The Imperial Palace, the Imperial Study.
Emperor Zhao Changheng was about thirty years old.
Wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, he was currently bent over his desk, intently reviewing memorials.
Suddenly, a palace attendant entered from outside the room. He walked very quickly, but his footsteps made no sound.
He held a memorial in his hands and knelt down before the imperial desk to begin his presentation.
"Your Majesty, the Council of State Affairs has submitted a report on those who have performed outstanding deeds in local history. We request that they be commended."
Zhao Changheng put down his vermilion brush and looked up.
His facial features were three or four parts similar to Zhao Changqing's, and he was handsome and dashing.
He craned his neck to look at the memorial in the eunuch's hand and asked suspiciously, "Those who are outstanding in character and conduct can be recommended by local officials, reviewed by the censors and provincial judges, and directly transferred to their superiors as officials, and their families can be honored. Why must it be submitted to me for personal approval?"
"Your Majesty, please allow me to inform you that among those who have submitted petitions for commendation, some have violated the Second Prince's name. Therefore, this petition has been specially submitted to Your Majesty for your decision. Should we... bestow another name and then issue a commendation?"
"Bring it here."
The eunuch respectfully presented the memorial to the emperor for his perusal.
Zhao Changheng carefully read through the detailed contents.
It is said that there was a woman named He Youyou in Jizhou who, along with her nephew Zhao Wenqi, noticed the spread of sorghum pests in the area and promptly reported it to the local government, thus averting a natural disaster.
This demonstrates lofty aspirations and noble character, and deserves to be commended.
After reviewing the case, the Provincial Surveillance Commission added their own opinion: "We believe that Zhao Wenqi's name violates the taboo of the Second Prince's name and should be changed. We would like to ask Your Majesty's opinion."
The emperor was deeply moved after reading it.
I felt a deep sense of regret and remorse.
well.
They're all eight years old, and the Second Prince is also eight years old...
How can there be such a huge difference between people?
At just eight years old, he has already made such great contributions to the local people.
Where is our second prince?
Last month, it even made the Queen so angry that she had a headache every day...
Thinking about this makes Zhao Changheng angry.
The Empress is currently six months pregnant and will likely give birth soon. Can she withstand his anger?
Therefore, in order to ensure the Empress could give birth smoothly, he was quickly sent out of the palace.
Is it a violation of a name taboo?
Hey, it's not that Zhao Changheng is siding with outsiders...
A child like him, with such character, deserves the name "Qi".
If anyone should change their name, it should be the Second Prince.
Zhao Changheng pondered for a long time and found the coincidence quite interesting, so he wanted to show it to the Empress.
They could just pack up and go.
He tucked the memorial into his sleeve and got up to go to the Phoenix Palace where the Empress resided.
Inside the Phoenix Palace, the Empress was resting on her couch.
Upon suddenly hearing that the Emperor had arrived, they quickly helped the palace maids to the door to greet him.
Upon seeing this, Zhao Changheng hurriedly stepped forward and put his arm around his wife's waist: "I told you long ago that you were heavily pregnant and didn't need to come out to greet me, why didn't you listen?"
"Ritual must not be abandoned."
"Sigh, you've only been Empress for a few months, but you've already learned a lot of empty rhetoric. We used to get along much better when we were in the Eastern Palace."
"Your Majesty, how can things be compared to the past?"
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the Empress couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why are you visiting me at this hour? Shouldn't you be in the Imperial Study reviewing memorials?"
The Emperor couldn't help but laugh: "I encountered something strange and came here specifically to show it to you."
As he spoke, he took out the memorial from his sleeve, unfolded it, and showed it to the Empress.
The Empress found it amusing.
"It's common to have the same name, so it's not surprising. But it's really rare to have the same first and last name."
Zhao Changheng said, "Jizhou is the former territory of this dynasty, and there are many people with the surnames Zhao and Han, so it is not surprising that they share the same surname."
"They're even the same age, eight years old."
The Emperor sighed again, "That's right. The other child is also eight years old, and the Second Prince is also eight years old. They are children of the same age, yet their behavior is so different..."
The Empress, who is currently pregnant, is emotionally unstable and easily moved: "At such a young age, she has already rendered meritorious service to the people. Your Majesty must reward her handsomely."
Zhao Changheng nodded: "Exactly. Regarding the matter of violating the taboo of names, I think, why should he be forced to change his name? Can members of the royal family be so shameless? No, not only will I not make him change his name, but I will also publicize this matter among the royal family members, especially in front of the Second Prince, and see if he is ashamed of himself."
The Queen agreed.
"Your Majesty, keep this memorial safe and show it to the Second Prince when he returns."
"Absolutely."
On that day, the State Affairs Hall received an imperial edict from the Emperor.
The righteous woman of Jizhou, He Youyou, erected a plaque at her door to commemorate her noble character.
His young nephew, Zhao Wenqi, though young, is already a teacher to him. The Emperor bestowed upon him a gold medal of blessing and longevity as a reward.
When the Grand Secretaries of the Council of State Affairs saw this instruction, they all understood its meaning.
The fact that the second prince is neither loved by his father nor his mother...
It's confirmed.
Jizhou City, He Residence.
The second prince, Zhao Wenqi, was holding a bamboo skewer with a sausage on it.
Deep-fried, it smells so good.
She took a big bite: "Auntie, this is so delicious, how did you make it?"
While looking at the ledger, He Youyou explained, "It's made by adding starch to minced pork, rolling it into round strips, and steaming it."
"Auntie, this is so delicious! Can I eat it every day?"
Um?
He Youyou hesitated for a moment.
Is it healthy for children to eat too many sausages?
Isn't there a lot of additives?
Can I eat this every day?
Seeing her hesitation, Qin Ming misunderstood her intentions.
He thought He Youyou was in a difficult position.
He immediately pulled out a stack of silver notes from his pocket: "Madam Han, this is my young master's living expenses for this month."
He Youyou took it and nodded.
Five thousand taels.
"Didn't we just give them a thousand taels during Qingming Festival?" she asked in surprise.
Qin Ming lowered his head, his expression quite respectful: "My young master... he has a lot on his plate, which has caused trouble for Madam."
He Youyou nodded.
really.
Since that's the case, she accepted it.
After another incense stick's time, a guest suddenly arrived.
He Youyou went downstairs and saw the prefect, dressed in plain clothes, standing under the acacia tree in the courtyard.
"Your Excellency, Prefect."
"Mrs. Han."
"Please come upstairs and have a seat."
Xie Zhihong waved his hand and said, "Madam, you don't need to be so polite. I just happened to be passing by and will leave after a few words."
Since he said so, He Youyou did not insist.
"Your Excellency, please speak."
“I was talking to my wife about encouraging land reclamation a few days ago, and I now have a solution. In the past few days, I have summoned the county magistrates and many village elders under my jurisdiction to learn more about the difficulties in land reclamation. The difficulties lie in manpower, animal power, and material resources. Therefore, after discussing with the officials of the prefectural government, I think that the government can step in to solve these problems.”
"How does Your Excellency intend to resolve this?"
"If anyone is willing to cultivate the land, the government can provide oxen, farming tools and seeds."
He Youyou pondered for a moment after hearing this.
"You mean it's free, sir?"
"yes."
He Youyou shook her head: "I think it's inappropriate to provide it for free."
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