For three or four days in a row, Xie Ning discovered that the tutor truly hadn't come, and there was no homework either.
He went completely wild, even more so than before.
From the flowers and plants above to the fish in the pond below, from the gatekeeper to the kitchen servants, basically everyone knew this was a bona fide little demon king.
The most crucial part was that even if they ran to Butler Liu to complain about him,
He would just chuckle cheerfully, his face full of gratification, saying, "What a lively child."
If he could make the entire estate this lively all by himself, wasn't that proof of his liveliness?
Everyone understood that the master was indulging him, turning a blind eye, so they could only take detours around him, afraid of provoking any displeasure.
…
On the other side, Xie Ning had no idea what others were saying about him. He'd recently grown a bit bored with playing and was pondering new forms of amusement.
He had crafted a disc-shaped object. He'd run and throw it out, and Xiao Bai would chase after it with all his might.
The dog would pick it up from the ground and bring it back to him, repeating this several times.
The estate's pathways wound and twisted, each step revealing a new scene—secluded, elegant, and refined.
But Xie Ning had absolutely no appreciation for any of it, nor did he understand its charm.
Only living creatures could truly interest him.
The next moment, he threw the disc, and it accidentally flew into the lotus pond. Without a moment's hesitation, Xiao Bai leaped in after it.
Xie Ning tilted his head.
Then, without hesitation, he jumped in too.
In an instant, water submerged him over his head. Xie Ning had forgotten that he was a complete landlubber. He flailed in the water several times and accidentally swallowed a mouthful.
"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!"
Xie Ning quickly spat it out, then realized he could actually stand—the water level came right up to his shoulders.
By then, Xiao Bai had swum over to his side, the disc still clamped in his mouth.
Xie Ning: "…"
Then he seemed to discover something even more fun. He wasn't in a hurry to get back to shore; instead, he began feeling around underwater with both hands.
Before long, Xie Ning opened his palms, and several little tadpoles lay in them.
His eyes sparkled with excitement. "I'm going to raise them! When they grow up, they'll turn into frogs!"
When that happened, they'd line up in rows in his courtyard. Just imagining that scene made Xie Ning feel it would be absolutely hilarious.
Xiao Bai couldn't understand his words and simply swam circles around him—when his master was happy, he was happy.
Xie Ning was thoroughly satisfied and prepared to head back to shore. But the pond bottom was thick with mud, making walking difficult. He managed to pull one foot free while the other remained deeply stuck.
Uh-oh. Trouble.
Xie Ning didn't panic, nor did he rush to call for help. Instead, he methodically shuffled forward bit by bit. Almost… just a little more, and his hand could touch the shore.
Suddenly, a pair of feet appeared before him.
Xie Ning tilted his head up, moving his gaze from the shoes to the face.
It was an unfamiliar grandpa.
Xie Ning blinked a couple of times, confirming he'd never seen this person before.
But that didn't stop Xie Ning from being charming. He blinked several more times, reached out his hand, and tried to win him over with cuteness. "Grandpa, can you give me a pull?"
The man before him was the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty, Zhou Ping.
He was past fifty and his eyesight wasn't great.
Grand Tutor Zhou squinted at him for a moment, then seemed to see something shocking—his eyes suddenly flew wide open.
He reached out a hand, trembling slightly, and pulled Xie Ning up first.
Xie Ning used his strength, struggling hard, and crawled to the shore, then rolled himself back onto the bank.
At this moment, not only were his clothes completely soaked, but his body was covered in mud, and his face was dirty too. Yet his eyes sparkled brightly, like grapes.
Xiao Bai knew how to swim and came ashore right after his master in the next second.
Zhou Ping bent down and asked him with a smile, "What's your name?"
Perhaps because he felt that the elderly man before him had just helped him, and normally he wouldn't casually share his information with others.
Xie Ning hesitated for a moment, then obediently replied, "My name is Xie Ning."
"Surnamed Xie…" Grand Tutor Zhou's tone seemed to carry a hint of nostalgia, as if lost in thought.
He didn't press further and asked out of nowhere, "What about your father? How is he?"
Xie Ning tilted his head. This grandfather seemed to know his father, so he definitely couldn't be a bad person.
He basically trusted everything his father said unconditionally—anyone his father knew must be a good person!
So he told the truth: "Father went to a very faraway place, and it will take a long, long time before he can come back."
After saying this, Xie Ning's mood also sank a little.
He had been in the capital for so long now. Although many people here were kind to him and there were plenty of things to play with, there was no father…
He had never been apart from his father for this long in his entire life.
All along, Xie Ning hadn't shown how much he missed his father, because he knew his father must have had something very important to do, which was why he had to leave.
If he ever got the chance, his father would definitely come back to see him at the first opportunity.
Xie Ning kept comforting himself in his heart.
For some reason, seeing this grandfather made him suddenly miss his father so much.
"You…" Xie Ning tilted his head, about to ask who he was, but before the words could leave his mouth.
Songshi, who took care of his daily needs, came rushing over anxiously, looking at him with worry. "Young master, how did you fall into the water in just a moment? Please come with me to change into some dry clothes."
Songshi was about to stand up and lead him away when he noticed there was another person nearby.
Judging by his clothes and bearing, he wasn't just anyone—he seemed to be a guest of the master. Perhaps he had gotten lost.
With that in mind, Songshi pointed in a direction and said, "Our master's study is over there."
Grand Tutor Zhou nodded slightly and said kindly, "Take him to change his clothes first, so he doesn't catch a chill from the wind."
After walking a few steps away, Xie Ning suddenly turned back and waved his hand. "Goodbye, grandfather."
Seeing this, Grand Tutor Zhou imitated his gesture and waved back, a hint of a smile curling at the corner of his mouth. He stood there in a daze for a while, sinking into certain memories.
After a long moment, he finally lifted his foot and headed toward the direction Songshi had pointed out.
Inside the study.
From the incense burner in the corner, wisps of pale white smoke drifted out. A light sniff revealed the faint scent of sandalwood—rich and mellow, carrying a profound and far-reaching quality.
Shen Wang and Grand Tutor Zhou sat across from each other at the table.
The teapot before them boiled. After a while, Shen Wang was the first to brew a pot of tea and placed it in front of the other man.
Grand Tutor Zhou remained silent.
In truth, Grand Tutor Zhou had long since withdrawn from court affairs. He had assisted two emperors and had already achieved great fame and success. As the current emperor's teacher, even though he had been spending his later years in retirement at home, no one dared to slight or underestimate him.
Shen Wang couldn't quite figure out why Grand Tutor Zhou had come to see him.
On ordinary days, there wasn't much visible connection between them, so today's sudden visit was hard for him to fathom.
"I wonder what important matter brings the Grand Tutor here today?" Shen Wang asked.
Grand Tutor Zhou picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and only then said slowly, "There was indeed a matter I wished to ask your help with."
Shen Wang's heart skipped a beat.
He found it somewhat puzzling. Logically speaking, whatever Grand Tutor Zhou wanted done, many people would be scrambling to offer their help. At the very least, he could petition the Emperor—as long as it wasn't excessive, the Emperor would hardly refuse. Why go through the trouble of coming to her?
Shen Wang tactfully expressed his thoughts.
In response, Grand Tutor Zhou set his teacup down on the table with a clink and snorted coldly, "A stubborn rock, that one."
Shen Wang dared not respond to that, because the "stubborn rock" Grand Tutor Zhou referred to was none other than the Emperor himself. Shen Wang fell silent, though inwardly puzzled as to why the Grand Tutor had said "was indeed."
Then, the very next moment, he got his answer.
"Just now on my way here, it suddenly occurred to me—when a matter is meant to succeed, it will succeed on its own; when a person is meant to return, they will return on their own." Grand Tutor Zhou explained at a leisurely pace.
Shen Wang smiled faintly.
Inwardly, he couldn't help but complain: What kind of riddle is this? Can't he just be direct? Does he expect me to guess everything all day?
"Enough of that," Grand Tutor Zhou changed the subject. "I've also heard something these past few days—I hear you have a son now? Word is spreading outside. With such good news, why didn't you notify me so I could come drink a toast at the celebration?"
Shen Wang pressed a hand to his forehead. He could tell it was said in jest, but he was growing increasingly unable to figure out what Grand Tutor Zhou was really here for today.
"Grand Tutor, please don't tease me. Others may not know, but surely you do—I've been so busy these past few years, where would I find the time?"
"He's someone I picked up on the road. He can't find his family for now, so he's staying temporarily at my residence," Shen Wang explained.
Grand Tutor Zhou showed no hint of surprise, reaching up to stroke his beard. "It's fate, then."
"…Grand Tutor, what exactly are you trying to say? Just say it directly—no need to beat around the bush with me." Shen Wang let out a sigh and spoke plainly.
Grand Tutor Zhou's eyes lit up, but his demeanor remained haughty as he hinted, "I happened to run into the boy outside just now. I feel I share quite a connection with him as well."
"So?"
"I heard you've tried several tutors for him without success. Those outsiders—how could they possibly teach him properly?" Grand Tutor Zhou raised an eyebrow.
Shen Wang: "…"
Even as dense as he was, he now caught the implication in Grand Tutor Zhou's words. His heart jolted, and he couldn't understand why the man would do such a thing.
Though he had indeed been fretting over this matter in recent days, unable to find a suitable tutor, he had never once considered that Grand Tutor Zhou might come.
Because of fate? If he was going to make up an excuse, he could at least pick a better one.
Grand Tutor Zhou's disciples and former subordinates spanned the entire court, and he now had grandchildren aplenty. At his age, wouldn't it be more comfortable to sip tea with old friends or go fishing outside?
Coming to serve as Xie Ning's tutor—wasn't that a joke?
Moreover, in earlier years, Grand Tutor Zhou had publicly declared that he would only ever serve as the Emperor's teacher. If the Emperor found out about this, his entire clan would likely be wiped out.
Grand Tutor Zhou seemed to see his hesitation and explained, "It won't be so formal—just to give him some basic enlightenment." It's not yet time for him to call me 'teacher.'"
Shen Wang suppressed his doubts again and again, but finally asked anyway, "Are you very free these days?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the smile on Grand Tutor Zhou's face stiffened.
"Others beg me to go and I refuse, yet here you are pushing me away." Grand Tutor Zhou snorted coldly.
The words had already been said to this point—if Shen Wang refused any further, he would be slapping Grand Tutor Zhou in the face. He thought that even if this matter were brought before His Majesty, he could still explain the whole situation clearly.
So Shen Wang nodded in agreement. "Then I'll trouble you, Grand Tutor. However…"
He was searching for the right words, wanting to give Grand Tutor Zhou an early warning—Xie Ning was nothing like those young masters who would obediently listen.
Even he himself found it hard to resist.
Seeing the hesitation on his face, Grand Tutor Zhou laughed heartily. "That's no problem. I've taught students even more mischievous than him, and I already got a taste of it earlier."
"I forgot to mention—when I met Xie Ning earlier, he had just fallen into the lotus pond, covered head to toe in mud. Quite an unconventional sight, I must say."
Shen Wang: "…"
His own child making a fool of himself actually made him feel an unfamiliar sense of embarrassment.
"In a few days, His Majesty will likely visit Daling Temple again. With many people and prying eyes, make sure to send more men to accompany him." Grand Tutor Zhou instantly withdrew all his expressions and spoke seriously.
This was the other matter he had come for today.
Shen Wang's gaze turned grave. "Of course. Everything has already been arranged."
Grand Tutor Zhou gave a light hum. "In past years, going in secret meant few people knew about it. But a few nights ago, I had a nightmare, and I haven't been able to sleep well since."
"You should send someone to summon a physician from the Imperial Medical Bureau."
Grand Tutor Zhou waved his hand. "I'm getting old. These are all just chronic ailments."
At that point, he seemed to think of something else, let out a faint sigh, and gazed into the distance with deep, far-reaching eyes.
Shen Wang tactfully did not press further.
Three days later.
Daling Temple was located on Daling Mountain outside the city. It was said that prayers for romance were especially efficacious there, and during every festival, many people would flock to visit. Later, a market began to be held at the foot of the mountain every month, bustling with tremendous liveliness.
So even those who weren't going to Daling Temple would enjoy coming to the market to join in the excitement.
As its fame grew and more people came, more merchants also settled there, so everything for eating, drinking, and entertainment was available in full measure.
Shen Wang had arrived here the night before. He had thoroughly scoured the entire area, and even after confirming there was no danger, he still didn't let his guard down.
After arranging all his personnel, he didn't dare slack off himself, keeping constant watch over all movements.
When His Majesty arrived, he didn't care to wander among the crowds either. Every time, he would dismiss everyone and spend several days alone in a small room.
At such times, even Chief Steward Laifu, who stayed by His Majesty's side, didn't dare go near to court bad luck.
Shen Wang patrolled nearby with a stern expression, scanning every suspicious thing around him.
Just then, Xin Yi came rushing over in a panic, panting heavily and speaking in broken bursts: "B-bad news, my lord, the young… young master…"
Shen Wang interrupted him impatiently. "Can you say it all in one breath? You've been by my side this long and still can't even keep your composure?"
Hearing this, Xin Yi swallowed hard and, without pausing for even a moment, said rapidly: "The young master accidentally ran into His Majesty."
"Who?"
Afraid he hadn't heard clearly, Xin Yi repeated carefully: "Young Master Xie Ning."
"Wasn't he supposed to be at the residence today? How did he end up here?" Shen Wang was momentarily stunned.
"It seems the neighboring Heir Wei Zhao brought him here."
Shen Wang smiled. "Then how did a child like him manage to barge into His Majesty's chambers?"
Besides, he had been keeping watch nearby the entire time—not even a fly could have gotten through. If Xie Ning had truly run inside, he should have noticed it at once.
Hearing this, Xin Yi scratched his head. "That's not quite it—His Majesty ran out instead."
Shen Wang: "…"