Chapter 4 High Standards
The emperor returned to the capital. Although there was no gain from this Northern Expedition, there were still many things to deal with. Even Zhu Zhanji, who had the time to return at the beginning, was so busy with his grandfather Zhu Di that he was running around. The promise to test Zhu Yuhuan's grades was left unfinished.
Except for the first time when she showed up in front of Zhu Zhanji, Zhu Yuhuan stayed in her small study to review her lessons. Firstly, she wanted to prevent Hu Shanxiang from worrying that she was "not studying well" again, and secondly, there was really nothing to do in winter. It was cold outside, and Zhu Yuhuan didn't want to go out and freeze. Even the palace servants around her were tried not to go out, and they took turns to go to her room every two hours so that they could warm themselves by the fire and rest.
"My dear, please hold the pen steady and don't shake your wrist."
Zhu Yuhuan murmured a response, her still tender hands trembling slightly as she gripped the pen. Her handwriting, which had been legible at first, became somewhat crooked as she wrote. After she finished writing a whole page of large characters, she glanced at the other pages drying nearby and muttered to herself, "I've only written a few pages. There are only twelve characters on each page, and how come the characters are already jumbled up?"
When her master's wife heard her say this, she comforted her and said, "Learning to read and write is something that should be learned gradually. You are not even four years old this year. Why should you be so strict with yourself?"
[Note: "Master's Wife" was a common title for female tutors in the Ming Dynasty. For details, see Ling Mengchu's "Second Collection of Strange Stories" Volume 2: "[The female chess child's wonderful observation] was the fame of her chess skills, and she was envious of her talent and beauty, but she could not defeat her, and no one dared to ask for a partner. In vain, she left behind a good reputation and accepted many disciples, while at night she would sleep alone."
In the Ming Dynasty, titles such as Taifu and Taishi were collectively referred to as "shifu." The word "laoshi" (师师) in ancient times shared the same meaning as "shifu," also meaning "an elder and respected person who teaches academic knowledge" and "monk." It was also the term used by students and candidates in the Ming and Qing dynasties to address their chairmen and academic officials. "shiniang" (师娘) and "shimu" (师母) both referred to the wife of a teacher and did not imply a female private school teacher. The term "shifu" (师妇) is not found in the Han dictionary and is speculated to be a product of the internet, similar to the term "mudao" (母道語).
In the context of the Ming Dynasty, using "Master's Wife" is a normal term of address. Readers are advised to view this rationally. Those who have different ideas and opinions on the application and development of modern Chinese can move to more authoritative platforms to express their views, rather than discussing profound gender issues with the muddled author.
Zhu Yuhuan placed the brush on the pen holder and said, "Grandpa was very strict with Dad. Dad started to learn to read and write and became familiar with riding and shooting when he was young. Although I am not as good as Dad, I cannot be content to be left behind."
The master's wife couldn't help but feel helpless about the future princess's stubbornness and hard work, but since she was sent by the Crown Princess's elder sister Hu Shanwei to teach Zhu Yuhuan, she naturally had to obey her orders.
This grandson has been trained as the future heir of the Ming Empire since he was young, and Zhu Yuhuan will be nothing more than a princess in the future. No matter how well she studies, she will have no place to use her skills.
Zhu Yuhuan was speaking when he suddenly realized something. He looked down at his hands and said, "Horseback archery... If I practice horseback archery more, I might gain more strength and write more steadily..."
When the master's wife heard that she had a new plan, she hurriedly said, "I can't teach you horse riding and archery. Besides, if you learn horse riding and archery, your skin will not be as delicate as before, and needlework will scratch the fabric..."
Zhu Yuhuan pretended not to hear and looked at the paper where the ink was gradually drying. Then he said, "I'll write another one."
The master's wife could only sigh in her heart. She really couldn't understand the thoughts of her "student".
This princess is not like the queen. After getting married, she just needs to enjoy herself. As for other things, they will be handled by the housekeeper. Girls learn these things for the sake of elegance, but once they learn martial arts, what "elegance" is there?
Zhu Yuhuan was writing when the curtain opened a crack. A palace attendant flashed in, blocking Zhu Yuhuan from seeing the wind, and said, "Young Master, the emperor's attendants are here. The prince wants you to go to the front."
Zhu Yuhuan finished writing the strokes, then put down his pen, jumped down from the chair, and asked the palace servants beside him to help him put on his cloak and earmuffs.
It was snowing outside when he went out. Zhu Yuhuan tightened his collar and asked, "Did Grandpa Zeng send someone?"
The eunuch flattered, "Young Master, you are truly amazing! The Emperor has finished his work and asked you to come see him. He must have brought back some goodies for you."
Zhu Yuhuan chuckled and waited until he arrived at the front hall. The crown prince and his grandson were both waiting there. Zhu Yuhuan greeted them politely and then stood beside the crown prince.
The eunuch who often served Zhu Di saw Zhu Yuhuan coming and said with a smile: "Your Majesty has not seen the young master for half a year and he has missed you very much. If you see that the young master has grown taller, you will be very happy. I will also benefit from it."
Zhu Yuhuan said with a smile: "It's all thanks to my great-grandfather."
The prince smiled and tapped her forehead, saying, "Your great-grandfather misses two people the most: your father and you. Your father went with him this time, so you are the first priority. When you see your great-grandfather, you must greet him first. You can't just rush over and touch his beard the moment you meet him."
Zhu Yuhuan said coquettishly: "Grandma and mother teach me to study and be polite every day. I will never mess around again. Grandpa, please don't scold me."
The eunuch also joked: "The emperor likes the young master's approach the most. He praised the emperor when he first met the young master. At that time, the young master touched the emperor's beard and said it was a 'dragon beard'."
It has only been two years since Zhu Yuhuan actually met Zhu Di. In addition, Zhu Di was busy with the Northern Expedition, so the time the grandfather and grandson spent together was not very much. In addition, Zhu Di was busy with many affairs, so the good relationship between the grandfather and grandson was entirely due to Zhu Yuhuan's unilateral efforts.
With a good relationship with the old man, Zhu Di naturally often missed his great-granddaughter. He wanted to give Zhu Yuhuan some of his good things, such as gems from Annan, tributes from Korea, and rare animals brought back from his voyages to the West...
The prince smiled and gave a few instructions before letting Zhu Zhanji take Zhu Yuhuan with him, to prevent the little girl from being too lively and causing trouble.
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