Chapter 46 A Small Gift
It took Zhu Yuhuan more than half a year to return from her trip to the capital. Empress Dowager Zhang, seeing how tall, thin and dark she was, put aside the previous awkwardness between the two and began to feel sorry for her granddaughter.
After all, it was a trip outside the Great Wall. At his age, Zhu Zhanji had only accompanied Zhu Di on campaigns, staying behind in Shuntian, which was not yet the capital. Zhu Yuhuan, a young woman, had already made a trip outside the Great Wall and returned. Thanks to the recent end of the Wuliangha tribute trade, the border was relatively calm, and Zhu Yuhuan's trip was safe and sound.
Not to mention Empress Dowager Zhang, the concubines and female officials were also relieved to see that Zhu Yuhuan was safe and sound.
Although he had lost some weight and did not look as radiant as before at first glance, Zhu Yuhuan was as energetic as ever. He even wrote down his thoughts and feelings on the border in an article and submitted it to Zhu Zhanji.
While essentially a eulogy, it praised everyone from Emperor Taizu all the way to Zhu Zhanji, praising their systems and constructions. Her writing was exceptionally well-written, with a solid foundation of reasoning. She also explained the benefits of Zhu Zhanji's return to Kaiping and the construction of a new fortress, effectively expounding upon His Majesty's well-intentioned efforts for the country and its people. Zhu Zhanji, naturally, was overjoyed and ordered a low-ranking eunuch in the Imperial Household Department to copy the document and distribute it to his subordinates.
He often wrote poems and essays and distributed them throughout the country to explain his political views. However, he was the emperor after all, and it was too embarrassing to always have to explain his actions everywhere. With Zhu Yuhuan's "explanation", everything seemed so natural.
Of course, this was also to silence the ministers. After all, according to popular belief, Zhu Yuhuan was a princess and should have been more respectful of etiquette than ordinary women. Most young ladies in the boudoir usually stayed inside the house. But Zhu Yuhuan was not only going out this time, but also going far away, so she had to have an explanation.
This article can be used to answer questions. The princess went on tour on behalf of His Majesty to understand the people's sentiments, and the border was stable. The princess also returned safely and wrote a beautiful article. This action is obviously telling the ministers not to say too much.
Zhu Zhanji was good at managing his subordinates, and the relationship between the monarch and his ministers had always been harmonious. He had previously left the palace to secretly visit Yang Shiqi, which had scared the old man. He was no less scheming than these old ministers who were much older than him. Moreover, he was older, and no one wanted to get into trouble at this time.
Moreover, Princess Shunde had already returned, so it was pointless to say more at this time. It would be better to please Zhu Zhanji and praise him more. Moreover, Zhu Yuhuan's article was indeed well written, and his choice of words and sentences was far beyond the imagination of many ministers.
After all, Zhu Yuhuan was a royal princess, and only a few people had actually read her articles. No matter how much praise she received from outsiders, the ministers would subconsciously regard these praises as mere formalities.
But after really reading Zhu Yuhuan's article, the ministers finally understood why Zhu Zhanji was so confident and bold to copy and distribute Princess Shunde's article. It turned out that the saying that Princess Shunde was smart was not just a compliment.
The ministers were surprised by their behavior, but Zhu Yuhuan went out of the palace as usual, either going to the Dongyue Temple or to the Taiping Teahouse and Cloth Shop.
It was the New Year, a bustling time, and both places were extremely crowded. Dongyue Temple was especially crowded, with even more people coming to burn incense during the New Year. When Zhu Yuhuan came to discuss Taoism with Liu Yuanran, he would often see women.
“I’ve never seen so many people on weekdays.”
Seeing her curiosity, Liu Yuanran explained with a smile, "Your Highness may not know this, but your agricultural book has been circulating in the capital for some time. Now it has been distributed to the ministers and has spread to the people. Some say that the princess even dared to personally patrol the border with General Liu, unafraid of the barbarians. The people are extremely curious about what kind of person Your Highness is."
Zhu Yuhuan blinked, finally understanding, and said with a smile: "So they came to Dongyue Temple to see me?"
"Not to mention the Dongyue Temple, I've heard that the Taiping Teahouse and Chengping Cloth Shop are even busier, with many people wanting to see His Highness."
Zhu Yuhuan hadn't expected to become a wild tourism ambassador himself. He laughed heartily and said, "Even if you come here, you might not be able to see it. Thank goodness everyone took the trouble to come all the way here."
It was probably because the news of Zhu Yuhuan patrolling the border with the army had spread, and it could be said that countless people had seen her appearance. This behavior was completely different from the princesses in the past who never left the house. In addition, the current relaxed atmosphere made it possible for people to boldly try their luck and see what the legendary Princess Shunde looked like.
If Zhu Yuhuan had not previously donated grain and set up a charity, her reputation would probably not be so good, and most people would probably only accuse Zhu Yuhuan of being unfaithful to her husband.
"If it weren't for the princess' kindness and exemplary conduct, the people wouldn't have such deep faith in the Zhengyi Dao." Liu Yuanran said with some emotion, "It's because of your highness that the Dongyue Temple has benefited from this."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuhuan touched his chin, as if thinking about something.
It seems that Zhu Zhanji is using her as one of the signs of world peace, but he has to be more careful in his actions in the future. After all, the influence of the princess's identity is stronger than before. It is said that every move is an example to the world. The most important thing is that it is easier for others to catch her and easily expose her true colors.
Liu Yuanran waited until Zhu Yuhuan turned around before continuing, "To be honest, Your Highness, after the New Year is over, I will retire and return to Yingtian."
Zhu Yuhuan raised his eyebrows slightly and asked in surprise, "Why is the Master's decision so hasty? Now is the time for His Majesty to trust the Master."
She had heard from her younger sister who often went to the Renzhi Hall that when Zhu Zhanji was painting his portrait, he often summoned Liu Yuanran to discuss Taoism with him, which showed that he was quite fond of Liu Yuanran.
Liu Yuanran said solemnly, "Thanks to the kindness of Your Majesty and Your Highness, Zhengyi Dao is now highly respected in the capital, fulfilling my wish to revitalize Zhengyi Dao. Your Highness is enjoying a flourishing time, and it would be inconvenient for me to remain in the capital any longer. I once mentioned to Your Majesty that Your Highness has a good understanding of Taoism, and you could learn from my disciple Shao Tongmiao in the future. If the people need a doctor on a daily basis, the princess can also provide free medical treatment at the Dongyue Temple."
Zhu Yuhuan was stunned and immediately understood the implication of Liu Yuanran's words.
She deliberately became close to Liu Yuanran and Zhengyi Dao, not because she was truly interested in Daoism, nor because she wanted to prolong her life like Zhu Zhanji did. She simply wanted to create an image of being close to Daoism, so that Zhu Zhanji wouldn't listen to other people's rumors and find a husband for her early.
But being too close to religion wasn't always a good thing, especially since Liu Yuanran and Zhu Zhanji were also very close. Zhu Zhanji even took the elixirs Liu Yuanran made. If Zhu Zhanji made a mistake, it was hard to guarantee that people wouldn't suspect Zhu Yuhuan and Liu Yuanran of collusion. For the sake of both parties' futures, Liu Yuanran naturally took the initiative to step back.
That being said, Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but think of something else - could it be that Liu Yuanran discovered that Zhu Zhanji's health was not good, so he planned to just pack up and run away...
Fortunately, Liu Yuanran's next move completely dispelled Zhu Yuhuan's doubts. This Zhengyi Taoist, known by the rather lengthy title of "Great True Man," solemnly held out a small bottle and said, "This elixir was meticulously crafted by me. I present it to Your Highness as a token of my gratitude. If Your Highness needs it again, my disciples in the capital are also proficient in alchemy and often offer it to Your Majesty."
Zhu Yuhuan fell silent. Looking at Liu Yuanran's sincere face, she took it and said, "Thank you for your trouble."
Although she would never dare to eat such a thing, it was still a good intention of this great master. At worst, she could just present it to Zhu Zhanji. Anyway, this thing was a delicacy in Zhu Zhanji's eyes.
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