pappabearbooks Chapter 10: He who has not climbed the Great Wall is no true hero.
Chapter 10: He who has not climbed the Great Wall is no true hero.
As a result, it wasn't long before his arms started to ache, forcing him to stop for the time being.
He rubbed his hands for an hour that night, and blisters formed on both hands, causing him great pain.
Unfortunately, this was a huge project, and the Emperor's birthday was less than half a month away.
He needs at least one or two hours each day to complete this task.
It looks like he's in for a tough time in the coming days.
The next morning, Xia Chengzong checked the three little ones' recitation as usual, reaping a wave of emotional rewards.
He took out the crystal and polished it for a while, when the princess's maid, Peony, came to inform him.
Tell him to change into his outdoor clothes, and that he will go to the East Palace with the Prince and Princess to pay a visit to the Crown Prince.
Xia Chengzong agreed, but a few doubts arose in his heart.
Seven years ago, my father was confined to the palace because he took the blame for the crown prince.
Now that the Prince's residence is no longer restricted, even if the Crown Prince wants to win people's hearts, he should personally visit and offer his condolences.
However, the Crown Prince did not visit in person. Was there another reason?
Or was the Crown Prince too arrogant, thinking that he was the ruler and his father was the subject, and that it was only natural for his father to take the blame for him?
He also remembered receiving negative emotion points from the Crown Prince and Crown Princess after he left the palace.
The couple harbored resentment simply because the emperor had praised their grandson.
Therefore, although they had never met, Xia Chengzong did not have a good impression of the couple.
Before long, they were ready, had prepared gifts, and went to the East Palace.
After the report was made, the Crown Prince personally came out to greet him.
Prince Chung-jung bowed in greeting, but was stopped by the Crown Prince.
He sighed, "Fifth brother, you've suffered these past few years. You've been suffering on my behalf."
"Fortunately, after my persistent pleas, my father finally agreed to lift the ban on your Prince's residence."
"I was planning to personally visit your residence to offer my congratulations these past two days, but I had too many visitors and hadn't been able to find the time. It was you, Fifth Brother, who arrived first."
Hearing the Crown Prince's words, Xia Chengzong immediately looked at him with new respect.
When he first met the Emperor, the Emperor clearly stated that it was the Empress and Prince Zhongshun who pleaded for him.
In the Crown Prince's mouth, it became his own achievement.
This guy has a skin as thick as a city wall; he's definitely someone who can achieve great things.
The two brothers held hands, looked at each other with tears in their eyes, exchanged pleasantries, and put on a show of brotherly affection and respect.
Prince Zhongzheng then had the children come forward to pay their respects to the Crown Prince.
"Your nephew greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"..."
"Your niece greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."
The Crown Prince chuckled and said, "Good, good, this must be Zong-ge'er. He is indeed as beautiful as a porcelain doll. No wonder Father Emperor favors him and even praised him as a good grandson!"
Prince Chung-machi quickly replied, "Your Highness flatters me. He's just a bit handsome, nothing more."
Crown Prince's negative emotions +1 +1 +1
When Prince Chung-jung heard the Crown Prince praise his son, he was very proud and happy. Little did he know that the Crown Prince secretly loathed his son.
The Crown Prince ushered the man into the Prince's residence. They had just sat down and exchanged a few words when a message came that the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel had come to offer New Year's greetings.
The Crown Prince hurriedly got up to apologize to Prince Zhongzheng, asking him to sit for a while until he returned from receiving guests before speaking further.
Seeing that he was very busy, Prince Chung-jung got up to take his leave, saying that there was plenty of time in the future and that they could meet again another day.
The Crown Prince yielded twice, but seeing that Prince Zhongzheng was determined to leave, he ordered someone to escort the family out of the mansion.
After returning to the palace and waiting for the children to leave, the princess said with dissatisfaction:
"What is the Crown Prince's attitude towards the Prince? The Prince treats him with utmost sincerity, yet he remains so indifferent."
"Our Prince's residence has been reopened, and not only did my fifth brother come in person, but he also brought so many gifts!"
"Where is the Crown Prince? Even if he can't come in person, surely he could send someone with some gifts?"
"But I'm not that shallow. I only look at his intentions, and they weren't there."
"His cruelty and ingratitude have reached this point."
Prince Zhongzheng quickly said, "Madam, please don't say that. The Crown Prince also has his difficulties."
"His position is coveted by many; how can he be allowed to make a single misstep?"
"Although he has brotherly feelings for his brothers, he also has many expenses; how can he possibly take care of everyone?"
The princess sighed, "Only a kind and honest man like the prince would think this way. Who wouldn't say he's mean and ungrateful?"
She wanted to say a few more words, but seeing the impatience on Prince Zhongzheng's face, the princess had no choice but to restrain herself.
Xia Chengzong continued polishing the crystal, and the little ones watched curiously for a while.
This time they learned their lesson and didn't bombard each other with questions, so Xia Chengzong ignored them.
After watching for a while, the little ones got bored and scattered to play on their own.
After polishing for another half hour, Xia Chengzong's arms were sore and weak, and the blisters on his hands had burst.
The slightest touch caused excruciating pain, forcing him to stop temporarily.
The sky outside suddenly darkened, and soon snowflakes began to fall.
Several little ones clapped their hands and ran outside shouting:
"It's snowing! It's snowing!"
There was not a breath of wind outside, and the snowflakes gradually grew larger and denser.
Before long, the ground was covered with a thin layer of white snow.
The world was a vast expanse of white.
This snow is going to be heavy.
The little ones became even more excited and played around.
They love snowy days the most.
During the years they were confined, snow was one of their few forms of entertainment.
When it snows, they can build snowmen, have snowball fights, and even ski in the mansion.
They even learned from Xia Chengzong how to cover birds on sunny days.
In short, the snow brought them a lot of joy.
In just half a day, the snow fell so heavily that it reached knee-high levels for adults.
This snow has caused a disaster; it's likely to crush many people's thatched huts.
Fortunately, it gradually subsided by evening.
It rained on and off for another day on the second day, and the sun finally came out on the third day.
The little ones happily played outside.
Not long after, Prince Chungshun arrived and called all the little ones over.
"You little rascals, you've all grown up and never been out and about before!"
"It's snowed so much these past two days. Today, your fifth uncle will take you to climb the Great Wall, enjoy the snow scenery, and then we'll go out for some delicious food!"
Upon hearing this, the little ones were extremely excited.
"Oh, we're going to climb the Great Wall today!"
"We can go out and have fun today!"
Prince Zhongzheng hurriedly dissuaded him, saying, "Fifth brother, it's snowing so heavily outside, it's cold and dangerous. If you fall and get frozen, it won't be a joke."
Prince Zhongshun laughed and said, "Third Brother, you're being far too cautious. What are you afraid of with me by your side?"
"The roads have all been cleared, and we're not going to climb far; we're just taking them up to enjoy the view."
"They've been kept in check for so many years, how can we not take them out to broaden their horizons?"
Prince Chung-jung's heart softened when he saw the little ones' eyes, which looked like caged birds longing for the sky.
He said, "Alright, you can go then. Wear more clothes and be careful."
Prince Zhongshun patted his chest and said, "Third Brother, with me here, you can rest assured."
Prince Chung-jung thought to himself, "It's precisely because you're here that I'm worried."