Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Grand Tutor Xuan, holding a folding fan, wearing white boots, draped in a silk brocade cloak, and a blue-jade headpiece, all the elegant poise of a banished immortal from the heavens, suddenly appeared in the backyard of my Princess Mansion, his handsome face scrunched up like a steamed bun.

Grand Tutor Xuan loved cleanliness. Seeing that we three, mother and children, were all in a mud pit, he didn’t even bother stepping off the covered walkway, and said to me from a distance, “Princess, give up resisting. Skipping class has no future.”

“But you can see, I’m renovating…”

Grand Tutor Xuan: “I had no idea the court was in such dire straits that it can’t even afford a plasterer!”

Grand Tutor Xuan flicked his fan, fanning away the floating dust. He had such impeccable poise-even a simple fan flick looked as graceful as an opera singer in a village play, unspeakably pleasing.

He spoke with increasing anguish: “You skip class, and on top of that, you drag the young lord and young lady along with you!”

Songqing raised his little hand, covered in mud. “Teacher, I finished my calligraphy practice today, and memorized my texts, and even previewed tomorrow’s lesson.”

Songya put on a pitiful look. “I didn’t slack off either…”

Grand Tutor Xuan: “Don’t give me that. Your homework was done by Songqing. Did you think I wouldn’t notice just because he used his left hand?”

I pretended to scold: “Songya, how could you?”

Grand Tutor Xuan: “Princess, stop pretending too. I can recognize the consort’s left-hand writing just as easily.”

Half an hour later, Songya and I were escorted to makeup lessons. Songqing, for his outstanding coursework, got to go out on a carriage ride.

So hard, it’s really hard. Why does being a princess require learning so much?

It’s so much harder than plowing fields or feeding pigs.

The play wall I promised to build with the children hasn’t even been plastered yet. If I don’t get to it soon, the mortar will dry out…

The sky is so blue today, and the clouds so white…

The bristles of this brush feel so nice to touch, but no matter what, I can’t produce a decent character…

The result of my mind wandering was that Songya finished her homework and went off to play, while I was still tracing characters.

Grand Tutor Xuan seemed to be in a particularly fiery mood today. He refused to give me dinner until I finished, stubbornly standing guard.

The sky gradually darkened. The twilight cast an orange-gold veil over the book corridor.

Then I saw Gong Jiqing step through the moon gate and into that veil. He had changed into a new brocade robe, with the pouch Songya and I made hanging from his belt, which clashed noticeably with the color and texture of the jade pendants around his waist.

Gong Jiqing carried a box of pastries, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

“My wife got detention again. Your husband here is truly losing face.”

Grand Tutor Xuan said fiercely, “Laugh? You two still have the nerve to laugh! It’s been so long since the investiture ceremony, and your wife still can’t even write her own name properly!”

Gong Jiqing took my hand and rubbed it between his palms. “No rush, no rush. If she can’t learn, we’ll take it slow. Xiaochun is already trying very hard.”

Gong Jiqing could always precisely anger Grand Tutor Xuan to the point of losing his decorum.

“Gong Jiqing!”

“Something the matter?”

Grand Tutor Xuan pointed at his nose. “The Princess Mansion has been under renovation for three months. In these three months, has any noble house in the capital invited you over? And you’re not worried? If you don’t worry, they’ll forget all about Princess Fengguo’s Mansion!”

I was puzzled. “Why do they need to remember? Isn’t it nice for us to live our own little lives?”

Grand Tutor Xuan took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to direct his anger at me, because he knew that if he truly lost his temper at me, he’d be the one to suffer.

“You ask that Gong fellow of yours!”

“Husband, what is the Grand Tutor talking about?”

Gong Jiqing still smiled lightly. “It’s nothing, he’s just trying to scare you. Xiaochun, don’t mind him.”

“Gong Jiqing, if you truly care for Princess Fengguo, you shouldn’t keep her in the dark. There are plenty of people in the capital who’d like to eat her flesh and drink her blood. How dare you pretend everything is fine?”

I was completely flummoxed.

Me: “Husband?”

Grand Tutor Xuan: “Gong Jiqing!”

My husband raised an eyebrow and glared at Grand Tutor Xuan. Only then did he lower his voice and say to me:

“There’s no harm in you listening. Just don’t be afraid. I won’t let anyone bully you.”