WK Chapter 16

To be honest.

 

This character for “dog”, apart from being ugly, was written quite standardly.

 

Qu Dubian looked up, “Did I write it wrong?”

 

Master Fang was speechless for a while, his beard quivering, “It’s wrong.” He wrote the character for “father” beside it, “It should be written like this.”

 

Qu Dubian had an “aha” moment, looking innocent and as if he’d learned something new, “Oh! So they look so different!”

 

“Yes, they’re completely different. How could you mix them up?” As he finished speaking, Master Fang seemed to realize something and his voice suddenly rose, “These two can’t be compared at all!”

 

Qu Dubian pretended to understand and nodded.

 

Master Fang then had him write a few simple characters from the Three Character Classic, until they came to a slightly more difficult one, at which point Qu Dubian stopped and said he didn’t know how to write it.

 

With no more wrong characters, Master Fang pondered for a moment and said: “You don’t need to learn so fast now. If you can only read but not write, what use is that? How about this, I’ll give you some homework. Next time you come, write fifty large characters.”

 

Qu Dubian: “Mm.”

 

If not for the incident at the Imperial Kitchen, he might have worried about not having enough ink or paper, but now he didn’t. There were enough writing materials.

 

Master Fang: “You can go back now.”

 

Qu Dubian didn’t move for a long time.

 

Master Fang suddenly realized, “Oh, this old man needs to leave too.”

 

After saying this, he hurriedly packed up his things and left the study hall. How could he forget, the young prince came secretly, and the people serving him would come to pick him up secretly. If he didn’t leave, the young prince couldn’t leave either.

 

Sure enough, Wen Xiaochun, hiding in the shadows, saw Master Fang leave the study hall and quietly lifted a corner of the window. After confirming no one was around, he called out: “Your Highness.”

 

Qu Dubian then dragged his satchel to the window, and the master and servant pair quickly slipped away.

 

–

 

Ju’an Hall.

 

After the midday rest, Qu Dubian practiced writing by the window for a while.

 

It wasn’t until after the evening meal that Yi Shi’er quietly left Ju’an Hall.

 

Hearing the notification sound, Qu Dubian thoughtfully looked towards the direction of Qianji Palace.

 

Wen Xiaochun: “What is Your Highness thinking about?”

 

Qu Dubian: “Thinking about Master Fang.”

 

Thinking that if that black-bearded old scholar wasn’t in trouble now, he would be scolded by the emperor later.

 

Wen Xiaochun praised: “Your Highness is truly studious.”

 

Qu Dubian thought for a moment and felt he couldn’t be so unconscionable, “Xiaochun, I think I might have done something bad.”

 

Qu Dubian recalled the concern in Master Fang’s eyes when he pulled him out from under the desk, and his hesitant comments about what the Crown Prince had said—this person had most likely recognized his identity and was just pretending not to know.

 

It was only because there was no movement from his nominal father’s side that he chose to wait and see.

 

Of course, it was also possible that Master Fang hadn’t recognized him. He had told Master Fang to reveal his presence, but the man had still helped conceal it.

 

And Qu Dubian couldn’t directly remind him.

 

“What bad thing?” Wen Xiaochun frowned.

 

Qu Dubian pondered how to say it, “Umm…”

 

Wen Xiaochun: “No matter what bad thing it is, it’s the deed that’s bad, not the person. It must have been someone forcing Your Highness to do it.”

 

Qu Dubian: “…”

 

“What if no one forced me?”

 

Wen Xiaochun replied without hesitation: “Then Your Highness must have your own reasons.”

 

Qu Dubian pressed further, “What if I’m just purely bad, just want to do bad things, doing bad things makes me happy?”

 

“Anyway, Xiaoyuan and I won’t consider what Your Highness does as bad,” Wen Xiaochun thought seriously: “If that day really comes, then let’s just make everyone who says Your Highness did bad things change their words.”

 

His Highness is a little child, and children should be coddled.

 

His voice became gentle as he comforted the child: “This way, no one will say Your Highness did bad things anymore.”

 

Good and bad are defined by people. If His Highness doesn’t want to do bad things, then just define everything His Highness does as good. What’s so difficult about that?

 

Qu Dubian: “…”

 

He truly felt from the bottom of his heart that Xiaochun occasionally revealed a bit of villainous aura in his words and actions, even when comforting him now.

 

But overall, this statement was quite innocent. Even the emperor in this world couldn’t make everyone praise him.

 

Qu Dubian turned to ask Ye Xiaoyuan: “Ye Banban, do you think what Xiaochun said is right?”

 

“What’s right or wrong,” Ye Xiaoyuan wasn’t listening at all, bringing over a bowl of milk, “Your Highness, drink this, and you’ll sleep well later.”

 

Alright then.

 

Qu Dubian finished the milk Ye Banban poured for him, and mentally lit a candle for Master Fang.

 

–

 

Master Fang left later than usual today, and additionally assigned a pile of homework to the Crown Prince, ignoring his sour face, saying he would check it in two days.

 

After tormenting his students, he smiled and strolled out of the palace with his hands behind his back.

 

His kindness towards Qu Dubian wasn’t purely out of goodwill.

 

During the previous emperor’s reign, when the northern frontier was invaded, the Sword-Holding Marquis led troops to guard the border. People in the court only cared about squabbling, embezzling military provisions and pay to line their own pockets.

 

Although the previous emperor was dissolute, he wasn’t careless in important matters and had clear insight. Seeing the ancestral foundation about to be ruined in his hands, and fearing being held accountable by the ancestors after his death, he thought, “This is bad, it can’t go on like this, or I won’t even be able to enjoy myself properly in the future.”

 

He knew who were the officials for managing troops, who were for managing the people, and who were for managing officials. So he roused himself from his harem, privately found capable ministers like Fang Hechuan, and began to work together with his ministers.

 

The previous emperor dealt with the court, purging a batch of openly corrupt officials, and directly appointed Fang Hechuan as Minister of War to oversee military affairs.

 

In the Great Zhou system, the Ministry of War issued military policies, while the Five Armies Command issued military orders. To streamline court procedures and avoid disputes, Fang Hechuan, who wasn’t yet Master Fang at the time, held the position of Minister of War while also serving as the Chief Inspector of the Five Armies Command.

 

He essentially held most of the military power in the entire court in his hands.

 

Although Emperor Chongzhao thoroughly criticized his father after taking over the mess, he still admired him in this matter.

 

After all, not everyone had the courage to give out such power. One misstep, and Great Zhou could have changed dynasties.

 

Fortunately, Fang Hechuan shouldered this trust, and together with the Sword-Holding Marquis, one responsible for the rear and one for the front lines, they suppressed several stirrings on the northern frontier.

 

The camaraderie formed then through fighting a common enemy far surpassed that of ordinary colleagues. They continued to enjoy each other’s company when they met later, and still occasionally kept in touch.

 

After the major issues were settled, Fang Hechuan’s personal prestige in the court reached a peak. He decisively resigned from his position in the Five Armies Command. A few years later, he went into mourning for his mother, disappearing from court for three years. When he returned, he only took on a minor position, gradually reducing his influence to a level that wouldn’t be feared by the emperor.

 

Later, when Emperor Chongzhao ascended the throne, Fang Hechuan was given the additional title of Grand Tutor, a first-rank position. Although it came with the responsibility of assisting the emperor in governing, it was actually just an honorary position, temporarily responsible for teaching the princes.

 

When Consort Yun was pregnant with the Seventh Prince, his old friend the Sword-Holding Marquis often wrote to inquire, his words brimming with happiness. Who would have thought that incident would happen later.

 

His old friend asked him to look after his grandson when possible, as he was the only bloodline left by his only daughter.

 

He naturally had no reason to refuse such a request, but Ju’an Hall was where princesses of past generations lived, part of the inner palace. As an outside official, he had no opportunity to enter.

 

Now, by chance, he had encountered his old friend’s grandson, so of course he had to look after him a bit.

 

He had barely walked half the way when he heard a eunuch running after him, calling, “Master Fang! Master Fang!”

 

Master Fang was surprised: “Is something the matter? Oh, you’re the eunuch from His Majesty’s side.”

 

“Thank you for remembering, sir,” said Eunuch Bao. He served in Zichen Palace, occasionally filling in for Head Eunuch Yu, so the ministers who frequently appeared before the emperor naturally recognized him.

 

“It’s good that you were walking slowly, sir. His Majesty wants to see you.”

 

“Oh, alright, let’s go then.”

 

Master Fang thought the emperor wanted to inquire about the princes’ studies and followed Eunuch Bao without much thought. But as they neared Zichen Palace, Eunuch Bao suddenly stopped and lowered his voice.

 

“His Majesty is in a bad mood. Please be careful, sir.”

 

Master Fang nodded.

 

“Thank you, Gonggong.”

 

He didn’t offer any silver.

 

Even if he did, the eunuchs serving the emperor wouldn’t accept it.

 

As Master Fang lifted his robes to step in, he wondered who had offended this petty emperor.

 

He bowed: “Long live Your Majesty.”

 

Emperor Chongzhao glanced at him and said flatly: “Did you have fun playing with my son?”

 

Master Fang raised his face, full of confusion: “Your Majesty! This old minister has always been serious in teaching the princes, never slacking for a moment. Especially the Crown Prince, as the oldest among the princes, I even assigned him extra homework today.”

 

“Hmph!” Emperor Chongzhao’s face darkened, “You still have the nerve to mention homework.”

 

He was exasperated: “You’re not assigning enough!” The Crown Prince was simply outrageous, to say such nonsense!

 

Master Fang: “…”

 

He silently swallowed the words “I’ll assign less in the future,” coughed lightly, and said solemnly: “Your Majesty is right.”

 

“You still haven’t answered me, did you have fun playing with my son?”

 

Master Fang cried out: “This old minister is wronged—”

 

“I mean, did you have fun crawling under the desk with my son?”

 

Master Fang stopped protesting. The air fell into an awkward silence.

 

They stared at each other, wordless, as Emperor Chongzhao watched a shy smile suddenly appear on the old man’s face.

 

“Oh my, so you knew.”

 

Emperor Chongzhao took a deep breath to calm himself: “You… to think you were once my teacher. When the late Father Emperor left you to assist me in governing, he said you were dignified and steady. Grand Tutor, how old are you now? Steady? How could Father Emperor have the nerve to say those words? I think he must have been blind in his youth—”

 

The last few words weren’t spoken, but everyone knew they weren’t good ones. Master Fang kept his eyes down, pretending to be deaf.

 

Emperor Chongzhao took a sip of cold tea, trying to calm himself: “Xiao Qi is still a prince after all. How can a prince learn by crawling under a desk? If he wants to learn, could I stop him? After he turns three… he can go anywhere in the palace. And how old is he now? How much can he understand?”

 

“I was waiting for you to come tell me voluntarily. Now it seems if I hadn’t found out, you were going to keep it a secret forever?”

 

“Squatting under a desk in such cold weather, it’s simply ridiculous.”

 

Master Fang suddenly sighed: “You haven’t seen the Seventh Prince. Although the child is young, he’s very intelligent. He might understand what others say. Over time, it’s hard to guarantee that His Highness won’t develop thoughts of ‘Father Emperor dislikes me’.”

 

“Young children always have their own ways of doing things. Your Majesty, why do you think the young prince is willing to hide under a desk to study?”

 

“It’s a child’s nature to love play. The young prince is studying in advance to get your attention.”

 

He said solemnly: “Does Your Majesty know, the first character the young prince learned to write in front of me was the character for ‘father’.”

 

Master Fang’s words, far from helping, were like adding fuel to the fire.

 

Emperor Chongzhao’s anger, which had been subsiding, suddenly flared up again. He slammed the table three times, almost having a heart attack: “Did he write ‘father’ or ‘dog’?!”

 

“You know about that too??”

 

Oh no, this isn’t good.

 

Master Fang hurriedly tried to smooth things over, “He must have meant to write ‘father’ in his heart! His Highness is still a child, not even three years old. He doesn’t really understand what’s a father and what’s a dog, he can barely write… Your Majesty, please don’t be angry. In such matters, we should judge by the heart, not the deed. Looking at it from the heart, isn’t it a form of filial piety?”

 

Filial piety?

 

Emperor Chongzhao looked at the old man’s desperate attempts to speak well of his young son, and took a deep breath. In just two short days, he had been angered twice.

 

But besides getting angry, he couldn’t really do anything.

 

Could he really quibble with such a small child over a carelessly written character?

 

He experienced a long-forgotten feeling of frustration that he couldn’t express.

 

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1 Kofi = 1 Extra Chapter