Chapter 70 Storytelling
In a blink of an eye, it is August 13th, and the Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon.
The festive atmosphere in the palace is becoming increasingly strong. The palace has begun distributing festive gifts to the guards. Before Zhu Hao entered the palace, Jiang Lun had said that his companions could also receive gifts from the palace during festivals. However, the festival is about to come and there is no sign of the gifts. Perhaps he will have to wait until the day he returns home to find out .
During these few days, Sui Gongyan rarely appeared in public, and even rarely entered the palace. Whenever Sui Gongyan was not in the palace, Zhu San and Zhu Si would come to the school to study with Zhu Hao, Jing Hong, and Lu Bing, and Zhu Hao still played the role of "Mr. Zhu".
"You can go back earlier tomorrow."
Lu Song brought news.
It was August 13th after school. Zhu Hao and Jing Hong sat under the grape trellis in the dormitory yard and set up a table to play chess.
A guard came over to take a look, and probably knew how to play it, but after watching for a while he felt bored and left. Only Lu Song stood aside and stared for a long time.
Zhu Hao actually wanted to ask, Old Lu, can you see anything on this chessboard?
Jing Hong looked up and asked, "When will you leave the house tomorrow?"
"It will be this afternoon... I will go and let you know when we are leaving, and then I will leave the palace with you."
Lu Song's main task recently is to keep an eye on the school. After all, Zhu San and Zhu Si are studying here. Although Lu Song, a dignified official, may not seem to be the little prince's personal bodyguard, he will show up next to Zhu Hao from time to time.
Zhu Hao smiled and said, "I can go home again, and take a look at how my bookstore is doing... Hey, I should be able to have a good holiday."
Jinghong cast an envious look at him.
Zhu Hao achieved financial freedom at a young age, but he was still struggling and subject to the constraints of his family. He couldn't understand why Zhu Hao had money to do business and seemed to be doing well.
Zhu Hao actually said this to Lu Song, hoping to attract him to invest.
Lu Song said nothing and left the yard to arrange the security of the palace at night.
"Let's go to listen to a book tonight. It's up to you whether to go or not."
Zhu Hao’s words instantly excited Jing Hong.
It seems that financial freedom is no longer important. Being able to go out and play together is the greatest convenience that Zhu Hao has given me.
…
…
the next morning.
When it was Zhu Si's turn, he did not show up. Zhu San came to the school yard alone. Zhu Hao asked briefly and found out that Sui Gongyan did not enter the palace that day, but Zhu Si had other things to do and could not come.
Zhu Hao didn't ask where Zhu Si was doing. Why would he care what you do? Does it have anything to do with me studying and lurking in the palace, waiting to follow the emperor in the future?
"Zhu Hao, I heard there's a storytelling place outside. It's very lively, and many people go there to listen to stories every day. Let's go and take a look at it at noon today? It seems to be just to the west of the palace..."
Even Zhu San had heard about the grand occasion at the bookstore.
Jinghong was stunned. He wanted to say that actually the storytelling hall was opened by Zhu Hao, but he held back the words. It would be better for Zhu Hao to say such things. If Zhu Hao didn't want to be accused of being talkative and Zhu Hao was dissatisfied with him, what would he do if he didn't take him out to listen to stories in the future?
"Hey, I'm not a wild kid running around outside. I'm here to study with you in the palace... If I take you out of the palace without your permission, it would be a serious crime. Maybe Mr. Yuan would get angry and chase me away."
Of course Zhu Hao would not agree to Zhu San's request.
Zhu San said sternly: "Why are you so timid? I thought you were a hero."
Timid?
Heroism?
Sorry, provocation doesn't work on me.
Jing Hong said: "Actually, there is no need to listen..."
What he wanted to say was that the storytelling in the bookstore outside was all written by Zhu Hao, so why not just let Zhu Hao tell the story? But after he said it, he regretted it. Betting out Zhu Hao was definitely not a good choice.
"What's the meaning?"
Zhu San glanced at Jing Hong, who had a low sense of presence, and said, "Are you asking me to invite the storyteller back to tell the story to me alone? Do I have such a big face?"
Jing Hong subconsciously glanced at Zhu Hao, as if to say, there is a ready-made storyteller sitting here, why don't you just go find him?
But this time he was very sensible. He turned around and went back to his seat, picked up the book and started reading with his head shaking, as if he didn't hear Zhu San's question.
Zhu Hao said unhappily, "Xiao Jingzi means that I actually know all the storytellings told in the theaters outside. You don't have to leave the palace, just listen to my stories."
Jinghong's eyes widened and he looked at Zhu Hao in disbelief, as if to say, why do you also call me "Little Jingzi"?
"real?"
Zhu San's eyes narrowed into crescents and he looked at Zhu Hao happily.
"It's fake." Zhu Hao said.
Zhu San narrowed his eyes, and the upper string instantly turned into the lower string: "You are kidding me?"
“Hehehe…”
Jinghong didn't care about Zhu Hao's change in address and smiled secretly with his hands covering his mouth.
Zhu Hao said: "You can listen to the story if you want, but you must review your lessons carefully in the morning. I will give you a test at noon. If you pass it, I will tell you the story."
…
…
Having stories to listen to is a huge motivation for Zhu San to study. With her intelligence and talent, as long as she works hard, her potential is endless.
Jing Hong and Zhu Hao were the only ones who wanted to continue listening to the story of Yue Fei, especially to catch up on the parts he hadn't heard completely. The learning atmosphere they created also inspired Lu Bing. The little guy Lu Bing was actually reciting The Analects of Confucius with a book in his hand, looking very similar to the original. Zhu Hao was the only one who was sitting by the window, continuing to write and draw.
"Mr. Zhu, we have learned everything you taught us. Let's take the test."
Near noon, Zhu San stood in front of Zhu Hao with full confidence, like a student waiting for a test in front of his teacher.
Zhu Hao nodded and said, "Seeing how hard you guys work, there's no need to take the test today. Sit down... Aren't you going to eat?"
Zhu San said, "What to eat? Just eat stories as food."
"Yeah." Lu Bing nodded.
Lian Jinghong seemed to think that listening to stories was much more important than eating.
The three "good students" all moved their cushions over and sat down to listen to the story. Zhu Hao said, "Let me tell you a story. It is said that during the Northern Song Dynasty..."
Jing Hong interrupted Zhu Hao as soon as he came up: "Isn't it the Southern Song Dynasty?"
Zhu Hao said: "You want to hear about the Southern Song Dynasty? Well, I will tell you a story about the Southern Song Dynasty. It is said that it was at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty..."
"Are you mistaken? It's the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty...or you should start from the late years of the Northern Song Dynasty." Jing Hong corrected again.
Zhu San was now dissatisfied, and glared at Jing Hong and said, "Is it you who is telling the story or him? Little Jingzi, why do you talk so much nonsense? Listen to the story!"
Jing Hong then realized that he was just a supporting role today and as a listener, he had no right to give advice to Zhu Hao, the storyteller.
Zhu Hao smiled and said, "What I am telling you is not the story of Yue Family Army, but a completely new story. It is said that during the reign of Emperor Ningzong of the Southern Song Dynasty, there were two families living in seclusion in a place called Niujiazhuang in the south of the Yangtze River. One family was named Guo, and the other was named Yang..."
Since Zhu Hao wanted to tell stories to children, he certainly couldn't tell "The Story of Yue Fei", as that was a storytelling book for experienced readers. And the best stories to attract children are, of course, stories about chivalrous knights in the martial arts world.
The three children listened with their eyes wide open. The story had a fierce conflict at the beginning, which immediately captured their hearts.
It is "The Legend of the Condor Heroes".
"Qiu Chuji is a top-notch martial arts expert. He is the most skilled of the Seven True Immortals and will be the future head of the Quanzhen Sect. When he learned that the two families were murdered, he returned to Niujiazhuang without stopping, but it was too late..."
Zhu San looked sad: "How could this happen? Zhu Hao, your story is not good. Why do you want to destroy the family right away?"
"Um... could you please not disturb Zhu Hao? I want to know what happened next..." Jing Hong was so absorbed in his thoughts that he completely forgot about Zhu San's identity.
Zhu Hao said: "The protagonist of the story is not this generation, but the next generation. What I want to talk about are the children of two families. They grew up in different environments. One followed his mother and was deceived into remarrying Wanyan Honglie, the sixth prince of the Jin Dynasty who destroyed their family. The other was born on the grassland. According to the agreement of their deceased father, one was named Kang, but because his mother remarried, he could only be called Wanyan Kang, and the other was called Guo Jing..."
…
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The story continues.
Before they knew it, it was already past noon. Zhu San and Lu Bing did not return to the inner courtyard to eat, so Lu Song came over to check on the situation.
But seeing several children sitting there, listening to Zhu Hao's story, Lu Song frowned and asked, "Aren't you...going back?"
Zhu San did not turn around, but raised his hand to interrupt Lu Song: "Lu Dianzhang, don't interrupt Zhu Hao's storytelling, his stories are so interesting... Zhu Hao, does Hua Zheng like Guo Jing very much? But Guo Jing is such a dumb guy, how can he be liked by others?"
Lu Song was speechless after hearing this.
What's going on?
Zhu Hao ignored Zhu San's questioning and stood up and asked, "Lu Dianzhang, have you informed us that we can leave the palace?"
"Not yet."
Lu Song advised kindly, "Prince , Xiao Bing, you should go back to the inner courtyard to eat. Master Zhu and Master Jing should also hurry to the cafeteria. If you are late, there will be no lunch..."
Zhu San pouted and said, "You won't die if you go hungry... Zhu Hao, please tell me."
Zhu Hao didn't continue talking, but looked at Lu Song.
When Lu Song saw Zhu San's enthusiasm, he was speechless. When he turned to look at his son, he found that his son was also staring at Zhu Hao with fanaticism on his face.
In the end, he simply sat aside and waited. He wanted to know what kind of story Zhu Hao told that could make several children not go to lunch?
Could it be that those old-fashioned folk tales can also attract children to the point of almost madness?
But when Lu Song listened to a part of it himself, he realized that this story...
It's really attractive.
Even an adult like him couldn't help but get involved in it and enter the ups and downs of the martial arts world.
Lu Bing was a warrior and was naturally interested in the stories of warriors. In addition, the ups and downs of the story made him well versed in the essence of martial arts novels. After listening for a while, Lu Song even forgot why he came here.
"... Eighteen years have passed in the blink of an eye. Guo Jing has grown into an eighteen-year-old young man. He and the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan..."
"It's the Six Monsters. Didn't one of them die?"
Zhu San was quick-witted and corrected him immediately.
Jing Hong said: "The Seven Monsters is a name, they are a whole, you know it's okay if one of them dies... Listen to Zhu Hao."
Zhu San pursed his lips and glared at Jinghong, not bothering to argue and continued listening to the story.
"Guo Jing followed his master's order and went south first. This was Guo Jing's first time traveling far away. He had no experience and felt that everywhere was new. He was especially amazed by the prosperity of the Central Plains. At this time, he met a little beggar. Although the little beggar was ragged, he had red lips and white teeth..."
