The Emperor saw Yan Qing obediently sitting and listening to him, and regardless of whether the words sunk in, the attitude was there, an improvement over the past. It was as if he had returned to his time before the age of thirteen, sitting with proper demeanor, standing with an imposing stance, wise beyond his years, virtuous and well-cultivated. Back then, everyone said that since the Marquis Duanjing Residence had such a son, the future was secured, and he too had thought so.
Who would have known that at thirteen and a half, he suddenly became rebellious, as if possessed, abandoning his studies to play the prodigal son, never looking back, and four years had since passed.
The Marquis Duanjing Residence had changed, people and things alike, and Yan Qing was no longer the little boy he had been.
The Emperor felt somewhat emotional and his voice took on a heartfelt tone, "Yan Qing, do you not wish to turn back? The autumn imperial examinations..."
