Chapter 136 Mr. Shen is awesome!
He held his waist, pondering.
Lord Shen's method was indeed effective; if his wife got angry, a good beating would solve it.
But... damn it, wasn't his wife getting angry a bit too frequently lately?
His waist couldn't take it anymore.
No, he had to ask Lord Shen for advice later on a less strenuous method for his waist.
As the saying goes, a man over twenty-five is already sixty.
He couldn't help himself...
On the other side, just as dawn was breaking, Eighth Prince Zhao Lü, for the first time, entered the palace to greet Emperor Ren.
Emperor Ren had just finished court and was rubbing his waist, in basically the same posture as Li Hui.
Seeing Zhao Lü arrive, he knew exactly what was going on but feigned surprise: "Oh, what brings you here?"
He pretended not to know about the Imperial Library incident last night, his expression completely normal.
"Your son greets Father Emperor."
"Your son wishes to invite Mr. Shen to my residence to teach me."
Emperor Ren, feigning ignorance despite knowing the truth, deliberately said: "Shen Yulou is busy with the Imperial Academy's matters; he probably doesn't have time. How about I send Grand Tutor Wang Shushi to your residence instead?"
"No!"
Zhao Lü shook his head like a rattle-drum, "Your son doesn't want them! I only want Shen Yulou! Grand Tutor Wang and the others are too incompetent."
Emperor Ren was speechless.
Grand Tutor Wang was one of the most learned men in the entire Hun Kingdom, and he was being called incompetent?
Was Shen Yulou being praised too highly?
"Fine, then go find him at the Imperial Heirs Residence yourself."
In just one day, Eighth Prince had changed so much.
If the Imperial Academy was truly established, perhaps Shen Yulou could really teach his Imperial Heirs to become exceptional individuals.
Zhao Lü received the imperial decree and excitedly ran towards the Imperial Heirs Residence.
Upon reaching the entrance, he didn't rush in but rather peered through the crack in the door.
He saw Shen Yulou and Tao Hong playing a novel game in the courtyard.
Shen Yulou held a piece of cicada-wing-thin Xuan paper, suspended in mid-air. He and Tao Hong stood face to face, no more than a foot apart.
Tao Hong's small face was flushed with excitement: "Lord, how do we play this?"
Shen Yulou smiled: "The rules are simple. When I let go, and the paper falls, neither of us can use our hands; we have to use our mouths to catch it together. If we succeed, I'll reward you with ten taels of silver."
Tao Hong's eyes lit up, "Okay, Lord, don't go back on your word."
"Don't worry, Lord, I keep my word."
With that, he released his hand, and the Xuan paper fluttered down lightly.
Both leaned forward simultaneously, but Shen Yulou was a step too late. The paper fell past their noses, and their lips firmly met.
"Ah!"
Tao Hong recoiled as if electrocuted, her face red, and she stamped her foot.
"Lord, you cheated! I'm not playing with you anymore!"
Although she feigned anger, shyness outweighed anger on Tao Hong's face, making her look very cute.
Zhao Lü, outside the door, slapped his thigh in admiration.
Awesome!
He knew how to play!
He pushed the door open and entered, saying.
"Mr. Shen, hurry to my residence to play three kingdoms kill! This Prince is already impatient!
This Prince studied all night last night, and I finally understand what 'killing with a borrowed knife,' 'taking advantage of the situation,' and 'burning bridges' mean!
This Prince has also learned many military strategies, and today I will surely dominate!"
"Oh?"
Shen Yulou looked at his excited expression and smiled with satisfaction, "Alright, then today I will play with Your Highness."
Shen Yulou, accompanied by Song Hu, followed Zhao Lü to Eighth Prince's Residence.
Upon entering the mansion and seeing the furnishings, he couldn't help but marvel that Eighth Prince indeed lived up to his reputation.
The main hall was filled with various musical instruments: guqins, pipas, konghous, and even several huge war drums.
Everyone said Eighth Prince was obsessed with music, so it seemed this boy had indeed devoted all his attention to it before.
Zhao Lü eagerly called over a few clever attendants, and the group gathered around a table to begin their three kingdoms kill battle.
They played for half a day, completely forgetting to eat or sleep.
Zhao Lü applied the military strategies he had secretly learned last night. Although still a bit clumsy, he was already vastly different from yesterday.
In the afternoon, during the final round.
Zhao Lü, as a rebel, finally managed to eliminate the lord with a set of incredibly good cards!
"I won! This Prince won! Hahahahaha!"
Zhao Lü was so happy that he jumped up from his chair, gesticulating like a child.
"See that! See that! The military books from last night weren't read in vain! Not in vain!"
Zhao Lü clapped his thighs in delight.
"I must learn these military strategies! If I study for a few more days, you won't be my match!"
Shen Yulou looked at his excited expression and nodded with satisfaction: "Alright, let's stop here for today. Always playing the same game can lead to fatigue, and your mind won't work as well."
Zhao Lü also agreed; playing all day, though exciting, was indeed a bit mentally taxing.
He waved his hand, declaring with grandiosity.
"Someone! Set the banquet! Serve Mr. Shen the best food and wine! This Prince is happy today! Play music, let the dance begin."
During the banquet, to enhance the entertainment, Eighth Prince specifically summoned the mansion's musicians to perform pieces he had personally composed.
For a moment, the sounds of strings and woodwinds filled the air as several musicians played with effort.
There was also a maid singing nearby. Although her voice was good, the lyrics and melody were truly mediocre, as bland as plain water.
He couldn't help but shake his head.
"Stop, stop, stop!"
Shen Yulou waved his hand, and the music abruptly ceased.
He said with a look of disdain: "What is this? Who wrote this song? It's simply noise! Isn't this disturbing the peace?"
Eighth Prince Zhao Lü's face instantly turned green, and he awkwardly coughed.
"Ahem, Mr. Shen, this song was written by this Prince. It can't be that bad, can it?"
"Bad?"
Shen Yulou exaggeratedly dug at his ears.
"It's not that it's bad, it just dirtied my ears a bit. I'll have to wash them thoroughly later."
Zhao Lü:...
Zhao Lü was unconvinced. He was quite satisfied with his song, especially the lyrics, which he felt were sincere and touching.
He couldn't help but recite two lines: "I wait in the wind, I wait in the starlit sky, waiting for a name, with my fervent heart..."
After reciting, he still felt quite pleased with himself.
"Catchy, with profound imagery. Never mind the melody, these lyrics are absolutely top-notch, right?"
Shen Yulou was speechless.
Indeed, top-notch.
You're even more top-notch than Sichuan Fanta.
"Your Highness, please stop reciting. Listening to this, I'm almost going to throw up the food I just ate."
"You!"
Zhao Lü's face flushed with anger.
"You say mine is bad, then you write one for me to hear! Aren't you just all play?
You try writing one yourself; composing lyrics isn't that simple!"
Shen Yulou gave a contemptuous smile.
"My singing may not be better than yours, but when it comes to writing lyrics..."
"You're still far from it."
He asked Zhao Lü to bring him a brush and ink.
"Today, I'll give you an eye-opener – like a small knife cutting into a butt."
Shen Yulou began to write on the paper.
"Azure waits for the misty rain, and I am waiting for you. The moonlight is retrieved, blurring the ending..."
Zhao Lü leaned over to look, frowning slightly, feeling confused.
Shen Yulou began to explain to him: "Does Your Highness know that Ru ware's celadon glaze only achieves its most beautiful color on misty, rainy days?
So, the azure color is waiting for a misty rain.
Using this kind of waiting to symbolize waiting for a beloved, that is imagery, that is romance!
Your 'wind and starlit sky,' and 'fervent heart' are simply vulgar beyond belief.
Compared to mine, your writings are simply...
Like eyes opened on a butt – just a pile of waste."
Zhao Lü:...
Never mind the lyrics, where the hell did you learn those witty remarks?