Chapter 28 (Chapter 28) Cui Jianbing (Double Update)
Ye Jianshan is young, but his achievements at such a young age have far surpassed those of his peers.
No one is more suitable for the position of Crown Prince than him.
With the succession issue that had been a constant worry for the Emperor resolved, he had fewer things to worry about these past few days and looked much younger.
Eating and sleeping well has made me feel much better.
Moreover, Ye Jianshan's age is just right, only sixteen years old, so there's still plenty of time for everything.
The emperors had time to teach him the art of rulership, just as they had taught the crown prince.
The Emperor and Empress are also in their prime and can protect him.
Besides the two of them, there's also the Crown Prince.
So Ye Jianshan is a lucky star; everything is just right.
"Tomorrow, Shan'er and the other candidates have made plans to go to the Crown Prince's residence to thank the chief examiner. Do you think I should go and join in the fun?"
The Emperor didn't want to miss any important moments regarding his relationship with his grandson, which he had originally entrusted to the Crown Prince, but now he wanted to do it himself.
After all, the leader of the council was his grandson.
It would be a lie to say I'm not proud of him during such a glorious moment.
Emperor Yuan of Jin already had the answer in his heart when he asked this question.
The Empress said, "Go if you want. What I want to know now is when Shan'er will be willing to move back to the palace."
As the empress, it's not convenient for her to leave the palace all the time. If she moves back to the East Palace with the crown prince, they'll have more opportunities to meet.
"This can't be rushed. Although Yunniang's attitude has softened, we don't know where the two of them will go next. Let's stabilize the situation first."
Ye Yun brought the entire Ye family along, clearly indicating that he didn't want Shan'er to live in the palace.
So when he received the news, he immediately tidied up the courtyard next to the Crown Prince's residence and hung up the plaque for the Ye family, to put the Ye family at ease.
Having a home in Beijing is important; try to integrate as quickly as possible and don't reject the city.
With the Ye family calmed down, Ye Jianshan stayed on.
The Empress sighed upon hearing the Emperor's words, still somewhat regretful: "If only I had known earlier, I would never have seen Shan'er when he was little."
She had always envied Consort De and her family for being able to hold their grandson, who was chubby and would deliberately bring him to her to show off, which was incredibly infuriating.
Now that Shan'er has returned to Beijing, she has a grandson, and such a successful one at that. She can't be more proud of herself.
Those small groups that used to hang out in the palace every day have been staying quietly in their own palaces lately, and haven't been wandering around aimlessly anymore.
I'm afraid that hearing any more news about the Crown Prince or the youngest grandson will only make me feel annoyed.
The emperor was not interested in women. Over the years, the harem consisted mainly of those who had entered the palace with him from the prince's residence. They were not only not allowed to whisper sweet nothings in his ear, but the emperor rarely even saw them on ordinary days.
So all we can do is worry.
Before, they could at least laugh at the Queen and the Crown Prince, but now they've become the clowns themselves.
They always laughed at the Crown Prince for being all alone, but they never expected that the Crown Princess and the little prince would be alive and well.
The young prince is still so promising; how can one not be so resentful that one can't sleep at night?
That's the throne! They all had a chance to sit on it, but now that chance is completely gone.
Ye Jianshan is such a good reader, he can't just be a bookworm, can he?
Last time they entered the palace, Consort Shu, Consort De, and Consort Li sent people to inquire about them from all their palaces, but they couldn't find them at all.
The emperor ordered his carriage to be driven directly to the gate of his palace.
I heard that we even encountered Prince Ming on the road, but we didn't even give him face. Prince Ming stopped our carriage halfway through the journey, but we didn't get out.
Prince Ming was later reprimanded by the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager was too old to attend to affairs, but since learning these past few days that Ye Jianshan was the Crown Prince's biological son, she has been in exceptionally good spirits.
Some people are happy, while others are not.
At the Cui residence, the feigning illness of Chief Minister Cui Jianbing was seen visiting the truly ailing Cui Jianbing in his courtyard.
How are you feeling?
"I can't help but ask," Chief Minister Cui asked with concern.
Cui Jianbing was still a bit weak. He was already physically weak, and this time he was upset again. Moreover, not only did he get second place in the imperial examination, but the essays of the top three were also published.
People outside are saying that Ye Jianshan truly deserves his title as the top scholar, and that his writing is several times better than that of Cui Jianbing, who came in second.
They kept criticizing him to highlight Ye Jianshan.
Cui Jianbing was arrogant to begin with. Yesterday, only one messenger came to deliver the good news. They all rushed to Fourteenth Street to congratulate Ye Jianshan on winning the top prize.
The disparity in strength had already dealt a heavy blow to Cui Jianbing, but what was even more unbearable were the rumors and gossip.
Everyone said he was inferior to Ye Jianshan.
His hopes of passing the imperial examination with top honors were also dashed.
He wasn't the top scholar in the provincial examination, and he couldn't possibly be the top scholar in the imperial examination either.
He had always had a smooth life from childhood to adulthood. After the autumn imperial examination last year, he thought he could take advantage of the situation and become the youngest top scholar. Unexpectedly, there was someone even younger than him who also became the top scholar.
It was clearly a great opportunity to make a name for himself, but it was ruined by the legendary top scholar from Qingyang.
At that moment, his heart skipped a beat, and he sensed something was wrong.
As expected, Ye Jianshan kept a low profile upon arriving in the capital, which was unusual and must have his own plans.
He must know what's special about his face.
I heard that his mother, the former Crown Princess, has come to the capital. I don't believe the Crown Princess doesn't know what the Crown Prince looks like.
So the mother and son had planned this all along.
Cui Jianbing hated Ye Jianshan even more. Did he have to step on him to get to the throne and stand out in front of the emperor and the crown prince?
Isn't he innocent too?
His goal was simply to follow in his grandfather's footsteps and gradually rise to the position of Grand Secretary.
Who would have thought that I would be bringing shame upon myself and my grandfather along with me?
Now, seeing the gray-haired Chief Minister Cui showing concern for him, Cui Jianbing felt extremely guilty and knelt down, saying, "Grandson has failed his grandfather's nurturing."
Chief Minister Cui quickly helped him up: "You're still not well, why are you saying these things? Grandpa only hopes that you can pass the imperial examination and enter officialdom to assist Grandpa in his work, while Grandpa can still speak for you. But the premise is that you have to stand up for yourself. You can't just wallow in self-pity like this now."
Chief Minister Cui sighed. He had pretended to be sick and skipped the morning court session, naturally because he didn't want to see the emperor's smug face.
For so many years, he thought he was going to win, but then the Crown Prince's biological son appeared.
Many people are watching Ye Jianshan, but they are not stupid. Now is definitely not a good time to make a move.
One small thing can affect the whole situation; the more panicked you are, the more you need to stay calm.
After thinking things through, Chief Minister Cui came to check on his grandson's condition, but unexpectedly, Cui Jianbing actually made himself sick from anger.
It's still not better.
After hearing his grandfather's words, Cui Jianbing felt even more guilty: "Grandpa is right, grandson will work hard."
"Yes, tomorrow Ye Huiyuan will lead the other candidates to the Crown Prince's residence to express their gratitude to the chief examiners. You should go with them too. Keep a low profile and bear with any unhappiness you may have."
Chief Minister Cui gave the instructions.
Cui Jianbing's expression changed; he really wasn't prepared to meet Ye Jianshan.
Everyone says he looks like the Crown Prince, but he's been avoiding him for so many days, he really has no intention of meeting him in person.
Unexpectedly, Grandpa asked me to go to the Crown Prince's residence with Ye Jianshan.
Cui Jianbing felt terrible, but he had no choice but to obey his grandfather's orders: "Yes."
"Good boy, have a good rest today."
Seeing that he was obedient, Chief Minister Cui stroked his beard with satisfaction, asked him a few more questions, and then left.
As soon as Chief Minister Choi left, Choi Gyeongbyung's face darkened.
He used to be the one being supported and praised by others, but now it's his turn to be the one supporting others.
That's ridiculous.
"Cough cough cough!"
Cui Jianbing was so angry he laughed at himself. The maidservant quickly brought in the medicine: "Young master, this is today's medicine. It was just brewed."
When the Grand Secretary arrived, we didn't dare bring it in.
"Bring it here."
The maidservant hurriedly brought it to him, but Cui Jianbing was too weak to catch it properly, and the medicine spilled all over the maidservant, with a few drops accidentally falling onto Cui Jianbing's clothes.
He was already in a bad mood, and now that he hadn't been able to drink the medicine and it had spilled all over him, he was so angry that he kicked the maid away, yelling, "You useless thing!"
The maid was already scalded, and then she was kicked, so she was in so much pain that she couldn't get up.
Everyone in the room was shocked and immediately knelt down to apologize.
After venting his anger, Choi Geon-byung realized what had happened; he had actually resorted to violence…
"Get out, all of you get out!"
The group scrambled out with the injured maid, all of them utterly shocked.
Is this really the young master?
They used to be so gentle and polite, how did they suddenly become so repulsive?
Even Cui Jianbing, who was sitting in the room, was asking himself what was wrong.
After thinking it over, it was still Ye Jianshan's fault; he was so jealous that he didn't even recognize himself.
Why is everyone else's father a prince, while his father...?
No, his father wasn't human; he only had his grandfather.
Cui Jianbing calmed down, and soon someone brought over a serving of prepared medicine. He said to the person, "Tell Xiaoyue to rest well these few days. I was in a bad mood just now, so take this money and hire a doctor to see her."
"yes."
Everyone then realized that the young master had returned; perhaps he really had been in a bad mood before.
Those who thought the young master had changed were mistaken; he is still the young master, he hasn't changed at all.
Ye Jianshan woke up late, which was unusual for him.
Last night, he was exhausted from winning the top prize and moving house. He took a shower and fell asleep on the bed right away.
When he woke up the next day, it was already bright daylight. He hadn't slept in like that in ages, and he was so startled that he quickly got up.
Guo Yu was already waiting at the door.
He had just seen the Crown Princess, and seeing that she was still alive put his mind at ease.
When they sent the Crown Princess away, they never thought she would survive; her situation was truly dangerous.
When Ye Yun met Guo Yu, she thanked him. After all, it was she who wrote the letter to Da Shan, who was in danger, and it was he who saved her life and sent her out of the city.
But she was truly lucky to survive; who would have thought that among the people Guo Yu trusted were those who wanted her dead?
At first, she believed the man's words, thinking that the crown prince wanted her dead.
She hated him to death, but when Dashan grew up and news kept coming from the capital that the Crown Prince was still keeping his deceased wife and had not remarried, she realized that she had misunderstood.
But as the years passed, her feelings for the Crown Prince faded; she could neither hate him nor love him anymore.
Even though her child looks a lot like the Crown Prince, Ye Yun can assure you that she will always love Da Shan himself, and that it has nothing to do with the Crown Prince.
Guo Yu was overjoyed to see Ye Yun and knelt down to pay his respects: "It's so wonderful that you're still alive! I never imagined there would be someone lying in ambush outside the city. The Crown Prince searched frantically..."
"Alright, what's past is past."
Ye Yun didn't want to hear what the Crown Prince had done back then.
It's all in the past now. She's very happy now. Her son is doing well, and she has regained a loving Ye family.
I don't want to relive that painful time.
Guo Yu felt something had happened when he saw this, but the news that came back said that the Crown Princess and the people protecting her had fallen into the river and died without a complete body.
The crown prince searched frantically for half a year.
Finally, a decomposed female corpse was pulled up downstream, dressed in the same clothes as the Crown Princess.
Upon seeing this, the Emperor immediately had the Crown Prince bound and taken back to the capital, at which point the Crown Prince ceased the search.
That period was very chaotic; the Wei Kingdom was destroyed, and the Jin Dynasty has only gradually stabilized in recent years.
Ye Yun brought Guo Yu to Ye Jianshan's place. Seeing that her son was still asleep, she didn't plan to wake him. She told Guo Yu, but Guo Yu refused to leave and insisted on waiting at the door. Ye Yun didn't know what was wrong with him, so she went to the kitchen to check on the breakfast and left him alone.
If you want to keep it, then keep it.
They've all gone back to Beijing, so they definitely won't leave again. I don't know why they're so nervous, wanting to watch over them every step of the way.
Don't think she doesn't know; last night, the Crown Prince even climbed over the wall to come and see Dashan.
The Crown Prince was indeed a little excited and couldn't sleep after returning home last night, so he simply found a nearby wall, climbed over it, and went to Shan'er's room to sit down.
Although the child looks like him, he smiles much more often than he did when he was a child, and even smiles when he sleeps.
She looks much more likable than him.
The crown prince wasn't just sitting by the bed; he was plotting how to help his son acquire resources in the future.
He hadn't paid attention to these things before, thinking that he was all alone and might leave this world without any ties one day.
I never expected that such a good son would suddenly appear.
Then there will be a lot to worry about.
Putting everything else aside, the banquet tomorrow alone is making him a little nervous.
This can be considered as the father and son appearing at the banquet together.
Tomorrow, not only will there be examiners, but there will also be many ministers joining in the fun.
He was afraid that Ye Jianshan might be nervous since he had never met so many people before.
But no matter what, his presence would certainly prevent Ye Jianshan from feeling awkward and embarrassed.
After mentally reviewing tomorrow's schedule once more, the Crown Prince finally left.
Ye Yun came out of the cubicle after he left. She originally wanted to check on Da Shan's sleep, but she almost ran into the Crown Prince.
That prince, he stayed up all night and kept looking out her son's window.
What's so interesting about it? If Da Shan opened his eyes, he'd be startled; it's like looking in a mirror.
As soon as there was any movement inside Ye Jianshan's house, Guo Yu, who was guarding the door, knocked on the door: "Has Ye Huiyuan woken up?"
"Uncle Guo, what brings you here? I'm awake. Just call me Dashan, that's what everyone at home calls me."
Ye Jianshan had told him countless times, but Guo Yu was stubborn. He used to call him Ye Jieyuan, but now that he had become Huiyuan, he started calling him Ye Huiyuan.
Guo Yu most wanted to call him "Your Highness the Crown Prince," but he couldn't bring himself to say it.
Although everyone has accepted it, you can't just call someone His Highness the Imperial Grandson or the Crown Prince whenever you want.
We can only call him Ye Huiyuan.
Guo Yu did not respond, but had someone bring him the water he had prepared.
Ye Jianshan washed his face before he felt fully awake: "Uncle Guo, why are you here so early?"
Ye Jianshan asked curiously.
Guo Yu: "His Highness the Crown Prince instructed me to accompany you today."
Ye Jianshan responded with an "oh," feeling that it wasn't necessary.
That's how it was when we lived on 14th Street. Doctor Zhao wanted to check on him every day, and Uncle Guo wanted to protect him closely.
"Uncle Guo, please help me tie my hair up so I can look more presentable."
Normally, Ye Jianshan would just casually tie his hair into a bun, and only when he went out would he painstakingly comb it in front of the mirror.
Guo Yu was quite skilled at this; he had tied up the crown prince's hair when he was young, and he never expected to finally have the opportunity to tie up the crown prince's son's hair.
"good."
Ye Jianshan sat down, with Guo Yu behind him. In no time, she had tied up her hair and put on a jade crown.
This is what his mother prepared for him yesterday.
Ye Jianshan asked Guo Yu for help because he didn't know how to use this kind of hair ornament.
It's really difficult to handle.
"This was given to me by my grandfather. I look quite smart wearing it."
Ye Jianshan checked himself in the mirror, changed into new clothes, and put on an expensive headdress. He really looked like a royal young master, and his whole demeanor became noble.
"This headdress belongs to the Crown Prince."
When Guo Yu first received it, it looked somewhat familiar. Now, seeing it on the little prince's head, it looked almost exactly like the crown prince when he was young and full of vigor.
Ye Jianshan touched it: "So it's His Highness the Crown Prince. Shall I get another one?"
"This jade crown can still be recognized?" Ye Jianshan was a little conflicted. He remembered that his grandfather had also prepared one for him.
"No need, it suits you perfectly."
Guo Yu isn't good at praising people; she only speaks the truth.
"His Highness the Crown Prince would be very pleased to see this."
Guo Yu thought about it for a moment and then said it.
Ye Jianshan nodded without further comment: "Alright, I'm quite happy too."
His mother, maternal grandparents, and paternal grandparents would be happy to see him, and every time he wore new clothes, his family would praise him.
Compliment him on his good clothes, and then praise his mother's excellent cooking skills.
Just as Ye Jianshan was eagerly anticipating showing off before leaving, he arrived at the hall to find several members of the Ye family surrounding Physician Zhao.
“You’ve worked so hard all these years, and your back is a chronic problem. I’ll give you acupuncture a few times these days to relieve it, but at this age, it’s impossible to cure it completely.”
Physician Zhao is taking the pulses of Old Man Ye and Old Woman Ye.
He went back to his residence yesterday, and when he returned to 14th Street, he found that Ye Jianshan's family had moved away.
This immediately infuriated the old man.
Fortunately, someone had been left to inform him, so he came to the door early the next morning.
Upon seeing that he was an imperial physician, Old Man Ye and Old Woman Ye immediately felt admiration for him.
These days, it's not easy to find a good doctor.
This is an imperial physician.
Physician Zhao was a little flattered by their praise, so he suggested taking their pulses and examining their bodies.
Upon hearing this, Ye Yan and Ye Lei sat down nervously and watched, afraid that their parents were sick and they wouldn't know.
The elderly couple had a long and arduous journey to Beijing but didn't fall seriously ill; they were in excellent physical condition.
Doctor Zhao examined Old Lady Ye and found that she had only some old ailments and there was nothing seriously wrong.
Old Man Ye was the same way, so when it was Old Man Ye's turn to have his pulse taken, they would suggest giving him acupuncture.
"I have an apprentice. I will bring him to your home tomorrow to give you acupuncture treatment."
"Thank you so much, Physician Zhao. Now I can rest assured."
Old Mr. and Mrs. Ye are afraid of getting sick, because once they fall ill at this age, they may never be able to get up again.
Now that the imperial physicians all say they have no major problems, I can finally put my mind at ease.
Grandma Ye noticed Ye Jianshan coming first and quickly stood up to praise him: "Old man, look! Dashan looks so good in this. Yun'er and I were worried on the way that it would be too big, but it fits perfectly. Dashan has grown taller."
Old Man Ye also hurried over to join in the fun: "Yes, he's really grown taller. I didn't even notice yesterday. He looks more imposing than a prince in this outfit."
"What are you saying, old man? This isn't home."
Grandma Ye quickly replied.
It's one thing to just ramble on and boast at home, but there are many outsiders around now.
Of course, Old Madam Ye tacitly agreed with this statement; after all, it was even more impressive than that of a prince.
They would definitely not be outdone at the Crown Prince's residence.
Old Man Ye coughed and said, "I misspoke. We're not comparing. Da Shan looks nice. Are you hungry? Take your Uncle Guo to eat. We've all finished eating. We'll see you out later."
Eating is fine, but there's no need to see him off at the door. When Ye Jianshan was a child, his maternal grandfather carried him to school, but now that he's older, he's not so fussy. It's just a few steps, there's no need to see him off at the door.
It's not even as far as they are now from the lobby to the main entrance.
Old Man Ye wouldn't allow him to refuse, and took him to eat: "Eat quickly. I sent you to private school when you were a child. Why don't you want to now that you're grown up?"
Grandma Ye laughed and said, "What's the big deal? The old man just wanted to see some excitement. He's never seen a thank-you banquet like this before."
The Deer Cry Banquet that Da Shan attended before was in the prefectural city. Neither Grandma Ye nor Grandpa Ye went, which was a great pity. I never thought I would have the opportunity to go now.
"Alright, let's send it. Uncle Guo, have you eaten with us? Has Physician Zhao eaten yet?"
Before going to eat, Ye Jianshan asked Doctor Zhao a question.
"I've already eaten."
Doctor Zhao chatted with Old Man Ye and Old Woman Ye as if they were old friends, and they hit it off immediately.
Both of them found each other novel.
"Brother Ye is a butcher."
At the dinner table, Old Man Ye talked at length about the pig heads of the capital, and Physician Zhao was extremely surprised when he heard him talk about how he slaughtered pigs.
Old Man Ye was very thin and didn't look like a pig butcher.
Ye Jianshan explained, "My maternal grandfather and second uncle were both pig butchers. When I was a child, my maternal grandfather supported our whole family by butchering pigs."
This is a true story.
Guo Yu and Physician Zhao were heartbroken to hear this.
"So that's how it is."
"I am a doctor," said Zhao Taiyi with a heavy heart.
The young prince has truly suffered.
Guo Yu knew some of it, but what he knew was that the Ye family was doing quite well.
The family owns a meat stall, raises pigs in Yejiacun, and also runs an embroidery workshop.
That's where the real money is made.
I never imagined there would be such a tough time.
When Ye Jianshan brought this up, Old Man Ye said with some emotion, "I never thought that a butcher like me could have a grandson who would become a scholar."
The two are somewhat disconnected when considered together.
We had planned to eat and chat, but Ye Yun came over and urged us to hurry up.
"Dashan, they're all here, waiting at the door. Shall we let them in?"
Ye Jianshan shoveled the last mouthful of rice into his mouth, stood up and left: "No need, I'll go out and meet them, it's getting late."
Ye Jianshan left without hesitation, but he still knew to wait for Old Man Ye and Old Lady Ye.
"By the way, which of my eldest and third uncles is coming with me today, or should they both go?"
Ye Jianshan remembered and turned around to ask.
"Go, everyone."
Ye Yun made the decision. She wanted Ye Yan and Ye Lei to experience more of the big scenes. They had no one in the capital right now, and she was worried about Ye Jianshan not having a reliable adult by his side.
But this time she was going to the Crown Prince's residence, and she didn't believe Chen Jian would dare to let Ye Jianshan get into trouble on his territory.
Old Man Ye and Old Woman Ye instructed their two sons: "Stay close to Dashan and take good care of him. There are many important people in the capital, and Dashan is prone to showing off, so be sure not to get into any conflicts with others."
The two of them had also been through similar experiences. Because Ye Jianshan was too outstanding, he had been troubled by the young masters of the county school and the prefectural school.
He won first place again, although it was in the Crown Prince's residence, this is the capital city.
Old Man Ye and Old Woman Ye were unsure of what to do.
Ye Jianshan comforted them, "Grandpa and Grandma, don't worry. My two uncles are with us, and General Guo is with us too."
Old Man Ye thanked General Guo and said, "Please keep an eye on Jianshan."
"It's what I should do."
Luo Shaohui and his group were already waiting at the door. Looking at the Crown Prince's residence next door and the large Ye residence sign hanging on the door, the group realized the mystery of the situation.
The crown prince's son passed the imperial examination with top honors, having been the one supervised by the examiner.
This was probably the first time in history that a grandson of the emperor had participated in the imperial examinations.
They are not only born well, but also do well in exams; they are so outstanding that it leaves one speechless with envy.
It's true what they say, comparisons are the thief of joy.
They've become neighbors with the Crown Prince.
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Author's Note: Double update today! See you tomorrow! [Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers] Goodnight!
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