boyutpedia Chapter 492 The Prince's Tutor: Should He Submit?
Chapter 492 The Prince's Tutor: Should He Submit?
Can sincerity move Heaven?
The second prince pondered repeatedly, wondering if his mother really meant for him to personally win her over.
But that would risk exposure. Besides, as the only prince who still lives in the palace after reaching adulthood, he has no opportunity or excuse to visit an official from the Hanlin Academy.
"Master, please have some ginseng soup."
The old nanny finally found a chance to interject, but they dared not disturb the Second Prince who was lost in thought.
After all, the imperial physician had said that abruptly interrupting the Second Prince's train of thought would worsen his condition and hinder his recovery.
The imperial physician was, of course, someone working for the Empress and the Second Prince, and all the palace staff in the Empress's palace were kept in the dark.
Besides the eunuch responsible for relaying messages to the Second Prince, there was also the Second Prince's wet nurse.
After all, a secret can only be called a secret if fewer people know it. The wet nurse's entire family had died in the famine, leaving her with no ties.
She could only stay in the palace for the rest of her life. The Empress and the Second Prince would protect her and keep her safe. Because she had been raised by the Second Prince since childhood, she felt genuinely sorry for him.
The young eunuch grew up with the second prince. The second prince never treated him like a servant eunuch, but treated him like a brother, and would call him "brother" in private.
Although the young eunuch was only a dozen days older than the second prince, he always treated the second prince like a younger brother.
It was the kind of relationship where they would die for the Second Prince at any time. Apart from these two, the Second Prince did not trust any other palace servants.
"Brother Lin, what should I do? This disguise of mine is a fortress, but it's also my prison."
The young eunuch adjusted the lamp wick, making the hall a little brighter.
"Chang-ge'er, why expose yourself? Since Lord Jiang is a rare talent, your initiative to approach him will naturally attract attention."
Perhaps the Third Prince and the Fifth Prince are also secretly watching. Who wouldn't want to possess the talent to govern a country, especially one with that position?
The second prince put down his book and nodded silently.
"Brother Lin is right. Fifth Brother is cunning, and Third Brother is also full of bad ideas. If it weren't for them, Eldest Brother wouldn't have been demoted to a commoner."
"Alas, but what Mother says makes sense. Qiu Cheng is incompetent; it's been so long and there's been no progress at all, which only makes people suspicious."
"Yes, Scholar Qiu seems to be not good at these things. Perhaps he did not express himself clearly, which made Lord Jiang misunderstand that we are traitors on one side."
The Jiang family has never taken sides. Even Prime Minister Liu, who has some kinship ties with the family, has never taken sides over the years, has he?
These are all loyal ministers, people His Highness can continue to rely on in the future. Newcomers are certainly good, but we should also try to win over those veterans who never take sides.
The Second Prince sighed, "In your opinion, Brother Lin, should we put Jiang Zhuangyuan on hold for now? Isn't there a way to get close to Jiang Zhuangyuan without exposing myself, so that I can use him now?"
"Waiting until later is too late, and it's a waste of talent. Leaving people in the Hanlin Academy with old scholars like that will only make them rigid and inflexible over time."
The young eunuch Chen Lin pondered for a moment, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. "Your Highness, we can have the Empress speak to His Majesty. Officials of the Hanlin Academy have an obligation to lecture His Majesty and the princes."
However, these are mostly matters for the Attendant Academician; after all, Compiler Jiang is only a sixth-rank official, so this is somewhat difficult to handle.
The second prince's eyes lit up, and he nodded, saying, "This plan is excellent! Brother Lin, you're so clever! Tomorrow we'll discuss it with Mother and see how we can make this happen smoothly."
The next day, the second prince went to the empress's palace early in the morning.
The Empress listened to their plan and nodded slightly. "This method is feasible. However, we need to find a suitable pretext to get His Majesty to offer to have Scholar Jiang give you lectures."
The second prince pondered for a moment and said, "Mother, to the outside world I am just a child who has only learned a hundred or three thousand lessons. Will Father agree to that?"
The Empress also felt that it was a waste of talent for a top scholar like him to teach children outside the classroom, but her own son was not a real child.
His son was well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics and had also read many military books. Jiang Zhuangyuan's talent was the most suitable to teach Chang'er.
If Chang'er could take the imperial examination, he might become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examination) or even a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examination). Why can't we let the top scholar teach him?
"Don't worry, your mother has a way. She will definitely get your father's approval. Just wait patiently in the palace. Soon you will be able to meet Scholar Jiang in person!"
Although the second prince was curious about what his mother would say to his father, his excitement outweighed his curiosity.
Since the Empress Dowager has a solution, I can just wait patiently. Once I've lured Lord Jiang into the palace, that's when it will be his turn to make his mark.
"Brother Lin, let's go back. We'll leave this to Mother!"
"Your Highness, once you leave your study or bedchamber, please do not address your servant as such. It would be inappropriate if others heard it."
"This is the Empress Dowager's palace, so it's alright. I'll be careful outside, don't worry, Brother Lin."
Chen Lin shook his head helplessly. He had always known that the Second Prince genuinely respected him, unlike others who put on an act.
That's precisely why he couldn't cause trouble for the Second Prince. If others knew that he was a special person to the Second Prince, he would become the Second Prince's weakness.
We must not become the weak point, but rather the strongest point, so that others can attack, frame, or even assassinate the Second Prince!
Just three days later, the Queen brought good news.
"Mother Empress acted so quickly! Where are they? Have they arrived yet?"
"Don't rush, Your Highness, don't rush. It takes time from His Majesty's decree to Lord Jiang receiving it."
"But at the latest, Your Highness will be able to meet Lord Jiang in person in no more than two days!" Chen Lin said with a smile, stopping the Second Prince who was about to rush out.
"Mother, Mother, has Father really agreed?"
"Yes, His Majesty has agreed and will soon issue an edict to allow Scholar Jiang to enter the palace to teach you."
"Huh? After all this time, the imperial decree still hasn't been issued? Why is everything so slow?"
"What's the rush? Your father's word is law, your Lord Jiang can't escape~" The Empress's tone was somewhat teasing.
The second prince didn't realize anything. Yes, his mother was right, it was his Lord Jiang!