Troublemaker Prince C33
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 33
The Grand Preceptor of the Crown Prince that You Fengyun selected for You Yusui was Gu Shen, a great scholar of the era who had compiled Annotations on the Analects and Essential Meanings of the Five Classics. His influence among literati was absolutely no less than that of Prime Minister Su. Whichever prince had such a teacher could practically have his tail pointed up to the sky.
Prime Minister Su merely represented poor scholars, but Gu Shen represented the entire literati collective. Having such a person as a teacher was truly like having a tower near the water that gets the moon first.
As for the Grand Mentor of the Crown Prince, he was Huo Xiling's brother-in-law, General Liu Ye, who was specifically assigned to teach the Crown Prince martial arts. However, at this moment he was at the border and unable to enter the palace to instruct the Crown Prince, so it was merely an honorary title. Nevertheless, the Emperor's action was equivalent to placing the pure minister General Liu into the Crown Prince's camp.
The Grand Protector of the Crown Prince was a general who had risen through military merit, a subordinate of General Liu, responsible for protecting the Crown Prince's safety.
After the Three Tutors of the Crown Prince were announced, next came the Three Young Masters of the Crown Prince. The Three Young Masters were deputies to the Three Tutors, divided between aristocratic families and poor scholars.
After listening to Eunuch An Hai's words, You Yusui only felt his head ache terribly. His good father emperor had brought all the methods of balancing the court entirely into his Eastern Palace. He could already imagine what a chaotic mess his Eastern Palace would become.
"Your Highness, this is something others would beg for but couldn't obtain!" After Eunuch An Hai finished explaining the newly appointed Three Tutors and Three Young Masters that You Fengyun had conferred, he couldn't help but sigh.
You Yusui only felt irritated. His father emperor had stuffed these people into the Eastern Palace, and he feared the First Prince and Third Prince wouldn't be able to sit still—the poor scholars and imperial relatives would join forces together to deal with him.
Right now he just wanted to fall ill and lie in bed in a state between life and death.
"By the way, Your Highness the Crown Prince, Grand Preceptor Gu will come tomorrow to lecture to the Crown Prince. Your Highness should prepare well." Eunuch An Hai continued speaking in You Yusui's ear.
"Lecture?" You Yusui froze, looking at Eunuch An Hai beside him in disbelief.
Lectures were already a very distant term for You Yusui. You Yusui had completed his studies at the age of sixteen, having thoroughly read the Four Books and Five Classics. In the dozen or so lifetimes after his rebirth, he never needed to attend classes. Now suddenly hearing about lectures, he felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Princes of Great Jing began their elementary education at the age of three, after which they went to the Imperial Study to receive education. Their daily coursework was heavy—usually they had to get up before dawn at the hour of Mao to attend class, and couldn't sleep until the hour of Xu. This suffering lasted until the age of sixteen before they could be liberated.
This sudden feeling of being told he had to attend class—You Yusui really wanted to die.
"You're saying this prince has to start attending class tomorrow?" You Yusui asked.
"That's right. Grand Preceptor Gu's lectures are something people would beg for but couldn't obtain." Eunuch An Hai said with a smile.
You Yusui: ...Since others can't obtain it even by begging, then let's give the opportunity to others. This prince doesn't want to attend class!
Just as Eunuch An Hai was waiting for You Yusui to respond, he saw You Yusui close his eyes and faint.
"Your Highness!"
"Imperial Physician, Imperial Physician!"
The scene immediately descended into chaos.
Huo Xiling was already accustomed to such scenes. After carefully checking You Yusui's pulse, he knew that His Highness's pulse was steady—he was pretending to faint because he didn't want to attend class.
Before being requested by You Yusui to serve as Crown Prince's Attendant, Huo Xiling had also studied in the Imperial Study with the various princes. He could only say that the time schedule was truly inhumane.
"This, what should we do about this?" This was the first time Eunuch An Hai had seen the Crown Prince faint—without any warning, and while he was delivering news to the Crown Prince.
If His Majesty asked why the Crown Prince had fainted, what if he was blamed for it!
Once again, Imperial Physician Cui was summoned and entered the Eastern Palace. He was already getting used to this—every time the Crown Prince fainted, he had to rush over immediately from the Imperial Medical Courtyard.
"What happened this time?" Imperial Physician Cui asked while taking the pulse, looking at Huo Xiling beside him.
Huo Xiling could only repeat what had just happened. Imperial Physician Cui understood instantly—the Crown Prince didn't want to attend class.
"Imperial Physician Cui, why did His Highness the Crown Prince faint?" Eunuch An Hai asked cautiously.
The Crown Prince had suddenly fainted—if he didn't ask clearly about the reason, how could he return to Xuande Hall to report to His Majesty?
Cui Yan put down You Yusui's wrist and then said with a smile. "His Highness fainted from happiness upon hearing that Grand Preceptor Gu would be lecturing to him."
Lying in bed, You Yusui heard this sentence and wished he could immediately climb out of bed to give Cui Yan two punches and curse "Bullshit!"
"Ah!" Eunuch An Hai was greatly shocked by this news. One could faint from this too?
Cui Yan said with an expression full of emotion, "This shows how much the Crown Prince reveres Grand Preceptor Gu! We must make sure Grand Preceptor Gu lectures more to His Highness the Crown Prince."
Hearing this, An Hai said with a smile, "Certainly, certainly, this is a must."
You Yusui, lying in bed, finally couldn't hold back anymore. He directly opened his eyes and gave Cui Yan a warning look.
Cui Yan dared to court death, saying with a smile, "His Highness woke up immediately upon hearing he could often attend Grand Preceptor Gu's lectures, so there shouldn't be any serious problem."
You Yusui: ...I'll kill you within three days.
Hearing this, Eunuch An Hai said with a smile, "That's good. This old servant will return to report to His Majesty."
After saying this, Eunuch An Hai left the rewards from Xuande Hall and departed happily.
At this moment, You Yusui sat up and said to Huo Xiling, "Xiling, beat him up."
Cui Yan froze for a moment. "Wait."
Before Cui Yan could react, Huo Xiling's fist had already arrived before his face.
In the end, Cui Yan walked out of the Eastern Palace with two black eyes, his dignity as a young master of an aristocratic family completely gone. Meanwhile, Eunuch Fu Bao, who was escorting him back to the Imperial Medical Courtyard, consoled him. "Imperial Physician Cui, fortunately this time it wasn't His Highness the Crown Prince who took action personally. When the Crown Prince has taken action before, each time he's broken someone's ribs."
Cui Yan: ...Should I be grateful that this time it wasn't the Crown Prince who took action personally? Otherwise what would be black wouldn't be the eyes, but broken ribs.
Just as Cui Yan arrived at the Imperial Medical Courtyard, he ran into Xie Tan face-to-face.
Cui Yan inwardly hissed—why did he encounter Young Master Xie here?
"What are you doing here?" Cui Yan covered his face with his sleeve.
"Getting ginseng." Xie Tan glanced at the oil paper package in his hand, which contained ginseng.
Cui Yan thought of Xie Tan's habit of pairing strong tea with ginseng. No wonder he could drink ginseng like tea—it turned out His Majesty was reimbursing it. However, the dignified young master of the Xie family actually had to personally make a trip to the Imperial Medical Courtyard—didn't he have servants to run errands?
"Your face..."
Before Xie Tan could finish asking, Cui Yan quickly changed the subject. "You know about His Majesty arranging Three Tutors and Three Young Masters for the Crown Prince, right?"
Instantly, Xie Tan's brows furrowed tightly, then he said, "No matter what, the Xie family will do its utmost to protect the Crown Prince."
"Mm-hmm, then you should go quickly. I still have things to attend to." After saying this, Cui Yan moved to pass by Xie Tan.
Xie Tan looked at Cui Yan's departing back and said, "Aunt Cui asked me to pass on a message to you—tomorrow is your rest day, so you can conveniently go home for a matchmaking meeting."
Hearing this, Cui Yan's foot slipped and he nearly fell straight to the ground. Supporting himself against a nearby pillar, he thought that he, Cui Yan, had always watched others' embarrassments, but how was it that in front of the Crown Prince and Xie Tan, these cousins, he was the one being laughed at?
"Are you alright?" Xie Tan stood in the corridor, his brows slightly furrowed.
Cui Yan turned his head to look at the Dali Temple Junior Minister wearing crimson official robes and said viciously, "I'm not alright, very much not alright."
After saying this, Cui Yan walked in another direction.
"Where are you going?" Xie Tan asked.
"None of your business." After Cui Yan finished speaking, he walked toward the direction of the Eastern Palace.
In the Eastern Palace, the awakened You Yusui was leaning against the window watching Huo Xiling practice swordsmanship. The young man's posture was as startling as a soaring swan and as graceful as a swimming dragon—even fierce killing moves became pleasing to the eye.
Just then, Cui Yan walked in, with two black eyes that looked particularly comical.
You Yusui had no good feelings seeing Cui Yan and asked, "What are you here for?"
Cui Yan asked sincerely, "Your Highness, how about you fall ill again?"
You Yusui: ???
The next moment, Xie Ling's voice came from outside, "Your Highness, tomorrow Imperial Physician Cui has to go on a matchmaking meeting. Aunt Cui said that if one can't establish a career first, one can start a family first, so she's asked around about eligible young ladies from aristocratic families."
Naturally, as one of the top aristocratic families, the Xie family had also been asked, otherwise Xie Ling wouldn't know so clearly.
You Yusui looked at Cui Yan's black eyes and knowingly said "Oh."
"Has Your Highness thought it through? Tomorrow pretend to be ill, this subject won't go to the matchmaking meeting, and Your Highness won't have to listen to Grand Preceptor Gu's lecture—two birds with one stone." Cui Yan said in a low voice.
You Yusui descended from the bed and came before Cui Yan, saying, "Imperial Physician Cui, you may have a slight misunderstanding. This prince is sincerely fond of Grand Preceptor Gu's lectures. Hearing that Grand Preceptor Gu will lecture to this prince, this prince was so happy he fainted."
After a moment of silence, Cui Yan said, "Your Highness, harming the enemy a thousand while damaging yourself eight hundred—this isn't good."
You Yusui turned his head to look at Huo Xiling outside the window and called out, "Xiling, tomorrow accompany this prince to listen to Grand Preceptor Gu's lecture, alright?"
"Sure."
You Yusui turned his head to look at Cui Yan kneeling on the ground and said, "You see, with Xiling as company, this prince will only be happier."
He had already thought of how to teach Huo Xiling to read and write, and explain the Annotations on the Analects to him.
Cui Yan: ...
Fine, today was his unlucky day.
Meanwhile, in Xuande Hall, Eunuch An Hai, who had returned from the Eastern Palace, said to You Fengyun, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince was so happy upon hearing that Grand Preceptor Gu would lecture to him that he fainted."
You Fengyun, who was handling government affairs: …..
The Crown Prince couldn't keep fainting. He definitely needed to help the Crown Prince adapt to this kind of happiness.
"Have the other princes been notified to pay their respects at the Eastern Palace?" You Fengyun asked.
Having the princes go pay their respects at the Eastern Palace was naturally to admonish them, and also to remind them not to forget their brotherly bonds. Emperors were always hypocritical—he could fight with his own brothers to the death, but was unwilling to see his sons do the same.
"After the Crown Prince woke up, I had the young eunuchs notify everyone. The princes should have already arrived at the Eastern Palace gate by now." Eunuch An Hai answered.
At that moment, a palace servant at the Eastern Palace gate came to report: Your Highness, except for the First Prince who is in reflection and didn't come, all the other Highnesses have come to visit the sick!
Hearing this, You Yusui's hand couldn't help but tremble slightly. What an inauspicious day this was.
"Let them all come in." You Yusui took a deep breath and said.
Led by the Third Prince, the various princes filed in one after another, then paid their respects to the Crown Prince who was half-reclining on his sickbed.
Looking at his several brothers before him, You Yusui felt annoyed and simply asked, "Since you've come to visit the sick, did you bring gifts?"
Hearing this, the princes present all fell silent. They hadn't brought any, but was it really appropriate for him as Crown Prince to so shamelessly ask them for gifts?
The next moment, they saw the Crown Prince say with heartfelt pain, "Do you still consider this prince your brother?"