Chapter 153: Intriguing Rewards, The Rise of Gaoliang (Part I)

Chapter 153: Rewarding and Intriguing, Sorghum Begins to Gain Appreciation

Li Wei asked, "You are aware of the Zhongnan Mountain case, aren't you?"

"Yes," the two young maidens nodded gently.

Upon arriving at the Di residence and observing the conduct of the two young ladies, the palace maid who had been bestowed upon Di Renjie mistakenly assumed that the Di family rules and discipline were exceedingly strict, and she promptly resolved to behave accordingly. Realizing that there was little hope of serving in the Eastern Palace, and seeing that Li Wei, Di Hui, and Di Hao were amiable, she voluntarily retreated into her room to keep her distance.

Yet, Li Wei cast an appreciative glance in her direction. Upright and proper men like Di Renjie might not take kindly to frivolous behavior. If this palace maid maintained such diligence, she would surely attain a proper and respectable standing in the Di household, which was at least far better than lingering in the great prison of the Eastern Palace.

Li Wei continued, "As it turns out, Pei Jurui's young daughter Pei Youhe, Xu Sheren's daughter Xu Li, and Yang Min were not well acquainted with one another. It was through the introduction of Yang Zhirou's daughter that they grew familiar, and thus, Yang Min was invited out. Of course, even if they had not invited her, Helan Minzhi would have found a way to lure Yang Min out for a spring outing. But do you know what relation Yang Zhirou's daughter, Yang Xian, is to Yang Min?"

Di Hao shook her head. Di Hui had some inkling, but remained silent.

Li Wei went on, "Yang Xian is junior to Yang Min by two full generations. Furthermore, they belong to the same direct ancestral lineage, yet in daily life, Yang Xian addresses Yang Min merely as a sister, disregarding generational ranks. In truth, unless it is a clan sacrificial ceremony, such strict protocols are not observed in ordinary days."

Even if it were a clan ritual, this palace maid could at best eventually become Di Renjie's concubine; entering the inner ancestral hall was entirely out of the question.

These words slightly comforted the two maidens.

Indeed, Li Wei's action had been somewhat ill-considered, but since the person had already been sent over, it was hardly fitting to recall her. Thus, he steered the conversation elsewhere. "Sing a tune for Us."

"Shall we sing the song from last time?" Di Hao asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Or would Your Highness prefer to teach Us a new song?"

"No, if We teach you another one, your foster father will return and reprimand Us once more." At the thought of this, he was reminded of Zhu Jingze, leaving him utterly speechless.

Di Hao covered her pretty face and giggled. Once her laughter subsided, she asked, "Your Highness, sending the maidens out of the palace like this... hearing about it makes me rather worried."

"People naturally form attachments. Leaving aside the inner palace, the Eastern Palace alone holds countless youthful palace maids. Could We possibly take all of them as consorts?"

"Good sister, do not speak nonsense. Consider our origins. Actually, Your Highness, when I was in Western Capital, I heard tales of Your Highness's deeds and held you in deep admiration. Back then, my greatest wish in life was merely to catch a glimpse of Your Highness and exchange a few words—even death then would have brought no regrets. Never did I imagine we would reach this day. To be able to converse with Your Highness and sing for you, my heart's desires are already fulfilled."

"There is no need to make it sound so tragic," Li Wei chuckled, then added, "Still, the two of you must endure a period of waiting."

At present, they asked for nothing more than to see if they could provide his mother with a few more reasons of "great righteousness." Once his mother was pleased and whispered enough pleasant words in his father's ear—considering they were respectable young women and Di Renjie's daughters, and the number of people who knew of this matter was ultimately small, with everyone keeping their lips sealed (though how his parents had found out in the first place remained a mystery)—entering the Eastern Palace without demanding a lofty title would likely pose little problem. And this applied not only to them, but also to the three maidens Xu Li, Yang Min, and Pei Youhe. His emotional attachment to Pei Youhe was the weakest—not because of her appearance, but because their interactions had been shallow. Not a single one could be cast aside; he needed both his parents to look upon them with sympathy.

"This is something I can wait for. Just having something to wait for is a blessing in itself."

"Di Hui, We shall tell you two a secret. First, when these maidens were selected from the Inner Training Academy, it was the Empress's idea. First, to fill the Eastern Palace, for Whenever We visited the Eastern Palace in the Eastern Capital, it was populated mostly by elderly palace maids. Second, to let Us understand that a woman's virtue is paramount, whereas beautiful maidens are countless in this world. However, fearing that We might truly indulge in lust, as soon as the first four maidens entered the Eastern Palace, We were summoned and sternly warned: these women may only be admired from afar, not enjoyed up close. At that time, there was a sentence choked in My throat that I dared not utter: Were the Emperor and Empress expecting Us to stare upon beauty while practicing Zen meditation? Otherwise, what purpose do these fair maidens serve upon entering the Eastern Palace?"

Hearing this, even Di Hui could not help lowering her head and laughing softly.

Yet she also understood the underlying intent behind Li Wei's haste in distributing these young maidens.

Li Wei continued, "There is yet another secret, which you must not speak of to your foster father."

"Understood." The two maidens nodded solemnly.

"Your foster father is a man of utmost integrity, and he acts entirely for your own good. Hence, his discipline is exceptionally strict. However, My true disposition is not quite as you imagine; I rather favor a lively personality. Too many rigid etiquettes leave Us feeling constrained as well."

The two maidens were first stunned, then covered their mouths in astonishment as they giggled in amusement.

Emboldened, Di Hao said, "Your Highness, I shall tell you a secret in return."

"Do tell."

"Elder Sister Hui and I also feel that Foster Father's rule is far too strict and rather uncomfortable. We merely endure it because we know he has our best interests at heart."

With that, the three of them burst into laughter in unison. Of course, having spoken their true hearts, they also knew they had no choice; if they wished to enter the Eastern Palace, cast off their pasts, and ensure no one could find the slightest flaw in them from this moment onward, they had to endure even the unendurable.

Di Hao added, "Your Highness, as for these garments we wear—tolerable when worn on occasion, but wearing them all day long is rather uncomfortable."

The long gowns the two maidens were currently wearing were arguably the most conservative styles of the Tang Dynasty, with collars rising tightly up to the throat. Regardless of aesthetics, wearing such dense garments throughout the summer months was undeniably stifling.

"Indeed. Yet while your foster father can admonish Us, We cannot easily admonish your foster father. Alas," Li Wei sighed. Wei Yuanzong and Di Renjie were already formidable enough, but now with Zhu Jingze added to the mix, life had become quite a trial...

Fortunately, he had not given in to wild fantasies of building a swimming pool in the imperial palace and inviting his father for a father-son swim; otherwise, Zhu Jingze would likely have remained kneeling outside the Eastern Palace indefinitely.

Di Hao said mysteriously, "I shall tell Your Highness yet another secret."

"Go on."

"When Sister Hui and I saw the garments worn by other court ladies, we felt rather envious and secretly purchased a few sets, though we never dared to wear them."

"Good sister, such talk is forbidden."

"No matter, We command you to put them on and let Us have a look."

"Heehee," Di Hao tugged a reluctant Di Hui into the inner room. A moment later, a pretty face peeked out and said, "Your Highness, please come in."

Curiosity piqued, Li Wei stepped into the room, and upon seeing them, he immediately understood why they had not dared to wear the garments. Di Hui was still dressed in white, but the sheer gauze gown was exceptionally thin, its neckline plunging dramatically low. A narrow bodice barely contained her charms, covering only the tips of her breasts while leaving the greater portion of her chest exposed. Her snow-white arms and slender legs flickered in and out of view, exuding an incomparable allure.

Di Hao wore a pale lake-green long gown embroidered with tiny lotus blossoms, held up only by two slender shoulder straps that descended into a sheer, gossamer overlay across her mid-chest. The dress clung tightly to her curves, accentuating her proud bosom, half of which remained bared to the air.

Such gowns were beginning to appear among court ladies of the Tang Dynasty, though due to their daring nature, very few dared to wear them.

Both maidens were peerless beauties who had reached the absolute prime of their youth, possessing fully matured figures with slender waists and full bosoms. Adorned in such seductive attire, Li Wei felt a sudden surge of heat rush to his nose; he narrowly avoided a nosebleed, his face frozen in a lovesick, goofy grin. The two maidens, however, were somewhat bashful, fidgeting awkwardly where they stood.

Li Wei strode forward and said, "You look stunning."

"Do we truly look good?" Di Hao asked, blushing deeply.

"My heart is stirred," Li Wei declared, pulling both maidens into his arms—one on either side—and planting fierce kisses upon their lips before pressing his lips to their bosoms. Boiling with passion and realizing he could not linger any longer—staying any longer would surely lead to trouble—he released them and said, "You smell intoxicating, but you are to wear this solely for Us. From now on, whenever you come to the Eastern Palace, you must wear this every single night."

With that, paying no heed to whatever reactions the two maidens might have, he turned and strode out with a hearty laugh.

...

Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, his mood was exceptionally bright, though his internal heat remained somewhat elevated. He summoned Bi'er to prepare a bath to cool himself down, though his mind remained remarkably clear. Bi'er was still a bit too young; otherwise, upon returning with such fiery passion, he might have been tempted to claim her right then and there.

Bi'er harbored a trace of lingering grievance toward Li Wei's "half-indulging, half-withholding" demeanor, but seeing the Crown Prince in high spirits, she felt happy as well. As she combed out his hair, she murmured, "Your Highness, ever since that scoundrel Xu Jingzong died, this servant has seen Your Highness looking much happier."

Indeed. Though it was only temporary, as his father grew gravely ill, an inevitable confrontation with his mother would likely unfold—and he privately doubted he was a match for her. Still, the coming years should afford him a measure of stability. As Li Shoucheng had remarked, his mother viewed his alternating hot and cold behavior as a source of distress, but he had no other choice. Moreover, he had made countless efforts to bring her joy and safeguard her reputation. With his mother's wisdom, she should be able to perceive this. At the very least, she harbored no hostility toward him over these past few years.

Unless his mother was already plotting to become a female emperor in the future.

Wan'er stood nearby, assisting by drying Li Wei's hair with a soft towel. "Still, that censor Zhu is truly vexing."

"He is not vexing; he is simply fulfilling his duty as an adviser. Though he drives Us to distraction, he is a loyal official and cannot be mentioned in the same breath as Xu Jingzong."

"They still do not believe Your Highness's words."

That much was certain, and entirely understandable. After all, it was a novel undertaking. Although Li Wei claimed he would pour two thousand strings of cash into the venture, true proof would only come when they raised pigs using green fodder gathered from the mountains and minimized the purchase of bran. Furthermore, the final calculations of cost and revenue had to be accounted for. As for aquatic farming, no amount of money alone could force it into success. What baffled him most was that even his parents showed complete indifference. Could it be that his mother was holding back, watching to see what novel enterprise he would hatch next, perhaps intending to reward him with yet another banner of "great righteousness"?

In truth, beyond these endeavors, there were other inventions from later eras that he could recall and slowly piece together, yet he dared not implement them for fear of being unable to explain their origins. Naturally, some things were strictly off-limits—such as greenhouse vegetables. He must never touch upon those. When his grandfather returned from the Liaodong campaign, Chen Yuanshu (Wang Jiashou), the Military Administrator of Yizhou, had taught the common people to use fire pits in subterranean chambers to cultivate winter vegetables. Emperor Taizong, deeming it an excessive waste of the people's wealth and a sycophantic display, summarily dismissed him from office. That had been the later years of Emperor Taizong; in his earlier days, the man would likely have been exiled to Lingnan. Promoting such practices among the common folk was equally forbidden, as it was considered "exhausting their wealth for commercial gain." The resulting political tempest would likely surpass even the conferral of official ranks upon merchants.

Differences in ideology led to differences in perspective. Yet, having found himself stranded in this era and saddled with this identity, he had no choice but to swim with the current—or at least appear to do so on the surface. He remarked aloud, "Wan'er, do not be impatient. Much like sorghum, initially few believed in it. Once it sprouted, everyone believed. Facts alone speak the truth."

As for what the actual returns would be, he could not say for certain, but utilizing living water and fertile land under imperial management, with proper feeding techniques, the results should surpass even sorghum. However, the yields would take time—at the very least, the harvest would come next year, while the fruit orchards would require three full years.

Just as they were speaking, Jin Er strode in hurriedly and announced, "Your Highness, the Emperor has issued another imperial decree, rewarding the officials involved in investigating the case of Xu Jingzong."

Li Wei was not surprised; uncovering such a massive conspiracy made rewards inevitable. He asked with mild curiosity, "And what post has Di Renjie been promoted to?"

A strange expression crossed Jin Er's face as he replied, "This round of rewards is rather intriguing..."