Chapter 302 - 301 Mindset
Hearing the Emperor’s question, both men quickly responded, and Han Yanyan replied, "With such beauty, it is no wonder His Highness Prince Yu likes it."
The Emperor glanced at them and smiled as he asked, "How about it? Was I not wrong? This garden is indeed exquisite and elegant, is it not?"
Yu Shijie nodded vigorously, praising, "This garden may seem delicate and bustling, but it achieves tranquility amidst the noise, further highlighting its elegance and leisureliness. His Highness Prince Yu’s garden is indeed something to look forward to; no wonder His Highness was eager to see this garden completed."
Han Yanyan added, "Nowadays, everyone who builds gardens emphasizes opulence and complexity, grandeur and luxury. Yet, the scenery depicted in this drawing completely embodies the concept of following the way of nature, which is rare."
The Emperor laughed and said, "I’m afraid once this garden is built, that boy will have something to say again. It’s not easy to build such a beautiful garden, he will surely want to enjoy and reside in it for some time, and then use it as an excuse to continue staying away from the capital. Coming up with so many things, he probably just dislikes the many restrictions of the capital city, preferring the freedom outside."
Yu Shijie smiled and said, "Sixth Master has a carefree nature and is impatient with many social obligations; it’s common for him to have such thoughts."
The Emperor looked at the large landscape painting and asked Han Yanyan, "I’ve heard that there’s been a lot of talk about that ’railway’ thing recently. It seems that it was also brought up by a minor official from Jinrong Residence?"
Han Yanyan replied with a smile, "Indeed, it came from a minor official in His Highness Prince Yu’s service. I was also curious about how such a minor official would take notice of construction tools, but after seeing His Highness’s courtyard, I understood. That ’railway’ was probably used by the construction workshop working on His Highness’s project—the official found it astonishing and thus spoke of it to his colleagues."
The Emperor nodded and said, "Whether in civilian construction or court-mandated construction, the use of new construction tools is a good thing. After hearing the rumors about that ’railway,’ I also made detailed inquiries. If it can be widely applied in the construction industry, it could save a lot of labor and time, and is worth promoting."