With the itinerary for tomorrow finalized and the time approaching, Chief Clerk Xie put away the map and, led by Prefect Qi, headed to the Prefectural Government Office.
The banquet was extremely simple. Gu Yuzhi ate quietly, and the various prefects also refrained from being presumptuous, behaving very restrainedly. Only when he was about to leave did the various prefects present their gifts, which were accepted by Chief Secretary Xie on his behalf. When he returned to his residence, Chief Secretary Xie saw that Gu Yuzhi looked worried and asked in a low voice, "Is there something troubling Your Highness?"
Gu Yuzhi pouted: "Last year during the Spring Festival, when Father Emperor was still alive, someone reported that my eldest brother had accepted bribes from officials in his fiefdom..." He looked at the gift boxes displayed in the carriage and nervously swallowed. "Chief Secretary, will I be detained and brought back to the capital by my brother soon?"
He's so young, will he have to spend the rest of his life in the Imperial Clan Court?
Or would the Emperor simply exile him to the Xinliang Iron Mine?
Gu Yuzhi pouted and looked at Chief Secretary Xie: "Chief Secretary, can I return the things to them now?"
Xie Changshi stood there stunned for a while before suddenly bursting into laughter. He suddenly thought of his youngest son at home, who was also full of quirky ideas and sometimes said things that were simply unbearable.
If it weren't for the inappropriateness of his status, he would have really wanted to pat His Highness's head.
Seeing Xie Changshi laughing so heartily, Gu Yuzhi stood there dumbfounded, scratching his head: "Xie Changshi, is there something wrong with what I said?"
"Your Highness, please rest assured. These gifts are very different from accepting bribes. The First Prince was convicted because he used his princely status to profit and also used it to commit illegal acts. This is just ordinary social etiquette for you, so please don't worry."
Gu Yuzhi silently repeated Xie Changshi's words, nodding as if he understood but not quite.
Seeing this, Chief Secretary Xie whispered to him, "Your Highness should know that some social interactions are necessary. It's normal for officials to give us gifts when we first arrive in the Northern Desert. Once Your Highness has established yourself in the Northern Desert, even more people will want to give you gifts. At that time, Your Highness must carefully consider who should give what kind of gift and who should not."
Gu Yuzhi's eyes were somewhat confused. He silently repeated Xie Changshi's words in his mind, and after repeating them several times, he seemed to understand: "Is it wrong to accept money to do bad things for others, like my eldest brother? But if it's a festival like today, and these officials give me gifts, can I accept them?"
Chief Secretary Xie looked pleased: "That's about right. His Highness will understand these social niceties when he grows up."
Growing up feels like it will take a long time.
Gu Yuzhi was somewhat frustrated. After arriving in Mobei, he wished he could become an adult in a day so that he wouldn't have to be separated from his mother.
He thought for a moment, then whispered, "Then, Chief Secretary Xie, should we return the gift?"
It seems that my mother would remember the gifts she received and return something of similar value when the time was right.
"No need. Gifts are usually given by juniors to seniors or by subordinates to superiors. Your Highness is a prince, so your status is naturally higher than that of officials in various parts of the northern desert. If Your Highness feels it is inappropriate, you can return some gifts during the New Year as appropriate."
Only after hearing these words did Gu Yuzhi's heavy mood ease considerably, and he even had the leisure to lift the carriage curtain and look outside.
Xie Changshi glanced at the boxes and couldn't help but sigh. Everyone said that officials in the northern desert were poor, and today they seemed to be truly poor.
If these gifts were given to the other princes, they probably wouldn't even bother to glance at them. Only His Highness Prince Wen, with his childlike heart, would worry about being punished for them.
He secretly touched the edge of the box. No, he would have to mention this when he wrote to the Emperor next time.
Gu Yuzhi had expected the streets to be bustling with people on Mid-Autumn Festival, but to his surprise, the streets were deserted and most of the shops were closed.
He thought for a moment and understood: the people must have all gone home to reunite with their families and enjoy the moon.
The streets were covered with brand-new red lanterns. Suddenly, he exclaimed in surprise and pointed to the sky not far away, saying, "Chief Secretary Xie, someone is releasing Kongming lanterns."
He remembered that during the Lunar New Year this year, his father was slightly unwell, and his mother released sky lanterns to pray for his father's well-being...
Xie Changshi bent down slightly and looked out in the direction of Gu Yuzhi's gaze. Sure enough, another Kongming lantern slowly rose into the sky, and a little while later, another Kongming lantern flew up.
He smiled slightly, then looked down and saw a hint of loneliness in Gu Yuzhi's small figure.
He thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness, would you like to get off the carriage and walk around to see how the people of the northern desert celebrate their festivals?"
Before Gu Yuzhi could speak, Chief Secretary Xie continued to persuade him, "Your Highness will be living in the northern desert for a long time, so it's very necessary to understand the customs and traditions of the local people. For example, the Mid-Autumn Festival..."
Chief Secretary Xie looked out of the carriage and saw that there were more and more Kongming lanterns in the sky, like stars.
He couldn't help but show a hint of longing: "The Mid-Autumn Festival in the capital is very lively, and people go out of their homes, but it's the opposite in the northern desert. I heard from Prefect Qi that the people in the northern desert worship the moon at home."
Gu Yuzhi barely listened to the officials at the banquet; his mind was entirely on enjoying the delicious food. But when he heard what Chief Secretary Xie said, he suddenly became interested: "The palace doesn't have the custom of worshipping the moon either."
The carriage stopped around the house. Gu Yuzhi jumped off the carriage without waiting for Xie Changshi to carry him. He looked up at the alley. A thin string was strung between the courtyard walls on both sides, with large red lanterns tied to it. The lanterns were painted with simple pictures, such as the moon and Chang'e flying to the moon...
Gu Yuzhi suddenly stopped and looked up at one of the extra-large lanterns, saying, "Chief Secretary Xie, look at that lantern, is it for worshipping the moon?"
The person in the painting is kneeling on the ground, with a large moon above their head, and mooncakes and some fruit on a small table on the ground.
Chief Secretary Xie nodded in agreement: "Yes. Moon worship contains the meaning of praying for blessings. Men pray to the moon in the hope that they will pass the imperial examination with flying colors as soon as possible, while women hope that their appearance will become more and more beautiful."
A gentle breeze blew by, and the red lanterns hanging high swayed in the wind, as if greeting him. Gu Yuzhi's eyes sparkled, and he occasionally let out a sigh of admiration.
Although these lanterns are not as exquisite as those in the palace, they still look very lively.
Chief Secretary Xie draped a cloak over his shoulders and whispered, "The temperature is low in the autumn nights in the northern desert, Your Highness, please be careful not to catch a cold."
Gu Yuzhi turned his head and thanked Xie Changshi with a smile. Suddenly, he thought of Teacher Shu, who claimed to be from the world a thousand years in the future. Last time, when Manager Wen said he wanted to collect statistics on the commercial situation in Changzhou, Teacher Shu was full of curiosity about this place.
I wonder what the Mid-Autumn Festival is like in Teacher Shu's world.
He thought for a moment and said silently, "Teacher Shu, Manager Wen, why don't you come out and see the customs of the northern desert?"
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