Chapter 228 - 195: Exceptionally Fishy
Mr. He was truly shocked.
He knew the Princes wouldn’t be complete illiterates before they started at the Upper Study Room.
Mr. He also knew that the concubines were secretly competing and would likely start their sons’ education early. The Emperor, for his part, was the sort of person who couldn’t keep good news to himself. He would often feign modesty while boasting to his ministers about his son’s thirst for knowledge, claiming the boy constantly pestered him with questions about classical texts.
As it turned out, both Princes were a delightful surprise.
He hadn’t seen them compose any essays yet, so he couldn’t judge their intelligence. But from their calligraphy and recitations, it was clear they were diligent and able to focus. What teacher doesn’t love a hardworking student? He maintained his composure in the classroom, refraining from praising them excessively for fear that pride might lead to laziness. When he returned home, however, he lavished praise on the two Princes to his wife.
"Shouldn’t Princes be diligent?"
Puzzled, his Madam teased, "You should save your flattery for those who matter. What’s the use of telling me?"
"Whether children amount to anything is a matter of luck. There have been plenty of foolish and lazy Princes in the past, haven’t there? King Kangde, for instance, gets a headache just from hearing the sound of someone reading. I was originally reluctant to enter the Imperial Palace, but now, I’m finding it rather interesting."
What Mr. He didn’t say was, ’Through all the dynasties, has there ever been a shortage of ignorant, incompetent rulers?’
Such words were treasonous and violated his code of loyalty to the Emperor, so he swallowed the rest of his thought. Tutoring the Princes was no easy task. Not only could he not punish his students, he also had to be careful not to offend them. Even some of the companion readers—who were there to take punishments in the Princes’ stead—came from families he couldn’t afford to cross. After just one day, what little hair he had left felt ready to fall out; he feared he wouldn’t be able to save it.
"So, between the Eldest Prince and the Second Prince, which one do you favor?"
"I’ve only taught a single day’s lesson. How could I possibly rank them? Please don’t say such things. The moment you do, I can’t help but think about it, and that isn’t fair to them."
"But I just want to know, my dear husband."
Unable to resist his wife’s playful pestering, Mr. He finally relented:
"Well, based on appearance and bearing alone, the Eldest Prince is the more handsome of the two."
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While Mr. He was "extolling" the Eldest Prince’s beauty to his wife, the Little Bun himself couldn’t wait to return to Bihua Palace after his lessons ended. Just as he neared the palace, he happened upon the Emperor’s palanquin. The Emperor beckoned his little one over, and Xie Zhao happily scampered toward him on his short legs, only to be scooped up into an embrace. "Why the rush? You’ve completely forgotten your decorum."
"Father! The Upper Study Room is so much fun!"
He immediately grew embarrassed after saying it. "I haven’t been neglecting my duties for fun, it’s just... usually, only my little brother is there to keep me company, and he can’t come to Bihua Palace every day. It feels so good to study and discuss what I’ve learned with classmates."
The Emperor laughed and deliberately teased, "And here I was, worried about tiring you out. I was thinking of telling your tutor to dismiss class early so you could come back and rest."
"I don’t need a rest! I wish I could stay in the Upper Study Room all day."
"A Prince can’t just stay in the Upper Study Room all day. You will have horsemanship and archery lessons, too. You must become proficient in all Six Arts of the Gentleman."
"I have to learn so many things!"
The Emperor asked if he was scared.
Xie Zhao shook his head, his little face filled with joyful anticipation. "I’m not afraid of hard work. I’m only afraid of not living up to Father’s expectations."
Jiang Xian’s ten months of prenatal education had caused Xie Zhao to associate learning with the warm, blissful security of the womb. At the same time, he wasn’t afraid of being idle, because his father had also accompanied him in his dreams, teaching him to appreciate the changing seasons, sip tea, and admire flowers.
"As long as you do nothing unfilial, nothing that violates the bonds of family, you could never disappoint me. You are my son. Your studies are to help you understand propriety and how to be a good man. But even if you learn nothing, I will still name you a Prince and guarantee you a lifetime of wealth and peace."
As Jiang Xian came out with her palace maids, eunuchs, and Chen Guiren to greet the Emperor, she overheard his speech doting endlessly on his son. ’My wonderful son, born with a claim to the throne. Even if he had to collect unemployment, it’d be a Prince’s royal stipend.’
Hearing this, Xie Zhao, still on his father’s palanquin, glanced nervously at his mother.
"Your Majesty has arrived at the perfect time. I had the kitchen prepare a ham and fresh bamboo shoot soup, and it should be just ready."
"I imagine you had it made for Zhao’er. It seems I’m just benefiting from his good fortune."
"Your Majesty’s presence makes Bihua Palace shine. If the head chef from the Imperial Kitchen were to come and season the soup from my humble kitchen, it would be like a consecration. Then, it would be Zhao’er and I who are benefiting from Your Majesty’s radiance."
"I can never win an argument with you. Let’s go inside."
Snowflakes drifted down outside, and the entire Imperial Palace seemed to fall silent along with them.
The old palace city was exceptionally beautiful under the falling snow. The Emperor, taking in the view, called for Liang Yuyin to bring a pot of good wine to be warmed for snow-gazing. Noticing his son staring at him with curiosity, he couldn’t help but laugh. "Once it’s warm, I’ll let you have a little taste."
"Thank you, Father!"
Xie Zhao answered immediately, as if afraid his father would change his mind.
The Emperor turned his head. "Xian’er, you’re not going to stop me? He’s so little."
"You can’t discuss drunkenness without considering the quantity. A little taste to wet his lips won’t get him drunk. If you were offering any more, I would certainly have to intervene."
’I know I can’t raise my children like flowers in a greenhouse. If someone at a banquet tried to pressure Zhao’er to drink, even a tiny cup, I would never allow it. But here, with his own mother and father, why should I be nervous about letting a curious little boy find out for himself that wine is spicy and bitter?’
’Besides,’ Jiang Xian thought, ’the Emperor just wants to be a little mischievous. If no one plays the part of stopping him, he’ll know to restrain himself.’
"Xian’er, you have me completely figured out."
With a single glance, the Emperor knew Xian’er saw right through him, and he felt a little sheepish.
Jiang Xian gazed up at him, her eyes full of trust. "With Zhao’er’s father here, what do I have to worry about?"
No matter what, as long as the Emperor was involved in parenting, she would show absolute trust so as not to dampen his enthusiasm. She had followed this principle well, and in turn, the Emperor had developed a responsible, fatherly love through his time with Zhao’er.
When Liang Yuyin presented the perfectly warmed Imperial Wine, Xie Zhao stared at the crystalline, amber liquid. He recalled the countless texts that praised fine vintages and figured this must be the legendary nectar of the gods. The Emperor took a small spoon and scooped up the thinnest of films, a layer so shallow it could perhaps be measured in drops. Seeing this, Xie Zhao pouted. "Father, you’re so stingy!"
"I’m stingy? First, take a sip. If you can actually swallow it, then we’ll talk."
Xie Zhao eagerly brought the spoon to his lips.
The next second, his big, puppy-dog eyes flew wide, his pupils quaking in shock.
’How can this be!?!’
In his imagination, wine was supposed to be a hundred times more delicious than milk, sour plum juice, smoked plum cordial, or even sweetened water. Wine was supposed to be a divine substance that could wash away a thousand sorrows with a single gulp. He hadn’t expected to taste only bitterness and a fiery spice. Any other child would have recoiled, but Xie Zhao was too stubborn to admit defeat. "Maybe I didn’t taste it properly! Father, let me have another sip!"
"Any more and Xian’er will be cross with me. When you’re a little older, I’ll take you to the cellars where the Imperial Wine is made."
Clearly, Xie Zhao didn’t have his mother’s high resistance to the Emperor’s empty promises.
Hearing his father’s promise, he perked up immediately and forgot all about his fixation on the wine.
"Zhao’er certainly inherited your easygoing nature."
"Your Majesty is mistaken. If I’m being honest with myself, I am hardly what you’d call easygoing,"
Jiang Xian said.
’I’m driven by ambition, unscrupulously stubborn in pursuit of my goals. If I were the one curious about wine, I would move heaven and earth to get to the bottom of it.’ She countered, "He must take after Your Majesty’s suave nature, wouldn’t you say?"
"I, too, have done some soul-searching," the Emperor replied. "I’m not easygoing. It’s just that everything I’ve ever wanted has been easily within my grasp."
"..."
’There’s just no talking to someone born into such privilege. It’s a surefire way to kill a conversation.’
Soon, the meal was served.
The Eldest Prince loved fish. Jiang Xian herself wasn’t a picky eater; when ordering meals in the past, she used to consider Chen Guiren’s preferences, but now she thought more of Zhao’er’s. Thus, there were two fish dishes on the table: a sweet-and-sour "squirrel" mandarin fish and a spiral-cut fish braise. Xie Zhao found them delicious and signaled for a palace maid to serve some to his mother.
Unexpectedly, after just one bite, Jiang Xian’s brow furrowed. She rarely complained, but this time she said, "The fish tastes especially strong today."