chapter 19

Chapter 19: Master Song

The young prince carried Shen He, supporting him by the buttocks while the child rested his head on the prince's shoulder, revealing a soft, fair face.

His big eyes rolled about, observing the ministers in the palace corridor.

He giggled.

He looked exceptionally spirited, and the soft, tender flesh on his cheeks made one itch to pinch it.

The newly transferred official realized, "Is this the rumored young master of the Duke's mansion, whom the prince has taken under his wing?"

The colleague nodded, "He's not a prince, but treating him as one wouldn't be wrong."

The official's eyes shifted, as if piecing things together. Just as he was about to speak, the colleague added nonchalantly, "A few days ago, this young master hit a prince and faced no consequences. Clearly, he's held in no lesser regard."

The official was taken aback, "...?"

Oblivious to this conversation, Shen He clung to Qi Zhuoyun's neck, gleefully enjoying the ride.

As they neared the Eastern Palace, Shen He wriggled, indicating he wanted to walk by himself.

Truthfully, he preferred being carried by Qi Zhuoyun.

Qi Zhuoyun had grown at an astonishing rate; he was now roughly 1.7 meters tall. In a couple more years, he would undoubtedly exceed 1.8 meters.

Shen He, who was only 178 cm by the end of high school, was envious of this.

Had he not undergone transmigration, he surely would have reached 1.8 meters! After all, he wasn’t even twenty; there was still room for growth!

Now, not even a meter tall, Shen He was ambitiously determined to eat well and surpass 1.8 meters this time around.

Little Shen, with dreams of growing taller than 1.8 meters, was led by the hand by Qi Zhuoyun.

To accommodate the child’s height, Qi Zhuoyun had to stoop slightly.

The child raised his hand high and took rapid, tiny steps, striving to keep up with Qi Zhuoyun's pace.

For every step Qi Zhuoyun took, the child had to take several to catch up.

Consequently, Qi Zhuoyun slowed down, reducing his stride.

He looked down at the child and, seeing Shen He's radiant smile revealing a neat row of tiny teeth,

He whispered, "Did Master Song give Hehe a day off today?"

Why else would he be this joyful?

On hearing this, Shen He's expression fell.

Why bring up that devil now?

Little Shen He had been attending classes under the watchful eye of his tutor since he was three.

Compared to Song Lin’an, the young prince’s methods seemed mild.

At least with the young prince, after some sweet talk and cuddling, he wouldn’t dream of having a mere three-year-old copy and memorize texts as punishment!

In reality, the punishment was limited to copying a few lines Shen He had learned.

Still, Shen He felt that he, a three-year-old toddler, had been subjected to immense torment!

He pouted, murmuring, "No, after copying five poems and memorizing them, I was allowed to meet Prince brother."

Saying this, he looked up at Qi Zhuoyun with an expression of grievance, hoping the young prince might intervene in Master Song's rather extreme teaching methods.

Unexpectedly, the young prince couldn’t hold back a chuckle.

His throat a bit sore, after the laugh he pressed a hand to his throat, coughing softly a couple of times.

Easing the discomfort in his throat, Qi Zhuoyun bent down and scooped up Shen He.

He looked at the child's puckered lips and the hopeful gaze from those large eyes.

Qi Zhuoyun stifled a chuckle and coaxed, "Has Hehe memorized it? Recite it for the prince, will you?"

Shen He: ?

None of you are good people!

Hearing those words, the child's lips pouted so much that they could hang an oil lamp, and Qi Zhuoyun couldn't contain his laughter.

With a beaming smile, he pinched the soft flesh of the child's cheek.

Despite feeling wronged, the child obediently recited the poem in his soft, sweet voice.

Song Lin'an didn't choose a difficult poem for such a young child, picking one that was easy to memorize.

After listening to the child recite, he praised, "Hehe is truly talented. Considering how skilled Hehe is, I suspect it was the fifth prince's fault before."

Shen He felt a pang of guilt.

What's going on? Why is this old issue being brought up after so many days?

Six days ago, Shen He was invited to play in Princess Liuxuan's palace.

Over the past few years, he visited every few days.

He would play for a while and then wander around other parts of the palace.

His journey would often end at the Imperial Garden, where he would study various plants and always pick a few to take back for his aunt and the young prince.

While picking flowers, Shen He was pushed to the ground by the fifth prince.

The fifth prince, just a year and a half older than Shen He, was merely a little sprout at six years old.

An eighteen-year-old would certainly not regard such a young child seriously.

He dusted himself off and rose, intending to leave.

If he couldn't confront him, couldn't he avoid him?

Who knew that the stubborn kid, taking advantage of being slightly taller than Shen He, would snatch his flowers?

He even crushed the flowers that Shen He had carefully selected.

Could Shen He tolerate this?

Without hesitation, he shouted loudly for his nanny, and while the naughty child was stunned by his loud voice, Shen He gave him a good beating!

Leaving the naughty child wailing in tears.

Naturally, Princess Xuan learned of this incident afterward.

The parents of the two little tykes arrived at the scene.

Princess Xuan, without knowing the full story, only knew that Lianqiao and the nanny weren't right behind Shen He at the time and was unsure of the exact details.

She immediately concluded that her dear child must have been bullied and gave a stern reprimand.

Then, cradling Shen He affectionately, she returned to Qixia Palace.

The fifth prince's mother, Princess Yun, perhaps out of indignation and not daring to confront Princess Xuan, discreetly mentioned the incident to the emperor.

Word of the event spread throughout the capital.

Most of the noble families were aware that the heir of the Shen family had struck a prince.

Everyone had expected the emperor to comment on it, perhaps reprimanding the Shen family.

However, the emperor didn’t utter a word, only seemingly summoning the crown prince to inquire further.

The situation felt much like being called into school by the principal; Shen He was both embarrassed and stifled.

He had hoped the matter would fade away, but hearing the main character bring it up now, he leaned into his embrace, fidgeting with his chubby fingers guiltily.

Unable to resist his conscience's interrogation, he whispered, "Brother... he stepped on my flowers, so I hit him."

He added in a murmur, "I won't do it again."

And if I do, I'll make sure he doesn’t recognize it was me.

No, that's not right.

The young prince remained silent for a while.

Qi Zhuoyun paused for a moment, his expression softening further.

So that's what happened.

He thought of the bouquet Shen He would present to him in a few days.

The fifth prince had trampled on the flowers meant for him, so the child, out of anger, had retaliated.

A hint of melancholy swelled within him, a feeling he couldn’t quite articulate. Holding Shen He close, he lifted the child slightly and whispered, "The crown prince understands now."

Holding the child, he returned to the hall and instructed Zhong Hong, "Bring the soup."

Zhong Hong promptly acknowledged, signaling to the eunuchs and maids as he left. The room emptied, leaving only Qi Zhuoyun and Shen He.

Qi Zhuoyun sat down, placing the little bundle on his lap.

The child's growth seemed somewhat delayed. He had seen many kids around Shen He's age who were taller.

Years ago, when Shen He was younger and less aware, Zhong Hong had consoled him by saying that Shen He was quiet because he was well-behaved.

Now, it's clear that his quiet demeanor was due to being premature, making him slightly less developed than his peers.

Fortunately, he had been well cared for, hardly falling ill, even if he was a bit on the smaller side.

Holding the child's warm hand, he squeezed gently and asked, “Why wouldn’t you hit him? If he stepped on your flowers, he was asking for it. I'm pleasantly surprised that you managed to beat the fifth prince.”

Even if Shen He had been the one bullying the fifth prince, Qi Zhuoyun wouldn’t have held it against him.

The child looked up, blinking in what seemed to be genuine confusion.

His small mouth opened in surprise, "But, but Lianqiao said you were reprimanded because of it."

He felt guilty for causing trouble for the male lead.

The always tender-hearted prince's smile rarely faded.

His beloved Shen He was always so well-mannered; who wouldn’t adore him?

Thankfully, Princess Liuxuan was assertive. Without a doubt, she knew Shen He was the victim. Otherwise, if someone bullied his child, Qi Zhuoyun would ensure they paid for it.

However, this incident did serve as a reminder.

It was evident, even without asking, that the second prince had influenced the fifth prince to bully Shen He.

In the capital, most children from influential families were enrolled in the Imperial Academy.

The academy provided dormitories for all children over five from noble families, offering them foundational education.

This setup allowed these young nobles to build early relationships, ensuring they had allies as they grew up.

Establishing such a network was crucial.

Previously, he felt Shen He didn't need this. Not to mention that he, Qi Zhuoyun, would always have Shen He's back. Merely being the heir of the Shen ducal household and the beloved nephew of Princess Liuxuan already placed Shen He above most peers. Even if he attended the academy, others would try to curry favor with him.

There's also the risk of Shen He meeting sycophantic individuals who might lead him astray.

Now, his perspective had shifted.

If the second prince could influence the fifth prince, he certainly could sway many other young nobles in the capital against Shen He.

And with Shen He spending most of his time in the palace or at the ducal mansion, severing ties with peers of his age isn't ideal.

Since learning about the conflict, Qi Zhuoyun had been contemplating this.

Gazing at the child's cherubic face, he asked, "Hehe, would you like to attend the Imperial Academy? It's a place to learn reading and writing. But remember, you won't be the only one studying there; many will accompany you on this journey."

Shen He: "..."

Goosebumps rose on his back!

Help! That sounded so strange!

It felt as if he was being told, "Being punished alone is lonely. How about a place where a group of people can be punished with you? Fun, right?"

The child's eyes widened in alarm.

Qi Zhuoyun gently continued, "In the Imperial Academy, you'll meet many young nobles who can play alongside you. However, there, it won't be Teacher Song instructing you, but scholarly tutors you haven’t met."

He wanted to comfort Shen He, persuading him to willingly attend the academy alone.

To form his own network of connections.

As he pondered how best to convince the child,

Shen He's eyes lit up, his voice high-pitched with excitement, "I'll go! I want to attend the Imperial Academy! Brother, I really want to!"

No more lessons from Teacher Song!