0p0 Chapter 161 I like you now
Chapter 161 I like you now
Zhao Xuan enjoyed her breakfast happily. Ever since she revealed her identity as the boss of Jiaoyang Valley, she had completely fallen into disgrace. She liked to have everyone gather together for meals and had stopped eating in her room.
Although Gu Zhanghua was not used to so many people eating in the kitchen at first, he gradually liked it. Listening to the housekeeper chattering about the Zhang and Li families, the guards bickering, and the hearty laughter of his princess from time to time, it was so enjoyable to listen to. He felt like he had gained weight.
Amidst everyone's laughter and joy, the slight awkwardness in Gu Zhanghua's heart instantly disappeared.
Gu Zhanghua put a shrimp dumpling in Zhao Xuan's bowl.
"Let me start teaching you from the Book of Songs."
"Then I'll start by teaching you the basics of horse stance. Start with one stick of incense. You have to practice for at least two hours to pass."
Gu Zhanghua's legs were shaking a little. He knew the horse stance because he had seen his second brother practice it and he had tried to learn it from him.
But two hours? He couldn't even last an incense stick, so Gu Zhanghua also started to make demands.
"If that's the case, I must also lay a solid foundation for you. Start with the Three Character Classic, Hundred Family Names, Thousand Character Classic, and Rules for Disciples. Once you've memorized all four, I'll teach you the Book of Songs."
The shrimp dumplings that Zhao Xuan had just put into her mouth fell back into the bowl.
"I'm not illiterate, so there's no need for me to memorize books. And four books at once? Are you kidding me?"
Gu Zhanghua continued speaking slowly.
"After you've memorized them, I'll adjust the order. I'll start with the Four Books: The Great Learning, The Analects, Mencius, and The Doctrine of the Mean. I'll teach you in that order, then move on to the Five Classics. Only then will we move on to The Book of Songs, followed by The Book of History, The Book of Rites, The Book of Changes, and The Spring and Autumn Annals. The Book of Changes is quite difficult, so we'll see if you can master it. At the same time, I'll also teach you to read some books on history and the various schools of thought, such as The Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government. Only then can we move on to skills like poetry writing, calligraphy, and painting. And..."
Zhao Xuan reached out and covered Gu Zhanghua's mouth.
Done!
This is an attempt to kill her!
"That's enough! It's really enough! I'm not going to take the imperial examination, so there's no need for me to have such profound knowledge. It's enough for you to have it. We complement each other anyway."
Gu Zhanghua took Zhao Xuan's hand away.
"You want to take the imperial examination? You might not even pass the examination to become a scholar."
After Gu Zhanghua finished speaking, he looked at the people who were eating in the kitchen.
"I think the Xianwang Mansion should improve its overall quality. The princess is so eager to learn. You should all follow her example. Otherwise, start learning from today."
No one said a word, and each one left faster than the other. In a blink of an eye, only the young couple was left.
Zhao Xuan bargained with Gu Zhanghua.
"Look, you scared everyone away, so I'll just teach you horse stance. I didn't say I'd teach you Qinggong, right? You don't have to go to so much trouble to cultivate a talented woman. A talented woman like Ma Zhenzhen is enough. Can't we just learn from each other for fun? Or, how about I teach you to fish in the river instead of horse stance?"
"I think it works!"
Gu Zhanghua was secretly happy in his heart. It was so fun to go fishing in the river. He could also light some firewood by the river and prepare some grilled fish. How wonderful!
But Zhao Xuan patted Gu Zhanghua's chest with some disgust.
"With your tiny body, you're still trying to catch fish in the river? And you can't swim. If you drown or choke, I'll have to rescue you. It's such a thankless task. I think it's better to start with horse stance."
"Then you should memorize the four books I just mentioned first."
"Is it okay if I don't carry it on my back?"
"Can't we just walk without getting on a horse?"
"I'm doing it for your own good."
"I'm doing it for your own good too."
In the end, the two of them each took a step back, and the initial time for Gu Zhanghua to do horse stance was reduced from one incense stick to half an incense stick. Zhao Xuan also only needed to memorize three words in one sentence of "Three Character Classic", the first 100 sentences out of a total of 352 sentences.
So, shortly after breakfast, Gu Zhanghua gritted his teeth and began to do horse stance, and Zhao Xuan also gritted her teeth and began to recite the "Three Character Classic", and everyone in the mansion became a spectator.
When night fell, Zhao Xuan left two guards to guard the door and gave everyone in the mansion a day off to go to Chaoyang Street to watch the lanterns.
Zhao Xuan's memory still lingers on the Mid-Autumn Festival Lantern Festival when she was six years old. After so many years, she has never seen lanterns on the street again.
Although she didn't see the Tenglong Lantern and Suzaku Lantern tonight, the lanterns today are more gorgeous, more colorful, and more diverse in shape than those years.
Gu Zhanghua's face was flushed under the light. He was obviously more excited than Zhao Xuan. Like a child who had never seen the world, he held Zhao Xuan's hand and walked around the stalls selling lanterns, exclaiming in surprise.
"Wow! Look at the fairy on this revolving lantern. It's so lifelike, reciting poetry and painting. Isn't she tired? Wow! Look at this peacock lantern. It looks just like a real peacock. No, it's even more beautiful than a real peacock! Look! There's a float over there with lots of animal lanterns on it!"
Zhao Xuan touched the silver in her purse and the two hundred taels of silver notes she had withdrawn from Butler Li, and she felt a little regretful that she should not have let Gu Zhanghua pick whatever he wanted. It would be fine if he picked one or two lamps, but what if he picked a whole cart?
"Let's make a deal in advance. I only have ten taels of silver in my pocket. You can only pick the one you like best. I'll buy it for you as a thank you gift."
Zhao Xuan simply gave a big discount on the money in her pocket, so that even if Gu Zhanghua insisted on buying two or three lamps, she could afford it.
Gu Zhanghua immediately pointed to a revolving lantern on the stall in front of him.
"Then I'll take this one."
Zhao Xuan took a closer look and saw a round moon painted on the revolving lantern in front of her. Chang'e was holding the Jade Rabbit and leaning against the magical osmanthus tree. The flowers on the osmanthus tree were illuminated by the candlelight in the lamp, emitting a dazzling glow.
The revolving lantern spun, and several bright star patterns appeared.
The stall owner was an elderly man. When he saw the young couple in front of him staring at the lamp, he immediately began to introduce them enthusiastically.
"This lantern has a nice name, called the Moon Palace Starry Sky Lantern. Chang'e must be so lonely holding the Jade Rabbit. She also wants to go home. Look, don't these pictures put together look like a starry sky, very similar to the night sky above our heads? There are stars and the moon, symbolizing the vast starry sky and the warm home. What does this represent? It represents the warmth and unity of family. Even the fairy Chang'e misses home!"
Zhao Xuan and Gu Zhanghua both looked up at the sky at the same time, and then they both lowered their heads to look at the starry sky lamp, which seemed to be very similar.
The old man beamed. "Look at how well you two are in sync, your movements are exactly the same. You two have a truly loving relationship. This Moon Palace Starry Sky Lantern isn't expensive either. I'll sell it to you for just fifty cents."
Fifty cents? Only fifty cents!
Zhao Xuan opened her purse and gave money to the boss.
Gu Zhanghua picked up the starry sky lamp.
"Master, with your blessing, my wife and I will have a better and better relationship, and our family will prosper!"
After paying the bill, Zhao Xuan looked at Gu Zhanghua holding the lantern, and couldn't let it go, looking at it carefully again and again, her face full of satisfaction and happiness. Her smiling face glowed in the light, as if illuminating her own heart.
Zhao Xuan suddenly didn't want Gu Zhanghua to know her true identity. Gu Zhanghua would be very happy and content if he didn't know. If he knew, he would be like her, tortured by the past from time to time, and would often fall into anxiety and distress in searching for clues to old cases.
"Why don't you leave? Why are you looking at me? Do you have something to say to me?"
Zhao Xuan smiled at Gu Zhanghua.
"It's okay, I just want to tell you that I like you very much now."
"Me too. I like you now. When we first got married, you were much scarier than you are now!"
"I'm scary? How am I scary? Explain yourself clearly, or you can return the lamp to me. I won't give it to you anymore."
"You dare to quarrel with my mother, aren't you scary?"
"When did this happen? Do you still remember?"
"Now that I think about it, it's quite funny."
The two of them chatted and laughed as they walked around the Lantern Festival, and Zhao Xuan finally couldn't help but ask the questions in her mind.
"There are so many beautiful lamps, why did you buy this one? It doesn't look anything special."
"Because the story of Chang'e, the Jade Rabbit and the Moon Palace was first told to me by the Crown Prince, I have always wanted to buy a lamp like this. Looking at this lamp, it's like I'm back to that night and seeing the Crown Prince again."
Zhao Xuan sighed inwardly. Gu Zhanghua was too nostalgic. Buying him this lamp as a gift would remind him of Gu Zhanghua. Wouldn't it make him even more sad?