Yun Shu: "..."
"Ah. Seriously.
Was Father Emperor truly so petty as to fine Yun Chuhuan twice for the same offense?
Yes, Yun Chuhuan's antics had been somewhat ridiculous, but had it not been Father Emperor who started it in the first place?"
Unaware that this so-called offense of "sleeping with one's head under the blanket" was actually tied to something more serious, Yun Shu paused for a moment, feeling just a trace of guilt on Yun Chuhuan's behalf for this unexpected calamity.
Still simmering with indignation, Yun Chuhuan failed to notice the subtle flicker of sympathy on Yun Shu's face. He stomped a foot with theatrical frustration.
"Consort Mother was there yesterday too! Not only did she say nothing in my defense, she actually sided with Father Emperor. She even said that sleeping like that was improper and that I ought to learn a lesson from it! Too much, far too much! Fifth Sister, I have decided—I shall stay here in your palace for the time being! That way, I won't wake up one day to find Father Emperor standing beside my bed or, Heaven forbid, in my bath, finding some ludicrous excuse to fine me again!"
"Are you certain about that?"
Yun Shu's smile barely moved as she lifted a brow.
"You do know how far this place is from the imperial academy. If you stay here, you'll have to get up even earlier every morning."
"...Then I'll stay anyway!"
There was a moment of hesitation in Yun Chuhuan's expression. But perhaps he felt it would be shameful to slink back now. Gritting his teeth, he made a bold decision.
"It's almost New Year's Eve. I'll endure a bit of hardship. Once the holiday arrives, we'll all have a break."
"So you plan to return only after the holiday ends?" Yun Shu asked.
"Of course not!"
Yun Chuhuan puffed up indignantly.
"I'll return after the holiday ends on purpose! That way, Consort Mother will realize how wrong she was to take Father Emperor's side yesterday. She needs to understand the pain of her betrayal."
"But…"
Yun Shu paused, then delivered the fatal blow.
"That means you won't get your talisman money."
Yun Chuhuan: "!!!"
Right!
Talisman money was important! Even if it was just a hundred taels—it was still money!
The proud resolution that had burned so brightly in Yun Chuhuan's eyes fizzled in an instant. Like a balloon pricked by a needle, he collapsed into his chair, frowning.
"Then what should I do? Should I go back just before New Year's Eve, collect the talisman money, and then sneak off again?"
Yun Shu smiled gently. "What do you think?"
Yun Chuhuan: "..."
Wuwuwu. Life was hard.
-
The final few days of the year passed swiftly.
On New Year's Eve, the foreign envoys, as they had during the Wanshou Festival, attended the imperial banquet.
Given that Huyan Mingchuan was to remain in the capital for the coming year, under the pretense of cultivating a bond with Yun Shu, his seat was once again arranged beside her.
"Your Highness truly has not left the palace even once recently."
As soon as he sat down, Huyan Mingchuan leaned slightly closer and spoke in a voice only Yun Shu could hear, the tone lightly teasing.
"Is it that my face truly fails to please you?"
"You would do well to shut your mouth."
Yun Shu calmly adjusted the folds of her robe and lowered her voice to match.
"Do not forget the condition under which This Princess allowed you to remain in the capital. You were to go about your business quietly and not disturb This Princess."
"So heartless."
Huyan Mingchuan clicked his tongue.
"But since the delegation has not yet departed, must we not put on one final performance tonight? They sent me here to tempt you. It would be unseemly for me to sit beside you like a block of wood and do nothing."
"That is easily solved."
Yun Shu pulled a thick little booklet from her sleeve and tossed it in front of him without expression.
"Read this. If Second Prince and the others ask, tell them This Princess disdains ignorant men. Anyone wishing to win This Princess's favor must first comprehend what is written in this book."
"A token of affection, so soon—"
Huyan Mingchuan began to joke, but Yun Shu's cold gaze silenced him.
Unfazed, he leaned slightly, angling himself out of sight from the others, and gave her the kind of crooked, wicked smile only villains in old tales wore.
Yun Shu: "..."
She looked away immediately.
Huyan Mingchuan, still playing his role, did not dare push further. With nothing else to do, he opened the little book Yun Shu had given him.
Hm? He couldn't understand it.
The playful glint in his eyes dimmed. He turned the page. Still incomprehensible.
Page after page, the words were familiar, and the symbols—though strange—were legible. Yet together, they formed a mysterious language that made no sense.
What in the world was this?
Over the years, he had studied everything he could in secret, far beyond what his siblings suspected. Yet here he was, utterly baffled.
"Did you make this up?"
He had thought Yun Shu was merely mocking him. Yet, unexpectedly, he had truly become the ignorant fool she accused him of being.
Flustered by the strange power known as "middle school mathematics," Huyan Mingchuan's arrogance faltered.
"Is this even readable?"
Yun Shu did not turn her head.
"If you find it difficult, practice more."
Huyan Mingchuan: "?"
He did not fully grasp the meaning, but he could sense the scorn behind her words.
It was just a book.
Scoffing, he started reading from the first page with newfound determination.
For the remainder of the banquet, he never once lifted his head.
Across the hall, the Second Prince of Bei Xiang and Princess Baza watched him closely: "???"
Yun Shu neither knew nor cared how Huyan Mingchuan managed to deal with the Second Prince and Princess Baza after the banquet, having spent the entire evening lost in a trance over secondary school math.
She merely thought herself a genius.
Who would have thought a simple textbook intended for Tian Sheng Academy could become such a powerful shield?
She enjoyed her seven-day holiday in peace.
As soon as the New Year celebrations concluded, she threw herself with full vigor into constructing the capital campus of Tian Sheng Academy.
Medical lectures would be handled by the imperial physicians, rotating from the Imperial Medical Bureau.
For arithmetic and accounting, she had already spoken with Minister Yan, who agreed to assign staff from the Ministry of Revenue.
Craftsmanship courses, such as carpentry and smithing, were even simpler. Local artisans were brought in directly.
Even the mechanical innovation courses had been arranged. Jiang Yuanbao and Zheng Qiaozhang had agreed to take charge for the first year.
The only real headache left was agricultural studies, which many saw as unworthy of academic attention, and the ever-misunderstood mathematics courses.
No matter how hard she searched, she had yet to find a suitable teacher for either.