"What did you say? I didn't hear clearly." Subconsciously swallowing the peach in his mouth, Huo Ling couldn't help but turn his head to look at Li Zhuang. "Are you serious?" A person with genuine talent but actually seeking fame and reputation, such a person telling him that he wants to become a "petty official", Li Zhuang must be crazy, or did he mishear?
Well, he must be both.
Nodding absentmindedly, the lazy Huo Ling, without a hint of seriousness in his eyes, looked at Li Zhuang, who stood straight with no flattery, and for the first time, expressed his true thoughts... no, he rephrased his words, "Your Highness, give me a chance to be a petty official."
Huo Ling: "..." The chance I'm giving you is not like this.
Li Zhuang's starting point is different from the other two study buddies of Huo Ling. He is not a noble like Huo Can, flowing with the blood of the Huo family, nor is he a master's son like Gongsun Xun, with his own political capital. His family only has a few hundred mu of good farmland, which is completely insignificant in the capital, and parents who can't offer much help but won't hold him back.
Everything he has to achieve, he has to do it himself.
By mocking Huo Ling through poetry, he gained a reputation for fearlessly speaking against authority. Li Zhuang is proud of what he has done. He just didn't expect Huo Ling to be so lucky as to become the Crown Prince, and that he would be handed over to Huo Ling by the Emperor as a study buddy.
During his time at the Bai Library, repeating the same monotonous work, Li Zhuang finally figured it out—he couldn't impress Huo Ling with behaviors that tried to curry favor. Huo Ling is completely different from any other superior he has encountered.
There is no joy or anger in Huo Ling's expression, and his thoughts can never be understood using common sense. If Li Zhuang, who was prejudiced by Huo Ling, doesn't create opportunities for himself, he might end up as nothing more than a commentator.
He is not willing to accept that.
Putting everything on the line, Li Zhuang came to the Eastern Palace to see Huo Ling. The two hours of waiting not only calmed him down completely but also made his thoughts clearer.
Looking at Huo Ling, Li Zhuang, without concealing his ambition, said, "I'm willing to clear the way for you, no matter the danger."
---If he can't be Xiao He, then he will be Zhang Tang.
Swallowing the last piece of peach in his mouth, the usually casual Huo Ling finally straightened up. Looking Li Zhuang in the eyes, he saw his own reflection, as always elegant and composed, and at the same time, he also saw the unreserved ambition intentionally shown by Li Zhuang in his eyes.
Some people like to be modest, some appreciate ambitious people, and some will forgive and forget the past. But Huo Ling is completely different from others; he likes to counter-question the other person at every opportunity. Just like at this moment—
With his hands crossed, Huo Ling calmly asked Li Zhuang, "On what basis?" If he says to give a chance, he will give it, and if he says to clear the way, he will clear it. Does he lack integrity?
As Huo Ling's words fell, Li Zhuang's expression stiffened, then suddenly turned pale, so pale that Huo Ling felt he was about to burst into tears the next moment.
Li Zhuang's full of brave determination all fell apart at the three-word phrase "on what basis" from Huo Ling.
People always have to pay for what they have done, and Li Zhuang is honest, and has no right to despise Huo Ling's pettiness and pettiness. He tried to control his expression, and as Huo Ling finished his question and reached for the fruit dish to pick some fruit, holding onto his last unwillingness, Li Zhuang knelt down on both knees.
"I am willing to offer my blood to the earth."
"I am willing to build my bones into city walls."
"I wish for prosperity and peace in Dazhou, for the sky to be clear and the rivers to be calm. I make this vow, even in death, I have no regrets."
Kneeling in front of Huo Ling with a straight back, Li Zhuang spoke in a forceful and resolute manner, but Huo Ling seemed to hear the voice of Li Zhuang's soul speaking. Each word was uttered with such force that it couldn't be ignored. Huo Ling reached out for the fruit plate, wondering why he couldn't just let him have some fruit. Despite sighing inwardly, Huo Ling's face showed no hint of surprise as he looked at Li Zhuang. "Haven't seen you for many months, didn't expect you to try to please me in a different way," Huo Ling thought to himself. In reality, Huo Ling didn't quite understand why Li Zhuang wanted to curry favor with him.
Li Zhuang raised his head. "Is there anything wrong with wanting to make a name for oneself?"
"Some are filled with patriotic zeal and serve the country, but many others enter officialdom to make a name for themselves," thought Huo Ling. He simply wasn't concealing it. Was this considered shallow fame-seeking? Even if he had been taken for granted and ridiculed in the past, Huo Ling had grown up surrounded by luxury, and he wouldn't understand Li Zhuang's desire to transcend the label of "commoner" or the difference and gap between commoners and the elite. If he just wanted to be an idle prince, he also wouldn't understand the other's ambition.
However, Huo Ling chose to respect.
In the face of such sincerity from the other party, Huo Ling, who was rarely influenced, rarely showed such a dignified attitude. He patted Li Zhuang, who was kneeling in front of him, on the shoulder. "Young man, you are very ambitious."
Emulating the appearance his father usually showed to the ministers, Huo Ling assumed a dignified posture. "I'll give you a chance. Whether you soar or decline is entirely up to your own ability." Even though he still harbored resentment towards Li Zhuang for writing poetry and scolding him, it didn't prevent Huo Ling from giving him a chance, as it was no more than a simple gesture.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Li Zhuang bowed his head and kowtowed to Huo Ling, and Huo Ling did not evade.
True to his word, the next day, Huo Ling assigned Li Zhuang to the Ministry of Punishments. After the morning court, while summarizing the thoughts to the Emperor as usual, Emperor Huo Jian suddenly asked Huo Ling about Li Zhuang.
Casually reviewing the salt marsh county situation in Li Gongming's report and approving Huo Ling's memorials, when Huo Ling was about to leave after dispassionately expressing his thoughts on today's morning court, the Emperor pointed at Huo Ling with the vermilion pen in his hand, separated by space, "You have put Huo Can into the Jin Yiwu, Gongsun Xun directly took leave to prepare for autumn, and now you have thrown Li Zhuang into the Ministry of Punishments. The three companions assigned to you by us, now there's none left..."
Emperor Huo Jian's expression turned cold suddenly. "Huo Ling, do you have any grievances against Me?"
Huo Jian's words carried a strong intention of questioning and accusation. Huo Ling, who was about to step out of the hall, was forced to stop. Despite his helplessness, he smiled and replied, "Father, you are misunderstanding me."
"What is my level of achievement in my studies? You have a clear understanding," Huo Ling was extremely candid about his "inability." "Isn't arranging for them to study with me resigning myself to mediocrity? Great Zhou needs them more than me, so I have found a place suitable for them to shine," he said. As he spoke, even Huo Ling himself believed it, and his expression became even more composed. "...This is also for the sake of Great Zhou."
Huo Ling even felt that he was radiating boundless radiance at this moment, and as for the thoughts of settling them and not wanting to study, they didn't exist.
Ande, the steward who served tea to Huo Ling, felt a pang in his heart. After serving the tea, Ande did not return to his original position but stood quietly and respectfully behind Huo Ling's chair, ready to intervene should Huo Ling rush towards the Emperor or should the Emperor strike Huo Ling.
Some things, over time, became increasingly habitual.
Subconsciously rubbing his bulging stomach, Ande felt the increasing weight of his responsibilities. He didn't even have time to think about the receding hairline.
As expected, the Emperor couldn't stand Huo Ling's smug expression. Putting down the vermilion pen without any expression, the Emperor threw the memorials in his hand at Huo Ling.
Despite being bombarded with memorials, Huo Ling's expression remained unchanged, and he even managed to ask for the Emperor's promise before the word "roll."
"Father, even if we share the same last name, we're still a family," Huo Ling even found time to retort, using Ande's body as a shield against the "attack" from the Emperor.
"Huo Ling!"
"Here I am."
"Huo Ling!!!"
The Author has something to say:
①: In ancient times, when writing on bamboo slips, if there were errors, they would be trimmed with a knife, so scholars and politicians in ancient times often carried a knife and pen with them to make corrections at any time.
②: From Qu Yuan's "Lament for Ying": "Yet my heart still cherishes what it loves, even though nine deaths shall be its price." Yes, it's from the "Lament for Ying," which goes like "Lament for Ying: I suffered a thousand trials, but remain true to Ying."
③ "Pipa Ji" (by Gao Ming) [In the morning, a field-dweller; in the evening, in the Emperor's court. The worthy have no breeding, but men should strive for themselves.]
However, compared to the Emperor, Huo Ling, despite not maintaining good physical condition and having practiced a few times, still possessed some advantages that a young person should have. In addition, there was the Prime Minister An De, who, although unable to express true emotions on his face, had a lifeless and foolish son, making it difficult for the Emperor to catch Huo Ling firmly, although he occasionally managed to strike him accurately with the papers in his hands.
"An De, get out of my way!" The Emperor reached out to push away Prime Minister An De, but was surprised to find that, despite his corpulence, An De was incredibly strong, and with Huo Ling holding onto him from behind, Huo Jinche not only failed to push him aside, but stumbled back a step.
An De unconsciously reached out to support the Emperor, who, usually smiling like Maitreya Buddha, now had a pained expression, and tried carefully to ease the tension between the Emperor and Huo Ling, "Your Majesty, calm down, don't argue with His Highness, he's still a child..." Feeling that his words were somewhat insincere, but lest the Emperor regretted after calming down, An De hurriedly advised Huo Jin and then promptly intervened to calm down the crown prince prancing behind him like a frog, "Your Highness, you also need to calm down." Ironically speaking, Your Highness, do you really want to enrage His Majesty and ascend directly to the throne?
Understanding what should be said, An De did not speak out the ironic words, but Huo Ling felt his helplessness and desperation. "It's Father who made the first move, what has it got to do with me?" Saying this, Huo Ling even poked his head out from behind An De and, with a pleading expression, turned to the Emperor on the other side, "Father, please calm down."
The Emperor: "…!?" Who should really calm down!?
Taking a deep breath, the next moment, the Emperor's thunderous roar made Huo Ling's ears ache. "Huo Ling, stop right there!"
Not only did Huo Ling not stop, he even stuck out his tongue at the Emperor, "Pffft." His behavior seemed as if he was about to say to the Emperor, "Come on, chase after me, catch me and I'll let you..."
"Huo Ling!!!" The Emperor's forceful and angry roar was heard by even the Imperial Guards stationed outside the Qianqing Palace, and of course, also by Huo Ling's bell-like laughter.
Yes, there's no mischaracterization, in the eyes of these rough soldiers on duty, Huo Ling's laughter can be completely described as being like silver bells, and with the deafening sound, a few Imperial Guards looked at each other and once again sneered at the rumored illness of the Emperor, who had even more imposing roars than them—what illness?
The oldest among the Imperial Guards glanced at a few of his comrades who were blinking and making faces, and expressionlessly extended two fingers.
—I bet in two quarters of an hour, the Crown Prince will "roll" out.
Since the Crown Prince officially moved into the Eastern Palace, the time Huo Ling was required to "roll" out gradually increased, to the point where even the older Imperial Guards placed great hope in him, believing that as usual, after the Emperor's outbreak, he could persist for at least two quarters of an hour.
With one person taking the lead, several other Imperial Guards also joined in without hesitation, one after another placing their bets.
A total of five Imperial Guards were involved in the gambling, and there was no need for them to speak out, as the tacit understanding they had developed in daily life helped them to start the gambling game without a word. The shortest bet was placed by the oldest Imperial Guard, while the longest was by a medium-height distant relative of a distant relative of the royal family, who, based on the surname "Huo," with a clear conscience, expressed, "I think the prince will come out half an hour later."
Summer arrived imperceptibly, and even the lotus flowers in the pond quietly took on a lovely pink color. The wind no longer carried a hint of cold like the spring breeze, and along with the heat, it brought a lot of sweat. However, the several Imperial Guards who were making faces at each other, despite being wrapped tightly in armor and submerged in their own emotions, did not feel the heat, nor did they notice the lead Imperial Guard Qin Hao standing behind them, nor did they see the glances exchanged by the other Imperial Guards who were not involved.
Quietly watching the several Imperial Guards on duty who were slacking off, Qin Hao's voice was not loud, but it suddenly exploded in their ears like thunder.
"Commander!"
"Commander?!" A chorus of exclamations, with different emotions/colors, suddenly rang out, but they all shared a feeling of astonishment—when did the Commander come over? What did he see? What does he know?
Under the uncertain gazes of the people, Qin Hao lightly cleared his throat, with a barely smile, "Since you're so idle, come with me to the martial arts arena after your shift."
As the one known for hitting people, especially in the face, and also the strongest in the Imperial Guards, Qin Hao's announcement was no different from a "death warrant."
Not daring to argue or disagree, the several Imperial Guards who had been caught admitted their fate, casting a glance at each other and expressing somewhat happily, "It is an honor for us to practice with the Commander."
After teaching the several Imperial Guards a lesson, Qin Hao also searched the Imperial Guards who had raised their heads and puffed out their chests more because of his arrival. Barely satisfied, he nodded, then left with a dignified bearing, as if nothing had happened.
One of the distant relative of a distant relative of the royal family's tacitly followed Qin Hao, not knowing what he had seen, and suddenly widened his eyes, then hastily pulled one of the Imperial Guards who didn't dare move a muscle after being reprimanded.
"What are you doing? Do you want to call the Commander back? Don't get me in trouble!"
"No, look at the Commander! Look at the Commander's hand!"
"What?"
Subconsciously following the other's gaze, they saw Qin Hao walking away in the distance with a raised index finger, shaking it at them.
—I bet one quarter of an hour.
The Imperial Guards who understood Qin Hao's gesture but would rather misunderstand it themselves: "…"
The next moment, Qin Hao suddenly stopped and turned around, silently telling them, "If I lose, you won't have to go to the martial arts arena."
The elite Imperial Guards who could stand guard at the Qianqing Palace were all exceptional, and even those who had been reprimanded understood Qin Hao's lip movements, even if they were far away.
The Imperial Guards who'd rather not understand anything: "…" The Commander really knows everything!
As it turned out, Qin Hao becoming the Commander of the Imperial Guards made sense; and a quarter of an hour later, Huo Ling "rolled" out of the Qianqing Palace after having been scolded, his head full of bandages, which had been kicked out by the Emperor—aside from his aching head, he also felt pain in his buttocks. However, apart from these, Huo Ling felt fine.
Huo Ling, with no visible marks on his face, didn't completely forget about the Emperor, but rather straightened his somewhat disheveled sleeves, pretended like nothing had happened as he patted away the footprints left on his buttocks, and then headed out with the demeanor of a prince as usual.
When he passed by an Imperial Guard who looked somewhat familiar, Huo Ling subconsciously paused, "Young man, what's the matter? Why are you looking at me so strangely?" Did he show something inconsistent with his identity as the prince?
Glancing at the junior guard next to him, Huo Ling was relieved by the latter's head shake, and felt even more curious about the strange look the Imperial Guard gave him as he passed by. But before that, he noticed something, "If I'm not mistaken, shouldn't you call me... Grandson Five?"
Suddenly being called out, Huo Pei awkwardly replied, "Yes, didn't expect you to remember me?" In fact, he didn't want to be remembered at all, as it was enough for the pitiable Huo Can, and he didn't want to be the next.
Huo Ling patted Huo Pei on the shoulder, "Of course I remember you, after all, it was you who lent the dog to my third brother back then." This caused the young him to be frightened by the dog brought over by his third brother and was forced by the Empress Mother to be stuffed with a bunch of cats and dogs to build up his courage, even getting a lot of cats and dogs from his uncle, Emperor Huo Zi, after learning about the incident.
In a way, he might still be grateful to the guy in front of him, as without him, he wouldn't have discovered that cats and dogs were the cutest beings in the world.
At the same time, Huo Ling remembered the guy, and remembered the mole at the corner of his eye.
Caressing the corner of his eye, under Huo Pei's slightly constricted gaze, Huo Ling smiled and gently teased him, "Do well, don't let me down."
Shrinking his neck, Huo Pei instinctively asked, "If you are disappointed…?"
Huo Ling smiled, "You wouldn't want to know."
"Being excessively enthusiastic by a little bit is too warm, and being a bit less lacks kindness. Huo Ling felt that his smile was so gentle and amiable, but under his gaze, the heavy armor seemed unable to bear his body, making Huo Pei visibly tremble.
"Your Highness, please spare my life."
"Spare your life for what? I didn't do anything." Huo Ling patted the other person's shoulder, the smile on his lips unchanged. "You haven't told me why you looked at me like that just now."
"Your Highness..."
"Call me 'Your Highness,' not 'Lord Your Highness.'" Huo Ling withdrew his hand, saying indifferently, "Alright, if you don't want to tell me why, then write it out."
"Your Highness?"
"This time you got it right." Huo Ling praised the other person, then added, "For the reason behind that look you just showed, write a thousand-word essay for me."
The most senior and also the captain of the Imperial Forest Army couldn't help but speak up, "Your Highness, the limit for the essay is only five hundred words"
Huo Ling was not actually sure about how many words the essay should be, but that didn't deter him from carelessly saying, "Oh," and unyieldingly stating, "I want him to write one thousand words. Can't I?"
Author's note:
1. The Ming Dynasty can be said to be the beginning of the reform of the eight-legged essay, so there wasn't a specific word requirement at that time, just focusing on the formal structure. The word count for the eight-legged essay was set at 550 words during the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, increased to 650 words during the Kangxi period, and later changed to 700 words. The limit for the essay in this text is 500 words, giving the students of the Great Zhou Dynasty a chance to test their ability to be concise and comprehensive. [Author, are you serious?]