9 009
"If I study hard, will I become as powerful as my father?"
Liu Wenzhi, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was a meritorious official who directly reported his achievements to Emperor Xingwu. Therefore, Emperor Xingwu knew him very well. After he proclaimed himself emperor in Beijing, he personally placed Liu Wenzhi in a high position in the Ministry of Revenue, second only to the second-rank minister.
The Liu family seemed to be involved in a lawsuit involving the common people, and Emperor Xingwu was very concerned. However, he rarely found time to spend with his five children. Not wanting to spoil their fun, Emperor Xingwu continued to take them to the South Market as if nothing had happened. After lunch at a restaurant and the group returned to the palace, Emperor Xingwu looked at the imperial guards who had followed him and asked, "Is he in the palace?"
"Yes, he is temporarily detained in the Imperial Guard Department."
"Bring it here."
.
Qingyang rested for a while, clutching a carved wooden goose she had personally chosen from a stall in Nanshi. After waking up and washing herself, Qingyang grabbed the goose and wanted to go play with her father. Her mother saw her every day, and Qingyang now preferred to cling to her father, who had recently returned to the capital. Moreover, her father was incredibly strong, and he could hold her for long periods without getting tired.
Concubine Li thought that Emperor Xingwu was free today and loved his daughter very much, so he should be happy to coax his daughter, so she asked the wet nurse and Jie Yu to send her daughter over.
The entire Qianyuan Hall was surrounded by a circle of palace walls and was heavily guarded, but that was for external use. As for the two concubines and children in the inner palace, Emperor Xingwu had already instructed the outer guards not to stop them. The two concubines and the princes and princesses could walk to the front of the Qianyuan Hall unimpeded. When the palace servants informed them, he would decide whether to see them based on his busy schedule.
So, Qingyang arrived at the central hall of Qianyuan Hall smoothly.
As soon as I entered the main gate, I saw three people kneeling in the yard. Two of them were a man and a woman in plain clothes, standing close together, and the other man in silk clothes was kneeling far away on the other side.
Qingyang would occasionally see eunuchs and palace maids being punished to kneel. These three people were obviously from outside. Qingyang found it very novel and even ignored Jie Yu's dissuasion. He ran to the front and tilted his head to look at the three people.
Both the common man and the common woman were crying. The one in silk had half of his face red and swollen, with blood at the corner of his mouth. He avoided looking at her.
Qingyang inexplicably disliked this person and curiously asked the commoner woman, "Why are you crying?"
When asked this question, the woman cried even harder and threw herself into the arms of the man next to her, sobbing uncontrollably. The man in plain clothes also choked with sobs. No one answered Qingyang.
Qingyang felt more and more sorry for them.
Suddenly, an angry roar came from the imperial study: "You still dare to quibble? That's your son. He has been forcibly seizing my wife for half a year. How could you, as a father, not know this?"
"Your Majesty, I really..."
"Bullshit! You knowingly letting someone do what you want is a crime. You're blind and deaf if you don't know your own son is bullying the people. You're either evil or stupid. I'm extremely disappointed in you no matter what you say!"
"Zhou Xu, take them father and son to the Dali Temple for a thorough interrogation. If we don't get to the bottom of anything, you'll be fired as the Dali Temple Minister!"
"I obey your command. Your Majesty, rest assured, I will investigate this case thoroughly!"
When the chief eunuch He Yuanjing escorted the two ministers out, he noticed the little princess standing next to Mr. Wang and his wife. Startled, he quickened his pace and ran over, bending over and coaxing, "When did Your Highness come? Were you frightened?"
Qingyang shook his head and looked towards the window of the imperial study: "Is the emperor angry?"
Before He Yuanjing could answer, the sturdy figure of Emperor Xingwu appeared in front of the main hall door, his brows furrowed and his eyes as cold as ice, as if he wanted to shoot two holes in Liu Wenzhi's back. However, before he aimed his eyes at Liu Wenzhi, he first saw his little daughter a few steps away.
Meeting his daughter's clear, innocent black eyes, Emperor Xingwu's eyes twitched, and it took a great deal of effort for him to force a smile: "Lin'er is here?"
Qingyang left He Yuanjing behind, grabbed the goose in his hand and ran towards his father.
When Emperor Xingwu saw the goose, his anger subsided a bit. He lifted his daughter up with both hands and held her in his arms. He said to Mr. and Mrs. Wang Bo, "You two should go to the Dali Temple to cooperate with the investigation. Once the Dali Temple has thoroughly investigated the case, I will give you and your wife an explanation."
The couple kowtowed and expressed their gratitude with tears in their eyes.
Watching this group of people leave with Zhou Xu, Emperor Xingwu carried his daughter into the imperial study.
Qingyang held the goose in his hands and asked curiously, "Father, what did they do?"
Emperor Xingwu already knew that his little princess liked to ask questions. He was still very angry, so he put his daughter on the couch by the window. He stood beside her and started to tell her the story from the beginning using gestures.
That was the early days of Emperor Xingwu's rebellion. The military and financial resources were far less than those in the later period. During one battle, Emperor Xingwu and 3,000 soldiers were trapped in the mountains by enemy soldiers. There was a shortage of food and fodder. The war horses had to eat rats and sparrows in the mountains. It was so difficult that they almost starved to death. At the critical moment, the food and fodder adjutant Liu Wenzhi led the 2,000 militiamen he had recruited with great effort to attack the enemy at night, clearing a bloody path for Emperor Xingwu and his men.
Emperor Xingwu said: "Without Liu Wenzhi, my father would have either starved to death or been killed by the enemy if he failed to break out. He saved my life. Do you think this is a great achievement?"
Qingyang, who listened very attentively, said, "Big."
Emperor Xingwu's eyes welled up. "Conquering the empire is difficult. The meritorious officials around me are all talented, and I like them all. After I became emperor, I gave them high positions and generous salaries, hoping that they would enjoy the good life with me and continue to assist me in governing the country. But, Liu Wenzhi actually allowed his son to steal the common people's wives..."
Qingyang: "Wife, is that the woman who just cried so pitifully?"
Emperor Xingwu: "...Yes, she is the wife of scholar Wang Bo, just like your mother and father. You said that your mother and father were living a happy life, but she was suddenly snatched away by another bad guy, who bullied her every day and didn't allow her to go home to be with me or you. He made our whole family cry and feel sad day and night. Is that bad guy hateful or not?"
Qingyang said angrily, "How hateful! No one is allowed to take my mother away!"
Emperor Xingwu: "What's even more hateful is that the people outside know that Liu Wenzhi was promoted to a high-ranking official by my father. Liu Wenzhi condoned his son's bad behavior for more than half a year, and both father and son are still fine. The people must think that my father and the officials he selected are also condoning them. They think that my father is a tyrant like the previous emperor, and that my father's court is also a tyrant court that specializes in oppressing the people!"
Qingyang: "Father is not a tyrant. He doesn't even steal the shopkeeper's gold jewelry."
Emperor Xingwu was startled, then looked at his daughter's angry face as she stood up for him. All his anger and pity for his former hero suddenly subsided. He picked up his daughter and said, "Yes, father is not a tyrant. As long as father punishes the bad guys, the people will understand that I am not on the same side with them."
Qingyang looked at his father's face anxiously: "Is the emperor still angry?"
Emperor Xingwu smiled and said, "Don't be angry anymore. Anger is harmful to your health. We can't let others' mistakes make us angry."
Qingyang was relieved and raised the goose in his hand: "Then father, please play with me. I will be the goose and you will be the fish."
Emperor Xingwu looked at the cute little goose carved out of wood, put his daughter down, and cooperated by pretending to be a little fish, swimming in the imperial study, waiting for his daughter to catch him.
Because of the evil deeds of the officials, Emperor Xingwu slept alone in the Qianyuan Palace tonight. Seeing that her father was not there, Qingyang stayed with her mother and asked her mother to sleep with her.
Of course, Concubine Li would not refuse her daughter.
The tent was quiet. Qingyang stayed in his mother's arms for a while, then suddenly asked, "Mother, why does Lord Liu's son want to steal someone else's wife?"
Concubine Li: "...Where did you hear that?"
Qingyang told her mother the part she remembered, which helped Concubine Li understand the whole story.
Concubine Li sighed, "Some men are lustful. When they see a beautiful woman, they only dare to look at her and not steal her for fear of breaking the law and getting caught. But some men are lustful and bold. When they see a beautiful woman, they want to take her for themselves, even if it means breaking the law."
Qingyang: "I don't like them."
Concubine Li: "No one likes them. They are all bad guys."
Qingyang: "Will someone come to snatch my mother?"
Concubine Li smiled and patted her daughter's head, saying, "If mother lived in an ordinary family, she might have encountered such a bad guy, but mother married the emperor, who is the most powerful and powerful person in the world. No one dares to snatch me from him."
Qingyang was curious again: "Why is my father so powerful?"
Concubine Li thought for a moment and concluded, "Because my father is a skilled martial artist, has good character, and is intelligent. His martial arts skills enabled him to defeat the villains who bullied him, and his character enabled him to make many powerful and reliable friends. These people were willing to serve him, and the people trusted him. His intelligence enabled my father to win battles and rule the country."
Qingyang: "What is character?"
Concubine Li: "...Lin'er will be going to Chongwen Pavilion to study tomorrow. You can ask the teacher then. He knows much more than mother."
Qingyang was also a little sleepy, and finally asked the question she wanted to know most: "If I study hard, will I become as powerful as my father?"
Concubine Li coaxed her daughter softly: "Of course."
.
Emperor Xingwu had high hopes for his princes and set strict requirements for them. He ordered them to go to Chongwen Pavilion at 4:15 am every day to study for half an hour, then have breakfast, and continue studying after breakfast.
Crown Prince Qin Hong, Second Prince Qin Bing, and Third Prince Qin Ren were all born outside the palace. Their two elder brothers began their education at age six, and their daily study schedules were similar to those of ordinary children from prominent families, not as strict. Qin Ren was only five years old when he entered the palace. Upon learning that the princes of previous dynasties had begun their education at age four, Emperor Xingwu sent the third son to study at Chongwen Pavilion, thus eliminating Qin Ren's frequent sleepless nights.
Emperor Xingwu had different expectations for his daughters and raised them differently. Princess Yongkang was fourteen years old when she entered the palace and had finished all the books she was supposed to read. Emperor Xingwu arranged for his eldest daughter to learn the talents and household management skills that a noble lady should have from several female teachers. If Yongkang liked reading, he could arrange for female teachers to read with her alone in her own palace to help her cultivate her character and broaden her horizons.
Originally, Emperor Xingwu's plan for educating his youngest daughter was the same as that of his eldest daughter, but the youngest daughter loved reading so much at the age of three, and the little girl liked to go to Chongwen Pavilion. Emperor Xingwu suddenly decided to order several existing teachers in Chongwen Pavilion to continue to give enlightenment lessons to the little princess.
Considering that his daughter was too young, Emperor Xingwu allowed her to arrive at Chongwen Pavilion at 9:00 PM and let the teacher teach her for half an hour first, and then adjust the teaching time according to her attitude.
On June 11, Qingyang had a good sleep as usual. After waking up, he washed, ate and drank, and packed up just in time to set off.
The wet nurse walked on the left side of the little princess, carrying a set of clothes in her bag. Jie Yu walked on the right side of the princess, carrying a set of four treasures of the study in her school bag.
To get from Li Fei's Xianfu Palace to Chongwen Pavilion, one had to go around Qianyuan Hall. After walking down several palace roads, Qingyang became unhappy: "I want to live in the East Palace too."
The imperial brothers don’t have to walk such a long distance from the East Palace to Chongwen Pavilion.
The wet nurse smiled and said, "If Your Highness really lives in the Eastern Palace, it would be more convenient for him to visit the Empress in the morning and evening than to live in the Xianfu Palace."
Qingyang was quiet for a while, then said, "I will stay in the Eastern Palace tonight. I will return to my mother after finishing my studies and have dinner with her before returning to the Eastern Palace."
wet nurse:"……"
She looked at Jie Yu, who smiled faintly. Where the little princess lived would ultimately depend on the emperor's decision.
When they arrived at the lecture hall, Mr. Guo, who was in his fifties, was already waiting there. Qingyang followed Jie Yu's instructions and performed the ceremony of becoming a teacher in a proper manner.
Mr. Guo pretended to coax the child, helped the little princess up, and then asked her to sit behind the table.
There was a teacher and one disciple, and there was only a desk in the middle of the lecture hall. Jie Yu silently laid out the four treasures of the study. Qingyang twisted her neck to look out the window and found that across the courtyard was her third brother Qin Ren's lecture hall. She could clearly see her third brother and Zhang Su who was sitting behind him.
Just as Qingyang was about to call for help, Mr. Guo, who had been observing the little princess, said, "It's class time now. Princess, you must not make any noise, and you must not disturb the three highnesses while they are studying."
Qingyang shut his mouth obediently.
After everything was ready, Qingyang sat down and Jie Yu went outside to wait with the wet nurse.
Mr. Guo hung two couplets on the wall behind the podium, which read "The Mysterious Yellowness of Heaven and Earth" and "The Great Desolation of the Universe" respectively.
His task today is to let the little princess know the meaning of these eight words, so that she can recognize the words and understand their meaning. As for practicing calligraphy, she will have to wait until the little princess is five years old.
The heaven and earth are easy to explain, and there is much to say about the universe and the ancient times. Qingyang is studious, and Mr. Guo is also very good at keeping the interest of young students, so half an hour passed in a relatively relaxed and enjoyable manner.
When Mr. Guo announced that today's class was over, Qingyang was still reluctant to leave: "Sir, can you give me another half hour?"
Mr. Guo smiled and said, "Studying should be done step by step. Princess, don't be impatient."
Qingyang: "Then can I ask you a question, sir?"
Mr. Guo said kindly, "Sure. What would you like to know, Princess?"
Qingyang looked out the window and saw her three brothers and their study companions coming out. She said anxiously, "Let's talk about it after class. I'm going out first!"
After saying that, the little princess happily ran out of the classroom and headed towards her third brother.
The four brothers and sisters quickly gathered together.
Qin Bing looked at his sister as if she were a little fool: "We all wish we could sleep in more and do less homework, but you actually asked to study."
Qingyang: "I can sleep in. The teacher didn't give me any homework. I can recognize all eight characters."
Qin Bing: “…”
Qin Ren: "Are you tired of sitting here all the time?"
Qingyang: "I didn't sit still the whole time. The professor asked me to go to the front and watch him write, and also asked me to walk around the lecture hall a few times."
Qin Hong nodded. It seemed that Mr. Guo was very good at taking care of his sister.
Qingyang looked at Zhang Su, who was standing under the eaves like a small tree. Just as he was about to go find him, his second brother's big face suddenly leaned over and asked quietly, "I heard that father was angry yesterday. Do you know what happened?"
His mother reminded him to listen carefully these days so as not to run into his father who was in an uneasy mood, but she did not tell him the specific reason.
Qin Hong's expression changed slightly, and he whispered, "You are not allowed to inquire about Father's affairs."
Qin Bing reached out and pushed him back: "Then don't listen."
Qin Hong: "..."
Qingyang asked his third brother, "Can't I tell you?"
Qin Ren glanced at his eldest brother and said hesitantly, "If it's just between us siblings, should it be okay?"
Qin Hong really wanted to know, and seeing that his two younger brothers agreed, he acquiesced.
After Qingyang finished speaking, she left her three brothers who were discussing the matter and ran to Zhang Su. Seeing Zhang Su's eyelashes drooping, and the look of not wanting to talk to her, Qingyang was very dissatisfied: "Didn't the Duke say anything about you yesterday?"
Zhang Su: “…I said it.”
Qingyang: "Will you listen to me from now on?"
Zhang Su: "...I listen, but Princess, you cannot force me to do something that is against etiquette and law."
Qingyang: "I won't let you do anything bad."
Just as Zhang Su was relieved, the little princess suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand.
Zhang Su almost got rid of him again.
Seeing that he was obediently holding her hand, Qingyang smiled and pulled Zhang Su towards his lecture hall: "I have learned eight new characters. Let me show you."
A large and a small person crossed the middle of the yard.
Qin Bing saw this and reminded Qin Ren: "Sister is almost becoming Zhang Su's biological sister."
Qin Ren yawned loudly: "I'm going to sleep for a while."
.
After Qingyang asked Mr. Guo what character was, he left Chongwen Pavilion and went to see his father on the way.
Emperor Xingwu was reviewing the memorials handed over by the Secretariat, and as it was almost time for a break, he asked He Yuanjing to bring his daughter in.
Qingyang: "Father, have you concluded yesterday's case?"
Emperor Xingwu was surprised and asked, "You still remember this?"
Qingyang: "I forgot it this morning, but my second brother asked me and I remembered it again."
After Emperor Xingwu finished revising the memorial, he lifted his daughter into his arms, tapped her nose, and said, "There are things I'm willing to share with Lin'er, but not necessarily with others. So, if anyone asks me about my father again, let them ask me themselves. If they don't dare to ask, I won't tell them."
Qingyang agreed immediately: "Okay, then is the case clear?"
Emperor Xingwu said: "It is clear now. There is irrefutable evidence that Liu Wenzhi's son forcibly took a commoner's wife. There are also multiple witnesses who prove that Liu Wenzhi protected his son. Both father and son are bad people."
Qingyang: "Did the emperor punish them?"
Emperor Xingwu: "I'll punish you."
According to the newly promulgated Qi law of the Great Qi Dynasty, anyone who raped a woman was sentenced to death, and Liu Wenzhi was dismissed from office and exiled for three years.
As the first meritorious official to be punished in this dynasty, Emperor Xingwu ordered people to announce this matter to officials and people all over the world to serve as a warning to others and to show his intention to govern the country and ensure the people's safety.
However, Emperor Xingwu did not mention the beheading to his youngest daughter to avoid giving her nightmares.
When Qingyang knew the result, he changed his mind: "Father, I want to live in the East Palace with my third brother. It's too tiring to walk from mother's place to Chongwen Pavilion."
Emperor Xingwu: "...will you continue to listen to the teacher's lecture tomorrow?"
Qingyang: "Well, I like Mr. Guo."
Emperor Xingwu smiled and said, "Okay, then you can go live in your third brother's palace first. Next year, your father will grant you a palace all to himself."
【Author’s words】
Here I come, 100 red envelopes, see you tomorrow [kiss]
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