Volume 5: Fellow Traveler Chapter 812 A Good Wife Makes Life Easier for the Husband
Flies don't bite seamless eggs. This is what Zhu Ying said to Ah Liu who came out with her today after she completed the task of blocking the door of the Duke of Chu's mansion and got on the horse after leaving the Zhang family's gate. However, after she said this, she added two more sentences in a bad mood.
"Of course, Ah Shou is a perfect egg. I caused him trouble this time, so of course I have to clean it up. Some guys are just a bunch of rotten eggs themselves, but they are still pointing fingers and saying bad things about Ah Shou... If the tiger doesn't show its might, do you think I'm a sick cat? If I follow my old temper, I will dig up all the dirty laundry in their family!"
If Zhang Shou was here, he would have immediately dissuaded the young lady from taking such a ruthless move that would destroy both sides. However, it was not Zhang Shou but Ah Liu who was with Zhu Ying at this moment. The principle of the young man was that his young master was always right, and the young lady was always right. Anyone who said they were wrong was an enemy, and he would just charge and crush them.
So, when Zhu Ying made such a harsh remark, he not only did not object, but asked very seriously: "Do you want me to go?"
Seeing that Zhu Ying seemed a little surprised, the boy said in a very nonchalant tone: "After I arrived in the capital, I had a lot of fights, met a lot of people, and learned a lot of messed up things. Most of them were useless, but a small part of them were useful."
Of course Zhu Ying would not misunderstand what Ah Liu meant. She stared at him intently and suddenly realized that this young man in front of her, who was inconspicuous most of the time, could find a way of his own by relying on his unreasonableness even in a place like Beijing where powerful people were everywhere.
If there was no Zhang Shou, and no her, would he still rely on his fists to fight all the people in the capital alone? However, without a solid backer, even the best master in the world is useless. The most disgusting thing in the world is the human heart and the means... Fortunately, Ah Liu followed Zhang Shou, and fortunately now she is also the young man's backer!
Zhu Ying laughed at her own idea and shook her head, "Although I really want to agree to you and watch a good show of oil splashing and frying everywhere, this is not a quarrel between children and overturning the table. But Ah Liu, don't be upset. Follow me. Let's go to see the other tutors who were swept in by Duke Chu's memorial. I want them to show an attitude!"
Duke of Chu Zhang Rui wrote a letter to sweep all the lecturers in the East Palace, which naturally made these lecturers feel very embarrassed. Many of them complained in their hearts and even cursed Zhang Shou behind his back. However, Zhu Ying came to the door politely, and the three of them, Yue Shanzhang, Xu Shanzhang, and Xiao Shanzhang, agreed to stand on the side of the third prince without saying a word.
That's right, it was to protect the prince, not Zhang Shou. Although Zhu Ying seemed careless, she was actually very careful.
After reaching an agreement with these three presidents, Zhu Ying did not visit the remaining ones who came from the Hanlin Academy - these people who graduated from professional schools were not on the same path as Zhang Shou anyway - but went to visit Chen Xianzhang, who had stunned the third prince when he gave a lecture at the public school. Of course, he also met Liang Xiaojuren, who had just arrived and was already famous.
Although there are differences between men and women, the rules are not as strict as before, so when Zhu Ying met the teacher and student, she was very open and generous. As for her reputation, Chen Xianzhang was fine, but Liang Chu, the young scholar of Liang, had heard of her name for a long time, so from the beginning when they met, he kept stealing glances at her curiously, and was glared at by Ah Liu several times.
The incident of the crown prince skipping classes was a hot topic outside, and even the questions that the emperor had asked to a large number of celebrities before were not discussed as hotly. Since Chen Xianzhang had chosen a high-brow approach when lecturing at the public school that day, he naturally did not think that there was a possibility that he would have the chance to lecture in the Eastern Palace. Therefore, he was surprised by Zhu Ying's opening remarks after the brief greetings.
"Mr. Baisha, the emperor intends to invite you to give lectures in the Eastern Palace. The date should be before the New Year, which is about the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month. You should make preparations in advance."
"Really?" Liang Chu was so happy that he almost jumped up, and then he looked at his teacher with a happy face, but at this time he found that the teacher not only did not look happy, but also frowned slightly. He thought about it and thought that he understood the teacher's concerns.
"This matter has not been announced yet, Miss Zhu... No, Mrs. Zhang, it would be inappropriate for you to bring it up and tell the teacher now, right?"
Seeing that Liang Xiaojuren was excited but trying hard to suppress his emotions, Zhu Ying smiled and said, "This matter may be announced in the court today or tomorrow. The emperor told me that he wanted me to send a message to the relevant people in advance. What's wrong with that? Of course, if Mr. Baisha feels that it is difficult to be a lecturer now that the prince is truant, he can resign."
If it were Zhang Shou, he certainly wouldn't use such a straightforward tone, but Zhu Ying didn't care whether her words were too aggressive at this moment.
Chen Xianzhang didn't care about Zhu Ying's teasing tone, but smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying: "Your Highness is still young after all. Since he started studying, he has always been known for his diligence and love of learning. Many lecturers have always praised him. Just because he occasionally went out, he was severely criticized and even accused the lecturer of being incompetent. This is an overreaction."
"Even when I was teaching students, I never asked everyone to study all the time. It is true that learning is boundless and hard work is the only way to survive, but learning is boundless, and life is limited. Finding joy in hardship is one attitude, and combining work and rest is another. So, I was not unwilling to agree because of this concern, but..."
"But what I am good at is exactly what the Third Prince finds difficult to understand and accept at his current age. He should be at least twelve or thirteen years old, like Shuhou was when he first became my disciple. You know, he was a child prodigy. At that time, he could recite the Four Books by heart, and he could specialize in one of the Five Classics. Although he could not be said to have mastered them thoroughly, he could think about many things even if he did not understand them at the moment."
Chen Xianzhang paused and sighed, "Fortunately, Madam came to tell me in advance. If the emperor had issued an order, I would not have been able to refuse. Not to mention that people would suspect that I was worried , the most important thing is that no matter how I resigned for my own reasons, I would be regarded as self-aggrandizing."
"I also hope that my academic knowledge will be accepted by the Crown Prince and promoted in the future, but forcing things to grow quickly is not what I want. If the Emperor is still willing to summon me to give lectures in the Eastern Palace in two or three years, I will certainly go with pleasure!"
Liang Chu was almost dumbfounded when he heard this. This was such a great opportunity that others could not even think of, but the teacher actually refused... refused? He looked at Zhu Ying eagerly, fearing that this young lady, who was rumored to be very beautiful but also had a very bad temper, would get angry.
But what he didn't expect was that the next moment, Zhu Ying actually burst out laughing.
"The prince told me that Mr. Baisha's lectures were difficult to understand, but he was a good teacher who devoted himself to the lectures. Ah Shou told me that Mr. Baisha did not choose easy-to-understand, vivid and interesting things for the prince to watch in person, but still taught at his own pace, which was enough to show his character. I thought he was exaggerating, but I didn't expect it to be true."
After laughing, Zhu Ying nodded and said, "I will tell the emperor about your attitude, but I cannot guarantee the result. However, since Mr. Baisha cares so much about the prince, please don't just say it at home, but speak it out. After all, isn't justice more important than being righteously accused of currying favor with the emperor?"
Zhu Ying came quickly and left even faster. Although Chen Xianzhang planned to see her off, he finally stopped at Zhu Ying's request. However, Liang Chu saw her off very enthusiastically.
It was not easy to live in a big house in the capital. The small courtyard where the teacher and the student lived in the capital had only one entrance, three main rooms, two east and west wing rooms, and a gate. Chen Xianzhang brought an old servant and a book boy, while Liang Chu also brought only a book boy. The house was naturally spacious, but Liang Chu, who was enthusiastically seeing them off, had only taken a few steps when he reached the door and became embarrassed.
Zhu Ying, however, seemed to have seen nothing and walked straight towards her carriage, but when she was about to get on, she suddenly turned around. She looked up and down at the boy in front of her, who had already achieved the title of Juren at a young age and was even called a child prodigy, and who was two years younger than Zhang Shou, and then she laughed.
"Your teacher refused to give lectures at the East Palace. Do you feel sorry for him?"
"Yes... No, I didn't!" Liang Chu answered instinctively at first, and then immediately changed his words in a panic. But when he noticed Zhu Ying's playful expression, he said unhappily, "The teacher is indifferent to fame and fortune, and is devoted to teaching. He is very famous in Guangdong. Many people admire him, but there are also some officials who are Jinshi graduates who look down on him... I just hope that the teacher can be respected!"
Moreover, if he becomes a lecturer in the Eastern Palace, and what the teacher says can be accepted by the crown prince and even promoted, then he will not only be respected by the crown prince, but the Baisha school will truly go beyond Guangdong!
Just as he was thinking this, Zhu Ying smiled softly and said, "If your teacher becomes a lecturer in the Eastern Palace, then you will be the prince's senior brother when you go out. Wouldn't that be quite satisfying?"
"I don't think so!" Liang Xiaojuren was immediately shocked and angry. His face turned red. When he was about to continue arguing, he saw Zhu Ying gently waving her hand at him.
"It doesn't matter whether you want to or not. As long as your teacher goes to the Eastern Palace for lectures, you will be the Crown Prince's genuine senior brother. However, I also need to tell you that this kind of lecture is different from the previous lectures in the Eastern Palace. To be precise, your teacher is giving a trial lecture. And such a trial lecture also has risks. That is, if the emperor thinks it is inappropriate and stops the lecture, then..."
"Others may not say that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince did not understand, or that the content of Mr. Baisha's lectures was too highbrow for most people. Instead, they may say that Mr. Baisha has a false reputation and lacks knowledge, or say something else that is unpleasant to the ear."
"For example, the incident involving His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was originally insignificant, but after being passed from mouth to mouth, it eventually became such a sensation. So, you have to understand one thing, that is, people's words are scary."
Seeing Zhu Ying turn around and get on the carriage without looking back after saying this, Liang Chu suddenly felt lost. But when he came to his senses, he saw Ah Liu standing in front of him, looking at him thoughtfully. He was startled by the other party's cold gaze and hurriedly took a step back.
“If you think your teacher will be criticized for speaking fairly, you can also ask others to write a letter.”
After saying this particularly explicit remark, Ah Liu also turned around and left. At this moment, Liang Chu just shook his head and put aside his previous worries, thinking that no matter whether the teacher refused or not, the little prince seemed to be a very good person. At least after listening to that lecture, he only heard outsiders say that the prince praised Mr. Baisha for his erudition and thoughtfulness, and he didn't hear anyone complain that they didn't understand.
Just for this, he was a very considerate prince... As for skipping classes, was that a big deal? When he was a child, he also played tricks on the teacher. Even later, he skipped classes for some reason and was beaten up!
The teacher had already become the target of public criticism because of the invitation from Grand Tutor Ge, the lecture at the public school, and the special inquiry from the emperor. If he wrote a letter to speak for the prince, he would definitely be criticized behind his back, but he could find a way to persuade others to write a letter. I think those guys who wanted to be the lecturer of the East Palace would be happy to stand up and defend the prince!
When Zhu Ying met the people she was supposed to meet and finally went out of the city to the outer city public school, it was just the end of the school day. For those children who had to wait six days before going to school again after a day of classes, the young teacher's wife standing in front of the carriage, not caring about her appearance being peeped at, was so beautiful that it was hard to describe in words, even if it was not the first time they saw her.
Even though they know they shouldn't look too much, there are still people who are so greedy that they bump into others, or slip and fall. There are also many people who take a few hard looks and then run away in embarrassment.
This commotion lasted for quite a while until Zhang Shou, who had just let the students go, heard the news and came out. It finally came to an end. Zhang Xueshi was really a little amused and confused about Zhu Ying coming to pick him up in such a grand manner.
It's better to wait comfortably in the carriage in such a cold weather than to stand in the wind for a quarter of an hour, right? Zhu Ying is not the kind of person who likes to play around. What is she trying to do by making a bunch of students who rarely see such beauty fall and run?
Therefore, he hurriedly pulled Zhu Ying into the car, and then he said helplessly: "Yingying, have you done something to bully men and women again, so you specially came to pick me up with such a big fanfare? Do I think you are not virtuous?"
"What do you mean by bullying men and women... I'm not the second brother!" Zhu Ying snorted angrily, and then she told him about the matter of raising troops to investigate the crime and soliciting help from everywhere. Seeing Zhang Shou looking at her in silence with a strange expression, she turned her head muttered softly, "It was all because I couldn't resist the prince's soft and hard persuasion, so I helped him together with the queen mother. I caused the trouble, so I have to show my attitude, right?"
"I didn't say you shouldn't run around." Zhang Shou laughed and said nonchalantly, "A virtuous wife makes things easier for her husband. Since you've done everything, I can rest assured." Although he was originally planning to do nothing ...
Faced with such an answer, Zhu Ying turned from annoyance to joy. She gently held Zhang Shou's hand, and then said with a smile: "Tomorrow you go to Ciqing Palace to give a lecture, and I will pick you up later. Let's go see Concubine Yu, she will probably give birth in the next few days!"
