Chapter 201 - 200: Slapping the Green Tea Empress Dowager (Part 17)
Ever since Emperor Jianwu heard from Mr. Liu about the many interesting things outside the palace, he had been eager to go out and see for himself.
It so happened that the Grand Tutor that Prince Kang had found for him had punished him for not studying hard, making him write two more essays every day. He also told Prince Kang about Emperor Jianwu’s penchant for play over study, which led Prince Kang to give Emperor Jianwu a stern lecture.
As Prince Kang restricted Emperor Jianwu from playing, Emperor Jianwu became even more determined to do the opposite.
That day, Emperor Jianwu threatened Mr. Liu to take him outside the palace.
Mr. Liu was terrified and knelt down to plead with Emperor Jianwu: "Your Majesty, with your body more precious than gold, how could you lightly venture outside the palace? If there were any mishaps, the life of this servant would not be enough to atone for it. If this servant takes Your Majesty out and the Empress Dowager or Regent King finds out, they will surely take this servant’s life."
It would have been alright had he not mentioned the Regent King, but as soon as the Regent King was mentioned, a fire ignited in Emperor Jianwu’s heart.
He kicked Mr. Liu: "Get up, you’re afraid the Regent King will take your dog’s life, but aren’t you afraid I will take your dog’s life? If you don’t take me out today, I’ll have you killed right here."
Mr. Liu was petrified, got up, and put on a smiling face: "Your Majesty, then, if Your Majesty goes out, you must pay attention to the time. We cannot stay outside for too long. How about we listen to some storytelling, see some variety performances, and then come back? Is that alright?"
Emperor Jianwu nodded.
Mr. Liu waited on him to change his clothes and the two of them quietly followed a path Mr. Liu had scouted out earlier to leave the palace.
Mr. Liu led Emperor Jianwu southward, and on the way, they passed a workshop where he bought a lot of food for Emperor Jianwu. These snacks were not seen inside the palace, and Emperor Jianwu found them quite novel. He ate as he walked and soon felt full.
After a while, Emperor Jianwu felt thirsty, so Mr. Liu took him to a tea house for a drink.