The world of film and television starts from a young age.

Chapter 1325 Cultivation, Birthday Gift
On New Year's Eve, Zhou Chen accompanied Shi Yi for a stroll on the Imperial Kitchen Street, and he bought a lot of delicious food for Shi Yi.

Although Shi Yi is a noble lady of the Yi family, she is not arrogant or domineering at all, nor does she dislike these roadside snacks. When she sees something she likes and wants to eat, as long as Zhou Chen buys it for her, she will eat it up in small bites like a little mouse, chirping.

In the end, I ate a lot and even walked slowly.

Today's Xizhou curfew time is the second watch, which is around ten o'clock. Zhou Chen and Shi Yi strolled in the street for more than an hour. After seeing the vendors and pedestrians slowly dispersed, they slowly went to the palace.

On the way back, Shi Yi was very happy, her steps became lighter, and there was a bit more intimacy in her eyes when she looked at Zhou Chen.

In the past when he was in the palace, Zhou Chen usually behaved in a dignified and solemn manner, but when he was teaching her, he would be very gentle and patient. However, this was the first time that he was so doting on her like today, so she was very happy.

Shi Yi suddenly pulled Zhou Chen's clothes gently, and when Zhou Chen looked over, she made a few gestures.

'Master, thank you.'

Zhou Chen didn't control himself this time and patted her head gently: "As long as you are happy."

Shi Yi nodded vigorously, indicating that she was very happy, very happy.

"Go back, everyone is waiting for us to stay up together. This is your first Spring Festival in Xizhou. If we stay up together, the next year will definitely be better."

Zhou Chen and Shi Yi returned to the palace. The ten disciples, Xie Chong, and Xie Chong's adopted son Xie Chen were still in the hall, though some of them were already staggering.

Zhou Chen's appearance made everyone perk up again. Of course, there was no countdown like in modern times in this era, but there were night watchmen. With the arrival of the third watch, it meant the beginning of a new year.

The period after the New Year was a rare time of leisure. There were no major rebellions or battles within Northern Chen, so there was naturally no need for the Southern Chen royal army to be dispatched.

The people in Nanchen Palace are also enjoying such a rare peaceful time. Although they are best at fighting, it does not mean that they like fighting. Fighting is not as comfortable as staying in the palace and living an ordinary life.

It has been two months since Zhou Chen came to this world. He had already cultivated the internal strength of Yangzhou Man. Because he had good talent and had practiced Yangzhou Man more than once, he improved quickly after practicing it again.

Of course, this is compared to other worlds, but in fact, compared to the real low-level martial arts world, his cultivation speed is still relatively slow.

However, there is no such thing as internal force in this world. He can cultivate internal force, and coupled with his own physical fitness, it is no exaggeration to say that his current combat power is definitely at the top of this world. Especially Yangzhou Man’s internal force is a great help to him, which greatly improves his combat effectiveness.

Due to the teaching schedule, there are not classes every day. Zhou Chen usually attends for two days and rests for one day. This day happened to be his rest time, so Zhou Chen did not leave his yard and practiced hard in his bedroom.

Shi Yi is a studious person. Although she didn't have to attend class today, she still came to Zhou Chen's study. She first cleaned the study herself, and then picked up the books that Zhou Chen usually read and began to read them carefully.

Just when she was reading seriously, there was suddenly a burst of laughter outside the study, and then someone walked into the study. The voice was heard before the person arrived.

"You kid refused to come with me to Pingqin County for a gathering. You must have hidden a beautiful, beautiful, person in your mansion?"

Prince Pingqin walked in, joking as he entered the study room. However, when he saw that the person sitting there was not Prince Nanchen but a girl, he was stunned and looked at Shi Yi with a confused face.

Shi Yi also turned her head and looked at King Ping Qin with curiosity. He was able to come in without any notice. She guessed that he must be her master's friend, so she quickly stood up, walked to King Ping Qin and saluted.

When King Ping Qin saw this, he followed suit and immediately returned the greeting, then asked with a teasing look on his face.

"Are you Zhou Shengchen's little princess?"

Shi Yi was frightened to death. She waved her hands in panic, but she couldn't say a word. King Ping Qin was a rough man and didn't understand what she meant by shaking her hands. He thought she was asking him to keep a low voice.

So he said with a look of understanding: "I understand, I understand, I know what you mean, I know it when you wave your hand."

Shiyi thought that King Ping Qin really understood what she meant and was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but who knew that King Ping Qin spoke again.

"I know Zhou Shengchen can't marry you openly. You said that boy is the same. He has to swear an oath. It's very troublesome."

Then he turned around and ordered the two men who followed him with a serious look: "You two, don't tell anyone what you saw today. Do you hear me?"

"Yes."

With a turn, King Ping Qin smiled again, changing his expression very quickly. He asked Shi Yi with a smile.

"Should I call you sister-in-law? Yes, I should call you sister-in-law. How do you call you in the palace?"

Shi Yi was so anxious that she kept waving her hands, trying to explain, but she couldn't open her mouth. King Ping Qin didn't understand sign language, and she was so anxious that sweat broke out.

She gestured for King Ping Qin to go outside and ask, but King Ping Qin thought she was going to drive him away, which made him very depressed. He kept explaining that he was a rough man and had not read many books, and asked her not to mind if there was anything rude about him.

As he was talking, he actually apologized, but Shiyi Shiyi didn't dare to accept it. He quickly returned the gift, and the two of them started to bow to each other.

When Zhou Chen walked over, he happened to see this scene and was speechless.

He heard from his subordinates that Prince Ping Qin had brought his men to the palace. Thinking of the misunderstanding in the plot, he rushed over as soon as possible, but he was still a step late.

One is a rough guy who can't read the expressions and can say anything, and the other can't speak, so it's normal for misunderstandings to occur.

The two people who were greeting each other also saw Zhou Chen, and King Ping Qin immediately stood up.

"Okay, Zhou Shengchen, you are really good. You secretly hid a little princess in the mansion..."

Looking at Shiyi who was so anxious that he just waved his hands, Zhou Chen smiled slightly and interrupted King Ping Qin's words.

"She is my apprentice."

"apprentice?"

King Ping Qin suddenly widened his eyes, looked at Zhou Chen, then looked at Jin Shiyi, who was very embarrassed.

King Ping Qin reacted and asked Zhou Chen in surprise: "Did the Yi people bring her here?"

Seeing Zhou Chen nod, he apologized: "I didn't know. I'm sorry, sister-in-law."

The casual call of "brother-in-law" startled Shiyi again, and he looked at Zhou Chen cautiously.

Zhou Chen was also speechless. He knew that King Ping Qin did not do it on purpose. He was just that kind of person.

"Eleven, go down first. I want to talk to my brother."

Shi Yi bowed and left the study.

"Brother, I'm so sorry. I didn't know this was the case. But why didn't your disciple Miss Li explain this to me? It made me so embarrassed."

"Eleven has aphasia and can't speak."

"what?"

King Ping Qin's face suddenly changed. He remembered that Shiyi was very anxious just now, but did not speak and could only make gestures. Then he understood the reason.

"Is that so? Oh, it's all my fault, it's all my fault. But it's also true. This little girl looks pretty and quiet, how could she have aphasia?"

King Ping of Qin was a genuine commoner. He was brave and martial, but he had no ideas at all. Yet he always wanted to find a princess who was cultured and well-educated.

Over the years, he had looked for many daughters from aristocratic families, but no family was willing to marry them to him. Or, those who were willing to marry him, he looked down upon them. As a result, he was a few years older than Zhou Chen, but still had no princess.

"Brother, how come you have time to come to Xizhou today?"

"Brother, I am not here alone this time. I have brought a lot of people with me. They..."

King Pingqin brought the elders and folks of Pingqin County with him to thank King Nanchen's army for saving Pingqin County, and also brought a lot of local specialties.

Zhou Chen let King Ping Qin and others stay in the palace for two days. Two days later, King Ping Qin took his people and left Xizhou. They brought a lot of things when they came, and when they left, Zhou Chen also gave them a lot of local specialties of Xizhou.

This is called give and take!
At night, in the study, Zhou Chen sat at his desk reading a book, while Shiyi poured tea for him.

There was no entertainment in the palace. The senior brothers and sisters all had their own things to do. Shiyi was the closest to Zhou Chen, so whenever he had time, he would either go to the library or come to the study to serve tea and water to Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen also liked this smart and sensible little girl, so he never stopped her and doted on her very much. Watching her changes day by day, he always had a feeling of nurturing her.

It was completely dark, and the first watch had passed a long time ago. Shi Yi might be tired, so she leaned against Zhou Chen, supported the table with her hands, and fell asleep with her head in her hands.

The sleeping Xi Shiyi's little head was still nodding, with a smile on her face from time to time, looking really cute and adorable.

Suddenly, she lost her balance and her body swayed, and her head almost hit the table. Zhou Chen was quick to hold her head.

Shiyi showed no sign of waking up. After Zhou Chen held his head, he leaned down and finally leaned on Zhou Chen's legs, hugging his legs and continuing to sleep.

"hehe."

Zhou Chen smiled slightly and did not wake her up, but let her sleep on his legs.

After a while, he saw that Xi Shiyi had fallen asleep, so he picked up the fox fur blanket beside him, wrapped Xi Shiyi's body, gently picked her up, and walked out of the study.

Shiyi is only fourteen years old this year and her body has not fully grown yet, so she is very light. Zhou Chen picked her up like a princess with no effort.

When Cheng Xi in the yard saw that his girl was brought back by Zhou Chen, he was shocked and looked terrified.

"Your Highness."

Zhou Chen glanced at Shi Yi and gave Cheng Xi a look, and Cheng Xi suddenly didn't dare to speak.

She had lived in the palace for more than two months. Although everyone in the palace said that Prince Nanchen had a gentle temperament, she was still afraid. Every time Zhou Chen looked at her, she felt nervous.

Zhou Chen carried Shiyi into the room and placed her on the bed.

"Your Highness, this fox fur?"

"It's from my study. Let Eleven use it from now on. Let her have a good rest. I'm leaving first."

The next morning, Zhou Chen was waiting in the piano room for Shiyi to come to class, but the time had passed and she still hadn't arrived. He was puzzled because Shiyi was never late for class.

But when I thought about it, I understood the reason. It must be the same as in the plot, because he fell asleep in his study and felt that he had broken the rules and disrupted etiquette, so he was probably reflecting on his mistakes at this time.

Zhou Chen smiled helplessly. He had obviously been in the palace for quite some time and had changed a lot, but it seemed that there were still many things that had not been changed.

This is normal. After all, it is a habit developed over the past ten years and it is not easy to change it.

So he went to Shiyi's yard, and as soon as he entered the yard, Chengxi came to meet him.

"Your Highness."

"Where's Eleven? Why didn't you go to class today?"

Cheng Xi said truthfully: "Because of last night's impoliteness, the girl is confined to reflect on her mistakes."

"Reflect on your mistakes behind closed doors? I see."

As he said that, he walked towards Shi Yi's room. Cheng Xi opened his mouth, wanting to call her, but in the end he didn't dare to speak.

Zhou Chen walked into the room and saw Shi Yi writing on the terrace by the pool behind the room, so he walked over.

I saw Shi Yi copying the book seriously, stroke by stroke.

"I heard from Cheng Xi that you are reflecting on your mistakes behind closed doors. Is it because of what happened last night?"

Shi Yi immediately bowed, and then said in sign language: "Master, Shi Yi knows I was wrong."

Zhou Chen said gently: "Master forgives you."

Hearing this, Shi Yi felt a little happy in his heart, but still replied with a firm expression: "Although Master has forgiven me, I cannot let my guard down. I need to review more and keep it in mind."

Looking at the current situation, Zhou Chen felt emotional. There is a big difference between the thinking of ancient people and modern people. Perhaps what is not a big deal in the eyes of many modern people is a big deal in their eyes.

You can say that the ancients were stubborn, but this might just be their way of life. After all, people have different ideas in different eras, and we cannot judge the practices of the ancients with modern thinking.

"Eleven, I know what you mean, but the palace is different from your family. Here, you don't have to worry so much. I may not be able to let you be free all the time in other places, but in the palace, I hope you can let go of yourself. Here, you don't need to restrain yourself."

Shi Yi was a little hesitant, but was finally persuaded by Zhou Chen. She walked out of the yard with Zhou Chen and went to the piano room to learn piano.

Zhou Chen's life in the palace was also very simple. He would get up in the morning to practice martial arts, and then start teaching Shi Yi. He would go to the military camp to review and train soldiers every now and then, and he would also handle some military affairs on weekdays. So his life was simple, but also very fulfilling.

If we were to ask who in the palace spent the longest time with him, it would undoubtedly be Zhou Shiyi. They studied in the morning and afternoon, and often read in Zhou Chen's study or in the library in the evening.

Occasionally, Zhou Chen would secretly take Shi Yi to stroll around the streets of the city, so for Shi Yi, life in the Nanchen Palace was much happier than when she was at the Yi family.

Zhou Chen not only taught Shi Yi the piano music of this period, but also taught him many classic music scores from later generations. He said that they were all composed by himself, which made Shi Yi admire him even more.

The colors of spring are rich, from light green leaves to colorful flowers. All kinds of colors sway gently in the spring breeze, adding a touch of brilliant color to the earth.

Beside the pond, Shiyi was playing the piano very attentively, while Zhou Chen was sitting beside her listening.

When the song ended, Shi Yi looked at Zhou Chen expectantly.

Zhou Chen smiled and praised: "Very good, you have mastered this piece very well and have made great progress."

After receiving Zhou Chen's praise, Shi Yi was as happy as a child who got a candied haws.

For her, getting Zhou Chen's praise made her happier than doing anything else.

"Your piano skills have improved a lot. Starting tomorrow, you will have to study less. I've added a new lesson for you."

"What?" Shi Yi asked curiously.

"count."

"count?"

Shi Yi was very surprised. She didn't expect Zhou Chen would actually teach her this.

Zhou Chen explained: "Don't underestimate arithmetic, it is actually very important. If you learn arithmetic well, you will be able to handle many things in the future. At least you can handle account books easily."

Shi Yi smiled at Zhou Chen. She was just curious for a moment. In fact, no matter what Zhou Chen taught her, she would learn it very seriously, even if it was just for Zhou Chen to praise her.

The longer Zhou Chen spent with Shi Yi, the more he felt like he had developed an illusion of nurturing her.

During this period, he could feel that Shi Yi was becoming more and more dependent on him, and he liked to be with Shi Yi the most in the palace.

As time passed, Shi Yi learned more and more, and had more and more respect for Zhou Chen.

There has been no war for a long time, and everyone in the palace is very relaxed. If one can continue to live such an easy life, who would want to fight to the death on the battlefield?

On this day, Zhou Chen went out, and when he came back, he found that there were many strangers in the palace. After entering the palace, he realized that some of these people came from Zhongzhou, some from Qinghe, and some from other places. They all came to give birthday gifts to Shiyi.

Zhou Chen looked at the gifts placed everywhere in the hall with an indifferent expression. It was a big scene, but to him, it was nothing.

He just glanced at her calmly and then went to find Shi Yi.

Shi Yi was painting lotus by the pond at this time. Just as she finished, she saw Zhou Chen coming. She immediately saluted Zhou Chen with joy on her face.

Zhou Chen waved his hand, walked to her side, and looked at the lotus picture on the table.

"Well, your paintings are getting better and better. Of all your paintings, the lotus is the best."

Shi Yi was even happier to receive Zhou Chen's praise. She was best at painting lotus, and that was also her favorite thing to do.

"The palace and the Yi clan have sent you so many birthday gifts, don't you want to go and take a look?"

In front of Zhou Chen, Shiyi did not hide her feelings and shook her head, indicating that she was not interested. Compared to seeing the gifts, she preferred to paint lotus here.

Zhou Chen smiled slightly and said, "I have also prepared a birthday gift for you, do you want to see it?"

When Shi Yi heard this, he was very surprised and nodded quickly, his eyes and face full of expectation and desire.

(End of this chapter)