Bored to Death

[1333 March 3rd]

"[The thought of self is not the true self, is not the self as seen by others. How does one find thine self? To reflect the mind the man must act. The body is a vessel of the man, for through death, the man is set free, but the vessel stays earthbound. The physical form acts upon thought, thus the self becomes thought and action. The action is untethered to the scrutiny of men but to the purity of the thought in the man, for an action performed for people to see consumes the purity of the thought….]"

The master continued to recite the ancient text while little prince Ulfstead held in his yawn. Philosophy classes were always filled with complex speech and lessons. Although Ulfstead could understand each teaching through deductive reasoning, he found it ridiculous that he was learning this when he was 'only' 5 years old.

Well, it could be worse… Ulfstead glanced at his younger brother, Prince Lyfette, beside him. His brother was only 4 years old - a real 4 year old - and had just jumped into philosophical jargon in his first week of school.

After the second prince's concubine mother was demoted to a common wife, she had given birth to the second prince while confined to her palace. The King had later taken the son from her, just as he did with the First Prince. However, the second prince was not raised in the Main Palace like Ulfstead, but was placed in a mansion outside the Imperial Palace and nominally named the son of his brother, King Hellebore. He proclaimed that when the King of Hellebore and Lady Vallerie were to return to the capital, the second prince would officially adopt him as their son.

At that time, the one year old first prince almost fainted in fright. He didn't think his situation could become any more complicated. Lamentably, through his father's casual decision, he had now become the cousin to his 'blood' brother when in fact, they should have been cousins all along! 

During this time, the baby Ulfstead could barely eat and sleep. His nanny was worried to death seeing his withering vitality. She had even called for an Imperial Doctor to check the prince's pulse. Scared that the quack doctor might prescribe him some poisonous medicine, baby Ulfstead quickly exclaimed in his milky voice, "Brother! Cousin Brother! Sad!"

The adults were baffled by his sudden interest in the second prince. The nanny had sent a message to His Majesty to receive further instructions. She emphasized her concerns for the First Prince's health. "The Prince seems to be worried about the well-being of his royal brother. In recent days, the Prince's appetite has been halved and small dark circles have formed on his face!" His Majesty, too, was confused by his son's interest. The two princes had yet to even meet. What happened to cause this reaction? Regardless, the King was pleased with his son's strong familial affection. In the future, he might not have to worry about fratricide like the last generation.

Although it was not formally announced, the King was determined to have the First Prince inherit the throne.. His Son will be unaffected from any powerful family, a blank slate that His Majesty could mold into his most perfect heir. These were the secrets of the King's heart. 

Yet, despite having such a good son, the King still needed male descendants. A tree with only a single leaf was bound to wither away. This was nature. This was the belief of the ancestors. As for why the King believed this and gave away his second son, this was still to remain a mystery.

The King wasn't going to retract his decree of sending off the second son, however, he didn't think it would be bad for the Prince to have a playmate in the palace once he was older. Thus, he promulgated that once the newly established Hellebore prince was of age, he would become a study companion to the First Prince.

So, the happenings of today.

"[...A man mustn't be complacent. A man mustn't act in haste. The fisherman who does not pierce the water will not catch any fish, but the same is so for the fisherman that pierces the water when the waters are empty.]"

Ulfstead boredly listened as the Master droned on; his brother was already blowing spit bubbles in his sleep. Let alone to him, a grown 'adult', any child would mentally check out if they were in this position. This lesson was as interesting as listening to the Harem women talk in circles with each other. He envied his good brother for being able to rest in peace. If he closed his eyes for too long, he could just imagine how this Master would handle it.

The man would probably ram his head into a pillar out of shame and anger. Who didn't know that the Prince was an attentive and serious student? At the age of 1, he could speak in full sentences. At the age of 2, it was found that he knew how to read. At 3, he began studying. And at 4, he surpassed his peers in learning the Hundred Virtues of Man, beginning the Four Classics. Such a talent had teachers coming from all over, each wishing to either test this genius or pass on their own knowledge.

His Majesty was thrilled with the influx of talents, he even had a serious election for the spot of 'Prince's Teacher'. Unfortunately, the election did not go through under the insistence of the Prince.

Ulfstead had once read a story where a student had followed one teacher all his life. One day, the teacher said that he had taught all that he had known to his student. The student had then gone into the world and taught others. When given a more efficient way to solve a problem, the teacher was angered and said that this was not the correct way. The teacher continued on this way, insisting that this is the only way. And one by one, his students left him. Ulfstead didn't want to be entrapped by this predicament. But it was hard to ask this. The King didn't know why his son was adamant on not having a 'Teacher'. However, his son still needed to be a learned man.

So, instead, he stated that a Teacher will be recognized by the Prince when he is older, for now there should be multiple lecturers.

The current lecturer was a student of morality known for his poems and prose. His pursuit of philosophy had taken the Capital by storm, impressing the King after hearing his words spoken at a dinner party of literati. "A man is in a constant state of war with his 'self' and nature. To struggle is the way of life. To settle is the way of life. One will kill you quick. One will kill you slow. One will let you die with dignity. The other will let you die a joke."

 The second Prince was bobbing his head until his forehead almost touched the desk. Ulfstead sighed in his heart. 'Would it be a joke if I was literally bored to death?'