Part 2
She still remembered Gu Zhen’s subtle expression at that moment. After a long pause, he replied indifferently, “It seems, then, that the Crown Princess has not practiced diligently.”
Receiving such an evaluation, she felt terrible, sullenly thinking that it wasn’t true. She wanted very much to tell him that she studied seriously every day and wasn’t just doing it to curry favor, as he thought.
Her Go set was one of the betrothal gifts sent by the Imperial Family when she was named Crown Princess. The black and white stones were made of Hetian jade, warm and smooth to the touch.
The past was vivid in her mind, but looking at this Go set now, all that remained was a suffocating pain in her chest and confusion.
“Put it away for now,” Zhao Yiyi said, her voice muffled and her expression somewhat listless. “I don’t really want to play today.”
The female official put the board away, smiling warmly. “Alright then, this slave will keep this set safe and bring it out whenever Your Highness wishes to play.”
I don’t want to play today, I won’t want to play tomorrow, and I won’t want to play the day after.
Perhaps, I won’t ever want to play again.
It wasn’t that fun anyway.
Not even as interesting as playing the zither.
Zhao Yiyi put down her book and stood up. After walking a few laps around the courtyard, she asked softly, “Is Duanduan arriving soon?”
“Your Highness summoned them for 1:00 PM; they should be on their way,” Mancao saw the Empress’s pace slow down and brought her a fresh cup of tea.
Zhao Yiyi was just a little worried. After being comforted, she let down her suspended heart slightly.
After pacing a few more rounds, she finally realized she had been distracted for too long. She couldn’t help but think with annoyance: I clearly have many things to do today; how did I waste so much time?
Thinking of this, she asked Yunzhu, “Is the list drafted? Bring it here for me to see.”
Yunzhu hurriedly replied, “It is drafted, and the items are ready in the storeroom. We are just waiting for Your Highness’s nod to send them out.”
Zhao Yiyi was preparing to smooth the way for Zhao Chen to enter the Imperial Academy (Guozixue). Although her grandfather had begged a favor from the late Emperor back then, both her grandfather and the late Emperor had passed away. With the estate in its current state, relying on a past promise was difficult.
Previously, she had planned to mention it to the Emperor and beg him. He was the Emperor; he didn’t need any promise from the late Emperor. Just one word from him could send A-Chen to the Imperial Academy.
But before she could mention it, he had dealt her a heavy blow, extinguishing all her fantasies and expectations. Begging him again had become impossible.
Her gaze swept over the list item by item. The gifts were not expensive, but the ink and ancient books would certainly suit the tastes of the scholars at the Imperial Academy.
Zhao Yiyi relaxed slightly and said gently, “Prepare them according to this. A-Chen will turn fourteen in two months; we must get this settled quickly.”
At a quarter past 1:00 PM, Zhao Duanduan and Zhao Chen finally arrived at Jiaofang Palace.
Before even entering the hall, Zhao Duanduan felt that things were different from usual. Not to mention the quiet atmosphere inside the hall, usually when she entered the palace—eight times out of ten—her elder sister would personally come to the palace gate to pick her up.
But not today.
“Sister!” As soon as she entered, Zhao Duanduan threw herself onto Zhao Yiyi, pulling at her and acting coquettishly.
Zhao Chen was a young man, so he naturally couldn’t throw himself into his elder sister’s arms like his second sister. He simply clasped his hands in greeting and stood silently to the side.
The last time she saw her youngest brother was at the New Year’s banquet in the palace. In just two short months, he seemed to have shot up quite a bit. Zhao Yiyi called him to sit and asked gently, “How are your studies recently?”
The Zhao family was a noble clan with a title, so the descendants could naturally rely on hereditary privilege to enter officialdom, as Zhao Yuan had done. But Zhao Chen was ambitious. He said he was different from his elder brother, the heir; he had no title to inherit, so he resolved from a young age to enter officialdom through the imperial examinations and vowed to pass the Jinshi exam.
“Replying to Sister, they are… acceptable,” facing his elder sister who was now Empress, Zhao Chen was inevitably a bit reserved. He didn’t know how to answer, and his voice was pitifully small.
Zhao Duanduan sneered, “What do you mean ‘acceptable’? Yesterday Zhao Shunian was praised by the teacher again; why wasn’t there any praise for you?!”
Zhao Shunian was the son of Madam Xu and Zhao Weimin. He was born while the two were having an illicit affair, so he was only half a year younger than Zhao Chen. They attended the same school.
For days now, whenever she thought of this, Zhao Duanduan was filled with anger. She was annoyed that he didn’t listen to a word she said.
Zhao Yiyi frowned. “What happened?”
She remembered asking last year, and Zhao Shunian was still fighting and skipping school. She had sent someone to tell her father to discipline him so as not to embarrass her outside. Her father had agreed respectfully to her face but dismissed it privately, saying that once the boy matured, he would naturally study hard.
Had he matured this much in just a few short months?
Zhao Chen lowered his head and didn’t answer. He hemmed and hawed for a long time before finally answering under Zhao Yiyi’s interrogation, “Younger brother… he hired someone to write for him.”
Zhao Duanduan said angrily, “Then why didn’t you just say so?”
“Miss Zuo knows about it too. Brother didn’t have money to pay twice, and she helped him cover it up,” Zhao Chen whispered. “Since even she knew, I didn’t say anything.”
“Enough.” Zhao Yiyi frowned and took a sip of tea, saying indifferently, “Ignore him. You focus on your studies during this time. Before entering the Imperial Academy in two months, there will likely be an examination.”
Zhao Chen stood up and responded, “Thank you, Sister.”
Zhao Yiyi then had someone fetch plenty of musk ink and Zhuge brushes from the storeroom for him. In the past, the Marquis’s estate didn’t lack these things, but given the current situation, there was no guarantee they would still be available in a few days.
After staying in the hall for a while, Zhao Chen gradually relaxed and could joke around a bit. They talked about how Zhao Weimin felt Zhao Chen wasn’t studying hard enough that day and nearly threw away his puppy. Fortunately, he didn’t throw it far, and it was retrieved.
Zhao Yiyi knew that puppy; it was a birthday gift from her aunt last year. He liked it very much and had been raising it carefully.
Looking at the siblings laughing around her, Zhao Yiyi thought somewhat distractedly that her only prayer now was for A-Chen and Duanduan to be safe and smooth. The unrealistic fantasies of the past were slowly, slowly being pulled from her heart.
Dripping blood fell, making her regret for a moment.
She didn’t know if she regretted pulling out those threads of affection, or if she regretted planting them in the first place.
In the end, it was all regret.
As for her elder brother’s career, Zhao Yiyi couldn’t help but sigh softly. She had begged twice, begged until she was bruised all over, but it was useless. In reality, he was implicated by Zhao Weimin; whether he could be reinstated depended entirely on the Emperor’s whim.
“If you have nothing else today, stay for the noon meal,” Zhao Yiyi smiled slightly and said to the two of them.
In Zichen Palace, upon learning that Zhao Duanduan and her brother had entered the palace today, Gu Zhen’s expression paused slightly, then he said indifferently, “She is idle and bored; it’s good that someone came to talk to her.”
He was currently planning an attack on the Rouran in the north. This matter was confidential, known only to a very few close ministers.
Crushing the Rouran completely was something the late Emperor had planned for years. However, before he could mobilize troops and generals, the late Emperor fell gravely ill and had no energy to deal with it.
Gu Zhen’s thoughts aligned with the late Emperor’s. He had long wanted the Rouran to face reality and obediently stay away. Especially in the year since he ascended the throne, the Rouran had taken advantage of the transition of power in Great Chu to make repeated moves.
Although Gu Zhen had forcefully suppressed them, it left him worrying about the future.
If he didn’t beat the Rouran into submission with a fierce battle, given their unrepentant nature, they wouldn’t know to obediently shrink back into their corner and stop invading Great Chu.
But court affairs were already numerous, and the matter of surveying the land in the capital region faced heavy resistance. Adding this matter on top, Gu Zhen was overwhelmed.
Amidst his contemplation, he casually asked what the Empress had been doing recently.
Wu Mao smiled apologetically and said, “Her Majesty? During this time, she has mostly been playing the zither, reading books, or tending to flowers and plants. This slave heard Her Majesty is raising a pot of begonias, though I don’t know when they will bloom.”
Gu Zhen’s face darkened. His fingers exerted sudden force, nearly snapping the imperial brush in his hand in two. “She’s certainly idle.”
Idle to this extent, yet she claims she has no time to see me, no time to grind ink for me.
Gu Zhen sneered. It is evident the Empress is simply toying with me.
Just as he was brooding, a palace attendant entered and reported, “Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has sent Miss He to deliver some food to Your Majesty.”
Gu Zhen was annoyed, and upon hearing this, he said coldly, “Let her in!”
In the past, whenever Miss He came to deliver things, she would leave them at the door and return. This was a rare occasion where the Emperor summoned someone in. Although his tone wasn’t great, the palace attendant couldn’t help but mutter in his heart.
Could it be that this Miss He has caught His Majesty’s eye?
He Xunling carried the food box and happily stepped into Zichen Palace. As soon as she entered, before she could even finish her curtsy, she heard a cold, stern voice from above:
“This palace is where We live and discuss state affairs daily. It is not an ordinary room. No one may enter without a summons. Miss He comes here time and again; surely, you are treating this palace too much like your own home!”
Author’s Note:
Gu Zhen: So annoying, don’t touch me! Let me be beautiful alone!
Yiyi: Okay.
Gu Zhen: Wait, did I just speak? @
Finally updated woo woo woo!!!! Waited a long time, babies!!! Still 30 small red envelopes~ Kiss kiss to everyone!!!
📖 Advance Access: Complete Novel
- Option 1: Note your email on PayPal/Ko-fi.
- Option 2: Email proof to beezzzreads@gmail.com.
- Option 3: Comment below.
Recommended Reads
![Accidentally Turned a Tragic Romance Plotline into a Sweet and Pampering One [Transmigration]](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ACCIDENTALLY.png)
