[Oh, heavens! Great Host, why do I feel like the little villain talks just like you now?]
The little system was enjoying itself as a spectator.
A smile played at Zhou Ye's lips, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face without him even noticing.
[You're not seeing things. The boy is copying me.]
[I told him to endure because I wanted him to be cautious and do his best to protect himself.]
[But what he's shown me now is that although he no longer lashes out impulsively, he doesn't hide his edge either. Instead, he went around in circles with Wei Chengye and turned his own mockery back on him.]
[He really has learned to put his lessons to use.]
"How dare you be so brazen!" Wei Chengye was enraged by Wei Mingxiu's unruffled manner and immediately raised his hand to strike him.
Wei Mingxiu neither dodged nor backed away. Even the smile on his lips remained unchanged.
The one who struck first would suffer for it, so he would be the victim.
That way, no matter how little Wei Zhao favored him, he would have no choice but to punish Wei Chengye, however lightly, when he saw the injury on his face.
And if things went on like this, Wei Zhao would naturally grow somewhat tired of Wei Chengye's troublemaking.
Then he would have achieved his goal.
In the end, however, the slap never landed, because the eunuch beside Wei Chengye suddenly said, "Your Highness, please calm down! Have you forgotten what Her Noble Consort said before?"
His words were like a bucket of cold water, cooling Wei Chengye's fury a little.
His hand hung stiffly in midair for a long while before he gritted his teeth and lowered it.
But he kept his eyes fixed on Wei Mingxiu and threatened, "Wei Mingxiu, don't get too cocky."
"Sooner or later, I'll send you down to join your mother who died so young!"
Wei Mingxiu's expression did not change. He merely said in a mild voice,
"Then let's wait and see."
Zhou Ye watched the scene, the amusement in his eyes never fading.
Only after they had finished speaking did he step forward and say, "Your Highnesses, may I ask if I can begin your lesson now?"
Wei Chengye raised his eyes and glanced at him.
His gaze was somewhat complicated.
Anyone with eyes could see that he had been arguing with Wei Mingxiu just now, and he had nearly hit him.
He had thought Zhou Ye would step in to help Wei Mingxiu as he had that day.
But the man had not made a single move from beginning to end.
Could what he had heard Eunuch Li tell his mother before-that Zhou Ye had shown nothing but disdain for Wei Mingxiu when he went to the Southern Spring Courtyard that day, and had said he would never again interfere in disputes between the princes-
All be true?
At that thought, Wei Chengye's dislike and wariness of Zhou Ye eased somewhat.
He made no more trouble and cooperatively walked into the classroom.
As soon as he went in, Wei Yuanshi called out to his third brother and trotted after him.
Zhou Ye and Wei Mingxiu brought up the rear.
As they passed each other, Wei Mingxiu suddenly heard the man's deep, amused voice beside his ear.
"You have a way with words."
The young man who had been so composed just moments ago felt his heart tremble the instant he heard those words.
His face grew hot as well.
Watching the man's retreating figure, Wei Mingxiu curled his fingers tightly, and the false smile on his face finally became genuine.
Brilliant as a mass of flowers.
Grand Tutor Liu was advanced in years, and Zhou Ye understood how hard it was for him to rise early to teach the princes.
So he told the grand tutor that he would take the morning lessons from then on, and Grand Tutor Liu could come in the afternoon.
That would be the arrangement going forward.
Thus, what the princes needed to study in the morning was the fundamentals of martial arts.
"Martial arts training varies from person to person. Everyone is suited to a different method."
Zhou Ye explained some basic knowledge to the three of them.
Then he had them change into narrow-sleeved clothes that were easy to move in and run ten laps around the Imperial Academy as a warm-up.
He himself pulled up a chair and sat in the corridor. His eyes appeared to be watching the princes run, but he was actually observing his surroundings.
The Imperial Academy was connected to the inner palace.
One only had to pass through a covered walkway to see the imperial consorts.
That walkway was the only route for the inner palace attendants coming and going.
Tapping his fingers lightly against the back of the chair, Zhou Ye glanced at the rising sun. When he turned his gaze back to the arched gate of the Imperial Academy, he saw two palace maids walking toward him with food boxes in their hands.
The guards posted at the Imperial Academy held out their hands to stop them.
"Which palace are you from?"
"Sir, we serve Her Consort Xian at the Elegant Music Palace."
"Her Highness was worried that Junior Tutor Zhou came to teach after morning court without eating breakfast, so she sent us to bring him some pastries and tea."
There was nothing more natural than an elder sister sending food to her younger brother.
The maids then produced their palace passes, and the guards could hardly stop them any longer, so they let them through.
Zhou Ye put on a pleasantly surprised expression and went forward to meet them. "I'm sorry to trouble Her Highness so much."
His eyes, however, met those of a palace maid.
One of the maids discreetly pointed a finger at the food box on the right and said, "These are the almond pastries you like best, Junior Tutor. They were just made, and Her Highness instructed us to tell you they're best eaten hot."
"I understand. Please thank Her Highness properly for me."
The maids nodded, set out the pastries and hot tea from the boxes, then took the boxes and left the Imperial Academy.
Zhou Ye took a sip of hot tea, picked up a pastry and broke it open. Shielding it from everyone's sight, he took out the note inside and unfolded it. Once he had read the words, he chuckled softly.
Then he dissolved it completely in the tea and ground it into the soft earth underfoot.
After a moment's thought, he picked up a brush, tore off a small piece of paper, wrote a few brief words on it and tucked it into his sleeve.
By the time he finished the pastry, the princes had finished their run.
Wei Yuanshi was the youngest and could not bear the exertion. He was covered in sweat, with tears in his eyes.
The eunuchs and palace maids beside him busied themselves massaging his legs and giving him water.
Wei Chengye and Wei Mingxiu were still in fairly good shape.
Wei Chengye asked Zhou Ye, "Junior Tutor Zhou, what did you mean when you said training varies from person to person?"
"It means I must take Your Highnesses' physical condition into account and help you establish a suitable training intensity."
When Wei Chengye heard this, he glanced disdainfully at the frail Wei Mingxiu beside him and said, "Then I want mine to be more intense than his."
"When Father Emperor tests us in the future, I refuse to lose to this boy who looks like a fox spirit."
After what had happened earlier, Wei Chengye was certain that Zhou Ye would no longer favor Wei Mingxiu, so he grew even bolder in mocking Wei Mingxiu in front of Zhou Ye.
This time, however, Wei Mingxiu did not respond.
He simply wiped the sweat from his forehead and stood where he was, quietly waiting for Zhou Ye to speak.
"There's no need to rush, Your Highness," Zhou Ye said. "I must examine your bodies first. Once I've finished, I'll assign you suitable training regimens."
With that, he went to Wei Chengye first. "Third Prince, please raise your arms."
Wei Chengye obediently raised his arms.
Zhou Ye briefly felt the bones in Wei Chengye's limbs.
Only then did he walk over to Wei Mingxiu.
"Sixth Prince, please raise your arms."
Wei Mingxiu pursed his lips and lifted his arms out to his sides. But when Zhou Ye's palm touched his ribs, he could not help flinching.
Zhou Ye frowned slightly.
He then felt other parts of Wei Mingxiu's body.
As expected, Wei Mingxiu trembled slightly each time.
He had very likely suffered internal injuries.
And his physical condition was truly far worse than Wei Chengye's.
It was easy to tell that he usually had little good food to eat.
For all that he was a prince, he was probably treated worse than the sons of wealthy families in the capital.
Sighing softly to himself, Zhou Ye turned sideways to block the view of Wei Chengye and the others, then slipped the little piece of paper he had written on into Wei Mingxiu's hand.
Wei Mingxiu was startled, but he quickly realized that Zhou Ye was passing him a message under the cover of examining him. He hurriedly clenched his hand, trapping the paper in his palm.
In a voice only the two of them could hear, Zhou Ye said, "This paper describes the next move I want to make, but whether to make it at all, and how to make it, are entirely for Your Highness to decide."