Chapter 206: Special - : Education

Chapter 206

Special Chapter: Education

When their father returned to the capital, the adults began planning for the older triplets’ education. By now, Bao Bao, Bei Bei, and Xiao Hua Hua were four years old. Grandfather volunteered to personally teach the grandchildren martial arts since their father had to report to the military office every morning. Meanwhile, their mother taught them to write characters in the sand with sticks, which they thoroughly enjoyed. Often, they ended up playing with the sand more than studying, but their mother didn’t mind. Grandmother intended to teach Xiao Hua Hua needlework, but Xiao Hua Hua showed no interest, so Grandmother decided to wait until she was older.

Every morning, Grandfather would have Bao Bao, Bei Bei, and Xiao Hua Hua practice martial arts in the courtyard, rain or shine. Normally, Grandfather was kind, but when teaching Bao Bao and his siblings, he was incredibly strict. He always had a wooden sword in hand, ready to strike their behinds or tap their bodies if Bao Bao made a mistake in form. Bei Bei, too, wasn’t spared, though he was more obedient. He followed Grandfather’s instructions to the letter, unlike Bao Bao, who liked to improvise. As a result, Bao Bao frequently felt the sting of Grandfather’s wooden sword on his backside. Xiao Hua Hua, on the other hand, never got punished, no matter if she made mistakes or not. Instead, Grandfather would praise her openly, much to the shared exasperation of Bao Bao and Bei Bei, who would often exchange knowing looks and sighs.

The children started martial arts training early. By the time Bao Bao and Bei Bei were five, they were enrolled to study alongside royal children in the palace. They soon discovered that their martial skills far surpassed those of their peers. Unlike Grandfather, who loved to critique, the palace teachers praised Bao Bao, noting his agility and promising talent for martial arts. However, when Bao Bao shared this at home, no one praised him. They all said it was only natural for the son of a General to be skilled in martial arts. Even after starting lessons in the palace, Grandfather didn’t let up on their morning training routine.

On their first day, Bao Bao and Bei Bei each carried a small bag and walked hand in hand to class. Along the way, people who saw them pointed and admired them with fond smiles. When they entered the classroom, they saw around twenty children, both young and older, seated in rows based on height. The class included royal children and the offspring of high-ranking officials. The younger children sat at the front, while the older ones took the back rows. The teacher, seeing the new twins, gave them extra attention.

It didn’t take long for the teachers to realize that the twins already had some foundational knowledge, allowing them to catch up with their peers quickly. When it came to martial arts lessons, Bao Bao’s moves were graceful and powerful, earning him endless praise from the instructors. However, some young Wangs were displeased. Newcomers shouldn’t be drawing so much attention. In their palace, these young Wangs were coddled by their high-ranking parents—be they princesses or princes—and people around them flattered and treated them with respect, so they were not used to being outshone by the children of mere officials.

Most of these young Wangs were grandsons of the Emperor. Ye Tianpeng, the son of the Crown Prince and Nie Ying, was still too young to begin his studies. Since Bao Bao and Bei Bei were a bit older, they stopped using their childhood nicknames when they started school. Bao Bao’s formal name was Song Wuqin, and Bei Bei’s was Song Wujun. Their mother now called them Qin Ge and Jun Ge.

During calligraphy lessons, the teacher allowed the younger students, around five or six years old, to take a break after practicing simple characters. They had some time before lunch and would return for more lessons in the afternoon. The children would run off to play in the nearby gardens. Bei Bei strolled leisurely with the air of a gentleman, but Bao Bao, feeling impatient, eagerly dashed toward a group of boys with boundless energy.

"Let’s go play!"

He called out to everyone cheerfully, his round, bright face shining like the sun. However, the young Wangs ignored him. They had already decided they needed to put these new boys in their place. One of the young Wangs stepped forward, raising his chin so high that only his nose was visible as he spoke.

"Tch, do you even know who we are...? You think you can be our equals? You should check if you’re worthy first. If you want to join our group..."

"Wujun!"

Before he could finish, Bao Bao turned and shouted, calling for Bei Bei, who had just arrived. Seeing that the young Wang wasn’t interested in playing, he quickly lost interest in the other party’s words and ran off without even listening to the rest. The young Wang was left feeling snubbed. Bao Bao then challenged his brother as he climbed a tree,

"Let’s see who can hang from the branches the longest!"

Bei Bei, intrigued by the challenge, ran after his brother and climbed a tree. Each hung from a different branch, swinging with agility and strength, a testament to their daily martial arts training. Their playful acrobatics resembled the skillful performers who once entertained at the palace. Soon, the young Wangs who had ignored them earlier were running over, fascinated by their antics. Some even clapped and cheered, unknowingly caught up in the excitement.

Shenghuo, the second son of Rui Wang, frowned at the scene. Though his father had been exiled, Shenghuo still considered himself important, as his grandmother was the Empress. He often saw himself as a leader. Who were these twins to steal all the attention from their teacher and classmates? Resentful, he tried to pull the other young Wangs away to play with him instead.

"If you play with those lowborns, I’ll tell Grandmother, and she’ll scold your parents,"

Shenghuo threatened his cousins who refused to obey him. The parents of some of the young Wangs were the princes or princesses of lower rank, born to concubines, and naturally feared the Empress’s power.

"But Wuqin and Wujun were chosen to study with us. How can they be lowborn?"

One of the young Wangs protested, confused.

"Hah! Even if they are the sons of a General, their mother is from a lowly merchant family. How can they ever be our equals?"

Shenghuo said haughtily. Despite being young, he had overheard his mother talking about General Song and the Young Furen during their private conversations.

Bao Bao and Bei Bei, unaware and unconcerned with this, continued playing joyfully. Most of the children, fearful of Shenghuo’s influence, retreated to his side. Only a few young Wangs and sons of prominent families remained, eager to join in the fun. The two brothers welcomed them warmly, and soon they were all running around, laughing and playing games. The sound of their happy laughter made the other young Wangs who had followed Shenghuo glance back enviously. They, too, longed to join in the fun. Bao Bao, who had many younger siblings at home, was almost an expert in entertaining children. He was like his mother’s right-hand man when it came to enticing the little ones. Playing with him was always a lively experience.

As time passed, Bao Bao and Bei Bei gradually adjusted to their studies and made close friends. Bao Bao always had a group of friends trailing behind him wherever he went. After lunch, the children had to study ancient texts. Having just eaten and played energetically, Bao Bao felt drowsy and often dozed off during class. The teacher would tap him with a rod, and Bao Bao would struggle to keep his eyes open, only to nod off again moments later. The teacher, both amused and frustrated, scolded him several times but eventually gave up, letting the little boy sleep. The teacher mused that Wuqin had incredibly thick skin, as he neither felt shame nor pain. Wujun, the younger brother, on the other hand, was handsome and intelligent, sitting attentively to the teacher’s preaching about the texts and answering the teacher’s questions correctly. Naturally, the teacher favored Wujun.

Bao Bao wasn’t fond of writing. Whenever the teacher asked him to practice calligraphy, his impatience often led to messy work. Bei Bei, however, excelled and frequently received praise. Bei Bei also had an excellent memory—he could remember a text after reading it just once. Despite being the youngest in the class, he quickly became the teacher’s favorite. Bao Bao, in contrast, was the darling of the martial arts instructors, while Bei Bei was loved by the literary teachers.

Shenghuo still disliked the twins and tried to prevent other children from playing with them. However, it became increasingly difficult. Everyone wanted to be friends with Wuqin and Wujun, who were fun, cheerful, and kind-hearted. If it weren’t for Shenghuo’s displeasure, more children would have openly shown their friendliness.

Though Shenghuo wanted to cause trouble, he found it difficult as the two brothers were more skilled in martial arts and Wujun was particularly clever. Shenghuo had once tried to trick the brothers into getting locked in a storeroom, but Wujun didn’t fall for it. As for Wuqin, he was always surrounded by friends, making it hard for Shenghuo to get close. Eventually, Shenghuo had to abandon his plans.

One day, after class had ended and the teacher had left, the children began packing up to leave. At the door, a small figure dressed in red stood clutching the frame, peeking into the room.

"Eldest Brother, Second Brother,"

A sweet, melodious voice called out, causing everyone in the room to turn and look. They were stunned when they saw a little girl. They had never seen a child so beautiful before. With her tiny mouth, delicate nose, and thick, glossy black hair tied into two buns with red ribbons, her large, clear eyes sparkled. Her pale skin had a faint blush, and her smile was so sweet that it left everyone breathless.

"Mother has been waiting for a long time. Class is over—let’s go quickly."

Everyone turned to see who she was speaking to, and when they realized it was the Wuqin and Wujun twins, their expressions grew envious. Who wouldn’t want such a sweet, beautiful sister? Some even pretended to pack their things more slowly just to steal a longer glance at her.

"You go wait outside. We’ll follow when we’re done,"

Bei Bei said with an expressionless face, while Bao Bao hurriedly tossed his belongings into his bag. Bei Bei still needed to mark the pages of the book that the teacher had assigned for revision.

"There’s no need to wait, Second Brother! It’s not like we have much to pack. Let’s not make Third Sister wait any longer. Let’s go."

Bao Bao said as he grabbed his brother’s hand and strode toward Xiao Hua Hua. She turned and smiled warmly at the others in the room.

"Why did Mother come?"

Bao Bao asked, and Xiao Tong, who was standing behind, replied,

"Eldest Young Master, did you forget? Today, Young Furen went to the palace to visit Taizi Fei, and she will take you all home together afterward."

"That’s right. Mother wants you to pay respects to Taizi Fei,"

Xiao Hua Hua added. They then walked off together, chatting and laughing as they went. They seemed to be very close. Everyone in the room could only watch them until they disappeared from sight, after which conversations resumed.

"That...that was the Third Young Miss from the General’s manor?"

"It’s the first time I’ve seen the triplets together."

"They don’t even look alike."

"Her smile is so enchanting..."

Several students sighed dreamily.

"I heard she’s the goddaughter of Taizi. Her status is anything but ordinary."

The room filled with murmurs and chatter. Shenghuo’s face darkened further. Why was everyone so interested in these people? Another reason he disliked the Song siblings was because he had heard that the Emperor had favored them since they were young, often summoning General Song and his wife to bring their children to the palace. Even though Shenghuo’s own grandmother was the Empress, and he was a legitimate grandchild of the Emperor, he had never received such special treatment. He couldn’t help but feel envious.

From that day on, Bao Bao and Bei Bei’s classmates started to become more friendly toward them. Some even subtly asked about Xiao Hua Hua.

"Wuqin, what’s your sister’s name?"

"Wujun, I think...your sister is going to grow up to be a great beauty."

Bei Bei would usually pretend not to hear such remarks, while Bao Bao beamed with pride whenever he heard them.

"She’s not only beautiful; she’s also very talented. She can read and write, and she’s good at math too. Grandpa says she performs sword dances better than I do."

"You’re joking. Why would a girl need to learn such things? Your sister should do embroidery and play the zither. My elder sister has never practiced that stuff,"

Someone argued.

"She doesn’t like embroidery, so Mother doesn’t force her. As for the zither, when she gets older, if she wants to learn, Mother will surely let her,"

Bao Bao replied innocently. Suddenly, Shenghuo’s mocking voice interrupted as he got up from his seat and walked over to where Bao Bao and his friends were talking before the teacher arrived.

"Because your mother is of low birth, your sister hasn’t learned the proper virtues of a woman. Embroidery is what women should be doing, while calculating sums or learning to write are things for merchants—hardly respectable pursuits."

Bao Bao had never paid much attention to Shenghuo before, but upon hearing him insult his mother and sister, he clenched his fists, ready to confront him. However, Bei Bei tugged at his sleeve, reminding him of their mother’s warning before they started school: not to engage in fights or disputes with others, especially since many of their classmates were royalty and could not be offended. Bei Bei stepped forward and calmly asked Shenghuo,

"That’s strange. Princess An Le also studies math and manages businesses. Are you saying your logic still holds?"

Shenghuo’s face turned pale. Princess An Le was his aunt, and she was the Emperor’s favorite daughter. To say such a thing was tantamount to disrespecting her. Being only six years old, Shenghuo couldn’t think of a proper rebuttal and stammered, unable to argue back.

"My mother told me that eight parts of the royal treasury come from taxes on trade, while the other two parts come from agricultural production. If, in the future, during a written exam on governance, you belittle the people who fill the granaries and the treasury by calling them lowborn, you’ll be insulting those very citizens."

Wujun had only just begun his studies, but his words were far more profound than Shenghuo’s, making Shenghuo feel deeply ashamed. Clenching his fists, he ran out of the room without speaking to anyone. Bei Bei received admiring glances from classmates who had long disapproved of Shenghuo’s behavior, but he paid no mind. Once the matter was over, he returned to his seat and began preparing his next book and put it on the table. Bao Bao, still fuming, sat beside him and muttered,

"You shouldn’t have stopped me. I was about to punch him."

Bei Bei, flipping through the textbook without paying attention to his brother, calmly replied without looking at him,

"Well, he’s already outside. Go ahead and take care of it now. It’s alright if no one sees, and he won’t dare tell anyone."

Bao Bao, hearing this, dashed out of the room. After searching for a while, he saw the tip of someone’s foot sticking out from behind a decorative rock formation. Bao Bao walked over and stood behind Shenghuo. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed something surprising: Shenghuo was crying.

"Why are you crying? Did you hurt yourself?"

Startled by the sudden voice, Shenghuo quickly stood up, wiping his tears in embarrassment. He snapped at Bao Bao,

"Who’s crying? Don’t make things up."

Bao Bao furrowed his brow, forgetting his original intent to confront him. Instead, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a snack, and handed it to Shenghuo.

"Here, eat this. I’m sharing this pastry with you."

Shenghuo glanced disdainfully at the offering. The treats in the palace were all exquisite, so why would he want a crumbly, unimpressive pastry like this? He was about to swat it away but paused when he saw the sincerity in Bao Bao’s eyes. No one had ever shown him genuine concern before. The friends he had were all around him out of fear.

"The teacher must be back by now. You should return to class,"

Shenghuo said, trying to dismiss him, but Bao Bao remained where he was.

"Why did you call my mother lowborn? Have you ever met her?"

Shenghuo looked down, ashamed, but said nothing and offered no apology.

"If you got to know her, you wouldn’t say such things. My mother is both beautiful and kind. No one dislikes her. If I hear you insult her again, I won’t forgive you."

The truth was, Shenghuo was just a child too. He envied Bao Bao for having so many friends and secretly wished he could play with Bao Bao. If it weren’t for the fact that he had always held himself above others, and his father was the direct descendant of the Emperor and the Empress, he would have been friends with Bao Bao long ago.

Even though Shenghuo was only six years old, he carried many burdens in his heart. Everyone around him constantly reminded him of his noble status. When his father was exiled, he had cried in secret, knowing he might never see him again. His grandmother and his mother had both pressured him to study hard, constantly comparing him to Xuange, the eldest son of Jun Wang and their family’s rival. It was common knowledge that Xuange, only a few years older than Shenghuo, was highly intelligent. No matter how hard Shenghuo tried, he never felt good enough. And now, with the Empress and the Pei family losing influence at royal court, all their hopes were pinned on him.

"Don’t you know what people say about your mother? Aren’t you ashamed?"

He didn’t understanding why Song Wuqin would defend his mother so fiercely.

"Why should I be ashamed? My mother hasn’t done anything wrong. You’re the one who insults others. I believe in my mother, and no matter what anyone says, I’ll always love her."

Hearing Bao Bao speak so lovingly about his mother made Shenghuo jealous. He couldn’t even mention his own father in front of others without fear. Bao Bao, seeing that Shenghuo had nothing more to say, was about to leave when Shenghuo stopped him.

"Hey! People like me can’t be friends with people like you."

"That’s up to you,"

Bao Bao replied indifferently. Shenghuo watched the five-year-old’s figure of Wuqin disappear into the distance, feeling a deep sense of loneliness.