Tong Sui nodded slightly.
“I have painted many pieces, but only this one is slightly better looking.”
“Well, let’s hang it up.”
Tong Sui replied with a hesitant “okay”.
Compared to the other artworks hanging in his room, this painting could be considered utterly out of place.
“Sir, really, it doesn’t have to hang up,” he suggested.
Hanging it on the wall felt like a public execution of his pride.
Rong Jin retorted, “Didn’t you give it to me? Why should I not hang it up?”
“Um…” Tong Sui murmured quietly, “As long as you like it, that’s what matters.”
Every day, Liu Yong would go to Rong Jin to report on his progress in studies. This time, as soon as he entered, he spotted the painting hanging prominently in the middle.
He was immediately stunned and took a closer look—
Isn’t that the one painted by Tong Sui?!
“Liu Zhongtang teaches well,” Rong Jin remarked. “I remember you have a distant relative who wants to take up a position in court. The post of Deputy Minister is currently vacant; let’s have him give it a try.”
This was akin to a pie falling from the sky; Liu Yong was overjoyed and repeatedly thanked him, “Thank you, Supervisor Rong, I will certainly assist His Highness Tong Sui well!”
After hearing the news, Chu Yunyin hurriedly went to the small, shabby room in Qian Dong Wu, pushing the door open.
The room was empty.
He sat weakly on the cold, hard bed, staring blankly at the little table, reminiscing about the moments shared in this room.
With Rong Jin’s appearance, all of it had turned to smoke.
A servant outside the door softly reminded him, “Your Highness, it’s getting late. The Empress would like you to visit her in Kun Ning Palace.”
Only then did Chu Yunyin come to his senses. He walked out of the small, shabby room, closing the door behind him.
It was as if nothing had ever happened here.
In Kun Ning Palace,
The Queen set out several letters, saying, “You can read them yourself.”
Chu Yunyin picked them up, and his expression darkened as he read the content, seemingly in disbelief, “Rong Jin has quite the audacity; why is he suddenly treating Uncle like this?”
The Empress was stunned, unable to disclose the details of sending someone to target Tong Sui, and simply covered her face with a handkerchief. “The matter of river transport is a national issue that involves many interests; Rong Jin naturally wants to grasp this piece of fat meat in his hands.”
“No, I must go to seek an explanation from Father; we can’t let Uncle suffer unjustly like this.”
“Yunyin,” the Empress quickly restrained him, “You don’t need to go. Don’t you know how much your father trusts Rong Jin? Our identities are too sensitive. Rushing over to plead only invites rumors.”
“Should we just stand by and watch as Uncle suffers at the hands of that eunuch?”
Chu Yunyin didn’t expect that he, a dignified prince, could feel so powerless.
The Empress sighed.
Currently, the court was filled with Rong Jin’s henchmen; no one could stand against him, and even their aristocratic status could not change that.
“Our only hope now rests with you,” the Empress said. “Your father’s birthday is coming soon; your performance will be crucial. As long as you can be established as the Crown Prince, Rong Jin won’t dare to act so arrogantly in the future.”
Chu Yunyin’s expression turned serious, “I understand.”
==
Tong Sui studied alone in the study for a while.
During these days, Rong Jin had been busy with who knows what; he didn’t even show up for meals, leaving Tong Sui stuck with Liu Yong’s old face every day.
He sighed inwardly.
This life was harder than when he was in school. The one-on-one tutoring made it hard for him to goof off. Not only did he have to learn the Four Books and Five Classics, but he also had to memorize thick volumes of laws.
Much of the knowledge recorded inside was impossible to accept through a modern worldview, especially certain torturous punishments.
Tong Sui disliked it and, naturally, found it hard to concentrate.
Since receiving several rewards and promotions from Rong Jin, Liu Yong worked even harder, his reading voice relentless.
Turning back to look,
That little brat, Tong Sui, was staring blankly at the ice flowers outside the window.
Liu Yong knocked on the slate, “Where was I reading just now?”
Tong Sui’s mind was blank; he couldn’t recall a thing, and his stammering made Liu Yong sigh heavily.
“What’s wrong with you these days? You keep losing focus.”
Tong Sui replied, “These laws are too complicated, and as for the Four Books and Five Classics, even though they are said to be the words of sages, those so-called sages were human too, and besides, they’ve been dead for hundreds of years. Zhu Xi himself couldn’t uphold the principles of preserving heavenly reason and extinguishing human desires; how can he expect future generations to do so? It simply doesn’t hold water.”
Liu Yong’s face displayed alternating shades of blue and white in response to his words, “How can you say such things?”
“What’s wrong?”
A clear voice came from the doorway.
Tong Sui’s heart filled with joy as he looked over, only to see a familiar figure standing outside the door, snowflakes settling on his flowing black hair, his expression colder than the ice and snow itself.
It was as if he would merge with the white, swirling storm behind him, disappearing from this world.
To ordinary people, Rong Jin might appear expressionless, but Tong Sui could keenly sense that something was off with his mood today.
Rong Jin concealed some extreme emotional energy within him, providing the force that supported his frail body. Occasionally, a glimmer of this emotion leaked from the depths of his somber gaze but was quickly masked by the surface layer of indifference.
Liu Yong glanced at Tong Sui and laughed awkwardly, “Supervisor Rong, we were just discussing some trivial matters.”
Rong Jin replied, “Tong Sui, continue studying here. Liu Zhongtang and I need to step outside for a moment.”
In the corridor.
“Supervisor.”
Liu Yong bowed his head, hearing the person in front of him speak lightly, “How has he been progressing with his studies these past few days?”
Before Rong Jin, even if Liu Yong had the courage of ten men, he wouldn’t dare to lie, so he could only respond truthfully, “His Highness, Tong Sui has his own views on the laws; he dislikes harsh punishments and ceremonial protocols, and there is some difficulty in teaching him.”