Saving My Life By Simping For My Empress - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Study—truly his enemy for life.

Qin Ji’s teacher had been appointed by the late Emperor. A man of high standing, he had been titled the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince. However, the Tyrant had been an unpromising student; not only did he constantly clash with his teacher, but he also encouraged his study companions to play tricks on the man, infuriating him. Had it not been for the late Emperor, he would have resigned from this prestigious post long ago. Later, when the late Emperor passed and the Crown Prince ascended, the already unlearned man—now free of all restraint—stopped attending classes entirely.

Now, a man who hadn’t touched a book in a full year was actively seeking to study. Xu Ziye found it quite peculiar, which is why he didn’t refuse and instead entered the palace that afternoon.

Qin Ji sat nervously in his chair, his hands gripping his robes so hard they wrinkled. After hearing Gao De’s recount of how the Tyrant used to treat his teacher, he was terrified the man would just quit on the spot.

Based on Gao De’s high praise, Qin Ji figured that in the modern world, Xu Ziye would at least be a doctoral supervisor with countless people begging to be his students. And this supervisor’s current impression of him was probably… maybe… likely… zero.

Qin Ji wanted to hold his head and cry. Why did he have to endure this kind of pain?

“Your Majesty, Master Xu Ziye has arrived,” Gao De announced, leading him into the study.

According to ancient ethics regarding “Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Parents, and Teachers,” Xu Ziye shouldn’t have to perform a grand kowtow to Qin Ji. But in front of the Tyrant, any “ancient rules” were usually treated like garbage.

“Your servant, Xu Ziye, greets Your Majesty,” Xu Ziye said, preparing to kneel.

At the thought of a doctoral supervisor kneeling to him, Qin Ji’s scalp nearly exploded. He leaped up and caught Xu Ziye: “Teacher, please rise!” This is not a kowtow I can accept.

Xu Ziye’s movements stiffened.

The year he had been entrusted by the late Emperor to teach the Crown Prince, the boy was only ten—a small child. At that time, Xu Ziye had also prepared to perform the grand salute, but the young prince had held him up and said, “Teacher, please rise.”

“Gao De, bring a chair for the teacher. Add a soft cushion.” Qin Ji noticed that Xu Ziye looked quite elderly.

Xu Ziye’s heart was momentarily conflicted. When he first started teaching this man, he had been treated with great respect. It was only years later that the Prince’s temperament suddenly changed; he became neither humble nor polite, refused to attend classes, and his schoolwork became a disaster. Even his handwriting, practiced for years, regressed until it looked like chicken scratches.

Gao De brought the cushioned chair, and Qin Ji helped Xu Ziye sit down, while he himself remained standing.

“Teacher, in the past, I made catastrophic mistakes. I know I was wrong and wish to reform. Do you think… you could give me another chance?”

Supervisor, please don’t reject me! QAQ!

Looking through the body of the grown man, Xu Ziye seemed to see the child from back then—not particularly brilliant, but eager to learn.

“Your Majesty has not studied seriously for many years. My requirements will be very strict. Can Your Majesty endure it?” As a subject, Xu Ziye would not discuss whether he personally “forgave” Qin Ji, but as the former Grand Tutor and current Imperial Preceptor, he would fulfill his duty.

Qin Ji immediately raised his hand to swear, pressing three fingers tightly together: “I can!”

Xu Ziye nodded. “Very well. Starting tomorrow, I will enter the palace to teach Your Majesty for two shichen (four hours) every afternoon. Does Your Majesty have any objection?”

Two shichen… four hours. Qin Ji nearly choked to death.

“No objection,” Qin Ji said with a long face. At the thought of studying so much Classical Chinese—Classical Chinese without punctuation, no less—he really wanted to cry.

“Good. Starting today, I will assign Your Majesty’s homework. Today’s task is twenty pages of calligraphy practice and a complete reading of The Analects,” Xu Ziye said sternly. “I hope Your Majesty perseveres.”

Qin Ji: “…I will definitely do it.”

…

Wei Yu had helped him with many memorials in the morning, but a large pile remained. After all, the Tyrant didn’t know how to handle them, yet some government affairs required the Emperor’s personal approval. Thus, after meeting Xu Ziye, Qin Ji had to invite Wei Yu back to help.

He gave his seat to Wei Yu and had another one pulled up for himself to practice his writing. Xu Ziye had assigned him twenty full pages, and he had to take it slow.

Gao De watched as Qin Ji scowled over his calligraphy. No matter how frustrated he got, he didn’t throw the brush across the room like he used to. Gao De was so relieved that he ground the ink with a visible spring in his step.

Qin Ji hadn’t really used a brush before. When he started, his hand shook so much he couldn’t hold the brush steady; a single horizontal stroke came out looking like a mountain range.

In the gaps between reviewing memorials, Wei Yu looked up at Qin Ji quite a few times. Every time he saw Qin Ji gritting his teeth over a single character, he found it a bit amusing.

Twenty pages of calligraphy was indeed a lot for a beginner. Coupled with the fact that Qin Ji was just starting and using his wrist incorrectly, it took him over two hours to finish.

“Your Majesty, the twenty pages are done!” Gao De said joyfully. “Your Majesty is truly incredible!”

Qin Ji: “…” Are you coaxing a toddler?

“I need to rest for a bit.” Qin Ji was spent. He deeply understood the meaning of physical exhaustion.

He slumped into the back of his chair, completely losing his posture. Qin Ji closed his eyes wearily.

Wei Yu: “…” This kind of person only became Emperor because he has no brothers.

“Your Majesty, Master Xu also assigned reading. Do you want to read for a bit before resting?” Gao De, sensing Qin Ji wouldn’t leap up to hit him, boldly placed a copy of The Analects on the table.

Qin Ji: As expected of you, “Wicked Maps” (Gao De).

“Help me up. I can still go on.” Qin Ji opened his eyes, though they were lifeless.

Study—truly his enemy for life.

Wei Yu glanced over, actually looking at Qin Ji for a moment longer than usual. This person bore absolutely no resemblance to the Tyrant.

Qin Ji took the book, adapted to the ancient reading habits, and flipped to the first page.

He knew the first line; it was in his school textbooks back home. “To learn and at due times to repeat what one has learnt, is that not after all a pleasure? Those who have friends coming from distant quarters, is that not after all a delight?…” His Chinese teacher had explained it, and he still remembered the meaning.

He suspected Xu Ziye assigned The Analects specifically because the first line was “To learn and at due times repeat,” as a reminder to review his lessons.

But I’m really not happy at all, ahhh!

He knew the first one. Next.

“It is rare for a man whose character is such that he is good to his parents and obedient to his elders to have the inclination to transgress against his superiors; and there has never been a case of one who has no such inclination starting a rebellion. The gentleman works on the root. Once the root is established, the Way grows. Being good to one’s parents and obedient to one’s elders is the root of benevolence.”

Qin Ji was bewildered. He didn’t understand.

Gao De’s smile froze. Didn’t His Majesty understand just a moment ago?

“Wei Yu,” Qin Ji flashed a flattering smile and took the book over to Wei Yu’s side, pointing at the line he didn’t understand. “Can you tell me what this means?”

Wei Yu: “…” He felt a bit angry. Why was he, a Prince of Wei, helping the Emperor of Qin review memorials and explain his homework!

But one must bow under another’s roof. Knowing he was isolated and without help, Wei Yu could only follow Qin Ji’s lead: “This sentence means: those who are filial to their parents and respectful to their elder brothers, but love to offend their superiors, are rare. Those who do not love to offend their superiors but love to start a rebellion do not exist. A gentleman focuses on the fundamentals; once the foundation is set, the principles of governing and being a person are established. Filial piety and fraternal respect are the roots of benevolence.”

After listening, Qin Ji scratched his head. “But what if the parents aren’t kind and the elder brother is a bad person? Do we still have to listen to them?”

Wei Yu raised his eyes. “As the lord of a country, Your Majesty should think about this question yourself.”

Qin Ji’s expression slumped. “Oh. Then I’ll go ponder it myself.”

Wei Yu: Leave quickly, don’t bother me.

Qin Ji took the book and his question back to his seat.

Although Confucius was a sage and a legendary educator, Qin Ji felt that if parents were bad to you, being “filial” was just blind obedience. He had seen enough on his phone about irresponsible parents who tried to harass the children they never raised once they were too old to move. The children were clearly the victims; must they suffer for a lifetime just for the sake of “filial piety” in the eyes of others?

No! That’s not fair! Relationships are mutual; only a kind father deserves a filial son.

As for “obedient to elder brothers”… Qin Ji thought of Wei Yu.

The Qin and Wei states had been at war, and Wei had lost. Qin hadn’t explicitly demanded a prince as a hostage; he remembered the novel saying the Tyrant demanded land and money—three cities and 100,000 taels of silver.

It was the Wei State that suggested sending a prince as a hostage. With a prince in Qin, what would Qin have to worry about? In exchange for the prince, Wei wouldn’t have to give up the three cities, only pay the 100,000 taels.

In other words, the Wei State traded Wei Yu for three cities.

“Wei Yu,” Qin Ji suddenly called his name. “How many siblings do you have?”

Wei Yu set down his brush and replied slowly, “I have one elder brother and one elder sister.”

So one brother and one sister. That meant Wei Yu’s brother was the Crown Prince of Wei?

Qin Ji’s not-so-bright brain began to brainstorm. Why did he get the feeling that Wei Yu was intentionally sent to Qin by his own brother?

Even if others didn’t know the Emperor of Qin was a Tyrant, would the Crown Prince of Wei not know? Then how could he bear to let his brother come to Qin to suffer?

Qin Ji couldn’t understand. In the eyes of the Crown Prince of Wei and those ministers, was Wei Yu worth less than three cities?

Ceding cities is a humiliation, but sending your own prince to another country as a hostage isn’t?

Qin Ji gripped the page too hard, wrinkling the book.

“Your Majesty, the book, the book,” Gao De reminded him.

Only then did Qin Ji realize he was mangling the book and quickly let go. He asked Wei Yu subconsciously, “Does your elder brother treat you well?”

Wei Yu was confused. “My brother and I are born of the same mother. Naturally, he is good to me.”

Qin Ji opened his mouth, wanting to ask, “If he’s good to you, why did he let you come to Qin as a hostage?” But then he thought, what does that have to do with him? He was currently the Emperor of Qin—the Tyrant.

“Oh. That’s good then.” Qin Ji picked up the book unhappily and resigned himself to his reading.

Wei Yu: “???”

Was Qin Ji just… unhappy? But why?