In the Imperial College's martial arts arena, most people had already left. A young man about ten years old, dressed in tight clothes, stood alone in front of the target, constantly pulling the bow and nocking the arrow.
"Achen should find a master to match his horoscope with that of the old man. They must be born in conflict, and it's the kind that can't be solved." Leaning against a tree, his legs shaking, his head resting on his folded hands, Mu Fengwu, who acted like a street scoundrel, predicted in a master's tone.
Yun Yifan did not respond to his words. It was not easy to find two nutritious sentences out of ten sentences of this young master. Instead of bothering to distinguish which sentence was useful and which was not, it was better to respond in silence to save time and effort.
Mu Fengwu had spent so much time with the Yun brothers that he had grown accustomed to their unassuming, self-serving ways. The Ninth Prince was smooth and intelligent, while the Prince of Jing was assertive and stubborn. Although he, with the prestige of a Duke's mansion, was more accomplished than the others, he had no advantage over them.
After half an hour, Yun Yichen took the towel handed to him by the servant, wiped his face and hands carefully, and after re-adjusting his clothes, he walked towards the two of them.
"How are today's results compared to the day before yesterday?" Yun Yifan asked.
"That's three more than the number I hit the bull's eye the day before yesterday." Although Yun Yichen had his share of dissatisfaction, he was also genuinely grateful to General Xiao. Without his three years of training, he wouldn't have made such rapid progress. He was no longer a child; he could already think clearly about many things. The old man must have been under orders from his uncle and father to be so strict with him. Without their orders and tacit approval, no one would be foolish enough to make an enemy of the prince and the crown prince!
After figuring it out, Yun Yichen gradually changed his habit of wanting to compete with the old man in everything. Although the two of them had formed a pattern of getting along since the first day of martial arts training, when the old man was commissioned by King Jing to be particularly strict with Yun Yifan, Yun Yichen had always been in a position of being the center of attention, so how could he willingly let himself be manipulated?
That's why one was suppressing and the other was resisting. Looking back now, even Yun Yichen himself finds it quite ridiculous. Why would he bother competing with an old man?
He no longer openly opposed General Xiao. He would comply with whatever he was willing to do, and avoid any he didn't want to do. He had thought that by backing off, General Xiao would at least stop confronting him. Unfortunately, the old man now disliked not only him, but also the Ninth Prince and Young Master Mu. They spent their days trying to figure out the reason, but to this day, they still had no answer.
Yun Yifan nodded. His results were good and much better than his own.
Mu Fengwu gave a thumbs up in appreciation. This kid is simply a genius, sent by God to attack him. Fortunately, this young master has an open mind, otherwise he would be depressed to death.
The three of them packed up and left the Imperial College together.
After returning to the palace, Yun Yichen first went to Jinhua Garden to visit his mother and sister. In front of Yin Qianhua, he would occasionally reveal a temperament consistent with his age, and would express small complaints or dissatisfaction.
Yin Qianhua didn't want her son to suffer too much in the future because he had to protect herself and her daughter, so she wanted to persuade him not to learn martial arts anymore.
Later, it was Prince Jing's words that finally made her realize the truth. How could a future ruler of a royal palace not strive for progress? When his parents were gone, would he be able to handle Concubine Han and the Han family? What would Ruonan do?
Over the past year, her son has stopped complaining and has become even more dedicated to his studies. Yin Qianhua is pleased but also deeply concerned about her son, often finding ways to nourish him and prepare good food for him.
"How does Ruonan feel after using Doctor Lin's new medicine?" Yun Yichen sat next to his sister and asked with his head tilted.
"Thank you for your concern, brother. I feel much better now." Yun Ruonan looked up at her brother, then quickly lowered her head.
Being polite and courteous is how the two siblings get along with each other. Yun Yichen's personality prevents him from being intimate and casual in his words, and Yun Ruonan is not good at socializing, so the relationship between the two gradually evolved into what it is now.
"Your sister is much better now. Dr. Lin's new medicine is very effective," Yin Qianhua explained on behalf of her daughter. Her daughter had indeed gotten much better. Her headaches were no longer frequent, and her fainting spells were decreasing year by year. The last time she fainted was at the beginning of the year.
"That's good. Go walk around the yard more often in the future. Don't stay cooped up in the house all day. It's not good for your health."
"I see. Thank you, brother."
The son has grown up and learned to care about his younger sister, and the daughter is more talkative than before. However, the siblings are too polite to each other. They don't act like real siblings, but more like two people who just met. Yin Qianhua feels helpless about the lukewarm relationship between the two.
"Your father has been quite busy lately. If you have anything to say, you can tell your mother first."
"I can handle my own affairs, mother, don't worry."
"In fact, you should go to the palace more often. After all, the Queen Mother really loves you." There is no need to do irrational things because of the mother. With the protection of the Queen Mother, the son's future will be much easier. If he loses this protection, I am afraid that some people will be ready to make a move, such as Concubine Han and the Han family.
"Don't worry, our son has grown up and knows what he should and shouldn't do." Yun Yichen comforted Yin Qianhua instead.
My mother never leaves the house all day and has no idea of the situation outside. Ever since my sister was poisoned, the methods that my grandmother used on my father have long been ineffective. Now, not only my mother, but even the Han family is unwilling to offend my father easily. After all, my uncle and my father are brothers, and my father is now in charge of the clan office. It is no exaggeration to say that his power is enormous.
Queen Dowager Han, now nearly sixty, remained powerful, yet she began to consider the Han family's future and her niece's future in her absence. She had spent decades in the palace, rising from a lowly concubine, fighting her way through obstacles, eliminating dissidents, and ultimately ascending to the pinnacle of power. To have achieved this was no mean feat. Seeing her son gradually slipping out of control, and the Han family and her niece constantly making mistakes, she felt compelled to change her strategy.
The Han family is now trying every possible means to ease the relationship with King Jing.
The Queen Mother, despite still disliking her daughter-in-law, is also trying to repair her relationship with her son.
"When father and son were not around, did Jinxiuyuan make things difficult for you or bully Ruonan?" Yun Yichen asked worriedly.
Concubine Han was truly a strange creature. Even the Empress Dowager and the Han family had lowered their stance, yet she remained unmoved, running rampant within the palace. The servants, having seen the situation clearly, had all but abandoned Jinxiu Garden. Only those servants who surrounded her, self-righteous and convinced that their master would soon rise again, remained loyal to her.
"It's been a long time since my mother has seen anyone from Jinxiu Garden, and your father has sent more people to Jinhua Garden. Just focus on your own affairs and don't worry about these trivial matters."
"General Xiao's birthday is coming soon. Have you prepared a gift?" Yin Qianhua reminded her son.
Yun Yichen was stunned. If his mother hadn't mentioned it, he would have actually forgotten his grandfather's birthday!
In the evening, King Jing also reminded his son not to forget General Xiao's birthday. He happened to catch his son's evasive gaze. It was really inappropriate that a disciple would forget his master's birthday after three years of teaching.
"I'm sorry, father. I... I will prepare some gifts and go to your house in person to celebrate your birthday." Yun Yichen said ashamedly. In fact, he would go to the Xiao family to celebrate their birthday every year since he started learning martial arts, but he would just sit for a while and then leave.
"What is your impression of the younger generation of the Xiao family?" King Jing asked curiously.
Could he say he had no impression of them at all? Aside from the two little guys who occasionally followed General Xiao around, he didn't know anyone else in the Xiao family, so he couldn't answer that question.
Oh, my son has really grown up and already has his own ideas. It seems that all my efforts will be wasted.
"If there is a chance, my son will get to know them."
The words sounded dry and perfunctory, without any sincerity.
"Forget it, father will never mention this matter again." The son has to walk his own path. Maybe he and the Xiao family's children are not destined to be together!
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