Chapter 44 Perhaps they could have met much earlier. ...
As Xiao Che's birthday drew closer, the capital city became increasingly lively.
After Xiao Che ascended the throne, the princes who had gone to their fiefdoms returned to the capital with their families, and the empty princely mansions in the capital were all occupied by their masters.
Lin Yan had no connection with these princes and didn't know them. However, he did meet one of them with Xiao Che, but he was still a young boy.
Prince Qin, Xiao Yu, is the son of Consort Ning and also the youngest son of the late emperor.
When Lin Yan stepped into the Imperial Study carrying the newly sorted documents, he immediately spotted the young man kneeling below the Imperial Desk.
The boy was about fourteen or fifteen years old, dressed in an indigo brocade robe with gold trim. His hair was tied up neatly, but his slightly slumped shoulders and the way he was scratching his ears made it seem as if the words "life is meaningless" were written all over his face.
He was exactly like an unlucky junior high school student who got dragged to the office by his homeroom teacher for a lecture.
Lin Yan looked at Xiao Che behind the imperial desk.
Xiao Che's face was ashen, and he held a book in his hand, probably something a boy needed to memorize.
"I ordered you to read the Zizhi Tongjian (Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government) so that you could understand gains and losses, and know the rise and fall of dynasties, not so that you could copy the book and hand it in to fill a quota! Look at what you have written! 'Your subject is dull and cannot understand its meaning'? More than a year has passed, and you have not made any progress whatsoever! In your fiefdom, have you only known how to play and frolic all day long, completely neglecting your studies!"
The young man, Qin King Xiao Yu, lowered his head even further and muttered softly, "Your Majesty, I really did read it, but... but I just don't quite understand it."
"If you don't understand, you won't ask? You've been hired; are you just a figurehead teacher?" Xiao Che's tone grew even colder.
Xiao Yu shrank back, not daring to utter a sound, looking rather pitiful.
Lin Yan: Wow, it's like the Fourth Prince scolding the Third Prince in a fantasy version of Empresses in the Palace.
The young prince is truly pitiful. Is the Zizhi Tongjian even a human being to read? It's thick and heavy, with dense text; after reading just two pages, I get dizzy and my eyes blurry.
And it's in classical Chinese without any annotations! Hell difficulty!
Xiao Che glanced coldly at his younger brother, who looked like a quail below, and then glanced at Lin Yan, who was pretending to be a pretty face.
[Your Majesty wouldn't send Prince Qin to recite "Ten Thoughts on Advising Emperor Taizong," would you? Tsk tsk.]
"Knowing you are dull-witted, you should be even more diligent." Xiao Che placed the book in his hand lightly on the table, making a soft "thud," which startled Xiao Yu again. "From today onwards, you shall memorize 'Ten Thoughts on Advising Emperor Taizong' properly. You shall not be allowed to return to your fiefdom if you cannot memorize it."
Xiao Yu's face turned pale, and he looked like he was about to cry, but he didn't dare to refute it. He could only reply dejectedly, "Yes, Your Majesty, I obey your command."
[Huh? His Majesty actually made the Prince of Qin recite "Ten Thoughts for Emperor Taizong"?]
Lin Yan couldn't help but think that he and Xiao Che were quite in sync.
[Actually, I think simply having the King of Qin recite the texts isn't enough. I suggest introducing a system of "five years of college entrance exam preparation followed by three years of mock exams."]
Xiao Che: "..."
What is it?
Xiao Che waved his hand, his tone carrying an obvious warning: "Go back and study hard, or I will tell Consort Ning."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Xiao Yu quickly got up, bowed, and practically tiptoed out. As he passed Lin Yan, he secretly cast a grateful glance at him, as if they were kindred spirits in the same boat—clearly taking Lin Yan's silence as a silent support for him.
Lin Yan was puzzled by that look.
Why are you looking at me? I can't recite for you.
However, if I were a prince, I probably wouldn't be much better off than him.
Lin Yan thought about himself. He had studied in the modern world for more than ten years, worked for only a few years, and then died. He was transported to the Great Yu. Originally, he really didn't want to delve into studying, because it was too tiring. As long as he could recognize ancient characters, it would be enough for him to make a living.
Unfortunately, among the scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, studying and taking the imperial examinations was the best way out. Lin Yan had no choice but to choose to study. Fortunately, both his father and his uncle were scholars, so he didn't have to worry about tuition fees other than for writing materials.
Having studied for over a decade in modern times, Lin Yan was quite confident in his examination skills, to say the least. He smoothly progressed from the provincial examination to the metropolitan examination and then to the palace examination, always believing he would be among the top two ranks. However, he failed miserably.
In the imperial examination that year, his essay was pragmatic, incisive about current problems, and proposed several specific strategies for improving the canal transport system and managing border trade.
When the names of the successful candidates were announced, he only managed to get a mid-tier ranking in the second class.
Later, I vaguely heard that in his later years, the late emperor disliked his ministers for being too sharp and pragmatic, and preferred those articles with ornate language and praise.
His policy proposals, filled with "data" and "feasibility," were probably seen by the late emperor as "too narrow-minded and lacking in general understanding," and might even be suspected of "causing trouble."
It was already fortunate that he managed to get a second-class degree, instead of being directly relegated to the third-class level of the imperial examination, and that he was able to stay in the capital without having to be sent out to a remote area.
Lin Yan thought to himself, if only the late emperor had been as pragmatic as Xiao Che. All those fancy things were useless.
Lin Yan's prediction of the imperial examination questions did not hit the mark with the late emperor. Otherwise, he could have become a compiler or editor in the Hanlin Academy much earlier, and perhaps he could have met Xiao Che sooner.
No, even if he had met him earlier, it wouldn't have mattered. Back then, His Majesty was still the Crown Prince, and Xiao Che couldn't have promoted him.
Lin Yan shook his head, dismissing this unrealistic assumption.
There are no "what ifs" in life, and things are fine as they are now.
Xiao Che heard Lin Yan's thoughts. He recalled that when he was organizing the examination papers left by the late emperor after he ascended the throne, he accidentally came across Lin Yan's paper.
The article is well-written, with detailed data and clear logic. Although the strategies proposed are somewhat naive, they are quite insightful and far from being mere theoretical discussions. Compared to the flowery and impractical rhetoric of the top three authors, this piece is much more valuable.
However, the late emperor's imperial edict was only a few words long: "The words are too practical and too broad, so they are placed in the second class."
Xiao Che felt it was a pity at the time.
If he were to name the top scholar, it would undoubtedly be Lin Yan.
If that were the case, Lin Yan would have entered the Hanlin Academy sooner and appeared in his sight sooner.
Perhaps then, I wouldn't have had those years of being tormented by those old hands in the Ministry of Rites.
They might have met much earlier.
This thought caused Xiao Che's emotions to fluctuate slightly.
But he immediately suppressed that ripple.
Meeting earlier may not necessarily be a good thing.
At that time, he was the crown prince, and every step he took was fraught with danger, as if he were walking on thin ice. Countless eyes were watching him, and it was not certain that they could protect such a clear-headed person.
Later, he ascended the throne as the emperor of Dayu. He was busy dealing with the important ministers left by the previous emperor. The vast Dayu country fell on his shoulders. It would be a lie to say that he wasn't tired.
The staff left by the late emperor was really incompatible with Xiao Che, so Xiao Che had to make a decision he had never thought of when he was still the crown prince—that is, to find ministers from various departments to act as secret guards to monitor all officials.
When deciding on the candidate, Lin Yan's name immediately flashed through Xiao Che's mind.
He asked Li Defu to find out which department Lin Yan was in and what job he was doing.
Li Defu reported that Lin Yan was serving as an assistant director in the Ministry of Rites' Department of Sacrifices. In just three years, he rose from a principal officer to an assistant director, so he must be quite capable.
Xiao Che thought to himself that Lin Yan was indeed capable, so he personally appointed Lin Yan as a secret guard hidden in the Ministry of Rites and even met with him.
Xiao Che never expected that he would hear Lin Yan's thoughts.
He never imagined that Lin Yan actually wanted to be like Xiao Yu.
Lin Yan has chosen the wrong direction for comparison.
"Does Minister Lin think I'm being too harsh on the Prince of Qin?" Xiao Che asked abruptly.
Lin Yan paused for a moment, then said, "I believe Your Majesty must have your reasons for treating the Prince of Qin this way."
Perhaps His Majesty simply can't stand his younger brother being an uneducated and incompetent man?
Lin Yan felt that Xiao Che's thoughts were similar to those of modern parents, who wanted their children to be good, but the children did not seem to have inherited their parents' good genes.
Tsk, the more I think about it, the more it resembles the plot of "Empresses in the Palace" involving the fat orange cat and the Qing Dynasty giant.
"Lin Qing is right." Xiao Che first agreed with Lin Yan, then dropped a bombshell that left Lin Yan completely stunned: "I intend to pass the throne to the Prince of Qin."
“I see, Your Majesty…” Lin Yan was about to say “Your Majesty is wise” when his mind came to a head. Instead of saying “wise,” he managed to utter a hesitant “Ah.”
Lin Yan's "Ah" was a complex and nuanced expression, perfectly conveying his shock, bewilderment, confusion, and even a hint of apprehension that "Your Majesty, are you unwell but I didn't notice?"
The Imperial Study was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Seeing Lin Yan's flustered appearance, Xiao Che's eyes flashed with a very faint smile, but his face remained calm and composed. He even picked up the teacup beside him, took a slow sip, and then said, "Lin Qing seems quite surprised?"
No? Shouldn't this be surprising?
"Your Majesty, I have lost my composure. Please forgive me. But... Your Majesty is in the prime of your life, in the throes of youth. Why would you say such a thing?" Lin Yan carefully chose his words, afraid of touching on any royal secrets.
[My goodness, His Majesty has only been on the throne for a short time? And he's already considering abdicating? And to his younger brother? This doesn't follow the proper procedure!]
[Does His Majesty have some unspeakable secret? A terminal illness? It doesn't seem like it. His complexion is rosy and radiant, and he speaks with great vigor when he scolds... Or is it that His Majesty is actually impotent? So he simply cuts off all hope at the source?]
Xiao Che almost choked on the tea he had just taken a sip of.
He put down his teacup and tapped the table lightly with his knuckles, interrupting Lin Yan's increasingly absurd thoughts: "I am in good health, everything is fine, Lin Qing can rest assured."
Judging from Lin Yan's expression, Xiao Che suspected that if he didn't interrupt Lin Yan's wild thoughts, Lin Yan would go to the countryside to find folk remedies to cure his illness.
Lin Yan: "..." No, not sick?
"Then why did Your Majesty..." Lin Yan still couldn't understand.
Throughout history, unless absolutely necessary, which emperor would not want to pass the throne to his own son?
Xiao Che turned his gaze to the window, as if he could see further beyond the layers of palace walls: "I have no intention of filling the harem."
Lin Yan was even more bewildered: "Your Majesty, this... offspring are a matter of national importance..."
These are standard templates for a subject's remonstrance, but Lin Yan delivered them somewhat dryly.
Xiao Che turned his gaze back to Lin Yan's face, which was filled with "confusion," and said indifferently, "To confine a group of women I don't like in the deep palace is a burden to me and a waste of their time. It harms both of us. Why do it?"
His tone was calm, without any deliberate emphasis, yet it sent a jolt through Lin Yan's heart.
Lin Yan stared blankly at Xiao Che.
Xiao Che's reason was so simple it was almost capricious, yet so weighty that he didn't know how to respond for a moment.
This completely overturned Lin Yan's understanding of emperors.
Throughout history, which emperor didn't have three palaces and six courtyards? The harem itself is an extension of the previous dynasty and a tool for checks and balances, yet Xiao Che casually dismissed it as "misleading to both himself and others" and planned to completely abandon it.
What kind of clarity and courage does this require?
Lin Yan suddenly recalled his essay in the palace examination, which the late emperor had criticized as being "too pragmatic."
At this moment, Xiao Che's decision seems to be the truly "pragmatic" one—discarding useless formalities and getting straight to the heart of the matter.
However, the core of this is the will of a "human being," rather than merely the responsibility of an "emperor."
Lin Yan felt a strange and inexplicable stirring in his heart.
“But… Your Majesty.” Lin Yan’s voice unconsciously softened, carrying genuine confusion, “Even so, Prince Qin is not the only eligible member of the imperial clan.”
Why was it that boy who was tormented by the Zizhi Tongjian to the point of despair?
Xiao Che seemed to have anticipated his question and replied, "Xiao Yu is still young and his temperament is not yet settled. Although he is a bit lazy, he is not a bad person at heart and has greater potential for development. My other brothers are either older and have already established their own power, or their maternal families are deeply entrenched. I do not want to see the maternal relatives become too powerful. Consort Ning is gentle and her family is not a prominent one, so she is the best candidate."
His analysis was calm and insightful, entirely based on the perspective of imperial considerations.
Xiao Che did not act rashly.
So, the reason why the King of Qin was criticized for not studying hard was because he was genuinely disappointed in him.
Lin Yan suddenly realized, and when he looked at Xiao Che's "reprimand" just now, he felt completely different.
That wasn't some older brother's disdain, but rather a high standard and strict requirement for the reserve successor!
[The task is arduous and the road ahead is long!]
Xiao Yu, who had already slipped away, suddenly sneezed.
He tightened his fox fur coat and sniffed, "It's so cold in the capital."
I wonder how those colder places north of Beijing are coping with the winter this year.
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