Chapter 116

Chapter 116

After boarding the carriage, Yong Kang began reading her younger sister's travelogue.

Truth be told, Yong Kang wasn't fond of reading unless it was an easily understandable and entertaining storybook. But this was her sister's work—a travelogue that the Emperor had gone to great lengths to have the National University print and sell. So Yong Kang had no choice but to patiently read it word by word, starting from the preface.

After flipping through three to five pages, Yong Kang's patience wore thin. She started skipping around, only reading the narrative parts written by her sister. As for the sections where her sister praised the scenery, Yong Kang admitted they were well-written, but she simply had no interest in them.

Skipping through made her reading much faster. By the time the carriage stopped outside the Grand Princess's residence, Yong Kang had already finished all four volumes of the *Mountain Chapter* and *Water Chapter*.

Once home, Yong Kang continued flipping through the two volumes of the *People Chapter*, which mostly introduced the clothing, dialects, food, and architectural styles of the common people from various regions. Because the narrative involved interactions with the locals, there were slightly more amusing anecdotes. For instance, the Emperor, while passing a rice field, had taken the Second Prince, Zhang Su, and others into the fields to learn how to harvest rice from an old farmer and inquired about the field's yield over the past few years. Another example was her younger sister following some children along the Fuzhou coast to gather seafood like crabs and, through conversation, learning about the hardships and dangers fishermen faced at sea.

Yong Kang was quite envious—she had never seen the ocean before.

The *People Chapter* began with the spring plowing of the common people along the Luo River outside the capital and ended back in the capital. Since it was the final section of the travelogue, Yong Kang read it more carefully.

"After nine months of the southern tour, experiencing both cold and heat, we have finally returned to the capital. My heart is greatly comforted."

"However, as soon as the imperial carriage reached the city gates, we were shocked to hear the tragic news of the Duke of Ding's passing. The Emperor was overcome with grief, and I, too, was swept by waves of sorrow."

"Duke of Ding, Deng Chong, was a renowned general of the Great Qi's founding. He campaigned against the Biao State to pacify the border people of Yunzhou but unfortunately contracted miasma upon achieving victory."

"Soldiers fight for the country and the people, and they also come from among the people. The Emperor founded and rules the nation, but he, too, comes from among the people."

"Thus, the people come before the ruler and the state. The ruler and the people must be of one mind, and the nation and its people must be united, as if sharing a boat through thick and thin."

"The subjects have the heart to serve the country, and we, the royal children, will also devote our entire lives to protecting Great Qi, ensuring the nation's strength and the people's prosperity, and aweing the four frontiers."

Yong Kang's gaze fixed on the last few lines, and she couldn't help but read them over and over again.

Even with her limited knowledge, Yong Kang knew that her sister's words were exceptionally well-written, reminiscent of the admonitions from wise ministers in sage books urging rulers to love the people.

Immediately afterward, Yong Kang recalled that in the previous volumes, her sister often expressed admiration for the Emperor's love and care for the people, including herself. She frequently drew connections from small incidents to ways of enriching the people.

Yong Kang finally understood why the Emperor was so fond of her sister's travelogue. It was because her sister consistently praised the Emperor and expressed affection and admiration for the people and landscapes she encountered. After reading this travelogue, the common people would surely think highly of the Emperor and believe that the princes and princesses of Great Qi were far better than those of the previous dynasty, who exploited the people and held themselves aloft.

Having grasped the Emperor's reason for publishing her sister's travelogue, Yong Kang only skimmed through the final *Local Products Chapter*. Unexpectedly, a few quick glances made her mouth water several times—descriptions of incredibly fresh sea crabs that needed only boiling in water, red-clawed crayfish caught from rice fields, and various local specialty snacks beloved by the people. It was indeed a travelogue.

In the evening, Yong Kang summoned Fu Kui and their two children. She gave Fu Kui four volumes and one volume to each of the children. Looking at them, she instructed, "These are travelogues the Emperor published for your aunt. You should all read them. If you like them, read carefully. If not, at least know what they’re about, so you won't be clueless if the Emperor asks you about them later and risk making him angry."

Fu Kui hesitated, wanting to say something.

Fu Ming said unhappily, "The travelogues were gifted to you by Imperial Grandfather. You can read them yourself. Since Imperial Grandfather didn’t give them to us, it means we don’t need to read them."

Yong Kang retorted, "What do you know? I’m asking you to read them precisely because I genuinely like your aunt’s travelogue. Do you want Imperial Grandfather to misunderstand me as jealous of your aunt’s talent?"

Fu Kui agreed with the Grand Princess and scolded his son. As for his daughter, Fu Xi, the way she lovingly stroked the book cover showed how much the little girl liked it. It had to be said that the travelogues bound by the National University were exquisitely made—just the appearance of the set made it seem like a valuable collection.

After the children left, Fu Kui looked at Yong Kang and said, "Do I really need to read it? The Emperor won’t discuss scholarly matters with military men like me."

Yong Kang shot him a cold glance. "Even if the Emperor doesn’t ask you, can’t you proactively praise my sister? Are you satisfied with being a mere third-rank Deputy Commander? Zhang Su is almost a decade younger than you, yet his official rank is already higher than yours. Are you proud of that?"

Fu Kui: "..."

.

Qin Bing, who worked at the Ministry of War, didn’t bring his sister’s travelogue back to Prince Jing's mansion until dusk.

Having accompanied the Emperor on the southern tour with his sister, the content of the travelogue was nothing new to him, so Qin Bing hadn’t even glanced at it all day.

Princess Consort Meng Yao, however, loved it. She held the travelogue before dinner and picked it up again right after eating.

Qin Bing played with his daughter for a while. After the daughter left with her nurse, Qin Bing went to embrace Meng Yao, wanting to do what he loved most.

Meng Yao pushed him away. "Go away. Let me finish this volume first."

Qin Bing grumbled impatiently, "What’s so interesting about it? Haven’t I already told you everything?"

Meng Yao replied, "You only boast about yourself. There’s nothing in your stories that I want to hear."

Just as Qin Bing was about to get angry, he suddenly remembered something. During the southern tour, he had often been scolded and looked down upon by the Emperor. Had his sister written about that?

At that thought, Qin Bing became even more eager to read the travelogue than his wife. He picked up a volume and began examining it page by page.

At Prince Xian's residence, Qin Ren and Yan Zhenzhen leaned against each other reading side by side. Because they read at different speeds, Qin Ren started with the *Mountain Chapter*, while Yan Zhenzhen began with the *Local Products Chapter*. As she read, Yan Zhenzhen grew hungry and developed a craving for one of the foods mentioned by the Younger Princess in the travelogue.

Qin Ren looked at his wife, whose cheeks were fuller than before her pregnancy, and asked hesitantly, "...Do you really want to eat it, or are you just saying that?"

Yan Zhenzhen also felt a bit embarrassed. "If I really want to eat it, will you laugh at me for being such a glutton?"

Qin Ren said, "Of course not. If you want to eat it, I’ll have the kitchen make a small portion for you to satisfy your craving."

Yan Zhenzhen happily kissed him.

The residence’s chef was highly skilled and quickly prepared a plate of crispy sugar pastry according to the method described by the Prince from the travelogue—crispy, sweet, and fragrant.

Yan Zhenzhen, thinking of all the delicious foods from various places described in the Younger Princess’s travelogue, said wistfully, "If we have the chance, let’s travel to these places too. Local dishes are most authentic when made by the locals themselves."

Qin Ren said, "We could have gone this time, but the Emperor didn’t allow it."

Yan Zhenzhen replied, "Of course he couldn’t allow it. The Emperor and the others were there on official business. If you tagged along just to take me sightseeing, what would that look like?"

Qin Ren glanced at her belly and said thankfully, "Luckily we didn’t go. What if you had gotten pregnant on the journey? The bumpy carriage ride could have harmed you."

Yan Zhenzhen shot him a reproachful look.

At Chongyuan Palace, Qin Hong had already used his free time at the Secretariat to finish three chapters during the day. After returning, he hurriedly read the final *People Chapter*.

When he reached his sister’s concluding paragraphs, Qin Hong’s eyes reddened. He felt both regret over Deng Chong’s passing and shame at his own lack of ambition compared to his sister’s fervor.

Lv Wenrong, noticing his unusual expression, put down her copy of the *Mountain Chapter* and came over. After silently reading the passage, she thought of the Deng Kun brothers, who had also received the gifted travelogues today, and speculated, "When those two read this passage, they will surely be moved to tears by the Emperor and your sister’s remembrance and praise of the Duke of Ding."

Deng Chong would undoubtedly be remembered throughout the history of the Qi State, but the common people of the current dynasty might not all have the chance to learn about the Duke of Ding’s achievements. National history was kept within the palace, while the Younger Princess’s travelogue would circulate among the people. Thus, her words would spread Deng Chong’s fame, surely making many other meritorious officials envy him.

Qin Hong said, "...I’m just afraid that, given their temperament, the brothers wouldn’t even bother flipping through this kind of travelogue."

Deng Chong was a rough man, and the Deng Kun and Deng Tai brothers had also grown up among the common people until their teens before coming to the capital to become sons of the ducal residence. Their unrefined nature was no less than Deng Chong’s.

Lv Wenrong smiled, got out of bed to put the travelogues away, extinguished the lamp, and lay back in her husband’s arms. "It’s late. Let’s sleep."

Qin Hong hummed in agreement and reminded her, "There’s morning court tomorrow. I have to get up early. Remember to give this set of travelogues to Zheng Geer and tell him to read it when he has time."

Lv Wenrong said, "Let’s give him two volumes first. I still want to read them."

.

On days with court assemblies, ministers required to attend had to rise as early as the yin hour. The Duke of Wei, Zhang Jie, rose especially early.

When he arrived at the front courtyard and saw his youngest son, the only one serving in the capital, already waiting outside the door, Zhang Jie nodded slightly in greeting. Father and son then mounted their horses separately.

After walking side by side for a while, Zhang Jie asked in a low voice, "How late did you read last night?"

The travelogues gifted by the Emperor had been delivered directly to their residence. When Zhang Jie returned home yesterday evening, his wife had already read through them once and was full of praise for the Younger Princess.

Zhang Su: "...the hour of Zi (11 PM-1 AM)."

In truth, he had read through the entire night. At times, the image and actions of the Princess appeared vividly before him—like the early morning on the shores of Fuzhou, where she crouched down, carefully searching for crabs hidden beneath the sand, or her figure bathed in a golden glow by the morning sun at sunrise.

Zhang Jie: "The higher the Princess's renown rises, the more cautious you must be in your words and actions. Do not cause trouble for her on your account."

The agitated feelings stirring in Zhang Su's heart were quickly subdued by reason.

He understood the deeper meaning in his father's words. The Princess already faced inherent risks by entering the court, and with the publication of her book, her fame would shine as brilliantly as a sunrise over the ocean. Yet, the brighter her light, the more it would inevitably overshadow others, giving rise to new dangers. Standing above others inevitably invites envy and criticism.

Dismounting their horses outside the palace gates, the father and son walked down the long palace pathway toward the main hall of Qianyuan Palace.

Though they were always among the earliest to arrive, they were not necessarily the very first. Today, for instance, over a dozen high-ranking civil and military officials had arrived around the same time, with several civil ministers particularly eager, actively approaching Zhang Su to inquire about some of the amusing anecdotes mentioned in the Princess's travelogue.

Zhang Su responded with extreme brevity, answering with brief replies like "Yes" or "Mmm."

After a short while, the Crown Prince and the Princess approached side by side from the direction of the Eastern Palace. The officials' enthusiasm shifted, and they went directly to flatter the Princess.

It was only mid-February, and both inside and outside the palace was still dark before the Mao hour (5–7 AM). The area around Qianyuan Palace was only slightly brighter with a few additional lanterns.

Zhang Su stood motionless in his position, centered and toward the front of the military officials' ranks, his gaze fixed on the Princess's indistinct face among the crowd of ministers.

Since childhood, he had accompanied the two royal siblings, and long before the Princess topped the imperial examinations, he had already witnessed the increasingly radiant brilliance she carried—ahead of everyone else.

Even if he were fortunate enough to become her Imperial Son-in-law, Zhang Su knew deep down that he could never shine as brightly as her in this lifetime.

Nor had he ever thought to compete for such a spotlight. From beginning to end, he only wished to be the sword in the Princess's hand, using all his strength to clear thorns from her path.