Chapter 36: Pure Joy

Chapter 36: Pure Joy

"The Crown Prince spent the entire previous night solely reading memorials without signing a single one. Later in the midnight, he suddenly seemed possessed by divine inspiration. In just half an hour, he finished commenting on all of them."

Yuan Zixu slowly picked up a few memorials, glanced through them, but made no remarks. He simply instructed, "Send them all to the Cabinet for distribution back to their respective departments."

The next day, the memorials that the Crown Prince had reviewed were returned to the Cabinet. There was hardly anyone in the Cabinet who couldn't recognize the Crown Prince's handwriting, considering he had started attending court at the age of twelve. On the surface, the court seemed calm, but secretly, undercurrents were stirring.

Empress Luo was suddenly seized by panic and summoned Lord Lu to discuss the matter. Lord Lu appeared slightly taken aback but analyzed, "It might not be a warning or a test of the officials. It could well be... that the Emperor, being of advanced age, is finding it challenging to keep up with the demands of governance. After all, it is a laborious task, and someone will eventually need to share his burden. If the Second Prince could also familiarize himself with the affairs of state soon and alleviate the Emperor's concerns, that would be for the best."

Empress Luo shook her head, a hint of melancholy on her face. "Back then, when the late Empress and the Grand Tutor held great power, the Emperor... wasn't as suspicious. The Crown Prince had long been attending the Six Ministries and the Cabinet, so naturally, he became well-versed in political matters. The Second Prince hasn't had such opportunities. He spends each day studying in the Imperial Study; how could he have any chance to get involved in state affairs?"

Lord Lu replied, "I'll submit a memorial tomorrow, suggesting that both the Second and Third Princes join the administration in the Six Ministries."

Empress Luo was startled. "Isn't that rather bold? Won't it invite suspicion?"

Lord Lu said, "If you saw the memorials the Crown Prince commented on today, you wouldn't think so. At this point, the Emperor must be most suspicious of the Crown Prince."

Empress Luo's eyes flickered, a mix of schadenfreude and unwillingness to accept the situation. "He handled them exceptionally well?"

Lord Lu commented, "When the Crown Prince was twelve, he began to participate in governing the state, and both the cabinet ministers and officials from the six ministries sang his praises. He even presided over cases at the Supreme Court and made no errors. The more outstanding he proved to be, the more suspicious the Emperor became. However, with Empress Shen's untimely passing and Princess Yi Yang's support, the Emperor has always shown him mercy. Nevertheless, no matter what, when it comes to his supreme power, the Emperor will never tolerate any challenge. His Majesty seeks immortality, after all." Lord Lu's words held hidden meaning.

Empress Lao chuckled. "If Empress Shen were still alive, she would probably be implicated in this as well." There was a tinge of resentment in her voice. "Being married as teenagers means nothing…" She sighed softly, recalling that the Crown Prince's upbringing surpassed that of any other imperial son. In the emperor's heart, she was not even worth a single finger of the deceased empress.

The following day, as expected, an imperial censor indeed filed an accusation against the Second and Third Princes for their excessive extravagance and the disturbance caused to the people by their garden construction.

After all, they were his own sons, and Yuan Zixu naturally saw nothing wrong with it. The emperor was supreme, and the world belonged to him. What was wrong with his sons indulging in luxury? However, since the censor had lodged a complaint, he had to put on an appearance of discipline for the benefit of the court officials, lest it would look bad in the history books. Thus, he ordered an imperial edict to be issued reprimanding the two princes and instructed the Hanlin Academy to send four scholars to serve as tutors, educating the princes.

At this moment, Lord Lu stepped forward to offer his counsel. "Your subjects believe that both imperial princes possess the brilliance of dragons and the grace of phoenixes, with innate virtuous qualities. However, being of tender age, they have spent their lives within the confines of the palace, surrounded by luxuries. There is a risk they may become overly indulged and unaware of their own shortcomings, not understanding the hardships of farming and the struggles of the common people. I humbly request Your Majesty's mercy, that you order the two princes to participate in the affairs of the Six Ministries. This would allow them to appreciate the challenges of governing a nation and gain insight into the lives of our citizens."

Yuan Zixu narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly indifferent, and waved his sleeves gently. "Lord Luo's suggestion is well-put. I shall issue an edict assigning the two princes to serve in the six ministries, spending half their day studying and half attending to state affairs. Furthermore, the time for the annual royal farming ceremony is approaching. Let the second and third princes join me in tilling the land."

This simple decree stirred the minds of the ministers once again, who had just witnessed the crown prince's response to a memorial.

In any case, no one dared to align themselves with either prince now. They could only remain loyal to the emperor, which was likely the essence of imperial strategy.

After Yuan Jun's decisive handling of that memorial, he indeed did not receive any more for several days. He didn't feel disappointed; on the contrary, he had deliberately acted swiftly and decisively to instill fear in his suspicious father regarding his abilities. The aging emperor, seeking immortality despite his fading vitality, could take all the elixirs and indulge in women to prove his vigor, but it would never conceal the fact that his son had surpassed him. A rebellious and talented heir apparent – that was what scared him.

Thus, he would never again involve himself in state affairs, nor let the ministers know how capable the secluded crown prince truly was. Only then would Rong Bi, the palace maid, be safer within his embrace. Of course, should there be another such occasion, he would instruct Rong Bi to feign illness.

Yuan Zixu wouldn't kill him before grooming a second controllable crown prince, but he also wouldn't release him to strengthen his own power.

Yuan Jun had accepted his fate: being confined within Hanguang Palace, withered away until Yuan Zixu's second and third princes grew up, capable of sharing the burden of state affairs. During this period, he could be deposed at any moment, but it was also an opportunity for him and his sister.

Wondering how his sister was coping with his sudden return, and what had become of that escort agency, he imagined the little palace maid would now focus on her medicinal cuisine shop. Negotiating with the escort agency might prove difficult, but with his sister's help, they should be able to send a suitable person to deal with the young master there.

The young master, however, had always been suspicious, insisting on meeting the owner before considering investment or partnership.

Yuan Jun sighed softly and unfolded a sheet of paper to practice calligraphy, though he found it hard to calm his mind. He eventually stood up and walked out onto the veranda outside his study. The weather was clear, and spring was already arriving. Despite the isolation of Hanguang Palace, trees and flowers were beginning to sprout new green leaves. From afar, he saw Cai Fan bustling about with a group of people at the foot of a nearby mountain.

Yuan Jun approached and saw Cai Fan supervising the servants cutting the green onions in the field. "Choose only the youngest and tender ones. Don't be lazy over there, hurry up and turn the soil. Rain is expected in a couple of days, and spring rain is as precious as oil. We must prepare for sowing!"

He noticed a few young eunuchs with hoes, struggling to dig through the frozen ground, their brows glistening with sweat and hair dampened. In front of the kitchen, two elderly court officials were grinding stone mills, one turning it slowly while the other added water with a spoon into the millstone. It was unclear if they were grinding glutinous rice flour or soy milk.

In the distance, under a pergola, several palace maids dressed in colorful attire, clearly newly granted, gathered to chat. Each of them was occupied with sewing tasks – some embroidery, some spinning yarn, and others braiding tassels. Occasionally, laughter carried on the spring breeze, adding more vitality to the once solemn Eastern Palace. In the past, palace servants would never perform such labor near him; the entire palace had been quiet and empty.

The air was filled with the aroma of simmering meat broth from the kitchen and the scent of rendered lard. In the distant bamboo grove, one could vaguely see waterfowl flapping their wings, with a maid feeding geese. Their honking echoed, reminding Yuan Jun that Rong Bi had mentioned the ornamental waterfowl, like mandarin ducks, white swans, and wild ducks, originally kept by the Han Palace by the water. But now, for sustenance, more ducklings and goslings had been brought in. The other palace maids who had been granted to them were also assigned sewing tasks. After all, in this confined life, clothing and food depended solely on the Emperor's whim. It was wiser to cultivate and provide for themselves.

With Rong Bi's arrangements, the servants were farming, weaving, and everyone had a task at hand. Consequently, no signs of despair or demoralization were visible. Instead, their faces were rosy, and they appeared energetic... This was indeed an effective way of managing a household.

Cai Fan lifted his basket and looked up, surprised to see the Crown Prince had approached unnoticed, standing at the edge of the field, lost in thought. He quickly went up with a smile and bowed. "Your Highness has finished your calligraphy practice? Look, these are the old leek roots we buried last year as you instructed. With the recent warm weather, they've sprouted. They're tender; I can prepare them for you, either in dumplings or scrambled eggs with chives. What would you prefer?"

Yuan Jun was indifferent. "It's up to you."

Cai Fan, accustomed to the prince's cold demeanor, simply smiled. "We'll till this land today and plant the seeds and melon seeds you ordered earlier. Once the spring rain falls, the beans and gourds will grow swiftly, and we'll have fresh vegetables!"

Yuan Jun noticed that Cai Fan no longer seemed as intimidated as before, speaking confidently. He knew it must be due to Rong Bi's influence. Watching the eunuchs using rakes to create furrows in the soil, he suddenly felt an urge to join in. He loosened his outer robe, and Cai Fan hurried to assist. Yuan Jun fetched a hoe. "I'll get some exercise too."

Cai Fan was startled but saw that Yuan Jun had already started digging, the hoe biting deeply into the frozen earth with a resounding clank. He could only marvel and praise, "Your Highness truly possesses astonishing strength. No wonder Guard Yan mentioned that you can draw a bow of five stone!"

Yuan Jun chuckled, focusing on tilling. The dark brown soil was turned over uniformly, forming neat mounds. He used the sharp edge of the hoe to sever tangled roots and broke up compacted soil with the back of the hoe. As the soil chunks became evenly crushed, he felt a warmth spread through his body. His shoulders, waist, and bones began to loosen, and he broke into a light sweat, feeling invigorated. His mind cleared of worries, and his eyes seemed to see only the rows of loosened earth.

In the distance, Shen Anlin led a few guards towards them. Upon seeing the Crown Prince hoeing personally, he quickly joined in with his own hoe, approaching Yuan Jun. "Your Highness, perhaps you should wear those leather shooting gloves? Otherwise, your hands might blister from all this digging."

Yuan Jun shook his head, and Shen Anlin didn't persist, instead hoeing alongside him. However, as a young master, he wasn't particularly skilled, and his posture appeared somewhat awkward. Nevertheless, with his robust strength, it wasn't long before the entire vegetable plot was almost cleared. Yuan Jun assessed the area and, relying on memory, directed the guards to dig up the spots Rong Bi had marked for planting, removing any weeds.

In a secluded spot on the back hill, away from the living quarters, Yuan Jun even supervised the digging of a large pit. When Shen Anlin learned it was for composting, his expression was a mix of emotions, amusing Cai Fan, who laughed heartily. He teased Shen Anlin, "Commander Shen, you may not know, but farmyard manure and wood ash need to be composted to be effective. Without these, how can the vegetables taste delicious?"

Yuan Jun observed Shen Anlin engaging in familiar conversation with those eunuchs. On the ledger, Rong Bi had noted instances of shared meals and gatherings around a hot pot, indicating that this master-servant camaraderie had eased the tension and oppression among these once-nervous servants and guards. They no longer lived in fear of their confined existence but had genuinely settled into their daily lives there.

After a full day of laborious digging, Yuan Jun was drenched in sweat. He rewarded the eunuchs and guards who had assisted him in the excavation before retiring to freshen up and change his clothes. Upon emerging, he indeed found his dinner table graced with stir-fried spring onions and eggs - the tender green onions glistening and lubricated, combined with crisp bean sprouts, golden egg slices, and translucent noodles as white as jade, all artfully arranged on a sky-blue Ru kiln plate, exuding an extravagant charm. Additionally, there was a savory soup prepared with spring bamboo shoots harvested from the rear mountain, combined with salty and fresh meat, accompanied by a few hearty meatballs, filling the table with the vibrant hues of spring.

Cai Fan approached him eagerly, attempting to ingratiate himself, "Following the method Your Highness taught me last time, I've chopped the leeks and mixed them with fragrant oil to seal in the moisture and prevent them from wilting. Then, I swiftly stir-fried them with soybean sprouts, egg crepe strips, and cellophane noodles over a high flame with oil and salt. May I humbly ask how the taste fares to you?"

Yuan Jun delicately sampled a few strands with his chopsticks. The leeks were tender yet crisp, exuding the distinctive freshness of spring. Their flavor was clean and invigorating. The meatballs, immersed in the bamboo shoot soup, were succulent and brimming with umami, creating a delightful harmony of flavors.

In his heart, he slowly pondered: This is indeed what the poem describes as "The joy of simple pleasures in life, like tasting spring on a plate of arrowroot and herbs; for in the world, it is the subtle happiness that truly matters."

Across the way, upon learning that Crown Prince Yuan Zixu had spent the entire day accompanied by his servants, Yuan Zixu fell into a long silence. He then instructed his people to bestow upon the prince an abundance of recently presented fine fabrics and furs, even including a box of large pearls from the East Sea.

Yuan Jun received these gifts nonchalantly, instructing Yan Xin to distribute them among the attendants and palace servants. In his heart, he knew that Yuan Zixu was plagued by guilt but still persisted in imprisoning their exceptionally talented son for the sake of power.

Thus, these gestures of paternal affection held no significance. With an indifferent expression, Yuan Jun picked up a pearl as big as a finger, its luster reflecting from its deep-sea origins. He pondered that if it were strung into a necklace for Rong Bi, her beauty would not belie the value of these oceanic treasures.

Handing the box of pearls to Yan Xin, he said, "Take these to the Palace Craftsmanship Bureau. Ask the artisans to create a necklace, suitable for a woman to wear."