Although they were twin siblings with the original host, in this era, boys and girls were separated for education after the age of seven or eight. Boys would move to the front courtyard to begin their education under their father’s guidance, attend schools outside, and make friends with peers of the same age. Girls, on the other hand, remained secluded in the inner courtyard, continuing their upbringing under their mother’s care. As a result, Fu Xuechen did not know Fu Yuchen very well. This solitary visit became an opportunity to deepen her understanding of him.Fu Xuechen’s residence was called Qingtong Courtyard, named after a century-old phoenix tree in the yard. It was now occupied by Fu Yuchen. To deceive the unsuspecting servants after the siblings swapped identities and residences, Qingtong Courtyard retained its original layout and appearance without any changes.However, Fu Yuchen had rarely visited here since he turned eight. Thus, it was a young maid who led the way, guiding Fu Xuechen all the way to the door of the bedchamber. Only then did Furong, the personal maid who had previously served Fu Xuechen, step forward to welcome her inside.Fu Yuchen had likely just finished changing his bandages, as the room was filled with the strong scent of medicinal ointment. Nanny Xu, holding the old gauze and medicine box she had just removed, nodded to Fu Xuechen and ushered the other young maids out of the room, leaving the two siblings alone.Fu Yuchen was dressed in a white indoor robe, covered with a thick pink brocade quilt. He leaned lazily against the headboard of the canopy bed, his brows furrowed in pain, his face pale, and his eyes glistening with what seemed like tears. His entire demeanor was so fragile that it could rival Lin Daiyu’s. The face that had once looked almost identical to hers now seemed less similar because of it.Fu Xuechen cleared her throat softly and sat down at the round table. She casually poured herself a cup of hot tea, holding it in her hands as she took slow sips. Politely, she first expressed concern for her twin brother: “How are you? Feeling any better?”Fu Yuchen shot her a resentful glance: “My leg just broke, and it’s been less than two days since treatment. What do you think?”His expression was so much like Lin Daiyu’s! Fu Xuechen wanted to laugh but felt she shouldn’t take pleasure in his misfortune. Suppressing the urge, she kept a straight face and recounted the day’s palace examination process in a matter-of-fact manner: “First, I met Zhang Chuyang outside the palace, and we entered together. Then, at the literary examination venue, I saw Guan Enming and exchanged a few words with him. Shortly after, the examiners and the princes and princess arrived.”“The two examiners presiding over the literary examination were Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, Ji Ze, and Hanlin Academician Expositor-in-Waiting, Li Tao. The First Prince didn’t attend. Those present were the Fourth Prince, Fifth Prince, Sixth Prince, Seventh Prince, and Princess Zhiling.”“The literary examination consisted of a poem and an essay. The poem topic was ‘Spring,’ and the essay topic was ‘Youth.’ After I submitted my answers, Grand Secretary Ji praised them, reciting them aloud as exemplary works. Both were rated as first-class.”At this point, Fu Xuechen recited the poem and essay she had written for Fu Yuchen. Worried he might not remember them, she even fetched brush and ink to write them down for him, making it easier for him to memorize later.Fu Yuchen looked astonished. He took the paper Fu Xuechen handed him, reading it over and over, and muttered under his breath: “Damn! That’s impressive!”“What did you say?” Fu Xuechen didn’t catch it clearly.Fu Yuchen waved his hand: “Nothing, nothing. Go on.”"Mm." Fu Xuechen then continued about the martial examination: "Over half were eliminated on the spot in the literary exam. Twenty-five candidates advanced for the imperial prince's study companions. Guan Enming was eliminated, while Cheng Defang, Xie Yucheng, and Zhang Chuyang all successfully advanced. After that, everyone moved to the martial training grounds.""In charge of the horsemanship assessment was Master Nakoda, and in charge of the archery assessment was Master Liu Yiying.""I picked a powerful white horse and was fortunate enough to rank third in horsemanship. Xie Yucheng came sixth, Cheng Defang seventh, and Zhang Chuyang also placed fifth. For the horsemanship assessment, I received an 'excellent' rating.""Then came archery. In this event, Cheng Defang took first place, Zhang Chuyang third, and Xie Yucheng also hit nine out of ten arrows, earning an 'excellent' rating. As for me… I underperformed, hitting only four out of ten arrows, and was rated 'good.' After that, we left the palace. As for who ultimately became the imperial prince's study companions, we'll have to wait for the imperial decree. That's all."Fu Yuchen breathed a sigh of relief, secretly rolling his eyes and grumbling, "Your literary exam was indeed slightly better than mine by a tiny bit, but your martial exam was truly poor. In horsemanship, perhaps we were evenly matched, but in archery, I could beat you by at least three arrows! Your results are truly embarrassing for me!""Is that so?" Fu Xuechen thought Fu Yuchen was boasting. That kid's archery might be a bit better than the original Fu Xuechen's, but only by a little—the difference between hitting four or five out of ten arrows versus five or six. They were equally matched; neither had the right to laugh at the other.Fu Yuchen pursed his lips. "Alright, I know everything you've said. If there's nothing else, you can go back now!"Fu Xuechen finished the remaining hot tea in his hand but curiously asked a couple more questions: "By the way, why does Cheng Defang hold such a strong grudge against you?""Him?" Fu Yuchen's face twisted with disgust at the mention. "That brute! He used to sit next to me and would often splash ink on my clothes. I couldn't stand it and reported him to the teacher, who punished him severely several times. Since then, he hasn't gotten along with me.""So that's it!" Fu Xuechen roughly understood why Cheng Defang had cursed him as a "sissy" back then. Being overly concerned with cleanliness was a trait often associated with women. Fu Yuchen reporting to the teacher over ink-stained clothes—something like that… if it were Zhang Chuyang, he probably wouldn't have cared as much.Attendants like Fu An weren't allowed into the Imperial Academy, so he wasn't fully aware of some things that happened there. He only knew that Fu Yuchen and Cheng Defang disliked each other, but the specific reasons were naturally only clear to Fu Yuchen himself.Fu Xuechen then asked about Zhang Chuyang: "Compared to Guan Enming, Zhang Chuyang seems more concerned about you, always looking out for you. Fu An said you two were the closest, but I feel it's more than that. He seems excessively attentive to you. Why is that? Don't tell me you're his benefactor?""Zhang Chuyang, huh!" Fu Yuchen seemed reluctant to talk about it but still explained: "There was this one time… Cheng Defang, that scoundrel, teamed up with a few other troublemakers while the teachers were away. They cornered me in a deserted, secluded spot after everyone had left for home, intending to beat me up. Unexpectedly, Zhang Chuyang had forgotten a book in the classroom and suddenly returned, stumbling upon the scene. He stood up for me and ended up beating Cheng Defang instead. After that… he's been like this!"Being cornered and nearly subjected to school bullying—no wonder Fu Yuchen didn't want to talk about it. Even Fu An didn't know about this incident.Fu Xuechen looked at Fu Yuchen's sickly, frail appearance and understood! The rescued often develop feelings of trust and dependence on their savior. Conversely, the rescuer also tends to pay more attention and feel a protective instinct toward the person or creature they have saved. No wonder Zhang Chuyang was so willing to help.Although Fu Yuchen had only mentioned that one incident, judging by Zhang Chuyang's warm and friendly demeanor, he had probably helped Fu Yuchen with many small matters in daily life. It had already become a habit. Yet Fu Yuchen had never mentioned any of this to anyone after returning home—he really deserved a scolding!"Alright, rest well. I'm leaving!" After asking her questions, Fu Xuechen stood up to bid farewell."Wait!"Just as she was about to open the door and leave, Fu Yuchen called her back. Fu Xuechen turned around and looked at him questioningly.
Chapter 7
The Prince Does Not Compete for the Throne