CHAPTER 31: CHAPTER 31: THE DEMEANOR OF A CROWN PRINCE

The teacher called the roll, and Tang Xiaobai immediately stood up to listen to the instruction.

Mr. Zhang, however, didn’t speak directly; instead, he looked down again at the paper in his hand, making Tang Xiaobai’s heart race.

Last night, she had a clever idea to choose one sheet she thought was the best written from the assignments of Ah Xiao and the other three, mixing it in with her own and handing it in.

Her plan was that if any sheet caught Mr. Zhang’s attention, she would claim it got mixed in by accident, thus naturally drawing Mr. Zhang’s attention to Little Qin’s talent—of course it was Little Qin, the other three were far from comparable!

Could it be that the sheet in the teacher’s hand was written by Little Qin?

Tang Xiaobai waited anxiously yet excitedly for Mr. Zhang to speak and inquire, already eager to respond!

...

Zhang Yin looked at the characters in his hand, swallowing the question that was about to escape his lips.

Clearly, this sheet, like the other three, wasn’t written by the Second Miss Tang.

The other three were at a beginner’s level, but this one was different.

The calligraphy can’t be considered good, but the strokes showed structure. This kind of structure doesn’t come from sheer practice but must be guided by a renowned teacher.

Thus, the owner of these characters was calling out to be identified.

However, why was it mixed in with the coursework of the Second Miss Tang? Was it intentional or accidental? If intentional, what was the purpose?

Zhang Yin pondered uncertainly and then decided to put it aside for the moment.

He was about to ask Second Miss Tang to sit down when he looked up and saw the little girl looking at him with eyes full of bright, eager anticipation.

Zhang Yin immediately smiled with understanding, praised her, saying, "Second Miss has copied very well! Although the foundation is still shallow, the strokes are careful and meticulous, indicating a serious attitude towards copy-writing." It’s quite cute to praise this little girl.

He then signaled her to sit down and proceeded to critique the next student’s work.

Tang Xiaobai was a bit confused; was the teacher... unaware?

...

"Hey——" Tang Xiaobai tapped the pen on the boy absorbed in his writing.

Li Mu stopped writing and looked up, silently inquiring.

"Do you think... why didn’t Mr. Zhang realize there were a few characters that weren’t written by me?" This question puzzled her all morning.

Originally, she thought Mr. Zhang might be leaving her some dignity and would talk to her after class, but as soon as class ended, Mr. Zhang left without hesitation, much like a tired office worker after clocking out.

Li Mu was silent for a moment, then asked, "Did Second Miss mix my characters among them?"

Only then did Tang Xiaobai remember she hadn’t told him: "Not just yours, I put all four of yours in. Wouldn’t it be great if the teacher noticed them?"

Tao Zi couldn’t help but look up and say, "Other than Ah Xiao, who else could Mr. Zhang possibly notice?"

Tang Xiaobai said earnestly, "Opportunities are for those who are prepared. You must prepare well; there will be chances in the future!"

After dealing with Tao Zi, she leaned in to Ah Xiao and whispered, "If he can’t see it, could he be a worldly society’s conman?"

"Clatter!" Li Mu’s pen fell onto the paper.

The little girl exclaimed "Oops," quickly picked up his pen, and gave him a fresh sheet of paper.

Li Mu was silent for a while and then said, "The teacher may have seen but chose not to point it out."

He could guess the Second Miss’s intention in mixing his writing with the coursework, but Zhang Yin might not be able to guess, so to be cautious, he acted as if he hadn’t seen it.

The little girl thought for a moment, murmured, "That might be possible too..." and awkwardly smiled, "I was being narrow-minded."

Li Mu looked at his neatly arranged paper and pen by the Second Miss and replied, "Second Miss is clever."

The little girl’s eyes curved with a smile at the compliment, joyfully tilting her head to see what he wrote today.

With one look, she was surprised and gasped softly, then glanced at him, keeping silent.

Li Mu, after all, was still a young boy. Being looked at with admiration by a little girl made him somewhat proud.

The day before, he dared not show his writing for fear of causing trouble if it spread.

But he later found that although the Second Miss was small, she was very cautious in her actions, keeping everything to herself except for the one sheet mixed in with the coursework.

As for the mixed sheet that Mr. Zhang received, it naturally wouldn’t be passed on.

Thus, he could confidently practice calligraphy, striving to demonstrate his true skill, after all, his writing was meant to be shown to Mr. Zhang...

...

Tang Xiaobai flipped through Ah Xiao’s homework submitted today, pondering for a long time before finally deciding—

No mixing! This is written too well! Clearly, it’s passed down from tradition! What if someone with ulterior motives sees it?

Besides, although she suspected Mr. Zhang might be in the Capital City for Little Qin, it was only a suspicion, not confirmed, and if there were any misunderstandings, rashly exposing Little Ancestor’s presence could complicate matters.

The talents of the Little Ancestor are better revealed gradually, providing room for growth, thus not arousing others’ suspicions...

...

Next day, Zhang Yin went through the assignments submitted by Second Miss Tang and frowned.

Where did it go?

He flipped through again, still finding nothing.

So what did yesterday’s sheet mean at all?

Though his contacts hadn’t mentioned any special arrangements, it’s better to be cautious and avoid causing additional complications.

Having decided this, Zhang Yin put down Tang Xiaobai’s homework, drew out the scroll hidden in his sleeve, and carefully opened it.

The scroll opened, about one foot square, and the paper was thin as cicada’s wings, densely covered with hundreds of small characters, structured tightly, the strokes stable, showing continuity with the one from yesterday, indicating they were from the same person’s hand.

This was the article personally submitted by the Crown Prince today, who also submitted an article the day before.

But why, having already submitted an article, did he need to mix in such a mediocre sheet of big characters?

Can’t figure it out.

Zhang Yin shook his head, continuing to examine today’s work.

The characters were commendable, clearly learned from great masters, not even needing his pointers.

However, the entire text’s faintly ominous atmosphere made it somewhat uncomfortable to read.

Words are a reflection of the person.

Such a background, such encounters, are indeed too cruel for a child.

The more cruel aspect is a prince brought up this way ultimately lacks the air of a Crown Prince.

Before leaving, his grandfather also reminded him that national peace and stability are paramount...

Zhang Yin couldn’t help but sigh, then continued reading the article.

The topic was selected from "Mencius," superficially assigned to clan school children, but actually meant to assess the Crown Prince’s grasp of the Four Books.

Honestly speaking, the Crown Prince’s article was regarded less than his peers at Gu Family’s clan school; nevertheless, a ruler isn’t required to write better than his ministers, but from his writing, it’s evident he’s been delayed for several years with a weaker foundation.

And it’s unknown whether the Crown Prince found today’s lesson challenging to understand...

...

"Did you...all understand the content of today’s class taught by sir?" Tang Xiaobai wanted to ask Ah Xiao this question, but upon raising her head to see the four children, she rephrased and asked everyone.

As expected, there was a chorus of shaking heads below.

Of course, others didn’t understand; Tang Xiaobai only kept an eye on Ah Xiao.

The young boy’s expression remained calm, not the least bit guilty, as he joined in shaking his head.