Who Stole My Eggs?

In the early morning of this day, Imperial Teacher Wen walked to the prince’s school with square steps. He was still comforting himself along the way. The prince was still young, and it was normal for him, unable to sit still. He must be more patient and kinder today. From a utilitarian point of view, he couldn’t offend the prince. In the future, the descendants of his family would have to rely on the prince for support.

After such mental preparation, he walked into the prince’s school and looked at the rare and exotic animals collected by the prince in the courtyard. He didn’t find them so annoying anymore. Instead, he stopped to admire them for a while, stroking his beard.

“Well, the big white snake coiled in the corner is quite honest. If you look closely, it is indeed, as the prince said, its scales are clean and beautiful. Look at that big parrot with a red beak and green feathers. The way it lowers its head and combs its green fur is quite elegant. Huh? The few toads lying by the pond seemed quite interesting at the moment…”

When Imperial Teacher Wen saw the back of the prince practicing calligraphy seriously from the window, his mood became even more beautiful. Today, the prince was extremely serious, his posture was also very standard and graceful, he no longer moved around like a monkey.

Imperial Teacher Wen admired it for a while and said warmly, “Today, just do as I said. You only practice postures and don’t care about what to write. You should calm down first and then learn how to use the pen.” The little figure in the room paused and nodded seriously.

Imperial Teacher Wen stroked his beard with satisfaction, saw another empty desk, and asked, “Why is Mu Rong late today?”

It was not that Imperial Teacher Wen was partial. If he was asked to choose a student, he would definitely choose Mu Rong, and then put the prince far away! Mu Rong was just a child who accompanied the prince to study, but he was very literate. He was elegant when walking, sitting, and lying down. He was already good at handwriting at a young age. When he was tested occasionally, he answered questions fluently and had his own opinions. This was the student that the literary giant dreamed of.

The heat had been severe recently, and many officials had fallen ill. Mu Rong had always been weak and not as strong as the prince as a wild child. Could it be that he is sick?

The prince said nothing and continued to practice calligraphy at his desk, but his head hung lower and lower.

Imperial Teacher Wen couldn’t see his improper posture and shouted loudly, “Keep your head high and keep your shoulders flat!”

Unexpectedly, the prince’s head dropped lower and lower, and he actually buried his face.

Imperial Teacher Wen suddenly realized that something was wrong. Why was the prince so much shorter today? He took three steps at a time and pulled the prince up, “You-!”

“Teacher… Imperial Teacher…” An ashamed voice came. Imperial Teacher Wen took a closer look and saw that this was not the prince at all. He was clearly Mu Rong wearing the prince’s clothes, pretending to be a prince to deceive him!

Imperial Teacher Wen was furious and shouted, “Come on, go and catch the prince!”

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At this time, Xie Zuo was hiding in a convoy heading towards the palace gate, lying on a box filled with silk and satin.

Imperial Teacher Wen forced him to practice calligraphy every day, nagging without stopping, he was really fed up! This old man talked too much, even more verbose than Lao Luo, and was really annoying.

Finally, he met Cai Que today, who went out to visit relatives, Xie Zuo forced Mu Rong to pretend to be him and sneaked in while no one was paying attention.

Just when Xie Zuo thought he was going to succeed, the carriage suddenly stopped, and the wooden box he was hiding in was carried down.

“Come out,” a familiar voice said calmly. This voice was in the stage of voice change, with a hint of hoarseness unique to young people.

Xie Zuo slid open the lid of the box and smiled brightly at the man. “When did you come back? I was about to go out to find you.”

Huo Yao didn’t fall for his trick. This kid was dishonest in the abyss, and it turned out he was even more naughty in the world. During this time, he went out with Huo Zhen on a mission. When he came back, he met Imperial Teacher Wen that sent people to arrest Xie Zuo in the palace.

If Huo Yao hadn’t come, the secret guard who had been following Xie Zuo would have stopped him at the palace gate.

So, Xie Zuo was brought in front of Imperial Teacher Wen, and Imperial Teacher Wen also invited King Yunlin and Bai Hualiang.

When Xie Zuo saw Mu Rong already kneeling on the ground, he obediently knelt down with a thump. “I was the one who forced Mu Rong; it had nothing to do with him.”

King Yunlin and Bai Hualiang looked at each other, but they didn’t dare to say anything. This child would have to suffer a lot today if he dared to lie. This was too audacious!

Imperial Teacher Wen scolded Xie Zuo and sprayed him all over his face. Xie Zuo looked at Huo Yao standing aside and felt extremely embarrassed, but he had no choice but to endure it.

After Imperial Teacher Wen finished spraying, more than half of the anger that had accumulated in his heart during this period was gone, and he shouted, “Please pick up the ruler!”

The book boy brought the ruler, and Imperial Teacher Wen snatched it away and said aggressively, “Put your hands up!”

Xie Zuo had no choice but to obey and raised his hands.

Before the ruler fell down, Mu Rong cried out, “No,” and said, “You should punish me too. I also wanted the novelties His Highness bought from outside, so I agreed to him. He didn’t force me!”

“You idiot,” Xie Zuo scolded, “What does it have to do with you? Is it fun to get beaten? You still want to fight for it?”

“I…” Mu Rong muttered and was speechless.

Imperial Teacher Wen glanced at Mu Rong appreciatively and turned to Xie Zuo with a straight face, “Originally, I only had to give you twenty slaps, but because Mu Rong was also at fault, now I have to increase it to thirty.”

“Why?” Although Xie Zuo didn’t want Mu Rong to be beaten, he also didn’t want to receive ten more blows in vain.

“Why?” Imperial Teacher Wen sneered, “As the prince of a country, you have been well-dressed and well-fed since you were a child, and have been sought after by countless people. Do you know that everything you have is supported by the people of the world? If the people are good, you will be better off. If the people are bad, you will suffer double the pain! Today is just an extra punishment for your influence on Mu Rong. If you continue to act recklessly and disobey the advice, and it leads to a national disaster, you will suffer much more than others.”

Bai Hualiang originally wanted to beg for mercy on behalf of Xie Zuo, but after hearing these words, she bit her lip and turned her head away, refusing to look at Xie Zuo again.

Imperial Teacher Wen was merciless in his attack. There was a “crackling” sound, and Xie Zuo’s palms swelled and throbbed with pain.

.

After finishing the punishment, Imperial Teacher Wen instructed him not to ask for leave the next day but to attend school and practice calligraphy as usual. Then he tossed aside the ruler and walked away.

Xie Zuo tried to hold back his tears, but the pain was unbearable. His child’s body couldn’t control it, and tears streamed down his cheeks like broken beads.

“My son!” Bai Hualiang hugged Xie Zuo, distressed. “Quickly, call for the imperial doctor!”

After much commotion, ointment was applied to Xie Zuo’s swollen hand, which had doubled in size.

King Yunlin saw that he was indeed fine, just a little bitter, did not offer much sympathy. After scolding him, he forbad Bai Hualiang from pampering him and ordered Huo Yao to escort both Xie Zuo and Mu Rong back to the palace to contemplate their mistakes.

Xie Zuo walked back dejectedly, followed by Mu Rong, who was in tears.

Annoyed, Xie Zuo listened to Mu Rong’s incessant crying, “Okay, stop crying. You didn’t get beaten, why are you crying?”

Mu Rong choked back his tears and said, “I feel sorry for you.”

Xie Zuo’s anger softened, and his tone gentled. “It’s over. I’m fine. Don’t cry anymore.”

Xie Zuo then raised his head and glared at Huo Yao. “It’s all your fault. You got me into trouble as soon as you came here. I could have been out by now, just for one day!”

Huo Yao sneered, “I just happened to stumble upon you. By the time I arrived, your carriage had already been stopped by the secret guards tailing you. You’re not as clever as you think.”

Xie Zuo seethed with anger. He had been confined in the abyss before and now felt restricted in the palace. Learning calligraphy was tedious, and he found the constant attention suffocating. Why did everyone have to hover over him?