The Imperial Family

"Really?"

Rong An had finally realized what was wrong.

Even if an ordinary father found it hard to believe his unruly child had a diligent side, he would surely be astonished and delighted to hear someone praise her. The Yongzhao Emperor, however, frowned in displeasure, entirely unwilling to believe Princess Zhenning would apply herself.

Perhaps...

Rong An could faintly hear it in his tone: perhaps the Yongzhao Emperor would rather Princess Zhenning remained ignorant and utterly unruly.

No wonder Princess Zhenning had said that, as long as he praised her intelligence and diligence to the Yongzhao Emperor at every opportunity, the emperor would never let her return to the Imperial College.

How laughable that the Yongzhao Emperor kept claiming he understood his daughter, when he did not. It was Princess Zhenning who had seen through His Majesty's heart.

Chapter 37: The Imperial Family

Rong An put aside his thoughts, took out the essay he had prepared, and gestured to Seal-Bearer Duan.

"This morning, as I was leaving the Imperial College, Erudite Liao made a point of pressing an essay on me. Your Majesty may wish to look at it."

The Yongzhao Emperor took the essay and read it carefully, his gaze growing darker with every line.

Rong An lowered his eyes and said nothing, waiting quietly for the Yongzhao Emperor to finish.

His Majesty would not care whether Erudite Liao had actually given him an essay. What mattered was who had written it.

"Zhenning wrote this?" The Yongzhao Emperor's hand tightened unconsciously around the sheet of xuan paper.

"Her Highness wrote it herself," Rong An said. "Her Highness's handwriting has also improved greatly."

The Yongzhao Emperor's gaze returned to the essay.

Years ago, he had had Jianjian study and practice calligraphy with Consort Jing, but not only had she learned little, her handwriting had been a complete mess. He had not expected that, after spending more than half a year at the Imperial College, she would seem to have shed her old self and been reborn.

He doted on this daughter. Jianjian was his and the empress's first child. She had resembled the empress since childhood, and as she grew older, her features had come to look more and more like her mother's, especially those large, bright eyes. Even when she said nothing, she seemed to smile as she looked at people.

But Jianjian was also different from the empress. The empress was graceful and dignified, intelligent and decisive, while Jianjian bared her claws and fangs, mischievous and troublesome.

He loved Jianjian this way. She was like a pretty, adorable porcelain doll in the palm of his hand, one he could protect and dote on forever.

But what if Jianjian came to resemble the empress more and more in ways beyond her looks?

The Yongzhao Emperor dared not imagine it.

Remembering that his minister was still standing in Jade Light Hall, the Yongzhao Emperor smiled at Rong An. "Zhenning's progress has truly exceeded my expectations. It is thanks to your instruction, my worthy minister. Thank you for your efforts."

"I dare not claim the credit. Supervising the students is my duty as the Imperial College's assistant director, and their progress is also thanks to the instruction of all the erudites and teaching assistants."

Rong An's modesty was entirely beyond reproach.

"Good, very good! You shall all be rewarded!"

Rong An left Jade Light Hall and turned onto another palace road, where he saw Zhao Huiluan waiting.

"Your Highness." Rong An cupped his hands in salute.

Zhao Huiluan returned the salute with a beaming smile. "Sorry for the trouble, Minister Rong."

"Elder sister!"

The little crown prince's delighted voice came from behind her. By the time Zhao Huiluan turned around, he was already rushing toward her. Fortunately, she was quick of eye and hand, reaching out to hold him back by the head.

The little crown prince waved his hands but failed to embrace his elder sister, whom he had not seen in so long. His mouth turned down in a wounded pout.

"Elder sister~"

Zhao Huiluan hurriedly cut him off. "Shh! Zhao Jin'ang! You're eight years old. No acting spoiled."

The little crown prince was extremely obedient. He immediately fell silent and stood up straight, pressing his lips together as he gazed at her pitifully, a mist gradually gathering in his eyes.

"...That trick again?" Zhao Huiluan was speechless.

Two soft coughs came from beside them.

Only then did the little crown prince notice Rong An. The mist vanished from his eyes, and he respectfully cupped his hands to him. "Teacher."

Rong An stepped back, avoiding the little crown prince's salute. Then he cupped his own hands and bowed to the little crown prince. "I no longer teach at the Hall of Literary Glory. I am not worthy of being called 'teacher' by Your Highness."

"A teacher for a day is a teacher for life. As far as I am concerned, Minister Rong, you will always be the teacher who instructed me."

The little crown prince was well-behaved, and his words came from the heart.

"I dare not accept that." Rong An bowed even lower.

The little crown prince hurried to help him up. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his elder sister tiptoeing away with Xichun, then breaking into a little run. He quickly said to Rong An, "Teacher, I have important business to attend to, so I must take my leave."

With that, he took off after Zhao Huiluan, startling the attendants behind him into calling, "Your Highness, slow down!"

"Elder sister, wait for me."

"Zhao Jin'ang, why are you still so clingy?"

"I haven't seen you in so long, elder sister. Ang'er missed you terribly. Didn't you miss Ang'er?"

"No."

"I don't believe you. Elder sister, you're trying to fool a child."

The little boy was full of energy and soon caught up with Zhao Huiluan. He reached for her hand, but Zhao Huiluan deliberately jogged a step or two to dodge him.

The two chased each other, making quite a commotion.

Rong An watched quietly for a while. Once the two figures had disappeared around a palace gate, he too turned and left the palace.

Zhao Huiluan and her younger brother kept up their antics all the way to Tianquan Palace, where an attendant told her that His Majesty was still at Jade Light Hall. Zhao Huiluan glanced at the sky and decided not to go anywhere else. She would wait for the Yongzhao Emperor beneath the orange osmanthus tree outside Tianquan Palace.

It was the Mid-Autumn season, and the fragrance of orange osmanthus drifted for ten li. Beneath the tree, the tiny blossoms lay in a dense layer, carpeting a circle as wide as its crown.

When the Yongzhao Emperor arrived, he saw Zhao Huiluan and her younger brother standing beneath the orange osmanthus tree, one tall and one short, swinging their hands as they played rock-paper-scissors. The loser got a flick on the forehead.

An attendant was just about to call out loudly that His Majesty had arrived when the Yongzhao Emperor raised a hand to stop him.

The Yongzhao Emperor quietly watched the two children play, and for a moment, he felt utterly at ease.

Zhao Huiluan always made her move just a tiny bit later than her brother, and the little crown prince lost every time. Zhao Huiluan was enormously pleased with herself. She breathed on her hand and flicked her brother's forehead, making the little crown prince bare his teeth in pain. Once the pain passed, they played another round.

A cool breeze sent countless tiny orange osmanthus blossoms drifting down. Some flew into their mouths, and the two spat for quite a while. When they saw the Yongzhao Emperor, they immediately went to greet him.

The Yongzhao Emperor rubbed his son's head and laughingly scolded Zhao Huiluan. "You're so grown up, and you're still bullying your little brother!"

Before Zhao Huiluan could even protest, the little crown prince spoke up in her defense. "Elder sister wasn't bullying Ang'er."