The film and television world begins with the battle for the throne in Kowloon

Chapter 1089: Eastern Palace (Part )
"Don't think too much, mother. Of course I am the crown prince."

Li Xiang was in high spirits two days ago, but today he found out that farming is so hard after he started working. After working for half a day and cultivating a small corner of an acre of land, he felt sore in his waist and back and felt uncomfortable all over.

Outside the city, I saw old farmers plowing the land in the same way!

Those people were used to it, and occasionally gathered in the fields to smoke and chat, looking very happy. After a busy morning, when their wives and children came to bring them food, they still happily talked about family matters.

But when I tried to do it myself, I found it was too tiring.

If it wasn't arranged by his father himself, if he hadn't promised his father in person last night, Li Xiang really wanted to throw away the hoe in his hand that was becoming increasingly heavy. A bunch of officials from the Eastern Palace and eunuchs beside him kept persuading him to give up.

Li Xiang was a young man, and although he looked stubborn on the surface, he actually didn't want to do it anymore. However, due to his father's authority and the promise he made, he was unwilling to give up just because he couldn't bear the hardship.

Farming is not a noble thing, nor is it Li Xiang's duty. Food is the first necessity of the people, and the status of farmers in ancient times was very high. The powerful and wealthy looked down on the common people who farmed, but no one dared to say that farming was a lowly occupation, let alone denounce it.

Now, the emperor asked the prince to personally go to the fields to experience the suffering of the people and understand the hardships of people's livelihood. This would be beneficial to the prince and the future of the country. Although not everyone in the East Palace and the ministers in the court agreed, they could see nothing wrong with it.

If the prince gave up because he was spoiled and couldn't endure hardship, it would disappoint everyone. Li Xiang understood this.

Besides, he didn't want his father to look down on him, so he had to keep his head down and continue.

Seeing his mother's distressed face, Li Xiang explained: "My father once said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. A towering building is built from the ground. If you can't clean your own house, how can you clean up the world? More than 90% of the people in this world are farmers. The Tang Dynasty is built on the basis of their hard work every day."

"I am going to inherit the Tang Dynasty and take on the responsibility of supporting tens of millions of people. How can I not even know how they survive?"

"Only by standing on the ground can we look up to the sky and shoulder this heavy burden. This piece of land is the task that my father has given to me. He wants me to cultivate it myself and to cultivate it myself. Tomorrow in the autumn, I will give him a field of golden wheat ears."

"Okay, mother, no one can disobey father's order, you should go and do your work!"

Li Xiang said unhappily, "Although I am tired, I have never experienced this kind of life. I think there must be a deep meaning behind this. I am in the East Palace, where there are guards, eunuchs, and palace maids everywhere. There is no danger, but it is a bit hard."

"There is tea and cakes in the pavilion over there. These conditions are much better than those of the farmers outside the city."

After saying that, Li Xiang ignored it, picked up the hoe and continued to work.

Haitang looked stupidly at her son who was completely different from the past, recalling what she had just said in her mind. It turned out that this was arranged by the emperor himself. What kind of considerations and profound meanings were contained in this? As a woman, she naturally could not understand it.

However, Haitang was relieved. Since it was the emperor's arrangement, her son would not be considered to be doing anything wrong, and she did not have to worry about causing criticism in the court.

Looking at the guards like pillars around and the high walls in the distance, his son was right. This was the East Palace. Farming was not like going to the battlefield. It would not kill you, and it was not a dangerous thing. There was an imperial decree.

At least for the time being, I can't stop it.

Thinking of this, Haitang calmed down, slowly returned to the side, and said to the officials of the East Palace: "The prince is reclaiming wasteland and planting crops in accordance with the emperor's order. The emperor must have a deep meaning for this arrangement, which others cannot guess."

"Just do whatever you need to do, don't hang around here!"

"I see. If that's the case, then we won't be worried anymore."

Many old scholars in tall hats and wide robes were relieved immediately. It was not a bad thing for the prince to farm himself. What they were afraid of was that the prince would act on his own and not do his job properly, which would cause dissatisfaction with the emperor. Since it was arranged by the emperor, there was no problem.

In ancient times, when the emperors ruled the country, they all advocated farming. Some wise emperors would personally hold the plow during the spring ploughing every year to show their importance to this matter. At the critical time of sowing, they would send officials to the local areas to supervise farming.

The emperor had good intentions in educating his son in this way. It was better than letting the prince do nothing, wearing fine clothes and riding a horse, playing with cats and dogs, and showing off everywhere all day long.

Suddenly, everyone began to praise and quote classics to flatter the emperor.

Everyone put aside their worries and dispersed. Haitang was about to leave when she saw Hou Junji and Cen Wenben quickly coming to the edge of the parade ground.

"Your servants, Hou Junji and Cen Wenben, pay their respects to Her Majesty the Queen. May Her Majesty live a thousand years!"

Haitang was also somewhat helpless. If it was only her father, it would be fine. But with Cen Wenben as a minister, the father-in-law was also a minister, and they had to abide by the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects. In public, the empress represented the emperor, and Hou Junji did not dare to be careless.

If he were to show off in his private capacity, it would be considered an act of usurpation and disrespect for one's status, and he would be in big trouble from all the civil and military officials in the court.

Haitang was not polite and raised her hand gracefully: "You two gentlemen, please stand up."

Hou Junji rushed to the East Palace after receiving the news. Cen Benwen was the prince's tutor, so he probably came for this matter as well. The two looked at the figures clearing the land in the distance, and Haitang told them what she knew.

Cen Wenben quickly bowed and said, "I congratulate the Queen. This just shows how much the Emperor values ​​His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Oh?"

Haitang asked unkindly, "What do you mean, Master Cen?"

She didn't like Cen Wenben at all, because he was a close confidant of Wu Wang Li Ke. She originally thought that he had joined Wei Wang and was a person who favored Qin and admired Chu. Later, after her father's explanation, she realized that Cen Wenben had always been Li Ke's man.

He went to the Prince of Wei's palace to be a spy and plan for the King of Wu.

This lurking lasted for more than ten years. Haitang was frightened and terrified by his scheming and cunningness. In her opinion, such a treacherous person should be driven out of the court and sent to serve as an official in a local area, the farther away the better.

Who knows what the emperor was thinking, sending such an unpredictable person to his son.

Haitang could not resist the imperial edict, but she was extremely wary of Cen Wenben, fearing that he was another person in Cao's camp who was loyal to Han and might plot against her own people.

Hou Junji frowned slightly. His daughter's attitude towards Cen Wenben was not very good. Even he could feel her wary attitude.

Cen Wenben said calmly, "The sage once said, 'When God is about to bestow a great responsibility on a man, he must first make his mind suffer, his muscles and bones tired, his body hungry and empty, and his actions frustrated. This is to stimulate his heart and harden his nature, and increase his ability to do what he could not do before!'"

"The Emperor's move is intended to let the Prince experience the hardships of life for himself. I am not afraid that the Emperor will let the Prince suffer, but I am afraid that he will allow His Highness to enjoy himself."

"We all know that we are born in adversity and die in comfort. Your Highness is the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty, the future emperor. Without perseverance and determination, you cannot shoulder the heavy responsibility of governing the country."

"Your Majesty is willing to train the Crown Prince, which shows your high regard for him, so I would like to congratulate Your Majesty!"

"Master Cen is right. I think there is nothing wrong with farming. Food is the most important thing for the people. As the crown prince, how can I not understand farming?"

Hou Junji smiled in agreement, nodded to Cen Wenben, and said, "Xiang'er grew up in the East Palace. He can't lift anything with his hands or shoulders. Although his character is okay, he has developed some of the spoiled habits of a child from an aristocratic family."

"The emperor has sharp eyes and can see the problem with Xiang'er at a glance. This is why he let him calm down and train well."

At this point, Hou Junji looked at Haitang and blamed her bluntly, "I've said it before, the gentle and feminine atmosphere in the East Palace can't produce a man who can stand tall and proud. A man should not be afraid of wind and rain, and he should be able to overcome all difficulties. Only on the battlefield can a man of steel be forged."

"A few years ago, I wanted to take Xiang'er to the military camp for training."

"As a mother, you have to protect her. She just rode a horse for a whole day and her legs were a little rubbed, but you cried and were so distressed."

“I didn’t let him out the next day.”

"Look now, the child has been spoiled so much that even the emperor has discovered his problem. I think the emperor is right. Millions of people in this world are farming, so why can't Xiang'er do the same? If he can't even tell the difference between wheat and corn, that would be a huge joke."

Haitang felt uncomfortable when she heard her father scolding her mercilessly in front of others, but she did not get angry.

Instead, he turned around and asked, "Master Cen, what is the purpose of your visit?"

The father and daughter have completely different attitudes towards Cen Wenben. One seems to be trying hard to get close to him, while the other is obviously distancing himself from him.

How could Cen Wenben not see it? However, he had no intention of arguing with a woman. Instead, he said respectfully, "Your Majesty, the court wants to establish a Finance Temple to issue Tang Dynasty treasure notes. Your Majesty has ordered that the prince be appointed as the chief clerk of the Finance Temple."

"Follow the Minister of Finance, Lord Chu Suiliang, to do some preparatory work and learn the functions and operations of the department."

"is it?"

Haitang's face lit up, and her eyes softened when she looked at Cen Wenben. Then she looked at her son who was wielding a hoe, and asked worriedly, "Your Majesty, you usually don't care about Xiang'er when he's idle. Now this is two tasks. Can Xiang'er handle it?"

Seeing that his daughter was still guarding the documents, Hou Junji said unhappily, "Xiang'er is the crown prince, and you always complain that the court doesn't pay attention to him and lets him do nothing. Now that the emperor is personally disciplining him, you are worried that your son will suffer too much."

"You are not only a mother, but also the Empress. You should look at things from the Emperor's perspective."

(End of this chapter)