After the school on the estate was established, Steward Jia followed the Princess Consort’s instructions and had the tenant farmers send their children to study.
Upon learning that tuition and fees were all waived and that a midday meal was included, the tenant farmers were overjoyed. They all sent their sons to the school.
As for the girls, they were naturally kept at home to do chores.
Fortunately, Prince Zhao had prepared a backup plan.
He had two embroideresses hired, offering to teach the girls embroidery for free, which also included a midday meal.
To the tenant farmers, this was a blessing from the heavens. Only a fool would refuse!
They scrambled to send their daughters to the school, telling them to be sure to learn well from the embroideresses.
The embroideresses had already been instructed. While teaching embroidery, they also told the girls about the benefits of reading and studying.
Over time, the girls gradually developed an interest in studying.
Conveniently, there was a female teacher at the school.
The girls learned embroidery every morning and then studied reading and writing with the female teacher in the afternoon.
When Hua Manman arrived at the school, it was afternoon.
The two classrooms on the left were filled with boys, who were reciting their lessons after their teachers. The clear, resonant sound of their reading drifted out of the windows, quite pleasant to the ear.
The girls, meanwhile, were in the classroom on the right, practicing their calligraphy at that moment.
It was very quiet inside the classroom. A brazier in the corner burned silently, steadily radiating warmth.
The female teacher held a hand warmer and walked slowly past the desks, her gaze sweeping over the paper in front of each student.
If she saw someone had written a character incorrectly, she would stop, point to the mistake with her finger, and tell the student the correct way to write it.
Hua Manman stood quietly by the window and immediately spotted Jin Ling’er and Lan Xuan sitting in the second row on the far left.
The two little girls were diligently practicing their calligraphy, a light seeming to shine in their pretty eyes.
Steward Jia asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, would you like to go inside and have a look?"
Hua Manman shook her head, indicating that it wasn’t necessary.
She turned and left the school.
It wasn’t until school let out that Jin Ling’er and Lan Xuan learned Princess Consort Zhao had visited.
They were pleasantly surprised and immediately took Jin Sinian to visit the Princess Consort.
Hua Manman had someone bring over stools, letting them sit around the brazier, and asked how they had been lately.
Lan Xuan and Jin Sinian were both rather shy and not very talkative, so it was Jin Ling’er who did most of the talking.
She recited the new lessons she had recently learned for the Princess Consort and shared some amusing stories from school. She seemed full of life, very different from before.
In the past, although she had always been lively, whenever she chatted with people, she almost always talked about her younger brother and rarely mentioned herself.
But things were different now. She went to school to study every day, not only learning a great deal but also making many new friends.
She now had a social circle of her very own.
Qing Huan used a pair of iron tongs to poke through the charcoal ash, pulling out fragrant roasted chestnuts and peanuts.
Si Yun brought over steaming hot milk tea.
Everyone ate and chatted, the atmosphere merry.
「...」
Meanwhile, in Hanzhang Hall, the scene was completely the opposite.
Ever since his heart condition had relapsed out of anger, the Emperor’s health had not improved.
He had been bedridden for more than ten days.
Most of the court’s administrative affairs were handled collaboratively by several senior officials from the Central Secretariat. Only a few extremely urgent memorials, which the senior officials dared not decide on themselves, were sent before the Emperor for his personal judgment.
But this was not a long-term solution.
Officials constantly submitted memorials, imploring the Emperor to name a Crown Prince as soon as possible.
Eventually, even the senior officials brought up the matter of appointing a Crown Prince before the Emperor.
The Emperor’s expression remained neutral, but inwardly, he was displeased.
Hua Qingqing noticed the Emperor’s tightly furrowed brow and took the initiative to gently massage his temples with her delicate, fair hands to help soothe him.
After a moment, she suddenly heard the Emperor ask a question.
"Do you think I’m an enlightened ruler?"
Hua Qingqing said softly, "Your Majesty is diligent in your duties, you care for the common people, and you have brought peace and prosperity to the realm. Of course you are an enlightened ruler."
The Emperor gave a self-deprecating laugh. "If I were an enlightened ruler, why are they so preoccupied with naming a Crown Prince? I’m just a little ill, and it’s not like I’m about to die. Do they have to be in such a hurry to find my successor?"
These were not things that should be said to a concubine.
But he had been so suffocated these past few days that he desperately needed to get it off his chest.
’Besides, no one else is around, and Hua Qingqing is completely devoted to me. It should be fine to talk to her about it.’
Hua Qingqing consoled him, "Your Majesty, please don’t be angry. The officials are anxious to name a Crown Prince just in case, not because they are dissatisfied with you. Your achievements are for all to see. The civil and military officials, and indeed all the people of the realm, surely hope that Your Majesty will live an eternal life."
The Emperor sighed helplessly.
"I don’t expect to live an eternal life. I just hope my body can recover soon."
Hua Qingqing said, "The Imperial Physicians are all trying to find a cure for you. I’m sure your illness will be healed before long."
The Emperor replied, "I hope so."
During the Emperor’s illness, Hua Qingqing had been the one constantly by his side, attending to him.
From feeding him his meals and water to administering his medicine, she did everything herself, taking impeccable care of him.
It is said that people are more vulnerable than usual when they are ill.
The Emperor was no exception.
Watching Hua Qingqing devote herself to caring for him every day, he was deeply moved.
Once, she was so exhausted that she fell asleep sitting on the footstool next to his bed.
The Emperor’s heart softened completely.
He had someone bring a cloak to drape over Hua Qingqing.
But the moment the cloak settled on her shoulders, she woke up.
She looked up, her eyes meeting the Emperor’s, and she scrambled to her feet.
"I deserve death for dozing off while attending to Your Majesty. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
The Emperor felt nothing but pity for her; how could he possibly bear to punish her?
He said gently, "Since you’re tired, go and rest for a while. I have people here to take care of me; you don’t need to worry."
Hua Qingqing shook her head. "There’s no need. I have already rested."
She insisted on staying, and the Emperor, unable to sway her, could only chide her lightly.
"You silly girl."
While the Emperor was recuperating, Prince Wu Zhang, Li Ying, came to the palace every day to visit him, paying his respects in the morning and evening, regardless of the weather.
Such filial piety was truly rare.
Yet the Emperor’s feelings were complicated.
His once-beloved Eldest Imperial Son, Crown Prince, and Fifth Prince had all passed away one after another. Even Prince Dongyang, Li Hao, to whom he had once entrusted great responsibility, had betrayed him.
Of his three remaining sons, the Sixth Prince and the Seventh Prince were still young.
Only Prince Wu Zhang, Li Ying, could share his burdens.
However, whenever he thought of the woman who had given birth to Li Ying, the Emperor found it impossible to like this son.
Today, Li Ying came to pay his respects to the Emperor as usual.
The Emperor suddenly posed a difficult question to him—
"We are now bedridden. To prevent unrest, the court officials have advised Us to name a Crown Prince as soon as possible. What do you think should be done about this matter?"