Chapter 5: Tutor

From the first day she entered the Eastern Palace, suspicions surrounded her.

Zhao Yan also knew very well that the Empress Mother had destroyed all records from the Imperial Medical Academy and refused to mention any details about the Crown Prince’s death, just so she could sit peacefully in the Eastern Palace and play the role of the Crown Prince’s substitute.

She had never truly believed that her brother had simply died of a recurring illness.

Unable to get any information out of Liu Ying’s mouth, Zhao Yan had to find clues on her own.

After Liu Ying served tea and led the palace maids to withdraw with their blessings, Zhao Yan put down the book in her hand, drew back the curtains, put on her clothes, and walked barefoot on the soft Persian carpet to find the hidden bookshelf in the inner chamber.

There were many books hidden in the Eastern Palace. She had searched both the study and the Chongwen Hall, but found no trace of the documents left by the Crown Prince. Because nothing was left behind, it seemed suspicious, as if someone had deliberately cleaned it up.

This was the last place. These books and paintings were hidden in the most private bedroom, undoubtedly cherished items of her brother.

Concealed by the dim candlelight, Zhao Yan carefully searched through the books.

A neatly folded piece of paper fell out from one of the books, and Zhao Yan quickly picked it up, only to find it was a design sketch. On it was drawn the golden hairpin she had received on her fifteenth birthday.

The design was very detailed, with four or five different floral and bird patterns.

Zhao Yan gently traced the words “Xiao’er’s birthday gift” with her fingertips. The dim candlelight cast shadows on her face, outlining her silent grief. She could almost imagine her frail brother sitting here on countless nights, coughing softly as he sat hunched over, repeatedly revising the design with a red brush in hand.

Under the lamp, he must have had a gentle expression, full of hope.

Zhao Yan rubbed her eyes, carefully folded the sketch, and gently tucked it into her bosom. She took a deep breath, carefully searched through it several times, but found nothing.

As she pushed the books back onto the shelf one by one, she noticed something was off. The bottom plank behind the shelf was slightly loose, and when she tapped it lightly, it sounded hollow.

When she was in the Huayang Palace before, she had inadvertently found the blueprints drawn up by the craftsmen. Following the markings on the blueprints, she had discovered several secret chambers used to hide antiques, some of which contained secret passages.

She pressed hard, and indeed found a secret compartment about a foot long and six inches wide.

Suddenly wide awake, Zhao Yan carefully placed the lamp on the ground, then sat down and eagerly opened the pages of the book.

In an instant, the light in her eyes dimmed.

The secret compartment did not contain any confidential documents, but a copy of the “Annotations on Ancient and Modern” from the Jin Dynasty. On the title page lay a dark red private seal with the words “Shen Jingming” written on it.

Since this book was not valuable, the precious item must have been the gift given to her brother by this Shen Jingming.

There was also a piece of paper tucked in the book, with the elegant words “Brushing the Lamp” written on it. The handwriting was graceful, not Zhao Yan’s own.

After pondering for a long time, she couldn’t figure it out, so she hurriedly restored everything and returned to her bed before Liu Ying came to check on her, wrapping her slender figure tightly in the bedding.

The sound of dripping water made the Eastern Palace even quieter.

The next day, during her studies, Zhao Yan encountered trouble again. While she could imitate the demeanor of the late Crown Prince, his knowledge and literary skills were difficult to replicate.

The snow in the Imperial City had melted, and droplets fell from the eaves of the palace, reflecting dazzling light in the sunlight.

In the Chongwen Hall, the young Crown Prince stood with lowered eyes.

“Sorry, teacher.”

The young prince looked guilty, his figure slender, his voice soft and gentle.

Thinking of his illness, the Imperial Tutor couldn’t help but soften his heart and said, “It’s my fault for not considering Your Highness’s condition. If you’re not able to write the essay…”

“It’s not that I can’t, but that I don’t understand,” Zhao Yan whispered.

As soon as the student showed confusion, the Imperial Tutor immediately sat up straight and asked seriously, “Where do you not understand, Your Highness?”

Yesterday, the Imperial Tutor had assigned a passage from the “Doctrine of the Mean” for study. After returning to the Eastern Palace, Zhao Yan had spent the night reading, but her brows were knitted in confusion.

Having left the palace at the age of nine, with the Empress Dowager being a solitary figure who kept to herself, Zhao Yan’s education had been left to the scholars from the prestigious Zhou family in Luoyang. Once they were appointed, she was left to her own devices.

How could Zhao Yan sit still and study? With no one to restrain her, she was like a wild horse, spending most of her energy on sightseeing and having fun.

As a result, she had read many miscellaneous books, but had rarely delved into the Four Books and Five Classics. Whenever she heard those lofty principles of self-discipline and public service, her head would ache.

Not to mention having to write a thousand-word long essay for self-reflection at the slightest provocation.

She extended her slender index finger and pointed to the words in the book, saying, “The book says, ‘The first step of the Doctrine of the Mean is for a nobleman to be cautious when alone. Even when alone, one must conceal their emotions. One cannot laugh loudly when happy, nor cry bitterly when sad. One must be cautious in every aspect, and never exceed the proper boundaries.’”

The Imperial Tutor nodded in agreement as he held his teacup.

Zhao Yan furrowed her brow, showing a hint of distress.

The Imperial Tutor encouraged her, “Your Highness, speak freely.”

“Then, I’ll speak my mind.”

The young Crown Prince looked shy, his slightly feminine eyes brightened like a clean mirror, “Emotions such as joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness are inherent in human nature. If people lack these emotions, they are no different from puppets. The book’s strict demands seem to extinguish our humanity. Therefore, I think it goes against the natural way.”

The Imperial Tutor almost choked on his tea.

After the class, as Zhao Yan returned to the palace, she was greeted, as expected, by Liu Ying’s solemn face.

Knowing that she was about to be lectured by her mother again, Zhao Yan took off her heavy and stuffy white fox fur and sighed, “You know I can’t write the essay that the Imperial Tutor wants. Forcing myself to write will only expose the truth. How about I find a ghostwriter?”

“No!” Liu Ying immediately vetoed.

The matter of Princess Changfeng impersonating the Crown Prince was arranged by the Empress Mother in strict secrecy. Any slight carelessness could lead to death and destruction. The more people who knew, the more dangerous it would be. How could they find someone to ghostwrite?

Moreover, the late Crown Prince had been assisted by famous scholars since childhood and was proficient in literature. It was not easy to imitate his writing style.

Liu Ying bit her lip, but when she looked up, she met a pair of smiling beautiful eyes. The tear mole on her face, imitating the Crown Prince’s, was exceptionally bright, yet showed no sign of weakness.

She knew she was being played by Zhao Yan.

For a moment, she felt dizzy.

It seemed like a long time ago, there was someone who loved to tease her like this.

Zhao Yan propped up her chin out of habit, “I can’t write the essay, but if I stay silent and expressionless, it will also expose the truth. It’s better to ask a few questions and let the Imperial Tutor figure it out himself.”

Liu Ying’s expression eased slightly, finding her master’s words reasonable.

“What about the Empress Mother? What do you suggest?” While Liu Ying was gathering her thoughts, Zhao Yan asked again.

Liu Ying lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and saw that the Eastern Palace guards and eunuchs were following the carriage from a distance, with no outsiders around. She whispered, “The matter of selecting a tutor for the Eastern Palace is difficult for the Empress Mother to intervene in. But it’s not difficult to find a trustworthy companion. In the future, Your Highness will have someone to take care of you in the Chongwen Hall.”

As a palace maid, Liu Ying did not have the qualifications to serve in the Chongwen Hall. Every time, she could only wait outside the door, which was indeed inconvenient.

It would be reassuring to have someone familiar by her side. Zhao Yan pondered.

Fortunately, the Winter Festival was on the first day of the next month, and it was customary for the princes and princesses from various mansions to attend the palace banquet.

Perhaps, it was an opportunity to find someone.

The image of the “Annotations on Ancient and Modern” hidden in the secret compartment flashed in Zhao Yan’s mind, and her eyes flickered slightly. She pretended to ask casually, “Today, the Imperial Tutor mentioned someone named Shen Jingming. Who is he?”

Upon hearing this name, Liu Ying hesitated imperceptibly.

Zhao Yan noticed her slight hesitation and knew she had hit the mark.

This person was indeed connected to the Eastern Palace.

Liu Ying seemed to hesitate whether to speak or not, and after a while, she said, “Shen Jingming is the son of the former Ministry of Personnel and one of Prime Minister Li’s favorite students. He and Zhou Ji, the daughter of a prominent family in Luoyang, are known as the ‘Two Gems of the Li Family.’”

Hearing the name “Zhou Ji,” Zhao Yan’s temples twitched, and memories of the unbearable past at the Huayang Palace rushed to her mind.

She waved her hand to dispel the thoughts, returning to the topic, “I remember the Empress Mother has someone in the Ministry of Personnel. What if we make this Shen Jingming the tutor for the Eastern Palace?”

Liu Ying hesitated again.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you trust him?”

“It’s not a matter of trust.”

Liu Ying’s voice lowered, “It’s just that this Master Shen has already passed away.”

“Dead?”

Zhao Yan was surprised, “When did this happen?”

Liu Ying said, “He died on the night of the Qixi Festival, drowning while boating.”

Died a month before her brother’s death? What a coincidence.

The clue hadn’t even begun, and it was already cut off. Zhao Yan couldn’t help feeling regretful.

Seeing her master’s expression, Liu Ying knew she was having inappropriate thoughts. After a moment of silence, she advised in a low voice, “The Crown Prince died of illness. Your Highness should just focus on your duties and not get involved in unnecessary trouble.”

Died of illness…

Zhao Yan chuckled lightly.

“There’s no need for you to be nervous about the Empress Mother. The Eastern Palace holds no power or influence. Right now, we don’t even have a capable assistant. It’s not wise to attempt the impossible.”

Turning away her fair and delicate face, Zhao Yan’s eyes were clear as she said, “I’m aware of my own limitations.”

Little did she know, the Chongwen Hall was already in a state of desolation.

The seventy-year-old Crown Prince Tutor sat hunched over his desk, a crystal paperweight lying on top of a piece of white silk.

The chief eunuch personally served hot tea, seeing him sit motionless for half a day, and asked with a smile, “What is Tutor Wen looking at?”

The old man seemed to come back to his senses, stroking his beard and lifting his chin, “The Crown Prince’s essay.”

The Crown Prince’s essay?

The chief eunuch looked puzzled, but wasn’t this piece of silk completely blank? There wasn’t a single word on it!

The Imperial Tutor didn’t explain, for leaving it blank was precisely the brilliance of it!

Having assisted three generations of crown princes throughout his life and taught countless students, the Imperial Tutor had never encountered such questioning from a crown prince like today.

Faced with the innovative words of the Crown Prince, the Imperial Tutor could only fulfill his duty and advise him earnestly: A nobleman should sacrifice his desires and pleasures, uphold ritual propriety and laws, and seek the welfare of the people.

The Imperial Tutor earnestly urged the Crown Prince to emulate the sages of the past, practice self-restraint and propriety. He even brought up the previous two generations of crown princes he had assisted, praising them highly, his pride evident in his words.

But how did the Crown Prince respond?

“I’ve disappointed Teacher.”

The young prince, with an appearance that invited pity due to his illness, made it hard for people to rebuke him, yet the words he spoke were thought-provoking.

“But I am a living person with thoughts and flesh, not a mere replica of someone else.”

The Crown Prince showed a gentle smile, sincere in his words, “Even Confucius advocated ‘teaching according to students’ aptitude,’ tailoring teaching methods based on different personalities. If Teacher has taught three generations using the same standard, the students produced would all be the same, no different from rigid clay figures.”

His words were gentle but profound.

Upon careful consideration, throughout history, which Crown Prince Tutor did not mold the crown prince into a rigid figure?

Even the Imperial Tutor himself had spent his entire life instilling his own ideas into the crown princes, striving to turn the clean-slate youths into tools to propagate his own political views, with no regard for ‘teaching according to students’ aptitude.’

After months of recuperation, the Crown Prince had indeed grown and developed his own opinions, even seeing through the mysteries therein. Amidst the Imperial Tutor’s astonishment, there was more a sense of gratification as a teacher.

At his venerable age, why should he continue to immerse himself in political mire and forget his original intentions?

Feeling a sudden clarity in his heart, the Imperial Tutor sighed lightly and rose unsteadily with his cane.

Outside the hall, the warm sun shone perfectly, nurturing the budding life beneath the barren branches and lingering snow, heralding the coming spring of the next year.

…

“The Imperial Tutor has retired?”

Inside the Eastern Palace sleeping quarters, Zhao Yan draped herself in silk robes, blinking as she asked, “Why would he, of all people, retire?”

“You’ll have to ask Your Highness about that.”

Efficiently, Liu Ying helped her into the intricate garments, fastening the white jade belt securely. “It’s said that the Imperial Tutor came out of the Chongwen Hall yesterday and went directly to the Taiji Hall, citing old age and declining health as reasons for retirement.”

“He didn’t mention the Eastern Palace, indicating that he still knows his boundaries.”

Zhao Yan was unaware of the Imperial Tutor’s “boundaries” in actively resigning, stemming from her inadvertent blank test paper.

Thinking to herself, the Imperial Tutor was indeed quite old, with failing eyesight and hearing. Each time he needed to hunch over and press his eyes against the paperweight just to read the words, she felt sympathy for his neck.

Sitting in front of the mirror, adjusting her hair, Zhao Yan asked again, “Did Father approve?”

Liu Ying nodded, “The Imperial Tutor’s plea was sincere, and His Majesty had no choice but to agree.”

“Now that the Imperial Tutor has retired, I still have to go to the Chongwen Hall.”

Zhao Yan straightened her brocade robe, her petite face tinged with a hint of frustration. “Who do I have to deal with among the Three Tutors of the Eastern Palace today?”

“I don’t know,” Liu Ying also found it strange.

In theory, the news should have reached the Empress Mother by now. Why was there still no movement?

Furrowing her brows, Zhao Yan quickly relaxed them. “We’ll find out when we get there.”

In the Chongwen Hall, the windows were half-open.

Zhao Yan looked at the tall figure seated in the Imperial Tutor’s chair, and she felt as if struck by lightning.

The young and handsome man was dressed in dark casual attire, his left arm adorned with scholarly sleeves, his right arm with martial sleeves. His face was chiseled like jade, and as he raised his eyes slightly in his seat, his long and thick lashes opened, captivating and calm.

“In light of recent events, I will concurrently assume the position of Crown Prince Tutor, responsible for guiding and instructing,” he said, his voice steady and commanding.

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