Restricted by not having had real contact with Huo Ling, Huo Guang accidentally overestimated the other's abilities.
Huo Ling did not see Huo Guang's attempt to curry favor. Knowing that Huo Guang's recent progress in studies was similar to his, even a bit faster, Huo Ling did not feel ashamed, but rather calmly ended the trip to the imperial garden and sent Huo Guang back to his residence, casually including the coursework arranged for him by Grand Tutor Wang Ancheng.
Before Huo Guang could express his feelings about being sent back before achieving his goals, Huo Ling affectionately rubbed his head and said with a kindly face, "If you don't have enough coursework, remember to tell Uncle Emperor." "I will definitely satisfy you. If you're happy, I'm happy. Perfect."
Things developed unexpectedly for Huo Guang, who had just come to his senses. He suddenly forgot what he originally wanted to say and asked, "Uncle Emperor, are you serious?"
"What do you mean serious or not serious? Your uncle, I don't like to joke around. I'm a serious person, can't afford to be vague in speech." Taking advantage of the fact that the other person wasn't familiar with him, Huo Ling denied decisively, not wanting the conversation to continue on this topic and potentially reveal himself. Following this, Huo Ling, as the elder, expressed concern for Huo Guang's life and expressed the expectation for him to "study hard and make progress every day."
"Guang, your future is still long. Don't be stuck by what's in front of you."
Huo Ling showed genuine emotions, not only moving Huo Guang but also himself.
After experiencing so many changes, despite being precocious, nine-year-old Huo Guang, upon hearing Huo Ling's words, couldn't hold back the tears in his eyes. "Uncle Emperor..."
Aware of being a good uncle, Huo Ling responded, "Yeah, I'm here."
"Uncle Emperor!"
"I'm here."
"Uncle Emperor!"
"Mmm."
"Uncle Emperor!"
"..." Huo Ling, moved by his own actions, managed to keep a smile and reached out to ruffle Huo Guang's hair, now shining with tears. "Be good, go back and do your coursework."
Huo Guang replied decisively, "Alright."
As he watched Huo Ling leave, Huo Guang, back in his room, looked at the coursework originally belonging to Huo Ling on the desk and suddenly felt lost - what was he originally planning to do? He couldn't quite remember, so he decided to start with the coursework.
As Huo Guang sat at the desk, opening the copybook, a slip of paper brushed against his sleeve and fell to the ground. Staring at the scrap of paper for a while, Huo Guang eventually bent down and picked it up.
After undergoing various changes, Huo Guang was accustomed to thinking a little more. However, after guessing for so long, he never expected the contents of the paper, once unfolded, to be like this: "Guang, remember to make your handwriting a bit neater."
Looking at the characters on the paper, which were even worse than his writing at the age of five, Huo Guang fell into thought, rarely pondering a question - Had he been fooled by the Uncle Emperor?
Huo cheated his nephew without guilt. Since he handed all the coursework to Huo Guang, even though he had to get up earlier than usual to go to the study because he had to attend court the next day, he was able to sleep for an additional half-hour without having to put in any extra effort.
However, this extra half-hour was of little significance to Huo Ling because when the time came for him to nap, he would still doze off.
During the early morning court session, as everyone was striving to make a better tomorrow for the Great Zhou Dynasty, Huo Ling, standing at the forefront, was surrounded by the discordant voices of the ministers who had different opinions. Despite sleeping half an hour more than usual, he openly dozed off.
The Emperor, sitting high and seeing everything in the hall, restrained his expression. However, he couldn't control the hand that reached to his temple, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, he had regained his usual composure, a state of calm authority.
"Crown Prince."
Huo Ling: "Zzz..."
As the Emperor threw the dossier straight at the Crown Prince, who had been dealing with the dossier, Huo Ling, who was still drowsy, held the dossier that had suddenly appeared in his arms and looked around in confusion. "Father Emperor?" I'm sorry, but when the ministers were 'arguing' as if they were chanting scripture, I didn't feel like staying awake.
Seeing Huo Ling's bewildered expression, Emperor Huo Jian was frustrated, but he managed to contain it and asked calmly, "Crown Prince, do you have any thoughts? Speak up."
Huo Ling looked at the Emperor and blinked, then looked around, and as if suddenly realizing, he lowered his head and opened the dossier, still carrying his body temperature.
The dossier in Huo Ling's hand was the reason for the bustling early morning session.
After reading the note, which he barely understood, Huo Ling got a general idea of the situation. In general, today's session was so lively primarily because of a familiar issue - the Yellow River had flooded again. The debate was centered around whether to block or divert the river.
During the spring, when all living things start to thrive, the Great Zhou Dynasty also faced the problem of "spring flooding." For the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty, if the Yellow River did not flood once or twice a year, it would mean a severe drought. However, unlike in previous years, the not-so-obvious "spring flooding" this year seemed to have caught the attention of the heavens. The surging, ice-tinged floodwaters destroyed a considerable amount of arable land and several nearby villages.
The disaster-stricken people needed relief, so the court naturally had to send aid. However, after discussing relief matters during the morning session, Li Gongming, the Minister of Works, handed in a dossier and proposed that while relief was necessary, the water needed to be controlled as well.
On the dossier, Li Gongming presented several methods for controlling the water, all of which were reasonable and innovative, but the key questions were - where would the money come from? Who would manage the effort? How would it be done? How would human resources be allocated? Block or divert?
These were not issues that could be solved with a single dossier. Li Gongming, who favored "diversion," and Gong Yi, the Minister of the Ministry, who favored "blocking," each held their ground with their own valid reasons, and the other ministers also had their own opinions.
Some were in favor of "blocking," some were in favor of "diverting," some were fence-sitters, agreeing with one argument after finding it reasonable and then agreeing with another after the next line, and some simply observed from the sidelines. With the diversity of opinions, the Emperor found himself getting a headache, and Huo Ling was overwhelmed by sleepiness.
Closing the dossier, Huo Ling rubbed his face and, under everyone's gaze, coughed lightly. "Um, Minister Li's writing is quite good."
Your Majesty, "..." Did I ask you to say that?
Lord Li Gongming, who was called upon, was stunned. He forgot to put down the sleeves he had rolled up. He couldn't see the expression of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, but he could feel the sincerity in his words. For a moment, he didn't know what to feel.
Like Lord Li Gongming, there were many ministers who did not know how to feel. Many officials, looking at the figure of Huo Ling standing in the forefront, seemed to see the fate of the Great Zhou Dynasty after the sun had set behind the mountains.
The atmosphere became extremely quiet for a while.
Just when the sudden silence chilled many people's hearts, under the gaze of His Majesty the Emperor, Huo Ling straightened his back and cleared his throat. "The ministers all make very valid points. If I were to say I have no opinion, then some people would think 'The Great Zhou is finished,' wouldn't they?"
Unaware of the moment when his voice fell, some elderly officials were already clutching their chests and about to faint the next second. Thinking he had enlivened the atmosphere, Huo Ling continued, "I have never seen the flooding of the Yellow River, nor do I know if it should be 'blocked' or 'dredged.' But it is certain that the Yellow River needs to be controlled, and that is something everyone can agree on." Huo Ling sought affirmation and glanced at His Majesty the Emperor at the forefront. "...Isn't that right?" After receiving a nod from His Majesty the Emperor, the affirmed Huo Ling grinned excitedly and smiled at Emperor Huo Jian.
Your Majesty, "..." Feigning discomfort. But seeing that Huo Ling was the choice he had to make, Huo Jian raised his hand, gave Huo Ling a face, and said, "Go on."
"Cough, I actually have a question for Lord Li." Straightening his chest, Huo Ling turned to look at Lord Li Gongming, who had already put down his rolled-up sleeves. "Have you ever been to the Yellow River?"
"No," Lord Li Gongming, who already knew what Huo Ling meant, replied, then added, "But I have been to the Yangtze River and managed its water."
"So what? You still haven't been to the Yellow River," Huo Ling asked flatly. After rendering Lord Li Gongming speechless, Huo Ling turned to the Ministry of Revenue's Shang Shu Gong Yi and asked, "Lord Gong, have you been to the Yellow River?"
Despite guessing from Lord Li Gongming's reaction, Gong Yi, facing the question from the Crown Prince Huo Ling, could only truthfully reply, "No."
"If not," Huo Ling shrugged confidently, "then all your words are just idle talk."
"Not having been to the Yellow River and not knowing what the Yellow River is really like, yet standing here giving orders and saying that the Great Zhou is finished because of me. I think the Great Zhou will perish because of you." Even though he enjoyed being called a waste, being scolded by his father was one thing. But hearing those who accused his mother of interfering and offended his mother frequently, it was another matter.
Standing the idle talk was even worse. What was someone like him, who was less than worthless?
Huo Ling tilted his head and glanced around at the people present. Wherever his gaze passed, many ministers subconsciously avoided his gaze.
The atmosphere became even quieter than it was at the beginning.