Ping Zhao Lu

Chapter 112 The Future Calligraphy Master

The rosy rays of light pierced through the clouds like thousands of golden arrows, pouring down and illuminating the entire East Palace with golden splendor and sparkling brilliance.

In this brilliant sunset glow, Chu Heyuan was sitting at his desk, concentrating and writing an article silently.

His focused expression seemed to blend into the surrounding environment, with only the brush in his hand rustling on the rice paper.

At this time, Wang Ruo, who was standing aside, had just finished the lessons taught by Master Ji today.

He gently put down the brush in his hand, stretched his stiff wrist, then stood up, straightened his clothes, and prepared to bow to the little prince and take his leave.

However, just as he stood up, he felt a huge figure suddenly hit his back.

Because the incident happened suddenly, Wang Ruo couldn't help but tremble slightly, and a look of astonishment appeared on his face. He subconsciously turned his head away.

Shi'an, who was standing aside, was stunned at first when he saw this, but then he reacted and quickly bowed to the figure.

Chu Heyuan was originally immersed in dictation, but the sudden movement still caught his attention.

He slowly put down the brush in his hand and raised his head to look in the direction where the sound came from.

When he saw the person in front of him, Chu Heyuan's eyes flashed with surprise, and he blurted out: "Fourth Uncle!"

Chu Yunzheng walked towards this side with a smile on his face, and waved his hand casually, signaling Shi'an to stand up.

Wang Ruo was shocked when he heard the prince address the man in front of him as "Fourth Imperial Uncle." Without giving it any time to think, he immediately knelt on his knees and respectfully saluted Chu Yunzheng, saying, "Wang Ruo greets His Majesty!"

Chu Yunzheng looked down at Wang Ruo, who was lying on the ground. His expression remained calm, showing no emotion. He simply said softly, "Get up."

"Thank you, Your Highness." After receiving permission, Wang Ruo stood up carefully, bowed to the prince again, and then turned around to leave the room.

Chu Yunzheng's eyes followed the small figure closely, watching it gradually disappear from his sight. He lowered his head slightly, frowning slightly, as if he was deep in thought.

After a while, as if he suddenly remembered something important, he raised his head and shouted, "Wait! You are the prince's study companion, why don't you come along too?"

Before the voice fell, Wang Ruo, who was about to reach the door, stopped in his tracks. Wang Ruo stood there, neither advancing nor retreating, looking extremely embarrassed and hesitant.

At this moment, Chu Heyuan, who was standing by, looked at Chu Yunzheng with a puzzled expression and asked, "Fourth Uncle, what are you doing?"

Chu Yunzheng showed a sly smile on his face and walked quickly to Chu Heyuan. He quickly stretched out his hands, inserted them under the little prince's armpits, and then lifted Chu Heyuan up high with a strong lift.

"Would you like to take you on a boat ride to enjoy the scenery and watch the colorful fireworks?" Chu Yunzheng said as he playfully shook Chu Heyuan in his hand a few times.

Chu Heyuan was caught off guard and was frightened by this sudden action. His heart instantly jumped into his throat. He struggled frantically and said anxiously, "Fourth Uncle, please put me down!"

However, Chu Yunzheng seemed not to have heard it. Not only did he not let Chu Heyuan go, but he maintained this posture and took him to spin around quickly.

At the same time, he kept teasing, "Haha, you're such a grown-up and you're still afraid of heights, aren't you ashamed?"

Seeing this scene, Shi Anke on the side was horrified.

His heart instantly hung in the air, and he hurriedly tried to dissuade him, "Your Highness, the prince is only eight years old now. He really can't stand being frightened like this..."

"Only eight years old?" Chu Yunzheng frowned. "In another month, he will be nine years old. In another four or five years, he will be able to marry and have children. Yet you still treat him like a child."

Shi'an was stunned.

This seems to be... correct.

Chu Heyuan retorted, "I'm not going to marry or have children!"

After these words were spoken, everyone present was stunned.

Chu Yunzheng became even more interested and joked without hesitation: "If you don't marry and have children in the future, are you going to follow your father's example? Will our future Crown Princess be a male concubine?"

"Your Majesty, please don't lead His Royal Highness the Crown Prince astray again!"

Shi'an's face was filled with anxiety, and there was even a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. He no longer cared about his personal safety at the moment, and hurriedly spoke up to stop it.

Chu Yunzheng had a nonchalant expression on his face, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised. "Is this a bad influence? What's the matter? Is your prince so unruly?"

Shi'an was suddenly speechless.

He turned his head helplessly and cast his gaze on Wang Ruo, who was standing aside and seemed a little bewildered. "Your Highness, there is still a child here. You have to consider this, right?"

Seeing this, Chu Heyuan mustered up his courage and slapped Chu Yunzheng's hand that was gripping his arm. He shouted angrily, "That's right, Fourth Uncle! If you treat me like this again, I will tell my father and my lord!"

After hearing Chu Heyuan's words, Chu Yunzheng was stunned for a moment, then he put it back on the ground, "You only know how to complain!"

Chu Heyuan snorted lightly, then quickly straightened his sleeves which were a little messy due to the pulling, then turned his head to the side and no longer looked at Chu Yunzheng, as if he was still sulking.

However, Chu Yunzheng didn't care at all. He still smiled and asked cheerfully, "So, are you going or not?"

Chu Heyuan shook his head and answered stubbornly, "No!" However, from his flickering eyes and slightly hesitant tone, it was obvious that he was not as determined as he seemed.

Chu Yunzheng obviously didn't believe Chu Heyuan's words and asked, "Are you really not going?"

Facing Chu Yunzheng's questioning, Chu Heyuan hesitated for a long time, and finally lowered his head and secretly glanced at the half-written "Thousand Character Classic" on the table, feeling conflicted.

After a long while, he muttered softly and replied, "I really...don't want to go..."

Chu Yunzheng noticed the little prince's subtle and barely perceptible emotional fluctuations.

He calmly followed the little prince's gaze, and the corners of his mouth, which had been slightly raised, now lifted up even more wantonly, revealing a slightly playful smile: "Oh~ So you were punished... No wonder!"

Hearing this, Chu Heyuan was like a cat whose tail was stepped on. He immediately jumped up and retorted, "No way!" However, his slightly panicked expression had already betrayed his true thoughts.

How could Chu Yunzheng easily let go of the opportunity to tease the little prince? He strode forward with big strides, completely ignoring Chu Heyuan's efforts to stop him.

He reached out and grabbed the thick stack of copied papers on Chu Heyuan's desk, flipping through them casually, muttering to himself, "Hmm... let the emperor's uncle take a look. This must have been read over two hundred times, right?"

Seeing that he couldn't stop it, Chu Heyuan lowered his head helplessly and muttered softly: "It will take six hundred times..." His voice was full of reluctance and grievance.

Seeing this, Chu Yunzheng showed no sympathy at all. Instead, he continued with a joking smile, "Based on your current speed, you should be able to finish writing it all in a few days. That's not bad. But..."

Changing the subject, Chu Yunzheng deliberately frowned, pretending to be disgusted, "It's just your handwriting, it's really hard to praise it!" As he spoke, he commented seriously, "Tsk tsk tsk tsk, your handwriting can be compared with some so-called calligraphy masters!"

After hearing this, Shi'an, who was standing by, couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Chu Heyuan, however, looked unconcerned, even a little smug. He puffed out his chest and proudly replied, "I do have this ambition!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Shi'an burst into laughter again.

Chu Yunzheng was instantly amused by the little prince. "Okay, okay, your highness the prince will definitely be a famous calligrapher in the future. Your calligraphy will surely be recorded in history and praised by thousands of people!"

After saying this, Chu Yunzheng's laughter became louder.

Shi'an and Chu Heyuan were infected by the laughter. They looked at each other and couldn't help laughing.

For a moment, the whole hall was filled with laughter.

Wang Ruo, who was at a loss, saw how happy they were and couldn't help but smile and raise the corners of his mouth.

This scene was caught by Chu Heyuan out of the corner of his eye.

During his time in the Eastern Palace, due to the constraints of rules, this was the first time he saw Wang Ruo smile so sincerely.

Chu Heyuan pondered secretly.

Perhaps my father is right.

If this person left the palace, he would definitely not be so dull and boring.