Chapter 77 Part 2

Hua Yang smiled: “I guess Father has already guessed that I instructed Wan Yi to trick you. Please forgive me for being rude.”

She was daring and confident, but this upright demeanor made Chen Tingjian smile too: “Princess is too serious, this minister is just a little confused and don’t understand why the princess doing this. If Princess just wants to listen to the lectures, this minister will set up a table for you in the school.”

Hua Yang seemed a little embarrassed, and her snow-white slender jade fingers gently rubbed the edge of the tea cup, then explained: “Earlier, Dalang was ill. I mentioned this to Prince Consort, and he concluded that you were too strict in teaching and frightened Dalang. But I didn’t believe it. Prince Consort used the example of how he got along with you when he was a child to prove it. I still didn’t believe it. During the dispute, I thought of this method and offended you.”

Sun shi smiled and said: “The Old Four is indeed quite lacking in etiquette, but he won’t bother to tell lies. He has not wronged his father at all in this matter. I can also testify.”

Chen Tingjian looked ashamed and was about to defend himself when he heard the princess say: “Strict masters produce great disciples. Dalang and the others are still young and don’t understand Father’s painstaking efforts. When they are older, they will naturally understand.”

Chen Tingjian looked at the princess unexpectedly. He thought that the princess would disapprove of his strictness.

The distance between the two people was actually not suitable for the next conversation, so Hua Yang said sincerely: “I heard that Father is good at chess, so I want to ask Father to give me some advice.”

Chen Tingjian was even more surprised.

Sun shi had already ordered the maid to get the chessboard.

Soon, the maid placed the chessboard on the table on Hua Yang’s side, and Chen Tingjian naturally sat across from Hua Yang.

Sun shi asked the maids to retreat, and she took the scissors to trim the potted flowers placed by the window. This not only made it easier for the princess to talk to the Cabinet Elder, but also fulfilled the etiquette. After all, it was a bit unsuitable for the daughter-in-law to be alone with her father-in-law.

Hua Yang liked her mother-in-law more and more. Although she came from a small family in Lingzhou, but her social skill was not inferior to the wife of a noble family.

She started playing chess with her father-in-law, and after playing a few steps, they started chatting naturally: “Father, actually, I have always had a doubt. Eldest Brother and Third Brother are all your children, and they have all been personally taught by you. Why they all passed the imperial examination and become Zhuangyuan and Tanhua, but Prince Consort didn’t like to study and turned to martial arts? Could it be that when you were teaching Prince Consort, you were not making the same effort as you teach Eldest Brother and Third Brother?”

Chen Tingjian looked at the chessboard and replied: “This minister didn’t try his best, and make the Princess laugh. This minister was the most attentive in teaching Prince Consort back then, but Prince Consort has rebellious nature and would go against this minister in everything.”

Hua Yang: “Then Father thinks that in terms of talent and qualifications, Prince Consort can lose to Eldest Brother and Third Brother?”

Chen Tingjian was silent for a moment and said: “In terms of talent, he can exceed his two brothers, but he is unwilling to put his mind into studying.”

Hua Yang: “Does Prince Consort really not like studying? In the morning when Erlang was reciting ‘At sixty, my ears deaf’, before I could react, Prince Consort had already laughing, which shows that although he abandon literature and joined martial arts early, he has always been familiar with what he learned when he was young. If he was really unwilling to study, how could he remember it so clearly?”

Chen Tingjian was stunned.

Sun shi, who was pruning flower branches, also forgot her movements for a moment.

Hua Yang continued: “To be honest with Father, when I first married Prince Consort, I was quite unhappy because of his vulgar words and actions. Just the matter of washing his feet before going to bed, the more I said coldly and sarcastically to him, the more Prince Consort wanted to go against me. During that time, he and I were at loggerheads, and the maids around me all laughed at how I treated Prince Consort, which was almost exactly the same as how you treated Prince Consort, and they didn’t like anything about him.

“Later, there was a flood in the town. Prince Consort carried me up and down the mountain without letting me get a trace of mud on the road. I was touched by his thoughtfulness and no longer spoke coldly everywhere. Once I took a step back, he doesn’t need my persuasion anymore, and consciously changed his vulgar habits.”

Speaking until here, Hua Yang looked at the Cabinet Elder across from her and asked softly: “Have Father ever thought that with a person like Prince Consort who eat soft but not hard food accepting gentle persuasion but not coercion, if you were willing to accommodate his temper back then, he would feel better, and he might obediently follow you to study? Then with his intelligence, he can also win top marks in the imperial examination and become Zhuangyuan, and when his qualifications grow, he will join the cabinet like you and display more talents for the court?”

Why did Chen Tingjian insist on forcing his son to become a literary scholar?

It was because civil official like him, who were high up in the cabinet, felt that being a civil official were more promising. When generals outside fight, they would be restricted and directed by the court and the cabinet.

Chen Tingjian could be angry with his son for being disobedient, but if someone could make him believe that he could have a way to let the Old Four also took the road of the imperial examination, but because he refused to compromise even a little bit, causing the Old Four to miss the opportunity to become a civil official and enter the cabinet, as a father, Chen Tingjian would feel guilty.

The chess piece in Chen Tingjian’s hand had not been move for a long time.

Hua Yang’s eyes were sincere: “Father, there is no need to blame yourself. In Daughter-in-law’s eyes, you are already a very good father. You are an official in the court. Both in the past and now you must be very busy. But you still care about your children at home, and still willing to make time to teach them in person. In matters of politic, you have a clear conscience for the monarch and the people. At home, you have also taught talents like Eldest Brother and Third Brother. Even Prince Consort can stand out among the young military attachés…”

“Princess overpraised, this minister dares not accept it.” Chen Tingjian left the table and bowed deeply to the princess.

Hua Yang smiled and said: “You’re excel in your job. This is what Father Emperor and Mother Empress said personally. You are a good father. This is what Daughter-in-law has seen with her own eyes. How can it be considered overpraise?”

Sun shi, who had been listening for a long time, snorted: “Princess, you don’t have to look at his modesty, he must have been very satisfied inside. Please just talk about his faults, so he doesn’t become complacent.”

Chen Tingjian:……

Hua Yang smiled and asked him to sit down, and said with a bit of playfulness: “Should Daughter-in-law listen to Mother-in-law and continue to talk about your faults?”

Chen Tingjian hurriedly said: “Princess, feel free to speak out.”

Hua Yang: “Daughter-in-law still says the same thing, you are impeccable in state affairs. Daughter-in-law only hopes that you can have a gentler attitude when teaching Dalang and the others, even the Crown Prince. If they make a big mistake, it’s fine to be harsh. But if it’s just a misinterpretation, a careless mispronunciation of a word, or even playfulness, please give a gentle reminder and don’t criticize so harshly. Erlang is lively and loves to laugh, and it seems that he is not affected too much, but Dalang is thin-skinned, delicate and sensitive. If you speak so harshly, Daughter-in-law is worried that Dalang will not become like Eldest Brother, but will instead imitate Second Uncle in the hometown.”

Chen Tingjian:……

Sun shi turned her back to them and gritted her teeth: “If you dare to scare my good grandson to be like that, I can’t live with you in this life, and I will never live with you in the next life!”

Chen Tingjian looked at his wife helplessly, thought for a while, nodded and said: “This minister understand what Princess means. Prince Consort was unruly when he was young, but Dalang is sensitive and timid. This minister should not be harsh on him, but should follow their tempers appropriately.”

Hua Yang breathed a sigh of relief: “That’s exactly what Daughter-in-law meant.”

Chen Tingjian suddenly raised his eyes, looked directly at her and said, “What about Crown Prince? How does Princess wish this minister to teach him?”

The Old Four and Dalang were both members of the Chen family. The one the princess really care about was actually the crown prince.

Hua Yang was a noble princess, but she had never participated in any major court affairs. Suddenly facing the dignified chief minister’s eyes that could see through people’s hearts, Hua Yang subconsciously chose to avoid it.

Chen Tingjian smiled and said, “Today this minister and Princess were just chatting, and Princess doesn’t need to worry, this minister won’t mention this matter to anyone after leaving this room.”

Hua Yang calmed down, quickly sorted out the words she had thought of before, and said in a voice that even her mother-in-law couldn’t hear clearly: “Father may not know but Crown Prince is actually very much like Prince Consort. He is smart and care about face. Again, if he makes a big mistake, you should be strict. But if you are gentler on some small matters, it will be easier for him to listen. Only when father and son are in harmony can they be united in dealing with outside world. If you are in harmony with the Crown Prince, then the monarch and his ministers will be united in the future. What good strategies do you have for governing the country, then the Crown Prince will be willing to cooperate with you.”

Chen Tingjian secretly grasped the chess piece in his hand.

Hua Yang looked at the chess piece on his side: “Don’t think of the Crown Prince like Eldest Brother or Third Brother. You think of him as Prince Consort when he was a child. Then do you want the Crown Prince to be like Prince Consort when he grows up and fight against you everywhere, or do you want him to be like Father Emperor who entrust the cabinet to you?”

Chen Tingjian lowered his eyes.

He didn’t want the crown prince to be like the Old Four who was always went against him, nor did he want the crown prince to become the second Emperor Jingshun.

He hoped that the crown prince would grow up to be a wise monarch, a wise monarch who not only could recognize talents and appoint them well, but also be willing to strive to make the country strong and prosperous!

“Princess, don’t worry, this minister understands what to do.”

The author has something to say:

Old Four: You sent me out so you can play chess with the old man?

Hua Yang lowered her eyes and patted the edge of the couch.

Old Four: …

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