Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Heartbeat
As the Crown Prince and the Minister of Justice Pei Chong interrogated the rebels in the capital who were colluding with the remnants of the Liang Dynasty, a shocking news gradually surfaced - the main force of the Liang faction was in the southwest, and they wanted to unite with the chieftains to plan a plan to restore the country.
Emperor Hui'an was deeply disturbed and ordered the Crown Prince to resolve the matter as soon as possible to restore peace to the people of the world.
Li Cheng also felt that this was a serious matter and that he should not act rashly. It just so happened that his half-brother, the virtuous prince Li Xuan, was currently guarding the border gate in Yizhou. Yizhou was a land of abundant resources, a prosperous people, and outstanding people. It was also closest to the Tusi people, and the virtuous prince was most familiar with the local folk culture.
Therefore, it would be more appropriate to send the virtuous king to investigate. Once the plan was finalized, Li Cheng secretly wrote a letter and had it delivered to Yizhou. At the same time, he secretly sent more guards to the area. On the one hand, they could investigate the enemy's strength, and on the other hand, they could assist the virtuous king in his work.
The guards and the secret letter had been dispatched the day before yesterday, but Li Cheng was well aware that the rebel leader was coming with such force that if he handled the situation improperly, it would endanger the safety of the country. Therefore, he had been working diligently day and night for the past few days, not daring to slack off even for a moment.
As he was browsing through the relevant documents on the Southwestern Tusi, he heard Li Fu's deliberately subdued voice from outside. At the same time, a gentle female voice came to his ears on the evening breeze.
Even though Li Cheng had never seen Liang Hanzhang before, he could guess that the owner of the voice was a gentle woman.
Soon, Li Fu quietly pushed the door open and reported, "Your Highness, Empress Fengyi is waiting outside the palace and would like to see Your Highness."
Li Cheng had been feeling uneasy since he heard the man's voice, and he couldn't concentrate on the book in his hand. He rubbed his temples and said resignedly, "Please let someone in."
"I obey your command." Li Fu pushed the door open and left. The next moment, a lightly dressed figure approached, carrying with her the faint scent of flowers. The floral scent, mixed with the sandalwood burning on the Boshan incense burner, inexplicably quickened one's heartbeat.
The woman's eyes were like water, softening under the candlelight in the hall. She lowered her head, revealing a neck as smooth as jade, and said softly, "I pay my respects to Your Highness."
"rise".
"I heard that Your Highness and the Right General-in-Chief caught a cold during training in the training ground. I was very worried and uneasy, so I personally cooked some ginger soup to offer to Your Highness to relieve your fatigue and illness."
Li Cheng: "How did you know I went to the parade ground with the general?"
It was impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry in his voice, but the natural aura of a ruler who was majestic without even getting angry was instantly overwhelming.
Liang Hanzhang naturally noticed it, and without saying a word, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed to admit his mistake: "I did not intend to spy on Your Highness's whereabouts, but Princess Changping accidentally told me about it today, and I only then knew about it."
Li Cheng was speechless for a moment as he looked at the woman who kept kowtowed to him. He leaned against the armrest and said calmly, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
After a little thought, he nodded and said, "Put the ginger soup here, I will drink it later. If you have nothing to do, you can go out, I still have official business to deal with."
Li Fu stood nearby, his eyebrows twisted into knots, feeling deeply disappointed. Empress Fengyi had come all the way to the front hall to enhance their relationship, so how could His Highness have the heart to push her out?
At this rate, when will the little grandson of the emperor be able to come out?
Liang Hanzhang, however, was acting out of character. She looked up, a hint of hesitation visible between her brows, and said with a stiff upper lip, "I've been idle in the backyard all day, and I've heard that Your Highness has a vast library of books, encompassing classics, history, and miscellaneous literature. I'd like to ask Your Highness if you would allow me to borrow a few of them for your perusal."
Li Cheng raised his eyebrows in confusion: "You can read?"
Liang Hanzhang: “…”
It's no wonder he asked this question; it was simply the norm. The world was still in its infancy, and with so much to rebuild, many children from ordinary families had no chance of going to school.
Even if there are boys, they are given priority. In the eyes of the common people and even most people, daughters will eventually get married. Studying is not only useless but may also make their hearts wild.
As for women, they should stay in the backyard quietly, obey their fathers before marriage and their husbands after marriage, and take care of their husbands and children after marriage.
Li Cheng never agreed with this view. However, it was undeniable that this was the way of life at the time, and it couldn't be changed overnight.
Even common people were in such a situation, let alone her who was starving. He remembered that Fengyi had been a slave since childhood, and was later redeemed by chance. After all, they were still from a poor family, otherwise they would not have fallen to the point of working as a maid in Fengle Tower.
It's not that he despises the other person in his heart.
Liang Hanzhang stood there, looking uneasy. Her hands, pinching the hem of her skirt, turned pale. She hesitated for a moment. She raised her head and said, "I know a few words, but I dare not show off my skills in front of an expert."
Li Cheng was surprised that she could actually read. "Who taught you this?"
"I have an elder brother who can recognize a few words, and he taught me."
Li Cheng: "I remember that you only had your mother to rely on at home, so where did you get a brother?"
Liang Hanzhang: "He is not my biological brother. Our neighbors are an old scholar's family. The old scholar has a son. Since we meet often, I recognized him as my brother."
"So that's how it is," Li Cheng said with a calm expression, raising his hand and saying, "Most of the books here are obscure and difficult to understand. If you want to read them, just come and get them. Ask Li Fu to accompany you to look for them."
"I obey your command," the eunuch standing beside him like a statue finally exuded his presence. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please come with me."
Liang Hanzhang glanced at the man who had returned to his official duties and followed Li Fu in.
"I wonder what book Your Majesty would like to read?" Li Fu asked.
Borrowing books was just a pretext. Liang Hanzhang felt a little uncomfortable. He smoothed the hair beside his ears and whispered, "It's okay. Let's take a look first."
"I think Your Majesty will like these travelogues," Li Fu took out a few books and handed them over. "These are works by great scholars of travel throughout the dynasties. They describe the scenery and customs along the way. I think they are quite interesting."
Liang Hanzhang took it and flipped through it casually, then handed it to Dongzhi beside him. She borrowed a few books this time to leave a good impression on His Highness as a good reader. Later, she could gradually read some classics, history, and Chinese studies. That way, she would have more topics to talk about with His Highness.
Princess Changping said that the Crown Prince was a man of great talent and profound scholarship, and that he had read a poem by a talented woman at the Empress's Thousand Years Banquet two years before, and had praised it with all his heart. It seemed he was drawn to women of profound talent and scholarship.
In this way, she can establish a studious image in front of him, which is exactly what he wants.
After sending the others out, Li Fu came back in and saw the prince looking at the ginger soup in the food box beside the table. He could not help but urge him carefully: "Your Highness may not have caught a cold, but this ginger soup is also the Queen's painstaking effort. Why don't you drink it while it's hot?"
Li Cheng snorted lightly, but an unknown sense of pleasure surged in his heart. He took the ginger soup and drank it all in one gulp.
The hot soup passed through his stomach and intestines, making his body instantly warm. The handsome man with a high nose, thin lips and broad shoulders, his dark eyes unconsciously became gentle.
Li Fu has been with His Highness for so many years, and it can be said that he has been by His Highness's side since His Highness was born. Therefore, he could guess the young crown prince's mood at the moment. He couldn't help but smile and exclaimed: "Your Highness, now that the Queen is here, there is finally someone who cares about Your Highness's food, clothing, and daily life."
Li Cheng raised his eyebrows and deliberately asked: "Don't you, the chief steward, care?"
"How could this old slave not care about His Highness?" The old eunuch was so frightened that he almost jumped up, as if he were facing a great enemy. "This old slave has devoted his life to His Highness and will never stop until his death. This old slave remembers everything about His Highness clearly. Your Highness is this old slave's heaven, this old slave's..."
"That's enough," Li Cheng interrupted impatiently. This old eunuch was completely incompetent. His main daily routine was to constantly profess his loyalty. What was the point of loyalty? Could it even feed him?
The momentary gentleness faded, and he pursed his lips, returning to his usual calm demeanor. Holding the teacup in his hand, his face shrouded in a faint gloom, he said coldly:
"As the chief steward of the Eastern Palace, you should be careful with your words and actions. Don't always try to use your clever tricks in front of me. You should know that I can let you sit firmly in the position of chief steward, but I can also depose you at any time and anywhere."
The tone was not harsh, but it was powerful.
Li Fu shuddered and kowtowed to admit his mistake: "I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong..." Although the prince handed over all the affairs of the Eastern Palace to him, it did not mean that he knew nothing and allowed him to do whatever he wanted.
Li Fu understood that His Highness was warning him not to get too close to Feng Yi. If a woman from the Liang family's backyard were to become involved with the previous emperor's chief steward, the implications would be significant.
Li Fu recalled the day when Fengyi sent him some snacks and the prince's words, "You have a good relationship with her." He was afraid that since then, His Highness had been dissatisfied with his closeness to Fengyi, but he had been holding it in for so long, and it finally broke out today.
The old eunuch carefully recalled everything that had happened in recent days, and when he thought about the divine power that would come today, he reminded himself more and more to be careful with his words and actions.
"Go and help me find that copy of 'Geography of the Southwestern Frontier Defense'. I need to read it later." The prince restrained his expression and his tone became as gentle as a spring breeze, showing the appearance of a gentle ruler.
This is how the superiors control people: first they give you a harsh warning, then they offer you a sweet treat to keep you working for them.
Li Fu naturally did not blame the prince. His Highness is the crown prince and will rule the world in the future. If he does not have some means of controlling people, how can he make them submit?
Besides, he has indeed been a little bit arrogant during this period.
So he said respectfully: "I obey your command."
As the chief steward of the crown prince, Li Fu knew everything about the Eastern Palace. There was nothing in this huge study that he was not familiar with. It could be said that he knew exactly where each book was and what it looked like.
The room suddenly became quiet, with only the rustling sound of turning pages and the dim candlelight, which made Li Cheng feel comfortable for a moment.
Unfortunately, the next moment there was a series of extremely heavy bangs, dull and heavy, like the loud noise of a heavy object hitting the ground.
Li Cheng's temples were throbbing, and he suppressed his anger and shouted, "Li Fu!" The only answer he got was the old eunuch's painful cries of "ouch, ouch".
The prince stood up from the desk and walked to the back. What caught his eye was Li Fu's fat body stuck in the bookshelf, looking miserable.
He was still trying to struggle out, his face flushed red, like a cooked shrimp. He could see the bookshelves on both sides shaking as he moved, and the books on the shelves were almost falling off.
Li Cheng felt breathless for a moment and condescended to go over and pull the man up, but the eunuch's waist was stuck in the bookshelf and he couldn't get it out. He was also worried that if he exerted too much force, the bookshelf would collapse and fall on the old eunuch, which would at least kill him.
She was so angry that she kicked his fat waist that was as big as a bucket and shouted coldly: "How much money have you secretly taken from the East Palace without my knowledge?" Otherwise, how could he be so strong and broad-shouldered?
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