Chapter 269: I Came To The Human World To Temper Your Hearts
At noon, the sun came out.
The climate in the capital was warm, suitable for growing bamboo.
There was a beautiful bamboo grove in the Imperial Palace.
When the wind blew, the bamboo branches swayed.
At noon, the Emperor dined in a glass house amidst the bamboo grove.
A long table was laid out.
The food was mostly meat-based.
The Emperor was not a vegetarian.
Vice Minister Jiang was pleasing to the eye and spoke well, so he was granted the honor of dining with the Emperor.
Otherwise, one would usually eat a work meal alone.
The Emperor always felt Jiang the Second was very approachable.
He thought it was because of his father, Grand Tutor Jiang.
Grand Tutor Jiang was also a gentleman, but unfortunately, he was too smart and too blunt; the ruler and subject could have achieved a legendary story, but instead, he preferred exile over admitting his mistakes.
He hadn’t recalled this person in a long time.
He thought his memory of him was faint.
Yet, unexpectedly, upon recalling him, the impression was actually quite deep.
The Emperor didn’t like to reminisce about the past.
Especially about those who had passed away; it made him feel lonely and old.
Some people lived in his memory, forever young.
In recent years, old friends from the past had become fewer and fewer.
Looking at the person in front of him, currently in his prime, Grand Tutor Jiang Bai must have been about this age back then.
“You have an Elder Brother, right? I remember.”
The Emperor remembered that Grand Tutor Jiang Bai should have had three children; the second was a girl; Princess Huiyun liked that girl and always played with her in the palace, and later she married the Seventh Prince.
Dining with the Emperor was actually much more exhausting than eating by oneself.
It was just like eating with a boss; most people didn’t really eat much, and they had to answer questions in between.
One had to think.
It wasn’t convenient to eat things with bones, especially chicken feet, otherwise, if the boss asked you a question, you would open your mouth to spit out bones—one, two, three, four, couldn’t finish spitting…
The boss might also be holding his chopsticks waiting for you to spit out the bones, which was also very awkward.
Fortunately, Jiang Changtian didn’t like meat dishes, so he just picked at the vegetables in front of him and took a shallow bite.
He couldn’t eat too fast either; if you ate too fast and put down your chopsticks, the person eating with you would feel awkward.
Jiang Changtian said slowly: “Elder Brother believes in Buddhism and is very devout; he has converted to Buddhism.”
“Oh?”
The Emperor was still a bit surprised by this answer; he hadn’t expected that a man would be so resolute.
Many people believed in Buddhism, either inviting Buddha into their homes to worship, but men who actually became monks were relatively rare.
“When I entered the capital, I went to see my Elder Brother. Elder Brother was in the middle of getting tonsured. He has wholeheartedly converted to Buddhism. He said that from now on, there is no Jiang Huaisheng in this world. He even wrote a divorce letter for my sister-in-law and asked me to bring it to the capital.”
The Emperor suddenly remembered that his nephew had a messy account, having married someone else’s sister-in-law.
He silently changed the subject.
“You and Wen Xin are old acquaintances, right?”
Honestly, looking at the two people in front of him, each had their own charm.
Wen Xin was handsome and neat; although he was a eunuch, he possessed a scholarly aura, sitting there like a spreading green leaf.
Jiang Changtian was stunningly beautiful; although he was an official, he lacked a scholarly air, sitting there like a blooming flower.
The two complemented each other perfectly.
“Yes. Back then we were so poor, we couldn’t even get enough to eat. Saner often came to my house to cadge meals. The villagers called me Jiang the Second and him Jiexi. Saner liked to sing, and the villagers always mocked him. In the village, singing was the most useless thing, not even as good as being able to carry a load of manure. Of course, the villagers also mocked me because I couldn’t carry that either.”
At this point, Jiang the Second’s eyes naturally moistened.
“My wife, Luo Xia, is strong, and she does all the rough work at home. I only earned meager money, not enough to eat, and in reality, I was supported by her. It’s better now; I have entered the capital and have an official position. Life will get better and better in the future, and Xia Mei will also be able to enjoy blessings.”
The Emperor held his chopsticks, trying to pick up the meat in front of him, but failed to pick it up a few times.
His hand was shaking.
It usually shook, but it shook more when he was excited.
Hearing the man in front of him talk about his wife, who must be the elder sister Wen Xin mentioned, she was indeed a very good woman.
Suffering ending and happiness beginning, a happy ending—this is a story that everyone likes.
The Emperor was no exception.
He felt he was also a man of deep affection.
Unfortunately, his first wife passed away early.
Men can be particularly heartless in certain aspects.
For example, he loved the Empress deeply, and after she died, he never appointed another Empress.
For example, he loved the Crown Prince deeply, and after the Crown Prince was confined and died, he never appointed another Crown Prince.
Perhaps he felt that “I have reserved the most important place in my heart for you” is enough to prove that I love you.
So, don’t get loved by a scumbag.
He thinks that reserving a place for you in his heart is loving you, regardless of whether you actually live or die.
Upon hearing about this ordinary, happy family life, the Emperor rarely became sentimental.
He even tapped a rhythm and sang a verse: “Life and death, separation and meeting, we made a vow to each other…”
Eunuch Yan casually took his chopsticks and tapped on the bowls and chopsticks, saying: “To hold your hand, and grow old with you…”
The eunuchs and palace maids clapped and cheered.
Jiang Changtian listened very carefully.
This poem about life and death vows on the battlefield was being used by His Majesty to praise the deep affection between a husband and wife. Very good, very good.
Mixing through the day in the Imperial Palace, he spent the whole afternoon there.
He left the palace and returned home just as the palace gates were being locked.
At the moment of leaving the palace, he looked back.
The huge palace gates were illuminated yellow by the sunlight, golden and bright.
The Attendant of the Yellow Gate probably came from this.
Go home.
Hug the wife.
The next day, the newly appointed Vice Minister Jiang went to find Prime Minister Lu early in the morning.
Because he had seen the Emperor yesterday.
Except for the eunuchs, Prime Minister Lu did not have the privilege of staying before the Emperor all day.
Prime Minister Lu had thought that after Jiang the Second left the palace, he would come to report his work.
He waited for a long time at the government office, and it wasn’t until dark that someone said Jiang the Second had already returned home.
Prime Minister Lu:…
Early in the morning.
Vice Minister Jiang came to see him.
Normally, he would definitely have to let this dog who didn’t know his place hang for a while.
But because it involved the Emperor, there were no small matters.
Prime Minister Lu still let him in.
Jiang Changtian arrived before Prime Minister Lu.
Seeing the plump, rich-looking Prime Minister in front of him, perhaps because he frowned at people too much, there was a deep vertical wrinkle between his eyebrows.
He didn’t look like a kind person at all.
Especially in this large room.
He looked like a fierce judge.
He could judge a person’s life or death with the wave of a hand.
Jiang Changtian warned himself not to frown casually; it was nothing; things outside were all trivial.
If he frowned every day and got wrinkles, he would be very ugly, and Xia Mei would dislike him.
Prime Minister Lu asked: “Vice Minister Jiang, does the Emperor have any instructions?”
Jiang Changtian said respectfully: “The Emperor told this official to thoroughly study the rules, detailed regulations, and laws.”
Prime Minister Lu’s mouth curled up slightly.
He knew it; he had been with the Emperor and the ministers for so many years, this much tacit understanding was still there.
The Emperor wouldn’t make him lose face.
After all, he worked very hard and knew the Emperor’s mind well.
Outsiders cursed him as a demon, but in reality, half of the blame was carried for the Emperor.
“Then how well have you read it?”
“This official has finished reading it. The Emperor felt that your method of having people study the laws and regulations was excellent. He praised it and ordered this official to organize all officials to study the laws and regulations together, preferably memorizing the entire text. Yesterday, after I left the office and went home, I didn’t dare to sleep. I worked diligently all night, organizing all the laws and regulations. Starting today, everyone can begin memorizing them. There are eighteen chapters in total.”
Jiang Changtian held a thick stack of books and handed them to Prime Minister Lu.
Prime Minister Lu’s face turned green.
Looking at the madman in front of him.
He wanted to curse out loud.
But he heard him say solemnly: “Everyone in the Imperial Court must memorize the laws and regulations. The Emperor will conduct spot checks at any time!”
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