“Thank you for your praise, Your Highness. I truly dare not accept it.” She bowed her head humbly.
Little Devil King Jin Cheng's head stopped moving as he looked around. He pouted slightly, feeling a bit of disagreent, but then frowned, thinking it might also be right.
After the Crown Prince finished his question, he waved his hand toward him: “Jin Cheng, co here.”
Hearing his na being called, Jin Cheng imdiately ran over with a beaming smile, happily shouting, “Your Highness, you finally noticed !”
The Crown Prince smiled at him and said, “I have always seen you, but I was just asking your mother about your studies earlier, so I did not talk to you.”
Jin Cheng boasted proudly, “Your Highness, am I not amazing? I’ve learned so much in just half a year, I’m super super strong, right?”
The Crown Prince chuckled at him, but due to the strong emotional fluctuations, he couldn't help but cough several tis. His pale knuckles curled together, pressing against his chest as he shook his head and chuckled lightly, “Don’t make laugh.”
Jin Cheng stuck out his tongue and wouldn't dare to show off anymore.
Nevertheless, the Crown Prince still kindly praised him, “Just now, I heard Teacher Pan say that you can morize books after a single glance and study diligently, which is why you’ve surpassed so many other scholars. But this is still far from enough. I want you to beco soone as great as your father. Do you have confidence?”
Jin Cheng thought about his father and blinked, saying, “Beco a top scholar in the imperial exams?”
The Crown Prince nodded with a smile.
Jin Cheng turned to look at Xu Wan, noticing her gaze was frank and fearless, as if she didn’t think it was impossible for him to beco a top scholar.
The Crown Prince wanted him to beco a top scholar, and Xu Wan didn’t fear it either.
So, of course, Jin Cheng wasn’t afraid either.
With a heroic spirit, he declared, "Your Highness, don't worry, I'll definitely beco a top scholar!" or With a heroic spirit, he declared, "Your Highness, don't worry, I'm certain I will pass the imperial examination and beco a top scholar!"
or With a heroic spirit, he declared, "Your Highness, don't worry, I will undoubtedly pass the imperial examination and beco a top scholar!"
“All those from the Hanlin North Academy, the Child Prodigy Class, and Qin Ye.”
“They will all just have to wait and be crushed by !”
“This top scholar, I, Zong Jin Cheng, will claim for sure!”
Seeing his overflowing ambition, the Crown Prince turned to Xu Wan and said, “Just now, I saw the study plan prepared by Cheng Zhidong, which is tailored for preparing for the Child Prodigy Class exams. But these things aren’t very helpful for the official exams. Do you understand?”
Xu Wan originally wanted to say she understood.
But then she rembered the Crown Prince’s earlier questioning, so she pretended to have only a vague understanding and said, “I thought these were the basics, and one should master them sufficiently before moving on to the next step.”
In fact, before Jin Cheng's accident, she had indeed thought this way. However, under the oppressive force of soone like Luo Jingfeng, Xu Wan’s thoughts were nearly overpowered.
She wanted Zong Jin Cheng to beco a truly capable official who knew how to serve the people and contribute to the country, rather than just soone good at rote exams.
So in the past few days, she had considered various plans for nurturing Jin Cheng, but hadn’t found the right opportunity to implent them. Now that the Crown Prince had arrived, perhaps today was the day.
The Crown Prince shook his head and said, “If you want him to grow up quickly, you should broaden his horizons, make him understand history and laws, know about the livelihood of the people and human nature, and be skilled in military and managent, rather than just morizing the Four Books, Five Classics, and poems.”
Xu Wan thought to herself, "Our thoughts coincided."
But on the surface, she pretended to have a sudden revelation and nodded, “Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness. I will have Cheng Zhidong revise Jin Cheng’s study plan.”
The Crown Prince looked around the grand study room, the familiar layout evoking long-lost mories. He remarked nostalgically, “It’s been about ten years since I last visited here. The Marquis Manor, specially built for Zong Zhao… The second floor seems to be just as big.”
Xu Wan nodded and said, “Yes, Your Highness. The second floor is filled with ancient books and calligraphy; it’s rarely frequented. If Your Highness likes it, you may co often. No one will disturb you there.”
The Crown Prince nodded happily and said, “That’s perfect. Then, let’s make the last day of each month, when Jin Cheng cos up to accompany .”
Xu Wan’s eyes widened as if she understood his intentions.
Coming every month, on a fixed date, and spending the day alone with Jin Cheng.
When combined with what he had ntioned about the study plan…
Was this just accompanying him to sit?
This seed more like one-on-one tutoring!
Xu Wan clenched her handkerchief, beginning to speculate about the enigmatic relationship between the Crown Prince and Zong Jin Cheng. His attitude didn’t seem like re guilt; after all, who would make such a huge compensation out of guilt? And he was the Crown Prince—his ti was invaluable!
But if it wasn’t compensation, and just pure affection, why hadn’t he shown such favor before, only starting today?
Xu Wan couldn’t figure it out and didn’t dare to overthink.
She was rely a subject’s wife, unwilling and too afraid to speculate on the thoughts of powerful figures. She could only wait until the Crown Prince finished his lessons with Jin Cheng and then privately inquire about it from the little devil.
Jin Cheng didn’t understand these complexities and simply thought that the Crown Prince would play with him every month. Delighted, he was so excited that he felt like he didn’t even know his own na and almost wanted to spin around a hundred tis.
“I will study hard and wait for Your Highness’s inspection!” Jin Cheng declared with a beaming smile.
The Crown Prince stood up with a smile, patted his head, and said, “That’s enough for today. I have so matters to attend to. See you at the end of the month.”
“See you then. I’ll see you out, Your Highness.”
“Mm.”
Jin Cheng skipped and hopped as he followed the Crown Prince out, chatting and gesturing along the way, occasionally making the Crown Prince laugh until he almost coughed.
In the Eastern Palace.
The Crown Princess noticed that the Crown Prince’s usually pallid face had a touch of color, indicating he was in a good mood.
She stepped forward, linking arms with him and teasing, “Has Jin Cheng again managed to make Your Highness happy?”
The Crown Prince smiled and said, “Yes, this child knows how to amuse people.”
The Crown Princess nodded and said, “Other people’s children are always so delightful. In another seven months, when our own child is born, I hope Your Highness won’t worry too much.”
The smile on the Crown Prince’s face slightly faltered, as he understood her implication.
She was asking if there was any connection between him and Jin Cheng.
If she had asked a few months ago, perhaps he would have answered.
But now, he wasn’t sure.
Because he already had a plan in motion, one that he had begun implenting.
The Crown Prince didn't respond to her question but instead held her hand and asked, "Earlier today, at the Marquis Manor, I asked Xu Wan why she was willing to marry Zong Zhao, who was shēng sǐ bù zhī (his fate unknown). She said it was because she liked Zong Zhao's mother and wanted to bìng fǔ tā què shī de mǔ ài (make up for the motherly love she had been missing)."
“And you? Why did you marry ?”
The Crown Princess had originally been the only daughter of the Duke of Wei, whose ancestors were founding heroes, with subordinates and students all over the country, wielding imnse power. In contrast, the Crown Prince was the son of a deposed empress, his maternal family wiped out, frail in health, and the target of many of the imperial family's plots.
When everyone believed he would either be deposed or murdered, the Crown Princess, against the Duke of Wei’s wishes, married the Crown Prince, thereby preserving his position in the Eastern Palace.
The Crown Princess smiled with pure sincerity and softly said, “I grew up with my father and have seen too many officials’ faces. Everyone fears making a mistake and always weighs the pros and cons. Only Your Highness, fearless of powerful nobles and death, maintains a kind heart and strives to give life aning to the people. Yet, such a beloved prince was not accepted by the official circles. I hoped soone could step forward to protect Your Highness.”
“It was my great fortune to beco that person.”
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