Chapter 260
**Chapter 258: Hidden Dangers**
“Word has it that you were unwell a few days ago. How is your health now?” Li Chengzhen feigned a concerned expression.
He understood the weight of Yang Xuanji’s presence.
Yang Xuanji was a man of vast knowledge, a learned scholar with a stubborn disposition and a fierce hatred for evil. To the civil officials and common folk, he was a prominent figure, a scholar whose name would surely be recorded in history.
Li Chengzhen aspired to be Yang Xuanji’s student, willing to endure his arrogance and rudeness. His uncle and mother had told him that being taught by Yang Xuanji would enhance Li Chengzhen’s reputation.
Students of great scholars earned the trust of both officials and the common people.
Yang Xuanji returned the gesture with a polite bow, his tone neither servile nor arrogant as he greeted Li Chengzhen. “Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I have recovered from my illness and am quite well.”
At twelve years old, Li Chengzhen had spent enough time in the palace to no longer be the naive child he once was.
With an apologetic look, he addressed Yang Xuanji, “My younger brother, the Eighth Prince, is still young and doesn’t understand the ways of the court. He was raised outside the palace for the first three years of his life and is unfamiliar with the rules and the importance of respecting his teachers. I apologize on his behalf for his earlier rudeness.”
Li Chengzhen deliberately brought up the misdeeds of his younger brother, Li Chengtai.
Yang Xuanji’s face turned cold as he stroked his beard. “The Eighth Prince is young but exceptionally bright. I had intended to request an audience with the Emperor to become his tutor. However, I fell ill recently and missed the opportunity.”
Li Chengzhen’s mind went blank for a moment.
He was taken aback.
“Sir, then you came to the palace today to…” Li Chengzhen asked.
Yang Xuanji, still stroking his beard, huffed, “Of course, to request the Emperor’s permission to teach the Eighth Prince! That Zhang Fenghua, still wet behind the ears, and that lame Zheng, how could they compare to me?”
With that, Yang Xuanji bid farewell to Li Chengzhen and hurried off toward Chang’an Palace. In broad daylight, the seventy-year-old moved with surprising agility, revealing his eagerness.
Li Chengzhen stood frozen in place, as if doused with a bucket of ice water from head to toe.
Jealousy, resentment, bitterness, and grievance swirled within him.
A thousand emotions exploded in his heart, leaving his head buzzing. His uncle, observing the scene, approached and patted his nephew’s shoulder. “You needn’t take it to heart. Your other tutors are all quite learned as well.”
Li Chengzhen’s uncle was the Queen’s elder brother, the current head of the Dantai family. Today, he had come to the palace ostensibly to visit the “ill” Queen, but in reality, he was there to urge Dantai Yinxue to vie for favor.
Li Chengzhen clenched his fists. “Uncle, how am I any less than Li Chengtai? He’s only four years old, yet Yang Xuanji would rather teach a four-year-old than be my tutor!”
The head of the Dantai family frowned, finding it perplexing.
Could it be that the Eighth Prince was truly a genius?
Shaking his head, the Dantai family head consoled Li Chengzhen, “Don’t overthink it. The Empress’s brother, Shen Xiuming, is a student of Yang Xuanji. Perhaps Yang Xuanji is willing to teach the Eighth Prince out of respect for Shen Xiuming.”
Li Chengzhen pondered this connection, and his jealousy eased slightly.
Grinding his teeth, he said stubbornly, “Yang Xuanji prides himself on being a paragon of virtue, but I see him as hypocritical, already colluding with the Empress.”
The Dantai family head contemplated for a moment, then said gravely, “The Empress is rising in power, and she indeed poses a hidden danger.”
With General Shen backing her and three children of her own, she was a significant threat that needed to be eliminated.
“Dear child, work hard and strive to be the best among the princes. The Dantai family will do everything in its power to support you,” the Dantai family head urged.
Li Chengzhen glanced at his uncle and nodded obediently. “I understand. I won’t let you down.”
The Dantai family head felt reassured, thinking how easily children could be manipulated. The family currently valued Li Chengzhen solely because he was the only male heir in the royal family.
Just days ago, the Emperor had summoned Dantai Yinxue to his chambers and rewarded her handsomely afterward. Once she bore a son, Li Chengzhen would be of no consequence.
As the Dantai family head walked with Li Chengzhen toward the palace gates, the boy appeared compliant, but inside, a raging fire burned.
Li Chengzhen thought to himself, how hypocritical his uncle was.
He claimed the family would support him, yet his mother remained trapped in Kun Ning Palace, and the family had sent a beautiful newcomer into the palace. It was clear they had abandoned the Queen and were preparing to abandon him as well…
Li Chengzhen clenched his sleeves tightly, feeling as if a fierce flame was igniting within him. He wanted to burn down the family, the palace, and even his father, mother, and brothers.
...
News of Yang Xuanji’s audience with the Emperor spread quickly.
It was said that he argued passionately before the Emperor, citing texts and adopting an unyielding attitude, determined to become the Eighth Prince’s tutor.
He even dragged his old bones to the Guangwen Pavilion to challenge Zhang Taifu and Zheng Xueshi in a battle of wits.
In the end, Emperor Li Yuanjing issued an edict appointing Yang Xuanji, Zhang Taifu, and Zheng Xueshi as Li Chengtai’s tutors.
The rumor circulating in the harem that “the Eighth Prince made Yang Xuanji ill with anger” was swiftly debunked.
The Eighth Prince was indeed gifted, and it was rare for several scholars to compete for the chance to teach him.
...
In Yongning Palace, Shen Wei reclined in a rattan chair on the waterside, her face covered with a specially made beauty mask, while she clutched the “Performance Evaluation Book” of the harem. There were many maids and eunuchs in the palace, and quite a few of them were just passing time.
Shen Wei had introduced a modern “performance evaluation” system to manage the harem. Based on the positions of the palace staff, she assigned them tasks to be completed annually, monthly, and daily.
The palace staff recorded their completed tasks in the evaluation book, similar to modern clocking in. In the days leading up to the monthly pay, the shrewd female officials would determine the amount of money to be distributed based on the evaluation sheets.
Good performance earned rewards, while poor performance resulted in deductions. Additionally, there were substantial bonuses awarded to the “top performers” in each department to enhance the staff’s motivation and competitiveness.
This simple management system revitalized the cumbersome and decaying harem.
“Master,” Cailian entered the pavilion, “Yang Xuanji has already begun teaching His Highness the Eighth Prince. He’s putting in a lot of effort, determined not to lose.”
Shen Wei set down the evaluation book, a smile curling her lips. “As long as he teaches diligently, that’s all that matters. Make sure the staff caring for Chengtai and Chengyou are attentive. The two children are still young and shouldn’t be overworked.”
Children are delicate; they shouldn’t be burdened too heavily with studies, lest it harm their health.
A balance of work and rest is essential; while they should study, they must also retain their youthful nature, playing and running freely.
Cailian nodded gently and added, “The meals and clothing for the two young masters are all handled by our own people. During playtime, there are guards watching over them.”
Children are fragile; even a gust of wind could knock them down, so they must be well protected against any ill-intentioned intruders.
Shen Wei rubbed her temples, thought for a moment, and instructed, “Send those princesses from the Le You family to the Guangwen Pavilion to audit the classes as well. All three teachers are learned; it would benefit them to hear a thing or two.”
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