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◎Father will give Lin'er something better in the future.◎
In July, officials and people in the capital were very excited about the emperor's three edicts. Some were dissatisfied, some were happy, and some were just watching for fun. However, since the emperor sent imperial envoys and mobilized the imperial army for this matter, both officials and people had no choice but to accept it.
Are officials unwilling to return land to the people and are they trying to revolt? Yuan Zhaoxiong, who thought he commanded a hundred thousand troops, is a lesson for us! Are they secretly inciting the people whose land has been relinquished to rebellion? The people are already worried about losing their land to officials and gentry, and they're desperate for the government to help them get their land back!
On the tenth day of the eighth month, when Qingyang left the palace again, the people on the streets and in the suburbs rarely talked about the issue of hanging fields, but talked more about the upcoming autumn harvest and Mid-Autumn Festival.
There is a Baiyun Temple in the southern suburbs of the capital. The temple is built on a mountain several dozen feet high. Qingyang first took his third brother and Zhang Su to the top of the mountain to look into the distance, and then went to the temple halfway up the mountain to burn incense. They walked around for a while and it was noon.
There was vegetarian food in the temple. As the three of them were walking towards the dining hall, Qingyang saw a boy of six or seven years old being held by an old woman with one hand and a slightly burnt corn cob in the other. Half of the corn cob had been eaten, and the boy's lips were all black from eating it, but he was still eating it in big mouthfuls, which showed how delicious the roasted corn was.
Qingyang asked Zhang Su, "Have you ever eaten corn like this?"
Zhang Su nodded.
The first time I ate it was when I was a child. The cook bought a few stalks and roasted them for her two children. Somehow, my second brother saw them and asked for some too. He thought they were delicious and asked the cook to roast a few more stalks and bring them back for him and my mother. After that, every year before the autumn harvest, my mother would have the cook roast them again, but she would cut each stalk into smaller pieces for easier eating.
Qingyang: "Is it delicious?"
Zhang Su nodded again.
Qingyang was unhappy: "If it's delicious, why don't you send it to me and my third brother to try? It's a pity that we always think of you when we have something delicious."
Zhang Su: "...I don't think Your Highness would like this kind of folk snack."
Qingyang: "Whether you like it or not is our business, but if you have anything delicious or fun, you must tell us. You can't eat or play secretly."
Qin Ren came to Zhang Su's rescue and said, "Sister, do you want some? I'll go ask that kid where he got his corn."
Qingyang: “Ask.”
Qin Ren ran over, then came back a moment later, pointing outside the temple and saying, "There's a stall outside selling roasted and boiled corn. Ten cents a piece."
The little princess led the way and the three of them went outside the temple.
The corns at the stall were sold whole. Qingyang bought three, wrapped them in oil paper, and prepared to take them to the vegetarian restaurant to eat.
Qin Ren was hungry, so he took the roasted corn and started to eat it. Although he ate more politely than the previous children, he still got his mouth dirty.
Qingyang looked at Zhang Su.
Zhang Su: "...I will just have some vegetarian food."
Qingyang knew what he was worried about, so he smiled and took his corn from him to make it easier for him to eat: "I just want to watch you eat it."
Qin Ren looked at his sister with a smirk, then at Zhang Su who seemed to be stumped, and asked curiously, "You don't want to eat it? It's quite delicious."
Zhang Su glanced at the stain on the Third Prince's lips, then looked at the calm little princess. He had no choice but to open the paper bag and bite two or three corn kernels from the edge. He couldn't see it himself, but Qingyang observed carefully. Surprisingly, Zhang Su's way of eating didn't stain his lips.
As the little princess withdrew her gaze, Zhang Su rewrapped the corn he had just taken a bite of.
When they arrived at the dining hall, the three of them ate at the same table. Noticing that the little princess kept looking at her roasted corn, Zhang Su washed his hands again, then peeled the corn one by one and put it into a wooden bowl he had just given to the little princess.
Qingyang finally got to taste this folk snack as he wished. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and seemed sweeter than boiled corn.
Qin Ren secretly admired Zhang Su. He was indeed more attentive than him. No wonder his sister always asked Zhang Su to go wherever she went.
Qingyang ate half a corn kernel and then had some vegetarian food to feel full. Before going down the mountain, Qingyang bought six more roasted corn kernels.
After returning to the palace, Qingyang asked Fuliu and four other young palace maids to deliver one copy each to her elder brother and sister-in-law, Imperial Concubine Meng Yao, and her mother. She personally took one copy to Qianyuan Palace.
"Father, have you ever eaten this?" Qingyang unfolded the oil-paper package and looked at his father and asked. Then his father said with a mixture of surprise and nostalgia, "Of course I have. When I was a child, I often went to the fields of wealthy families... and bought a few to eat. Where did Lin'er get them?"
The little princess, who had no idea how poor her father was when he was a child, did not think deeply about her father's pause. She said that she bought them outside Baiyun Temple. The stall owner sold them for ten cents each, which was much more profitable than selling grown corn directly.
While listening to his daughter calculating the bill for the stall, Emperor Xingwu grabbed a corn cob and started to chew it in big mouthfuls, even more vigorously than Qin Ren. It was not until he saw his daughter's stunned look that Emperor Xingwu suddenly remembered his current identity and slowed down awkwardly.
Qingyang stared at her father's black mouth and smiled. She did it on purpose because the golden waist badge her father gave her had a limited validity period!
"Black-mouthed father." Leaving behind a nickname full of resentment and anger, the little princess walked away angrily.
Emperor Xingwu shook his head helplessly, finished eating a whole corn cob and looked in the mirror. Although his lips were black, he was in a good mood as he was able to eat the delicious food he had dreamed of since childhood after more than 20 years. He thought that his daughter had given him a gift that was particularly suitable for him.
Although he was reluctant to part with it, Qingyang didn't want to embarrass his father. On August 14th, Qingyang took the initiative to bring the golden waist badge to see his father. He lowered his head and said, "Father, I won't use this waist badge anymore. Can you give it to me? This is my favorite gift you have ever given me. I want to keep it forever."
Although his daughter did not cry, Emperor Xingwu felt heartbroken. However, the government was the government. His ten-year-old daughter had grown taller and could no longer be treated as a child. He had also promised important ministers such as Yan Xizheng that his daughter's badge could only be used until she was ten years old.
Emperor Xingwu patted his daughter's head and said, "Keep it. My daughter is very sensible. Don't worry, your father will definitely give you a gift that you will like even more than this waist badge in the future."
Although he didn't know what the gift would be, his daughter would grow into a big girl in the next few years. Big girls like different things, so he paid close attention and was always able to satisfy his daughter.
Qingyang didn't know what it was, but she believed in her father.
In the evening of the next day, Emperor Xingwu held another banquet to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with civil and military officials.
The ministers waited in Taiji Hall first, while Emperor Xingwu sat in Qianyuan Hall chatting with his three sons. He asked the Crown Prince about his experience at the Censorate, inquired about the second son's martial arts progress, and occasionally glared at the third son, who was neither a scholar nor a warrior. When He Yuanjing entered and invited the emperor to move to Taiji Hall for the banquet, Emperor Xingwu nodded and walked out with his three sons.
As soon as he walked out of the door, Emperor Xingwu looked back and his gaze paused beside the third daughter. Thinking that his youngest daughter had long lost interest in this kind of situation where the emperor and his ministers sat together, Emperor Xingwu continued walking forward.
.
On August 17, the first day of school after the Mid-Autumn Festival, the little princess practiced martial arts in the afternoon.
As he grew taller, Qingyang's arm strength became stronger and stronger. He began to practice archery with a bow of one stone. Before, he used a bow of eight dou. The target was also changed from thirty steps to sixty steps. However, his accuracy was still not good enough. Only one or two arrows out of ten could hit the yellow circle in the middle. After practicing for a while, he couldn't even hit the target.
Usually the little princess would follow Mr. Wu's arrangements and practice as long as she was told. But this time she continued to practice even though she was tired. Perhaps it was because she didn't even hit the yellow circle once today, so the little princess was very unhappy.
Just as Mr. Wu couldn't control the Third Prince's laziness, when the little princess became stubborn, Mr. Wu was also helpless and had to ask the Third Prince to persuade her to prevent the little princess from hurting her arm.
Qin Renbi Wu cares more about his sister than anyone else, and when he fails to persuade her, he wants to take action.
Qingyang looked at the hand of her third brother holding her bow, paused, and then looked at her third brother's face: "Get out of the way."
Qin Ren was startled and frightened by his sister's cold and unfamiliar eyes.
He subconsciously let go.
Qingyang continued to aim and was about to shoot when a figure suddenly blocked the target, about ten steps away from her.
Qingyang frowned and glared at Zhang Su, saying, "Get out of the way too!"
Zhang Su: "Haste makes waste. If your Highness is injured due to our ineffective advice, the Emperor will certainly punish us."
Qingyang: "Do you think only the emperor will punish you? I can do it too!"
Zhang Su: "I am willing to accept the punishment."
The little princess was so angry that she threw down her bow and arrows and walked away. Halfway there she stopped and walked towards the hippodrome, where she could ride a horse even when her arms were tired.
Zhang Su followed at a distance, and after the little princess got on the horse, he promptly took over the reins from the palace maid.
Qingyang held out his hand to him: "The emperor said that I can race horses in the palace."
Zhang Su: "Your Highness is in a bad mood today. For your safety, I will lead the horse for you."
Qingyang turned his head and looked aside: "I'm not bad, I'm just annoyed because you keep shooting in the air."
Zhang Su: "Being angry is not good."
Qingyang didn't want to talk at this time.
Zhang Su led the horse and walked slowly forward. He walked slowly, and the horse walked even slower. The little princess swayed slightly with the horse's body. In the distance was the blue sky, and next to her was the tall figure of a young man.
Thinking of the scene where he stopped in front of the target, Qingyang asked, "Aren't you afraid that I won't be able to withdraw my arrow and I'll really shoot you?"
Zhang Su looked at the little princess and said after a moment of silence, "With your highness's arm strength at that time, I should be able to catch your arrow."
Qingyang: "...What if you can't catch it?"
Zhang Su lowered his eyes and said, "Based on the accuracy of your highness's previous arrows, they would probably hit my shoulder, leg, or even miss."
The little princess couldn't stand it any longer and told him to stop. She then dismounted and found Zhang Su was still approaching her. The little princess immediately started hitting him: "I told you I couldn't hit the target!"
Zhang Su did not move, but his horse, which had been praised by the little princess for its spirit, raised its hoof and moved to the side.
Qingyang saw it, put down her hand, looked up at Zhang Su, and saw that the man was looking back at her calmly, as if he would not bear any resentment even if she continued to hit him.
Qingyang suddenly felt a little uncomfortable: "Why don't you hide?"
Zhang Su: "Your Highness is angry. Rather than letting Your Highness take it out on me, I would rather let you bear it on your behalf."
After beating him up, Qingyang almost calmed down. Hearing the deep meaning in his words, and then glancing at her third brother who wanted to come over but didn't dare to move from a distance, Qingyang regretted her hurtful behavior even more. Her third brother couldn't see what was on her mind, but Zhang Su did.
Facing the chest in front of her, she whispered, "Does it hurt?"
Zhang Su: "It doesn't hurt. I'm just worried that if Your Highness gets on horseback again, the Emperor and His Majesty will worry about you."
Before Qingyang's eyes appeared his father who was busy with state affairs all day long and his mother who was cautious and prudent.
She exhaled and remounted her horse: "Let's go."
If you collect the gold medal yourself, you have to recognize it.
【Author’s words】
Here I come, 100 red envelopes, see you tonight~
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