RMACAUH Chapter 27
by VolareWei Xinhe would rather have his family’s Seventh go, but one from the family had already gone, and according to the ranking, the spot should have been Wei Xiaofeng’s. If he let his family’s Seventh go this time, he was afraid it would give people cause for gossip.
“Alright, hurry up and pack your things. Tomorrow morning, a carriage from the palace will come to pick you up. Listen to me, when you’re studying in the palace, be honest and don’t do anything out of line again. The palace is not like home; a single mistake can cost you your head!”
Wei Xiaofeng shuddered all over upon hearing this, tears welling up in his eyes.
To him, wasn’t this the same as being imprisoned?!
That night, Sangcai helped him pack his clothes, and seeing him slumped on the desk, depressed, Sangcai stepped forward to remove his hairpin, letting his thick, dark hair fall loose. “Gongzi, it’s time to go to sleep.”
“I don’t want to go to school.”
“It’s good to learn more things.”
“I wasn’t born to be a scholar, why force myself?”
“Anyway, the New Year Festival is coming soon, you won’t be staying for many days.”
“Even if you count it fully, I still have to stay for twenty days! And you can’t come to the palace to keep me company.” Fearing that he would cause trouble, Wei Xinhe had chosen a competent *ge’er* from the Main Wife’s side to go to the palace with him.
Sangcai took an ivory comb and began to comb his waterfall-like long hair. “Actually, I’m quite envious of you. Being able to have this opportunity… many people can see the end of their lives from the moment they’re born, their lives filled with endless suffering and setbacks. *Ge’ers* from poor families with some beauty will be sold and resold like goods. Some who are luckier are trapped in a small place, finding it difficult to even glimpse the world outside the well in their entire lives.”
Wei Xiaofeng’s heart ached slightly upon hearing this.
“A’cai…”
“Go, go and see the world beyond your understanding, don’t be afraid. I’ll wait for you to come back and tell me about it.”
“Okay!”
The next day, he woke up early, Wei Xiaofeng hadn’t seen the morning sun in years.
As soon as the sun came out, the ice and snow melted, and it was bone-chillingly cold, no matter how much one wore, it was useless.
Shivering from the cold, he hugged a hand warmer and was helped onto the carriage by Sangcai. Wan Xiaoniang secretly wiped away tears and, with a choked voice, instructed him: “Xiaofeng, you must take care of yourself. Cover yourself well at night and don’t catch a cold!”
Wei Xiaofeng lifted the curtain and smiled at them, “Oh, Niang, I’m just going to study, I’ll be back soon! Don’t worry about me, I’ll take good care of myself.”
He waved cheerfully, but the moment he lowered the curtain, he burst into tears in a panic, “Wuwuwu… I don’t want to go to school.”
The carriage was already moving steadily forward, with no turning back.
This morning, Feng Yue did not take a carriage, but instead rode a majestic, tall black-maned horse. This horse had been with him on the battlefield since he was fifteen years old, its coat was shiny and gleaming, and its explosive power was amazing.
Whether it was because he was afraid it would run too fast and be too fierce and hurt people, or for some other reason, the horse trotted with elegant, lazy steps, moving slowly forward.
At *chen shi* (7-9 AM), the winter sky had just brightened, and carriages from outside were gradually entering the palace.
Sitting in the carriages were the *ge’ers* who were coming to the palace to study today, and they all lifted their curtains to steal glances at the handsome and valiant Lord in bright clothes and an angry horse. Feng Yue pretended not to notice, and slowed his horse even more, until he saw the carriage with the Wei family’s plaque driving far away. He turned his horse, making an unnecessary detour, and came to the right side of the Wei family’s carriage.
Wei Xiaofeng was eating a snack when he heard the sound of hooves outside the window. Curiously, he quickly lifted the curtain to take a look, but when he saw it was Feng Yue, he choked on a mouthful of cold wind, and all the snacks in his mouth sprayed out, with many crumbs landing on the horse and Feng Yue’s side.
His face flushed red, he quickly lowered the curtain, anxiously grabbed the tea and gulped it down, then wiped the crumbs from the corners of his mouth with his sleeve, and sat upright, practicing a smile.
The attendant serving him looked at him as if he were crazy, looking him up and down with wide eyes, not knowing what he was doing.
Wei Xiaofeng took a deep breath, maintained his smile, and slowly and elegantly lifted the curtain again, “Greetings to Your Highness, I’m sorry about just now, I sprayed you and the horse with… that stuff… You won’t blame me, will you?”
Feng Yue feigned arrogance and extended his hand towards him, “Why don’t you take a handkerchief and wipe it for This Lord?”
“Oh, oh, right!” Wei Xiaofeng took out a piece of Yun brocade handkerchief from his sleeve.
Feng Yue took it and only used the handkerchief to wipe away the crumbs from his side. When Wei Xiaofeng saw that he was finished wiping, he reached out to take the handkerchief back, but who knew that he would smoothly tuck the handkerchief into his waist.
Wei Xiaofeng was dumbfounded. He quite liked this handkerchief, how could a dignified Lord take a *ge’er*’s things like that?!
“Your Highness… the handkerchief is dirty, can I take it back and wash it? Please give it to me!”
Feng Yue seemed not to hear, spurred his horse forward, and when he was almost at the palace gate, he suddenly jumped off the horse and walked into the palace, talking and laughing with several scholars from the Wenyuan Pavilion ahead.
“Ah, no! My handkerchief…” Wei Xiaofeng’s heart ached so much that he was about to bleed. He usually kept that handkerchief safe and sound, it was made of the finest Yun brocade, and he wouldn’t have been willing to use it if he hadn’t been going to the palace to study.
What was this called? Losing money upon leaving home, it was destined that he would have this calamity today!
“Ahhh, my handkerchief, my heart hurts so much!” Wei Xiaofeng pounded his chest and went on a rampage in the carriage.
The attendant held his breath, and sat further away in fear and trepidation.
Feng Yue handed the horse over to the palace servants to be led to the stables. At this time, several elders from Wenyuan Pavilion were in front of the court, and only a few minor officials were sorting out the materials for compiling books.
Seeing him arrive, the minor officials saluted him one after another. Feng Yue nodded in acknowledgment and strode up to the second floor.
Sitting at the desk, he repeatedly recalled the scene of meeting Xiaofeng earlier, unable to focus on official duties.
That dazed and frightened look, he really looked like a poor little rabbit.
A gentle smile couldn’t help but spread across Feng Yue’s lips. He took out the Yun brocade handkerchief from his waist, and with no one around, carefully brought it to his nose and sniffed lightly. It had a very faint fragrance of osmanthus.
“Xiaofeng…”
He had entered the palace and entered the school, and in the future, there would be more opportunities to meet him. Even if Xiaofeng didn’t like him that much now, but the days ahead were long, and one day, he would make Xiaofeng like him again.
Wei Xiaofeng followed the schoolmaster and several other *ge’ers* to collect writing tools, still feeling upset. He only hoped that Feng Yue would have a change of heart and return the handkerchief to him.
It wasn’t that he was stingy, but times were different now. He was short on money, where would he get the money to buy such a Yun brocade handkerchief? Besides, this wasn’t something that could be bought with money, this good material was priceless.
The morning court ended late today, and it was almost noon. Several old men returned to the inner cabinet with worried looks on their faces.
Feng Yue overheard that it was about the issue of repairing dikes and dams in Lianghu. The Yangtze River basin area would flood in May and June of next year, and it was being treated and flooded every year. The plague followed closely after the flood, costing unknown amounts of manpower and financial resources. Every time this happened, the emperor was so worried that he couldn’t eat or sleep.
Today, several ministers from the Ministry of Works were also kept in the palace for a meal to discuss countermeasures.
He wondered how Mu Yunhua was doing with finding someone. If all went well, they should be able to get back before the New Year.
*
The new student who came in midway was particularly eye-catching, and Wei Xiaofeng became the focus of the school.
His name had always been somewhat famous among the *ge’ers* in the capital.
Some blindly admired him, while others sneered disdainfully. The former thought he lived freely and casually, while the latter thought he was a disgrace among *ge’ers*.
The things taught in the *ge’er* school were relatively simple, only learning the *Analects*, the *Book of Songs*, and the Six Arts, which included rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics.
What Wei Xiaofeng was grateful for was that he didn’t have to take the small exam, they had already taken one round before coming.
There was no doubt that Su Qingzhi got the first in qin art and cultural courses, and someone else got it in riding and shooting.
Wei Xiaofeng began to feel drowsy after half a class. The teacher was shaking his head and reciting the book on the stage, which was more effective than a lullaby.
He struggled to hold on for a while, but his eyelids were too heavy to open, so he fell asleep just like that.
The old teacher called him for a long time, but he was sleeping as soundly as a pig and couldn’t wake him up no matter what.
The old teacher was also helpless, “Which classmate can wake him up?”
Wei Jia’s Sixth *Ge’er* was so ashamed that he buried his face in the book, wishing he could hide himself.
“Hey~ Wei Liu, go and wake up your Fifth Ge up!” Someone shouted at Wei Suian with good intentions.
Wei Suian’s face was flushed, and reluctantly, he got up and pushed Wei Xiaofeng hard.
Wei Xiaofeng felt as if the earth was shaking and the sky was falling, and his body felt a sense of weightlessness, and he bounced up from his seat.
“You’re awake?” The old teacher looked at him kindly, stroking his beard.
Wei Xiaofeng had just woken up, and was groggy, “You are?”
“You don’t recognize me?” The old teacher asked him with a smile.
“I really don’t recognize you…”
A burst of laughter erupted.
The noisy laughter gradually brought Wei Xiaofeng’s thoughts back to him, and he was shocked to stand up suddenly from his seat, “Te, Teacher.”
“Did you sleep well?”
“It, it’s okay, the desk is a bit hard.”
“If you’re not awake, go out and stand, get some sun, it’s good for your body. Go on, go on~” The old teacher waved his hand at him.
Wei Xiaofeng scratched the back of his head in shame, and not wanting to disturb the other students in class, he quickly walked out of the classroom and stood in the corridor.
Old Teacher: “Quiet, let’s continue with the lecture.”
He stood for the entire class.
Feng Yue did not delay a moment at noon today and came out of Wenyuan Pavilion and went to the viewing building next to Fengxia Palace. The viewing building faced Zidong Pavilion, and when he looked over, he saw Wei Xiaofeng standing as a punishment in the corridor.
Feng Yue summoned a maid next to him, “Go and get a plate of walnuts.”
“Yes.”
The maid hurried to get the walnuts.
Feng Yue took the walnuts and threw them hard at Wei Xiaofeng, hitting his left shoulder.
Wei Xiaofeng touched his aching shoulder, his eyes followed the rolling walnuts around, and he looked up to find the person who threw the walnuts.
He looked in the courtyard for a long time, but didn’t see anyone.
“Which rascal is this, throwing walnuts at me?” Wei Xiaofeng angrily picked up the cracked walnuts, broke them open, peeled the nuts, and ate them.
Hmm, fragrant! He was really too hungry.
Feng Yue watched him eat the walnuts, picked up the second one, weighed it in his hand, and threw it again, accurately hitting his chest.
“Huh? There’s more! Haha…” Wei Xiaofeng wasn’t afraid of being poisoned, so he picked it up and happily ate it.
Feng Yue continued to throw walnuts, each time throwing them a shorter distance than the last. After picking them up about ten times, Wei Xiaofeng was led to the corner of the wall.
Only then did Wei Xiaofeng see clearly that someone on the high building opposite was throwing walnuts over here, and the figure looked a bit familiar.
This arm strength was really amazing, to be able to throw so far!
Feng Yue leaned on the railing and looked at him standing there dumbfounded, holding the last walnut, and couldn’t help but smile.
The more Wei Xiaofeng looked at it, the more he felt a chill down his spine, this person… how did he look so much like Feng Yue?!
At this time, noon class was over, and the *ge’ers* came out one after another, and orderly went to the small cafeteria for lunch.
Because the *ge’ers* who entered the palace could not leave the palace at will, the Chen Empress temporarily opened a small cafeteria here. Although it was not as exquisite as the food at home, it was still much better than what ordinary people ate with a combination of meat and vegetables.
Wei Xiaofeng glanced back at his classmates, and when he looked back at the person upstairs, he was already gone.