Chapter 405: The Playful Emperor
The Minister of Works came from a long line of court officials, with wealth accumulated over many generations, making his family quite affluent. The pond in his rear garden was particularly large.
The children had divided into three factions, each placing a chrysanthemum bouquet on their boat. The team whose flowers remained untouched till the end would emerge victorious.
Chu Hongyu stood on his boat and declared, "Rebels and traitors, you two sides engage first."
No one dared disobey the Emperor's command, even if he was just a young sovereign.
The two factions immediately clashed. As their boats drew near, their bows never quite met, preventing anyone from boarding the opposing vessel to seize the chrysanthemums.
"Whoever retrieves the chrysanthemums first shall be granted an official post by me!"
Chu Hongyu dangled the bait, instantly motivating the children to devise ways to storm the other boat.
"You fools, always calling me dumb," Lin Dongdong, a loyal minister sharing Chu Hongyu's boat, remarked from the sidelines. "There are wooden planks on the shore. Use them to build a bridge and cross over. Hurry up!"
Both sides rowed fiercely, scrambling for the planks.
They finally secured a plank to bridge the two decks, but it was snatched away by the opponents...
Chu Hongyu remained at the bow, chin in hand, his small brows furrowed in deep contemplation.
"Splash!"
Someone fell into the water, and a boat capsized.
Just then, the Minister of Works returned.
"You little rascal, what mischief are you up to now!" Minister Chen fumed at the sight of the ravaged garden. "Skipping studies day after day for these absurd games! I'll beat you senseless, you wretched boy! Stand still!"
Chen San, soaked through, dodged his father's blows while frantically signaling to Chu Hongyu with his eyes.
Feeling guilty himself, Chu Hongyu hastily gathered the remaining children and fled the Chen residence. They boarded a carriage, changed into eunuch's attire, and slipped back to the palace...
Meanwhile, Chen San received two lashes from the Minister of Works and was forced to kneel at the ancestral hall entrance.
"Last time, you swore to our ancestors you'd study diligently! Now, during the Emperor's study hours, instead of attending him in the palace, you gather these good-for-nothing friends at home. Explain yourself!"
Chen San clenched his jaw, remaining silent.
The Minister raised his whip. "Keep stubborn, and I'll flog you dead today! One less scourge to worry about!"
"My lord!" Lady Li rushed to shield her son. "He's only eight! Still young and foolish! Give him another chance!"
The Minister roared, "This isn't about chances! He made a solemn vow and broke it! He deserves death!"
Crack! The whip struck down.
"Speak, my son! Quickly, or your father will truly beat you to death..."
Lady Li wept.
Chen San also broke down in tears, finally blurting out, "Then I ask you, Father: which matters more—a vow or the Emperor's command?"
The Minister narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"It was the Emperor!" Chen San cried indignantly. "How could I defy His Majesty?"
"What?" The whip fell from the Minister's hand as he stared in disbelief. "The Emperor..."
Among the similarly dressed youngsters earlier, he hadn't looked closely. How could he have imagined the current Emperor was among them!
He urgently asked, "Why did the Emperor come?"
"Didn't you see for yourself?" Chen San retorted. "You failed to kneel before His Majesty! I tell you, you're finished! Our entire Chen family is doomed!"The Minister of Works couldn't be bothered with his disappointing son and went to question the servants in his residence.
He learned that the Emperor had come to his residence with a group of study companions purely for boating and playing in the water, without engaging in any serious matters.
He couldn't help but sigh.
The young Emperor was still too immature, unaware of state affairs. Having just ascended the throne, he sneaked out of the palace to fool around—the Great Jin dynasty was in peril.
Yet he couldn't say anything, because if this were brought into the open, court officials would surely vehemently impeach him, claiming his son had led the young Emperor astray.
Although he was the Minister of Works, the Ministry of Works had never been valued by the court and often endured humiliation. The taste of being impeached was unpleasant.
Now he could only hope that the Emperor wouldn't come again and that this matter would be forgotten as if it never happened.
Unexpectedly.
The next day during court, the young Emperor publicly rewarded his son with the finest inkstone, praising him as bright and studious, deserving of the reward.
A sense of foreboding arose in his heart.
Sure enough, that afternoon, the group came to the Chen residence to play in the water again...
For at least seven or eight consecutive days, the young Emperor brought eight study companions to play every day, until the Minister of Works could no longer bear it.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, this humble official is guilty!"
The Minister of Works knelt before Yun Chu, his knees bending.
Yun Chu quickly said, "Minister Chen, please rise. There's no need for such formalities. What has happened?"
"Your subject..." The Minister of Works stood up, "My unworthy son, as the Emperor's study companion, does not accompany His Majesty in diligent study, but instead... instead..."
"Instead what?"
"Instead, he takes the Emperor to my residence every day to play in the water..." The Minister of Works said with resolve, "I thought the Emperor merely had a sudden whim to go boating, so I did not report it immediately upon learning. However, I never expected His Majesty to order the renovation of three boats moved into my residence. I fear he plans to sneak out of the palace for months of amusement at my home... Your Majesty, please intervene with the Emperor."
Yun Chu's hand paused.
Every afternoon was supposed to be Yu Ge'er's study time in the Imperial Study.
Because she had appointed Master Ouyang as the imperial tutor, she had been completely at ease and hadn't checked on him there.
How could such an unbelievable thing have happened?
She spoke, "Minister Chen, do not worry. The Emperor is young and naturally playful. I will not blame you. I'm only concerned about causing you trouble."
"No trouble at all, absolutely no trouble!"
The Minister of Works quickly waved his hands.
As long as the Emperor stopped coming, nothing could be better. Otherwise, the entire household lived in constant fear, worried that something might happen while the Emperor was boating and playing in the water.
Yun Chu sent someone to the Imperial Study to inquire.
Before long, Ting Shuang returned to report: "Previously, Grand Tutor Xu's lessons lasted two hours. Now, Master Ouyang only teaches for half an hour each day. The remaining time, the Emperor takes his companions and sneaks out of the palace to play."
Yun Chu was in no hurry to go to the Chen residence to find them.
Instead, she had Ting Shuang wait at the Imperial Study.
They waited until evening when Chu Hongyu finally returned to the palace.
"This servant pays respects to Your Majesty." Ting Shuang bowed her head in greeting. "The Empress Dowager has prepared a meal and requests Your Majesty's presence to dine together."
Exhausted from his time at the Chen residence, Chu Hongyu had attendants carry him in a sedan chair to Kunning Palace.
The moment Yun Chu saw her son's condition, she knew he was utterly fatigued.
She had the meal served and asked, "How did you become so tired? Is your study workload very heavy?"
"Mother, actually, I haven't been studying properly these past few days." Chu Hongyu looked into Yun Chu's eyes and said, "But don't worry, Mother. I've already mastered everything the teacher taught, which is why I went to do other things."Yun Chu's voice was gentle: "What other matters?"
"Can I not tell Mother for now?" Chu Hongyu blinked, "Once there's a result, I'll give everyone a surprise."
"Alright."
Yun Chu agreed.
She trusted her son wouldn't act recklessly.
However, the Minister of Works would need proper appeasement.
The next day, Madam Chen, wife of the Minister of Works, received rewards from the Empress Dowager.
The Minister of Works: "..."
This is disastrous. The Emperor acts willfully, the Empress Dowager indulges him - the Great Jin dynasty is in peril.
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