Hustle Queen in the Harem: My Consort Won't Stop Grinding

From Xie Che’s perspective, the scene before him was one of brotherly affection and respect. A wave of paternal love welled up inside him.

Unlike mothers, who go through ten months of pregnancy—or, to be more scientific, are influenced by hormones—many men are not born with paternal love. It is something that must be cultivated. If a woman lets her husband shirk his parenting duties and raises the child all by herself, she will end up with a Peter Pan-like father who possesses ’some fatherly love, but not much.’

The sight of two little ones who shared his blood, sitting together with their heads touching, was more than enough to stir the Emperor’s scarce paternal feelings.

"Your Highness, actually, the Second Prince has his own studies, you know,"

Seeing this, however, made Guo Xiao Yi’s heart tighten.

The sight of the loose-leaf notebook made her stomach churn with jealousy. ’What good could come from something Mrs. Jiang and her son have created?’ She was, on the one hand, resentful, and on the other, suspicious that Gu Zhaoyi was using the Eldest Prince to corrupt her Sheng’er, or to deliberately make Sheng’er look inferior in front of the Emperor. "You are close in age, so I’m sure you understand, Your Highness. The Second Prince is not far behind you in any way."

"A three-year-old learning to cultivate his temperament can hardly be called ’studies.’ How can you even compare them?" It was Xie Che who detected the sour note in Guo Xiao Yi’s words, and he spoke coolly.

Only then did Guo Xiao Yi fall silent.

She knew the Emperor liked to see brotherly love, so she didn’t dare say anything more to incite comparisons in front of him. Instead, she began to promote her own son. "Sheng’er is very eager to learn. He can already recite the entire *Thousand Character Classic* very smoothly, and he can even write a little."

Xie Sheng, who had been talking with his brother, froze and looked up when his name was called.

The adults around him towered over him, and he felt a little lost. Then, a push from his mother-concubine sent him stumbling one step forward. He met his Father Emperor’s smiling eyes, but his heart began to tremble.

Because in that moment, he was actually thinking, ’What is the *Thousand Character Classic*?’

’What was it I’m supposed to recite so smoothly?’

Xie Che said, "The Eldest Prince can also recite the *Thousand Character Classic*. In that case, the brothers can motivate each other to improve. Let’s have Sheng’er recite it for us first, then Zhao’er can go."

Guo Xiao Yi was overjoyed. She had heard many stories of mothers gaining status through their sons. She wasn’t hoping to regain the Emperor’s favor through Sheng’er, but she did hope that if he received the Emperor’s attention, her own status as his birth mother would rise accordingly. Perhaps she could even dream of becoming the Empress Dowager one day.

Not only did she push Xie Sheng forward, but she also gave him a little pinch.

The pinch was light and didn’t hurt at all. In a mother’s eyes, it was a gesture to encourage her son to perform well. Little did she know, it was the last straw for Xie Sheng. "Heaven is dark and Earth is yellow; the universe is vast and boundless..." He had only recited two lines when his throat seemed to close up, and he couldn’t make a sound.

Xie Sheng was terrified of disappointing his mother-concubine, and he was also afraid that the palace maids and eunuchs around him would be punished again.

Seeing Xie Sheng stop, Guo Xiao Yi’s smile froze. She forced another one and said, "Sheng’er, don’t be nervous. Just recite it like you normally do."

Xie Sheng opened his mouth again, but his mind was a complete blank. He couldn’t remember a single word.

He turned to look at his mother-concubine for help, only to find she wasn’t looking at him. Instead, she was anxiously glaring at Nanny Cheng. He then heard her say, "Sheng’er usually recites it very smoothly. If the Emperor doesn’t believe me, you can ask the Palace Attendants who serve him. Every day before dawn, the sound of Sheng’er’s clear voice reading aloud can be heard from the study. When I hear it, my heart swells with pride."

Guo Xiao Yi was desperate to prove to the Emperor that her Sheng’er was an exceptionally bright and precocious prodigy, smarter than the Eldest Prince.

But the Little Bun, knowing he had once again disappointed his mother-concubine, clamped his mouth shut in misery. He hung his head, and though his own parents by blood were right beside him, he felt like a wilted weed with no branch to cling to.

When the Emperor said nothing, Guo Xiao Yi was about to pull a servant forward as a witness.

"Alright, alright, calm down," Xie Che said, waving his hand. He looked at her, slightly bewildered. "Sheng’er is still so young; there’s no rush for him to learn anything. You said he could recite it, so I thought I’d let the boy show off a little. It doesn’t matter if he stumbles. Why frighten him like this? Don’t raise a Prince to be so timid and hesitant. If he can’t recite it well this time, he can try again next time."

Guo Xiao Yi, her face pale, admitted her fault.

Beside her, the Second Prince’s little face was also white.

The Emperor had only one thought about all this: ’What a mess! I came here for a family gathering, not to interrogate a prisoner!’

"What about you? I said you would recite after the Second Prince finished. Do you know it?"

Xie Che sighed and turned to his eldest son, who was happily nibbling on a pastry.

Hearing this question, the Second Prince’s face grew even paler.

Zhao’er put down his pastry and let a palace maid clean his hands. "Your son is learning a new text. I don’t really remember the *Thousand Character Classic* anymore. It’s probably the same for Second Brother. We learn so fast that Lady Zhaoyi doesn’t even know. It’s common to learn the next part and forget the last. Mother-concubine even calls me a bear picking corn. Your son wants to practice reciting diligently with my younger brother."

His relaxed and innocent words quickly dispelled the gloom that had filled the room.

Hearing that the Eldest Prince couldn’t recite it either, Guo Xiao Yi and her son’s expressions finally eased. Xie Che, however, grew even more annoyed with her. He told her to go back to her own chambers and to get rid of the large crowd of palace maids and eunuchs standing around, as the sight of them was irritating.

After most of the people had dispersed, Xie Che finally said, "So what text are you learning now? Recite it for me."

’He still wants to test my recitation!’

Xie Sheng couldn’t help but look at his brother with worry. But as soon as his brother opened his mouth, out came the *Analects*—a text far more difficult than the *Thousand Character Classic* and something he himself had not yet even begun to study.

Xie Che closed his eyes and listened to his son recite for a moment before stopping him. "Has Gu Zhaoyi started teaching you the *Analects*?"

"Mother-concubine said it’s to prepare for future lessons."

Xie Che felt that at the rate Jiang Xian was going, the next step would probably be preparing him to review imperial memorials.

Upon hearing the word "prepare," the Second Prince’s gaze toward Zhao’er grew even warmer.

’So both their mother-concubines are like that.’

"Sheng’er, why are you just staring at your brother? If you want to say something, say it." Xie Che ruffled his head. How could he not see that Guo Xiao Yi was also pushing the Second Prince to study hard? This was a good thing in principle, and he didn’t want to interfere too much. But why, with the same approach, was Zhao’er not nearly as timid and hesitant?

The two children got along well, could look after each other, and had a good influence on one another. This saved him a lot of worry.

"Big Brother, what did Lady Zhaoyi mean by ’a bear picking corn’?"

"It means picking one ear and dropping it for another."

Understanding dawned on Xie Sheng’s face. He said sheepishly, "Actually, I really do know how to recite it. I was just nervous and forgot."

The two little ones sat side-by-side eating pastries. After playing for a while, Xie Sheng took the initiative to ask if he could try reciting again. After receiving his Father Emperor’s nod of approval, he recited it once more. Although he stuttered a bit, he got through it without a single mistake. Xie Che rewarded him with a Seven-piece Puzzle toy and promised to bring his brother to play with him again next time. He also gave him permission to visit Bihua Palace often.

Xie Sheng, who was rarely allowed to go out except to pay respects at Jianzhang Palace and Changle Palace, couldn’t help but feel a flicker of anticipation.

That was, until he heard his big brother say, "Come find me so we can practice calligraphy and recite texts together!"

Suddenly, Xie Sheng wasn’t quite so excited anymore.

After they left Zhongcui Palace, Xie Che finally asked Zhao’er, "Did your mother-concubine ever tell you that deceiving the Emperor is a capital offense?"

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