Building a Harmonious Song Dynasty

Chapter 3

The Huang family? Probably the royal family. This young man must be the Crown Prince, Zhao Heng. And his ninth brother…

Looking at the young master opposite him, Qin Zhen suddenly found it amusing: Zhao Gou, we really are destined to be enemies!

Qin Zhen's eyes kept scanning Zhao Gou's face, and she thought with resentment: What? This little kid is my destined one? My master is really a killer. He doesn't look like my soulmate at all. Hmph, if you want to gain my approval, you'll have to suffer first!

Zhao Gou felt very uncomfortable during the meal. Seeing that Zhao Gou's complexion was not good, Zhao Heng hurriedly took his leave. Before leaving, Zhao Gou glanced at Qin Zhen one last time and whispered in his elder brother's ear, "Brother, that girl makes me feel disgusted."

Zhao Heng laughed and tapped him on the head, saying, "Look at your pathetic self."

Seeing them leave, the Qin family members slowly walked down the mountain, but Qin Zhen's words almost made Qin Hui slip down the mountain, because she said: "Father, those two people just now were Crown Prince Zhao Huan and Ninth Prince Zhao Gou."

It took Qin Hui a while to regain his balance. He asked in disbelief, "Is that young master the crown prince who was just appointed last month?"

Seeing Qin Zhen nod very firmly, Qin Hui looked up at the sky for a long time before saying, "It's over, it's over. We were so disrespectful to them, our future is ruined!"

Qin Zhen chuckled and said, "Don't worry, the Crown Prince and you get along so well, Father will have a bright future."

For some reason, Qin Hui completely believed what his daughter said and didn't even question it. Hearing her say this, he felt reassured. However, just as he felt a little better, Qin Zhen turned to him very seriously and said, "But... Father, you must be a loyal minister and never betray your country and harm the people!"

Qin Hui's heart skipped a beat, and he said, "As your father, I naturally want to benefit the people and serve the court. Why should I question that?"

Qin Zhen sighed softly, like a little adult: "Who knows what will happen in the future..."

Seeing his daughter looking worried, Qin Hui stepped forward from behind, picked up Qin Zhen, and placed her on his shoulder, saying, "Zhen'er, I don't know if your intelligence is a good thing or a bad thing. As your father, I only hope you are happy and don't have too many worries in your heart. You are still so young; you should be carefree..."

Qin Zhen was deeply moved. She couldn't be sure whether Qin Hui would be a villain or a loyalist in the future, but to her, he was indeed a good father, and that was enough!

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Note 1: The poem Qin Zhen thought of is Chairman Mao's "To the Tune of Bu Suanzi: Ode to the Plum Blossom".

Volume One: Destined Fate 005 - They Actually Came Knocking!

In March, as the forsythia blooms, the quiet courtyard of the Qin Mansion becomes vibrant with springtime charm.

Qin Zhen had just escaped her mother's control. She squatted under the forsythia bushes in the inner courtyard, looking at her bright red fingers, and blew on them with heartache. She had suffered greatly from learning needlework all morning. She was fine with other things, but for some reason, she just couldn't learn needlework well. It seemed her mother's Suzhou embroidery skills were unparalleled, and now there was no one to carry them on.

"Hey!" A slightly familiar voice rang out above Qin Zhen's head. Qin Zhen looked up and was surprised to see Zhao Gou had come looking for him! It seemed that the boring days were finally over. Thinking of this, Qin Zhen stood up with a spirited expression and looked at him with a slight smile.

Just as Qin Zhen was about to ask Zhao Gou why he was at his house, Zhao Gou instead asked, "What are you doing here? Where is Sister Amei?"

"Sister Amei? There is no Sister Amei here. This is my home. How dare you trespass on private property and enter the inner courtyard without knocking?" Qin Zhen retorted.

Zhao Gou frowned and said, "You're talking nonsense. This is clearly Sister Amei's house, how could it be your house?"

Qin Zhen pondered, could it be that the "Sister Amei" that Zhao Gou mentioned was the former owner of this house?

"This house has changed hands. It's been my home since last month. The person you're looking for isn't here."

Zhao Gou was stunned upon hearing this, and even his eyes reddened. Qin Zhen, seeing his useless appearance, laughed and said, "Aren't you ashamed? A boy shedding tears."

Zhao Gou glared at Qin Zhen, feeling embarrassed, as if Qin Zhen had stolen some treasure from her.

Qin Zhen then noticed that Zhao Gou was holding a rouge box. After a moment's thought, she asked, "Is this newly made red plum powder for your 'Sister Amei'?"

It would have been better if he hadn't asked, because this question enraged Zhao Gou. He angrily threw the rouge box in his hand to the ground, instantly turning the smooth, damp muddy ground a bright red stain.

The servant behind him, named Zhao Yong, knelt down and advised, "Young master, I will investigate further and find a way to locate Amei."

Zhao Gou said disappointedly and angrily, "She clearly promised to wait for me to grow up and marry her, how can she just leave like that?"

Qin Zhen looked at Zhao Gou, who was a year older than him, and secretly chuckled to himself. This little lecher, so young and already thinking about getting married? Looks like he'd been dumped. Zhao Gou noticed Qin Zhen mocking him and became even more annoyed, but he couldn't say a word.

The commotion outside reached the room and was heard by Qin Hui and Lady Wang. The two quickly came out to see what was going on, but only saw Zhao Gou angrily leaving.

Qin Zhen squatted down and picked up the broken rouge box, muttering to herself, "What a terrible temper! Why is my life so miserable!"

Looking at the rouge box in my hand, I saw a delicately carved plum blossom on the lid. Although it had been broken, its charm remained.

Who is this "Ah Mei"?

Before Qin Zhen could think it through, she was interrupted by Qin Hui's call: "Zhen'er, was that His Highness the Ninth Prince just now?"

"Hmm," she hummed casually.

Qin Hui slapped his thigh and said, "Oh dear, why didn't we invite His Highness the Ninth Prince in for tea? This is such a neglect! What should we do?"

Qin Zhen rolled her eyes at her father and turned back to her room helplessly. Looking at Qin Hui's obsequious attempt to curry favor with the powerful, she'd rather be doing embroidery!

——

On a dark and windy night, perfect for scaling walls and rooftops, a small black figure darted among the rows of houses and pavilions, heading towards Xiangguo Temple not far away.

In a side room of the Daxiangguo Temple, the monk Wunian sat upright at his desk, neatly copying scriptures. Even the arrival of the man in black did not interrupt his progress.

After finally finishing copying a passage of scripture, Wu Nian put down his brush, looked up and asked the man in black who had already gone to get a drink of water, "Junior Sister, why aren't you sleeping? What are you doing here so late?"

The man in black turned his small face. Who else could it be but Qin Zhen? Wu Nian was the youngest disciple of Master Xuanxiang, but in reality, he and Qin Zhen shared the same master, the nameless wandering monk who had taken Qin Zhen away years ago.

Qin Zhen said with a grin, "It's been a long time since I've seen Sixth Brother. I've missed you. We only met briefly last time and didn't even have a chance to talk. So here I am."

Looking at his quirky junior sister, Wu Nian said, "Seeing you enjoying a happy time with your family, I assumed you had forgotten about your senior brother."

"How could I? I was planning to come find you when my parents went out, but my father stays at home studying all day, so I can't go anywhere. Otherwise, I would have come to see you sooner."

"Junior Sister, you must have come here secretly today because of something urgent?" Wu Nian asked with a smile, looking at Qin Zhen, who never comes to the temple without a reason.

Qin Zhen appeared beside Wu Nian in a flash, clinging to his arm and saying coquettishly, "Nothing can be hidden from Sixth Brother. I came to see you today for a very small matter, absolutely a small matter!"

Wu Nian grabbed Qin Zhen and made her stand properly, asking, "Tell me what it is. Anyway, Master has ordered that we brothers must take care of you unconditionally. Just say what you need to say."

Hearing Wu Nian say this, Qin Zhen pouted unhappily: "Sixth Brother, you only care about me because of Master's words. That hurts Zhen'er's feelings!"

Wu Nian thought to himself with a headache, "This little girl is really troublesome!"

"Alright, Sixth Brother has always loved you the most, so just say what you have to say."

Qin Zhen's expression immediately brightened. She said, "Have you seen Fourth Senior Brother recently? How is he? I miss him a lot. Could you please pass on a message to him for me?"

"I received a letter from him last month; he's doing well. You've only just arrived in Bianjing and you're already inquiring about things inside? You can't stay idle any longer?"

Qin Zhen sat sullenly on the futon and said, "Isn't it all because of that brat Zhao Gou? He's so annoying."

Upon hearing "Zhao Gou," Wu Nian's eyes lit up, and he asked, "Isn't he the person Master was talking about?"

"Yes, yes, but he's completely ignoring me, his destined lover, and now he's completely devoted to someone else!"

Seeing Qin Zhen's angry expression, Wu Nian coughed and said, "Buddhist disciples should be pure of heart and have few desires, and should not be attached to romantic feelings."

“My master doesn’t teach me Buddhism, so Sixth Brother, please don’t preach to me. If you want me to cultivate and become a Buddha, then maybe in my next life.”

"Alright, alright, I won't say anymore. Just give me the letter you want to pass on, and I'll definitely deliver it to you."

Qin Zhen jumped up and gave Wu Nian a big bear hug, saying, "I knew Sixth Brother was good to me!"

Wu Nian lifted Qin Zhen off him and said, "Go back to sleep. Don't let your family find out."

Qin Zhen nodded and said, "I'll come to burn incense with my mother on the first day of next month. See you then, Sixth Brother." After saying that, he skipped into the darkness and disappeared.

Wu Nian twirled the Buddhist beads in his hand, gazing at the darkness and pondering, "Qin Zhen is still so young, yet he's already getting involved in that vortex of right and wrong. Is it a good thing or a bad thing?"

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Thank you all for your tremendous support!

Since the essence of the new book is limited, the essence in the "Highlights" section has been used up. I will add the missing ones next week.

Volume One: Fate Determined 006 - The Imperial Examination in Spring

Time flies, and with the arrival of spring, it was time for the imperial examinations for the candidates. The Ministry of Rites had already prepared the examination halls at the examination center, and the imperial court had also deployed an additional 5,000 soldiers to ensure stability in Bianjing during the examination period. Everything was ready, and all that remained was for the candidates to enter the examination halls.

The pre-examination checks for the imperial examinations were extremely complicated, so early that morning Qin Zhen and Wang Shi took Qin Hui to the examination hall by carriage. The carriage stopped before it even reached the examination hall. Qin Zhen saw through the carriage window that the examination hall in the distance was surrounded by heavy guards, and no outsiders could get close.

Seeing that she could only escort her husband this far, Lady Wang took out the clothes and bundle beside her and handed them to Qin Hui, saying, "I wish my husband success in the imperial examination."

Looking at the pretty and charming Wang Shi, Qin Hui was very pleased and said, "While I'm away from home, you and your daughter must be careful and make sure to lock the door."

Wang nodded and took out a yellow triangular talisman from her bosom, saying, "Husband, take this with you. Zhenzhen and I went to Xiangguo Temple the other day to get it for you."

Qin Hui took the talisman, examined it, and said with a happy expression, "My wife is so thoughtful. It's just a pity that no paper is allowed in the examination hall, so I'm afraid I can't carry this with me."

Wang put the talisman away with a look of disappointment, but there was nothing she could do.

As Qin Zhen watched her parents say goodbye, her thoughts drifted back to two days earlier...

That day, Qin Zhen took the opportunity of going to Xiangguo Temple to burn incense with Wang Shi to retrieve a reply from Wu Nian. In the letter, her fourth senior brother Wu Jing explained the matter of "A Mei" in detail.

Amei, originally named Qingmei, was an ordinary palace maid who served Zhao Gou from a young age. Because Zhao Gou's birth mother, Wei Wanrong, was of low status and unable to raise the prince herself, Zhao Gou developed a special dependence on his personal maid, Qingmei, from childhood. Qingmei was always cautious and well-mannered, never becoming arrogant because of the prince's dependence. However, last autumn, when the palace released older palace maids, Wei Wanrong ordered Qingmei, who was not yet of legal age, to be expelled. The reason was simply that Zhao Gou had been criticized by Zhu Taifu at the academy for being tainted by the perfume and cosmetics of his close maid.

Qin Zhen was thinking about how strict the Grand Tutor was, when she suddenly felt a pain on her face. When she came to her senses, she saw Qin Hui pinching her face and saying, "I'm about to go in, Zhen'er. You didn't even say goodbye to me. What were you thinking about?"

"Me?" Qin Zhen said with a playful smile, "I'm thinking that my father is about to become the top scholar in the imperial examination, and then I will be the daughter of the top scholar."

Qin Hui chuckled at Qin Zhen's amusement, waved to the mother and daughter, and then turned and walked toward the examination hall.

——

In the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, located east of the Imperial Palace, Zhao Huan looked helplessly at the stubborn Zhao Gou. Zhao Gou had been hiding in the Eastern Palace for a whole day to avoid his mother's search.