Wolf-Raised Cub with a Space: Surviving the Disaster Years

Chapter 219: Chapter 219: The Crown Prince Knows

When it came to Dai Yuheng, who among the high nobility of the Capital City didn’t know his name?

Any family with a son hoping to achieve fame and fortune through the imperial examinations would use Dai Yuheng as a model to inspire their child.

It is often said that there is no absolute best in literature, but the poetry and prose Dai Yuheng wrote were indisputably number one.

At least in the current generation, no one else came close, which was why he was respectfully known as the "Unrivaled Young Master."

However, ever since the Dai Family offended the Crown Prince, no one dared to speak their names anymore.

But a noble family like the Dais, which had produced generations of scholars and poets, was still secretly admired.

Mr. Guo looked flustered. "Mr. Han, are you sure you’re not mistaken? Perhaps the Commandery Princess’s imitation is just very convincing."

Mr. Han shook his head. "I’m not mistaken. The difference between the father and son, Dai Qu and Dai Yuheng, lies in their strokes. Dai Qu’s characters have rounder, smoother falling strokes."

"But Dai Yuheng’s characters have sharp, angular hooks, as fierce as the edge of a blade."

Mr. Guo went to observe the characters Shen Ningning had just written and saw that it was indeed true.

Considering what she had just said, he was instantly convinced.

’But... didn’t everyone in the Dai family die in a great fire?’

’A fire set by the Crown Prince himself!’

After their initial shock and envy, the students present were overcome with a profound sense of fear.

The Crown Prince and the Dai family were enemies, yet Shen Ningning was a student taught by Dai Yuheng. What was the connection here?

Could the Crown Prince really have allowed Shen Ningning to study with a member of the Dai family?

Their relationship must be exceptionally good.

Seeing everyone’s strange expressions, Shen Ningning asked in confusion, "Is there a problem?"

Mr. Guo snapped back to his senses and forced a smile. "No, not at all. Everyone now knows that this is indeed the Commandery Princess’s own skill."

The meeting to clear the air was quickly dismissed.

As Shen Ningning walked along the corridor holding her books, she noticed the other students looking at her with a mixture of awe and caution.

She was very confused. The young boy who had publicly doubted her in class before came up to her, trembling, to apologize.

"Commandery Princess, I was blind to not recognize your talent and doubted your ability. I apologize," he said, bowing his head so low he nearly knelt on the ground.

Afraid he would actually kneel, Shen Ningning was about to reach out a small hand to help him up, saying, "It’s alright. As long as things are cleared up."

However, when the young boy saw her outstretched hand, he recoiled in fear. "No, no, no! I wouldn’t dare trouble the Commandery Princess."

He fled in a panic, not even daring to turn back and pick up the book he had dropped.

Shen Ningning quickly picked it up for him and took a couple of steps after him. "Hey! Don’t you want your book?"

The young boy had already vanished from sight.

’Strange...’ The little girl scratched her cheek.

’Why is everyone so afraid of me now that they know the mad scholar is my teacher?’

Suddenly, a voice came from the side. "Give me the book. I’ll return it to him for you."

Shen Ningning turned to see Xu Jingxi standing there, his expression calm and his eyes dark as ink.

The little girl silently handed him the book. "Aren’t you afraid of me? No one else dares to talk to me anymore."

Xu Jingxi glanced at the other students, who were all keeping their distance.

He spoke slowly. "They’re not afraid of you. They’re afraid of the unknown relationship."

Shen Ningning blinked in confusion, clearly not understanding.

"Because they don’t know if the Crown Prince allowed you to associate with the Dai family out of affection, or if he’s completely unaware of it."

"I’m not afraid because I don’t care about these things, nor can I be bothered with them. However, there is one thing I must acknowledge: your examination paper was indeed well-written. Goodbye."

With that, Xu Jingxi left, leaving Shen Ningning standing alone to ponder his words.

When classes ended for the day, Lu Shaoyuan ran over to her with a grave expression.

"I heard you’re Dai Yuheng’s student?"

The little girl had already sensed that something was wrong. She frowned at his words. "So what if I am? Why is everyone so wary? The mad scholar is a very good person."

Lu Shaoyuan pulled her aside and said urgently in a low voice, "Do you really not know about the feud between the Dai family and the Crown Prince?"

"Dai Yuheng’s father is the great master of the National Academy, Dai Qu. Dai Qu is the Crown Prince’s maternal uncle, which makes Dai Yuheng—your teacher—his maternal cousin!"

Shen Ningning froze, her eyes widening in shock.

Mo Lingwei’s words echoed in her ears—

"My uncle... when my mother, the Empress, needed my father the most, he sent another woman to his side."

That was why Mo Lingwei’s personality had changed so drastically after the Empress’s death. He had killed and flayed his own uncle, turning the Dai family estate into a raging sea of fire.

Seeing her expression, Lu Shaoyuan guessed that she already knew about this.

’But the Crown Prince probably doesn’t know her teacher is Dai Yuheng!’

"Although the Crown Prince never issued a formal order to exterminate the Dai family, everyone in the Capital City knows to stay far away even from ordinary people with the surname Dai."

"The feud between the Crown Prince and the Dai family is too complex to explain. What are you going to do now? The Crown Prince might not tolerate you associating with Dai Yuheng."

"In my opinion, you should hurry and write a letter now, reporting that Dai Yuheng is still alive. The Crown Prince might see it as you taking his side and not direct his anger toward you."

Shen Ningning’s mind was in turmoil, but her gaze gradually grew clear and resolute.

"My teacher has been living in hiding in our village under a different name. I didn’t know he was Dai Yuheng when I met him."

"Even now that I know, I can’t report him just because of this. I could never do something like that!"

Lu Shaoyuan was even more frantic than she was. "Then what do you plan to do? Once the Crown Prince returns to the capital, this news will surely reach him."

"You can’t imagine his hatred for the Dai family. I saw that fire. It burned for a whole day. The screams from inside were endless, but the Crown Prince’s personal guard stood watch outside, and no one could escape."

The light in Shen Ningning’s dark eyes dimmed. "When my brother gets back, I’ll explain it to him privately. If he needs me to, I’ll apologize to him as well."

Lu Shaoyuan stared at her for a long time. Seeing there was no changing her mind, he could only let out a heavy sigh.

"Alright. But if you run into any trouble, don’t hide it from me. Maybe the two of us can figure something out together."

As it happened, Shen Ningning was scheduled to return to Wolf Mountain to stay the night.

Her carriage went straight from the National Academy toward Wolf Mountain, and she hurried back to Xiangyun Village.

Her first instinct after learning the truth was to rush back and tell the mad scholar to go into hiding.

She would have him come out again only after she was sure her brother was no longer angry.

But as she entered the village, she found Xiangyun Village surrounded by the Crown Prince’s personal guard. The villagers were forced to stay in their homes and were not allowed out.

Chen Ye stood in his own yard and shot Shen Ningning a meaningful look.

The little girl scrambled toward the mad scholar’s house.

When Shen Ningning burst into the mad scholar’s home, she saw him sprawled on the ground. Wu Fang had a foot planted on his back, preventing him from getting up despite several attempts.

The Crown Prince, Mo Lingwei, whom she had not seen for nearly a month, was standing at the threshold between sunset and the deepening night. He wore a dark robe embroidered with coiled dragons, and his handsome face, as fair as cold jade, was suffused with a ruthless, sinister air.

He looked down at the mad scholar. "I spared your life back then and told you to get out of the Capital City."

"And yet you dared to hide here under a false name? I told you before: if you ever appeared before me again, I would make everyone around you accompany you to the grave!"

Shen Ningning’s heart leaped into her throat.

’It seems Mo Lingwei has already heard about it.’

"Brother!" Shen Ningning’s soft voice trembled.

Mo Lingwei lifted his head and looked at her.