Chapter 56

While Xue Jin'an and Cui Zui stood two zhang apart, giving each other hostile looks, an aged laugh drifted out from the carriage. An elder with graying hair and a vigorous demeanor lifted the curtain and stepped out.

"It is the Seventh Highness's honor to look upon this worthless grandson of mine. However, my third son's lineage has only this one child, and they are still counting on him to carry on the family line. I am afraid I must disappoint the Seventh Highness." Cui Pengfei spoke in a leisurely and unhurried tone. Although he was clearly declining, his voice sounded more like he was chatting about everyday matters, making it exceptionally pleasant to listen to.

"Grandfather." Cui Zui held the old gentleman in deep respect. He immediately reined in his expression, lowered his head, bent his waist, and respectfully helped the old man down.

Xue Jin'an did not dwell on the matter of whether his own actions had fulfilled Cui Zui's desire to act like an elder father figure. Instead, as Cui Pengfei approached, he strictly and meticulously followed the etiquette prescribed in the manuals, executing a student's bow with hands folded and arched: "Student Xue Jin'an pays respects to Master Cui."

Cui Pengfei paused slightly, supported him upright with both hands, and the smile in his eyes grew much more genuine. "Your Highness, please dispense with the formalities."

Xue Jin'an nodded slightly, though he knew that the next time they met, he would still offer the exact same greeting. There was no emotion attached to it—merely an attitude of doing things precisely because they ought to be done, as a matter of course.

This happened to be what pleased Cui Pengfei the most. The so-called nine contemplations of a gentleman dictate that one's appearance must reflect reverence; regardless of whom one faces, treating others and handling affairs should always maintain the most basic self-cultivation, lest one lose the demeanor of a gentleman.

Having spent some time around Cui Pengfei, Cui Zui understood this grandfather of his quite well. Seeing him support the Seventh Prince with both hands made it clear that the old man held a very favorable impression of him, and was essentially satisfied. One had to know that when the imperial edict from the Grand Empress Dowager had first arrived, specifically naming him to accompany his cousin back to the capital and enter the palace to tutor the Seventh Highness, Grandfather's outward expression had been calm, but inwardly he had not been particularly pleased.

Naturally, anyone forced to accept a student against their will would feel displeased. For this reason, after arriving in the capital, Grandfather had not immediately reported to the Grand Empress Dowager, but instead attended an appointment with the Emperor. He had indeed seen the Seventh Highness that day in the Imperial Study, but upon returning, his evaluation of the prince had merely been "somewhat clever," and he had never mentioned him again.

After idling at home for over a month without ever bringing up the Seventh Highness, he had suddenly been summoned to the palace today. Who could have imagined that this single meeting would cause Grandfather to completely alter his view of the boy?

Cui Zui could not help casting several assessing glances at Xue Jin'an. He touched his neck, which was still radiating a dull ache, and winced secretly, completely unable to figure out whether the Seventh Prince was genuinely reckless or exacting deliberate revenge.

Much like what Cui Zui had heard about the things the Seventh Prince had done within the palace.

The group entered Zhaoyang Palace. Fulu brought out several plates of pastries, while Lingzhi sat kneeling to one side, brewing tea with elegant, flowing, and effortless movements. The rich fragrance of tea soon filled the room, and before long, three cups were properly poured.

"Top-grade Mengding Ganlu." Mengding Ganlu was an ancient and famous tea, practically an antique among teas. Cui Pengfei had a deep understanding of tea; after inhaling the aroma and quietly observing the hue of the tea liquor, he formed a judgment in his mind. He took a gentle sip and praised, "Fine tea."

Both Xue Jin'an and Cui Zui drank their tea in a single gulp like cattle chewing peonies, completely unable to tell how it differed from ordinary tea.

The difference was that Xue Jin'an could break down the molecular flavor compounds of the tea and compare the subtle differences through data, whereas he simply lacked the conceptual framework of good versus bad tea; as for Cui Zui, he truly could not taste it at all. Every tea poured into his mouth tasted only of bitterness and astringency, with the only variation being mild bitterness and astringency versus heavier bitterness and astringency.

Cui Zui was the same way with pastries. He devoured a plum blossom cake in a few bites and could only tell that it was sweet, completely failing to understand how it differed from what was sold in the vegetarian pastry shops outside.

Yet, unable to taste it or not, he could still perceive clues from the exquisite craftsmanship of these teas and pastries, prompting him to blurt out, "Is this what you call being grounded?"

Rumor had it that the Seventh Prince had offended the aristocratic families, incurred the Emperor's displeasure for being too ruthless and cruel, and was living a miserable, unfavored existence in the palace. Was this what a miserable life in the palace looked like? Why did it look even better than the best years he had spent in the Cui family?

"Being grounded doesn't mean being forbidden from eating." Xue Jin'an nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Indeed, the palace had no rule stating that being grounded required a reduction in provisions. However, people in the palace had always been prone to currying favor with the powerful and trampling on the fallen; when one was favored, everyone fawned, but the moment one fell from grace, everyone stepped on them, wishing they could grind you directly into the mud.

Yet such things were unlikely to happen to their master for quite a long time to come.

Fulu's gaze drifted vaguely as he thought: In the past, they only had to execute one Wang Deming for the Imperial Kitchen to become well-behaved, realizing that their master was a master indeed, and wishing someone dead was merely a matter of stretching out a hand, leaving no recourse even if someone was tortured to death. And now, they discovered that even concubines and masters were slaughtered like melons and vegetables on a whim, with the ultimate punishment being nothing more than confinement—not even a symbolic bastinado—and still there was nowhere to seek justice.

Their master's reputation in the palace was now even more resounding than that of the Third Prince. Even without the Grand Empress Dowager holding down the fort, the Imperial Kitchen would not dare to withhold their master's meals, not if they were given a hundred times their courage. He had heard that Manager Wei of the small kitchen, who made the pastries, now only needed to hear the three words "crystal cake" to drop whatever was in his hands and immediately set about making them.

Xue Jin'an possessed not a shred of self-awareness regarding his own reputation, so the old and young of the Cui family naturally assumed that all of this was due to the Grand Empress Dowager backing the Seventh Prince. This was precisely the effect Lingzhi had wished to achieve.

The Seventh Prince's terrifying reputation was only useful against the palace maids and eunuchs; court officials did not regard such people as human beings at all, especially eunuchs. Those who had risen to positions as high as Li Hechun and Lu Bingzhu were viewed with disdain and contempt by some. To overawe them, one still had to invoke the Grand Empress Dowager.

Lingzhi's deliberate guidance toward this train of thought was also a subtle warning: do not assume the Seventh Prince had lost power just because he was grounded; in reality, he was highly favored, so they shouldn't bully him just because he was young.

Of course, it was also true that the Grand Empress Dowager doted heavily on the Seventh Prince, just not quite to the extent they imagined. Still, no one would actually go and ask the Grand Empress Dowager precisely how deep her affection for the Seventh Prince was, would they?

Thus, no one would ever discover that apart from the crystal cake, all these exquisite pastries had been personally prepared by her over the stove last night; and that this Mengding Ganlu tea had not been a gift from the Grand Empress Dowager, but rather a bestowal from back when Consort Zhen had been in favor, which she had dug up while cleaning the main hall last time. Because the original quantity was small, the people who had confiscated the palace properties back then had not thought much of it. Lingzhi had re-processed the tea using a secret method before drying it once more, instantly restoring the flavor of aged tea so that it was virtually indistinguishable from new tea, perhaps even carrying an enhanced character.

—Oh, wait, she should no longer be called Consort Zhen, but rather Empress Xiaozhaoren. During the very first morning court session after Chu Wenyuan's death, the Ministry of Rites had issued her posthumous title, and a new spirit tablet had been crafted and welcomed into the ancestral temple.

In truth, even if someone really went to question the Grand Empress Dowager and exposed her deception, Lingzhi had no fear of punishment. After all, she hadn't actually said anything; everything was merely the self-righteous imagination of those she had guided.

"Who would have thought that after all these years, the Grand Empress Dowager would still remember this old man's preferences." Cui Pengfei guessed Lingzhi's identity instantly and likewise grasped the implicit meaning she had conveyed.

Sure enough, he heard Lingzhi smile and say, "Master Cui's arrival naturally calls for the finest tea; this is nothing less than what Master Cui deserves."

"What is there to speak of as deserved or undeserved? Whether in the past or today, everything this old man did was merely within the scope of my duty, leaving me with a clear conscience." Cui Pengfei set down his tea cup, folded his hands, and saluted upward. "It is just that this old man is now a commoner and unworthy of the title 'Master.' Having been favored by His Majesty and Her Ladyship to serve as the Seventh Highness's foundational tutor, I shall naturally give my utmost effort."

Having obtained the answer she desired, Lingzhi withdrew with a satisfied smile, leading the attendants away and leaving behind a comfortable teaching space for Cui Pengfei.

Cui Pengfei did not rashly begin his lectures; instead, he first asked Xue Jin'an what he wished to study.

There were many things he knew: matters tested in the imperial examinations, subjects necessary for serving as an official, skills required during special times such as flood relief, disaster management, and the encouragement of agriculture and commerce, and even the arts of governing subordinates and the statecraft of monarchs—he possessed insights into all of them. Anyone wishing to accomplish great things, whether serving as an official and minister or entering commerce and agriculture, could fundamentally learn something from him, provided they studied with earnest dedication.

This was why, despite the countless court officials who had petitioned to retire due to old age, Cui Pengfei alone was still respectfully addressed as "Minister Cui," revered by scholars throughout the realm.

Xue Jin'an had no particular preference for books and indicated that he could study anything.

"What books has Your Highness read so far?" Cui Pengfei tested the waters regarding his level of literary attainment.

Xue Jin'an honestly reported the titles of all the textbooks he had read.

Initially, the textbooks for other subjects were quite normal, falling well within the scope of what should be studied at this age. However, when it came to historical texts, the quantity of books reported grew somewhat preposterous, sounding right down the line like a reading list for official histories.

Cui Pengfei's hand stroking his beard paused. Without changing his expression, he tested the prince's scholarship for nearly half an hour. Finding that Xue Jin'an could not only answer using the original text without missing a single word, but could also state clearly which book, volume, page, and line a passage came from without a single error, an expression of astonishment and gratification could not help but surface on his face.

"Since Your Highness has already studied the official histories and comprehensive histories, all this old man can teach you are some miscellaneous histories. I am truly ashamed; in this field, this old man falls far short of Grand Tutor Li. If Your Highness wishes to refine your knowledge further, you can only seek instruction from Grand Tutor Li." Grand Tutor Li's research in historiography was universally acknowledged as the finest in Great Qi.

Seeing that the historical texts Xue Jin'an had read accounted for nearly half of all his books, Cui Pengfei assumed the boy must be very fond of history, and could not help feeling a trace of regret. "I can provide an introduction for Your Highness. I imagine Grand Tutor Li would certainly be delighted to see someone so fond of reading history."

"I am not fond of it," Xue Jin'an replied truthfully. "These were all study materials prepared by Grand Tutor Li, designated for the Imperial Study."

Cui Pengfei looked astonished. "This old man heard that the Seventh Highness had never gone to the Imperial Study to study?"

Grand Tutor Li had frail legs and feet, requiring assistance to walk. Whenever he entered the palace, he went nowhere except the Imperial Study, and the textbooks and curricula for the Imperial Study were determined by the lecturing scholars, with each subject's respective scholar making their own choices. Therefore, if Xue Jin'an wanted to finish studying all of those works, he could only have sought out Grand Tutor Li.

Had there been such a prodigy who had mastered historical texts at such a tender age, Grand Tutor Li could not possibly have kept it hidden. Among the Four Books and Five Classics, the *Classic of History* and the *Spring and Autumn Annals* were exceedingly difficult, and those focusing on these two subjects were dwindling by the day; someone with such innate talent was rarer than phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Grand Tutor Li had long desired a successor; even if the prince's status made him cautious enough not to gossip widely outside, at least within the circle of top-tier Confucians, some news should have leaked out.

Yet Cui Pengfei had never heard of any such matter.

Then there was only one truly shocking possibility: the Seventh Prince was self-taught, without Grand Tutor Li even knowing it!

Sure enough, he watched as Xue Jin'an nodded to confirm his statement: "I never went to the Imperial Study; I just flipped through the textbooks."

"The Seventh Highness is truly a wondrous talent!" Cui Pengfei's praise was entirely heartfelt. Regardless of the motives the Seventh Prince might harbor in studying these things, the fact that his learning was solid and exceptional was undeniable. "To be able to recite the original texts word for word—even with a photographic memory, it must have required tremendous effort."