WK Chapter 19.1

Qu Dubian’s literacy life was very colorful.

 

Yesterday he attended Grand Tutor Xi’s class, today it was Grand Tutor Fang’s.

 

This old man was much more interesting than Grand Tutor Xi. Although he had known Qu Dubian’s identity from the start, he still looked at him with great surprise in the morning class and said:

 

“Oh my! So you’re the little prince!”

 

Qu Dubian: “…”

 

Of course, Qu Dubian played along.

 

The two of them were speaking in riddles, confusing the other princes. But no matter how much they asked, this matter could never be told to them.

 

It was a little secret between him and Grand Tutor Fang.

 

For the next half month.

 

Qu Dubian’s life was very regular: morning classes, afternoon writing practice. He mastered most of the commonly used characters and pretended to be clueless about Grand Tutor Fang’s attempts to test his knowledge reserves, both openly and subtly.

 

These days, he was eagerly preparing for his first essay on personal experiences.

 

During this period, the second draw yielded: [Strawberry Seeds x 10]

 

His beloved strawberries!

 

Strawberries were only introduced to China in the late 19th century, and there were no strawberry varieties in the Central Plains at this time.

 

Strawberries are suitable for planting in spring and autumn. For spring, February to April is more suitable. Now it was almost the New Year, getting closer to February.

 

He would keep them for now and plant them in February.

 

When he grew up and had a prince’s estate, he would definitely fill the manor with fruits and vegetables, and raise chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep. Farming gene awakening.JPG

 

He had become quite familiar with his brothers in the classroom. Qu Dubian felt a bit regretful that the simulator didn’t show the favorability of people related to him by blood. Otherwise, he could see how much of the three older brothers’ affection for him was genuine and how much was fake.

 

Besides this, he had formed a deep revolutionary friendship with the Fourth Prince, becoming sleeping companions during Grand Tutor Xi’s classes.

 

They brought each other small snacks and desserts.

 

He discovered that his Fourth Brother really loved to sleep, or perhaps it wasn’t sleep—there was a sense of beauty in being too lazy to open one’s eyes to see this ugly world.

 

As long as I close my eyes, I can’t see it.

 

Very interesting.

 

The Sixth Prince was still awkward, but under Qu Dubian’s intentional coaxing, everyone was charmed, one by one. Even the Fifth Prince, who rarely spoke, could exchange a few words with him now, let alone the Sixth Prince, a little one whose brain sometimes couldn’t keep up.

 

Royal children mature early, but even so, they can only mature so much.

 

The Sixth Prince shared some pastries he brought from Xiuxiang Palace today.

 

“Here’s some for you. The meat jerky you shared with me last time tasted alright.”

 

He and the Fourth Prince gathered around Qu Dubian’s desk, which was covered with food, like a children’s tea party.

 

Qu Dubian: “Here, Sixth Brother, eat this. It’s something new that Ye Banban came up with.”

 

The Fourth Prince was also eating, but his movements seemed twice as slow as everyone else’s.

 

“You don’t live in the back palace, so you probably don’t know,” the Sixth Prince said, “I heard from the guards at the palace gates that you bring bad luck and misfortune, and they told me not to play with you.”

 

He raised his chin, seeking praise: “But I still played with you, so you should listen to me from now on.”

 

The speaker meant no harm, but the listener took it to heart.

 

Qu Dubian took a bite of meat jerky, “Who said that?”

 

Sixth Prince: “Everyone says so.”

 

The Fourth Prince also chimed in slowly: “Oh, I think I’ve heard it too.”

 

The Fifth Prince in front turned around, looked into Qu Dubian’s eyes, and nodded slightly. Meaning he knew about it too.

 

Qu Dubian: “How long has this been going on?”

 

The Fourth Prince thought for a moment, “Hmm…”

 

His slow speech could drive one mad.

 

The Sixth Prince stuffed a pastry in his mouth: “It’s been several days. I keep forgetting to tell you.”

 

“Little brother, don’t worry,” the Fourth Prince swallowed a mouthful of food. He understood that “bad luck” wasn’t a good term, and hugged Qu Dubian with his chubby arms, “Fourth Brother won’t stop playing with you.”

 

Qu Dubian hugged the Fourth Prince back, touched, and nuzzled him.

 

“Fourth Brother, you’re the best!”

 

The Sixth Prince got angry: “I was the one who said it first!” In his heart, the newly arrived Seventh Brother was an interesting, slightly annoying toy, but now the toy wasn’t close to him and was closer to someone else instead.

 

The possessiveness inherent in children suddenly surfaced.

 

The Sixth Prince let out a strange cry and pounced on them too.

 

Qu Dubian instantly became a meat patty, looking to the Fifth Prince for help.

 

The Fifth Prince silently covered his face with a book and turned away.

 

While they were making a ruckus on their side, the Crown Prince and his two brothers were engaged in verbal sparring and sarcasm, each group having their own commotion. Only when Grand Tutor Fang arrived did they properly separate.

 

Qu Dubian took note of what the Sixth Prince said, planning to ask Ye Banban and Xiaochun to investigate when he returned.

 

Unexpectedly, a problem arose halfway through the class.

 

A group of gray rats suddenly appeared from somewhere, rushing in through the door of the classroom, squeaking in a cluster. The people in the classroom cried out in alarm.

 

The eunuchs hurriedly protected their respective princes, while Grand Tutor Fang shouted, “Get out! Everyone get out!”

 

Not just them, even Qu Dubian was startled. Rats carry many bacteria, and if bitten, one could easily get infected. With the medical standards of ancient times, it could be fatal.

 

Ye Xiaoyuan carried him out.

 

When they reached a safe place, he finally calmed his racing heart and comforted the child in his arms.

 

“How could there be rats in the Eastern Garden? And so many at once.”

 

Qu Dubian had a bad feeling, but joked, “Maybe the food here is too good.”

 

Frightening the princes was a serious offense. All the palace servants responsible for the Eastern Garden came rushing, their faces pale, shouting to drive away the rats.

 

In the end, the rats were driven away, but the class couldn’t continue. Qu Dubian returned to Ju’an Hall. That day, Emperor Chongzhao issued an edict to thoroughly search the classroom and eradicate the rats.

 

After returning, Qu Dubian recounted what the Sixth Prince and others had told him in childish language, asking Wen Xiaochun to quietly inquire about the rumors in the palace saying he brought bad luck.

 

However, before they could find out the reason, another incident occurred.

 

The next day, during class in the school hall, a large fire broke out near the study hall. The winter moat was frozen, hampering rescue efforts, and the fire destroyed more than half of the school hall.

 

Now that the usual place for classes was gone, with consecutive incidents, even the most foolish person could see the strange nature of these events. They had no choice but to suspend classes for a few days.

 

–

 

Not far from Ju’an Hall, there was an isolated garden where princesses used to appreciate flowers and swing on swings. It had become quite desolate now, with frost and snow covering the withered lotus in the small pond.

 

Qu Dubian was gently swinging here.

 

Ye Xiaoyuan stood on guard nearby. Soon, Wen Xiaochun hurried over.

 

Ye Xiaoyuan walked a few steps away, pulled him aside, and lowered his voice: “How is it?”

 

Wen Xiaochun: “The whole palace is saying that it’s the bad luck and evil energy on the young prince that’s causing these misfortunes. They say that when the young prince stayed in Ju’an Hall, everything was fine, but as soon as he went to the Eastern Garden, incidents started happening frequently.”

 

“They say the Eastern Garden is closer to His Majesty, so the evil energy is being nourished by the dragon’s aura, becoming stronger.”

 

Ye Xiaoyuan was furious: “That’s utter nonsense!”

 

Wen Xiaochun: “I went to the Eastern Garden today to investigate quietly. There were palace servants cleaning up after the fire. I disguised myself as a eunuch and snuck in, looking around carefully.”

 

“Did you find anything?”

 

Wen Xiaochun shook his head, “But I smelled something special—oil. I manage oil affairs in the Imperial Kitchen, so I’m somewhat familiar with various oil smells. When I went in to sweep, there was a faint, barely noticeable astringent smell in the air.”

 

“It seemed to be tung oil.”

 

The Imperial Kitchen had recently received a batch of tung oil to polish wood. As he was in charge of oils, he had taken a look and even got two extra barrels stored in the warehouse.

 

He had smelled it before, and it was similar.

 

Ye Xiaoyuan said hatefully: “Someone must be trying to harm His Highness!”

 

Wen Xiaochun: “More than half of the school hall was burned, and after ventilation, the already faint smell would be even harder to detect. No one will believe us if we say this.”

 

It was quiet here, and they spoke in low voices. To Qu Dubian’s ears, it was just indistinct murmuring.

 

He swung his feet, increasing the swing’s amplitude.

 

Tsk.

 

He could guess that the news Xiaochun had found out wasn’t good at all.

 

The sound of footsteps on snow came from afar. Qu Dubian looked up and saw a female Taoist priest in a black robe, holding a book, walking towards him from the withered lotus pond.

 

The Taoist priest stopped in front of his swinging swing.

 

“This official, Zhang Chansi, Deputy Head of the Astrology Bureau, greets the Seventh Prince.”

 

[Character: Zhang Chansi

Favorability: 7]

 

How could someone he had never met have an initial favorability towards him? And the Astrology Bureau…

 

Qu Dubian didn’t have a good impression of that place.

 

What intentions did she have, seeking him out at this crucial moment when unfavorable rumors about him were spreading throughout the palace?

 

Ye Xiaoyuan came over: “Official Zhang. Do you have business here, Official Zhang?”

 

Zhang Chansi said: “Observing the night sky, I sensed that the young prince would face a difficulty, so I came specially to deliver a safety charm.” She took out a thumb-sized wooden tablet from between the pages of her book, carved with Taoist patterns.

 

Qu Dubian reached out to accept it. It felt comfortable to touch, just a well-made wooden tablet. There was no string attached, suggesting it had been made recently.

 

Ye Xiaoyuan: “What does Official Zhang mean by ‘difficulty’?”

 

Zhang Chansi didn’t answer his question, instead saying something mysterious: “What begins with fire will end with fire.”

 

After speaking, she bowed to Qu Dubian again and left.

 

Wen Xiaochun: “What did she mean by that?”

 

Qu Dubian played with the safety charm, thinking to himself that it probably meant this matter was likely instigated by the Astrology Bureau.

 

This Deputy Head should be someone who knows about it but isn’t the executor. She doesn’t agree with the practice of slandering a child but can’t directly point out who’s behind it, so she can only use this method to give a special reminder.

 

Ye Xiaoyuan fell into deep thought.

 

The child on the swing, still unaware of worries, scratched his head and casually reminded: “The school hall caught fire, Ye Banban. Will other places catch fire too? What about where we used to live?”

 

The place where they used to live.

 

That was the palace where Consort Yun resided before her death.

 

Yongning Palace!

 

Ye Xiaoyuan suddenly grasped something, his heart skipping a beat.

 

Qu Dubian worried: “Would it cost a lot of money to repair the palace where my mother lived?”

 

Ye Xiaoyuan patted his head.

 

“It won’t cost His Highness’s money; His Majesty will take care of it,” he said. “The sky is getting dark, and the wind is picking up. Would His Highness like to go back? We can come again when the weather is better.”

 

Qu Dubian: “Yes!”

 

Ye Xiaoyuan then took him back to the sleeping quarters. On the way, he didn’t say much. After settling Qu Dubian, he immediately pulled Wen Xiaochun aside to discuss matters quietly.

 

“Do you know where Yongning Palace is?”

 

Wen Xiaochun: “I do.”

 

Ye Xiaoyuan gritted his teeth: “If the person behind this is trying to make His Highness unable to stay in the palace, Yongning Palace must be their target. Tonight, go and keep watch around Yongning Palace, see if you can find anyone.”

 

“Be careful in everything!”

 

“Don’t worry, I understand. You take good care of the young prince.”

 

Wen Xiaochun lowered his eunuch’s hat and disappeared into the wind at the corner of the palace.

 

 

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1 Kofi = 1 Extra Chapter