Chapter 30 – Learning

The deep palace was a place of solitude.

Noble Lady Nara was gentle and reserved by nature. She had always disliked conflict and was not favored by the Emperor. Her pregnancy with Wan Fu was nothing short of sheer luck. The concubines who had conceived looked down on her, while those without children either envied or ignored her. Aside from Consort Xuan, who she could barely hold a conversation with, Noble Lady Nara had no real allies among the palace women.

Ever since she developed the idea of tutoring Wan Changzai, she had thrown herself into it wholeheartedly. She promptly compiled a stack of lesson plans, determined to teach Wan Changzai everything from the beginning, thoroughly and methodically.

Looking at the pile of reference books and notes Noble Lady Nara had pulled out—lesson plans she had stayed up all night to write—and then seeing the expectation in her gaze, along with the faint dark circles under her eyes… the words of refusal danced on Wan Anran’s tongue before she swallowed them back down.

What else could she do?

Just go along with it, QAQ…

Wan Anran could only console herself: she was planning to live to a hundred in the Qing Palace, after all. There was a long road ahead—she had to learn and see more if she wanted to survive.

As the saying goes: Live and learn.

When she thought of it that way, didn’t it feel more acceptable? Once she calmed down, Wan Anran dutifully held the textbook in her hands and tried to immerse herself in her studies with all her heart… like hell she could!

Easier said than done.

Wan Anran felt like the Monkey King trapped under the nagging of Tang Sanzang in the form of Noble Lady Nara. Her head throbbed from the incessant lecturing, and all she saw on the pages were dizzying circles.

Wan Fu, watching this, felt the hair on his arms stand up.

He tiptoed, sneaking toward the exit, only to be caught red-handed by Wan Anran. She grabbed him, trying to drag him into the ocean of study (struggle) and play (fraud) alongside her.

Wan Fu: Painful expression.jpg

Is life meant for studying? Of course not! He was just a three-year-old baby—why should he be tortured like this?

Wan Fu may have been young, but he certainly didn’t lack for words.

Wan Anran listened to his endless chatter in silence. She pressed his little head down and said, “Think about it—doesn’t your Crown Prince brother have more schoolwork than you?”

“That’s the Crown Prince!”

“Then let me ask you this—do you even understand what the Emperor says?”

Wan Fu shook his head.

With a face full of disdain, he replied, “Wan Changzai, you’re so dumb! How could I possibly understand what Father says?”

You little fool, and you dare look down on me?

Wan Anran let out a long sigh and tapped his head. “Wan Fu, what do you have inside that head of yours? Water? Or glue?”

Wan Fu was not amused.

But Noble Lady Nara chimed in in agreement, “Your mother thinks your Wan concubine-mother is right. Wan Fu, do you think His Majesty would play with you? Like, play hide-and-seek?”

Wan Fu gave it a thought and shuddered.

He shook his head like a rattle drum. Just imagining it made his skin crawl. His chubby little face scrunched up like a steamed bun. “Mother, what are you talking about? Father would never do that.”

Even Crown Prince brother had never played with Father.

Wan Fu used to think that since the Crown Prince lived with the Emperor, Father would surely play and laugh with him. But to his surprise, the Crown Prince only shook his head and explained that His Majesty, being the Emperor, left early and returned late each day. Other than time for reading and meals, it was rare for him to even be around.

Wan Fu chattered on without end.

Even the Crown Prince had it hard—how could he possibly still have time to play with him? He’d more likely scold him instead.

“Wan Fu, you know that His Highness the Crown Prince studies with the Emperor. One day he’ll become as wise and powerful as His Majesty, skilled in both literature and martial arts. When that day comes, would he still want to play with a lazy boy who doesn’t study?” Wan Anran interjected.

Wan Fu fell silent.

He had never thought about that. When he suddenly heard Wan Anran bring it up, his little mind couldn’t quite process it. He looked at Noble Lady Nara, then at Wan Changzai, and stood there in a daze for a long while.

“Crown Prince brother wouldn’t do that!” Wan Fu’s face turned red as he shouted indignantly.

And then, without another word, he turned and bolted out of the study.

Wan Anran was startled by his reaction and tried to chase after him, but Noble Lady Nara held her back.

“Nara-jie!”

“Don’t worry,” Noble Lady Nara said, much calmer than Wan Anran. She soothed her and then ordered a palace maid to follow Wan Fu. “He’s been full of temper lately—it’s good for him to be a little provoked.”

Wan Anran could take the palace maids’ flattery in stride.

But Wan Fu was different. Ever since his relationship with Crown Prince Baocheng had grown closer, the palace servants had become increasingly eager to please him. And having seen the exaggerated reverence the servants showed to the Crown Prince—like they wanted to hoist him up to the heavens—Wan Fu’s mischievous side had begun to emerge along with his cuteness.

“Wan Fu is still young.”

“…There are no real children in the palace,” Noble Lady Nara replied, shaking her head as she picked up the textbook again to resume teaching.

Wan Anran tried to change the subject but failed.

She sighed quietly and miserably continued staring at the book. Meanwhile, Wan Fu, who had dashed off, had run all the way to the Hall of Heavenly Purity.

That palace was heavily guarded.

The moment the sound of Ninth Prince’s little feet pitter-pattering approached, several guards turned toward the noise. When they saw the chubby little bun rounding the corner, they exchanged uncertain glances.

There were only two little buns who could be seen in the palace.

One was the Crown Prince, currently studying inside, and the other was the Ninth Prince standing before them.

Knowing who he was didn’t mean they could let him in.

The lead guard quickly stepped forward and squatted down, speaking gently, “This servant Nalan Xingde greets the Ninth Prince. Is Your Highness here to see the Emperor?”

Wan Fu shook his head.

His eyes shimmered with tears as he looked up at Nalan Xingde. Although unfamiliar, at least he looked more approachable than the surrounding burly guards. Wan Fu tightly gripped his robe. “I want to see Crown Prince brother.”

His voice was choked with emotion.

Combined with his red-rimmed eyes, he looked just like a frightened little rabbit.

Was he bullied and coming to complain to the Crown Prince? Nalan Xingde wondered. But the problem was, the Crown Prince was currently studying and writing. If they disturbed him, the Emperor would be furious.

Nalan Xingde steadied the round little prince in his arms.

He hesitated. “Your Highness, the Crown Prince is currently studying and writing. It’s not time to play yet. Shall we go see the Emperor instead?”

If you’ve been wronged, you should tell the Emperor.

Surprisingly, the little prince shook his head and stubbornly said, “I just want to sneak a peek at Crown Prince brother.”

Studying… writing…

Wan Fu couldn’t help but recall the words from Wan Changzai and his mother. He pressed his lips together and looked even more pitiful. “I… I won’t make a sound. I just want to see what Crown Prince brother looks like when he’s studying.”

Even if he wouldn’t make noise, it still wasn’t appropriate…

Nalan Xingde knew he should refuse, but the words twisted on his tongue and slipped back down his throat. Instead, he signaled for a guard to report to the Emperor in the Eastern Warm Chamber, while he personally picked up Wan Fu and headed toward the Western Warm Chamber.

He walked slowly.

Along the way, he tried to coax some words out of Wan Fu. But despite his age, the boy clammed up like a shut oyster.

At last, they arrived at the entrance of the Western Warm Chamber.

As soon as they reached their destination, Wan Fu wiggled out of Nalan Xingde’s arms and rushed forward to speak to the palace servants guarding the door.

The servants looked uneasy.

They instantly shook their heads. Sneaking a look at the Crown Prince? That could be construed as spying. Even if the Ninth Prince meant no harm, they would still face punishment from the Emperor.

Now Wan Fu was truly deflated.

From a distance, Kangxi had already seen the whole scene after being informed by the guards. He quietly motioned for the palace staff to remain silent, then walked forward and took Wan Fu’s little hand. “Let me take you to see him.”

Wan Fu was startled.

His eyes widened in surprise, and he opened his mouth to cry out—only to be promptly silenced by Kangxi’s hand over his lips. After a couple of muffled sounds, Kangxi let go.

“…Father,” Wan Fu whispered, eyes sparkling as he spoke in a tiny voice, afraid that Crown Prince Baocheng inside might hear.

Kangxi led Wan Fu inside.

One big and one small figure tiptoed over the threshold. Through the curtains, they peered into the study, where Wan Fu’s eyes landed on his Crown Prince brother.

Baocheng was seated upright.

His back was straight, his right hand slightly raised as he dipped his brush in ink and carefully wrote large characters, one stroke at a time, utterly focused and unaware of their presence.

Wan Fu said nothing.

Kangxi was puzzled, especially when he felt the small hand in his own tighten. He led Wan Fu back out of the Western Warm Chamber and returned to the Eastern Warm Chamber before finally asking, “Wan Fu, why did you run here to see the Crown Prince?”

The little boy looked burdened with thought.

Kangxi had four living sons. Though he was somewhat indifferent to Wan Fu, when he came across him, he would still ask a few questions.

But at the same time, he felt a flicker of suspicion.

Had someone in the harem whispered rumors into Wan Fu’s ear, making him resent the difference between himself and the Crown Prince? Wan Fu was currently the Crown Prince’s only playmate, and Kangxi knew how much Baocheng cared for him.

So Kangxi was quite nervous.

He stared deeply at Wan Fu, watching his tiny face scrunch into a frown as he stood there, thinking for a long, long time. The uneasiness on the little one’s face made Kangxi’s heart sink—and a trace of anger flashed in his eyes.

This harem… needed some serious discipline.

At that moment, a dejected Wan Fu sighed and said, “Father… your son will study hard when I return. I’ll do my best to catch up with the Crown Prince brother.”

…Rectify?

The fury on Kangxi’s face instantly vanished, even replaced with a touch of confusion and bewilderment. “…Huh?”

What was that supposed to mean?

But Wan Fu suddenly seemed reinvigorated. He took off toward the doorway on his short legs. He had barely taken two or three steps before Kangxi, now recovered from his daze, grabbed him on the spot. “Explain to me—why did you suddenly decide to study hard?”

Just before, Baocheng had still been trying to pull Wan Fu into studying.

But this rascal had bolted faster than a rabbit, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

And now he was all fired up?

There had to be something fishy about this! Kangxi’s gaze was sharp, but Wan Fu puffed up his little chest and shouted with determination, “Your son wants to prove to Mother and Lady Wan Changzai that I won’t be left behind by the Crown Prince!”

Even more question marks popped up on Kangxi’s forehead.

Far away in Xianfu Palace, Noble Lady Nara was reviewing the coursework submitted by Wan Changzai. She frowned slightly, keenly noticing something off.

Wan Changzai wasn’t illiterate. Rather, she subconsciously simplified strokes or used easier homophones in place of more complex characters—like using 干 instead of 乾, or replacing 後 with the modern simplified version 后…

Noble Lady Nara fell into thoughtful silence.

Wan Anran, on the other hand, scratched her head anxiously, clearly uneasy. Noble Lady Nara looked up and noticed this. She smiled, her eyes curving gently, and comforted her in a soft voice: “Your way of thinking is quite unique. Who’s to say there aren’t places where people write like this?”

Wan Anran’s eyes lit up.

Then Noble Lady Nara’s tone shifted: “Of course, you still can’t write like this in the palace. Just using the wrong character for ‘Empress’ or ‘behind’ could get you accused of disrespect or even overstepping your station.”

Wan Anran wilted in discouragement.

Noble Lady Nara reached out and patted her on the head, smiling as she continued, “But I do have a good method.”

It wasn’t so much that Wan Changzai didn’t recognize the characters—it was more that she hadn’t yet grown used to them. Noble Lady Nara perceptively noticed that Wan Changzai tended to recognize characters in clusters. But when separated, she couldn’t recall how to write them or forgot their pronunciation. The solution was simple: more reading, especially starting with easy storybooks and gradually working upward, paired with copying and memorization.

Once the solution was clear, Noble Lady Nara smiled and said, “Come, I’ll take you to a good place.”

Was this “good place” the Jingyang Palace?

The entrance was deserted. In the long corridor, apart from their group, there wasn’t another soul in sight.

Wan Anran was full of questions.

As soon as they were spotted from afar, a young eunuch sitting by the door jumped up with delight: “Noble Lady Nara, you’re here!”

Clearly, this wasn’t her first visit.

She smiled and nodded to the young eunuch, signaling a maid to give him a small pouch before walking inside.

There really wasn’t much benefit for eunuchs here.

The young eunuch beamed with joy at the little pouch, bowing repeatedly as he followed them. Noticing Wan Changzai was new, he started chattering enthusiastically, explaining everything about Jingyang Palace.

Jingyang Palace was the most remote among the Six Western and Eastern Palaces. In the previous dynasty, it was used as the Cold Palace—a place for fallen consorts. The associations were so unlucky that most imperial consorts avoided it like the plague, preferring to crowd together elsewhere rather than move here.

Kangxi didn’t force anyone.

But of course, he wouldn’t let the entire palace go to waste. So he had Jingyang Palace renovated and repurposed as an imperial library.

“Then why is no one here?”

Wan Anran asked curiously, “Since His Majesty had it made into a library, isn’t there a chance of meeting him here?”

In the dead of winter, some consorts still braved the imperial garden and even danced in the snow just for a glance from the Emperor. So why was this library completely empty—not a soul in sight?

The young eunuch shook his head.

He gave a bitter smile. “If His Majesty had even come once, this library wouldn’t be so deserted.”

“Don’t tell me…?”

“Lady Wan Changzai guessed correctly. Ever since Jingyang Palace was refurbished, His Majesty hasn’t stepped in once!” The eunuch sighed. He used to think he had landed a great position, imagining that the Emperor might notice him and elevate him to a higher post. Who would’ve thought he’d end up spending his days in this vast, lonely space?

Thinking of this, the eunuch shivered slightly.

He hurried to observe Wan Changzai’s expression closely, afraid that this rare visiting master would be disappointed.

It wouldn’t be the first time.

Surprisingly, Wan Changzai’s face was full of delight. Her eyes locked onto something in the distance: “Is that… a cat?”

The young eunuch followed her gaze.

Two large, lazy cats were sprawled out on top of the bookshelves, completely at ease, as if Jingyang Palace was their personal domain.

“They’re here to catch mice,” the eunuch explained. Seeing that Wan Changzai looked eager to pet them, he quickly stepped forward to stop her. “These cats are fierce, my lady. Please be careful—huh?”

Wan Anran reached out and stroked one of the cats under its chin.

The cat purred, clearly enjoying itself, softly humming with pleasure. Far from baring its claws, it even extended a soft paw, urging her for more.

Clearly, that wasn’t enough.

Wan Anran scooped the cat into her arms and gave it a thorough petting from its ears to the base of its tail.

There wasn’t even a hint of resistance.

The other cat, not to be left out, anxiously padded over, raising its long tail and meowing petulantly. While Wan Anran and Noble Lady Nara were talking, it even stretched out a paw to try to push its companion aside.

The young eunuch fell into deep thought.

He tried to imitate Wan Changzai’s movements, reaching for a cat to pet it himself.

But before he could even touch them, both cats turned on him. They bared sharp teeth and hissed threateningly. The one that hadn’t been petted yet even sprang forward, back legs kicking off, and launched into a flurry of angry swipes at him.

The eunuch: Defeated.

Noble Lady Nara, also longing to pet the cats, swallowed hard and quietly took a step back.

Not worth the risk. Not at all.