bestfiction Chapter 289 Imperial Palace Admonitions
Chapter 289 Imperial Palace Admonitions
In the palace of the Nanzhao Kingdom, gilded sunlight streamed through the carved window lattices, casting dappled patterns of light on the blue bricks of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Xiao Jingchuan, dressed in casual clothes, sat upright at his desk, his brush moving slowly across the Xuan paper as he wrote down his strategies for governing the country.
At this moment, a eunuch hurriedly entered the hall, looking slightly flustered.
"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince requests an audience, saying he has important matters to report," the eunuch said respectfully.
Xiao Jingchuan put down his brush and frowned slightly: "Let him in."
A moment later, Xiao Nanyi strode into the Hall of Mental Cultivation. After bowing, he recounted in detail how Xiao Nanxu and Xiao Nanyue had caused trouble outside the palace. Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingchuan's face instantly darkened, his eyes filled with anger.
"These two unfilial sons are so audacious! It's one thing to leave the palace without permission, but to cause trouble outside as well. If it weren't for your timely arrival, Yi'er, who knows what disaster would have occurred!" Xiao Jingchuan slammed his hand on the table, causing the writing brush, inkstone, and inkstone on it to shake.
Seeing this, Xiao Nanyi quickly pleaded for his younger brother and sister: "Father, my third brother and fourth sister are still young and ignorant. They only caused this disaster because they were playing around. I hope Father will be lenient with them."
Xiao Jingchuan looked at Xiao Nanyi and said in a slightly gentler tone, "Yi'er, I know you love your younger siblings, but it is precisely because they are young that they need to be disciplined more strictly, otherwise they will become a great problem in the future."
Then, Xiao Jingchuan instructed the eunuch: "Go and summon Nan Xu and Nan Yue. I'm going to teach them a lesson!"
Before long, Xiao Nanxu and Xiao Nanyue entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation with trepidation. Upon seeing Xiao Jingchuan's gloomy face, the two were so frightened that they knelt down with a thud.
"Father..." The two men's voices trembled, and they dared not raise their heads.
Xiao Jingchuan looked at them coldly: "Do you know your mistake?"
Xiao Nanxu bit his lip and said softly, "Father, I know I was wrong." Xiao Nanyue was already sobbing uncontrollably, "Father, I know I was wrong, please forgive us."
Xiao Jingchuan roared, "Do you know you were wrong? You left the palace without permission, violating palace rules and almost putting yourselves in danger. What would your mother and I have done if something had happened to you?"
Xiao Nanxu and Xiao Nanyue lowered their heads, not daring to breathe. Xiao Jingchuan pondered for a moment and said, "To make you remember this lesson, I will punish you by making you copy the Heart Sutra a hundred times, so that you can temper your character and reflect on your mistakes."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Nanxu couldn't help but raise his head: "Father, how long will it take to copy the Heart Sutra a hundred times?"
Xiao Jingchuan glared at him: "What? Feeling wronged? If it weren't for Yi'er coming to your rescue, you might already be beaten black and blue, or even in danger of losing your lives! This hundred recitations of the Heart Sutra is a light punishment."
Xiao Nanxu dared not speak further and lowered his head. Xiao Jingchuan then said to the eunuch, "Send someone to supervise them and make sure they complete the copying with high quality and quantity. If there is any slackness, punish them severely!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" The eunuch accepted the order and left.
Back in their palace, Xiao Nanxu and Xiao Nanyue looked at the mountain of Xuan paper piled on the table, feeling utterly helpless. Xiao Nanxu frowned and complained, "It's all that burly man's fault, and those thugs. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have gotten into trouble, and we wouldn't have been punished by copying the Heart Sutra."
Xiao Nanyue wiped away her tears and said, "Third brother, stop complaining. It's all our fault. If we hadn't left the palace without permission, none of this would have happened."
Under the supervision of the eunuchs, the two began to copy the Heart Sutra. At first, Xiao Nanxu was patient and wrote stroke by stroke. But before long, he became irritable, and the pen in his hand became uncontrollable, producing crooked and messy characters.
"I'm not writing anymore! This is torture!" Xiao Nanxu threw down his pen and leaned back in his chair.
Seeing this, the eunuch quickly said, "Third Prince, you mustn't slack off. If you fail to complete the task, His Majesty will punish you severely."
Xiao Nanyue also advised, "Third brother, let's hurry up and finish writing. The sooner we finish, the better our father will be able to calm down."
At Xiao Nanyue's urging, Xiao Nanxu picked up his pen again and continued copying. However, it wasn't long before he became distracted again, his eyes frequently glancing out the window, his mind no longer on copying the Heart Sutra.
And so, another day passed, and the two children's progress in copying was extremely slow. That evening, Gu Liuli learned of this and came to visit them. Seeing the children's exhausted appearance, she felt deeply sorry for them.
“Jingchuan punished you by making you copy the Heart Sutra, but it was for your own good. He hoped that through copying, you could learn to calm your minds and reflect on your mistakes,” Gu Liuli said gently.
Upon hearing this, a hint of guilt flashed in Xiao Nanxu and Xiao Nanyue's eyes. "Mother, we know we were wrong, we will copy it carefully," Xiao Nanxu said.
Encouraged by Gu Liuli, Xiao Nanxu and Xiao Nanyue rallied their spirits and worked day and night to copy the Heart Sutra. As they delved deeper into the copying, their state of mind gradually changed. They began to reflect on their actions, realizing the immense trouble and danger their willfulness had brought to their families.
A few days later, Xiao Nanxu and Xiao Nanyue finally finished copying the Heart Sutra a hundred times. Holding the copied sutra, they went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to report to Xiao Jingchuan.
Xiao Jingchuan took the scripture and carefully read through it. Seeing the two people's neat handwriting, his expression finally softened.
"Have you all learned your lesson this time?" Xiao Jingchuan asked.
"We understand, Father," Xiao Nanxu and Xiao Nanyue said in unison.
Xiao Jingchuan nodded: "I hope you can keep your word. You must not leave the palace without permission again, and you must be more careful in your actions."
"As you command!" the two replied respectfully.
After this punishment, Xiao Nanxu and Xiao Nanyue became much more sensible.
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, sunlight streamed through the window lattices, casting a soft glow on the neatly copied Heart Sutra. Looking at Xiao Nanxu and Xiao Nanyue standing before him, now noticeably more composed, Xiao Jingchuan's anger completely dissipated, replaced by a sense of relief.
“Since you have recognized your mistake, we will not pursue it further this time. But you must not repeat it in the future,” Xiao Jingchuan said earnestly.
"Your subject (daughter) will remember Father's teachings and never repeat the mistake," Xiao Nanxu and Xiao Nanyue replied in unison, their voices clear and firm.
Gu Liuli stepped forward, took the two children's hands, and said with a smile, "Alright, the punishment is over. From now on, you must behave well."
After leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Xiao Nanxu and Xiao Nanyue breathed a sigh of relief. Xiao Nanyue blinked her watery eyes and looked at Xiao Nanxu: "Third Brother, it's all my fault for being playful this time, causing you to be punished as well."
Xiao Nanxu patted Xiao Nanyue's head and said with a smile, "Silly girl, how can you blame yourself? We ran away together. Blame me for not keeping a close eye on you."
After this incident, Xiao Nanxu and Xiao Nanyue completely changed their ways. Besides completing their studies on time, they also proactively helped Gu Liuli with some of the trivial matters of the inner palace. When Xiao Nanxu studied governance with the Grand Tutor, he was no longer as absent-minded as before, but instead focused intently and asked questions actively. Xiao Nanyue, on the other hand, put in a lot of effort in needlework and musical instruments, making significant progress.
One day, the Imperial Garden was ablaze with flowers, and butterflies fluttered among them. Xiao Nanxu and Xiao Nanyue were strolling in the garden when they happened to encounter Crown Prince Xiao Nanyi, who had come to admire the flowers.
"Third Brother, Fourth Sister, how have you been lately?" Xiao Nanyi asked with a smile.
Xiao Nanxu scratched his head and said embarrassedly, "Brother Crown Prince, it's all thanks to your timely arrival that day, otherwise we would have been in big trouble. After this punishment, I have learned a lot. I will definitely study hard in the future and no longer cause Father and Mother any worry."
Xiao Nanyue smiled and said, "Crown Prince, I practice my zither and needlework diligently every day now, and I also help Mother with palace affairs."
Xiao Nanyi was very pleased to hear this: "I'm very happy that you think this way. By the way, there will be a poetry gathering in the palace in a few days. Would you like to attend?"
Xiao Nanxu and Xiao Nanyue exchanged a glance, a hint of excitement flashing in their eyes. "Really? Crown Prince, we want to participate!" Xiao Nanyue said first.
Xiao Nanyi nodded and said, "Alright, this poetry gathering will not only be attended by princes and princesses from the palace, but also by the children of some court officials. This is a great opportunity to showcase yourselves, so you should prepare well."
Back in their palace, Xiao Nanxu and Xiao Nanyue began preparing for the poetry gathering. Xiao Nanxu spent his days in his study, perusing classical poetry and carefully crafting his poems. Xiao Nanyue, under the guidance of her music teacher, practiced her pieces repeatedly, hoping to amaze everyone at the gathering.
On the day of the poetry gathering, the palace was brightly decorated and bustling with activity. A host of princes, princesses, and the children of ministers gathered in the Imperial Garden. Xiao Nanxu, dressed in a white brocade robe, was elegant and refined; Xiao Nanyue, in a pink palace dress, looked like a fairy descended from heaven.
After the poetry recital began, everyone showcased their talents. Xiao Nanxu recited a seven-character regulated poem he had composed, depicting the magnificent landscape and prosperous scene of the Nanzhao Kingdom, expressing his love for his country and his aspirations for the future, which won rounds of applause. Xiao Nanyue then played a piece called "High Mountains and Flowing Water" on the zither; the melodious and moving music captivated everyone present.
"I never expected the Third Prince and the Fourth Princess to have made such great progress," a minister exclaimed.
"Yes, it seems that after this lesson, the two princes have become much more sensible," another minister echoed.
Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli sat to the side, watching the radiant Xiao Nanxu and Xiao Nanyue on the stage, with satisfied smiles on their faces.
“Jingchuan, look, the children have all grown up,” Gu Liuli said with emotion.
Xiao Jingchuan nodded and said, "Yes, this experience is a growth opportunity for them. I hope they can maintain this ambition and contribute their strength to the future of Nanzhao Kingdom."
After the poetry gathering, Xiao Nanxu and Xiao Nanyue received praise from everyone.