Chapter 495: Chapter 269: The Malicious Xiongnu
At the beginning of the hour of the hare, Zhao Yao was promptly awakened by Tong Xi.
At this time, it was still dark outside.
Zhao Yao sat up, yawning as he raised his arms high and stretched lazily. He heard the pattering sound of rain outside and asked with a yawn, "Is it raining outside?"
Tong Xi brought Zhao Yao a cup of warm water, respectfully presenting it in front of him with both hands.
"It’s quite a heavy rain."
"When did it start?" Zhao Yao took the warm water and bowed his head to drink it. The first thing he did every morning upon waking was to drink a cup of warm water.
"It seemed to have started at the hour of the tiger," said Tong Xi, taking a cloak from the cabinet. "Your Highness, it’s not only raining outside but also windy. When you go to Wende Hall later, you should wear this cloak to avoid catching a chill."
At the mention of going to Wende Hall to study, Zhao Yao’s handsome face immediately fell.
"It’s just me studying now; why do I have to go to Wende Hall to study? Why can’t I be taught at Xingde Palace?" Currently, Zhao Yao was the only Prince studying at Xingde Palace, as the other Princes had already come of age and no longer studied in Wende Hall.
That was not entirely accurate; among the ten Princes, three had not yet come of age. The eighth Prince was coming of age this year, but his birthday had not yet arrived, so he was not considered of age. The ninth Prince was also not yet of age, but he had joined the army three years ago and was not only absent from the palace but also out of the capital city.
Although the eighth Prince had not reached maturity, he had stopped studying in Wende Hall since last year and began attending court with the Crown Prince. Therefore, among the Princes, only Zhao Yao was still studying.
"Your Highness, didn’t the Emperor say that Wende Hall is the place for study, and that Princes and grandsons must study there? You can’t be lazy and skip it," Tong Xi said as he assisted Zhao Yao in dressing. "Your Highness, you just have to endure it for a few more years, and then you won’t have to study in Wende Hall anymore."
"I’ll have to wait at least four or five more years to graduate from Wende Hall," Zhao Yao said with a bitter face. "All my elder brothers have grown up, and I’m the only one who hasn’t. Alas, I’m so pitiful." Why couldn’t his mother have had him a few years earlier, so he could come of age and be conferred a title along with his eighth brother?
"Your Highness, if you feel lonely studying alone, next year the Crown Prince’s eldest son will accompany you," Tong Xi mentioned, referring to the Crown Prince’s eldest son, who would begin studying in Wende Hall next year.
Zhao Yao kicked Tong Xi on the buttocks and said grumpily, "Do I need a little child to accompany me?"
"Your Highness, don’t you usually like the Crown Prince’s eldest son?" Tong Xi, rubbing his buttocks, said with a playful smile to Zhao Yao, "With the Crown Prince’s eldest son in class with you, you’ll have someone to talk to, won’t you?"
"I do like the little dumpling, but the thought of having to sit in the same classroom with him makes me uncomfortable." Sigh, he had fallen to the point of studying with his nephew, how tragic.
"Your Highness, you and the Crown Prince’s eldest son won’t be reading the same books; what are you afraid of?" Tong Xi teased deliberately, "Are you afraid of being outdone by him?"
"I’m really not as good as him," Zhao Yao admitted candidly. "The little dumpling can already recite the ’Analects’ and ’Mengzi’. I took quite a long time to memorize just the ’Analects’ when I was younger."
"Your Highness, that was because you didn’t want to memorize it. If you wanted to, you would have done it quickly." Tong Xi, having accompanied Zhao Yao for years, knew well enough how his master feigned ignorance.
"I don’t like memorizing books," Zhao Yao said as he dressed and went to the side room to wash up.
Tong Xi dabbed the toothbrush with tooth powder and then handed it to Zhao Yao.
Zhao Yao took the toothbrush and bent his head to brush his teeth.
The toothbrush and tooth powder were invented by Zhao Yao a few years ago. Now, they were popular not only in many places in Great Zhou but also among the countries of the Western Regions.
It was, of course, the Liang family that first sold these toothbrushes and tooth powders. The Liang family then exported them to various countries in the Western Regions, winning the affection of many Westerners. These two items alone brought significant profits to the Liang family in the Western Regions.
The Liang family’s shops already spanned countries throughout the Western Regions. However, the Liang family was not the top trading company there. Although they were the first to seize a share of the Western Region market, they couldn’t outcompete the noble families.
Upon seeing the profits the Liang family reaped in the Western Regions, the noble families quickly followed suit and began their own businesses there. With more money and people, it didn’t take long for the noble families to establish themselves as the first, second, or third largest trading companies in the Western Regions.