However, it didn’t take long for the order in Mingde Hall to quickly fall into disarray.Everyone had just gathered together and was still fresh and curious about their new companions. Once Master Ji left, they all began chatting with those around them. Even the stoic-faced Fourth Prince exchanged a few intermittent words with his study companion, Chen Li.Sixth Prince Yunzuo had just failed the hall exam and was punished to copy the text five times. After laying out paper and ink, he began copying "The way of the gentleman is vast and hidden." Instead of rushing to speak with Fu Xuechen, he buried himself in the task, writing nonstop.His writing speed was not slow, and his regular script looked quite elegant, though the characters were somewhat large, consuming more paper. Fu Xuechen silently watched from the side, and when he finished a page, she would replace it with a fresh sheet."Thank you!"Yunzuo stole a moment to smile at her, his hand never stopping until he had completed one full copy of the punished passage. Only then did he set down his brush, gently blowing on the ink to dry his work while admiringly glancing at Fu Xuechen. "I really liked your essay 'On Youth'! Such excellent literary talent!"Fu Xuechen imitated Fu Yuchen’s expression—struggling to conceal yet inadvertently revealing a hint of pride—and smiled with curved eyes. "Your Highness flatters me! That day, I was merely struck by a sudden burst of inspiration. I don’t usually write at such a high level."As the daughter of a marquis’ household, excelling in poetry and essays held little meaning. Fu Xuechen had decided to plagiarize a classic solely to compete for the study companion position. Now that she had secured the spot, she had no intention of doing anything similar again. From now on, she planned to comfortably coast along, idling away her days—perfectly fine!Just a momentary burst of inspiration? Yunzuo didn’t believe it but simply said, "In any case, your essay was well-written and deserves a reward! How about I treat you to something delicious at noon? Although the imperial kitchen’s lunch is decent, the food my mother sends is even more exquisite. You must try it then."Fu Xuechen was quite curious about what the princes’ lunches were like and promptly accepted without hesitation. "Thank you, Your Highness!"Yunzuo nodded. "Alright! I must continue copying the text. Feel free to do whatever you like!"Fu Xuechen smiled. After all, he was just a thirteen-year-old child, the age of a middle schooler in her previous life. What did it matter if Sixth Prince was royalty? No matter how noble his status, it couldn’t conceal his childish behavior. The first reward he could think of was food, and even when trying to show goodwill, he still maintained a bit of formality.Still, this Sixth Prince truly had the demeanor of a diligent and outstanding student. Amid the chaotic classroom, with no teacher supervising and the option to chat freely with his new companion like most of his brothers, he chose to finish his homework first.Fu Xuechen drifted into a slight reverie, unconsciously recalling her own middle school days. Back then, her class also had a "class heartthrob"—a top student with an elegant and handsome appearance. His every move seemed like a scene from a painting, always drawing her gaze…Yunzuo continued writing swiftly, soon filling another page. But this time, no pair of fair, slender hands reached over to take the filled sheet and replace it with a blank one. Glancing back, he caught sight of his study companion leaning sideways against the table, head propped on her hand, eyelids drooping heavily—she had actually dozed off.Yunzuo: "…"Was it from waking up too early without enough sleep? Or perhaps too excited and unable to sleep last night upon receiving the imperial decree and learning of your selection? How dare you doze off in Mingde Hall on your very first day as a study companion! This is right under the Emperor’s watchful eyes, not the lax and undisciplined Imperial College!Yunzuo paused, unable to resist clearing his throat with a soft “ahem.”Startled, Fu Xuechen opened his eyes and snapped back to attention, meeting the Sixth Prince’s deep, starry gaze head-on.“Heh heh heh…” Fu Xuechen chuckled awkwardly, deftly and swiftly replacing the paper for the other. “Your Highness, please continue.”Yunzuo was amused by his utterly shameless display of awkwardness and flattery. “Is Yuchen feeling too bored?”“Not exactly…” Fu Xuechen didn’t know what excuse to offer.Yunzuo casually remarked, “In the afternoon, we have equestrian and archery lessons. It won’t be boring then. I’ve observed that your archery skills are rather unpolished, hardly befitting the illustrious reputation of your father, Jingbei Marquis. But no matter—I consider myself quite skilled in archery. I’ll help you improve then.”Is the Sixth Prince truly good at archery? Fu Xuechen could clearly sense his confidence. Though he had never witnessed the prince’s archery skills firsthand, he still managed to put on a somewhat delighted expression and thanked him. “Thank you, Your Highness!”That delighted expression seemed a bit forced! The corner of Yunzuo’s mouth twitched.Another hour or so passed before Yunzuo finally finished copying his assignment five times. He stood up, gathered the thick stack of papers, and handed them to Teacher Li, earning a nod of approval.The timing was just right. Outside, a young eunuch struck the wooden clapper to announce the hour, signaling the end of the morning lessons.The students’ lunch was also served in Mingde Hall. A line of young eunuchs, who had been waiting outside, hurried into the hall, each carrying a food box. They quickly located their respective masters, bowed first, and only after receiving permission did they begin setting out the dishes.Attending to the Sixth Prince was a teenage eunuch of about fifteen or sixteen, lean yet sturdy, with ordinary features and skin that wasn’t particularly fair. His only remarkable feature was a pair of rare phoenix eyes, and his voice was neither shrill nor unpleasant.“This is my companion, named Li Zhen. From now on, he’ll be bringing lunch for both of us!” Yunzuo introduced him to Fu Xuechen.Li Zhen bowed to Fu Xuechen. “This humble servant greets Young Master Fu!”“No need for such formality, Companion Li.” Fu Xuechen nodded and smiled at him, showing neither surprise nor discomfort at the fact that he was a eunuch.Only eunuchs with official titles and status could be addressed as “Gonggong.” Ordinary eunuchs were not entitled to such an honorific. Since Yunzuo referred to Li Zhen as “Companion Li,” Fu Xuechen, as his study companion, could follow suit or simply call him by his name.Li Zhen was carrying two food boxes—one lacquered black, identical to those held by most other eunuchs, and the other lacquered red, twice the size of the black one. When he laid out all the dishes, bowls, and utensils from both boxes, Fu Xuechen noticed that the black box contained common, everyday dishes, while the red one was filled with rare delicacies and exotic fare. Only the rice was the same.Yunzuo placed all the dishes from the red lacquered box in front of Fu Xuechen. “My mother, fearing I wouldn’t be accustomed to the academy’s lunch, sent these over. They’re delicacies prepared by the small kitchen in Yanning Palace. Eat more of these—they’re my reward to you!”"Thank you, Your Highness!" Fu Xuechen took a few bites, truly enjoying the delight of fine food, though in truth, the dishes sent by the academy kitchen weren't all that different—she had quite liked the braised pork and stewed chicken soup among them.Adolescent boys can eat a lot, and adolescent girls, compared to women of other ages, can actually eat quite a bit too. After a morning of classes, Fu Xuechen seemed to recapture the feeling from her past life as a student—getting hungry quickly and thus eating with relish. Sometimes, she became so engrossed in eating that her chopsticks accidentally reached for the same piece of meat as the Sixth Prince.Yunzuo couldn’t help but grin, amused. In the past, he had always enjoyed meals alone or tagged along with his mother for food and drink. This was the first time he had a peer companion eating the same dishes with him, and it unexpectedly gave him a rare sense of the joy of sharing.
Chapter 14
The Prince Does Not Compete for the Throne