Chapter 1527: Melon
Bai Shan left dinner for Manbao and kept it warm in her room.
Taking advantage of the fact that the palace gate was not locked and people could still walk freely, Bai Shan followed her to her room and watched her take the food off the stove. He said, "The master has no classes today and has been reading in the library all day. I heard that Chongwenguan has not assigned him any other tasks."
Man Bao said: "Don't worry, once they know your ability, they will let you participate in the revision of the book."
The lecturers at Chongwenguan did not just give lectures to them, they also had to do some editing or annotation work.
There is also some textual research to be done, and occasionally, one has to go to the Chancellery to help find and organize materials, just like the scholars in the Hongwenguan have to go to the six ministries as errands or serve in front of the emperor.
Very busy too.
But now Mr. Zhuang is very free.
Having an idle job isn't a good thing; it means your abilities aren't being recognized. But Manbao doesn't think it's a big deal. When she first became a doctor, her job was also very busy, and few patients were willing to see her. But over time, her abilities became apparent, and not only did patients like to see her, but even doctors liked to see her.
"So time will tell," Manbao said, "Just wait, the master won't be in a hurry."
Mr. Zhuang was not in a hurry. He was very happy reading in the library every day. He only had two classes in three days, one on "The Book of Filial Piety" and one on "Tao Te Ching". Besides, the prince was not yet taking the "Tao Te Ching". He could talk about it however he wanted without many taboos.
Not to mention, apart from being a bit conflicted when explaining the "Book of Filial Piety", Mr. Zhuang had no other worries.
The lecturers and editors of Chongwenguan, who had originally looked down on him, could not order him to do the rough work like they did to a newcomer after seeing his white beard, even though they adhered to the tradition of respecting the elderly and loving the young.
After all, Kong Jijiu was an academy official, and the lecturers in Chongwenguan also studied Confucian classics. Even if they could not respect the elderly, they could still do it.
What's more, he has three direct disciples in Chongwenguan. Not to mention Zhou Man's official rank, no one would deliberately make things difficult for him even for Bai Shan's sake.
Yes, for Bai Shan’s sake.
Although he had only been in school for less than a month, the lecturers in the academy had already noticed Bai Shan's intelligence. Apart from the fact that he occasionally asked tricky questions that made it difficult for them to answer, this child was truly smart.
Even Yang Heshu couldn't help but whisper to County Magistrate Tang, "If he had been born ten years earlier, he and you could have been a perfect match, and together we could have ventured into the Imperial College. Priest Kong might have been so angry that he would have expelled both of you from the academy."
As soon as County Magistrate Tang heard this, he knew how cunning Bai Shan was and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Two days later, when he went to the palace to work, he couldn't help but come to Chongwen Pavilion to see them. "The fruits and vegetables on my farm are quite ripe. It's a pity that you are all in the palace, otherwise I could send you some."
Manbao, still thinking about the melon the emperor ate, asked, "Are there any melons?"
County Magistrate Tang couldn't help but burst out laughing, nodding happily and saying, "We didn't have any originally, but now there are many people selling melons in the capital. If you want some, I'll buy some for you when you go out of the palace next time on leave."
This time last year, Manbao and his friends hadn't arrived in Beijing yet, so they had no idea that melons were already in season in Beijing. He couldn't help but ask, "Are the melons in Beijing ripening so early?"
"No," County Magistrate Tang said, suppressing his laughter, "It's just that some of the crops planted indoors or near Wentang have already matured. The others will probably have to wait another ten days or so for them to emerge."
"Then why are they sold on the streets of Beijing?" Will people who can grow melons near Wentang sell them outside?
And the price is probably not comparable to that of ordinary melons, right?
County Magistrate Tang laughed and said, "Originally, most of these melons were kept for personal consumption or as gifts, so selling them wouldn't make much money. But since yesterday, many vendors have appeared in the capital, bringing melons claiming that they are the kind your Majesty would enjoy, and they're asking half a tael of silver for each one."
Of course, Lord Tang would not eat such an expensive melon, but when Bai Shan and the others take a day off, it will be the first day of June. By then, the earliest batch of melons planted in the fields should be ripe, and the price will definitely come down. It is okay to invite them to eat a few.
Manbao stopped talking immediately. These past two days, whenever she went to Daming Palace to see the Crown Princess, she deliberately walked around the main hall, trying not to bump into the Emperor if possible.
She filed the emperor's pulse diagnosis of stomach upset and kept it a secret from Xiao Yuanzheng, who knew about it. She only told Bai Shan, and Bai Shan didn't tell anyone else, but the court officials still found out.
Manbao and Xiao Yuanzheng inquired and learned that the emperor went to court as usual the next day and was fine throughout the whole day. Manbao even gave him another acupuncture treatment.
As a result, in the afternoon, when the officials of the Menxia Province went to the Imperial Medical Bureau to check the medical records, they saw the new medical records of the later emperor and checked them out.
Of course, the officials of the Menxia Province did not take it too seriously at the time, and Xiao Yuanzheng also hinted that the emperor did not want too many people to know about this matter. However, after one night, Wei Zhi and other court officials still found out.
When court officials like Duke Zhao learned about this, they would at most jokingly ask the emperor in person, "Is the melon delicious?"
As a result, Wei Zhi went to the Daming Palace to block the emperor and make a remonstration, believing that the emperor, if he did not take care of his own body, would not care about the country; secondly, as an emperor, he did not even have this little self-control, was so greedy for pleasure, and acted based on his likes and dislikes, and was obviously forgetting the original intention of governing the country.
He believed that he had to sound the alarm for the emperor to prevent him from falling into depravity and becoming increasingly lazy.
The emperor was scolded so much that he covered his face and apologized, and the matter was over.
But the emperor was in a bad mood these past two days and took the opportunity to scold several people, especially those in the capital who had started a trend of eating melons. Wei Zhi hadn't said anything yet, but the emperor was still worried, thinking that he might scold him again at any time.
However, the emperor did not expect that the person who scolded him this time was not Wei Zhi, but Lord Tang.
Magistrate Tang smiled and said, "My father wrote a memorial today, arguing that the current trend in the capital is due to the fact that the people will follow the emperor's favor. Therefore, Your Majesty should be more cautious in what he says and does in the future. If someone is paying a high price for melons because Your Majesty loves them, then someone else might in the future uproot wheat and destroy rice just to grow the melons Your Majesty loves."
Manbao was stunned. "Is it that serious?"
Even Bai Shan was surprised, "Who would do that?"
County Magistrate Tang laughed and said, "A melon costs half a tael of silver, and two are worth a tael. Even an acre of wheat can't fetch that much. The people are so ignorant that they don't think about the fact that too many melons won't sell for the price. They only see the immediate price. With melons so expensive, would you rather plant wheat or melons?"
Of course it’s a melon.
Bai Shan and Man Bao, who had a small farm and also loved money, secretly replied in their hearts.
County Magistrate Tang said, "Your Majesty summoned me to the palace today for this very matter."
This is the "bloody murder" caused by melons. I wanted to save the manuscript yesterday, but I went to eat melons and ate so much that I didn't want to write, so I didn't save the manuscript.
But I will still try my best to update today. The next update will be around 4 pm
(End of this chapter)
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