WK Chapter 50

East Six Palaces.

 

Da Hei pulled the two children to a stop in front of the study hall, showing great self-management by walking to a corner to park, then digging out a large bone from the snack bag hanging under the small cart.

 

After dropping off the young ones at school, Da Hei leisurely lay down by the cart, gnawing on the bone.

 

Breakfast had taken quite some time. Although the two hadn’t been late, the other princes had already arrived.

 

The Fifth Prince cupped his hands: “Greetings, elder brothers. Greetings, Sixth Brother.”

 

After speaking, he silently walked to his seat behind the Sixth Prince. Meanwhile, Qu Dubian experienced an unprecedented feeling of being enthusiastically surrounded by his brothers.

 

To be honest, his relationship with the first, second, and third princes was just average, while his relationship with the fourth, fifth, and sixth was good.

 

The First Prince and Second Prince were usually quite gentle and friendly towards him, but now their enthusiasm had increased geometrically, showing concern for him in every way.

 

Even the Third Prince, who didn’t particularly like him, could now smile at him as if he were his own son.

 

—Brothers, you’re just over ten years old, this is really creepy.

 

First Prince: “I was planning to visit you the other day, but my studies were too busy and I really had no time. Look at your little face, it’s gotten thinner. Later, big brother will send you some pork knuckles to nourish you. That’s the quickest way to gain weight.”

 

“It’s better to eat lighter foods,” the Second Prince said with a smile. “Doesn’t Xiao Qi often go to Shunning Palace? My mother, Consort Ruan, is in Jiangyun Palace, which is also in the East Six Palaces, diagonally across from Shunning Palace. You should visit there when you have time. Mother really likes children.”

 

Third Prince: “What are you saying, Second Brother? If we’re talking about proximity, Weiyang Palace is right in front of Shunning Palace.”

 

Given that Qu Dubian had been going to Shunning Palace day after day, everyone had gradually begun to assume that he would live there in the future.

 

The First Prince raised an eyebrow. In terms of the location of their mothers’ palaces, he indeed didn’t have an advantage.

 

But it didn’t matter. He was Father Emperor’s eldest son, and he believed in his personal charm.

 

They were so enthusiastic that Qu Dubian could barely handle it, like a kitten surrounded by big dogs.

 

Finally, the Fourth Prince rescued him. The Seventh Brother was often sick, and having finally come to the study hall once, he couldn’t let the other elder brothers monopolize him.

 

He pulled Qu Dubian’s arm and walked towards the back. Qu Dubian quickly said: “Wait a moment, Fourth Brother.”

 

He stopped at the Fifth Prince’s seat and blinked: “Fifth Brother, shall we switch places?”

 

The First Prince patted his own desk: “Seventh Brother, come here. The view is better from big brother’s place.”

 

Qu Dubian gestured at the height of the desk and sighed: “If little brother goes there, I’ll only be able to listen to the teacher from under the desk.”

 

The First Prince said magnanimously: “I’ll hold you.” His mother had told him that younger brothers and sisters born later were no different from sons and daughters. The older he got, the more he needed to show his big brother’s presence.

 

Qu Dubian: “…”

 

That’s really not necessary.

 

Seeing the elder brothers trying to snatch him away, the Sixth Prince was unwilling. In his mind, the Seventh Brother was on their side, how could he let the elder brothers boss him around?

 

So he immediately told the Fifth Prince to move to the last desk, making room for Qu Dubian.

 

The Fifth Prince’s hand, which had been tightly gripping his book, relaxed. He silently packed up his things and moved to the last position at the back, secretly giving his seventh brother a grateful look.

 

The brother who had taken his place was truly a hero.

 

Qu Dubian took out his own books and placed them on the desk.

 

The Fourth Prince didn’t show any reaction to their seat change, after all, no matter how they switched, he was still next to his sleeping buddy.

 

Qu Dubian used conversation to attract the Sixth Prince’s attention, making him forget about Fifth Brother’s task.

 

After dumping the recitation task on the Fifth Prince, the Sixth Prince hadn’t thought about it at all: “You slept with Fifth Brother yesterday? When will you come sleep with me? My bed is so big, so big.”

 

The Third Prince interjected: “Sixth Brother, our Seventh Brother has been staying in Zichen Palace for so long. Is there any place bigger than the dragon bed in Zichen Palace?”

 

He was used to speaking sarcastically when talking to the eldest, and it had gradually become a habit. Sometimes even when he spoke normally, he couldn’t tell that his words had hidden meanings.

 

The Sixth Prince immediately said angrily: “My bed is very big, the biggest.”

 

The Second Prince coughed lightly: “Be quiet, the teacher is coming.”

 

Sure enough, a few seconds after he spoke, Tutor Fang entered the door. He had glimpsed the little dog cart outside and guessed that the Seventh Prince had come, but was still surprised to actually see him sitting here obediently.

 

Why had this child suddenly come?

 

Qu Dubian had stacked two thick cushions, so he wouldn’t be completely hidden by the desk. He stood up with his brothers to bow to the teacher, then sat down and started flipping through his book, not knowing where they were in the lessons.

 

“Alright, before we start the lecture, let’s have the routine questions.”

 

The Sixth Prince froze, suddenly remembering that the teacher was going to question him individually. He immediately turned his head; the Fifth Prince was sitting quietly at the back.

 

“!!!”

 

It’s over!

 

He was the one who had moved the Fifth Prince to the back!

 

The Sixth Prince felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, anxiously whispering: “Seventh Brother, quickly switch with the Fifth Prince, quick, quick.”

 

Qu Dubian said innocently: “We can’t switch now, Sixth Brother.”

 

The Sixth Prince’s eyes revealed despair, and he looked pleadingly: “Seventh Brother, do you know ‘Shi Zuo’…?”

 

Of course he knew it.

 

It was a required text from the Analects of Confucius in nine years of compulsory education.

 

But the Seventh Prince who hadn’t studied it wouldn’t know.

 

Qu Dubian: “What’s that?”

 

Looking at his brother’s clear eyes that revealed a hint of stupidity, the Sixth Prince was completely desperate, “It’s over, you’re young and still illiterate.”

 

Slap!

 

The ruler hit the desk.

 

Tutor Fang: “Don’t move around.”

 

The Sixth Prince tremblingly turned his head back and frantically flipped through the Analects to recite. They hadn’t learned this part yet, and Tutor Fang asking him to recite it alone was indeed challenging, a punishment.

 

Tutor Fang: “Sixth Prince.”

 

He’s done for.

 

The Sixth Prince supported himself on the desk, head lowered, slowly standing up.

 

He racked his brains, spitting out one word at a time, repeating the only sentence he remembered over and over in his mouth.

 

Just as he was about to stretch out his hand to receive a beating, Qu Dubian pushed his own Analects, opened to the “Shi Zuo” page, to the Sixth Prince’s feet from under the desk.

 

Sixth Prince: “!”

 

His eyes immediately widened.

 

With his head lowered, he began to recite haltingly.

 

After finishing, he raised his head with relief, only to find Tutor Fang’s smiling face right in front of him.

 

Sixth Prince: “…”

 

Tutor Fang: “This old man once commanded troops, you know. You two are pulling these little tricks right under my nose, did you think I wouldn’t notice?”

 

“Hold out your hand.”

 

The Sixth Prince received a heavy blow. When it came to Qu Dubian’s turn, Tutor Fang snorted, “Even if you’re young, you still need to be disciplined.”

 

The ruler was raised high, but when it finally landed on his palm, there wasn’t much force behind it, just a louder sound.

 

“Sit down.”

 

After a round of questioning and finishing the lesson, it was noon and time to end class.

 

“Little brother,” the Sixth Prince said with tears in his eyes, “you got hit by the teacher to help me. You’re so good.”

 

Qu Dubian began to sweet-talk him, “Sixth Brother, does this mean you owe me a favor?”

 

Sixth Prince: “Tell me!”

 

Qu Dubian: “For the next month, you need to take good care of Fourth Brother.”

 

The Fourth Prince was suddenly named, and the two rivals simultaneously showed expressions of disdain.

 

“Fourth Brother can order you to do anything, and you need to do it,” Qu Dubian said. “Whatever Sixth Brother used to order Fifth Brother to do, Fourth Brother can now order Sixth Brother to do the same.”

 

Then he said with surprise: “Sixth Brother wouldn’t go back on his word, would he?”

 

The Sixth Prince instinctively refuted: “Of course not!”

 

Qu Dubian: “What about Fourth Brother?”

 

The Fourth Prince yawned: “It’s all fine.”

 

“Good, then it’s settled,” Qu Dubian pulled the Fifth Prince over, “Everyone witness this. If anyone goes back on their word, everyone will laugh at them.”

 

The Sixth Prince vaguely felt something was off. He owed the Seventh Brother a favor, so how did it end up involving the Fourth Brother?

 

But at this point, both parties had already agreed. He stubbornly said: “I won’t go back on my word. Only dogs go back on their word.”

 

Qu Dubian nodded with satisfaction.

 

This way, the conflict between the Fourth and Sixth Brothers might ease a bit after more interaction, and it would also let the Sixth Brother experience the Fifth Prince’s usual difficulties.

 

Children like the Sixth Brother, who were spoiled and used to being domineering, could only truly understand through personal experience.

 

They were about to return to the palace for lunch. Qu Dubian said goodbye to them as he still had something to ask Tutor Fang.

 

“Teacher, how much longer until my maternal grandfather returns?”

 

Tutor Fang stroked his beard: “He will definitely arrive before the New Year. Riding fast horses, it should take between seven to ten days. Are you curious about your grandfather?”

 

Qu Dubian: “After all, I’ve never met him. Consort Xuan told me a little bit about him.”

 

Tutor Fang: “Do you know why your three elder brothers were so enthusiastic towards you today?”

 

“You saw that?”

 

“The voices were too loud, I heard it.”

 

He smiled and said: “During the time your grandfather is in the capital until he leaves again, no one will show a bad face to Your Highness.”

 

Some people’s deterrent effect is completely different when they are close by versus when they are at the distant frontier.

 

To give an inappropriate example, when a nanny is at home watching children, some nannies show completely different faces depending on whether the owner is at home or not.

 

Qu Dubian: “Does Teacher know why my maternal grandfather is coming back?”

 

He was truly puzzled by this question. Staying in the northern frontier was the only choice to maintain power while reducing the emperor’s wariness. And with him mediating in the palace, the marquis’s family could always get by.

 

He lowered his eyes, “If he could come back, why didn’t he come back earlier?”

 

–

 

Zichen Palace.

 

“At that time, when Consort Yun passed away, Royal Brother sent six golden edicts to the northern frontier, only then did the Sword-Holding Marquis stop outside Leiwolf Mountain. He drove wolves up the mountain, looked north for seven days, and then returned to the city.”

 

At that time, the capital was tense, and even the Southern Gate was on alert. If there was a change in the northern frontier, the Southern Ning country would definitely cause trouble.

 

Several sides were in a standoff until the Sword-Holding Marquis came down from Leiwolf Mountain, and only then did the officials breathe a sigh of relief.

 

Prince Ming shook his head, “Now, after joining forces with Axiang to stabilize the northern frontier situation, a report requesting to return for duty was sent here by urgent courier traveling eight hundred li. It’s obvious he’s coming with force. This younger brother originally thought Royal Brother would refuse, but unexpectedly, Royal Brother agreed.”

 

Axiang was the daughter of the previous emperor, a princess sent to the northern frontier for a political marriage.

 

“The rift between me and the Sword-Holding Marquis is not just from last time,” Emperor Chongzhao said calmly, spreading out a large piece of paper. The tip of his brush was filled with ink, and he wrote a character—

 

Wait.

 

“Given the marquis’s temperament, he must hate the Zhang family, right?”

 

“Are you referring to the Zhang family, or to me?”

 

“Royal Brother is joking. How could a subject hate?”

 

Emperor Chongzhao said softly: “A festering, corrupt wound must be cut away to heal. In the game of chess, some win and some lose. If you’re at this table, you must have some courage.”

 

Prince Ming fell silent, the atmosphere subtly becoming heavy.

 

Outside, a palace servant came in, “Your Majesty, this is today’s list of punishments from the study hall.”

 

Emperor Chongzhao put down his brush and opened it to look, “Xiao Qi? He actually went to the study hall today, how did he get punished?”

 

The palace servant explained the reason, “The Sixth Prince and the Seventh Prince were each punished with one stroke of the ruler. The teacher said such cheating behavior in the study hall must never happen again.”

 

“Hit with a ruler?”

 

The heavy atmosphere instantly dissipated.

 

Emperor Chongzhao suddenly became displeased, throwing the note on the desk and snorting coldly.

 

“I haven’t even had the heart to hit him, yet that old man did! If he’s swollen, he’ll come crying to me. Can the old man comfort him for me?”

 

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(advanced chapters available on kofi)