Chapter 114. Now it is His Highness the Crown Prince.
The ninth year of the Qingli era... oh no, the first year of the Xuanshuo era.
The new reign title was proposed by Crown Prince Zhao Su at the investiture ceremony at the Eastern Palace. The Emperor was delighted and immediately ordered Song Qi, the Minister of Rites, to record it.
“宣” comes from the poem “Wen Wang” in the “Da Ya” section of the Book of Songs, meaning to proclaim virtue and spread majesty. “朔” comes from the line “Shen Ming He Shu, Zhai Shuo Fang” in the “Yao Dian” section of the Book of Documents, referring to the north.
This reign title fully demonstrates the Song Dynasty court's burning ambition to look to the northwest and recover lost territories.
Zhao Zongshi had a copy of "Seeking Knowledge" tucked under his arm, silently reciting the new era name and its meaning to himself, lest he make a fool of himself in front of the Imperial Guard students later. Last year, at the suggestion of the Crown Prince, the Imperial Academy and the National Academy expanded their enrollment, allowing commoners and members of the imperial family to study. He had registered for the entrance exam with a try-it-out mentality, never expecting to pass with such a high score.
At the time, His Highness the Crown Prince, who was extremely busy, heard about this and made a special trip to the Prince of Pu's residence to congratulate him. During their conversation, the Crown Prince shared many life tips for students at the Imperial Academy: which doctor was kind-hearted and easy to talk to, which window had the best food, which stall at the nearby night market was the most popular... He even specially assigned him the dormitory room that he had lived in before, which had been sealed off.
Zhao Zongshi was extremely grateful.
He and the Crown Prince—who was then three years old and the Prince of Cheng—had only been classmates for a brief two months. Not to mention that before that, he had been adopted by the Emperor and raised in the palace, and had once been a candidate for Crown Prince. But the Crown Prince did not shy away from that past and still cherished their brief friendship, for which Zhao Zongshi was deeply grateful.
This is what His Highness the Crown Prince said after hearing it.
"Hmm? You're grateful to me? Then hurry up and graduate to help me. I have so many things to do and I can't find anyone to do them!"
Zhao Zongshi silently made a mental note of it.
After enrolling in the Imperial Academy, Zhao Zongshi was never bothered by anyone because of his special dormitory. Furthermore, due to his high entrance exam scores, he was highly regarded by the professors. His life was incredibly smooth. Even the voluntary labor assigned to the Imperial Academy students—lecturing and enlightening the Imperial Guards—fell to Zhao Zongshi.
It is said that this was a task entrusted to Dr. Mei by His Highness the Crown Prince. At first, because the Imperial Guards were unruly and of varying quality, they had made several students who went to provide support cry, making it a difficult task that everyone avoided.
When this reached the ears of the Crown Prince, he personally went to the Imperial Guard camp and spent three months lecturing from newspapers, completely subduing the soldiers. When he saw the students of the Imperial Academy, their attitude became docile, they no longer mocked him, and their enthusiasm for learning soared. Gradually, it became a coveted position at the Imperial Academy once again.
Besides benefiting from the title "Your Highness the Crown Prince," it is also due to a rumor: it is said that when going to the Imperial Guard camp, there is a chance to meet His Highness the Crown Prince himself.
Zhao Zongsu dismissed the rumor with disdain.
Because he occasionally contacted His Highness the Crown Prince, he knew how busy the man was; to put it presumptuously, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was managing a myriad of affairs daily. When he was eleven or twelve, the Song army had suffered three defeats at the hands of the Western Xia army. In less than five years, the entire Song Dynasty was preparing for war, its swords pointed at the Sixteen Prefectures. Needless to say, such a dramatic change required an immense amount of effort.
Therefore, he took the chance encounter completely in stride, or rather, he never expected to run into the Crown Prince. But fate never works according to human will; just as he reached the camp gate, he bumped into another group of people. Upon closer inspection, the person in the lead (more accurately, a child) was none other than His Highness the Crown Prince.
Zhao Zongshi was extremely excited. He quickly walked over and bowed deeply to him, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Fusu was startled.
When he saw who it was, his dark eyes immediately curved into a smile: "Oh, it's Brother Zongshi. Is it your turn to lecture the Imperial Guards today? You must be very tired."
Zhao Zongshi waved his hand repeatedly: "It's not hard work, not hard work at all. Some of my classmates in prison are even envious that I was able to come."
As for why he envied him for being able to meet the Crown Prince, Zhao Zongshi tactfully refrained from saying it aloud. The Crown Prince had a well-known quirk: he particularly disliked being praised, whether directly or indirectly. It was said that he once became so angry at a palace banquet because of praise that he stormed off in front of everyone, and no amount of persuasion from the Emperor could sway him.
Some say it's because His Highness the Crown Prince is humble and not easily swayed by flattery. Others say it's because the Crown Prince is easily embarrassed by praise. But since that incident, apart from his close friends and family, no one dares to speak well of him to his face.
Conversely, the lavish praise swallowed in front of the Crown Prince was poured out tenfold or even a hundredfold behind his back. The Crown Prince couldn't hear it to his face, yet he was showered with compliments behind his back. It was quite a spectacle, both in the imperial court and among the common people.
Before Fusu could speak, the person standing behind him suddenly laughed, as if he had understood Zhao Zongshi's unfinished words: "It seems that you have achieved your wish today and will be envied by others."
Zhao Zongshi was about to say "yes" when he was startled by the purplish-blue bruise on half of the man's face. A man with tattoos on his face, standing with His Highness the Crown Prince—who else could it be but the Protector-General Di Qing? He had been so delighted to see His Highness the Crown Prince that he had completely forgotten about Di Qing; this was unacceptable!
He bowed to Di Qing again, trembling with fear. The latter chuckled and lifted Zhao Zongshi up, saying, "Don't overthink it. You're willing to come and enlighten these good-for-nothings, so why would I complain?"
His gaze fell on the "Seeking Knowledge" newspaper under Zhao Zongshi's arm, and he was momentarily lost in thought. In the fifth year of the Qingli era, the then-Crown Prince Cheng had agreed to his promise to write a book that everyone in the army could read. He had thought it was just a boastful and arrogant boast.
Soon after, the "Seeking Knowledge" newspaper, with an official preface, was published and quickly became the most popular reading material in the military and entertainment venues. It ran for four years in a flash.
Although the current *Seeking Knowledge Daily* is entirely under the control of Lord Wang, the editor-in-chief's name is still printed as His Highness the Crown Prince. At the editor-in-chief's insistence, only "Zhao Su" is used, instead of the more exaggerated "His Highness the Crown Prince" or "Sanyuanlang." Otherwise, sales would have been even higher.
But that's enough. Now, all the readers of the *Seeking Knowledge Daily* know that there is a column in the newspaper personally written by His Highness the Crown Prince. No matter how busy he is, he writes tirelessly, and has never missed a day in the past four years.
Furthermore, several literary masters gave His Highness the Crown Prince considerable face and were happy to publish their articles. After the publication of renowned works such as "The Yueyang Tower," "The Drunken Pavilion," "On Factions," and "Ode to the Autumn Sounds," which shook the literary world, the front page of the newspaper became a fiercely contested area. New and promising works also emerged continuously, such as Su Xun's "On Power" and "On Balance," Zhou Dunyi's "On the Love of Lotus," Wang Anshi's "On the Tragedy of Zhongyong," and Zeng Gong's "Record of the Ink Pond"—all masterpieces that became popular in their time.
The emergence of numerous masterpieces delighted His Highness the Crown Prince. He even personally visited the authors, compiling their articles published in the "Seeking Knowledge Gazette" into a collection, which was then published by a publishing house under the Imperial Academy. His friends even advised him to write one for the collection himself, but he refused, a decision still considered regrettable to this day.
That was the literary talent of someone who achieved the highest honors in all three categories at the age of four, and was praised by both Fan Zhongyan and Ouyang Xiu. How beautiful must his writing have been? Unfortunately, His Highness the Crown Prince's most famous essay on pacifying the barbarians in the palace examination could not be published because it involved state secrets. However, it is said that everyone who read it praised it highly.
So, just how talented is His Highness the Crown Prince in literature? This remains a mystery to the people of Bianjing to this day.
Di Qing was lost in thought, and unconsciously drifted off into a reverie. When he came to his senses, His Highness was already chatting warmly with the member of the imperial clan named Zhao Zongshi. He even enthusiastically had a servant bring out a can of food: "Try it and see what you think. Can you give me some feedback?"
Zhao Zongshi quickly took it: "This is... military rations?"
“That’s right.” Fusu nodded. “It’s something I’ve been working on lately. Try it first. Whether it’s good or not, tell me honestly.”
Upon hearing that it was Fusu's new creation, Zhao Zongshi opened the can even faster. Who didn't know that His Highness the Crown Prince was a first-rate gourmet? He'd even been blessed with a whole host of recipes. He was certain he'd have a feast today. And he could tell his classmates; who knew how envious they'd be?
The canned food was made of bamboo, and after opening the seal, the bamboo sections were filled with… uh, yellow mud? Zhao Zong couldn't find a more suitable adjective to describe this bizarre military ration. He hesitated for a moment. At the same time, Fusu shoved a spoon into his hand.
He steeled himself, gritted his teeth, and scooped up a mouthful of "mud" and put it in his mouth. So what if it really was mud? It was given to him by His Highness the Crown Prince, so he had to eat it!
Despite this, Zhao Zongshi closed his eyes tightly, his eyelids trembling. But when the "mud" entered his mouth, it was completely different from the earthy taste he had imagined. It was soft and smooth, melting in his mouth like quicksand. The flavor was distinctly salty and savory, but after a careful tasting, a faint, mellow sweetness lingered on his lips and teeth.
"...Could it be a potato?" he asked hesitantly.
Fusu: "That's right, to be precise, it's mashed potatoes."
"Oh, it's potatoes!" Zhao Zongshi recognized it immediately. "Isn't this the very auspicious omen bestowed upon His Highness the Crown Prince by Heaven? It's said that he once captivated the court officials with an exceptionally delicious meal, arousing curiosity among those who weren't at the banquet: what do potatoes taste like?"
The rumors spread like wildfire, with some even claiming there were no potatoes at all, just to grab attention. But the following year, a bumper potato harvest occurred, and everyone in Bianjing (Kaifeng) could enjoy them. His Highness the Crown Prince then published ten of his recipes in the *Seeking Knowledge* newspaper, after which no one doubted his reputation as a gourmand.
Unexpectedly, even the new military rations were made from potatoes.
As Zhao Zongshi pondered this, he couldn't resist scooping out several more large spoonfuls and putting them into his mouth. His eyes shone brightly: "Could it be that this, too, is a gift from heaven?"
Fusu: "..." The inspiration came from KFC's mashed potatoes. Is that a gift from heaven?
He dodged the question: "So how did it taste?"
Zhao Zongshi replied without hesitation: "Delicious."
Fu Su grinned and said, "Let's be objective!"
I should have known better than to say he was the one who made the mashed potatoes. I knew people would react this way; they're blinded by their own biases. The Imperial Guards reacted the same way when I gave them a taste test!
Zhao Zongshi shrank back, yielding to what Fusu perceived as a fierce threat. He racked his brains for a while: "Uh... a bit dry? It feels like all the moisture in my mouth has been sucked away. Eating too much will make me thirsty, and I'll want to drink water."
Fusu was overjoyed: "Hmm, is there more?"
Zhao Zongshi shook his head repeatedly.
Fusu, unwilling to give up, asked, "Is there really none left?"
"It's really gone."
"All right."
Fusu pouted for a moment, then quickly cheered up. After all, it was good news. The mashed potatoes were incredibly filling, and the taste was universally praised. Aside from being a bit dry, there were no other drawbacks. So, when improving it, perhaps more water should be added when mashing it to increase its moisture. Or perhaps…
He was revising the recipe in his mind, but Zhao Zongshi suddenly had another idea. The Crown Prince's sudden investiture, the era name full of conquering spirit, and the military rations being tested in the army... Could it be? After all this preparation, are they really about to begin?
Zhao Zongshi hesitated, his gaze sweeping across Fusu's face several times. The latter seemed to understand his thoughts and smiled slightly.
“That’s right, just as you think,” Fusu said.
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Author's note: From other people's perspectives, Fusu seems like a big boss.
So, if you're frequently influenced by Dihua (a derogatory term for someone from a certain region in China), shouldn't you look for the reasons within yourself? [Dog head with rose in hand]
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