"Today, let's start by writing ten big characters," Huo Ling said. Thinking about his handwriting that even he may not be able to stand, Huo Ling found that he couldn't find a reason to refuse, so he obediently responded, "Oh."
As Xia Anzi ground the ink with the Wuyuan Longwei inkstone, Huo Ling used the white jade carved paperweight to press the Chengxin Hall paper and took up a miscellaneous pen. Standing in front of the desk, under the attentive and serious gaze of the Grand Tutor Wang Ancheng, he always felt that he could write a masterpiece in the next moment.
- Unexplained pride.
However, ideals are lofty and everything is just wishful thinking.
Wang Ancheng: "First, write the character '永' twenty times."
Huo Ling: "Oh."
Wang Ancheng stroked his beard, and stared at Huo Ling sternly, occasionally correcting him, saying, "This stroke is too strong, you need to be lighter here," or pointing out that Huo Ling's posture was wrong, even correcting his posture himself...
After several attempts, Huo Ling suddenly found that he might not be able to write after all?
What is '永'? He doesn't know.
What is a 'character'? He doesn't know.
Holding the miscellaneous pen, Huo Ling was at a loss.
Weak, helpless, and powerless.
He subconsciously looked towards Wang Ancheng standing on the side. However, immersed in the emotion of "I must teach the crown prince well," the Grand Tutor was not aware of Huo Ling's "helplessness." He even thought that Huo Ling was looking at him with admiration, and further imparted his years of handwriting experience to Huo Ling.
"Your Highness, I believe you can do it."
Huo Ling: "..." You believe, I don't.
He was a rational dandy and wouldn't lose his temper at will. Moreover, no matter how unruly he was, Huo Ling still understood the principle of "respecting the teacher." In addition, Grand Tutor Wang Ancheng had done nothing wrong...
After a moment of silence, Huo Ling took a deep breath, tried to keep a smile, and continued to practice writing with the pen.
When he left the palace after the class, Huo Ling felt that it wasn't just his hand that was worn out, but also himself.
Thinking about possibly having to practice writing again tomorrow, Huo Ling's entire being felt low, especially when he returned home and saw his wife Wang Fei lounging under the grape arbor, reclining in a chair and eating grapes.
Being able to eat grapes in early spring, he really had to thank some unknown ancestor who invented the "greenhouse technology," and... for being fortunate in his previous life.
Thinking so, Huo Ling sniffed, trying to imagine the scent of grapes on the tray.
- Even though he didn't eat the grapes, he felt they must be sour.
Waving a hand to the maids who were about to greet him and unintentionally disturb the queen, Huo Ling quietly walked up behind the queen, Liang Yue.
Covering her eyes with his hand, Huo Ling intentionally asked in a hoarse voice, "Guess who I am?"
Having sensed Huo Ling's breath early on, Liang Yue subconsciously smiled, but cooperatively played along with Huo Ling, "Who are you?"
"Guess."
"Do you think I'll guess or not guess?"
Huo Ling: "..." Why isn't she following normal logic? He was puzzled for a moment, and quickly reacted, "You guess if I'll guess or not guess if you guess?"
"You guess... um."
Before Liang Yue could continue, Huo Ling directly kissed his queen, blocking any possibility of her speaking.
The blushing maids on the side discreetly retreated.
After the kiss, Huo Ling sat on the recliner, holding his queen in one hand, and occasionally picking up a grape from the tray, feeding one to his queen and then to himself.
Mmm, quite sweet, another one.
One grape after another, as the slightly chilly spring breeze brushed past his face, Huo Ling's mood not only gradually improved, but even drowsiness crept over him.
Just as Huo Ling was about to fall asleep, Liang Yue, leaning in his arms, inadvertently caught sight of ink stains on his sleeve. She couldn't help but smile, "Your Highness, what did you do when you entered the palace today? Did you encounter something unpleasant? Tell me to make me happy."
Because she had not officially moved into the Eastern Palace, Liang Yue still called Huo Ling "Your Highness" as before. At the beginning, when people called him "Your Highness," he got goosebumps several times.
As the daughter of an imperial censor, Liang Yue had always been a typical lady in the capital city. At first, she had to marry out of obedience due to the decree, but after marrying Huo Ling, she found that married life wasn't as difficult as she had imagined—Huo Ling, despite being criticized for so many years, had never been unfilial.
- Filial?
- That's something you can show to others, but not something to burden yourself with.
Having opened the doors to a new world, Liang Yue gradually freed herself from the shackles of so-called rules that had bound her in the past. Since becoming the Queen of Yan, Liang Yue had to endure her parents' heartfelt concern every time she returned home, but she became more vibrant, and her life with Huo Ling became more lively.
Until... Huo Ling became the crown prince.
Watching Huo Ling's usual behavior amidst her probing that could be considered offensive, Liang Yue's smile gradually overflowed from her eyes and even spread to the corners of her mouth and eyebrows.
As long as Prince was her Ah Ling, she feared nothing.
On the other hand, Huo Ling was oblivious, still looking distressed as he complained to Queen Liang Yue about the Emperor's cruelty, the unreliable attitude of his mother consort, and the frustration with Grand Tutor who taught him with dedication but didn't pay attention to his mood.
"If it weren't for the fact that he was deceived by my father into coming even though his beard is all white, I would definitely have a good argument with him." Huo Ling suddenly straightened up, showing a look of anger as he said, "I'm already so grown up, why do I have to learn things that three-year-old children learn."
"Angry, hm."
- Because you're not even as good as a three-year-old child.
- "Liuyue!"
- Huo Ling called out the name of his wife in an unhappy manner, and Liuyue suddenly realized that he had spoken out what was on his mind.
- Facing Huo Ling's questioning gaze, Liuyue straightened her mouth, suppressed her smile, and comforted the sorely-troubled Huo Ling with utmost seriousness about the "calligraphy torture" he suffered today.
- "Your Highness has worked hard today. How about we have hot pot tonight?"
- "…" With a vacant look, forgetting his temper, Huo Ling quickly ordered, "...I want lamb hot pot."
- "But, Your Highness, haven't you been having internal heat recently?"
- "I don't care, I want to eat lamb."
- "Alright, alright, we'll have lamb hot pot tonight."
- Comforted by Liuyue's gentle words, Huo Ling's irritable mood was smoothed out by the prospect of having lamb hot pot that night. Even though he had to rise early the next day to study in the palace, Huo Ling managed to maintain his spirited state.
- In the end, all that spirit collapsed in the stroke of the character "永."
- "Your Highness, you've put too much force into this stroke, which has altered the entire structure of the character." The Grand Tutor looked at Huo Ling with a helpless expression.
- Sighing inwardly, Wang Ancheng patiently and meticulously instructed Huo Ling on how to handle the brush, "Your Highness, you should write the stroke like this… Yes, don't press too hard… No no no, not like that, lighter."
- "Gently, gently, even more gently…"
- Huo Ling was worked up and drenched in sweat, and even Grand Tutor Wang Ancheng also looked worse for wear.
- Despite knowing where the mistake was, why did Huo Ling make the same mistake again? Wang Ancheng, the new Grand Tutor, who rarely encountered true stupidity due to his upbringing, truly couldn't understand why Huo Ling couldn't do what his three-year-old grandson could do.
- After teaching Huo Ling for only two days, Wang Ancheng suddenly realized the true meaning of the Emperor's significant and somewhat intimidating look on him at the beginning.
- Mentally exhausted, this student was really difficult to teach.
- After a morning of struggles, when Huo Ling finally wrote the character "永" in a way that satisfied Wang Ancheng, both Huo Ling and Wang Ancheng couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
- "Your Highness, you did well today." Praiseworthy of Huo Ling with a clear conscience, Wang Ancheng coughed lightly and proceeded, "But you still need more practice."
- Huo Ling: "…Okay."
- Tasked with writing fifteen pieces of large characters, Huo Ling did not even have the energy to pay respects to the Emperor and his mother, so he casually chose to leave the palace. Unfortunately, he encountered the steward An De on the way again.
- After not seeing each other for a few days, An De's belly had grown larger, but the curve of his mouth remained the same as ever, showing no change.
- "Your Highness, the Emperor wishes to see you."
- Huo Ling yawned weakly and asked with lowered eyes, "To see me for what?"
- An De did not answer Huo Ling's question, maintaining a bowed posture while silently smiling at him. The people brought by An De also assumed a surrounding formation, conversing with An De while discreetly observing Huo Ling, who couldn't help twitching his eye corner.
- Why?
- Realizing he couldn't escape, Huo Ling wisely followed An De to the Qianqing Palace.
- Upon entering the hall, Huo Ling first greeted the Emperor, who was seated at the top.
- "Greetings to Father Emperor."
- "Hmm."
- Even though his back was turned to Huo Ling, the Emperor did not turn around even after Huo Ling greeted him. Instead, he continued facing away, saying, "Little Five, the East Palace has been prepared for a long time."
- Still unsure, Huo Ling asked, "What does that have to do with me?"
- The Emperor remained silent, trying to contain the desire to turn around and scold Huo Ling. Realizing that he couldn't beat around the bush with Huo Ling, the Emperor, who was used to leaving half of his speech unsaid, was very unhappy, extremely unhappy, but still patiently asked Huo Ling directly, "When will you move into the East Palace?"
- As the Crown Prince, not residing in the East Palace was a matter of conduct.
- Huo Ling couldn't see the expression of the Emperor with his back turned, but he could still sense from the Emperor's voice that the latter was on the edge of fury.
- What should he do? He wanted to push the boundaries a little further.
- Therefore, Huo Ling fearlessly answered the Emperor's question, without any hint of guilt, "Father Emperor, didn't you instruct me to choose an auspicious day to move into the East Palace?"
- "…So?" Unable to contain himself, the Emperor turned directly to face Huo Ling at the lower end and asked, "What do you want to say?"
- "Cough, since it's about choosing a day, naturally, I should pick an auspicious date." The decree that made him the Crown Prince didn't specify which day he must move into the East Palace, so it was natural for him to choose when he wanted to move.
- The expressionless Emperor looked at Huo Ling and calmly continued, "Then tell me, what day do you want to choose?"
- Huo Ling touched his nose, grinned at the Emperor, and confidently replied, "When my son is born." Boldly puffing out his chest, Huo Ling felt that his idea of letting his future son decide the auspicious time was great, after all, "A newborn brings a new atmosphere, which is more auspicious than anything else."
- The Emperor: "…"
- His wife, who had been married for five years and had not even borne a child?
- The Emperor didn't even want to ask if Huo Ling was serious. He directly changed the subject, "What if you have a daughter?"
- Huo Ling still wasn't proficient in playing with words, but he had a special way of getting under people's skin. Since he started to have an impact in front of the Emperor, and the Emperor finally realized that he had a fifth son, the Emperor often felt the strong, seemingly catastrophic "yearning" from Huo Ling.
- Sitting at the top, the Emperor closed his eyes, took a deep breath.
- No, he couldn't endure it.
- There was only one word for Huo Ling's "paternal love"—
"Get lost."