RPAGF Chapter 9 Empress Zhangsun: It's all your fault for spoiling the child.
Chapter 9 Empress Zhangsun: It's all your fault for spoiling the child.
Empress Zhangsun then handed Li Shimin a very exquisite crown that had been prepared in advance.
Li Shimin looked at the Empress, his eyes filled with deep affection and gratitude.
It can be said that without Empress Zhangsun and her brother Zhangsun Wuji, Li Shimin would not be where he is today, and it would be almost impossible for him to sit on the throne.
Because he and Empress Zhangsun were very loving, they had many children.
Li Shimin took the crown and slowly walked to Li Chengqian.
Li Chengqian felt a pang of guilt as he recalled how he had angered his father a few days earlier.
He knelt on the ground, calling out, "Father."
Li Shimin smiled, nodded slightly, and gazed intently at him with kind eyes.
Li Shimin personally placed the crown on Li Chengqian's head.
The crown fit Li Chengqian's head perfectly, making him appear noble and composed, as if the crown prince had suddenly matured.
"From today onwards, you are no longer a child; you are now a grown man."
"You must shoulder the responsibilities of a man and assist me in governing the Tang Dynasty well, so that the people can live in peace and prosperity," Li Shimin said earnestly.
"Your Majesty's teachings will certainly be remembered!"
"Congratulations to the Great Tang! Congratulations to His Majesty! Congratulations to the Crown Prince!" The cries of congratulations from civil and military officials resounded through the sky.
The final part of the coming-of-age ceremony was a grand banquet held in the main hall.
Who wouldn't be happy with a free lunch?
Civil and military officials frequently toasted Li Shimin, Empress Zhangsun, and Li Chengqian to express their congratulations.
Many people also toasted Lu Deming and Kong Yingda, the Crown Prince's early teachers, praising their excellent teaching methods.
Although Du Zhenglun's buttock injury had not fully healed, he still came today because His Majesty had ordered him to come.
He barely managed to hold on until the coming-of-age ceremony was over. Some of the wounds on his buttocks had burst open, leaving bright red bloodstains. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought he was having his period.
He thought to himself that he had submitted a memorial to the emperor impeaching the crown prince, but the matter seemed to have sunk without a trace and was left unresolved.
He couldn't figure out the reason.
He raised his wine cup and approached the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, I offer you this toast to congratulate you on the successful completion of your coming-of-age ceremony today."
Looking at his disheveled appearance, Li Chengqian wanted to laugh and said in a low voice, "Lord Zuo, thank you for coming to my coming-of-age ceremony instead of staying at home with your concubine today."
Du Zhenglun, thick-skinned as ever, laughed and said, "This humble subject is now almost a cripple; how could I possibly have the mind or energy to think about matters of the bedroom?"
Whether you want to do something or not, whether you want to do it or not, only you know.
"Your Highness is too kind. How could I possibly do this with my buttocks in such a state?"
"Did you bring the memorial I asked you to write?"
Upon hearing this, Du Zhenglun blushed, wondering if the Crown Prince already knew about his memorial to the throne.
He pretended to be confused: "I don't know what kind of memorial Your Highness wants me to write, whether it is about classics or literature. I will definitely write one and present it to Your Highness after I return."
Li Chengqian thought to himself, "You're pretending to be deaf and dumb in front of me. It's utterly ridiculous."
However, it was not convenient to expose him in front of others.
After finishing his drink, Du Zhenglun poured himself another glass.
He brought his wine cup to the King of Yue, bowed deeply, and said with a forced smile, "King of Yue, you have done a good job as the master of ceremonies today. I heard that Du He did not bow to you when he met you. I think that was wrong of him. The etiquette between a ruler and his subject is greater than that between a teacher and his student."
He had intended to flatter the King of Yue to win his favor, but Li Tai completely disregarded him, offering no response and speaking coldly: "As the old saying goes, 'Punishment does not apply to high-ranking officials.' I wonder what's wrong with Lord Du's ass?"
After Li Tai's reminder, everyone turned their attention to Du Zhenglun's buttocks, which were indeed a horrific sight.
Everyone laughed.
If it were someone else, they probably wouldn't even have time to crawl into a hole in the ground.
Du Zhenglun covered his buttocks with his hand and shook his head: "The ruler is the guide for the subject, the father is the guide for the son, and the husband is the guide for the wife. It's like when a son makes a mistake, the father should punish the son. This doesn't mean that the father will stop loving the son from then on."
During the reign of Emperor Wen of Han, there was a minister named Zhang Shizhi. Because of his overly upright character, he often angered Emperor Wen and was punished. However, Emperor Wen later still valued him highly.
Similarly, it is not shameful for me to have made a mistake and been punished by Your Majesty. After reflection, I have realized my error.
"You mean getting a beating from Father Emperor is a supreme honor?"
Du Zhenglun thought to himself, "You, King of Yue, are so fat, round like a ball. I really don't know what you have to be proud of. If you weren't born into an imperial family, you would probably have a hard time finding a wife. And yet you're laughing at me."
He was rebuffed, and simply said that he had drunk too much, then went to toast other people.
night.
Lizheng Hall.
Li Shimin was also in a good mood today, and drank a few more cups, his face flushed.
Empress Zhangsun took off his outer garment and poured him a cup of green tea.
Li Shimin was very thirsty, so he drank a whole cup of tea and felt much better.
Why did you drink so much today?
On the one hand, it's not good for your health;
On the other hand, as an emperor, one must always remain clear-headed and calm.
I remember when Liu Bei went to Eastern Wu to propose marriage, he took advantage of Sun Quan's drunkenness and ran away. By the time Sun Quan woke up, he had already run far away.
Imagine, if Sun Quan hadn't been drunk that day, would Liu Bei have been able to escape?
If Liu Bei had been trapped in Eastern Wu, could he have still established the Shu Kingdom?
Drunkenness leads to trouble. Don't think that just because the world is at peace now, everything is fine. We must remember to be prepared for danger even in times of peace.
"Yes, Your Majesty is absolutely right."
"A few days ago, I asked you to send Tai'er to his fiefdom. You said it would be after Chengqian's coming-of-age ceremony. Today, the ceremony is over, so can he go to his fiefdom now?"
Li Shimin looked at Empress Zhangsun and laughed, "Why are you in such a hurry? I'm a little puzzled. Chengqian is your son, but isn't Tai'er your son too?"
Why are you in such a hurry to send him to his fiefdom?
"Your Majesty, you are mistaken."
After a prince is granted the title of king, he must go to his fiefdom. This is the rule, and the rule cannot be broken.
Emperor Wu of Han had six sons. His eldest son, Liu Ju, was the crown prince. Later, his second son, Liu Hong, was enfeoffed as the King of Qi. His third son, Liu Dan, was enfeoffed as the King of Yan. His fourth son, Liu Xu, was enfeoffed as the King of Guangling. His fifth son, Liu Bo, was enfeoffed as the King of Changyi. His youngest son, Liu Fuling, was born to him and Lady Zhao when he was over sixty years old. All of his sons were enfeoffed as kings at a very young age.
Didn't Emperor Wu of Han also require them all to go to their fiefdoms?
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin thought to himself that his empress was no ordinary woman; she was well-versed in the classics and history, and in some respects, she knew even more than he did.
"You have a point, but special cases should be treated specially."
Empress Zhangsun frowned: "What special circumstances?"
"As you know, I appointed Tai'er to be in charge of compiling the 'Kuodi Zhi' (Records of the Land). So, he recruited some talented people and established the Literary Academy. This Literary Academy has just been established, and there are countless things to do. How can he leave at this time? Let's wait a little longer."
Tai'er has indeed gained some weight, and it will be very tiring for him to attend court. Therefore, I intend to grant him the special privilege of riding in a sedan chair to the court.
Empress Zhangsun was both amused and exasperated: "Is there any precedent for this? Isn't this going a bit too far? What will the ministers think?"
"Why bother with those things? Besides, I also plan to grant Tai'er the 'Bingfang Land' in Luoyang, the eastern capital, to build a large mansion."
That way, it will be more convenient for him whether he is in Luoyang or Chang'an.
"You always say that it's because I spoil the children, but I think it's you who spoiled them."