Prince Hong's Practical Lesson
Prince Hong has been absent-minded lately.
When reading aloud in the morning, I would hold the Book of Documents and be lost in thought; when practicing calligraphy, I would not even notice the ink spreading on the rice paper.
That afternoon, as usual, he came to the palace to pay his respects and happened to meet Wu Meiniang holding Princess Taiping's little hand, teaching her to recognize a model of a grain transport ship.
"Look, this boat can transport rice from Jiangnan to Chang'an." Wu Meiniang gently rocked the small wooden boat, and Taiping stretched out her chubby little hand to grab it.
Seeing her daughter's curiosity, she simply picked up the child and walked to the window, pointing to the scattered sails on the canal in the distance: "Taiping, look, those are grain transport boats, carrying grain to Chang'an."
(OS: This little rascal is curious about everything lately, which reminds me of when I was showing interns around on projects in my past life. But the interns wouldn't be drooling over me like that.)
When Li Zhi returned from court, he saw his eldest son standing by the palace gate looking melancholy, so he asked gently, "Hong'er, is something on your mind?"
Crown Prince Hong hesitated for a moment, then finally mustered his courage: "Father, I have read the 'Yu Gong' which records the products of the nine provinces, but I wonder how different the words in the book are from the realities of people's lives?"
Upon hearing this, Wu Meiniang turned around, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes.
(OS: Good lad! That's a great question! Much better than those old pedants who only know classical Chinese. It seems my philosophy of starting quality education from a young age is correct; even Hong'er has finally figured it out.)
She handed Taiping over to the wet nurse, and by the time she reached the prince, she already had a plan.
(OS: Isn't this just a ready-made social practice lesson? Back when I was an intern, I followed the project manager to construction sites, and I learned so much more than sitting in an office. Wait... should I design an internship plan for Hong'er?)
"Your Majesty," her eyes lit up, "since Hong'er has this question, why not let him go to the canal docks and see for himself how grain is loaded and unloaded, and how the canal workers labor? It's better than reading the 'Tribute of Yu' ten times."
Li Zhi hesitated for a moment: "What about the Grand Tutor..."
"I'll speak to the Grand Tutor," Wu Meiniang immediately interjected, a sly glint in her eyes. "Governing a country can't rely solely on books; Hong'er should be allowed to travel and see more of the world. If the Grand Tutor is still concerned, he can certainly accompany him."
Three days later, Prince Hong stood on the canal wharf, watching the workers shouting as they carried sacks of grain, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.
He tried to lift a bag of rice and almost fell over because of its weight, but luckily an old canal worker next to him caught him in time.
"Your Highness, please be careful," the old canal worker said with a simple smile, "This bag of rice weighs at least fifty pounds."
(OS: Fifty jin! How many bags do these workers carry in a day? No wonder Hong'er's hands were shaking when he came back. Now he should know how much blood and sweat is behind the seemingly insignificant "100,000 shi of grain transported by the Grand Canal".)
Upon his return, Prince Hong wrote a report titled "On-site Investigation of the Grand Canal" overnight. He not only recorded his observations in detail but also put forward three suggestions for improvement: to add rest sheds at the docks, to provide back supports for workers, and to improve loading and unloading tools.
Wu Zetian flipped through the report and nodded in satisfaction.
(OS: Not bad, not bad, you know how to apply what you've learned. Looks like I'll have to arrange several field trips every month to cultivate a practical successor.)
She looked at Taiping, who was learning to walk unsteadily, and suddenly a flash of inspiration struck her.
(OS: When this little one gets a bit older, I'll have to arrange some practical lessons for her. I'll start by inspecting the imperial kitchen, and also supervise the quality of the meals.)
An announcement came from outside the palace that the Grand Tutor was requesting an audience. Wu Meiniang calmly straightened her sleeves.
At this moment, Taiping suddenly staggered up to Prince Hong, shoved the small canal boat model she had been clutching into his hand, and mumbled, "Brother, brother..."
Wu Meiniang smiled as she watched this heartwarming scene.
(OS: It seems the practical lesson was very effective; even Taiping has learned to share toys. But wait... isn't that model His Majesty's favorite?)
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