The Tianyou Emperor observed him for a moment, initially intending to call him forward for a closer look. But recalling the National Preceptor Yuzhen’s prophecy, he quickly dismissed the thought.
He simply ordered two bottles of high-quality wound medicine to be brought and bestowed them upon the injured Little Six and Zhao Yan.
Finally, he added, “It seems to me that all of you have too much free time on your hands. You refuse to study properly and spend your days stirring up trouble. At this same time tomorrow, I will come personally to examine your studies. Those who fail the examination need not waste their days sitting idly in the Imperial Study any longer—they can go sweep bird droppings in the Ten-Thousand Beasts Garden for me!”
The Crown Prince and the others were not particularly worried. They acknowledged the order and respectfully saw the Tianyou Emperor out. The Third Prince, who was passionate about flowers, plants, insects, and animals, even felt a flicker of anticipation about visiting the Wanshou Garden. The Fourth Prince, who usually loved to sleep, perked up as well. The Fifth Prince and the Sixth Prince, however, immediately let their little faces fall. Only Zhao Yan was purely terrified.
He didn’t know anything! He had only been here for a few days, barely memorized a few lines of the Three Character Classic, and found even reading the Thousand Character Classic and Western Path texts a struggle.
He didn’t understand why his memory was so poor—it was as if he was born without the aptitude for studying.
He began to panic: His cheap Father Emperor had never met him before and didn’t know his situation, so he might be able to muddle through even if he performed poorly on the examination. But if his mother, Li Meiren, found out he couldn’t even memorize the Three Character Classic, would she suspect he was possessed by a ghost and invite that so-called master again to perform an exorcism?
He was so distracted throughout the entire class that he didn’t even hear the Sixth Prince speaking to him.
In the end, he only caught the Sixth Prince telling him to wait for him tomorrow so they could go to study together.
Zhao Yan mumbled an acknowledgment. After school, he reluctantly slung his little book bag over his shoulder and returned to Jingfu Pavilion.
Ah, looking back now, even the days when he scored zero on exams without fearing anyone finding out seemed pretty good.
Having a mother obsessed with pushing her child to excel was truly terrifying!
With a dejected little face, he returned home, but Li Meiren was in high spirits today. As soon as he entered, she took his book bag and asked with a smile, “Did your Father Emperor visit the Imperial Study today?”
Zhao Yan immediately tensed up, his back arching slightly in suspicion. “How did Mother know?”
Li Meiren pulled him to sit at the table and chuckled. “His Majesty issued an edict reprimanding Consort Yun, sentencing her to reflect on her mistakes in Yunxiang Palace for a month. Everyone in the entire palace knows about it.” She had gone out for a stroll and overheard the palace servants discussing it.
They said the Sixth Prince had spoken out of turn and angered His Majesty, who believed Consort Yun had said something inappropriate in front of the Fifth Prince.
In her opinion, Consort Yun was the foolish one.
Eagerly, she asked, “Tell your mother, what exactly happened? What went on?”
Zhao Yan looked helplessly at Chen Xiang, who immediately gave a vivid description of everything she had seen and heard in the Imperial Study.
Li Meiren promptly asked, “Did Little Seven see your Father Emperor? Did your Father Emperor praise you?”
Zhao Yan shook his head. “No.”
Li Meiren’s smile faded slightly. Zhao Yan quickly fished a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve and handed it to her. “Father Emperor bestowed this upon me…”
Li Meiren took the bottle, and her smile deepened. “This is the Imperial Jade Complexion Cream, available only from your Father Emperor. Your Father Emperor does like you after all.”
Zhao Yan added bluntly, “Sixth Brother got one too.”
Li Meiren paid no mind to that. “In any case, your Father Emperor likes you. This is a good start. Study hard today and strive to make a good impression on your Father Emperor during tomorrow’s examination.”
Here we go again.
Zhao Yan inwardly wailed, then cautiously extended his hand, which was plastered with ointment and wrapped in gauze, to show her: "Mother, the Imperial Physician said my hand is injured and I can't write…" He then looked toward Chen Xiang.
Chen Xiang followed up: "Meiren, the Seventh Prince has sprained his hand. The Imperial Physician said he absolutely must not overuse it these next few days, lest the injury worsen."
Li Meiren handed the porcelain bottle back to Zhao Yan, her eyes curving into a smile as she said: "Then don't write."
Before Zhao Yan could even sigh in relief, her tone shifted: "Xiao Qi can recite instead. Study the 'Three Character Classic' and 'Thousand Character Classic' well. Your Father Emperor will certainly test you on these two tomorrow during the examination."
Zhao Yan felt like crawling into a dark corner.
That night, he recited until the hour of Hai.
His hand was fine, but his mouth was nearly chapped from reciting, and his throat was a bit hoarse.
The next day at the hour of Yin, he simply could not get up no matter what. It took ten Reverts to a previous save before he managed to struggle up with his eyes still closed.
When they reached the entrance of Jingfu Pavilion and he saw the Sixth Prince's sedan chair, he was still a bit dazed. Rubbing his eyes, he asked: "Why is Sixth Brother here?"
The doorway was dim, with only a faint yellow glow from the lanterns illuminating a small area. The Sixth Prince, bundled up like a little snowball, was slumped in the sedan chair, also looking pitifully sleep-deprived. He said lazily: "Didn't I tell you yesterday I was coming to pick you up to study together?" He had made this suggestion because he was afraid Xiao Qi would get pestered by Fifth Brother again.
Zhao Yan let out an "oh," then swayed unsteadily as he tried to climb into the sedan chair, nearly falling off.
Chen Xiang promptly reached out to steady him and lifted him into the sedan chair.
The Sixth Prince shifted over a bit, making room for him to sit next to him, but his head remained tilted against the armrest as he yawned.
The sedan chair began to move.
Zhao Yan asked curiously: "Why is Sixth Brother also so sleepy?"
The Sixth Prince, drowsy and miserable, said with a pained expression: "I spent half the night reciting texts last night, so sleepy…"
Usually, being lazy was fine, but today Father Emperor was conducting an examination, and he absolutely dared not be careless.
Zhao Yan immediately felt a sense of shared hardship and asked: "Does Consort Xu also supervise Sixth Brother's studies strictly?"
The Sixth Prince shook his head: "Mother doesn't really supervise me, but the Matron Li sent by my maternal grandfather, she's so fierce, so fierce. She urges me to study every day."
Zhao Yan: "She's fierce to you, and your mother doesn't intervene?"
Sixth Prince: "She doesn't…" His mother didn't worry about anything and was more than happy to have someone else manage her son.
He grumbled a couple of times, then gradually fell silent, soon starting to snore softly.
All around was darkness, the sedan chair swaying gently. Watching the Sixth Prince, Zhao Yan also yawned, then simply snuggled up against him and fell asleep. In no time at all, the two little bundles were sleeping in a heap.
All was quiet around them; in winter, not even the chirping of insects could be heard.
As the sedan chair passed through the Imperial Garden, they encountered the Second Prince's sedan chair. This time, Wen Guifei wasn't present. The Second Prince, with gauze still wrapped around his head, was also drowsy.
The two sedan chairs moved one after the other, quietly heading toward the Imperial Study.
The eunuchs carrying the sedan chairs couldn't help but sigh inwardly: Even the imperial nobility has it tough. At this hour, children in ordinary households are probably still asleep, yet the princes in the palace have to rise early to study.
The sedan chairs soon arrived outside the Imperial Study. The Crown Prince, as usual, had arrived early, looking bright and energetic.
The Third Prince, Fourth Prince, and Fifth Prince also didn't look too well, clearly having studied hard.
The sedan chairs stopped, and a eunuch stepped forward to wake the Second Prince. The Second Prince gathered his thick cloak around himself, hugged his hand warmer, and stepped down.
Sixth Prince and Zhao Yan also quickly descended from another sedan chair, both being carried down by young eunuchs. As soon as Zhao Yan landed, the Sixth Prince behind him stumbled and bumped into him. The two tumbled to the ground together, rolling into a heap.
Second Prince, clearly frightened and afraid of being involved again, instantly woke from his drowsiness and practically leaped away.
Seeing his reaction, Third Prince couldn't help but laugh aloud.
Second Prince glared at him, flicked his sleeve, and strode off.
The Sixth Prince, who had been rolling on the ground, struggled up with the help of a young eunuch. Zhao Yan also scrambled to his feet in a fluster. The Crown Prince stepped forward, steadied Zhao Yan, and asked with a smile, "Did you get hurt from the fall?"
Zhao Yan shook his head: "My clothes are thick, it doesn't hurt." His voice was terribly hoarse, sounding like a little duck quacking when he spoke.
Third Prince completely lost control and burst into loud laughter.
Zhao Yan was frustrated.
It was only after the Crown Prince shot Third Prince a glance that he reluctantly fell silent.
The group gradually made their way inside. Zhao Yan and Sixth Prince, carrying their book bags, wobbled like two little penguins with every step until they reached their seats.
Sixth Prince dropped his book bag on the desk, lay down, and immediately started sleeping.
Zhao Yan reached out and poked him. Sixth Prince stirred slightly, lifted his little head a bit, pouted, and said, "Just a short nap. When Father Emperor comes, wake me up, okay?" With that, his head tilted, and he continued sleeping.
Zhao Yan pressed his lips together, pulled a textbook from his book bag, and began reading.
But as he read, his little head couldn't help nodding like a chicken pecking at rice. Glancing ahead at Fourth Brother, who was already sound asleep, and beside him at Sixth Brother, softly snoring, he tilted his head and completely slumped onto the desk.
In the entire Imperial Study, the three older princes, led by the Crown Prince, were diligently reviewing their lessons. Although Fifth Prince was reading, he kept turning back to glance behind him every now and then. Behind him, the three younger ones were sleeping so soundly they had lost all track of time.
After who knows how long, a loud smack echoed on the desk.
Zhao Yan was so startled he jerked his head up, only to see Liu Hanlin standing before him, holding a ruler.
In front of him, Fourth Prince was already standing in punishment with a book on his head. To his right, Sixth Prince's outstretched palm was red and swollen, and he was glaring resentfully at Zhao Yan.
Liu Hanlin wore an expression of bitter disappointment, as if lamenting failed steel, and asked gravely, "Seventh Prince, although you have not formally begun your studies, since you sit beneath this three-foot lectern, you should strive to be diligent and progressive. Sleeping soundly in class—do you admit your fault? Do you accept punishment?"
Zhao Yan innocently rubbed his eyes, staring at Liu Hanlin with a clear yet bewildered gaze, looking utterly confused.
Liu Hanlin, met with such a look, choked back his words and suddenly felt he was making a fuss over nothing: after all, he was just a five-year-old child; it was normal to be sleepy.
Didn't his own six-year-old grandson also sleep until this hour before getting up?
But soon, he suppressed this thought: This is a prince. He must not go easy on him just because the child is adorable—that would be harming him.
Moreover, His Majesty was coming today to examine their progress.
Liu Hanlin stiffened his expression again and demanded, "Seventh Prince, do you accept punishment?"
Zhao Yan was thoroughly jolted awake by this shout: He had promised to keep an eye on Teacher Liu for Sixth Brother!
Zhao Yan immediately Reverted to a previous save: Wuwuwu, he didn't mean to sleep in class—he was genuinely tired!
He tried to Revert to a previous save, cycling through three attempts. On the third wake-up, Liu Hanlin was finally no longer in the classroom but had just arrived outside the Imperial Study.
Now he could already hear the voices.
Zhao Yan was slightly surprised: no matter how many times he had reverted to a previous save before, the outcome never changed without his intervention.
Why had Liu Hanlin entered a bit later this time?
He had no time to ponder further, immediately reaching out to shake Sixth Prince awake, then forcefully kicking Fourth Prince’s stool in front of him.
Fourth Prince rubbed his eyes and frowned as he glanced back at Zhao Yan. Only when he heard voices at the doorway did his expression relax, picking up a book and pretending to read with feigned seriousness.
Sixth Prince promptly grabbed his own book and began mimicking the act.
Zhao Yan poked him and pointed at the book’s cover. Sixth Prince closed the book to look and realized he had been holding it upside down. Flustered, he hurriedly turned it right-side up and began reciting like a monk chanting scriptures.
The backs of all the princes in the Imperial Study straightened by two degrees.
Footsteps at the door grew closer, and someone stepped in first—clad in a yellow robe embroidered with dragon patterns, exuding an aura that commanded attention. A fan obscured their face, making features unclear. Following closely were several eunuchs and Liu Hanlin.
Before Zhao Yan could react, he heard Crown Prince and Second Prince in front loudly offering greetings, calling out "Father Emperor." Soon after, Fourth Prince and Fifth Prince followed suit in paying respects.
Sixth Prince tugged at him, and they knelt down together.
When they rose again, Zhao Yan strained to lift his chin but could only see a sleeve and one dragon boot of the person at the forefront.
Zhao Yan grew anxious—it was happening, the examination was finally about to begin.
He felt like a primary school student in class, waiting at any moment for the teacher to call on him, trying to make himself smaller and reduce his presence.
Tianyou Emperor scanned the room, his gaze settling on his sons, a faint smile finally appearing on his face. He beckoned, calling Crown Prince forward to test his knowledge.
Crown Prince answered fluently, greatly pleasing Tianyou Emperor, who then had him sit down. Next, he examined Second Prince and Third Prince in turn.
Their responses were clearly not as polished as Crown Prince’s, but they were passable.
His eyes swept further back, softening considerably when they fell upon the younger princes.
"Fourth Prince, tell me, why do I have you all study?"
Fourth Prince, no longer drowsy, answered in a clear, bright voice. Tianyou Emperor praised him briefly, then called on Fifth Prince and Sixth Prince one after another to recite texts.
Finally, his gaze landed on the small figure beside Sixth Prince.
He frowned slightly at the child’s overly delicate appearance: good looks can’t fill your stomach! As a prince of Great Chu, if not brave and skilled in battle, one should at least have some learning.
Remembering Zhao Yan’s scribble-like handwriting, Tianyou Emperor felt a headache coming on. He then called out, "Xiao Qi, step forward and write a few characters for me to see!"
Zhao Yan was speechless: his cheap father probably had no idea he had injured his hand when he bestowed medicine yesterday.
His hand hurt; he couldn’t write.
Silently, he thought, Revert to a previous save, and time rewound to the previous second.
Recalling the slight deviation in the last revert, he prayed silently that it would work this time too.
Please don’t call on him again.
One second earlier, Sixth Prince was still standing and reciting.
Tianyou Emperor, forced into another revert, rubbed his temples. Assuming it was like the previous times, he didn’t suspect much.
Then he repeated, "Xiao Qi, step forward and write a few characters for me to see!"
Zhao Yan: It must be that I didn’t revert far back enough.
The next moment, time reversed by five minutes.
Tianyou Emperor, watching Fourth Prince still answering questions, narrowed his eyes: The one reverting time seems unwilling for me to call on Xiao Qi. Or is it this child himself who’s reverting time?
The Tianyou Emperor, intending to test his sons, waited for the fourth prince to finish his response before directly bypassing the fifth and sixth princes, once again turning his gaze to the child seated in the corner. "Xiao Qi, come forward and write a few characters for me to see!"
Then, in the next moment, he found himself reverted to a quarter of an hour earlier, standing at the entrance of the Imperial Study.
The Tianyou Emperor paused silently before stepping inside again. His eyes swept past the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and his other sons, unerringly landing on the youngest child in the corner of the Imperial Study.
His voice was heavy enough to drip with intensity: "Xiao Qi, come forward and write a few characters for me to see!"
Everyone in the room turned their heads in surprise to look at Zhao Yan.
Zhao Yan, terrified, reverted to a previous save once more.
The Tianyou Emperor called again, and he reverted again; called again, and he reverted again…
By the time the Tianyou Emperor stepped into the Imperial Study for the ninth time, he was nearly laughing in exasperation: Heh, he had finally found the source of his recent vexation.
So it was this troublemaker!
Gritting his teeth, he delayed speaking, simply staring at the child. Everyone sensed the tense atmosphere and kept their heads bowed, striving not to make a sound.
Zhao Yan felt an intense gaze fixed upon him. Uncomfortable in his seat, he cautiously shifted his small bottom, then looked up—only to meet the piercing gaze from above.
That gaze was gloomy, like an impending storm.
It seemed to say: Well done, I’ve finally caught you!