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◎ Half-day tour of the Little Princess's former palace.◎
Emperor Xingwu didn't want his little daughter to keep pestering him with questions, but when she didn't come to him on her own initiative for several days, Emperor Xingwu started to miss her. After all, she was his beloved daughter whom he had been thinking about for more than a year while he was on the war. She was smart, cute and lovely at such a young age, and she was still at the age where she dared to be close to her father and act coquettishly. If he didn't cherish her, when his daughter grew up, it would no longer be appropriate for him to hold her.
That day, after Qingyang had finished a three-quarter-hour math class in Chongwen Pavilion, he was about to take his usual shortcut through Qianyuan Hall to visit his mother in the West Palace when a young eunuch, bowing at the waist, stopped him and said with a smile, "Your Highness, the Emperor is almost done reviewing his morning memorials. Please come over and have lunch with us."
Qingyang's novelty about his father being so busy all day had almost worn off, and he said reluctantly, "I promised to eat with Mother."
The young eunuch smiled even more apologetically: "The Emperor knew about this and asked me to inform Concubine Li in advance. She should have eaten by now."
Qingyang had no choice but to turn to the central hall of Qianyuan Palace.
Emperor Xingwu had just washed his hands when he saw the small figure walking in with He Yuanjing. He handed the towel he had used to wipe his hands to a palace maid, walked over, picked up his daughter, and asked, "After such a long period of lessons, are you hungry?"
Qingyang: "I'm hungry."
Emperor Xingwu immediately ordered He Yuanjing: "Serve the meal."
The time when the little princess asked the fewest questions and talked the least was during the three meals a day. The wet nurse helped to put the dishes on the plates in front of the little princess and then left. Qingyang looked at the fragrant ribs, fish balls, shrimps, tofu, and vegetables on the plates, and started to eat with chopsticks and spoon, his cheeks puffed up, and he hardly looked at his father opposite him.
Emperor Xingwu watched with great interest. He was even happier that his daughter ate with even more relish than he did.
The wet nurse prepared just the right amount of rice. Qingyang slowly scooped up half a bowl of rice with a spoon, added a few slices of melon, and finished his meal with satisfaction.
The wet nurse came in to help the little princess rinse her mouth and wash her face.
After finishing his work, Qingyang said, "Father, I'm going to look for Mother."
Emperor Xingwu: "Just sleep here with your father. When you wake up, go find your mother."
Qingyang blinked and asked, "When I wake up, my mother is free to play with me. Is my father free today?"
Emperor Xingwu smiled and said, "I'm not that busy today. When Lin'er wakes up, I'll take you to the Imperial Garden."
Qingyang: "I don't want to go to the Imperial Garden. I want to go somewhere I haven't been to."
The little princess looked very cute in the eyes of adults, but Emperor Xingwu could see the seriousness in his daughter's eyes, so he also asked seriously: "Where has Lin'er not been?"
Qingyang: "Outside Qianyuan Gate, my mother said that was the former dynasty and never allowed me to go there."
Emperor Xingwu: "...Mother is right. The front court is where the ministers work. Father doesn't go there unless he has nothing to do. Otherwise, he will disturb the ministers and delay their work."
Qingyang: “What are they doing?”
Emperor Xingwu: “…”
Qingyang could recognize the expression on his master's face that showed he didn't want to answer her question, and said unhappily, "If my father doesn't take me with him, I'll go find my mother."
Compared to her father who was unwilling to play with her, Qingyang still liked her mother more.
Emperor Xingwu: "...Father won't take you with him. Can Jie Yu accompany you?"
He was willing to accompany his daughter on a walk, but his daughter would definitely ask questions all the way, which Emperor Xingwu could not stand.
Qingyang happily ran to his father, and after being lifted high up by his father, he kissed him on the right cheek: "Hello, father."
Emperor Xingwu snorted: "Do you prefer father or mother?"
Qingyang: “…I like them all.”
Emperor Xingwu: "Mother and Consort Wang forbad you to go to the Former Court, but Father did. Why do you still like him?"
Qingyang: "Mother didn't allow me to go because she was afraid that Father would be angry. If Father promises not to be angry, Mother will definitely not care about me."
Emperor Xingwu pinched his daughter's face and said, "You are so smart!"
.
There was a couch in the imperial study. Emperor Xingwu accompanied his daughter to sleep for half an hour and then woke up to stretch his muscles. He sat at the imperial desk and continued to review memorials, glancing at the sleeping little princess from time to time. If Emperor Xingwu liked the little princess when she was awake, his love for her would increase to 100,000 points after she fell asleep.
When the little princess finally woke up, the sunlight outside the window was not as bright.
Emperor Xingwu personally wiped his daughter's face, and as he did so, he instructed her, "You may visit the front court, but you are not allowed to run around or play around, and you are not allowed to interfere with the officials' work."
Qingyang: “I know.”
The little princess didn't want to listen anymore after hearing so many similar words.
Emperor Xingwu asked: "If a minister asks you why you went there, Lin'er, how would you answer?"
Qingyang thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty is busy. I will check on your Majesty to see if they are doing their job seriously."
This is what Prince Yong's uncle said when he went to Chongwen Pavilion to check on his brothers' studies.
Emperor Xingwu was stunned when he heard this, but when he came to his senses he laughed out loud: "Okay, Lin'er, just as you say. If you really catch someone slacking off, come back and tell me!"
Qingyang remembered Prince Yong's uncle's words, and also remembered the scene when the Chongwen Pavilion guards stopped her that day. She worriedly said, "What should I do if the guards from other places stop me?"
Emperor Xingwu nodded and asked He Yuanjing to bring a red gold waist badge with a dragon carved on it. He said to his daughter, "Seeing this waist badge is like seeing your father. No guards will stop you. Have Jie Yu keep it for a while. Show it to the guards and put it away immediately. You are not allowed to use this waist badge to bully officials."
Qingyang took the badge, looked at it from front to back, and asked, "What is tyranny?"
Emperor Xingwu: "... Let's set off quickly. I'll let Jie Yu explain it to you on the way."
.
After crossing the Qianyuan Gate, there are three main halls in front of you, headed by the Taiji Hall. Because they are not in use at the moment, the hall doors are all locked.
Under the guards' sometimes confused and sometimes nervous secret gazes, Qingyang lay down in front of the door and looked into the three main halls. Seeing that they were similar to the front hall where court meetings were held in Qianyuan Hall, and were empty and deserted, Qingyang lost interest in going in.
Further south of the Taiji Hall, on the east and west sides are the Political Affairs Hall and the Secretariat.
Qingyang went to the Political Affairs Hall first, but the Political Affairs Hall was where the two prime ministers and the six ministers met for meetings, which were mostly held in the morning or at the last minute. At this moment, there were only some minor officials in the Political Affairs Hall, so Qingyang took a look around and went to the Secretariat.
Before entering the courtyard of the Secretariat, Qingyang could already hear low voices coming from inside, which showed that there were many people here!
Qingyang quickened his pace.
The two chancellors, stationed in the Secretariat, usually spent their days in their offices processing memorials and discussing important matters. When they received instructions, they dispatched smaller officials to and from the office. These officials, busily pacing about, suddenly saw a young girl in brocaded gown suddenly appear in the courtyard, accompanied by a well-mannered eunuch who treated them with neither servility nor condescension. They guessed that this was the Emperor's daughter, Princess Qingyang.
They didn't know why Princess Qingyang came, and there was no time to waste, so they simply paid their respects and continued with their work.
Qingyang remembered her father's words and did not stop the officials. After taking a clear look at the layout outside, she walked towards the office in the middle.
Jie Yu whispered, "Your Highness, that's where the two Prime Ministers are at a disadvantage. Should we not disturb them?"
Qingyang just kept walking inside.
Jie Yu shook his head helplessly, thinking that the little princess would probably visit every corner of the palace before she would be satisfied today.
The door of the office hall was open, and inside sat four clerks who assisted the prime minister in his work. When they saw the princess, they looked at each other in surprise.
Jie Yu signaled them not to be so polite.
Qingyang followed the voices to the house in the east.
Left Prime Minister Yan Xizheng and Right Prime Minister Dai Lun were discussing a local memorial when they noticed the door curtain move. They both looked at the curtain and saw a small hand lift the curtain, revealing the figure of a small child.
Yan Xizheng stood up in surprise: "Princess Qingyang?"
After walking such a long way, Qingyang finally saw someone he knew well. He was very happy. He swept his eyes over the two ministers, who were obviously different in size, and pointed them out, saying, "I recognize you. You are the left minister, and you are the right minister."
The fat Prime Minister Dai Lun bowed with a smile and said, "Your Highness, I, Dai Lun, greet you."
Yan Xizheng also perfunctorily bowed, looked at Jie Yu with displeasure, and silently questioned why Jie Yu allowed the little princess to come here and make trouble.
Xie Yu bowed his head slightly, offering no explanation, nor did he take out the imperial badge to defend himself. After all, how could the Left Prime Minister argue with a three-year-old princess about etiquette and rules? Even if he did, did he have the right to hold the little princess accountable?
Qingyang could tell the adults' moods, and said to Yan Xizheng: "Just keep doing your work and don't worry about me."
Low-ranking officials in the court respected the prime minister, and the wives, concubines and servants in the palace were in awe of him, but the three-year-old princess had been pampered by those around her since she was born, and enjoyed more honor than others gave to the prime minister. In addition, the little princess knew very well that her father was the most powerful man in the world. She had witnessed with her own eyes the civil and military officials, headed by Prince Yong's uncle and the two prime ministers, kneeling to welcome her father. How could the little princess be afraid of these people who had to listen to her father?
Therefore, although Qingyang was only three years old, her gaze and tone of voice towards the Second Prime Minister were naturally superior to those of the younger. If it were an older princess, this would be somewhat rude, showing disrespect to the important officials of the court. However, the little princess was a true three-year-old, ignorant of the ways of the world. The innocent childishness in her eyes made her look cute, pretending to be an adult.
Yan Xizheng choked and slowly sat back in his chair while continuing to observe the little princess's behavior.
Qingyang walked towards Dai Lun, who had a kind face: "You also continue to work."
Dai Lun and Yan Xizheng exchanged a glance, smiled, and sat down. As they dipped their pens in ink, they said, "Left Prime Minister, then shall we approve this letter in accordance with the agreement we just discussed?"
Yan Xizheng: "Yes."
Dai Lun concentrated on writing.
Qingyang stood beside the table, her eyes following the tip of the Right Prime Minister's pen. When he finished writing, she asked, "Why is your pen black? Father's is red."
Dai Lun said respectfully, "I am merely reviewing memorials on behalf of the Emperor, sharing His Majesty's concerns. The final decision rests with the Emperor. The red pen symbolizes the Emperor's absolute discretion, and the black and white words make it more obvious, making it less likely for officials to misread and confuse the Emperor when they receive the memorials."
Qingyang understood and noticed that Yan Xizheng was still staring at her, as if afraid that she would cause trouble. Qingyang glared back unhappily and left.
The door curtain fell again, and Yan Xizheng unconsciously scolded: "Nonsense."
Of course, he didn't bother with the little princess. What annoyed him was that the palace servants around the little princess did not fulfill their duty to dissuade her.
Dai Lun didn't take it to heart: "Which child doesn't like to play? My granddaughter often goes to my study to make trouble."
Yan Xizheng: "That's your study, how can it compare to this place?"
Dai Lun thought that his granddaughter could not compare with the little princess.
Leaving the Secretariat, Chengtian Gate is to the south. On both sides of the long palace road from Chengtian Gate to the southern gate of the imperial city, Zhuque Gate, are located the Dali Temple, the Censorate, the Hanlin Academy, the Six Ministries and other government offices.
The little princess swaggered around every government office, but still felt it was not enough and continued to walk to offices farther away. Jie Yu could persuade her at any time, but the little princess would not listen, and Jie Yu could do nothing about it.
As he walked, Qingyang stopped in front of a government office courtyard. He looked up at the plaque hanging above and read aloud: "Jin, Wei, Si."
Some of the characters the little princess knew now were taught by the teacher, and some were taught to her by her third brother and Zhang Su when she watched them doing their homework.
Xie Yu explained, "The Imperial Guard is in charge of all the guards in the entire imperial city. The chief officer is the commander of the Imperial Guard, who is appointed directly by the emperor without going through the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of War, or the Secretariat."
Qingyang nodded and walked in.
There were only minor clerks in the several offices of the Imperial Guard. Just when Qingyang was feeling bored, a burst of cheers suddenly came from the east, and then it was quiet again.
Qingyang asked a guard in the courtyard, "Who's over there?"
The guard said, "Your Highness, it's Commander Fan who is training the guards."
Qingyang's eyes lit up: "Take me there."
The guard was about to hesitate when he saw Jie Yu reaching into his right sleeve to take out the imperial badge and immediately led the way.
To the east of the Imperial Guards is the martial arts training ground. At this time, the afternoon training has ended. The commander of the Imperial Guards, Fan Zhong, selected ten people to come out and practice sparring with him. This is also a way to test the martial arts of the guards. Those who fight too poorly will be scolded. Those who do not repent after being scolded and dare to slack off will be expelled from the Imperial Guards and new people with superb martial arts skills will be selected to come in.
When the little princess approached, Fan Zhonggang had just started fighting with a guard. Both of them were not wearing armor, only wearing black cloth clothes worn for training, and were fighting with bare hands.
Qingyang was stunned and chased the muscular figure of one of them in disbelief. He felt that the other party's outstretched arm was thicker than Jie Yu's thigh, and his turned shoulders were wider than two Jie Yus. Even his eyes, which were wide open when he exerted force, were bigger than Jie Yu's two.
At this moment, Fan Zhong's tiger eyes, which were wide open when he knocked down the guard, finally met the little princess's black eyes, which were wide open in surprise.
Fan Zhong: "Princess?"
Last month, the emperor returned to Beijing in triumph. When he held the little princess in his arms to meet the ministers who stayed in Beijing, Fan Zhong also remembered the little princess's features.
Qingyang continued to stare at his thick eyebrows and the short black beard around his mouth that looked very hard.
Fan Zhong thought of the scene where children on the street ran away or even cried when they saw him, and he panicked. He was afraid that the little princess would also be scared and cry, and the emperor would feel distressed.
So, Fan Zhong forced himself into a kind smile, bent over, lowered his head, and approached slowly with what he considered light steps. He coaxed carefully in a rough voice that he considered gentle, "Your Highness, why are you here at the Imperial Guard?"
Jie Yu, who was standing behind the little princess, looked at Commander Fan and seemed to see a ferocious tiger ready to pounce on a child.
Jie Yu was about to stand before the little princess, but suddenly she heard the little princess ask in a childish voice without any fear, "Why are your arms so thick?"
Jie Yu steadied himself.
Fan Zhong knelt on one knee before the little princess, lowering his head to look at her. He then glanced at his arms, and said with a hearty smile, "Because I was born with a tall build, and I've practiced martial arts diligently since I was young, I've developed such strong arms."
Qingyang: "Can I touch it?"
Fan Zhong grinned: "Of course."
He stretched out his right arm, and Qingyang grabbed it with both hands, but he couldn't move it.
Being close enough, Qingyang couldn't help but pull the man's beard again.
Fan Zhong: "Hey, hey, hey, Your Highness, be gentle..."
Qingyang let go of his hand and looked at the two thick, hard eyebrows above Fan Zhong's eyes, which were so high that she couldn't reach them. She frowned and said, "Your eyebrows are so messy, why don't you trim them?"
The guards around burst into laughter.
Fan Zhong glared at her, then patiently explained to the little princess, "Your Highness, you may not know this, but I have beautiful eyebrows. Previously, when I followed the Emperor into battle, I could frighten the enemy soldiers simply by glaring and raising my eyebrows. If I were to shape my eyebrows to look better, they would be less intimidated. Wouldn't that be an advantage for the enemy?"
Qingyang understood and became satisfied with Fan Zhong's appearance. He urged him, "Go wrestle. I want to watch."
Fan Zhong received the order, rolled up his sleeves, and worked even harder to deal with the guards below. Because the little princess hadn't seen enough, he continued to knock the guards down until they were sweating profusely and probably didn't have enough strength to defeat the guards who were waiting for the opportunity. Only then did Fan Zhong, panting, kneel before the little princess and coax her, "Your Highness, I am exhausted. How about I stop here today?"
Qingyang: "Okay."
Seeing beads of sweat on Fan Zhong's face, Qingyang asked Jie Yu to wipe his sweat with a handkerchief.
Fan Zhong felt very relieved. The little princess didn't treat him like a fool and even cared about him!
But he didn't bother Jie Yu, and raised his sleeve to wipe his face at any time: "I am a rough man, so this will do."
Qingyang: "...Are you hungry? I'll treat you to some pastries."
Every time my third brother and Zhang Su came back from martial arts practice, my mother would prepare cakes for them.
Fan Zhong was so happy that he almost cried. Apart from his two little brats, the princess was the first child outside who was willing to get close to him!
"No, I'm not hungry..."
Before he could finish his words, Fan Zhong's stomach suddenly growled, and the stomachs of the guards around him also started growling.
The little princess was so amused that she couldn't stop laughing and insisted on treating them to some cakes.
Fan Zhong drove away the guards and followed the little princess alone to meet the emperor.
When he came here, Qingyang was full of enthusiasm and never felt tired no matter how far he walked. But on this walk back, before he even left the Imperial Guard, Qingyang felt tired. He looked at Jie Yu and then at Fan Zhong, and said to the latter, "Go take a shower and change your clothes, then hug me again."
Fan Zhong: "Okay! Your Highness, please wait a moment!"
Fan Zhong was familiar with the Imperial Guards, so he ran directly to the bathroom to take a cold shower. After he showered twice, the servant beside him brought him the purple official robe of a second-rank military officer. The burly and strong commander adjusted his black belt and official hat, and immediately looked more majestic and noble than when he had just practiced martial arts.
After passing through the Chengtian and Qianyuan palace gates, Fan Zhong was ready to put the little princess down and ask for an audience outside the imperial study in the central hall. However, when he turned around, he saw the little princess sleeping on his shoulder.
Fan Zhong looked at Jie Yu for help.
At this time, Emperor Xingwu, who had received He Yuanjing's message, came out and witnessed this scene. Emperor Xingwu teased Fan Zhong: "Well, when did you learn to coax a child?"
Fan Zhong looked very proud: "To be honest with you, Your Majesty, I don't know how I caught your attention. You insisted on treating me to some cakes."
Emperor Xingwu pondered, "The last person Lin'er favored was Zhang Jie. Could it be that in Lin'er's eyes, you are as handsome as Zhang Jie?"
Fan Zhong couldn't hold back his laughter and threw his head back and laughed like a lion, which woke up the little princess.
Fan Zhong quickly shut up.
Qingyang rubbed his eyes, turned his head to see his father, and extended his hand in dependence.
Emperor Xingwu took his beloved daughter in his arms, coaxing her softly, "Father, take Lin'er to the room to continue sleeping."
Just as Qingyang was about to nod, he looked at Fan Zhong behind him and said sleepily, "Father, please give him some cakes."
So, when the red sun was setting in the west, Fan Zhong walked happily along the palace road, holding a bag of imperial cakes in one hand, to take them back to feed his two little ones at home.
When the little princess was soundly asleep, Jie Yu respectfully took out the imperial badge and asked the emperor to take it back.
Emperor Xingwu thought about it and decided to let He Yuanjing take it away. The previous dynasty was the previous dynasty after all. He could pamper his daughter for once. If he let her go often, the ministers would definitely discuss it, which would not be good for either him or his daughter.
What made Emperor Xingwu happy was that his little princess no longer insisted on going to the former dynasty. Perhaps she found that the former dynasty was not fun after visiting it once.
【Author’s words】
Ahem, it must be 1v1. The little princess appreciates and admires other positive male characters.
100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow [milk tea]
ps: The ages in this article are calculated in years [Three-color cat head]
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