Drunk Bamboo

Two days later, all court officials knew that Han Jian had impeached the prince.

The news was not leaked by someone in Zhongdu, but by the emperor himself.

It was only because of a letter sent back by a carrier pigeon from an imperial censor who was sent to Yu Town, Jiangbei County.

When the censor arrived at Yu Town at full speed, the prince was not at his residence. After asking the people around him, he finally found the prince at the place where the dam was being built.

The sun was shining brightly at that time. The prince, dressed in a white robe embroidered with a dragon dragon, was standing next to the shirtless workers covered in mud. He could be recognized at a glance.

The censor saw the most unforgettable scene in his life.

The honorable Crown Prince leaned sideways, stretched out his hand, and supported the worker who was about to fall. His mouth moved slightly, as if he was giving instructions. His worried expression was revealed so naturally, and it came from the heart.

The worker who almost fell blushed with embarrassment, with a smile on his face, revealing his unusually white teeth.

It was not fear of facing someone in high position, nor fear of offending His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, but just heartfelt gratitude.

The prince is still the prince, but he is no longer the prince.

The censor's chest seemed to be hit violently, shaking his heart.

When the prince heard the emperor's will, he was stunned for a moment, but soon recovered his composure.

He turned his head to look at the huge project and the workers who were sweating but still working hard, his eyes full of sadness.

"Almost there...Give me another half a year and I'll be done."

"Your Highness, His Majesty has only summoned you to Zhongdu. Once the matter is clarified, you can come back."

I don't know where the censor got the courage and guts to speak to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince face to face.

By the time he came to his senses and prepared to salute, the prince had already turned around.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to see the completion of the dam."

why?

The censor was puzzled, but did not dare to be rude again.

The prince said, "I will go back with you, but I will need three days to find a trustworthy person to tell him about some engineering matters, which may delay the trip."

The censor nodded unconsciously.

It should be.

I was still thinking: The prince is so approachable and cares so much about the dam project, how could he embezzle the money for its construction?

The censor was astonished as to why he trusted the prince so much when he met him for the first time.

When he came back to his senses, he saw the prince looking at him, as if waiting for his reply.

He had just been promoted. Before that, he had been working as a reviewer in the Hanlin Academy, responsible for proofreading and revising books. This job required rigor, seriousness, patience, and a persistent and calm state of mind.

And boring.

Sitting alone in a quiet room is the norm, and I even haven't spoken to my colleagues for more than a month, immersed in work.

Therefore, he was not used to the face-to-face contact with people in his new job. He read the expressions of his superiors and was harsh on the outside but weak on the inside when dealing with his subordinates.

The censor didn't know what to say and his palms were sweating with nervousness.

The prince seemed to see that he was a newcomer and reminded him, "Pei Yushi, please write a letter first to inform him of the situation, so as to avoid being punished."

Pei Xiuwen looked up woodenly.

Is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince afraid that he will be punished?

How could such a prince be corrupt?

Pei Xiuwen doesn't understand the complexity of officialdom.

He listened to the prince's words and reported everything truthfully.

In the letter, he also deliberately added a few sentences about the scene where the prince and the workers were building the dam together.

His original intention was for the prince, hoping that Your Majesty would be moved and not be deceived by the treacherous people, and restore the prince's innocence.

Unexpectedly, it backfired.

After reading the letter, the emperor exploded on the spot.

"Is the prince openly defying my will? He keeps saying the people and livelihood. Is he the only one who is doing things for the people? I am the emperor of Rao. I work so hard. Am I just putting on a show for the world to see?"

"I have ordered that the Crown Prince be taken back to Zhongdu for investigation immediately on suspicion of embezzling public funds for dam construction. No mistakes can be made! Disobeying my order is a crime of deceiving the emperor."

There is Luo Yuan in Baoping Hall.

Outside the Baoping Hall, several officials were waiting, looking at each other in panic.

The news spread quickly.

Officials who supported the prince wrote letters requesting to see the emperor.

The emperor ignored them all and kept silent about them.

……

Here, Hua Qinfeng wandered outside Zhang's house for a long time.

He went back and forth dozens of times, but didn't dare to knock on the door. Chaoyang was getting anxious watching him.

Just then, the door of Zhang's house opened and Butler Zhang invited him in.

In the lobby, Grand Tutor Zhang sat alone in the Grand Tutor's chair.

His hair and beard were all white, his eyes were bright, and just by sitting there he looked highly respected.

"I heard that King Feng has been standing outside the palace for two days. What do you want to talk to me about?"

Discovered?

Hua Qinfeng looked bewildered.

Chaoyang was speechless. It was so obvious. Were all the people in the Zhang family blind?

"Master Zhang, how are you?" Hua Qinfeng stood properly and did not feel comfortable speaking.

"It's been a few months since we last met. Your Highness has also learned to speak in a roundabout way?" Taifu Zhang stroked his beard and looked at him with a pair of eyes full of wisdom.

Hua Qinfeng took a risk, took a step forward, and said sincerely:

"I have something to ask of you, and I am also sincerely concerned about your health."

"I have not doubted the prince's sincerity. It is not a bad thing for the prince to be roundabout. I sigh, who made the prince change like this." Tutor Zhang smiled slightly, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened.

"When I was young, I was naughty and willful. I didn't listen to the teachings of the Grand Tutor and neglected my studies. Now when I think about it, I regret it very much. The Grand Tutor is the most knowledgeable person in Rao Country. Now that I have come to my senses and want to ask for his guidance, is it too late?"

"Your Majesty, this is..."

Zhang Taifu was surprised. But King Feng's serious expression showed that he was not joking.

"I want to be your student again. This time I will listen carefully, work diligently and cherish your advice. Master, are you willing to be my teacher?" His eyes were firm and sincere.

The same person is a student twice...

It may sound a little strange.

but……

The owner of the pair of determined eyes in front of him moved him.

"When one is young and eager to learn, it is like the sun rising; when one is strong and eager to learn, it is like the sun at noon. As long as you are willing to learn, it is never too late."

"Thank you, Master! I bow to you!"

Hua Qinfeng grinned happily, quickly straightened his posture, bowed deeply, and solemnly performed the ceremony of paying homage to his teacher.

"Get up."

Hua Qinfeng sat down and discussed with Grand Tutor Zhang: "I know that you are old and have a heart disease, and you have to take care of the Crown Prince's studies. I don't want you to be too tired, so I will come to the mansion every three days to study for an hour. What do you think?"

"Xinghe is now arranging almost all of the Crown Prince's studies. I can hardly go to the palace once every ten days or half a month. If Your Majesty is willing, you can come to the mansion every morning to study for half a day. I don't have the energy in the afternoon."

"Of course that's good!"

Hua Qinfeng was overjoyed.

If you can come to study every day, you will definitely learn faster.

Hua Qinfeng just wants to learn knowledge quickly and become stronger.

Tutor Zhang was very pleased to see that he was so studious.