MTCCP Chapter 3

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       He got off the car and got on the jade sedan chair, and was taken to the East Palace where the Crown Prince lived.

　　The sound of horse hooves was quiet, and the pace was neither fast nor slow.

　　Yue Yiwan quietly lifted the curtain to see, and found that the waiters on both sides would bow their heads and salute when they saw the jade sedan chair coming.

　　He really looked like a young lady who was married secretly.

　　But whose young lady is wearing jeans, carrying a computer keyboard and an audio-visual triangle for games.

　　He doesn’t know how fast the Internet is in the palace.

　　The three words "Yuanyong Palace" fell on the tall plaque, which looked quite simple.

　　His box was sent to the room by the servants early in the morning, and he was led into the Zhenxiang Building in the South Courtyard.

　　"Your Highness is discussing matters with the Emperor, and will come to see you in a while. Please take a rest here." The old man bowed again and left.

　　Yue Yiwan took the cup of hot tea handed by the waiter, took a sip, and began to walk around with the teacup.

　　This Zhenxiang Building is a place for storing books. The upstairs is full of ancient books and classics, which are basically just for display.

　　The books downstairs have old traces of being taken out frequently. There is a floor-to-ceiling window not far from the long table next to it. It is a good place to read books and drink tea in the morning

　　Yue Yiwan walked slowly with the golden lotus tea bowl, and the little head servant next to him was frightened, -afraid that he would slip and smash it.

　　The young man paused and asked, "His Highness, what kind of books does he like to read?"

　　The head servant was stunned for a moment, but did not dare to speak, so he walked over in small steps and pointed to the two bookshelves.

　　The fastest way to get to know someone is to see what books he likes.

　　Books carry thoughts and emotions, and are also a place of confession for forgiveness and resonance.

　　However, this method is quite classical. Now it seems that just following people's Weibo and Douban accounts is enough.

　　He scanned the lines one by one and paused at certain places. His preferences are quite consistent with his. For the classic literature of the East, he read Lu Xun and Liang Shiqiu at the same time.

　　These two old men also criticized each other verbally and pen-and-ink during the Republic of China period. One was isolated in thought and saw through people's hearts, while the other was leisurely and talked less about politics.

　　There are also many poetry collections on the bookshelf, from Haizi to Shu Ting, and Pushkin's selected poems next to them.

　　He read a lot of Western novels, and his tastes overlap with his too in many places.

　　Several books by Jane Austen have traces of being read, and there are complete works of Hugo and Shakespeare. The books by Alexandre Dumas have the oldest traces, and he guess he has read them all, as well as "Animal Farm" and "1984".

　　"What are you smiling at?"

　　Hearing the voice beside him, Yue Yiwan turned around while holding the heavy "Dead Souls" and blinked.

　　He suddenly realized that there was a faint smile on the corner of his mouth, and he didn't know why.

　　"The book is very good." Yue Yiwan casually handed the teacup to the head servant who had been waiting for a long time, and carefully put the book back to its original place.

　　"It's still early today, I will accompany you to familiarize yourself with the environment of the East Palace"

　　Hua Muzhi did not wear a suit today, but wore a loose and flowing robe like other people in the palace.

　　It is summer now, and it is still a bit stuffy outside. The smoky blue robe is neat and light, and it is embroidered with black cranes spreading their wings.

　　He does not have long hair, but it can reach the side of his ears, which also looks gentle and elegant.

　　"Okay." Yue Yiwan responded and followed him to look around.

　　The North Courtyard is a place for work and reception. Usually, letters and trivial matters are delivered there.

　　The South Tower is the library he was in just now. There are many rare and ancient books upstairs, and you can read books and meet friends downstairs.

　　"The Xiqing Pavilion on the west side has been cleaned up. You can live there before you get married." Hua Muzhi motioned him to look to the side and explained, "I'm in the Chaoming Hall on the east side, very close to you. If you have any questions, you can always find me."

　　"Wait a minute." Yue Yiwan paused and suddenly asked, "Where do I usually read and work?"

　　Hua Muzhi was a little surprised and asked, "Is it enough for you to share the Baopu Hall on the north side with me?"

　　"Not quite." Yue Yiwan thought about it carefully and said seriously, "I really need to trouble you to make concessions."

　　——He is a top student who graduated from the Central Saint Martins Fashion Design School in the UK. He is a full scholarship student, graduated with a master's degree at the age of 22, and was awarded the 2027 Design Award by a well-known brand.

　　"No offense, that mint green box is actually the only luggage I can carry."

　　Yue Yiwan didn't know if this request was excessive, and lowered his voice a little nervously: "There are still a lot of fabrics, books and mannequins that have not been moved over... I'm afraid the space is a bit insufficient."

　　Hua Muzhi obviously didn't expect the plot to go in this direction.

　　"So, you plan to continue your work as a fashion designer and have your own studio during the etiquette training, is that right?" He said and laughed.

　　The other party nodded seriously.

　　There should be no difference between working overtime in the palace and working overtime at home.

　　The head servant on their side showed surprised look, and it was the same reaction when he first saw Yue Yiwan's mixed silver hair.

　　Yue Yiwan vaguely felt that it seemed unrealistic and decided to give in.

　　If it really doesn't work, I'll just make do with it.

　　"How about this?" Hua Muzhi looked at the size of the upper and lower floors of Xiqing Pavilion: "The upstairs will be your study, and the downstairs will be converted into a studio, plus a small compartment for storing various fabrics?"

　　He is really easy to talk to.

　　Yue Yiwan's eyes lit up and nodded: "Then I will live with you?" It's just right to have more roommates, and we can drink beer, watch dramas and chat together in the evening.

　　The etiquette training teacher behind them coughed in time.

　　"Your Highness...Mr. Yue has not officially married yet, so I'm afraid it's against etiquette to do this."

　　The two young men turned to look at her at the same time, both with smiles on their faces.

　　"What's against etiquette?" Yue Yiwan asked curiously, "Is it immoral for two men to live in the same room?"

　　Hua Muzhi was still trying to hold back his laugh, but now he really laughed out loud.

　　"If there is only one bed, we can take turns sleeping on the sofa," Yue Yiwan said uncertainly, "If it doesn't work, we can sleep on separate beds and quilts - we will eventually live together after we get married in the future."

　　When he said these words, he was frank and unashamed, and the etiquette teacher next to them couldn't find where to refute him.

　　"You don't have to sleep on the sofa. There is a second bedroom in Chaoming Palace. Just clean it up and add a screen." The crown prince seemed to be quite accustomed to helping to smooth things over, and everything was negotiable: "The palace is spacious but too deserted, it would be nice to have one more person."

　　The etiquette teacher was stunned, but did not speak out to contradict him, and bowed slightly in response.

　　She was quite puzzled. This is clearly his first time in the palace, and she heard that there is no personal relationship between them. Why does His Royal Highness the Crown Prince spoil him so much?

　　If he gets spoiled more and more in the future, it will be even more difficult to deal with him.

　　So the small box was sent from the west to the east and placed in the second bedroom.

　　While walking around, Hua Muzhi briefly talked to him about the schedule for the next three months.

　　"The morning and evening inspections are held once a day, at 7 am and 9 pm respectively."

　　Yes, the long-lost morning and evening self-study.

　　Yue Yiwan lowered his head and counted the white jade steps, accompanying him through the corridor of the Moon Gate.

　　He's not sure if he can sleep in during holidays.

　　"There are two classes in the morning and afternoon, teaching the various etiquette in the palace, as well as the procedures of festivals and celebrations." 

       Seeing that his pace was slower than his, Hua Muzhi also slowed down so that he could keep up with him: "You can wear casual clothes on weekdays, but you have to wear ancient clothes on the first and fifteenth day of the month, as well as various special festivals."

　　Yue Yiwan liked the material on his body very much. He had been paying attention to the embroidery craftsmanship just now, he nodded and said, "I'll make a few more sets later."

　　"I'll be free for the next few days, so I can go to class with you to get familiar with it." Hua Muzhi paused and motioned him to look ahead.

　　There seemed to be a garden in the distance, and there were many chirping sounds coming from it.

　　"There is a crescent river winding through the harem, a garden in the west palace, and a bird garden in the east palace," he said slowly, "You can also go for a stroll when you are free on weekdays."

　　Yue Yiwan took a walk around with his fiancée's tour guide and gave a fair evaluation: "This place is secluded and has a good environment. It is suitable for studying for a doctorate."

　　They just walked around in the morning, and then measured the size to prepare for making clothes.

　　They had a simple lunch at noon. The dishes were fresh and elegantly presented. There were many varieties and light tastes, but the portions were a bit small.

　　Although Chaoming Hall has a history of hundreds of years, the decoration inside is now a combination of East and West.

　　It still retains the implicit beauty of classics, and the details are like fine handicrafts. It also has unconventional designs such as floor-to-ceiling windows and escalators, but it does not feel abrupt.

　　The old trees nearby were too old to be hugged. The larch and the ancient cypress were like quiet waiters. Occasionally, a little squirrel popped up and then disappeared.

　　He took a nap during the lunch break, and when he opened his eyes again, he thought he had traveled through time.

　　After having afternoon tea and snacks, they went to the side hall of Baopu Hall together to start the formal etiquette training course.

　　Hua Muzhi sat quite upright, looking like a good student and assistant teacher.

　　The female teacher appeared again and began to introduce different titles, the clan relationships of the royal family, and the differences between servants.

　　Both female officials and male servants were divided into four levels, with strict restrictions on clothing colors and entry and exit restrictions.

　　The first-class royal attendants can help with changing clothes and tying jewelry, and help with personal items.

　　The lowest-class selected attendants can only clean the courtyard and tidy up the room. Their daily activities will completely avoid the masters of the palace and reduce their presence to a minimum -just like house elves. Yue Yiwan silently complained.

　　He wore glasses and took notes while listening the whole time. His handwriting was elegant and graceful. He also wrote various notes and highlighted the key points.

　　Not only were the grade tables and patterns clearly listed, but arrows were also drawn to illustrate the responses of different relatives in different occasions.

　　Hua Muzhi seemed to be listening to the teacher's instructions calmly, but he was actually secretly glancing at the person beside him who is scribbling in his notebook.

　　One the notebook were two people one was wearing a small robe with flowing cloud patterns, and the other was wearing a windbreaker and holding a candied haws. They were pretty cute.

　　"Next, I will review it with you again." The teacher coughed majestically, signaling Yue Yiwan to concentrate.

　　"I have memorized it clearly." He shook the pen and said, "Will you test me?"

　　The teacher was stunned for a moment, then clapped his hands. Four attendants in different styles of clothes came out and acted as living test papers.

　　Yue Yiwan answered neatly and clearly, without even hesitation.

　　He reviewed the information last night and took the time to memorize everything in the booklet.

　　Hua Muzhi originally thought that he was here to save the situation, and when he couldn't hold on to the situation, he could help him to pass on a word. Unexpectedly, he learned it clearly, and he was just short of giving a test paper on the key points.

　　The shorthand formula written in the notebook seemed to be really useful... he wish he knew this method when he was a child.

　　He couldn't help but secretly glanced at the notebook with the little man drawn on it.

　　"Look, you have learned it all, right?"

　　Well, one question is good, even the difference between shoes that have not been taught yet is pointed out.

　　The teacher was stunned for a long time, and said in embarrassment: "But it's only been 30 minutes now, and there is still nearly an hour of class."

　　"We can continue the topic," Yue Yiwan turned a page of notes, pushed his glasses and said: "Just teach, I can remember it all."

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