Chapter 34: The Bared Teeth and Brandished Claws Were not in the Least Threatening

When ChengYu stepped out of the academy, he fell into a trance as he thought about what just happened.

Although he was respectful to the eldest princess now, and never went against her will. However, in his heart, he felt that she was no different from those other aristocrats, and he even had a bit of resentment hidden in his heart.

ChengYu was only ten years old, and he had already experienced a lot of hardships. These experiences had tempered his perseverance.

Except for his extreme hatred for Queen Cheng who killed his mother, the rest were not worth mentioning (1). Even YuanJue who had bullied him the most before did not actually arouse half the waves in Cheng Yu’s heart.

Only the eldest princess was able to make his calm heart sprout some complaints, and it was all because of what happened in the snow.

When he first saw her, ChengYu thought she was the heavenly maiden here to bring him home. Like a dazzling light, it broke into his dark life. However, this fantasy was cruelly broken in less than a day.

He thought that the eldest princess was his salvation, but he was only saved in order to provoke YuanJue. Once the goal was achieved, she regarded him as nothing. But because she was afraid of him staining her palace, she cruelly had the maid wash him with snow water while he was in that condition.

The things that were left out caused a huge difference in perception. Even ChengYu couldn’t bear it.

He always thought that he was able to survive that kind of torture because of luck, or because long term torture had made him strong enough to survive that situation.

The words of the scholar today broke all the facts that ChengYu once believed.

What he thought was a vicious torture was actually to save his life. Even when he was brought back to the palace by the maid, the eldest princess's malicious and mocking words were only to stimulate him not to fall asleep.

Just now in class, the scholar took his own personal experience as an example, to carefully analyze the cure for frozen people. One was to try to keep the injured awake. Once they fell asleep, they would never wake up.

It turned out that nothing he saw or heard was true. The domineering princess on the surface was not as simple as she seemed on the surface.

ChengYu quickened his pace and headed towards her courtyard. This was the first time there was a sense of excitement rising in his heart as he returned to the cage.

When ChengYu stepped into the eldest princess’s courtyard, she had not yet returned. She should still be accompanying the second princess.

Seeing ChengYu, the maid GuYu who had stayed behind, stepped forward and bowed, “Prince, princess will be staying with the second princess tonight. You don’t have to wait here.”

ChengYu was taken aback, and felt somewhat disappointed. He thought for a while, and said, "The master's lectures were a bit profound today. Can I borrow the study to sort out the lesson?"

GuYu smiled and said, "Please."

In this courtyard, apart from the princess's bedroom, ChengYu could be said to not have any restrictions. He nodded to GuYu, turned and walked towards the study.

ChengYu was cautious by nature. At first, because he didn't like the eldest princess's domineering temperament, he just obeyed the other party on the surface to avoid more torture.

Now that he knew that the eldest princess might not be what he saw on the surface, he wanted to find out the truth.

ChengYu stepped into the study, but instead of looking at the bookshelf to the side, he walked towards several large wooden boxes in the corner.

Although the princess was naughty and unruly, she liked to read all kinds of miscellaneous books. When reading a book, she also liked the new and disliked the old. The books that she had read were randomly placed in the large boxes in the corner, and only books that are being read or not yet read would be placed on the shelf.

Before entering the academy, the eldest princess said that in order to prevent ChengYu from embarrassing her too much, she allowed ChengYu to enter the study and read the books at will.

ChengYu rummaged in the wooden box for a moment. Instead of finding any medical books, he dug out a book of academy rules.

Having stayed with the eldest princess over the past few months, ChengYu knew about the other’s hobbies. She would never touch such books. However, this book had traces of being read.

He flipped through it and saw a familiar handwriting in the book: It is not stated that noble children have to be from my country’s nobility. For this reason I can persuade Master Shou to allow ChengYu to enter the academy.

ChengYu's hand stiffened slightly. This was what the eldest princess had said before she brought him to the academy.

"ChengYu, I will be entering the academy tomorrow. Servants are not allowed in the academy, so you will enter in the name of a student and do some chores for me."

"The academy will not accept someone with an identity such as mine.”

The eldest princess just raised her chin, "In Yuan-guo, except for the king and mother, no one will dare to raise an objection to what I said."

ChengYu at that time thought that even in the face of these highly respected masters, the eldest princess would use her power to suppress others, and that it was indeed the same as the rumors.

However, the academy rules in front of him caused ChengYu to overthrow everything he knew about the eldest princess in the past few months.

ChengYu quietly sat in front of the wooden box for a moment, then he returned all the books, and got up to leave.

When he reached the door, someone had pushed the door and walked in. It was the person he had been thinking of in his heart.

"ChengYu, so you are still here.” DuYan had just come back and heard GuYu say that ChengYu was in the study, and so he came to find him.

"Princess, why are you back?"

DuYan glared at him, "This is my place, is it so strange to come back?"

ChengYu said, "I didn't mean that. I just finished sorting out what the Master said today, and can tell you what happened.”

After that, he took a few tables from the maid at the door and placed them by the window. After doing all this, he turned around and made a gesture to DuYan, “Princess, sit. Master’s anecdotes about the mountains and the wild today were quite interesting.”

DuYan’s eyes brightened when he heard these words. He quickly walked to the couch and sat down. “Very good. Then say it exactly as you heard it. If you make a mistake, I will whip you once.”

DuYan in front of him still looked domineering, but ChengYu's perception of her was completely different.

Now she seemed more similar to a little beast brandishing its teeth and claws. She looked fierce, but in fact she actually never did anything that crossed lines.

After ChengYu jumped out of confinement, he discovered that in the past few months, he had eaten the best food, wore the best clothes, and even entered the academy to study with Yuan-guo’s children of nobility.

And all he needed to pay was to accompany the princess to have fun, and occasionally be reprimanded by her.

"ChengYu!" DuYan frowned slightly and scolded ChengYu, who was lost in thought for some reason.

ChengYu returned to his senses, and saw that DuYan was staring at him. The corners of his lips slightly raised, and then he began to repeat today's lesson.

ChengYu subconsciously skipped the story about the hunter and chose another story from one of the classics that he had read.

DuYan listened carefully and didn't notice anything unusual.

***

That day the school was closed, and DuYan was playing in the garden with YuanNing, who had just recovered.

DuYan played with a bow and arrow in his hand. Although the bow and arrow were small, they were not decorated with gems that the noble women liked, but were the same as those used by soldiers in the army.

DuYan had started learning to ride and shoot a few days ago, which was taught by his uncle Lieutenant Wu.

The Wu family knew of DuYan's true identity, otherwise with just the queen alone, it would not have been enough to conceal the truth.

Therefore, the Wu family's education for DuYan and YuanNing was also different. Ever since childhood, DuYan had been studying the doctrines of different schools, in addition he also learned strategy from the queen. He learned the art of riding and shooting from the Wu Family.

YuanNing didn't think there was anything wrong with DuYan dancing with swords and shooting arrows in the Wu family. After all, ever since childhood, she had never been as strong as her older sister, and she had no interest in dancing with swords or shooting arrows.

However, she was very interested in her elder sister's ability, "Sister, how is your archery now? I heard that you can now shoot as far as 100 steps now without missing your target.”

DuYan smiled and said, "I can't shoot as far as 100 steps for now, but I can fire at a target a hundred times without a single miss.”

YuanNing’s eyes widened, "Really? But you only just started learning archery. It’s only been just a bit more than a month…”

He raised his eyebrows and beckoned to ChengYu who was standing in the distance, "ChengYu, come here."

When Chengyu walked over, DuYan handed a tea cup to ChengYu, and said, "Go over there, under that tree."

Although ChengYu didn't understand, he didn't ask much. Under his command, he walked under the tree.

Seeing that the distance was about right, DuYan said loudly, "Put the tea cup on your head and don't move it."

Having said that, he pulled the bowstring back and made a aiming posture.

YuanNing was shocked and jumped up from the stone bench, "Sister, don't be like this. I can’t watch any longer. I know that your archery is the most accurate.”

DuYan glanced at her, "I can’t do that. Words alone are not proof. Why not let Ning’er see with your own eyes that I can prove what I said?”

After that, he took the arrow from the maid’s hand and placed it on the bow.

YuanNing wanted to come forward to stop him, but she heard DuYan say, "Don't move. If I let go carelessly, ChengYu’s life may not be guaranteed.”

YuanNing stopped anxiously, sweat oozing from her forehead. She did not dare to approach DuYan, so she shouted, "ChengYu, hurry up and leave!"

ChengYu didn't move, and his expression didn't change either.

DuYan glanced at him for a moment, and saw ChengYu standing in the distance. He even furrowed his eyebrows but those dark eyes only stared at him calmly.

DuYan was made a little uncomfortable because of him, and finally loosened his hand. He threw the bow and arrow to the table, “So weak. ChengYu, you come back for me.”

When ChengYu walked back, from an angle that DuYan couldn't see, he lowered his head and smiled softly, "Sure enough."