TRBDM -Chapter 89 The Tenth Prince Zhao Jingheng

In the blink of an eye, the day came for Xie Lan and Xie Yu to go to the Imperial Academy.

Early that morning, Wei Zhaorong, Xie Wanrou, and Dou Shuyao all came to the Lan Courtyard.

After checking their luggage and giving a few final instructions, they sent the boys off in the carriage.

“Remember, if you get into any disputes or suffer any grievances, immediately have a page send a letter back to the residence. No matter what happens, your mother will have your back.”

Wei Zhaorong’s words gave Xie Lan and Xie Yu a lot of confidence.

“Mother, we understand.”

As the carriage moved off, Xie Lan and Xie Yu waved goodbye to everyone.

Not a hundred meters away, someone came running, out of breath.

“Xie Lan! Xie Lan!” Xie Wanyi called from outside.

Xie Lan opened the window. “Second Sister.”

“Don’t forget what I told you to deliver. Make sure it gets into his hands, understood?”

If Xie Wanyi had gotten up this early, besides Nangong Hai, there was no one else who could make her do so.

Xie Lan looked slightly troubled but didn’t want to be entangled by Xie Wanyi, so he gave a vague acknowledgment.

Satisfied, Xie Wanyi turned and headed back to the residence.

Outside the main gate, Dou Shuyao watched her retreating figure and said, “The sun must be rising in the west today—Second Younger Sister is really up early.”

Xie Wanrou was also puzzled. Since when had Xie Wanyi become so close to Xie Lan, getting up early just to see them off?

Only Wei Zhaorong knew the reason.

Nangong Hai was studying at the Imperial Academy, and Xie Wanyi’s interest was not really in Xie Lan.

She wasn’t concerned for Xie Lan at all—she merely wanted to use him as a way to get acquainted with Nangong Hai.

Two lifetimes of fateful entanglement destined them to be tied together.

The carriage rocked along, and half an hour later, they arrived at the Imperial Academy.

Mr. Dong was already there, waiting outside the gate.

When Xie Lan arrived, two others hadn’t come yet, so everyone waited at the entrance.

Soon, a magnificent carriage appeared in the distance, pulled by two pure white horses with perfectly groomed manes.

The carriage itself was jet black, inlaid with gold trim and exquisite decorations.

“Who’s in that carriage?”

“I’ve never seen such a luxurious carriage before.”

Some students whispered to each other.

Mr. Dong followed their gaze and said, “That is the carriage of the Ninth Prince.”

“Heavens—it’s the Ninth Prince!” The students murmured in awe.

Among these students, the best ones were the grandchildren of third-rank officials. None of them had ever interacted with royalty, so seeing the Ninth Prince made them all deeply respectful—and a bit fearful.

They tread carefully, afraid of offending him.

Mr. Dong gave instructions:

“The Ninth Prince is now studying at the Imperial Academy, in the same cohort as you. You will attend the same classes. Be cautious in your words and actions—do not offend the Ninth Prince.”

Xie Lan and Xie Yu exchanged a glance and nodded along with the other students.

At that moment, someone descended from the carriage, also dressed in luxurious clothing. He opened the carriage door and assisted the Ninth Prince out.

“This is the Ninth Prince’s companion reader, the youngest son of the Minister of Personnel.”

When the Ninth Prince got out, he noticed the visiting students standing not far away. He gave them a cursory glance, then held his head high and entered the Imperial Academy.

Normally, students at the Imperial Academy were required to stay in the dormitories, but the Ninth Prince, due to his exalted status, never lived on campus.

Even his daily meals were delivered by palace eunuchs and consumed separately.

No one dared enforce rules on the Ninth Prince—power itself was the rule.

After the other two students arrived, Mr. Dong led everyone into the Imperial Academy.

The academy’s president and the department head came out to greet Mr. Dong.

“Respected President, esteemed Department Head,” Mr. Dong spoke first.

“Mr. Dong, you’re here.”

The Sacrificial Minister and the Dean both greeted Mr. Dong with bright smiles, showing him special respect.

“These are my twelve students, not yet accomplished, so I’ll trouble you, Sacrificial Minister,” Mr. Dong said.

The twelve students lined up and respectfully bowed to the Sacrificial Minister and the Dean.

“Mr. Dong’s students are all extraordinary talents—you are being modest,” they replied.

After exchanging some pleasantries, the Sacrificial Minister invited Mr. Dong to the tea room, while someone led the students to the lodging quarters to settle their belongings.

As Xie Wanrou had said, the student quarters for the traveling scholars were arranged in a remote corner, dimly lit, with a faint musty smell upon entering.

“What’s that smell? It’s awful.”

“Come on, think of it as being in your own home. At least there’s a place to stay. It’s only ten days; just endure it.”

The quarters were large shared rooms, six people per room—exactly two rooms in total.

Since Xie Lan and Xie Yu were brothers, they naturally shared a room.

While others were complaining, their attendants had already made the beds.

The attendants stayed in an even more remote outbuilding, ten people per room. After making Xie Lan and Xie Yu’s beds, they returned to their own quarters.

Once everyone was settled, the twelve students were led to the study hall.

The day’s lessons officially began.

Mr. Dong had once been the tutor to the Crown Prince and also the former Sacrificial Minister of the Guozijian. The subjects he taught were very similar to those at the Guozijian. When Xie Lan and the others attended his class, they did not encounter any particularly difficult material.

In the afternoon, everyone went to the dining hall for a meal.

Except for the Ninth Prince, all the other students were dining there.

Xie Yu had a slight stomachache and went to the latrine first; by the time he returned, he and Xie Lan were the last to arrive at the dining hall.

The other ten students were already seated, so they had to take a spot by the window, where only one seat was free.

Strangely, while the other students chatted and paired off, this one student sat alone.

Xie Lan approached and politely asked, “Excuse us, may we sit here?”

The boy looked up. His gaze was not sharp, but it was far from friendly.

He wasn’t dressed extravagantly, but carried a noble air that commanded respect, making Xie Lan feel an inexplicable reverence.

“Hmm, sit.”

“Thank you.”

Xie Lan and Xie Yu ate quietly, careful not to disturb the boy opposite them, speaking only in low whispers.

During class that morning, Xie Yu hadn’t fully understood one of the problems, so their whispered conversation revolved entirely around the lesson.

A glance occasionally fell on Xie Yu, making him feel uneasy.

He looked up and inadvertently met the boy’s eyes.

So he had been watching them.

Thinking he had something on his face, Xie Yu wiped it off hastily. When he looked again, the boy had already averted his gaze.

After finishing their meal, they returned to their quarters to rest.

In the time it took to eat, some of the students had already gathered plenty of information about the Guozijian.

“Hey, Xie Lan, do you know who’s sitting opposite you today?”

Xie Lan shook his head.

“He’s the Tenth Prince!”

“…”

They had already known that there were two princes studying at the Guozijian. After seeing the Ninth Prince’s elaborate procession that morning, they hadn’t yet seen the other prince’s carriage.

They hadn’t expected the Tenth Prince to be so low-key, without any display at all.

“I heard that the Tenth Prince’s mother, Consort Shu, accidentally drowned a few years ago. The prince is young and has no backing in the palace, so he lives and studies here at the Guozijian.”

“Wow, never thought a proper prince would stay in the same quarters as us.”

“You’re overthinking. No matter what, he’s a prince. His room is separate; compared to our shared room, it’s like heaven and earth.”

Xie Lan and Xie Yu said nothing, quietly taking note of what was said.

He was the Tenth Prince, Zhao Jingheng.