Chapter 242
The Crown Prince led the way, followed by Yu Ningxuan, Yu Ningxin, and the other sisters. They spent their time admiring flowers, searching for herbs, and composing poetry.
In short, their main focus could be summed up in one word: dawdling!
Old Madam Yu, Madam Zhang, and her sisters-in-law were actually walking much more briskly now than when they first climbed the mountain, yet they insisted that the rainy mountain path was treacherous and they needed to walk slowly.
[Master, what kind of luck do these people have? If they keep walking like this while I gather the clouds and bring the rain, they will be drenched from head to toe.]
"Why else do you think I dragged the whole family up the mountain? It was all so they could get rained on in a perfectly reasonable way. Just do your job and make it rain, and let them get soaked."
The group finally dawdled until the clouds parted and the rain stopped before returning to the estate.
"Do not wash these clothes. Pack them away carefully in a box for me."
This exact instruction echoed in quite a few rooms. The maids did not understand, but they respected the orders!
Seeing how much importance their masters placed on this, they all carefully packed the clothes away. As for what they were actually thinking in their hearts, no one could tell.
After a hearty lunch, the crowd, who should have been exhausted, were instead brimming with energy.
Yu Chongshan said he was going to check on the growth of the crops in the fields, while Yu Ningxuan and the other girls said they wanted to follow Madam Zhang and the others to dig for wild vegetables.
Madam Zhang said with a smile, "I noticed that Fuguang quite enjoyed the dishes made with shepherd's purse today, and so did Father and Mother. Why don't we dig up some more before heading back to the manor?
We can also bring some back for the Master and the boys to try something fresh."
Old Madam Yu nodded in agreement, very satisfied with her eldest daughter-in-law's quick wit.
The Crown Prince, who had originally planned to go catch wild geese, couldn't help but change his mind upon hearing this. Although his imperial mother and imperial grandmother hadn't had the chance to get rained on,
they absolutely could not miss out on the wild vegetables nourished by the spiritual rain.
He was just wondering what excuse he could use to join the vegetable-digging team without seeming out of place, when he heard Old Madam Yu ask, "Fuguang, are you going out to play with your mother and aunts, or are you going to rest for a while?"
This child had a habit of taking afternoon naps, rain or shine. Old Madam Yu had already ordered a young maid to make her bed, so she was merely asking out of courtesy.
"Grandmother, I'm sleepy. I want to sleep for a bit."
The Crown Prince relaxed. Once Yue Fuguang went for her nap, he didn't even need to find an excuse; Yu Chongshan had already ordered someone to prepare the tools for him.
The next time Emperor Mingxi saw his son, it was in the Empress Dowager's palace.
From the doorway, he could hear the cheerful laughter coming from inside the hall. "Crown Prince, I heard that you came back covered in mud. Did you fail to catch any wild geese and fall into the river instead?"
Faced with his imperial father's teasing, Xie Zhiyan didn't even have to open his mouth before he heard the Empress Dowager say, "Which blabbermouth did the Emperor hear this from?"
She glared crossly at the attendants beside the Emperor.
Qian Gui, who was standing behind the Emperor, thought: I am truly wronged! I am wherever His Majesty is. Even if I wanted to blabber, I wouldn't have any gossip to share!
Emperor Mingxi raised an eyebrow and looked at the Crown Prince, saying, "Crown Prince, you tell me. Is that not the case?"
Seeing his imperial mother speak up for his son, Emperor Mingxi suddenly felt a sense of falling out of favor. Could it be that he was no longer his imperial mother's favorite son?
He refused to believe it!
Xie Zhiyan chuckled inwardly. He just wondered if his imperial father would still have this calm, spectating expression once he revealed the truth.
He, too, wanted to watch a good show and see how his imperial father's face would change.
The Crown Prince bowed and said, "It is exactly as Imperial Father said. I was indeed covered in mud when I returned to the palace."
"The Crown Prince should be a role model for all subjects in the world. Your etiquette is not only a matter of personal cultivation, but it also concerns the order of the state and the image presented to the world.
The Crown Prince's status is noble, so your adherence to etiquette and proper conduct must be even more rigorous. There is no room for any negligence. This is both a safeguard of your status and an example for the people of the world..."
Emperor Mingxi spoke with great fervor. How long had it been since he had lectured his son so thoroughly and satisfyingly?
It seemed like it had been since the Junior Preceptor appeared...?
Xie Zhiyan bowed and listened quietly, silently watching him perform. The happier his imperial father was speaking now, the harder the slap to his face would be later.
He just didn't know if his imperial father would still have the face to eat the things he brought back.
Waiting until Emperor Mingxi had finished his passionate speech and picked up his teacup to moisten his throat, Xie Zhiyan finally said, "Imperial Father's reprimand is correct. I will not do it again next time."
He deliberately smiled with a hint of embarrassment. "It was also my recklessness today. I thought about how Imperial Grandmother, Imperial Father, and Imperial Mother didn't have the chance to get caught in the rain.
So I figured it would be good for you to taste the wild vegetables that had absorbed the rainwater."
"What rain? What wild vegetables?"
Emperor Mingxi was taken aback by his seemingly nonsensical words.
Why did he suddenly have the lingering illusion that he was about to be tricked!
The Empress Dowager gave a mischievous smile and said, "Crown Prince, repeat what you just told your imperial grandmother and imperial mother to your imperial father."
"Yes." The Crown Prince turned to Emperor Mingxi and said, "Following Imperial Father's orders, I..."
Emperor Mingxi gritted his teeth and said, "So, the Little Immortal Lord and the Divine Artifact Lord brought down a spiritual rain upon the estate!"
He clenched his fists. "This spiritual rain not only helps the crops grow, but even people who get caught in it will find their bodies growing stronger?"
"That is indeed the case. Not to mention myself, but Song Xiang and the guards who accompanied me, some of them had hidden injuries and old wounds from years of martial arts practice or running errands, and all of them have shown signs of improvement."
It wasn't just signs of improvement; they were mostly healed.
However, the Crown Prince didn't dare to say that, afraid that his imperial father wouldn't be able to handle the shock!
"My clothes were drenched in the rain. After changing my attire, I thought about how Imperial Father, Imperial Grandmother, and Imperial Mother had missed out on enjoying the spiritual rain. However, you could eat some of the wild vegetables, which would also have some effect."
As the Crown Prince spoke, Emperor Mingxi's expression shifted continuously, making for quite a spectacular sight.
His face was now slightly flushed with embarrassment. "Your clothes were dirtied while digging for wild vegetables?"
Xie Zhiyan nodded. Emperor Mingxi forced himself to salvage his dignity, putting on a look of great comfort as he said, "My son is kind and filial. Even when you are away, you do not forget your grandmother and parents at home.
As your father, I am deeply gratified. Later, I must properly taste my son's filial piety."
Xie Zhiyan suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Seeing the excuse his imperial father forced out just so he could eat more and take a larger share, he admitted that he had truly learned something new!
Today, his imperial father had taught him another lesson through his own words and deeds, and the tuition fee was the plates of wild vegetables served by the Imperial Kitchen.
Just as he picked up a chopstick full of fresh and tender wild vegetables, Emperor Mingxi suddenly thought of something and asked the Crown Prince, "Your wet clothes..."
"Eunuch Zhao has already placed them in Imperial Father's washroom." Eunuch Zhao, whose full name was Zhao Tuo, was the head eunuch responsible for Emperor Mingxi's daily washing and grooming.
The Crown Prince could still vividly recall the indescribable expression on the eunuch's face when he heard his request, an expression of wanting to speak but not daring to.
Emperor Mingxi couldn't care less if the eunuch beside him suspected his son had something wrong with his head. In any case, the moment the Crown Prince mentioned it, he understood immediately.
Overjoyed, he couldn't help but praise, "These wild vegetables are fresh, tender, and delicious, possessing a unique flavor of their own. Imperial Mother, Empress, you should both eat more."
The Empress Dowager looked at her precious eldest son, momentarily speechless. Had he forgotten whose palace this was and who had brought these things back?
The Empress Dowager placed a shepherd's purse dumpling into the Crown Prince's bowl with her chopsticks, saying with a loving expression, "Zhiyan, you should eat more too!"
The imperial family had just finished their dinner, and before Emperor Mingxi could even take a sip of his digestive tea, he heard a eunuch report that Lord Yu Chongshan was requesting an audience with His Majesty.
Emperor Mingxi, who was fully satiated and felt his body in much better shape, instantly made his smile vanish.
Without even lifting his lowered eyes, he said calmly, "Let him in."