Chapter 34: Bullseye
When Zhu Di was alive, Zhu Yuhuan didn't dare to go to the previous dynasty alone, let alone now that there was a new emperor. A new emperor appoints new ministers, and even if Zhu Gaochi was Zhu Yuhuan's grandfather, he still had to be careful.
Zhu Yuhuan had no choice but to practice sword skills in her own yard on weekdays. She also asked the palace maids to help her set up a target on the grass and shoot from the west to the east. Zhu Yuhuan was able to hit the target every time, which scared the palace maids.
Not to mention the palace ladies, Zhu Yuhuan herself was a little surprised at first, but then she thought about it and realized that she was also practicing like this every day with Saihazhi in the training ground. After all, the targets in the training ground were farther away, and she practiced countless times every day. The distance in the yard was obviously closer, so it was reasonable that her shooting was more accurate.
However, in the eyes of the palace people, it was unexpected that their princess could hit the target every time at such a young age, so they unconsciously surrounded Zhu Yuhuan and praised him.
Listening to the palace people's praise, Zhu Yuhuan felt that she wanted to go back to the training ground even more. If she stayed in her own small courtyard all the time, it would only waste the skill she had worked so hard to practice.
Thinking of this, she looked down at the calluses on her hands and couldn't help but sigh.
She was just there worrying when a palace attendant said, "Princess, Miao Su, who is by the side of Concubine Hu, has come to pay her respects."
Zhu Yuhuan put down the bow in his hand and said, "Let her come in."
Previously, Wu Miaosu was temporarily sent to the Eastern Palace by Hu Shanwei to take care of flowers and plants. Later, when Zhu Di passed away and the six ministers had many affairs to attend to, Empress Zhang released Wu Miaosu and asked her to go back to help Hu Shanwei. As a result, the two had not seen each other for several months.
Unlike the attire of ordinary palace maids, Wu Miaosu was dressed in the attire of a female official. When she saw Zhu Yuhuan, she bowed and said, "I pay my respects to the Princess Shunde. May the Princess live a long and healthy life."
Zhu Yuhuan handed the bow and arrow to the person beside him, looked at her female official uniform and smiled, saying, "Get up. When I heard grandma talk about the female official examination, I knew you would definitely go. Now it seems that you have passed the high school entrance examination."
"I'm not the top scorer. There are so many talented people in the palace, and I only got third place." Wu Miaosu stood up and replied with a smile, "Thanks to the appreciation of the Empress, the Crown Princess, and the Palace Shang, I was promoted to female official. Therefore, I have come to pay a visit to the Crown Princess and the princess to express my gratitude." She saw the target filled with feathered arrows not far away and hurriedly said, "I am sorry to have disturbed the princess's leisure."
Zhu Yuhuan waved his hand, walked towards the courtyard and said, "It's okay. I found it boring after practicing a few times. This backyard is too small and the range is short. It's not enough for me to practice."
Wu Miaosu thought of her frequent visits to the training grounds to practice archery and said, "Why don't you pay your respects to the Emperor and ask him? The Emperor loves you so much and has specially bestowed upon you a title. I'm sure he will encourage you to cultivate your martial arts, just as the late Emperor did."
Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but smile when she heard this. "Then I'll take your kind words." Seeing Wu Miaosu looking at the bow and arrow placed not far away, she joked, "Have you ever played with this before? Want to try it?"
Wu Miaosu was stunned and quickly said, "I played it when I was a child, but I have forgotten it completely now. I am not as skilled in archery as the princess."
Zhu Yuhuan had a bow and arrow brought to him, saying, "I'm small, so I can just play with it. There's no one else here anyway, so no one will pass on the message."
Wu Miaosu was obviously also a little itchy. Hearing her say this, she took the bow and arrow from the palace maid and aimed at the target in the distance.
Zhu Yuhuan's bow and arrow was specially made, and since she was still young and relatively light, even a palace maid like Wu Miaosu who did light work in the palace could pull it.
Wu Miaosu, wearing an official robe and holding a bow and arrow, looked a bit like a high-spirited young scholar, which made Zhu Yuhuan smile unconsciously.
Wu Miaosu worked diligently, and Zhu Yuhuan naturally noticed it.
If she had a bigger world, Wu Miaosu would probably not be inferior to men.
As soon as Wu Miaosu let go, the arrow flew off the string with a whoosh sound, brushed past a person, and hit the bull's eye.
When everyone saw who was coming, they all knelt on the ground in panic and shouted loudly: "This servant greets His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
Wu Miaosu's expression changed as well. She knelt hurriedly on the ground and pleaded guilty: "I deserve to die. I have offended His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Please punish me!"
Zhu Yuhuan's gaze accidentally fell on Wu Miaosu's hands. Seeing that there were thin calluses between her fingers, he couldn't help but feel a little surprised, but he held it back.
Calluses on the hands of ordinary people, busy with their livelihoods, were perfectly normal. But as Wu Miaosu had said, she hadn't practiced archery in a long time, so how could ordinary people have calluses between their fingers? She was a palace maid, usually accompanying Hu Shanggong, and didn't do any heavy labor. Yet, the calluses she had developed from archery were located in the same spot as Zhu Yuhuan's, clearly demonstrating that what Wu Miaosu had just said was untrue.
Zhu Yuhuan's mind raced, but she didn't show it on the outside. Glancing at Zhu Zhanji's expression, which showed no sign of anger, she quickly said, "It was Huanhuan who asked Lady Wu to try her hand. I didn't expect Father to have the time to come. I accidentally offended you. Please punish Huanhuan."
This matter could be big or small. If Zhu Zhanji was in a good mood, it would naturally not be a big deal. Zhu Zhanji was now "promoted and rich" and was in a very good mood. Zhu Yuhuan guessed that he would most likely not pursue it.
As expected, Zhu Zhanji just waved his hand and said with a smile: "It's just a small matter. Besides, it didn't hurt me. Just deduct one month's salary."
Zhu Zhanji has been in a good mood recently. He was named the crown prince, and the value of the greenhouse outside the palace became more prominent as the weather got colder. He was planning to write a memorial with the final results and submit it. It would be a great achievement for both his subjects and the new emperor. How could he not be happy?
Hearing that a big issue had been resolved, Wu Miaosu finally breathed a sigh of relief. She hurriedly handed the bow and arrow to Zhu Yuhuan, intending to thank him and leave. Unexpectedly, Zhu Zhanji glanced at her and said in surprise, "Aren't you the little maidservant beside Hu Shanggong? Now you're a female official? It seems you have some real talent."
Wu Miaosu bowed again and said, "It is because of the Empress's appreciation that I was able to pass the examination and become a female official. Your Highness the Crown Prince is too kind."
"My mother has very high expectations for people and things. The fact that you passed the exam shows that you are well-educated." Zhu Zhanji asked half-jokingly, "Why, are you praising the Empress or yourself?"
When he came in, he vaguely saw that Wu Miaosu still had a lively smile on her face. In addition, she was pretty, so he was dazzled for a moment and thought of teasing her.
Wu Miaosu had just experienced an incident where she nearly injured the crown prince, so she was extremely cautious. Upon hearing Zhu Zhanji's words, she turned pale with fear, knelt down again, and said, "I dare not!"
Zhu Zhanji was just joking. Seeing her frightened, he waved his hand and said, "Get up. I was just joking with you. Why are you so scared?" He glanced at the arrow stuck in the target and said, "I didn't realize you have such good accuracy. Huanhuan must have practiced for a long time to achieve this result. You were just trying your hand, and you hit the bull's eye."
Wu Miaosu stood up again. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard this. She said hastily, "I was just imitating the princess's archery skills. I was lucky to have missed the target."
Zhu Zhanji nodded slightly. Seeing that Wu Miaosu still looked uneasy, he said as if to comfort her, "You seemed so high-spirited just now. You just said a few words to me. Why are you so timid? You look handsome and pretty, but now that you are a female official, you can't be so bold. You are embarrassing Hu Shanggong."
Seeing that Zhu Zhanji's eyes were on Wu Miaosu for a long time, and seeing that Wu Miaosu still had a look of fear on her face, Zhu Yuhuan also said: "Yes, now there are many new female officials selected in the palace, and Hu Shanggong is also going home to retire. When the time comes, when Female Official Wu serves in the inner court, she must learn more from Hu Shanggong's steadiness, otherwise how can she walk in the palace in the future?" After that, she gave Wu Miaosu a look, indicating that she should leave quickly.
Wu Miaosu immediately bowed. "I will follow the County Lord's instructions. I will take my leave."
Zhu Zhanji naturally noticed Zhu Yuhuan's look and couldn't help laughing: "Why are you winking at me in front of me? Aren't you afraid of being seen?"
Zhu Yuhuan replied with a smile, "My father is kind by nature, but he's also very authoritative, so it's natural for the palace maids to be afraid. I'm worried that if she stays here and makes a mistake, it'll pile up and cause a disaster, and I can't just let it go with a month's salary deduction." Then, she addressed the palace maids still kneeling nearby, "All of you get up and go back to your duties. Don't tell anyone about what happened today, or you'll be held accountable."
"yes."
Zhu Zhanji took Zhu Yuhuan into the pavilion, and they sat together at the stone table. Zhu Zhanji said, "In this palace, you are the one who cares the most for the palace maids."
Hearing Zhu Zhanji say this, Zhu Yuhuan thought of the little eunuch who was not sure whether he was dead or alive, and his heart sank.
Although the young eunuch was sent by Liu Yongcheng, people died within the palace walls all the time. Even if Liu Yongcheng asked, Empress Zhang could pretend not to know. Not to mention that Empress Zhang was the emperor and Liu Yongcheng was the minister. Who would care about someone's life or death?
Thinking of this, Zhu Yuhuan said seriously, "Dad, doesn't he still care about the palace maids? Otherwise, why would he be so reluctant to let the palace maids pass on the message?"
Zhu Zhanji understood the implication of Zhu Yuhuan's words, that if Zhu Zhanji had not passed on the message, Wu Miaosu would not have almost caused such a disaster.
Zhu Zhanji smiled and shook his head, then warned: "You can't even bear to scold me a few times, which makes me worry. This palace maid needs to be disciplined. You are too lenient. Aren't you just allowing the palace maid to run after you? Just like that Wu just now, she is not your palace maid, but I see that you care about her very much."
Zhu Yuhuan looked at Zhu Zhanji and said seriously, "He who has the world is the master of the world. He who has a country is the master of that country. I am the master of that country. Although Huanhuan is not even the master of a palace, I am at least the master of this courtyard. These palace servants take care of me, so naturally I have to protect them as well."
The lives of palace maids are also lives, not to mention that Zhu Zhanji didn’t know that one of his descendants abused a palace maid and was almost strangled to death.
Thinking of this, Zhu Yuhuan raised the corners of his mouth, revealing a playful smile, and said, "As for Lady Wu, Huanhuan admires her very much. A woman has done the best she can. Even if there is a small mistake... the person who was harmed by the mistake is not held accountable. Huanhuan, out of selfishness, naturally does not want to pursue it either."
Zhu Zhanji couldn't help but smile at her eloquence, and then said, "It seems your mother really didn't let you study in vain. You even know the allusions in Lüshi Chunqiu by heart."
Zhu Yuhuan chuckled and said, "What Master-wife teaches now is a little too simple. If Daddy has time, could you please find a more knowledgeable master for Huanhuan? Otherwise, I'm having trouble learning from the same old things all the time."
Zhu Zhanji pondered for a moment, as if he had thought of something, and after a while he said: "I can help you find a master, but it depends on your performance."
His daughter has such talent, which really should not be wasted. Although there are officials in the East Palace giving lectures, Zhu Zhanji has no children now. These people lecture to him alone every day, which even Zhu Zhanji finds a bit boring.
Since his daughter was eager to learn, Zhu Zhanji naturally would not discourage her. It was just a lecture in the Eastern Palace, so it would not be a big deal to let his daughter attend as an auditor.
Zhu Yuhuan exclaimed, and asked in confusion, "My performance? What does Daddy want Huanhuan to do?"
Seeing her eagerness to learn, Zhu Zhanji smiled and said, "Come on, go with Daddy to visit your grandfather."
Zhu Yuhuan was originally thinking about how to talk to Zhu Zhanji, but she didn't expect that he would take the lead and say what she was thinking. It was really like "when you are sleepy, someone will bring you a pillow."
Zhu Zhanji scratched her nose, stood up and said, "What? Let's go now, maybe we can meet him again."
Zhu Yuhuan was a little confused, but seeing this, she obediently followed Zhu Zhanji's footsteps, and the father and daughter went out together.
Zhu Zhanji took his daughter's hand and walked forward, saying, "I heard from your grandmother that you rarely leave the Eastern Palace since you were conferred the title of Princess. How come you've suddenly become so timid? You used to be so brave as to pull out your great-grandfather's beard."
Zhu Yuhuan said awkwardly, "My great-grandfather just passed away, and I'm afraid I'll run around and violate the rules and etiquette... Besides..."
Zhu Zhanji looked down at his daughter and asked, "What's the matter?"
Zhu Yuhuan muttered softly, "Huanhuan misses his great-grandfather."
Zhu Zhanji thought of his daughter's tears after learning of Zhu Di's death, and saw that she didn't dare to speak loudly. He couldn't help but feel distressed, so he changed the subject and said, "Huanhuan, Daddy is the crown prince. On weekdays, he has the same lectures and daily lectures as the emperor. As long as you behave well in front of your grandfather, Daddy will help you speak a few words in front of your grandfather. Who knows, you might even be able to attend the lectures."
Zhu Yuhuan finally understood why her father had said that. She hesitated and asked, "But is it possible? Daddy is the crown prince, but Huanhuan is only a princess. And it's all because of the promise made by my great-grandfather..."
Seeing her cautious look, Zhu Zhanji smiled and said, "You don't have any brothers now, so what's wrong with listening? Anyway, it's usually only Daddy who's here during the lectures. As long as you promise not to cause trouble, it won't be a big deal."
Zhu Yuhuan uttered a soft "oh," but quickly came to his senses, puffing his cheeks as he said, "Daddy used to praise Huanhuan for being smart and clever, and the most sensible one...but now he's saying I'm a troublemaker!"
Zhu Zhanji said with a hint of meaning, "You yourself don't cause trouble, but others may not think so. Your grandfather's approval is only the first hurdle. There are many more difficulties to come."
After hearing what Zhu Zhanji said, Zhu Yuhuan was a little confused.
Difficulties? What difficulties? A princess studying with her own father, the Crown Prince, is not considered a difficulty?
Zhu Zhanji thought she was just scared and jokingly said, "Huanhuan, if you are scared, Daddy will take you back to the East Palace right now."
Zhu Yuhuan immediately lost his temper when he heard this. He puffed out his chest and raised his head and said, "I'm not afraid! As long as I can go to school, I'm not afraid of anything!"
She was still thinking about her training ground, bows and arrows, and formations, so of course she couldn't retreat!
Seeing her determination, Zhu Zhanji smiled and patted her head, saying, "Okay, as the eldest sister, set an example. In the future, your brothers will have to follow your example!"
Zhu Yuhuan responded on the surface, but he was full of doubts in his heart.
Hard to say!
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