Volume 3: Dragon and Snake Movement Chapter 299: Leaking forbidden words?
The Third Prince leaked the news unintentionally, which directly led to Ji Jiu, Zhang Dakuai and the other three not caring about Zhu Ying's fierce reputation, and bowed and said goodbye, saying that they had to go back to review their lessons, otherwise they would be worried about the division test. As for what they saw, heard and did today, they dared not reveal a single word.
Since they had sworn such an oath, Zhu Ying had kept them on a whim and was not afraid of leaking the news. She immediately asked the four people to leave a letter of guarantee and then let them go. But after they left, she became more and more puzzled, so she simply sent someone to send a letter to Zhang Shou. Not long after, she learned that Zhang Shou, who had already taken a bath, went to Daoxiang Village to meet the third and fourth princes.
"So, it was you, the Third Prince, who lied about the military intelligence and scared them away?"
After hearing the Fourth Prince's excited confession, Zhang Shou was both angry and amused, looking at the Third Prince, who he always thought was honest and well-behaved, from head to toe. Sure enough, under his gaze, the Third Prince soon couldn't stand it anymore, and said with his head down: "I heard them say that Xu Jiancheng asked the questions, so I thought it was fun and made up the story that my father asked the questions."
The fourth prince also immediately joined in the fun, "That's right, they don't study hard and always think about this and that. Third brother just wanted to teach them a lesson! When they heard that it was the father who asked the questions, they certainly didn't dare to make any more small calculations!"
Regardless of whether one looks well-behaved and the other looks flexible, they are essentially two bratty kids who deserve a beating! At such a young age, they dare to casually make up stories about their father behind his back. What will they do when they grow up? Including the one time yesterday, he has already beaten them twice, but it must be said that these two little guys only regard the emperor as their father, not the king and father .
After all, isn't it all because of the emperor's pampering? If he continues to pamper her, something bad will happen if she's not careful!
Zhang Shou thought so in his heart, and his face became stern. Seeing his fierce face, the third prince was the first to feel that something was wrong, but the fourth prince, who was not in trouble this time, had not yet woken up. It was not until the third prince pulled the corner of his clothes hard that he, with his hair still wet, belatedly glanced at Zhang Shou's stern face, and then quickly stood still, but his eyes were still darting around.
However, this time, Zhang Shou did not intend to interfere. It was fine for a teacher to supervise a student once or twice, or three or five times, but supervising again and again was not about academics or conduct, but about the student's father. He would rather let the father worry about it! Therefore, he laughed and said lightly, "Hurry up and have someone dry their hair, otherwise they will catch a cold!"
"However, once Ji Jiu and his men return to the city, the news will surely spread. I must immediately report this to your father."
Seeing that Zhang Shou did not scold him, the Third Prince breathed a sigh of relief, but when he heard that he was going to tell the Emperor, he was immediately shocked. The Fourth Prince originally thought that his brother had only made a small mistake and would at most be scolded like himself, but now that he heard that he was going to tell his father, he was also shocked. Before Zhang Shou could turn around and walk out, he immediately rushed forward and opened his arms to block him.
"Teacher, Third Brother didn't mean it... He... Oh, he just heard me mumbling about how these guys are omnipresent, so he decided to play a joke on them... Yes, that's it!"
Seeing the Fourth Prince, who was quick-witted, taking on all the responsibilities, holding his head high and looking ready to die heroically, Zhang Shou knew what was going on. Sure enough, the next moment, the Third Prince rushed up, dragged the Fourth Prince behind him, and then bowed his head obediently.
"Teacher, don't listen to Fourth Brother's nonsense. It has nothing to do with him. I just made it up on a whim."
He was a few months older than the Fourth Prince. Although he usually kept a low profile in Banshan Hall, he had forgotten his little pride at this moment. He vaguely realized that he seemed to have done something wrong. Seeing Zhang Shou shaking his head and sighing, and actually walking straight out around the Fourth Prince, he didn't know where he got the courage from, and suddenly chased after him and grabbed Zhang Shou's sleeve.
"Teacher, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't use my father's name to scare people... But if I don't do this, they will definitely continue to pester you and Sister Yingying! We... It's a rare opportunity for us to go out of the city to play. I don't want those people with ulterior motives to spy on us every time. That would be no different from being in the palace or in Banshan Hall!"
Zhang Shou stopped dead in his tracks. He turned around and saw the Fourth Prince was full of surprise. He seemed to be about to agree with the Third Prince. He softened his heart unconsciously and turned to face the two of them. He asked slowly, "Have you ever thought about what others would think if you found out that the test for the Banshan Hall was not set by the Emperor but by Xu Jiancheng?"
"Those with shallow minds will think that you are playing a trick on them. Those with deeper minds will think that I am using you to warn those scheming people. Those with deeper minds will inevitably think that you or I have other intentions, and then dig deep into the conspiracy that does not exist at all. As for Xu Jiancheng, who was originally taking the blame for me, where is he?"
It is true that the Third and Fourth Princes were young and well protected by the Emperor and had not experienced too many conspiracies and plots, but being naive did not mean that they knew nothing. Moreover, both of them were smart and clever. After being taught a lesson so clearly by Zhang Shou, they realized how much trouble they would suffer once the news got out.
Especially when he was talking before, he just hoped that this outing could be simpler, purer... and more fun. The Third Prince's brows were completely furrowed! At this time, he heard Zhu Ying's voice coming from outside.
"I thought it was a big deal! Ah Shou, Sanlang's irresponsible remarks today were indeed wrong, but this matter is easy to resolve. Let Xu Heizi prepare the test papers , but ask the emperor to come up with a few questions himself, wouldn't that be fine?"
Following this crisp voice, Zhu Ying strode in. Behind her, Zhan Jin and Liu Yin were holding two soft towels in their hands, and she took the two towels and covered the heads of the third and fourth princes. After the two of them hurriedly took them and wiped their hair, she looked at Zhang Shou and said, "With the emperor's temper, he will definitely agree to such a thing."
"Even if Father agrees, that's not a reason for me to speak nonsense before."
Before Zhang Shou could speak, the Third Prince hung his head and whispered, "I shouldn't speak carelessly in front of others... Even if it was really Father's intention, I should have kept my mouth shut. The teacher taught me and my fourth brother yesterday that we must not leak forbidden words. It was indeed me who was not careful and caused trouble for Father and Teacher..."
Seeing that the Fourth Prince was looking at him eagerly, as if he really wanted him to say to the Third Prince that it was a good thing to admit one's mistakes and correct them, Zhang Shou walked forward, took the large soft towel in the Third Prince's hand, and helped him wipe his wet hair.
When he felt that the hair was half dry, he ignored the messy hair of the Third Prince and threw away the soft towel. He did the same to the Fourth Prince and dried his hair. He then threw the soft towel away and said with a smile, "Actually, I can pretend that I know nothing in front of him and report it to the Emperor directly."
Is this possible?
The third and fourth princes were shocked at first, but after thinking about it and comparing it with some of their experiences in the palace, they gradually understood what Zhang Shou meant. Zhang Shou took the comb from Zhu Ying and combed the third prince's hair. Then he smiled and said, "There are many eyes around you. When they see you make a mistake, some will tell you, but some won't."
"And if you make a mistake, it may not only bring disaster to yourself, but also to those around you. Take the Second Prince for example. He was beaten with a stick and has been recuperating at home these days. Do you know how many people he has angered? How many people around him have been swept away by the Emperor like fallen leaves in the autumn wind? And how many people who were originally running businesses outside under his name have been implicated?"
"What Yingying said just now is indeed correct. The emperor is very interested in the separate examinations, and it is nothing for him to personally come up with one or two questions. But you should know the difference between the emperor asking it in person and you making up your mind. Well, since you, the third prince, have already known that you are wrong, then you can write a letter and send it to the capital, and I will not send anyone to report this matter."
At this point, Zhang Shou paused and said lightly: "Remember, when you write, first talk about how uneasy the students in Banshan Hall are about Xu Jiancheng of the Imperial College being the one who sets the questions, and how when Ji Jiu and others came to inquire, they were worried about most people in Banshan Hall, and felt that Xu Jiancheng's questions were difficult for them. Then explain in detail why you are worried that Xu Jiancheng will be wronged for no reason."
"Finally, you should tell the emperor in the most sincere manner that you lied to Ji Jiu and the others because you were in a hurry. You denied that Xu Jiancheng asked the questions and said that it was the emperor who asked the questions. Afterwards, you deeply reflected on your mistakes, so you hurriedly wrote a letter to make amends and ask the emperor to forgive you. Do you understand these meanings?"
Even though he had roughly understood Zhang Shou's lesson just now, Zhang Shou said so much in one breath at this moment, and the Third Prince certainly remembered it firmly in his heart. As for understanding... he actually only had a vague understanding. The only thing he could vaguely understand was that Zhang Shou's efforts were all for his own good.
So, he felt embarrassed to ask Zhang Shou to explain the reason again, and nodded quickly to show that he understood.
Seeing the Third Prince nod, Zhang Shou said to the Fourth Prince, "Since you just apologized for your Third Brother, you should also write a letter to the Emperor. The content should be very simple, just begging for mercy on behalf of your Third Brother. Just write it as sincerely as possible, I won't teach you."
"Okay!" The Fourth Prince was very happy about this simple task and agreed immediately. However, when he saw Zhang Shou combing two buns for the Third Prince, he also asked for the same treatment with a lewd look on his face. In the end, he was pulled away by Zhu Ying.
"You two boys didn't bring anyone with you from the palace, just to order your teacher around? You even need his help to comb your hair. How can there be such a reckless student in the world? Don't move, I'll comb your hair for you!"
The fourth prince was so anxious that he almost cried. Zhu Ying's hair was always combed beautifully. It was said that the lady gave her the most skillful hairdresser, so she could often be seen with all kinds of beautiful hairstyles. Many of them were original and soon became popular in the city. However, Zhu Ying's hairdressing skills...his second brother had experienced it once in his early years!
He had never seen what a horrible hairstyle that was, but he had heard from others that his second brother almost went crazy after the incident, and finally tried to kill Zhu Ying in the palace with a sword, but was severely punished by his father. Since that incident, his second brother, who had been fascinated by Zhu Ying's peerless beauty at first, had a complete falling out with Zhu Ying.
And now...is it finally his turn?
After Zhu Ying finished combing the Fourth Prince's hair, he left the bathhouse with a solemn expression as if he was going to be executed. Zhang Shou looked at the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince walking hand in hand as usual. Although he thought the Fourth Prince's two buns were a little asymmetrical, he did not laugh at Zhu Ying's craftsmanship. Instead, he sighed softly, "It would be great if they could always get along like this."
"Why not?" Zhu Ying asked in surprise, "Just like me and my second brother, even though I beat and scolded him when I was angry, and he also blamed me when he was furious, but between family members, we should have reconciled in no time."
But when she thought of the eldest and second princes who regarded each other as enemies, she was speechless. They were brothers from the same mother, closer than the third and fourth princes, and closer than her and her eldest and second brothers, but in the end, wasn't it like that? The royal family is different from any other family, and the emperor and Prince Lu are a good example.
Zhang Shou just said that casually and didn't want to continue the topic, so he immediately stepped forward and grabbed Zhu Ying's hand, saying with a smile: "This bathhouse is hot and humid, it's not a place to talk, let's get out quickly."
Zhu Ying usually pulled Zhang Shou when they walked. Now, after she was involuntarily dragged by him for a few steps, she couldn't help but look down at their clasped hands, and suddenly she remembered the scene of the third prince and the fourth prince walking hand in hand just now.
Although they are two completely different things, the warm feeling is the same. No wonder Zhang Shou suddenly felt this way!
The Third Prince and the Fourth Prince were only of this age after all. Although they had recognized almost all the simple characters and had mastered hundreds of idioms, and had a lot of Tang and Song poems and the Four Books and Five Classics in their stomachs, but being able to memorize them did not mean they could use them, and recognizing characters did not mean they could write them. The two of them wrote this letter to their father from the hour of You after dinner until the hour of Hai.
After a full hour and a half, the Fourth Prince racked his brains to write a 500-word letter. As for the Third Prince… not only did he not write more, but he actually wrote less. After checking and copying it again, the two brothers were so busy that they could not fall asleep until midnight.
The next morning, Zhu Ying sent a reliable guard to deliver the letter to the capital at full speed, and then delivered it directly to the emperor in the Qianqing Palace in his own name. When the emperor opened the huge paper bag and found two letters, he could not help but be stunned. He looked at the signature and found that it was sent by his two sons, which made him even more puzzled.
Zhang Shou sent a letter for serious business, so why would two little kids write to him? However, after reading the third prince's letter, the emperor's doubts turned into laughter and scolding, especially after reading the fourth prince's letter of appeal.
Although Zhang Shou did not defend himself at all, he did not think at all that it was Zhang Shou who instructed the Third Prince to do it.
Because Zhang Shou had actually asked him to set two questions for the Banshan Hall test beforehand, and repeatedly asked him to keep it secret for the time being, and he agreed. Unexpectedly, the news was leaked out by the always well-behaved Third Prince!
