APSIL -Chapter 94 A Gentle Bamboo Gentleman

After listening to one famous poem after another, Zhang Shou—having drunk a few cups too many—finally laid his head on the table and fell asleep.

In his haze, he vaguely heard the jubilant cheers of the young nobles, the clinking of wine cups, the Emperor promising rewards and official appointments, and Zhu Ying’s bright, melodious laughter.

Before long, even those sounds gradually faded away.

Only when a sharp pain struck his forehead did he suddenly wake.

Opening his eyes, he found that he was no longer at the open-air banquet. Instead, he was lying on a couch inside a room.

Propping himself up, he looked around in confusion before his gaze finally settled on an elderly man glaring at him with puffed cheeks and flared nostrils.

“Teacher?” Zhang Shou blinked. “Wasn’t I at the Imperial Academy just now? I even met His Majesty… Was it all a dream?”

“A dream? More like a daydream!”

Ge Yong angrily jabbed Zhang Shou’s forehead twice with two fingers.

Seeing that his student still looked dazed while rubbing his forehead, he snorted.

“You little rascal! His Majesty personally held a celebration banquet for all of you at the Imperial Academy, and after only a few rounds of wine, you started snoring away and slept like the dead!”

Zhang Shou smiled awkwardly.

“I hadn’t slept all night, Teacher. Before I knew it, I’d fallen asleep.”

Ge Yong was rendered speechless.

After tugging irritably at his beard, he finally asked with a stern expression, “Zhu Ying told me, when she brought you back, that you claimed before His Majesty that everyone worked together on the night of the fourteenth of the eighth month to wipe out those twenty or thirty mutineers from Linhai Camp. Tell me honestly—was any of that true?”

“False.”

The answer came without the slightest hesitation.

Ge Yong’s face immediately darkened with anger.

Seeing this, Zhang Shou sincerely explained, “I know that lying to the Emperor is a grave offense. But when I said it, Zhu Ying immediately backed me up. That told me she’d probably told His Majesty the same story earlier.”

“It wasn’t because I wanted to share my own credit. Honestly speaking, apart from Zhang Chen, most of those young nobles aren’t valued by their own families.”

“They spend their days gambling, racing horses, cockfighting, and wasting their lives. If things continued that way, they’d become nothing more than useless parasites—or worse, one day they’d bring disaster upon themselves and others.”

“But since they were willing to stay behind at Cuiyun Pavilion that day, and even grit their teeth to study mathematics… although most of them lack Lu Sanlang’s talent, they’re still worth saving.”

“If a small amount of borrowed credit can encourage them to improve themselves, if His Majesty’s praise can help turn them around, then I believe it’s worthwhile.”

“A commoner who reforms saves only himself and his family.”

“But when a noble’s son reforms, he not only redeems himself and restores his family’s reputation, he may also benefit countless others. For when such people do evil, they bring calamity to an entire region; when they do good, they benefit an entire region.”

“Of course… I know that even if my intentions were good, what I did was still wrong.”

“So I’d like to write a memorial confessing my offense. Teacher… would you be willing to present it to His Majesty for me?”

As soon as Zhang Shou finished speaking, a noise came from behind the curtain.

Turning his head, he watched as the curtain was lifted high…revealing a face he had never expected to see.

After a brief moment of astonishment, all he could do was hurriedly slip on his shoes, step down from the couch, and bow deeply with a wry smile.

“I truly didn’t expect… that Your Majesty would be listening outside the room.”

“Mmm.”

The Emperor nodded leisurely.

“After hearing you speak honestly, I find that eavesdropping isn’t such a bad thing.”

Ignoring the distinctly unfriendly look Ge Yong shot him for breaking his promise to stay hidden, the Emperor calmly walked out from behind the screen and leisurely looked Zhang Shou over.

“You were sleeping so soundly earlier that I couldn’t very well leave you at Jiuzhang Hall before it’s even repaired. So I simply had someone carry you back here in a carriage.”

Then he smiled knowingly.

“You’re quite bold, though.”

“You dared play tricks before me. Didn’t it occur to you that Hua Qi would report everything truthfully?”

“Of course it did.”

Now fully awake, Zhang Shou answered honestly.

“But I held onto a sliver of hope.”

“I wanted to see whether Your Majesty would overlook my little lie… and whether Zhu Ying would tell the same story.”

“I believed those young men didn’t necessarily need silver, gold, or official positions. Perhaps all they needed was a single sentence of praise from Your Majesty to leave them completely satisfied.”

The Emperor laughed.

“So young, yet already full of schemes.”

“But they’re good schemes.”

“No wonder, when that unexpected incident occurred before Jiuzhang Hall, instead of standing aside and watching, you immediately came up with that clever solution.”

“Otherwise, had I truly acted on impulse and ordered someone to split open the Founding Emperor’s plaque, only to discover there was no secret manuscript inside… even if I killed someone afterward out of anger, it wouldn’t have accomplished anything.”

Zhang Shou chuckled awkwardly.

“But when Your Majesty dealt with that accuser earlier, you seemed perfectly calm and composed. It never looked as though you would act impulsively.”

“That may not be true.”

The Emperor grinned.

“What you saw… may simply have been what I wanted you to see.”

Then he turned toward Ge Yong.

“Teacher, I slipped out without the full imperial procession. By now, there are probably countless officials waiting to lecture me again.”

“I should head back.”

“As for Zhang Shou’s method of testing the Founding Emperor’s plaque… it will probably make Zhou Xun and Luo Siye treat him a little better in the future.”

“Please test whether the method actually works. If it does, we’ll try it someday.”

“After all, the Imperial Archives already contain an entire room filled with the Founding Emperor’s calligraphy. We hardly lack any so-called secret manuscripts.”

“But… I am rather curious.”

“Oh, and don’t forget the other matter I mentioned.”

Seeing the Emperor repeatedly wink at him in obvious secrecy, Ge Yong, who had intended to discuss it with Zhang Shou afterward, could only sigh.

“I know, I know.”

“You’re the Son of Heaven with countless affairs to attend to.”

“So hurry back before the Empress Dowager comes here demanding I hand you over.”

The Emperor simply laughed.

Turning around, he started toward the door.

At that moment, Zhang Shou couldn’t help calling after him.

“Your Majesty!”

“You mentioned earlier that if Director Zhou requested permission, you would allow him to enter the palace and copy the Founding Emperor’s calligraphy. Then…”

Before he could finish, the Emperor replied without even looking back.

“You want to see it too?”

“You may.”

“But only after you’ve accomplished a great deed that no one can question.”

“Otherwise, I wouldn’t mind—but those Grand Secretaries and Ministers would hound you to death.”

“So work hard.”

“Many people are very curious about this Gentle Bamboo Gentleman whom Zhu Ying keeps praising everywhere.”

Stepping outside, the Emperor found A-Liu standing quietly in the courtyard with two young boys—clearly Zhang Shou’s students.

As soon as they saw him, the three hurriedly bowed.

The Emperor smiled, mounted his horse after his guards gathered around him, and rode away.

Only after leaving the Ge residence and taking to the streets did the relaxed expression disappear from his face.

Sixteen years…

The children born after that terrible incident at the temple have all grown up now.

He sighed inwardly.

Back in the eighth year of Yongchen, when I first assumed personal rule, I was only about Zhang Shou’s age.

What was I thinking then?

Ah yes… I wanted to purge the entire court, replace every official with people I liked, and prove to the Empress Dowager how brilliant I was.

Instead… I stumbled from one disaster to another until she nearly beat her unfilial son to death.

Compared to that… Zhang Shou truly deserves to be called a gentle and generous gentleman.

Just as Zhu Jing, the Duke of Zhao, once said… children raised in the countryside are tougher.

His eldest and second princes were practically clawing each other’s eyes out.

As for the third and fourth princes, who had only recently begun their education, it was still too early to judge.

Should I throw them into the countryside… or perhaps into the army to temper them a little?

The Founding Emperor had almost established exactly such a system, requiring imperial princes to gain experience among the common people and in the military…

Then another thought crossed his mind.

Speaking of Zhu Jing… that campaign has dragged on long enough.

It ought to be reaching its conclusion.

With countless thoughts passing through his mind, the Emperor finally urged his horse forward.

Surrounded by several hundred cavalrymen, he galloped down the broad avenue and disappeared into the distance.