"Father Emperor, is Erchen such a person in your heart?" the Crown Prince looked at Emperor Changlong with a somewhat hurt expression.
"It was a slip of the tongue. Zhen's son is both talented and handsome. There is no need for you to engage in such unlawful acts as forcefully taking commoner women," Emperor Changlong felt ashamed of his reckless speculation, "By the way, Zhen acquired some interesting things recently. Zhen will have Zhao Sancai deliver them to the Eastern Palace later."
Emperor Changlong saw his son's expression improve after promising a bunch of benefits. Soon, curiosity took hold, "Which girl have you set your eyes on? I will arrange a marriage proposal with her parents."
The Crown Prince remained silent.
"Is it the Du or Yao family from Dongjie Street, or perhaps the Tian or Chen family from Nanjie Street?" Emperor Changlong frowned, "It can't be one of your few cousins, right?"
"None of them," the Crown Prince shook his head, "Erchen still doesn't know her feelings. Let's discuss this matter later."
"If you truly like her, you should have told your Imperial Father earlier. Zhen could have helped you take the initiative," Emperor Changlong said, willing to do anything to prevent his son from being at a disadvantage.
"If you help Erchen arrange the marriage, she won't be able to refuse if she was unwilling. Knowing her personality, even if she had some goodwill towards Erchen initially, with your arrangement, it would turn into resentment. In the end, Erchen wouldn't know if it's a blessed union or a doomed one," the Crown Prince solemnly said to Emperor Changlong, "There's nothing improper about her identity, but Erchen doesn't want to force her now, nor does Erchen want to let other men snatch her away."
Emperor Changlong's heart grew calm. Yuansu had always been carefree and unwilling to suffer, yet now he seemed to be thinking so deeply. It appeared that he had developed genuine feelings for that young lady.
When in love, one has to scheme deeply.
The only thing that puzzled him was why Yuansu referred to himself as a beast. Emperor Changlong contemplated various thoughts in his mind.
Was the other party already married? Such a thing was unacceptable. Even if it was the Crown Prince, he would have to take drastic measures to make her his wife.
Was she older than him? A few years of age difference was inconsequential. Even if it was a bit more, it would be like carrying a few extra bricks. It wouldn't qualify as being a beast or not.
Could it be...
Emperor Changlong's expression changed abruptly. Could that young girl be relatively very young in age?
Thinking of this, Emperor Changlong looked at the Crown Prince with a grave expression and spoke earnestly, "Yuansu, regardless of one's status or deeds, there are some things one cannot do. Do you understand?"
The Crown Prince looked at Emperor Changlong inexplicably, then reassured him, "Father Emperor, rest assured, Erchen understands."
Seeing the Crown Prince speak decisively, Emperor Changlong relaxed slightly. He was an emperor of a dynasty, but he had to play the roles of both a father and a mother to his most beloved son -- it has not been easy for him.
After the state banquet, he should summon the court officials to discuss whether the court should provide additional support to single-parent families.
This would not only alleviate the pressure on the adults but also reduce incidents of abandoned infants and illegal child trafficking. However, no matter how good the plan sounded, there were bound to be loopholes and even more troublesome consequences.
Therefore, before issuing any decree, he had to consider it countless times with his court officials.
Being an emperor was not easy, especially compared to being a negligent ruler. Emperor Changlong turned his head and glanced at the Crown Prince, who would inherit the throne after him. The Crown Prince was lazy and carefree. He didn't know how long he would have to bear the burden on his shoulders before he could pass the throne on to his son.
The Crown Prince looked up at Emperor Changlong's expression and knew what he was thinking. He quickly said, "Father Emperor, they say one should establish a family and career. Erchen hasn't even married yet, so Father Emperor shouldn't expect anything else from Erchen."
"Unfilial son! Zhen hasn't said anything."
"But your gaze says it all," the Crown Prince spoke confidently, "Father Emperor is in the prime of your life, while Erchen is still young. So, Father Emperor shouldn't think about these things."
"Zhen is already well past middle age, yet Zhen is still considered young?" Emperor Changlong said, "When Zhen was your age, Zhen was already handling state affairs as the Emperor."
In the past, the late emperor favored a concubine in the harem, promoting her entire family and even considering deposing him as the Crown Prince to establish a new one. The concubine's family forcibly took commoner women, seized the people's land, and oppressed the commoners. Although an imperial censor had remonstrated, the concubine had someone block the imperial censor at the palace gate and beat him to death.
At that time, he stood on the city wall and watched the pregnant wife of the imperial censor hold her husband's corpse as she heartbreakingly cried. A chill ran down his spine.
The world knows that when an emperor gets angry, millions of people will be prostrated. Doesn't the Emperor himself know that?
Therefore, after ascending to the throne, he constantly reminded himself that even if he couldn't become a renowned emperor for all eternity, he must still protect the Great Jin Empire.
What is the country?
Is it the towering mountains and the ever-flowing rivers?
No, it is the people living on this land.
"Father Emperor," The Crown Prince said, "Erchen heard that Grand Tutor Du seems to be ill."
Upon hearing the Crown Prince's voice, Emperor Changlong snapped back to reality. He sighed, "Grand Tutor Du is an extraordinary scholar."
But he is not a qualified official.
"Go and check on him for Zhen," Emperor Changlong thought for a moment, "Grand Tutor Du has a stubborn temper. If he says anything inappropriate, pretend you didn't hear it. When you come back, Zhen will give you several chests of jewels to save for your future wife."
"Erchen understands, Father Emperor," The Crown Prince said, "In all these years, Erchen never argued with him."
After all -- although this old man didn't understand how to be flexible and his temper was foul and obstinate -- his loyalty to the Emperor had never wavered.
Du Songwen's health was truly not good.
He had served two emperors, and because of his outstanding talent, he became the Grand Tutor to the then Crown Prince at a young age. Later, the late emperor became infatuated with a concubine, and because Du Songwen had always stood on the side of the Crown Prince, he had lived comfortably after the then Crown Prince, now Emperor Changlong, ascended to the throne.
People thought he was particularly against the current Crown Prince, but the truth was that since the Crown Prince was the future emperor, he feared that he would become like the previous emperor, bringing suffering to the people.
Du Songwen, with a pale yellow complexion, lay in bed, and the whole room was filled with the bitter scent of medicine. He struggled to open his eyes and looked at his children and grandchildren in the room. He beckoned to Du Xiuying, who had red-rimmed eyes, "Come."
"Grandfather," Du Xiuying forced a smile. She squatted by the bed and gently held Du Songwen's wrinkled hand.
"Do you really not want to marry the Crown Prince?" Du Songwen asked.
Du Xiuying lowered her head and remained silent.
"Never mind," Du Songwen sighed, "I wanted you to stay by the Crown Prince's side and remind him of what is right and what is wrong. But I was also afraid that if the Crown Prince grew tired of you, how would you spend the rest of your life? It's better this way, it's better this way."
"Grandfather..." Du Xiuying couldn't hold back any longer, tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.
"It's my fault," Du Songwen closed his eyes, "I was always worried that the Crown Prince would become like the late emperor, but people in the world are all different, and no one can grow according to someone else's standards. I have been stubborn these years and offended the Crown Prince many times. After I'm gone, what will you all do?"
Even a sage would be closer to his own family, not to mention that Du Songwen was not a sage.
"After I'm gone, all of you should assist His Majesty and the Crown Prince with all your hearts and not entertain any other thoughts," Du Songwen took a deep breath and continued, "Although the Crown Prince is not perfect, he was raised by His Majesty and possesses some of His Majesty's virtues. Although the other princes have their own merits, they are ultimately inferior to the Crown Prince's charisma. If any of you have rebellious intentions, then... then..."
"Then you will be expelled from the ancestral registry of the Du family; your descendants will have no connection with the Du family."
"Father, we, your children, will never go against your wishes," Du Xiuying's father, knelt in front of Du Songwen's bed, sobbing, "Father, please rest well. You will recover soon."
"I know my own body," Du Songwen looked at Du Xiuying, "Xiuying is a good child. Whatever she wants to do in the future, you must not hinder her."
"I understand, Father," Du Xiuying's father, who had reached an age where had full-grown children, knelt before Du Songwen's bed and cried like a child. He had blamed his father for being inflexible and obstinate in the past, but at this moment, all he felt was reluctance.
"Daren, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived."
Suddenly, a clamor came from outside the door. The Crown Prince, dressed in brocade robes and wearing a jade crown, walked in with large strides, "Du Daren, Benwang didn't wait for an announcement and entered your estate rashly. Please forgive Benwang, everyone."
"Your Royal Highness," the Du family members did not expect the Crown Prince to come personally. All of them immediately knelt to salute him.
"Please don't be overly courteous, everyone," the Crown Prince quickly walked to the side of the bed. As soon as he saw Du Songwen's complexion, he knew he was not doing well.
"Grand Tutor Du," the Crown Prince took a step back and paid his respects to Du Songwen as a junior, "Father Emperor is deeply concerned upon hearing of the Grand Tutor's illness. Since Father Emperor cannot leave the palace, he sent me to visit on his behalf."
"I thank His Majesty for his great kindness," Du Songwen wanted to return the gesture but was stopped by the Crown Prince. "Daren, you are Father's mentor, and Benwang, as a junior, should naturally pay respects to you. Please rest well and do not worry about other matters."
The Crown Prince then asked the Du family members how Grand Tutor Du fell ill and what medicine he was taking. After the Du family members answered, he said, "When Benwang came here, Benwang brought a few imperial physicians and some medicinal ingredients. If you don't mind, Benwang will have the imperial physicians come and examine Grand Tutor Du's pulse."
The Du family members were overjoyed at these words and quickly expressed their gratitude to the Crown Prince.
After the imperial physicians finished examining Du Songwen's pulse, they glanced at the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince put Du Songwen's hand back under the blanket and tucked it in for him, "Grand Tutor Du, Benwang will go and see how the imperial physicians are using the medicine. Benwang will be back shortly."
Du Songwen watched the Crown Prince leave with tears glistening in his eyes.
The Crown Prince left the room and saw that the imperial physicians' expressions were not good. He asked quietly, "How is Grand Tutor Du's pulse?"
"The Grant Tutor... is nearing his end," the imperial physicians helplessly replied, "Please forgive us, Your Royal Highness, but we are powerless."
The Crown Prince fell silent for a moment, "Is the pulse accurate?"
"Unless Grand Tutor Du is a master who can change his pulse using internal energy, otherwise..." the imperial physicians said, "Most people in the world learn external martial arts, hardly anyone practices internal energy cultivation."
In other words, there was no hope for Grand Tutor Du.
Footsteps came from behind, the Crown Prince turned to see Du Daren and his daughter.
"Your Royal Highness, I have heard the words of the imperial physicians," Du Daren, with tears in his eyes, bowed to the physicians, "Gentlemen, please do your best to save him. If it is not possible... at least relieve my father's pain."
The imperial physicians returned the gesture, "Please rest assured, Du Daren. We will do our utmost."
The Crown Prince returned to the room and heard Grand Tutor Du calling for him, so he walked back to the bedside.
"Your Royal Highness, it seems that I won't make it," Grand Tutor Du forced out his words, "Please learn from His Majesty and govern the Empire well. Do not slack off."
"Do not worry, Grand Tutor. Benwang will," the Crown Prince saw Grand Tutor Du extending his hand, so he gently held onto the frail hand.
"In these years, I have been harsh on you, Your Royal Highness. It was my fault," Grand Tutor Du looked at the Crown Prince's young and strong hand, "I believe that you have a bright future ahead."
"Benwang understands that your criticisms stem from your deep love for the nation and high expectations placed on Benwang," the Crown Prince's voice was gentle, "Father Emperor often mentioned that back when Concubine Xiao controlled the harem and made numerous demands, you refused to compromise with such people. You persisted in giving lectures to Father Emperor and ran around in court for him. Father Emperor remembers these things, Benwang will remember them too."
"It's just my duty as the Grand Tutor."
The Crown Prince saw that Grand Tutor Du was getting tired, so he comforted him for a while. After Grand Tutor Du fell asleep, the Crown Prince released his hand.
In these years, Grand Tutor Du had been overly critical of the Crown Prince, and the Du family members were aware of it. However, the Crown Prince responded with kindness. He not only inquired about the medicine Grand Tutor Du was taking, but also had a long conversation with him.
How many people could show such tolerance?
Even if the Crown Prince had some flaws, they were minor and inconsequential and did not affect his character.
Du Xiuying had the most complex emotions. She accompanied her parents to see the Crown Prince off at the door. After the Crown Prince left and she heard the elders praising him, she began to reflect on whether she had been too judgmental when evaluating others.
After the Spring Examination, Hua Changkong spent two days in lazy indulgence -- just eating and sleeping. When he heard that his sister went to the pleasure quarter and was caught by the Crown Prince, he lost interest in rest and found Hua Liuli, who was sitting in the courtyard soaking up the sun, "Sister, is the pleasure quarter fun?"
Hua Liuli replied languidly, "It's all mediocre and ordinary."
"You have high standards," Hua Changkong had a servant bring over a chair and sat next to Hua Liuli, "In places like the pleasure quarter, there are no fresh and delightful beauties. It would be better to keep a couple of refined and fair-looking destitute scholars who understand elegance without the dust and dirt."
Hua Liuli waved her hand dismissively, "I'm not interested."
"What's wrong? Don't you want to keep handsome young men and have other desires?" Hua Changkong poked Hua Liuli, who was too lazy to move, "Tell me, what new hobbies do you have recently?"
"None," Hua Liuli sighed, "In the past few days, those pleasure quarters, restaurants, and teahouses have become more and more boring. They used to have dances and music, but recently, they've been playing games like reciting poetry and coming up with matching verses. If I wanted to play those games, I might as well play with the noble ladies in the capital. At least they play with more skill."
"The Hundred Nations State Banquet is coming soon. It's good to do some cleanup. If people from other countries dare to cause trouble in Great Jin's territory, we can trouble them as well," Hua Changkong said, "What if they retort by saying, 'Your own people in Great Jin do it, why can't we?' You see, isn't that slapping ourselves in the face?"
Hua Liuli hummed and took a thin gauze to cover her face, shielding herself from the strong sunlight so as not to darken her complexion.
"Tomorrow is Flower Festival, isn't it?" Hua Changkong said, "I made an appointment with some fellow scholars from the capital to go for an outing in the suburbs. Will you come with me or go with the other young ladies?"
"I'll go find Sister Jiamin. I won't go with you," What fun was there in dealing with stiff scholars men? It was more interesting to bully little girls.
"Alright," Hua Changkong didn't insist, "Tomorrow will be crowded and you're not very familiar with the roads in the capital. Don't get lost with the other young ladies. Remember to bring Yuan Yi and Yurong with you."
"Okay," Hua Liuli nodded, "Don't worry, I won't get lost that easily."
Hua Changkong smiled and gently patted her head without saying anything.
The captive from the Kingdon of Jinpo, Second Prince A'Wa found himself with a new neighbor. Recently, he no longer resorted to hunger strikes or demanded to see Hua Liuli. He began to live a life of being well-fed and satiated. And since he was being locked up in the cell every day and was unable to move around, he surprisingly gained weight.
However, both cells on his left and right were empty, and the jailers of the Ministry of Justice didn't like to talk to him, so he was getting bored.
Finally, he got a new neighbor. So he dropped his noble prince status to initiate a conversation with the person next to him, "Brother, what crime did you commit to end up here?"
Yunhan glanced at the man with a double chin and unkempt beard; He adjusted his loose sleeves and ignored him.
"Mute?"
Yunhan remained motionless.
"Deaf?"
Yunhan didn't respond.
"Fool?"
Yunhan couldn't bear it anymore, "Shut up."
"You, a lowly prisoner, dare to be so rude to me?" Although Prince A'Wa didn't dare to provoke the people from the Ministry of Justice, he still felt superior when facing other prisoners. He initiated a conversation with Yunhan because of his misplaced sense of superiority.
In life, it's all about striking others to find happiness.
Yunhan looked at Ava with a look of disdain. Both were prisoners, so who was nobler than the other?
"Do you know who I am?" Prince A'Wa touched the corner of the wall and found a moldy bun that had been there for a long time. He threw it at Yunhan through the cell bars, "Mind your manners."
The moldy bun hit Yunhan's face and fell on his clothes. Yunhan's face darkened, "Get lost, stay away from me."
Smack.
Another piece of moldy bun hit Yunhan's face.
But this time, it wasn't thrown by Prince A'Wa; it was thrown by a prisoner in the adjacent cell.
"The newcomer doesn't understand the rules. Listen carefully when the seniors speak. If you don't understand the rules, during the exercise time, we can teach you," the prisoner in the adjacent cell sat cross-legged on the ground, appearing as a lofty figure.
"Yes, yes, you guys should teach him well," Prince A'Wa clapped his legs and laughed, "I can't stand these pretentious pretty boys."
"Shut up," the prisoner looked at Prince A'Wa through the adjacent cell, full of disdain, "A defeated dog from Jinbo is not worthy of talking to us Great Jin people."
Prince A'Wa: "..."
No one in Great Jin was good, not just the officials but also the prisoners in the cell.
Frustrated, he picked up a piece of mud and threw it at the prisoner. But with a cell separating them, how could he hit him? The mud ended up falling on Yunhan's head.
"Brothers, this Jinbo dog dares to be arrogant. Let's teach him a lesson!"
"Throw at him!"
At once, foul buns, dead mice, and worn-out shoes flew out from various cells. Unfortunately, Prince A'Wa's cell was relatively far, so most of the things landed in Yunhan's cell.
Yunhan looked at these disgusting and ugly things soiling his robes and couldn't bear it anymore.
How dare these vulgar, despicable people treat him like this?
After he got out, he would make sure these people met a gruesome end!
Smack.
A smelly shoe hit Yunhan's forehead and fell down. He couldn't hold back anymore, he covered his mouth and started to retch.
"Nobody is allowed to cause trouble anymore. If you do, the lunch will be reduced by half," when the jailer spoke these words, the entire dungeon became quiet. The prisoners, who were just hurling vulgar words a moment ago, sat quietly, well-behaved.
Those who were locked up in the Ministry of Justice prison cells were all involved in major cases but couldn't be executed for the time being. Therefore, they understood better than anyone when to stop.
"As for you, why are you still standing there? Clean up your cell yourself," the warden knocked on the door of Yunhan's cell with a stick, then turned to the jailer behind him, "This person was personally brought in by Deputy Minister Pei. His identity is suspicious and might be related to several major cases. Deputy Minister Pei said to observe him until the cases are cleared."
As an official of the Ministry of Justice, the warden naturally knew what those major cases were. He scrutinized Yunhan and said critically, "Scheming and eerie, clearly not a decent man. Isn't the stone quarry short of workers? Take him there."
"Make sure he changes his clothes and wears coarse linen garments," the warden looked at Yunhan's face, "When he goes out to the quarry tomorrow, make sure he doesn't come into contact with any women of status. If he pretends to be pitiful and seduces any noblewoman to defend him, it will bring us trouble."
The warden had been in his position for a long time and had encountered all kinds of prisoners. In order to escape punishment, prisoners would use seduction strategies, on both males and females.
It's better to be cautious in advance.
After noon, the Crown Prince sat in front of his desk and wrote several invitation cards on scented paper, but he found them unsatisfactory. Some were too subtle, others too outspoken, always lacking something.
Even the form of address was changed several times.
If he wrote 'Hua girl' it would seem like how an older brother would speak to his younger sister. Addressing her as 'Junzhu' would seem too formal. And if he wrote her name 'Liuli', it would seem too familiar.
"Forget it," the Crown Prince put down his pen and turned to leave.
"Your outer robe, Your Royal Highness," the attendants hurriedly caught up with him.
After leaving the palace, they headed straight to the Marquis Zhongyong Estate. The Crown Prince sat on his horse, staring at the stone lions at the entrance of the Marquis Zhongyong Estate for a few minutes.
The newly assigned gate guards of the Marquis Zhongyong Estate didn't recognize the Crown Prince. Seeing his distinguished attire and the eunuchs following behind him, they cautiously approached and asked, "May I ask whom the noble person is looking for?"
"Benwang heard that the Third Young Master of your prestigious residence has finished his examinations, so Benwang came to pay a visit."
"Oh, it's the Crown Prince," the guards saluted one after another, "Please come in, Your Royal Highness. The Third Young Master is inside the residence," While notifying the Master that the Crown Prince had arrived, they respectfully led the Crown Prince inside.
Hua Changkong was somewhat surprised when he heard that the Crown Prince had come to see him. When did he and the Crown Prince become such close friends? Just because he participated in the Spring Examination, was it worth the Crown Prince personally visiting?
With his parents out of the house today, Hua Changkong personally went forward to greet the Crown Prince. After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Hua Changkong noticed that the Crown Prince kept looking outside, thinking that he was waiting for his parents to return home. He explained, "Father and Mother heard that Grad Tutor Du is seriously ill, so they went to pay a visit. I apologize for not welcoming Your Royal Highness at the main gate. Please forgive me."
"It was Benwang who came unannounced. It's not your fault, Changkong," the Crown Prince turned the teacup in his hand, "Is Junzhu in the residence? Benwang brought some of her favorite delicacies this time."
"Please wait a moment, Your Royal Highness. I will have someone go and inform my sister."
"No need to make a fuss. It wouldn't be good if we disturbed Junzhu's rest," the Crown Prince feigned politeness.
"The Crown Prince has come in person, so my sister should come out to receive you," Hua Changkong arranged for a servant to go and call Hua Liuli, "Even though Your Royal Highness is on good terms with my sister, Your Royal Highness shouldn't indulge her so much."
On good terms? Good terms?
The Crown Prince felt a bit guilty. Had Hua Changkong figured out his intentions?
"That girl is just a bundle of childishness. The more Your Royal Highness indulges her, the less respectable she becomes. Even if Your Royal Highness treats her as a younger sister, there should still be proper manners."
The Crown Prince sighed softly. If it weren't for the circumstances, who would want to be the beloved older brother of someone they liked?
"Father Emperor, is Erchen such a person in your heart?" the Crown Prince looked at Emperor Changlong with a somewhat hurt expression.
"It was a slip of the tongue. Zhen's son is both talented and handsome. There is no need for you to engage in such unlawful acts as forcefully taking commoner women," Emperor Changlong felt ashamed of his reckless speculation, "By the way, Zhen acquired some interesting things recently. Zhen will have Zhao Sancai deliver them to the Eastern Palace later."
Emperor Changlong saw his son's expression improve after promising a bunch of benefits. Soon, curiosity took hold, "Which girl have you set your eyes on? I will arrange a marriage proposal with her parents."
The Crown Prince remained silent.
"Is it the Du or Yao family from Dongjie Street, or perhaps the Tian or Chen family from Nanjie Street?" Emperor Changlong frowned, "It can't be one of your few cousins, right?"
"None of them," the Crown Prince shook his head, "Erchen still doesn't know her feelings. Let's discuss this matter later."
"If you truly like her, you should have told your Imperial Father earlier. Zhen could have helped you take the initiative," Emperor Changlong said, willing to do anything to prevent his son from being at a disadvantage.
"If you help Erchen arrange the marriage, she won't be able to refuse if she was unwilling. Knowing her personality, even if she had some goodwill towards Erchen initially, with your arrangement, it would turn into resentment. In the end, Erchen wouldn't know if it's a blessed union or a doomed one," the Crown Prince solemnly said to Emperor Changlong, "There's nothing improper about her identity, but Erchen doesn't want to force her now, nor does Erchen want to let other men snatch her away."
Emperor Changlong's heart grew calm. Yuansu had always been carefree and unwilling to suffer, yet now he seemed to be thinking so deeply. It appeared that he had developed genuine feelings for that young lady.
When in love, one has to scheme deeply.
The only thing that puzzled him was why Yuansu referred to himself as a beast. Emperor Changlong contemplated various thoughts in his mind.
Was the other party already married? Such a thing was unacceptable. Even if it was the Crown Prince, he would have to take drastic measures to make her his wife.
Was she older than him? A few years of age difference was inconsequential. Even if it was a bit more, it would be like carrying a few extra bricks. It wouldn't qualify as being a beast or not.
Could it be...
Emperor Changlong's expression changed abruptly. Could that young girl be relatively very young in age?
Thinking of this, Emperor Changlong looked at the Crown Prince with a grave expression and spoke earnestly, "Yuansu, regardless of one's status or deeds, there are some things one cannot do. Do you understand?"
The Crown Prince looked at Emperor Changlong inexplicably, then reassured him, "Father Emperor, rest assured, Erchen understands."
Seeing the Crown Prince speak decisively, Emperor Changlong relaxed slightly. He was an emperor of a dynasty, but he had to play the roles of both a father and a mother to his most beloved son -- it has not been easy for him.
After the state banquet, he should summon the court officials to discuss whether the court should provide additional support to single-parent families.
This would not only alleviate the pressure on the adults but also reduce incidents of abandoned infants and illegal child trafficking. However, no matter how good the plan sounded, there were bound to be loopholes and even more troublesome consequences.
Therefore, before issuing any decree, he had to consider it countless times with his court officials.
Being an emperor was not easy, especially compared to being a negligent ruler. Emperor Changlong turned his head and glanced at the Crown Prince, who would inherit the throne after him. The Crown Prince was lazy and carefree. He didn't know how long he would have to bear the burden on his shoulders before he could pass the throne on to his son.
The Crown Prince looked up at Emperor Changlong's expression and knew what he was thinking. He quickly said, "Father Emperor, they say one should establish a family and career. Erchen hasn't even married yet, so Father Emperor shouldn't expect anything else from Erchen."
"Unfilial son! Zhen hasn't said anything."
"But your gaze says it all," the Crown Prince spoke confidently, "Father Emperor is in the prime of your life, while Erchen is still young. So, Father Emperor shouldn't think about these things."
"Zhen is already well past middle age, yet Zhen is still considered young?" Emperor Changlong said, "When Zhen was your age, Zhen was already handling state affairs as the Emperor."
In the past, the late emperor favored a concubine in the harem, promoting her entire family and even considering deposing him as the Crown Prince to establish a new one. The concubine's family forcibly took commoner women, seized the people's land, and oppressed the commoners. Although an imperial censor had remonstrated, the concubine had someone block the imperial censor at the palace gate and beat him to death.
At that time, he stood on the city wall and watched the pregnant wife of the imperial censor hold her husband's corpse as she heartbreakingly cried. A chill ran down his spine.
The world knows that when an emperor gets angry, millions of people will be prostrated. Doesn't the Emperor himself know that?
Therefore, after ascending to the throne, he constantly reminded himself that even if he couldn't become a renowned emperor for all eternity, he must still protect the Great Jin Empire.
What is the country?
Is it the towering mountains and the ever-flowing rivers?
No, it is the people living on this land.
"Father Emperor," The Crown Prince said, "Erchen heard that Grand Tutor Du seems to be ill."
Upon hearing the Crown Prince's voice, Emperor Changlong snapped back to reality. He sighed, "Grand Tutor Du is an extraordinary scholar."
But he is not a qualified official.
"Go and check on him for Zhen," Emperor Changlong thought for a moment, "Grand Tutor Du has a stubborn temper. If he says anything inappropriate, pretend you didn't hear it. When you come back, Zhen will give you several chests of jewels to save for your future wife."
"Erchen understands, Father Emperor," The Crown Prince said, "In all these years, Erchen never argued with him."
After all -- although this old man didn't understand how to be flexible and his temper was foul and obstinate -- his loyalty to the Emperor had never wavered.
Du Songwen's health was truly not good.
He had served two emperors, and because of his outstanding talent, he became the Grand Tutor to the then Crown Prince at a young age. Later, the late emperor became infatuated with a concubine, and because Du Songwen had always stood on the side of the Crown Prince, he had lived comfortably after the then Crown Prince, now Emperor Changlong, ascended to the throne.
People thought he was particularly against the current Crown Prince, but the truth was that since the Crown Prince was the future emperor, he feared that he would become like the previous emperor, bringing suffering to the people.
Du Songwen, with a pale yellow complexion, lay in bed, and the whole room was filled with the bitter scent of medicine. He struggled to open his eyes and looked at his children and grandchildren in the room. He beckoned to Du Xiuying, who had red-rimmed eyes, "Come."
"Grandfather," Du Xiuying forced a smile. She squatted by the bed and gently held Du Songwen's wrinkled hand.
"Do you really not want to marry the Crown Prince?" Du Songwen asked.
Du Xiuying lowered her head and remained silent.
"Never mind," Du Songwen sighed, "I wanted you to stay by the Crown Prince's side and remind him of what is right and what is wrong. But I was also afraid that if the Crown Prince grew tired of you, how would you spend the rest of your life? It's better this way, it's better this way."
"Grandfather..." Du Xiuying couldn't hold back any longer, tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.
"It's my fault," Du Songwen closed his eyes, "I was always worried that the Crown Prince would become like the late emperor, but people in the world are all different, and no one can grow according to someone else's standards. I have been stubborn these years and offended the Crown Prince many times. After I'm gone, what will you all do?"
Even a sage would be closer to his own family, not to mention that Du Songwen was not a sage.
"After I'm gone, all of you should assist His Majesty and the Crown Prince with all your hearts and not entertain any other thoughts," Du Songwen took a deep breath and continued, "Although the Crown Prince is not perfect, he was raised by His Majesty and possesses some of His Majesty's virtues. Although the other princes have their own merits, they are ultimately inferior to the Crown Prince's charisma. If any of you have rebellious intentions, then... then..."
"Then you will be expelled from the ancestral registry of the Du family; your descendants will have no connection with the Du family."
"Father, we, your children, will never go against your wishes," Du Xiuying's father, knelt in front of Du Songwen's bed, sobbing, "Father, please rest well. You will recover soon."
"I know my own body," Du Songwen looked at Du Xiuying, "Xiuying is a good child. Whatever she wants to do in the future, you must not hinder her."
"I understand, Father," Du Xiuying's father, who had reached an age where had full-grown children, knelt before Du Songwen's bed and cried like a child. He had blamed his father for being inflexible and obstinate in the past, but at this moment, all he felt was reluctance.
"Daren, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived."
Suddenly, a clamor came from outside the door. The Crown Prince, dressed in brocade robes and wearing a jade crown, walked in with large strides, "Du Daren, Benwang didn't wait for an announcement and entered your estate rashly. Please forgive Benwang, everyone."
"Your Royal Highness," the Du family members did not expect the Crown Prince to come personally. All of them immediately knelt to salute him.
"Please don't be overly courteous, everyone," the Crown Prince quickly walked to the side of the bed. As soon as he saw Du Songwen's complexion, he knew he was not doing well.
"Grand Tutor Du," the Crown Prince took a step back and paid his respects to Du Songwen as a junior, "Father Emperor is deeply concerned upon hearing of the Grand Tutor's illness. Since Father Emperor cannot leave the palace, he sent me to visit on his behalf."
"I thank His Majesty for his great kindness," Du Songwen wanted to return the gesture but was stopped by the Crown Prince. "Daren, you are Father's mentor, and Benwang, as a junior, should naturally pay respects to you. Please rest well and do not worry about other matters."
The Crown Prince then asked the Du family members how Grand Tutor Du fell ill and what medicine he was taking. After the Du family members answered, he said, "When Benwang came here, Benwang brought a few imperial physicians and some medicinal ingredients. If you don't mind, Benwang will have the imperial physicians come and examine Grand Tutor Du's pulse."
The Du family members were overjoyed at these words and quickly expressed their gratitude to the Crown Prince.
After the imperial physicians finished examining Du Songwen's pulse, they glanced at the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince put Du Songwen's hand back under the blanket and tucked it in for him, "Grand Tutor Du, Benwang will go and see how the imperial physicians are using the medicine. Benwang will be back shortly."
Du Songwen watched the Crown Prince leave with tears glistening in his eyes.
The Crown Prince left the room and saw that the imperial physicians' expressions were not good. He asked quietly, "How is Grand Tutor Du's pulse?"
"The Grant Tutor... is nearing his end," the imperial physicians helplessly replied, "Please forgive us, Your Royal Highness, but we are powerless."
The Crown Prince fell silent for a moment, "Is the pulse accurate?"
"Unless Grand Tutor Du is a master who can change his pulse using internal energy, otherwise..." the imperial physicians said, "Most people in the world learn external martial arts, hardly anyone practices internal energy cultivation."
In other words, there was no hope for Grand Tutor Du.
Footsteps came from behind, the Crown Prince turned to see Du Daren and his daughter.
"Your Royal Highness, I have heard the words of the imperial physicians," Du Daren, with tears in his eyes, bowed to the physicians, "Gentlemen, please do your best to save him. If it is not possible... at least relieve my father's pain."
The imperial physicians returned the gesture, "Please rest assured, Du Daren. We will do our utmost."
The Crown Prince returned to the room and heard Grand Tutor Du calling for him, so he walked back to the bedside.
"Your Royal Highness, it seems that I won't make it," Grand Tutor Du forced out his words, "Please learn from His Majesty and govern the Empire well. Do not slack off."
"Do not worry, Grand Tutor. Benwang will," the Crown Prince saw Grand Tutor Du extending his hand, so he gently held onto the frail hand.
"In these years, I have been harsh on you, Your Royal Highness. It was my fault," Grand Tutor Du looked at the Crown Prince's young and strong hand, "I believe that you have a bright future ahead."
"Benwang understands that your criticisms stem from your deep love for the nation and high expectations placed on Benwang," the Crown Prince's voice was gentle, "Father Emperor often mentioned that back when Concubine Xiao controlled the harem and made numerous demands, you refused to compromise with such people. You persisted in giving lectures to Father Emperor and ran around in court for him. Father Emperor remembers these things, Benwang will remember them too."
"It's just my duty as the Grand Tutor."
The Crown Prince saw that Grand Tutor Du was getting tired, so he comforted him for a while. After Grand Tutor Du fell asleep, the Crown Prince released his hand.
In these years, Grand Tutor Du had been overly critical of the Crown Prince, and the Du family members were aware of it. However, the Crown Prince responded with kindness. He not only inquired about the medicine Grand Tutor Du was taking, but also had a long conversation with him.
How many people could show such tolerance?
Even if the Crown Prince had some flaws, they were minor and inconsequential and did not affect his character.
Du Xiuying had the most complex emotions. She accompanied her parents to see the Crown Prince off at the door. After the Crown Prince left and she heard the elders praising him, she began to reflect on whether she had been too judgmental when evaluating others.
After the Spring Examination, Hua Changkong spent two days in lazy indulgence -- just eating and sleeping. When he heard that his sister went to the pleasure quarter and was caught by the Crown Prince, he lost interest in rest and found Hua Liuli, who was sitting in the courtyard soaking up the sun, "Sister, is the pleasure quarter fun?"
Hua Liuli replied languidly, "It's all mediocre and ordinary."
"You have high standards," Hua Changkong had a servant bring over a chair and sat next to Hua Liuli, "In places like the pleasure quarter, there are no fresh and delightful beauties. It would be better to keep a couple of refined and fair-looking destitute scholars who understand elegance without the dust and dirt."
Hua Liuli waved her hand dismissively, "I'm not interested."
"What's wrong? Don't you want to keep handsome young men and have other desires?" Hua Changkong poked Hua Liuli, who was too lazy to move, "Tell me, what new hobbies do you have recently?"
"None," Hua Liuli sighed, "In the past few days, those pleasure quarters, restaurants, and teahouses have become more and more boring. They used to have dances and music, but recently, they've been playing games like reciting poetry and coming up with matching verses. If I wanted to play those games, I might as well play with the noble ladies in the capital. At least they play with more skill."
"The Hundred Nations State Banquet is coming soon. It's good to do some cleanup. If people from other countries dare to cause trouble in Great Jin's territory, we can trouble them as well," Hua Changkong said, "What if they retort by saying, 'Your own people in Great Jin do it, why can't we?' You see, isn't that slapping ourselves in the face?"
Hua Liuli hummed and took a thin gauze to cover her face, shielding herself from the strong sunlight so as not to darken her complexion.
"Tomorrow is Flower Festival, isn't it?" Hua Changkong said, "I made an appointment with some fellow scholars from the capital to go for an outing in the suburbs. Will you come with me or go with the other young ladies?"
"I'll go find Sister Jiamin. I won't go with you," What fun was there in dealing with stiff scholars men? It was more interesting to bully little girls.
"Alright," Hua Changkong didn't insist, "Tomorrow will be crowded and you're not very familiar with the roads in the capital. Don't get lost with the other young ladies. Remember to bring Yuan Yi and Yurong with you."
"Okay," Hua Liuli nodded, "Don't worry, I won't get lost that easily."
Hua Changkong smiled and gently patted her head without saying anything.
The captive from the Kingdon of Jinpo, Second Prince A'Wa found himself with a new neighbor. Recently, he no longer resorted to hunger strikes or demanded to see Hua Liuli. He began to live a life of being well-fed and satiated. And since he was being locked up in the cell every day and was unable to move around, he surprisingly gained weight.
However, both cells on his left and right were empty, and the jailers of the Ministry of Justice didn't like to talk to him, so he was getting bored.
Finally, he got a new neighbor. So he dropped his noble prince status to initiate a conversation with the person next to him, "Brother, what crime did you commit to end up here?"
Yunhan glanced at the man with a double chin and unkempt beard; He adjusted his loose sleeves and ignored him.
"Mute?"
Yunhan remained motionless.
"Deaf?"
Yunhan didn't respond.
"Fool?"
Yunhan couldn't bear it anymore, "Shut up."
"You, a lowly prisoner, dare to be so rude to me?" Although Prince A'Wa didn't dare to provoke the people from the Ministry of Justice, he still felt superior when facing other prisoners. He initiated a conversation with Yunhan because of his misplaced sense of superiority.
In life, it's all about striking others to find happiness.
Yunhan looked at Ava with a look of disdain. Both were prisoners, so who was nobler than the other?
"Do you know who I am?" Prince A'Wa touched the corner of the wall and found a moldy bun that had been there for a long time. He threw it at Yunhan through the cell bars, "Mind your manners."
The moldy bun hit Yunhan's face and fell on his clothes. Yunhan's face darkened, "Get lost, stay away from me."
Smack.
Another piece of moldy bun hit Yunhan's face.
But this time, it wasn't thrown by Prince A'Wa; it was thrown by a prisoner in the adjacent cell.
"The newcomer doesn't understand the rules. Listen carefully when the seniors speak. If you don't understand the rules, during the exercise time, we can teach you," the prisoner in the adjacent cell sat cross-legged on the ground, appearing as a lofty figure.
"Yes, yes, you guys should teach him well," Prince A'Wa clapped his legs and laughed, "I can't stand these pretentious pretty boys."
"Shut up," the prisoner looked at Prince A'Wa through the adjacent cell, full of disdain, "A defeated dog from Jinbo is not worthy of talking to us Great Jin people."
Prince A'Wa: "..."
No one in Great Jin was good, not just the officials but also the prisoners in the cell.
Frustrated, he picked up a piece of mud and threw it at the prisoner. But with a cell separating them, how could he hit him? The mud ended up falling on Yunhan's head.
"Brothers, this Jinbo dog dares to be arrogant. Let's teach him a lesson!"
"Throw at him!"
At once, foul buns, dead mice, and worn-out shoes flew out from various cells. Unfortunately, Prince A'Wa's cell was relatively far, so most of the things landed in Yunhan's cell.
Yunhan looked at these disgusting and ugly things soiling his robes and couldn't bear it anymore.
How dare these vulgar, despicable people treat him like this?
After he got out, he would make sure these people met a gruesome end!
Smack.
A smelly shoe hit Yunhan's forehead and fell down. He couldn't hold back anymore, he covered his mouth and started to retch.
"Nobody is allowed to cause trouble anymore. If you do, the lunch will be reduced by half," when the jailer spoke these words, the entire dungeon became quiet. The prisoners, who were just hurling vulgar words a moment ago, sat quietly, well-behaved.
Those who were locked up in the Ministry of Justice prison cells were all involved in major cases but couldn't be executed for the time being. Therefore, they understood better than anyone when to stop.
"As for you, why are you still standing there? Clean up your cell yourself," the warden knocked on the door of Yunhan's cell with a stick, then turned to the jailer behind him, "This person was personally brought in by Deputy Minister Pei. His identity is suspicious and might be related to several major cases. Deputy Minister Pei said to observe him until the cases are cleared."
As an official of the Ministry of Justice, the warden naturally knew what those major cases were. He scrutinized Yunhan and said critically, "Scheming and eerie, clearly not a decent man. Isn't the stone quarry short of workers? Take him there."
"Make sure he changes his clothes and wears coarse linen garments," the warden looked at Yunhan's face, "When he goes out to the quarry tomorrow, make sure he doesn't come into contact with any women of status. If he pretends to be pitiful and seduces any noblewoman to defend him, it will bring us trouble."
The warden had been in his position for a long time and had encountered all kinds of prisoners. In order to escape punishment, prisoners would use seduction strategies, on both males and females.
It's better to be cautious in advance.
After noon, the Crown Prince sat in front of his desk and wrote several invitation cards on scented paper, but he found them unsatisfactory. Some were too subtle, others too outspoken, always lacking something.
Even the form of address was changed several times.
If he wrote 'Hua girl' it would seem like how an older brother would speak to his younger sister. Addressing her as 'Junzhu' would seem too formal. And if he wrote her name 'Liuli', it would seem too familiar.
"Forget it," the Crown Prince put down his pen and turned to leave.
"Your outer robe, Your Royal Highness," the attendants hurriedly caught up with him.
After leaving the palace, they headed straight to the Marquis Zhongyong Estate. The Crown Prince sat on his horse, staring at the stone lions at the entrance of the Marquis Zhongyong Estate for a few minutes.
The newly assigned gate guards of the Marquis Zhongyong Estate didn't recognize the Crown Prince. Seeing his distinguished attire and the eunuchs following behind him, they cautiously approached and asked, "May I ask whom the noble person is looking for?"
"Benwang heard that the Third Young Master of your prestigious residence has finished his examinations, so Benwang came to pay a visit."
"Oh, it's the Crown Prince," the guards saluted one after another, "Please come in, Your Royal Highness. The Third Young Master is inside the residence," While notifying the Master that the Crown Prince had arrived, they respectfully led the Crown Prince inside.
Hua Changkong was somewhat surprised when he heard that the Crown Prince had come to see him. When did he and the Crown Prince become such close friends? Just because he participated in the Spring Examination, was it worth the Crown Prince personally visiting?
With his parents out of the house today, Hua Changkong personally went forward to greet the Crown Prince. After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Hua Changkong noticed that the Crown Prince kept looking outside, thinking that he was waiting for his parents to return home. He explained, "Father and Mother heard that Grad Tutor Du is seriously ill, so they went to pay a visit. I apologize for not welcoming Your Royal Highness at the main gate. Please forgive me."
"It was Benwang who came unannounced. It's not your fault, Changkong," the Crown Prince turned the teacup in his hand, "Is Junzhu in the residence? Benwang brought some of her favorite delicacies this time."
"Please wait a moment, Your Royal Highness. I will have someone go and inform my sister."
"No need to make a fuss. It wouldn't be good if we disturbed Junzhu's rest," the Crown Prince feigned politeness.
"The Crown Prince has come in person, so my sister should come out to receive you," Hua Changkong arranged for a servant to go and call Hua Liuli, "Even though Your Royal Highness is on good terms with my sister, Your Royal Highness shouldn't indulge her so much."
On good terms? Good terms?
The Crown Prince felt a bit guilty. Had Hua Changkong figured out his intentions?
"That girl is just a bundle of childishness. The more Your Royal Highness indulges her, the less respectable she becomes. Even if Your Royal Highness treats her as a younger sister, there should still be proper manners."
The Crown Prince sighed softly. If it weren't for the circumstances, who would want to be the beloved older brother of someone they liked?
