The Second Prince Arrives
“It’s no wonder head general handed the school to Teacher Lin. He really is a well-learned scholar of good character. It’s not for power or influence. He simply teaches students who are willing to devote themselves to studying. He really is dedicated.”
“As I see it, Teacher Lin is not at all demanding, nor is he a stubborn old pedant. He’s great. Even if I ask him about things between Western Kun and Eastern Ling, he is willing to answer!”
…
Ever since Lin FengMiao took Yu Fu in, she had basically taken over Gu WenQing’s standing in the class. She had become Teacher Lin’s favorite pupil.
Even on days off, she would mention this and that about Teacher Lin. She brought him up so much that Gu Xiang and Gu Yi were on the verge of developing calluses in their ears.
How did they not notice sooner that Yu Fu was a darling who loved studying?
“Little Yu Fu, since you like studying so much, could it be that you even want to become a female top scholar?”
“Why could I not?”
Yu Fu held a white porcelain bowl* containing bird nest, and the little silver spoon rang out clearly when it hit the side of the bowl.
“Of the three countries on this continent, Northern Li and Western Kun don’t differentiate between men and women. In Northern Li, both boys and girls have the right to succession. For example, the nobles can choose to name their son or daughter as the heir to the family. In Western Kun, there are even female generals. Their female generals are valiant and courageous, and they don’t lose to the men. Only Eastern Ling places any emphasis on girls being better without any talents!”
Gu Xiang and Gu Yi were young, and their minds were innocent. Yu Fu was also unreserved when speaking with them. She would say anything that came to mind.
The two heard what she said and found it to be reasonable. Gu HuaiJiang had previously said that he had met female generals from Western Kun on the battlefield who would not lose to male generals.
“Eastern Ling is a country with culture that studies Confucian classics, while Western Kun is a country of barbarians. How can the two be mentioned in the same breath?”
A lazy voice suddenly came from outside the door. Following this, the sound of a folding fan snapping open rang out.
Gu JiuGe walked in from the outside and continued: “In addition to this, Western Kun is covered in mountains and has a low population. To fulfill their ambition of taking our Eastern Ling’s territory, they had no choice but to take in females to fill their ranks. As for our Eastern Ling, we have plenty of people, and our army is more than enough to deal with Western Kun. What is there any need for women to step onto the battlefield?”
He slowly waved his fan and casually sat down next to Yu Fu.
“The second young sir came. This servant will pour you some tea.”
Lian Bi received his fan with a smile, and Gu JiuGe curled his lips into a smile, “Many thanks.”
The slender female hands that received the fan paused, and Lian Bi’s face blushed a little. Lowering her head very slightly, she retreated from the room.
“Why has second brother suddenly come? Wasn’t it said that father called you and eldest brother over?”
“I was just about to bring up this matter. The second prince and Princess DanYang have come. His Majesty said that the princes should come and learn some martial arts at the marquis manor. Only like that can they be proficient in both studying and martial arts. Who knows why, but Princess DanYang also tagged along, and the second prince had me come and invite Yu Fu over to see her.”
Yu Fu said: “Who is this second prince?”
“The second prince, Ning ChengZhi, is Princess DanYang’s older brother and the son of the First Empress. Though he is the son of the Empress, he is the second child. He is the same age as me, turning 19 this year. His Majesty’s eldest son is the son of Consort Xian. During the dragon boat festival, they were all sent out to Min Zhou, thus you haven’t met them before.”
While Gu JiuGe gave this explanation, Yu Fu recalled that Princess DanYang liked to spend time with Gu ShuBai and quickly stood up, saying: “Then let’s quickly go over. It would not do to be late. Princess DanYang also does not like horse riding or archery. She must be feeling extremely bored from sitting at the training ground. I will go and keep her company!”
“She isn’t bored at all. She is just spending all of her time with eldest brother, leaving the second prince with no chance to properly train in archery. That’s why the second prince had me come to find you to divert her attention.”
As Gu JiuGe spoke, he suddenly remembered something and gave Yu Fu a look over.
The second prince did it to have Gu ShuBai focus on teaching him in archery. Why was Yu Fu in such a rush to get to the training ground?
“Let’s hurry, second brother!”
Yu Fu tugged at his sleeve, and Gu Xiang and Gu Yi also stood up, “We’ll also go!”
When Lian Bi returned with the newly brewed tea, the seats around the table were already empty. All that remained was Yu Fu’s half-empty bowl of bird nest.
She suddenly saw that Gu JiuGe’s folding fan was still resting on a shelf nearby. Thinking that he must have left in a hurry and forgotten that she had taken it.
Lian Bi thought quickly and wrapped it in a thin piece of fabric.
…
The summer days were sweltering, and Yu Fu was shocked to find that a mat awning had been placed on the training ground. Under the awning stood a group of young men.
When Gu HanMo usually trained in archery, he would never make use of a mat awning.
When everyone arrived, they saw an arrow fly out from beneath the awning, striking the center of the target!
“Good!”
Gu JiuGe shouted out in praise. It was only after getting closer that they found that the one who had shot was Gu ShuBai.
When he loosed the arrow, his body was straight, but his hands were relaxed. It was thanks to this that he had such great accuracy.
All of the young men heaped on their praise.
Putting down the bow, he saw Yu Fu come over at Gu JiuGe’s side. Curious, he looked at the second prince.
He had some of the same facial characteristics as Princess DanYang. His forehead had a faint aura of haughtiness along with the a natural vanity that came from his imperial lineage.
The roundness that would amplify a girl’s beauty just made him look a little bit chubby. Fortunately, his body was not fat, and he was only a little bit shorter than Gu ShuBai.
The second prince also looked at her out of curiosity.
The girl before her was a little bit smaller than he had imagined, and she was a little prettier than was reasonable.
It was as if she was an ice carving of a pink dumpling. It felt as if she would melt if the day was any hotter.
That pair of large and jet-black eyes seemed to move like a cool spring in the mountains. Just the sight of them would make people forget about conventions.
He put down his bow in a daze, and Yu Fu walked forward, gently greeting him.
“Greetings, second prince.”
The second prince was startled and looked around, asking curiously: “There are so many people around, and you have never met me before. How do you know that I am the second prince?”
There were four or five other young men from aristocratic families around him. They were all people who got along well with him and Marquis Gu’s Manor.
Yu Fu smiled, her dimples shallowly appearing, “That bearing is naturally different from everyone else.”
Her gaze, however, unconsciously dropped past the jade seal hanging from his hip that clearly had a dragon design.
If he was not a prince, could he possibly wear a dragon design?
“Sure enough, you are smart! It’s no wonder everyone in the capital is saying that Lord Marquis Gu’s daughter is smart. Even if you are not related to him by blood, as I see it, you have Marquis Gu’s grace!”
The second prince wanted to get along well, but Gu ShuBai raised an eyebrow and said: “The matter of Yu Fu not being father’s, could it be that everyone already knows about it?”
The second prince was a little embarrassed and did not know how to respond.
Going by Gu ShuBai’s expression, it seemed that he did not like hearing others mention this. It seemed as though it was a great affront to Yu Fu.
Just as he was worrying about whether he should explain or apologize, they suddenly heard Princess DanYang’s voice come from behind.
“Sister Yu Fu, you came?”
She stepped forward and warmly held Yu Fu’s hand, “I heard brother ShuBai say that you were studying at the school today. If you have anything that you don’t understand, I can come to the marquis manor more often to teach you.”
Before Yu Fu could respond, the sound of laughter rang out.
*TN: Doing some research on the specific type of bowl mentioned, it seems that these bowls had decorations painted on in a clear glaze.
The Second Prince Arrives
“It’s no wonder head general handed the school to Teacher Lin. He really is a well-learned scholar of good character. It’s not for power or influence. He simply teaches students who are willing to devote themselves to studying. He really is dedicated.”
“As I see it, Teacher Lin is not at all demanding, nor is he a stubborn old pedant. He’s great. Even if I ask him about things between Western Kun and Eastern Ling, he is willing to answer!”
…
Ever since Lin FengMiao took Yu Fu in, she had basically taken over Gu WenQing’s standing in the class. She had become Teacher Lin’s favorite pupil.
Even on days off, she would mention this and that about Teacher Lin. She brought him up so much that Gu Xiang and Gu Yi were on the verge of developing calluses in their ears.
How did they not notice sooner that Yu Fu was a darling who loved studying?
“Little Yu Fu, since you like studying so much, could it be that you even want to become a female top scholar?”
“Why could I not?”
Yu Fu held a white porcelain bowl* containing bird nest, and the little silver spoon rang out clearly when it hit the side of the bowl.
“Of the three countries on this continent, Northern Li and Western Kun don’t differentiate between men and women. In Northern Li, both boys and girls have the right to succession. For example, the nobles can choose to name their son or daughter as the heir to the family. In Western Kun, there are even female generals. Their female generals are valiant and courageous, and they don’t lose to the men. Only Eastern Ling places any emphasis on girls being better without any talents!”
Gu Xiang and Gu Yi were young, and their minds were innocent. Yu Fu was also unreserved when speaking with them. She would say anything that came to mind.
The two heard what she said and found it to be reasonable. Gu HuaiJiang had previously said that he had met female generals from Western Kun on the battlefield who would not lose to male generals.
“Eastern Ling is a country with culture that studies Confucian classics, while Western Kun is a country of barbarians. How can the two be mentioned in the same breath?”
A lazy voice suddenly came from outside the door. Following this, the sound of a folding fan snapping open rang out.
Gu JiuGe walked in from the outside and continued: “In addition to this, Western Kun is covered in mountains and has a low population. To fulfill their ambition of taking our Eastern Ling’s territory, they had no choice but to take in females to fill their ranks. As for our Eastern Ling, we have plenty of people, and our army is more than enough to deal with Western Kun. What is there any need for women to step onto the battlefield?”
He slowly waved his fan and casually sat down next to Yu Fu.
“The second young sir came. This servant will pour you some tea.”
Lian Bi received his fan with a smile, and Gu JiuGe curled his lips into a smile, “Many thanks.”
The slender female hands that received the fan paused, and Lian Bi’s face blushed a little. Lowering her head very slightly, she retreated from the room.
“Why has second brother suddenly come? Wasn’t it said that father called you and eldest brother over?”
“I was just about to bring up this matter. The second prince and Princess DanYang have come. His Majesty said that the princes should come and learn some martial arts at the marquis manor. Only like that can they be proficient in both studying and martial arts. Who knows why, but Princess DanYang also tagged along, and the second prince had me come and invite Yu Fu over to see her.”
Yu Fu said: “Who is this second prince?”
“The second prince, Ning ChengZhi, is Princess DanYang’s older brother and the son of the First Empress. Though he is the son of the Empress, he is the second child. He is the same age as me, turning 19 this year. His Majesty’s eldest son is the son of Consort Xian. During the dragon boat festival, they were all sent out to Min Zhou, thus you haven’t met them before.”
While Gu JiuGe gave this explanation, Yu Fu recalled that Princess DanYang liked to spend time with Gu ShuBai and quickly stood up, saying: “Then let’s quickly go over. It would not do to be late. Princess DanYang also does not like horse riding or archery. She must be feeling extremely bored from sitting at the training ground. I will go and keep her company!”
“She isn’t bored at all. She is just spending all of her time with eldest brother, leaving the second prince with no chance to properly train in archery. That’s why the second prince had me come to find you to divert her attention.”
As Gu JiuGe spoke, he suddenly remembered something and gave Yu Fu a look over.
The second prince did it to have Gu ShuBai focus on teaching him in archery. Why was Yu Fu in such a rush to get to the training ground?
“Let’s hurry, second brother!”
Yu Fu tugged at his sleeve, and Gu Xiang and Gu Yi also stood up, “We’ll also go!”
When Lian Bi returned with the newly brewed tea, the seats around the table were already empty. All that remained was Yu Fu’s half-empty bowl of bird nest.
She suddenly saw that Gu JiuGe’s folding fan was still resting on a shelf nearby. Thinking that he must have left in a hurry and forgotten that she had taken it.
Lian Bi thought quickly and wrapped it in a thin piece of fabric.
…
The summer days were sweltering, and Yu Fu was shocked to find that a mat awning had been placed on the training ground. Under the awning stood a group of young men.
When Gu HanMo usually trained in archery, he would never make use of a mat awning.
When everyone arrived, they saw an arrow fly out from beneath the awning, striking the center of the target!
“Good!”
Gu JiuGe shouted out in praise. It was only after getting closer that they found that the one who had shot was Gu ShuBai.
When he loosed the arrow, his body was straight, but his hands were relaxed. It was thanks to this that he had such great accuracy.
All of the young men heaped on their praise.
Putting down the bow, he saw Yu Fu come over at Gu JiuGe’s side. Curious, he looked at the second prince.
He had some of the same facial characteristics as Princess DanYang. His forehead had a faint aura of haughtiness along with the a natural vanity that came from his imperial lineage.
The roundness that would amplify a girl’s beauty just made him look a little bit chubby. Fortunately, his body was not fat, and he was only a little bit shorter than Gu ShuBai.
The second prince also looked at her out of curiosity.
The girl before her was a little bit smaller than he had imagined, and she was a little prettier than was reasonable.
It was as if she was an ice carving of a pink dumpling. It felt as if she would melt if the day was any hotter.
That pair of large and jet-black eyes seemed to move like a cool spring in the mountains. Just the sight of them would make people forget about conventions.
He put down his bow in a daze, and Yu Fu walked forward, gently greeting him.
“Greetings, second prince.”
The second prince was startled and looked around, asking curiously: “There are so many people around, and you have never met me before. How do you know that I am the second prince?”
There were four or five other young men from aristocratic families around him. They were all people who got along well with him and Marquis Gu’s Manor.
Yu Fu smiled, her dimples shallowly appearing, “That bearing is naturally different from everyone else.”
Her gaze, however, unconsciously dropped past the jade seal hanging from his hip that clearly had a dragon design.
If he was not a prince, could he possibly wear a dragon design?
“Sure enough, you are smart! It’s no wonder everyone in the capital is saying that Lord Marquis Gu’s daughter is smart. Even if you are not related to him by blood, as I see it, you have Marquis Gu’s grace!”
The second prince wanted to get along well, but Gu ShuBai raised an eyebrow and said: “The matter of Yu Fu not being father’s, could it be that everyone already knows about it?”
The second prince was a little embarrassed and did not know how to respond.
Going by Gu ShuBai’s expression, it seemed that he did not like hearing others mention this. It seemed as though it was a great affront to Yu Fu.
Just as he was worrying about whether he should explain or apologize, they suddenly heard Princess DanYang’s voice come from behind.
“Sister Yu Fu, you came?”
She stepped forward and warmly held Yu Fu’s hand, “I heard brother ShuBai say that you were studying at the school today. If you have anything that you don’t understand, I can come to the marquis manor more often to teach you.”
Before Yu Fu could respond, the sound of laughter rang out.
*TN: Doing some research on the specific type of bowl mentioned, it seems that these bowls had decorations painted on in a clear glaze.
