"Master has passed away." The two young monks reported sadly.
The frustrated emperor took one last look at the monk lying on the ground and ordered, "Send Master Yuanwu back to where he came from. Confer the title of Master Jinchan on Master Yuanwu and bury him with honor."
Zhou Defa received the order and ordered his men to carry it out. He then accompanied the emperor to the Yangxin Palace for court. After the court session, the emperor sat in his study, lost in thought. The memorials piled high on his desk, untouched.
Zhou Defa, who was standing not far away, looked at the emperor's distraught look and secretly wondered in his heart, could it be that something had happened to Queen Jing'an again?
An hour later, the empress came to her senses and ordered, "Call the eighth prince." Zhou Defa took the order and left, telling his men to do it.
"Your son greets His Majesty." The eighth prince knelt down and saluted as he entered the room.
The Emperor raised his hand and called out, "Rise." He then explained his purpose for calling the Eighth Prince, "My son, you are not young anymore. It is time for you to share your father's responsibilities. Come, sit here today and review these memorials one by one."
The Eighth Prince was startled upon hearing this. He looked up and asked in surprise, "Father, I will obey you in everything. But in terms of age, Third Brother is more suitable, isn't he? I'm just asking."
Seeing that the Eighth Prince showed no joy or excitement, and instead wanted to shift the blame to others, the Emperor knew he had not misjudged his son. With a look of relief, he said, "You come and approve it."
The Eighth Prince accepted the order and expressed his gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for assigning me this task. I will certainly do my best to give it a try."
Zhou Defa then led the Eighth Prince to the desk beneath the dragon table. Several young eunuchs entered and placed the memorials on the table before the Eighth Prince one by one. The Eighth Prince sat down and picked up a memorial. After a quick glance, he realized it was a greeting. However, he didn't dare to comment on it casually. He stood up and asked, "Father, I don't quite understand how to review it."
The Emperor rose from behind the dragon case and walked over. He instructed the Eighth Prince on the classification of memorials and how to review them. Finally, he said, "If you encounter a matter that you cannot decide, please report it to your father."
The Eighth Prince nodded repeatedly, accepting the advice, and before the Emperor's gaze, he reviewed three memorials of greeting. The Emperor nodded in satisfaction. He then picked up a memorial categorized as concerning the Ministry of War, glanced through it, and handed it to the Eighth Prince.
After receiving the memorial, the Eighth Prince read it carefully, then asked the Emperor, "Father, I think Commander Gu's memorial is feasible. I wonder what you think, Father?"
The emperor standing beside him said: "Oh? Tell me your opinion."
The unhurried and unhurried Eighth Prince spoke calmly, "Father, as the saying goes, 'Your Majesty, you train an army for a thousand days but deploy it only for a moment.' Commander Gu, having spent years on the frontier, is quite insightful about military affairs. I was discussing current affairs with my division commander a few days ago, and only then did I realize the importance of military expenses."
Seeing the Eighth Prince speaking eloquently and clearly, the Emperor nodded in agreement: "This young man is teachable. I and your son share the same thoughts."
The father and son spent the entire day in the Imperial Study. Besides a few trivial memorials to the emperor, there were also over a dozen documents pertaining to matters of public life and the border. The Eighth Prince consulted with the Emperor before reviewing each one. Lunch was served in the side hall adjacent to the Imperial Study, and the Emperor personally served the Eighth Prince a bowl of soup at the table.
At dinner time, the father and son left the Imperial Study and headed for Fengyang Palace. After finishing their meal and rinsing their mouths, the Emperor gave the Eighth Prince a look that told him to leave quickly. The Eighth Prince could only reluctantly bid farewell to Empress Jing'an and was then escorted out of Fengyang Palace by Zishu.
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