?"
Xiao Luochen disliked the shopkeeper's materialism, so he ignored him and first greeted Ji Ziming who was left aside.
"What a coincidence today, I unexpectedly ran into Brother Ziming here."
"Just take a walk, I'm going back now."
"Brother Ziming, did you gain anything?"
Ji Ziming waved the book in his hand, smiled helplessly, and said
"I've got an ancient book on my mind, but unfortunately I'm still two hundred yuan short. It seems I won't be able to buy it."
Xiao Luochen took the ancient book from Ji Ziming, flipped through a few pages, and nodded repeatedly. Seeing this, Su Musong felt that a gentleman should help others achieve their goals, and the current situation was just the right time for him to be such a gentleman.
"It seems like a rare and good book. Wouldn't it be a shame to miss it? How about I buy it and give it to Brother Ziming?"
"No merit, no reward. How can I accept Brother Su's gift of a book for nothing? Since we are not destined to do so, I will not force it."
Xiao Luochen knew that Ji Ziming was a man of integrity. Although he came from a poor family, he was always neither humble nor arrogant when interacting with his classmates. He neither fawned over the powerful nor complained about the world. Ji Ziming would definitely not accept a gift from Su Musong that was so direct, so he said
"I happen to have two hundred yuan here, so I'll lend it to Brother Ziming first. Good books are hard to come by. If you miss it today, you might not be able to buy it tomorrow."
Ji Ziming thought for a moment and accepted Xiao Luochen's money.
"Thank you very much, Brother Xiao. I will return it to you when my monthly allowance is paid."
"No rush, wait until you have enough money."
After buying the books and saying goodbye to Ji Ziming, Xiao Luochen and Su Musong strolled around for another half day. Although the East Market was overflowing with goods, the Su family was a merchant family, so they had no shortage of good things. Therefore, Xiao Luochen still couldn't find a unique gift.
Seeing Xiao Luochen was a little depressed, Su Musong persuaded him
"Mu Bo is just a little brat, just buy him a small toy, there's no need to spend so much effort on it."
"You said it yourself on my birthday before, 'Birthdays only come once a year, so how can we not take it seriously?' I still remember your words, Master Su. Besides, on my birthday, you even traveled thousands of miles to have someone from Yufeng Country carve an inkstone for me. This time, it's your own brother's birthday. How can you, as an older brother, have the nerve to say such things?"
"I'm doing this for your own good, why don't you know how kind I am?"
"If Mu Bo heard what you just said, he would come to you and cry."
"He wouldn't. I've hardly ever seen him cry since he could talk. Besides, if he knew, it would be you who leaked the secret. If he cries to me, I'll cry to you."
"Don't you know how to be ashamed? You're such a grown-up and you still cry easily."
"Who dares to laugh at me?"
"Young Master Su is a man of both civil and military talents. He's strong enough to lift a tripod, and even his tears could flood the entire Yongjing City. Who would dare to laugh at you?"
"Luo Chen..." Su Musong looked at Xiao Luochen with an aggrieved look on his face and said, "You are making fun of me."
"I don't."
"You have."
"You're delusional."
After spending a long time with Su Musong, Xiao Luochen's ability to joke with people has improved year by year, especially when facing Su Musong, he can even tell lies with his eyes open without blushing or beating his heart.
Su Musong did not argue with Xiao Luochen's teasing. It was just a joke and it would be boring if he took it seriously.
It seems that there will be no gift for Xiao Luochen in the East Market. Xiao Luochen himself understands this, so although he is arguing with Su Musong, he is walking towards his own carriage.
A team of carts and horses carrying goods passed by, attracting passers-by to watch and talk, and naturally also attracted Xiao Luochen and Su Musong.
"Whose shop is this? You bought so many things, are you moving to a new house?"
"I heard it was from Prince Ding's Mansion."
"Prince Ding? That's the little uncle? He doesn't even seem to be ten years old yet, so how come he already has his own palace?"
“I don’t know about that.”
“…”
Su Musong had heard about the convoy, but he was unfamiliar with Prince Ding.
"Luo Chen, why do you think Prince Ding left the palace to set up his own residence? At his age, I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to manage a palace properly."
"Prince Ding is the youngest son of Emperor Taizu, and the youngest uncle of the current emperor. He holds a high position, so he can break with the old rules. However, the opening of this palace is indeed a bit hasty. Moreover, since the emperor has granted the palace, all the supplies in the palace should have been provided by the Ministry of Internal Demand. It is inconceivable that the palace would purchase so many items on its own."
After all, Xiao Luochen was in the prime minister's residence, and his third brother served in the imperial guards, so he knew more about the situation in the palace than Su Musong.
He had heard a rumor that after Emperor Shizu passed away, Prince Ding's mother was ordered to be buried alive with him, and Prince Ding was imprisoned in the cold palace. Throughout the reign of Emperor Hui, Prince Ding was ignored and left to fend for himself in the cold palace until the current emperor ascended the throne and took him out of the cold palace.
Moreover, the Queen Mother had always been dissatisfied with Prince Ding, so the fact that Prince Ding hurriedly left the palace to build his own residence might have something to do with the Queen Mother.
However, all this is just Xiao Luochen's guess, and it is unlikely to be verified.
"Since it's so unbelievable, let's stop thinking about it and go back."
This is Su Musong's character. Although he is curious, he will not get to the bottom of things, and he is quite content with just getting by.
Many years later, when an imperial decree granting marriage tied Prince Ding to the Anguo Mansion, I wonder if Su Musong remembered that on such an ordinary afternoon, he and Xiao Luochen inadvertently witnessed the beginning of Prince Ding's new life.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
