He was Almost Absorbed by the System

Chapter Sixty Six - Lâoshi Finds No Worth

The butterfly sought flowers

But remained unsatisfied by the azaleas

And the Lilies turned it away

The Lotus claimed what it wanted

Had touched its heart and move on

The butterfly sought flowers

But amongst the chrysanthemum and plum

The Peonies failed to grow

A Willow Tree beckoned it

For it hid an Orchid in its shadow

"What is this trash!" The papyrus upon which the poem had been written was torn in two.

The two boys bowed upon their knees, their palms touching the floor before their heads in front of a man, who was not their father, as he destroyed the carefully written words of Yu Long.

Once the harem had moved to the East Wind and Rising Moon Palaces, two of the traditional palaces on the Imperial Grounds where the Concubines were kept, the two Princes had remained in the White Orchid Palace. There came no word from the Emperor, their father of what was expected of them, so they had continued their days beneath their tutors, learning martial arts from Shifu Chen Dong and keeping out of the watchful eye of Huáng Hòu. Such peaceful days could not last forever.

The Empress had visited them early, she had fully expected to be able to give the boys a reprimand for lounging away while the day moved on. However, she had been disappointed, for they had already broken their fast and had been competing over a game of Go, before they respectably bowed once she was announced. She could also not lecture them about the state of their quarters, as Feng Chun had ensured that there remained sufficient staff to keep the Palace well maintained and the boys well fed. And so without the east winds supporting her, she had simply introduced them to the man, who she claimed would become their new tutor. His name was Huang Kong. At mention of his name, the two Princes could not help but glance at each other. This did not escape the man's sharp eyes.

Huang Kong could be considered handsome, were his features not twisted into a mask of cruelty. His square jawline was framed by a stunning mane of black silk, half tied into a knot upon his head. His black eyes were large, but cold like ice. A sneer seemed to be permanently formed on thin lips. He wore robes that seemed humble, but were cut of quality silks in deep indigo blue.

Once the Empress had left the Princes in his care, the two had dared to rise, only this man prevented them by brandishing a bamboo cane. "I will impart on you the knowledge you will be required to know, I will discipline you that you might not grow to be unruly and I will polish you into jewels the Empire will acknowledge and in return you will respect me in the way you offer respect onto his Imperial Majesty. You will bow before me when I enter your room, you will remain silent in my presence unless I permit you to speak, you will do as I tell you when I tell you. Failure to abide by my rules will result in your punishment. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Lâoshi," both boys said, unable to say anything different, there was no one to support them here. Even Xiao Ping was away from the Palace on some errand for You Zhi.

"I will test your knowledge," he said, allowing them to rise and proceeded to test them. Wáng Jie Long was a mediocre student when it came to most lessons involving the Four Books and Five Classics, with perhaps the exception of history. This was because he enjoyed reading tales of war and battles and as with many boys, the more bloodthirsty the better! Wáng Yu Long had greater patience and intelligence than he, but far from being envious, he was proud of his younger brother and unlike the stuffy poems of old or anecdotes of youths trying to impress masters, he actually liked his brother's poems. He didn't understand them well, he just liked them.