bookcurios Article 1764 You Ning's Day of Rest
Article 1764 You Ning's Day of Rest
Wan Lianxing suddenly slowed his pace. "Speaking of court, I just remembered something. I've already reviewed the examination papers of Song Qianyuan and the thirty-five candidates who ranked in this provincial examination. Putting aside how the Crown Prince performed in the first two sessions, the third session is the most important of the provincial examination. I can't understand one thing. The Crown Prince attends court every day, and the ministers have more and more policies on governing the country than he does at the Imperial Academy. They are all substantial and practical. How could the Crown Prince's policy essay lose to the top thirty-odd candidates? Look at the policy essays of the top students. They are full of classics and speak eloquently. Their unique insights have impressed me. On the other hand, look at the Crown Prince's policy essay. It is clearly inferior to theirs."
The old steward racked his brains to smooth things over for Cheng Youning, "Your Majesty, if His Highness the Crown Prince's essay surpasses those others, his ranking will be ahead of theirs. In my opinion, the Crown Prince has already been outstanding. In an ordinary family, such a high score would bring glory to the family. Your Majesty, don't forget that our Crown Prince is the youngest student in this provincial examination. To achieve a ranking of thirty-fifth is almost like that of a child prodigy."
Wan Lianxing turned to look at the old steward. "That's an exaggeration. He can only be described as passable!"
The old steward understood that Wan Lianxing's "acceptable" was tantamount to an approval of Cheng Youning.
After walking quite a distance, Wan Lianxing remembered that the Song family would be hosting a banquet the next day to celebrate Song Qianyuan's achievement of topping the imperial examination. "Both the Crown Prince and Song Qianyuan are studying at the Imperial Academy, and both are in the advanced class. Tomorrow, I will have Crown Prince Cheng take congratulatory gifts to the Song family on my behalf. Song Ruhong and Song Tingzhi are both officials in the court, and Song Tingzhi is also the Crown Prince's tutor in private, so it is most appropriate for the Crown Prince to go. If nothing unexpected happens, it won't be long before three generations of the Song family are serving as officials in the court. If Song Qianyuan becomes the top scholar in the imperial examination in the future, it will be rare to see three generations of high-ranking officials. This is a blessing I humbly request."
The old steward nodded in agreement, but in his heart he was thinking that the Crown Prince and Song Qianyuan were not on good terms, and he wondered if the Crown Prince would be willing to go to the Song family to offer his congratulations!
Wan Lianxing then glanced at the old steward, taking in his thoughts. "The Crown Prince needs to broaden his mind. In the future, these talented students will all be his subjects. If he wants to secure the throne, it's not enough to just conquer the world. These civil officials are indispensable for governing the country."
The old steward chimed in, "His Majesty is absolutely right. Even if you don't give instructions, the Crown Prince will still go to offer his congratulations."
Wan Lianxing smiled and said, "When it comes to the Crown Prince, you don't tell the truth at all. I know his character and his capabilities very well!"
Cheng Youning's move not only pleased the Emperor, but also filled the Hong family with joy. Originally, Hong Zhekai thought Cheng Youning was just a troublesome young man, but this time he changed his prejudice. "It's rare that the Crown Prince cares about us old ministers at such a young age!"
Since Hong Jiutong returned home for a short stay and the Crown Prince came to visit her in person, Madam Hong's previously pale face had regained some color. Even more miraculously, after taking the precious medicinal herbs that the Crown Prince sent, Madam Hong's abdominal cramps were indeed relieved. She praised the Crown Prince and also instructed Hong Jiutong, "Tong'er, the Crown Prince cares so much about you and your family. You can't stay at home for too long. Don't wait for the Crown Prince to send someone to pick you up. In a couple of days, pack your things and go back to the Crown Prince's residence yourself. I have a lot of maids and servants to take care of me, so you can rest assured. But the Crown Prince is still young and needs your careful attention."
Hong Jiutong maintained a polite smile throughout. She was filial, nodding in agreement to everything her mother said, though she never verbally agreed. Today, she was overjoyed to have her mother-in-law's permission to return home and care for her. She wanted to take this opportunity to stay home longer and fully recover her mother's health. But the Crown Prince's departure had thrown her into turmoil.
The moment the Crown Prince appeared at the Hong residence, Hong Jiutong knew that he had been forced there by her mother-in-law. She and the Crown Prince rarely spoke, fearing he would accuse her family of currying favor with him. She never mentioned her family's affairs to him, and most importantly, she had never had the opportunity to discuss such family matters with him. Therefore, without her mother-in-law's knowledge, the Crown Prince would never know that her mother was seriously ill.
Hong Jiutong felt a pang of sadness. From the moment the Crown Prince entered the palace until his departure, he only spoke one sentence to her at the very end. That one sentence was enough to leave her distraught. The Crown Prince didn't like her. He said he would send someone to pick her up in a few days. Was he sincere? If it was just polite talk, the Crown Prince probably wouldn't send anyone to pick her up. Just as her mother had said, shouldn't she pack her things and go back on her own?
However, her maid Jingjing was delighted and whispered to Hong Jiutong, "Your Highness, it must be because the Princess Consort spoke to the Crown Prince that he has become obedient!"
Hong Jiutong smiled bitterly. So Jingjing already knew what was going on! She was still hoping that the Crown Prince would change his opinion of her.
……
The next day was a day off, and Cheng Youning was still sleeping in bed when the old butler came to his bedside.
As Cheng Youning slept, she started rubbing her ears. Finally, she simply sat up and, without even opening her eyes, called out, "Qiao Rong, quickly give me a glass of water! Strange, why did I dream about that old butler? He kept calling my name in my ear, like he was calling my soul back."
Qiao Rong looked embarrassed. She held a glass of water to Cheng Youning's lips, then glanced at the old steward out of the corner of her eye and whispered to Cheng Youning, who was drinking water, "Your Highness, you weren't dreaming. The old steward is right by your bedside."
Cheng Youning dodged backward, dropping the cup he was holding. He looked at the head of the bed, then slapped his chest so hard it felt empty, as if he'd seen a ghost. "Old man, what are you doing at my bedside?"
The old steward smiled with narrowed eyes, his face full of kindness, "Your Highness, this old servant has been ordered by the Emperor to come here to assign you a task!"
Cheng Youning scratched her messy hair. "A job? Today's a day off!"
The old steward began to coax and persuade, "Although it's a day off, the Emperor is still working tirelessly to review memorials. Even when ministers come to see him, he refuses to see them because it's too few. The Emperor is the ruler of the country; he never has a day off. Your Highness, you are the Crown Prince; you should share some of the Emperor's burden!"
"But I, Your Highness, am going out of the city today to catch grasshoppers!"
"You can put off catching grasshoppers for now. You can go on your next day off. But if you delay the task the Emperor has given you, you'll be in trouble if you get a hundred reprimands from the Crown Prince."
Thinking that the next day off was still several days away, Cheng Youning felt a little discouraged. Then, thinking about what the old steward had said, he had to weigh the options in his mind. He would have to copy the Crown Prince's instructions a hundred times over, which would take him half a month. Being pragmatic, he quickly compromised, "Then, old steward, tell me what task my grandfather has assigned me?"