Volume 5: Fellow Traveler Chapter 831: Being a Good Father
Although he vowed to make some achievements to show his father and others when he left the palace, but now that he is really back and has done some solid work, the fourth prince no longer has the courage he had when he was clamoring. He has been wandering outside the palace until the end of the year. He no longer looks like the pampered white complexion he used to have, but he has not lost weight, but has gained two kilograms.
After all, he had fought wits and courage with those kids in Baijia Village, jumping up and down all day long, and when he was hungry, before Ye Shi often sent him meals, he had to bite the bullet and eat the food from the village chief's house. The result of not being picky about food was naturally that he grew taller and stronger. However, it is said that people are afraid of hometown, and at this time, the fourth prince was afraid of home. Seeing Ciqing Palace in sight, he stopped.
At this moment, Zhang Chen couldn't help but sneer, "The emperor scolded you and the prince pleaded for you. What are you afraid of?"
"Yes, yes, it's just like your father didn't care about you in the past. Once he cared about you, he would beat you up without any consideration!" The Fourth Prince was not afraid of Zhang Chen. He just raised his head and confronted him. As a result, he successfully made Zhang Chen angry and embarrassed.
Seeing that the big and the small were about to quarrel and even fight in the palace regardless of the occasion, Zhang Shou couldn't stand these two childish guys, so he simply grabbed the fourth prince's collar and dragged him away. As for Zhang Chen, he really couldn't take care of such a big naughty child, so he just left him behind.
The fourth prince, who was being held by Zhang Shou, was at a loss for a moment, then he suddenly came to his senses and frantically danced to break free. However, Zhang Shou practiced sword fighting every morning and evening, and he also had Zhu Ying and Ah Liu as his sparring partners, who could easily crush him in height and weight, so he was dragged into Ciqing Palace with almost no resistance.
Then, in the main hall of Ciqing Palace, the Third Prince, who had hurried out after hearing that his younger brother had returned, stared in amazement as the teacher dragged his fourth brother in by the collar. He was stunned for a long while before he coughed and said, "Teacher, you can let my fourth brother go. This is already Ciqing Palace. If he can run away in front of my father and me, it is his ability."
The emperor was immediately furious after being insulted by the third prince. What do you mean by running away is a talent? He just wanted to teach this little brat a lesson, but he didn't even know how to come back and be humble. He left home and wandered around until almost the New Year. Then, he got scared outside the Ciqing Palace and was so timid that he didn't dare to go in. He was still dragged in by Zhang Shou. This was simply infuriating!
He watched Zhang Shou let go of his hand with a fierce face, and was about to teach the Fourth Prince a lesson, but he didn't expect that the next moment he suddenly rushed forward, hugged the Third Prince who was close at hand, and burst into tears, shouting, "Third brother, I miss you so much." Although he knew that this kid was expressing his true feelings 70% and pretending 30%, his anger still subsided a little.
Although the crying scene was indeed done intentionally by the Fourth Prince, he was moved by his true feelings when he hugged his Third Brother, and his tears really flowed like a spring. Therefore, the Third Prince, who had been trying his best to endure, was aroused by the Fourth Prince's action, and his eyes were slightly red for a moment, and then he quickly sniffed and tried to persuade him.
"Father and teacher are here, why are you crying like that? From now on, you are also a brother with a younger brother. You have to set a good example for your younger brother. Don't act recklessly and anger father at every turn!"
"Yeah, I'm lucky I didn't get mad at him!"
The emperor snorted coldly, watching the Third Prince push the Fourth Prince away, and the latter wiped his eyes, then walked forward with his head lowered, knelt on the ground silently, without saying a word, and without any other movements, he couldn't help but get even more angry. This kid... does he still think he is not wrong?
He was about to speak, but the Fourth Prince suddenly stopped pretending to be dumb: "Father said that I must accomplish one thing before he would allow me to return to the palace. I think I did it, so I came back."
You are right, kid!
The emperor wanted to shout loudly, but then the fourth prince lowered his head and said, "I shouldn't have been so smart and framed you before, thinking that it was for my third brother's good. After staying outside the palace for so long and meeting so many people, I finally realized that I was too narrow-minded to always be stuck in a corner."
"And my third brother came to see me specially and said a lot to me. Now I have figured it out. My messy actions did not help him, but hurt him. I can help him in many ways, and there is no need to use those useless means." Having said this, the fourth prince kowtowed solemnly, and then said word by word, "Father, I know what to do from now on."
The emperor swallowed the long lecture he had been about to give after hearing these few simple words. Unlike the third prince who had been well-behaved and sensible since childhood, the fourth prince always relied on his cleverness to act recklessly. When something went wrong, his elder brother, the third prince, would protect him and even help him take the blame. Over time, even he, as his father, got used to it.
However, the last time the Fourth Prince, in order to protect the Third Prince, did not hesitate to play such a trick in private, designing to trap a guard and a book boy around the First Prince and the Second Prince, and now, he has really revealed that he already knew that it would implicate the Third Prince, so he will definitely pay attention in the future. What else can he say?
The emperor rubbed his brows and was about to give a final lecture with a stern face, but he didn't expect the fourth prince to suddenly whisper, "Father, I have one more thing to ask of you. I hope to go to the countryside to help students more often in the future."
This time, the emperor couldn't help but laugh: "Why, do you really think you can discover some extraordinary talent?"
"It is because I have not discovered any extraordinary talents that I want to go down and take a look. There is not so much fairness in this world, nor so many geniuses. This time I spent a long time to understand this. I just want to see more people in this world. After all, in the capital and in the palace, I only see the glamorous side of the world."
The fourth prince glanced at Zhang Shou and whispered, "Besides, I am not a good mentor like you, teacher. I don't expect to be able to spot so many talents."
"Fourth Prince, you are wrong. I am not a good mentor."
Zhang Shou had already gone out and pulled Zhang Chen in. Seeing this young man who had just rushed into the Goryeo delegation and claimed to be the eldest son of the Duke of Qin, he now politely bowed first. After answering the fourth prince's words, he also bowed, stood up and said calmly: "The real Bole in this world is the system, not the people."
"But people are selfish, and so are those who formulate the system. People make mistakes, and so do . But people can correct their mistakes, but the system cannot, because after too many years of operation, the beneficiaries of the system will fight to the death to protect such a system and not let others take a share of the spoils."
The emperor immediately laughed. He was very pleased that Zhang Shou knew the limits of his ability, because even he couldn't do it, let alone Zhang Shou alone.
The fact that the Fourth Prince could say that he was not a good mentor made him, as a father, feel a little relieved. As for his son's plan to go out of the palace often, or to go to the countryside to help with his studies, he did not take it seriously at all.
When he was still the emperor, didn't he often go on private visits? If he stayed in the palace every day, seeing only what others reported to him, and hearing only what others wanted him to hear, wouldn't he be deaf and blind? Now that the Third Prince is more stable and honest than he was back then, it would be good to let the Fourth Prince be the eyes and ears!
When the Third Prince saw his father nod slightly, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, but then he felt as if he had forgotten something important. He racked his brains and tried to think for a long time, then his face changed slightly, and then he didn't care that the emperor was right next to him, and took three or two steps forward to drag Zhang Shou aside.
"Teacher, where is Luo Sanhe?"
“…”
Zhang Shou was genuinely embarrassed this time, because he had completely forgotten about Luo Sanhe who was sent to another village. Fortunately, he reacted very quickly and coughed lightly: "Well, I plan to ask Ah Liu to send someone to pick him up the next day. He thinks he is upright and capable, and after staying in a small village with ignorant villagers for more than a month, he can calm down a little bit."
After all, the Fourth Prince has Xiao Huasheng and Xiao Cheng as his helpers, and Zhang Chen with whom he can bicker all the time!
The Third Prince certainly didn't know that Zhang Shou had forgotten about him. When Zhang Shou said this calmly, he thought that Zhang Shou had already made arrangements, and he breathed a sigh of relief. "When Chu Kuan recommended him, he said that he was a bit blunt and impulsive. I think compared to those cautious people in the palace, he is more suitable to follow the Fourth Brother, but I am not as thoughtful as the teacher."
I didn't think much about it at all. It was just that the boy and the Fourth Prince had a conflict of personality, so he took the initiative to go to another village, and I just let it go. Zhang Shou thought to himself, and immediately told Ah Liu when he went out, so as to avoid being exposed... Speaking of this , Chu Kuan and Hua Qi disappeared for several days. Could it be that the death of the First Prince will never end?
However, this was none of his business, so he just had some doubts in his heart. Then, he sent the fourth prince back in good condition, and after being beaten by society, the naughty boy regained his spirits and energy, and truly realized his past mistakes. Of course, he was praised by the emperor as a teacher.
Although the emperor felt jealous while giving positive comments, thinking that he, as a father, was overshadowed by Zhang Shou, a teacher who was also of his son's generation, when he saw Zhang Chen pretending to be a coward, he thought of Zhang Chen's father, Duke of Qin Zhang Chuan, who did not know how to be a father at all, and suddenly felt that he was still very successful.
After all, Zhang Chuan only has this one son. If Zhang Shou hadn’t appeared out of nowhere, this son would have been completely useless!
So the emperor couldn't help but ask in a concerned tone, like an elder caring for a younger generation: "Zhang Chen, you and Silang are teaching children in that village together. Do you feel it is too hard and tiring?"
Before Zhang Chen could answer, the Fourth Prince, who had been used to bickering with him these days, immediately shouted, "It's not hard or tiring. Zhang Chen also told me that I should go to the countryside more often to help students in the future, so that talented people will not be buried in the wilderness!"
I didn't say that! Zhang Chen wanted to curse, when will you represent me? I don't want to stay in that remote place for another month! However, when he looked up and found that the emperor's eyes showed some kind of admiration, he was immediately depressed.
Although he felt that a third-generation noble like himself, who was not a first-rate person in literary and military skills, had little chance of taking power, he couldn't deny the emperor's appreciation, right? So, he didn't care about being angry at the fourth prince's self-talk, and said, "If I have time in the future, I will definitely... go often."
The emperor did not hear Zhang Chen's insincerity. After all, he had heard about the bet between him and the fourth prince. At this moment, he suddenly remembered that there was a Ye family member who was going to judge the bet, so he asked with interest, "By the way, I heard that Sanlang specially invited someone to judge for you. It was Master Ye from the Women's School. What was her final judgment? Who will win or lose between the two of you?"
Faced with such a sudden question, Zhang Chen was simply a little dumbfounded. He was not stunned that the emperor actually called Ye "Master Ye", but was deeply shocked that even the emperor knew about the bet between him and the fourth prince! Didn't Zhang Shou tell the emperor that the bet between the two of them was invalid?
Therefore, he was overtaken by the Fourth Prince again. "Father, the bet between me and Zhang Chen has been cancelled. Because our teacher gave us guidance when he came to see us, we deeply realized that unity makes strength stronger. So we put aside our past grudges and worked together. As for Miss Ye... Hehe, there will be another good show when we set out today!"
The Fourth Prince was a man who only wanted to cause chaos in the world. So, when he got the chance, he naturally described in great detail how Ye wanted to take away Gu Gu's stepdaughter, Xiao Wei. He described everything from how they negotiated, to how the negotiations broke down and Gu Gu asked for an exorbitant price, to Zhang Chen's eagerness to protect her and his swearing, to Gu Gu's tantrum, to Zhang Chen and Ye almost fighting, to Zhang Shou bringing Ah Liu down from the sky, and then how he dealt with that shrew...
When it was mentioned at the end that Ye cut off someone's hair and broke Widow Gu's teeth before leaving, the Fourth Prince was overjoyed as if he had done it himself.
However, the emperor, besides being amazed at the fierceness of the Ye family's daughter, thought that the eldest and second princes were not a good match at all, and if they were a forced match, there might be a murder. He couldn't help but stroke his chin and look at Zhang Chen and said, "Your father has always been worried about your lifelong event. Even Jiuzhang and Yingying have been worried about it..."
"Now I see that Ye is stunningly beautiful but also strong-willed. Why are you so dull? When you were chasing Yingying before, you were so persistent. Now you are so honest? Look at Yingying. When she first met Jiuzhang, she immediately took the initiative to attack and stayed there. If not, she might not have been able to snatch her!"
