The sky is getting brighter, the morning light is fading, and ink-colored clouds are billowing in the sky, bringing a touch of coolness in this hot July day.
Outside Xihua Gate, Chen Yi looked at the scene in front of him with tears in his eyes.
A simple carriage, a large chariot, and no ceremony and ceremony. If you want to talk about these red tapes, just don't talk about it.
However, there were only dozens of guards around.
To put it bluntly, an ordinary duke’s family would bring more people than this when they go out.
How could the majestic emperor go out to inspect the palace on such a scale?
Chen Yi glanced at Yu Qian and saw that the other party had no response. He was about to say a few more words of advice when he saw a scene that made his eyes fall to the floor.
"I've met the emperor's uncle!"
As if he heard the noise, a small figure suddenly emerged from the large carriage. He was wearing a light blue narrow-sleeved four-claw dark dragon pattern round collar robe and deerskin boots. He looked chubby and very cute.
The little man got out of the carriage, stepped on the footstool next to him, ran over, and bowed respectfully.
"Your Highness, be careful..."
Looking at this look, the servants on the side, especially the personal attendants Wan Zhen'er and Liang Fang, had their eyelids twitching and were worried.
The two of them also received temporary news that the emperor had summoned the prince. However, when they arrived, they discovered that he was about to leave the palace.
Seeing that the emperor had arrived, there was still no news from the people he and others sent to report the news. The two of them were worried, but they could only step forward and salute, saying.
"See Your Majesty!"
On the other side, seeing the little prince also appearing at Xihua Gate, even Yu Qian couldn't sit still and couldn't help but ask.
"Your Majesty, is this what you want?"
"The prince is the crown prince of the country, and he must be aware of the sufferings of the people. Naturally, I want the prince to accompany me when he leaves the palace!"
Ah this...
Seeing the emperor's casual expression, the two elders felt a headache at the same time.
"Your Majesty, it is too hasty to leave the palace this time. Should we let His Highness return to the palace first? If Your Majesty intends to let His Highness understand the public sentiment, he can choose a day when preparations are complete before ordering His Highness to leave the palace. Please think twice."
Shen Shangshu bit the bullet and could only continue to persuade.
The emperor suddenly decided to go out of the palace for inspection. This was ridiculous enough, but now, he also had to bring the four or five-year-old prince with him. If something happened, the group of people who followed him would have someone to figure it out. One, they are all sinners of the country.
Fortunately, this time Yu Qian did not continue to side with the emperor, but followed the advice.
"Your Majesty, although His Royal Highness is the Crown Prince of Sheji, he is still young. There is chaos outside the palace. If something goes wrong, I will die without redemption. I beg Your Majesty to temporarily send His Highness back to the East Palace."
Liang Fang and Wan Zhen'er on the side also looked expectantly, but they knew what their status was. In this situation, there was no room for them to speak.
Facing the advice of the two ministers, Zhu Qiyu seemed to be hesitant. However, he did not directly express his position. Instead, he reached out and touched the head of the villain in front of him and said.
"Brother Shen, would you like to go out with Uncle Huang for a visit?"
Zhu Jianshen has been taught very well during this period, at least he seems to be very good, very calm and polite, but he is used to being arranged by others. At this time, Zhu Qiyu asked him this, which made the young prince feel at a loss for a moment.
Liang Fang next to her tried her best to wink at Zhu Jianshen, indicating that he should not agree, which made Zhu Jianshen hesitate.
As old as he is, he has never left the palace. The farthest he has gone is to visit his father in Nangong. It is impossible to say that he does not want to go out.
However, he is a good boy, and his grandmother and father have repeatedly told him to listen to the words of Sister Wan, Liang Fang and other senior companions.
As a result, the little prince was very confused and did not answer for a while.
Seeing this situation, Liang Fang on the side couldn't bear it anymore and cautiously stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, His Royal Highness was frightened last night and has not yet calmed down. I think it is best to send His Highness away first..."
"presumptuous!"
However, before he finished speaking, the Emperor came with a cold look, which immediately made Liang Fang sweatdrop on her forehead.
"Is this how the Holy Mother taught you the rules?"
Liang Fang's indifferent question immediately made Liang Fang tremble. He didn't care about the smoke and dust on the ground, and immediately knelt down on the ground and said in a trembling voice.
"This slave will die!"
"Pull it down and get twenty punishments with the rod!"
There was no reason, and no reason was needed. Zhu Qiyu waved his hand gently, and a servant immediately stepped forward, tied Liang Fang and pinned her to the ground.
However, at this moment, Zhu Qiyu felt his sleeves being pulled. When he lowered his head, he saw Zhu Jianshen looking at him timidly.
"What? Brother Shen doesn't think it's appropriate?"
When facing Zhu Jianshen, Zhu Qiyu naturally changed his tone to a gentle tone.
However, despite the gentleness, Liang Fang, Wan Zhen'er, Yu Qian, Shen Yi and others could not help but break into a cold sweat.
No matter how young Zhu Jianshen is, he is still a prince and a heir apparent!
In this case, in front of the emperor, it is always right.
Although it is impossible for Zhu Jianshen to realize the difference now, it is said that accompanying a king is like accompanying a tiger. Any slightest negligence may have serious consequences.
Just this simple sentence, no matter how gentle the emperor's tone is, what cannot be concealed is the status of monarch and minister.
Liang Fang was a member of the East Palace, and in the palace, he was also the emperor's slave. Let alone the twenty-two sticks, even if he was killed, no one could say anything.
In the Nangong Palace, every month, maids and chamberlains were beaten to death with sticks, but did anyone cry out for them?
Under this situation, the emperor seemed to be asking the prince for his opinion, but in fact, if the prince really spoke out, then he would have committed a big taboo.
If the prince was older and had received certain political training, then this simple mistake would be instinctively avoided.
But now, the prince is still too young and has just left the court to study. Although he has heard that he has done well in reading during this period, it is indeed too early to face such a test.
Although the prince now has a special status and a stable status, now that the prince has left the cabinet, his every word and deed will attract the attention of the government and the public.
In this case, how the prince behaves becomes particularly important...
However, in this situation, no one could remind the prince. Therefore, among the worried eyes of everyone, perhaps feeling the warm attitude of the person in front of him, Zhu Jian was deeply entangled for a while, and still asked in a low voice.
"Uncle Emperor, can you not punish Liang Fang?"
As soon as he said this, Yu Qian and Chen Yi looked at each other helplessly. Sure enough, His Highness the Crown Prince is still too young. Such words, alas...
However, the more times like this, the less they can speak. At best, they can only make amends afterwards.
Otherwise, it is also a big taboo.
Therefore, although they had the same clarity in their hearts, everyone present did not dare to express their anger, and the whole atmosphere seemed depressing and quiet.
However, it should be said that although Zhu Jianshen was young, he was educated by the prince after all. Although he had not been out of the cabinet for a long time, he had been taught in Cining Palace for a long time.
Of course I don't have any political skills, but I still have a little ability to observe people's words and emotions.
It's just that, after all, he is a child who realizes that the atmosphere is not right, but he doesn't know how to solve it, so he can only lower his head and look like he has made a mistake.
Zhu Qiyu, on the other hand, did not look angry or annoyed at all when faced with this situation. Instead, he asked in a softer tone.
"Then Brother Shen, can you tell Uncle Huang why you don't punish Liang Fang?"
Zhu Jianshen lowered his head and did not dare to speak. He looked a little pitiful and helpless.
It should be said that as a prince, this is another mistake.
If word spreads, His Highness the Crown Prince will not only be seen as indifferent, but also seen as weak and incompetent.
But again, at this time, no one dared or could remind Zhu Jianshen.
Now that he has entered the East Palace, this is the test he will surely endure, and it will also be his daily routine in the future...
Zhu Jianshen didn't speak for a long time, and the scene became more and more depressing. Liang Fang on the side almost couldn't hold back her words. However, at this time, Wan Zhen'er, who was also trembling slightly, stared at him. Only then did Liang Fang Fang wakes up.
Their lives are so worthless.
What he just said would be no problem for ordinary ministers, or even for the emperor's favored eunuchs.
However, if he, Liang Fang, a confidant of the Notre Dame sect in the East Palace, dared to interfere in the conversation between the emperor and the prince, it would be a serious crime.
The emperor gave him twenty sticks, which was a small punishment but a big punishment. If he dared to speak at such a moment, he would really be dead!
So, lowering her head deeply, Liang Fang was so frightened that she could only pray silently that His Highness the Crown Prince could handle it properly, or at least not let the situation get worse.
Seeing that Zhu Jianshen remained silent, Zhu Qiyu's expression finally became calmer, and he said with a slightly commanding tone.
"It doesn't matter, Prince, just say it. It doesn't matter if you say it wrong. I don't blame you!"
After all, Zhu Jianshen had been very sensitive to this kind of order after living in a deep palace for many years. When Zhu Qiyu's tone changed, although he could still see that he was scared, he still mustered up the courage to raise his head and stumbled.
"Uncle Emperor, my nephew thinks that Liang Fang is also thinking about his nephew. He has always been very good to his nephew, so when he was punished, his nephew could not say a word, and..."
After saying these words, Liang Fang felt cold and said to herself that it was over.
Your Highness, there are really certain things that you cannot say.
How the court has concluded Wang Zhen's coffin now, the most important one is to use the affection of many years of companionship to confuse the saints and use power to deceive, leading to great disaster.
When it came to him, His Highness the Crown Prince said that because he was usually close to His Highness the Crown Prince, he begged for mercy on his behalf.
It's unclear. Is it Liang Fang who is using affection to influence His Highness the Crown Prince again?
Sure enough, as soon as these words fell, Liang Fang immediately felt the icy looks from the two elders next to her.
At that moment, Liang Fang felt miserable in her heart. They said that the situation in this court was very dangerous, but today he had experienced it. It had only been a few days since the East Palace came out of the cabinet, and he had already reached the gate of hell...
However, things are always unpredictable, just when Liang Fang thought that everything was powerless and she was destined to become a withered bone in the well.
His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, finally gained some face, mustered up the courage, raised his head with his fleshy little fists, and said.
"And these days, my nephew is studying in the East Palace. The teacher said that the saints' practices are to educate all people. If the people have made mistakes, they should use etiquette and rules, turn them into virtues, and forgive them with kindness. The evil ones can only be taught without results. Ritual becomes punishment.”
"As an eunuch, Liang Fang is guilty of overstepping his status. However, he did it for the sake of his nephew and had no evil intentions. The emperor's uncle should use etiquette and laws to make him understand his status and abide by his duties. If he still does not change, he will be punished again. Carrying out punishment is what a sage king does..."
It can be seen that these words are not easy for Zhu Jianshen.
He stopped and stumbled when he spoke, and he stumbled in some places, but this did not affect Liang Fang's admiration for him.
Your Royal Highness, you are truly a Bodhisattva who saves the sufferings of your servants!
It was almost visible to the naked eye that the atmosphere at the scene relaxed. Yu Qian and Shen Yi couldn't help but look at the prince with a little more approval.
The truth Zhu Jianshen said is very easy to refute if you really want to discuss it, and it is quite suspected of being applied mechanically. However, for a child under five years old, it is already very difficult.
Moreover, the same action is performed for different reasons, but its nature is completely different.
If His Highness the Crown Prince pleads for Liang Fang just because he has always been by his side and has deep feelings for him, then he is acting on emotion without distinguishing between right and wrong.
However, since it can be said in a decent manner, such as giving rituals and punishing them, then the nature becomes to practice the way of a saint and advise the king and father.
Although the reasoning cannot be studied in detail, His Highness the Crown Prince is worthy of praise for having such faith and courage!
Therefore, after the words fell, Shen Yi on the side thought for a while and said.
"Your Majesty, although His Royal Highness is young, he already has a benevolent heart and can understand the meaning of a saint. This is the blessing of the country!"
Yu Qian also said: "Your Majesty, what Shen Shangshu said is true. His Royal Highness is able to understand the way of benevolence and forgiveness, and understand the use of etiquette and punishment. He is really talented and intelligent. I am congratulated!"
From the beginning to the end, the two elders did not mention Liang Fang, but Liang Fang knew that her disaster was over.
As expected, after hearing these words, the emperor pondered for a moment, and said with a smile on his face.
"It is indeed a good thing that the prince has such an idea."
"but……"
After hearing this, Zhu Jianshen's tight little face relaxed a little, but before he could relax for a moment, he heard the imperial uncle in front of him say again.
"The prince must remember that giving out rituals and punishing people is the foundation of the country, but the king of all peoples should have the heart of all peoples, and he should not be benevolent for the sake of one person, nor forgive for a moment."
"The way of saints educates all people, has its own moral order, respects superiors and inferiors, distinguishes rewards and punishments, and is fair and selfless. This is the true benevolence of all people!"
"So, uncle Huang cannot agree to you. Since Liang Fang has made a mistake, he must be punished!"
"Come here, pull Liang Fang down and give her twenty sticks to warn everyone in the East Palace!"
