Volume 5: Fellow Traveler Chapter 845 Father and Son Night Out
At that moment, the fourth prince felt that there were countless wronged souls lingering in the ancient and modern collection library. He almost subconsciously hugged his third brother's arm. His fearlessness seemed to be gone in an instant. The third prince was stunned and couldn't help but sighed: "Fourth brother, this palace was originally the capital of the Yuan Dynasty. People have died there!"
The fourth prince looked so angry that he was speechless. When he saw the emperor looking back, he hung his head and said, "Even if someone has died in other palaces, it's not as gloomy at night as it is here... No, it's gloomy! Father, can't we come during the day?"
"It's more lively at night." The emperor seemed not to notice the fourth prince's momentary frozen face, and said with a smile, "The first time I came to the Ancient and Modern Collection Library, it was at night when my father dismissed everyone and brought me here alone. He held the lamp and I followed behind. At that time, I looked behind the bookshelves around me and felt that there seemed to be a lot of monsters hiding there."
The fourth prince knew that his father meant that there were at least three people at this time, and he couldn't help but curl his lips, but he didn't agree in his heart. He wasn't really afraid of the dark, the small number of people, or ghosts. Anyway, he had such a powerful father, and this was in the palace, so even if there were monsters, he could beat them. Wasn't he just trying to complement his third brother's wisdom and bravery?
However, what he didn't understand the most at the moment was why his father brought him and his brother here , so he let go of the hand that was holding the third prince's arm and pulled his clothes again, then asked in a low voice: "Third brother, I have never been here. Do you know what books are in this ancient and modern collection?"
Although the Third Prince was the Crown Prince, he had rarely been here before, so he really couldn't answer the Fourth Prince's question. But the Emperor didn't say anything, so he could only say uncertainly: "It is said that there are many rare and even unique books in the Ancient and Modern Collection Library. Previously, my father asked the Imperial Household Department to print some of them. Some were given to important officials and some were given to famous people. Many people are very grateful for the grace of heaven."
Hearing his son praising him, the emperor was of course delighted: "Because these things exist here, no one will read them, so of course they must be published. I have already thought about printing a few more copies of the Siku Quanshu compiled during the last years of Taizu and the reign of Taizong, and give a copy to each of the thirteen provincial governments. I will also build a large library in the provincial capital for students to read."
"Father, your majesty is wise!" The Third Prince said this sincerely, "This is better than the library that Lu Jijiu wants to build for borrowing and reading books. After all, ordinary people don't have as many books as the palace! It should be printed out so that all readers in the world can see it."
The emperor caught a glimpse of the Fourth Prince nodding his head desperately behind the Third Prince, and he finally realized that the younger one was trying hard to set off the older one.
With mixed feelings, he touched the heads of his two sons one after another, then turned around and continued walking forward. When he came to a bookshelf in the middle, he casually placed the oil lamp on the large ebony desk beside it, and took down a box from the third shelf. After opening it, he saw a stack of yellowed papers inside.
Seeing that the Fourth Prince came over first this time, he only took a look and his brows were wrinkled into a big knot. He looked at the Third Prince beside him and found that he was pinching his chin thoughtfully. He said lightly: "These are some manuscripts left by Emperor Taizu. You have seen them. They are all such ghostly scribbles, or heavenly books. No one can understand them."
The fourth prince's eyes flickered, and he suddenly raised his head and asked, "Father, are you going to encourage us to follow our teacher and try to understand this mysterious heavenly book?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the emperor slapped him on the head: "When you finish your studies, I wonder if you can go directly to your teacher?"
Seeing the Fourth Prince holding his head and crying in pain, he went directly behind the Third Prince and looked at him pitifully. He ignored this playful kid and immediately told the brothers everything that Chu Kuan and Hua Qi had reported today. This time, the Third Prince was stunned, and even the Fourth Prince was angry.
He, who always had the worst relationship with the eldest and second princes, shouted angrily: "This is sheer nonsense. Emperor Taizu traveled around the world after abdicating, but he clearly fell ill and died after returning to Beijing!"
"That's what's written in the records. But in fact, the events of Emperor Taizu's last few months were all planned and agreed upon by Emperor Taizong and several cabinet ministers to whitewash the situation. So the Spring and Autumn Annals... hehe." The emperor saw that the faces of the third and fourth princes froze at the same time, so he laughed and said, "When I knew about this, I was younger than you. At that time..."
"At that time, I felt that the greatest statue in my mind had collapsed."
Seeing that his two sons were also as shocked as clay sculptures or wooden statues, the emperor gently closed the wooden box and said calmly: "I have already ordered someone to ask your teacher to go back to the Ancient and Modern Collection Library to look at these manuscripts of Taizu. Of course, this is only a part, and a very small part at that. Then, you two brothers will accompany him."
Although he still couldn't come back to his senses, the Third Prince nodded immediately to show his agreement. As for who the term "your teacher" refers to, he certainly wouldn't misunderstand it. How could it be someone else besides Zhang Shou?
However, the Fourth Prince at the side lowered his head and whispered, "If it is really as you said, then if Emperor Taizu really encounters an accident somewhere overseas and cannot come back temporarily, when he returns later, he will find that the court has said that he is dead. This is also possible?"
"If that's the case, isn't it... isn't it somewhat similar to my second brother's current situation?"
Although he was reluctant to call the Second Prince "Second Brother" in the past, the Fourth Prince couldn't help but finally spoke out his true feelings. But as soon as he said it, he regretted it.
It was fine if it was Emperor Taizu, but who was the Second Prince? Was he worthy of his grievances? But just when he was angry with himself, he heard the Third Prince speak up for him.
"Father, I am just saying whatever comes to my mind at the moment . You..."
"I don't blame him, because when Chu Kuan and Hua Qi reported that to me, I thought that if Emperor Taizu had not died, and even left another descendant overseas, then his situation would be somewhat similar to Erlang's." The emperor didn't seem angry at all. After laughing, he said calmly, "Unfortunately, there are no ifs in the world."
"If Emperor Taizu were still alive and appeared before me right now, and there were still many people who knew him alive in that world, I would certainly be willing to admit my mistakes on behalf of my ancestors, recognize him, regard him as my ancestor, and serve him wholeheartedly. His unparalleled achievements in pacifying the invaders and establishing the country are what everyone from the late emperor to me has longed for and admired."
"And if it is his so-called descendants who are causing trouble, no matter if they are true or false, male or female, I will never let them off easily!"
“If you have the ability to stand out as a descendant of Taizu when the throne was passed and the world was in turmoil, then sweep across the world and enter the palace, otherwise why ! If they are really descendants of Taizu, plus the elite soldiers and generals who went to sea with Emperor Taizu on the ship at that time, and the former meritorious officials, they should be able to establish a country overseas. If they come back…”
"That's definitely a glorious return to recognize their ancestors. Even if they are unwilling to be a vassal of the Ming Dynasty, at least the two countries will have fair relations, instead of hiding behind the scenes and plotting something sneaky!"
Hearing this, the Fourth Prince, who had been somewhat listless, suddenly became energetic.
Without thinking, he shouted loudly, "Father, you are right. I think so too! If the descendants of Emperor Taizu don't have this kind of spirit, then they are not worthy of the surname Zheng!"
The third prince could not help but rub his brows, thinking to himself that not all descendants of Emperor Taizu were heroes. Not to mention that among the royal family now, there were those as open-minded as Prince Jiangdu, and those as narrow-minded as Zheng Huai'en in the past. Even the former emperors Gaozong and Shizong, where was there a trace of the heroic spirit of Emperor Taizu?
However, he did have his doubts about the group of people who claimed to be descendants of Taizu, so he certainly would not pour cold water on them at this time. He immediately echoed in a deep voice: "Since these people are stirring up trouble, they may really use this banner in the future. Father, I think that next year's Taizu's birthday will be exactly 130 years old. Should we make good arrangements for it?"
"If there really is someone with bad intentions, they might take advantage of that opportunity to cause trouble. This can be considered an open conspiracy to lure the snake out of its hole."
The Third Prince did not just agree, but took the initiative to think of a solution, which naturally pleased the Emperor. Although he had already made the corresponding arrangements and sent out the corresponding personnel, he still expressed his satisfaction with the Prince he had chosen.
"Your idea is great, let's do it this way. When the time comes... you take Shilang with you to do the work first, and I will help you pick up the slack."
The Fourth Prince was immediately delighted and agreed immediately.
The third prince seriously considered whether he could take on such a responsibility, and then proposed to bring his fellow students from Ciqing Palace to do this. The emperor was of course pleased to see this happen, and couldn't help but praise them again.
Then, the emperor took his two sons to walk around the huge ancient and modern collection, taking down the so-called Taizu's handwritten notes from one shelf after another. The third and fourth princes were initially amazed at their father's ability to remember the exact location in the sea of books, but gradually they became numb.
I have already seen 10 or 20 copies of Taizu's handwritten notes, all of which are seemingly ordinary, mixed in with other books, just casually placed on the bookshelf. If you don't know where they are, just looking for them is like looking for a needle in a haystack... How can my father have such a good memory? This is simply a natural gift!
Just as the Fourth Prince was in self-doubt and the Third Prince was wondering how many Taizu's letters there were in the Ancient and Modern Collection, the Emperor suddenly stopped and said calmly, "Okay, let's stop here today. I'll bring you here next time. Otherwise, I think you're almost dazzled."
"When my father first brought me here, I was in a similar situation to you. It took me a long time to memorize the locations of these things. After I ascended the throne, I moved these notes to new locations and wrote them down again. Sanlang, you should do the same in the future."
Seeing that the Fourth Prince's mouth opened even wider than the Third Prince's, the Emperor revealed a faint smile, as if he saw himself when he received the same instructions from his father.
"Although it's just a precaution, we must still take precautions!"
"What's wrong with taking precautions? The teacher is the smartest person in the world, but I don't think he can understand these books, let alone others? Besides, you and I have never been to the Gujin Tongji Library before. Even when important officials of the court need to check some books, the stewards there go to check it in person. Few people can go in. How could a thief suddenly break in?"
After returning to Zhaoren Hall, the fourth prince, who had been holding back for too long, could not help but complain to his third brother. The third prince could only smile bitterly, because even though he had heard his father tell stories about Emperor Taizu since he was a child, he did not think that those strange letters of Emperor Taizu were so important. However, it was impossible for him to say that his father and ancestors were making a fuss behind their backs.
Therefore, he could only evade the main point and say: "There is no thief, but maybe there are curious people. Besides, since this is the family rule passed down by our ancestors, we just need to follow it. It seems that the bookshelf where the notebook is hidden is really messy, so the emperor took us there together. Fourth brother, we have to divide the work and remember it separately. I don’t have as good a memory as the emperor, so you have to help me."
"Of course, Third Brother, don't worry!" The Fourth Prince agreed with great joy. After rolling onto the bed, he still lay there blinking and said, "Third Brother, do you think the teacher will really agree? What will his expression be when he sees Taizu's letter?"
"You forgot that the teacher already has a note taken out of the secret box in his hand! If it could be deciphered, he would have taken it out long ago." The third prince said this, but he thought in his heart that his father was probably confused by anger, or he might be trying to save his father as much as possible.
Even though he thought so, when Liang Jiucheng personally accompanied Zhang Shou into the palace the next day, the Third Prince, who was ordered to accompany him, naturally did not show any strange color. But the Fourth Prince was different. He was a lively and impulsive person and followed him into the Ancient and Modern Collection Library. Seeing that Liang Jiucheng was still following him, he could not help but ask, "Eunuch Liang, have you also read those Taizu's handwritten notes?"
"I have studied for decades, but unfortunately I have gained nothing." When Liang Jiucheng said this, he was calm but a little disappointed. Then he sighed and said, "I have learned most of the scripts of various foreign countries, and even had a rough contact with a few Western scripts, but I still have gained nothing."
Even though he already knew that this eunuch Liang was a rare language genius, Zhang Shou was still amazed. Emperor Taizu probably didn't know how many people his diary had betrayed in his later generations... Of course, even if he knew, he would probably be very proud!
