The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 1 His Royal Highness the Crown Prince
The last month of the sixth year of Zhenguan was the twelfth month of the severe winter.

Guanzhong had been at war for more than ten years, and finally had peace for more than ten years. The war and natural disasters made this land depressed and the population dwindled.

From afar, you can see a few black spots on the snow-covered ground. They are the villagers from Guanzhong walking in the snow.

The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, who had been on the throne for six years, was sitting in a carriage. The wheels of the carriage moved very slowly in the snow, and the wheels creaked all the way.

The land of Shanglinyuan originally belonged to the royal family. When the farming season came, many villagers would come to the emperor's land to grow crops.

Originally, these lands should not be cultivated by the villagers, but the emperors of all dynasties who ascended the throne in Chang'an never cared about this.

For example, this wise Khan hoped that the villagers would be more "unscrupulous" and plant crops on all arable land.

A cough was heard from the carriage. Yuchi Gong, who was riding a horse and guarding beside him, was wearing armor and had eyes as alert as a hawk. He whispered, "Your Majesty, are you going back?"

The emperor looked at the heavy snow with worry in his eyes and said slowly: "I wonder if God can have mercy on the people of the Tang Dynasty and send fewer natural disasters."

Yuchi Gong nodded without saying anything.

Li Shimin, the Tang emperor who was in his prime, closed his eyes and whispered, "How is Cheng Qian's health?"

Yuchi Gong replied: "It is said that it has improved."

Li Shimin said helplessly: "Some things can be discussed after New Year's Eve. Let's go back."

"Here."

At night, flying snowflakes embraced the entire Chang'an city, and people felt lazy and comfortable in this prosperous scene.

Li Chengqian stood in front of the window of the East Palace, looking at the beautiful snow scene with a smile on his face. This was the first time he saw such beautiful snow. The snowflakes were so clean that it was indescribable.

From coming to this era inexplicably, from the distress when facing this weak body when first arriving in this era, to the confusion and doubt in facing this era, all of this turned into hot air exhaled from the mouth, turning into a ball of white mist in the cold air.

Just be Li Chengqian, and live a good life.

After stabilizing himself mentally, Li Chengqian opened his arms. Under the horrified gaze of the palace maids behind him, the prince of the Tang Dynasty actually walked into the snow and opened his arms to embrace it, like a child who had never seen snow.

Afterwards, the palace maids also walked into the snow, took out wooden basins, cloth or bamboo hats and hurried to block the snow, trying their best to prevent it from falling on His Highness.

……

The next day, Li Chengqian was again awakened by the sound of scriptures being chanted. He sat up from the couch and stroked his forehead in pain. It wasn't that he really had a headache, but he felt very bad because he was woken up by the noise even though he could have slept until he woke up naturally.

After coughing twice more, the prince got off the couch and walked barefoot on the wooden boards beside the bed. His Highness' feet were pale and bloodless.

After putting on the cloth shoes, the palace maid beside him will quickly come over and help His Royal Highness the Crown Prince put on his outer clothes.

Noticing a strand of woman's hair on his coat, not knowing which palace maid's hair it belonged to, Li Chengqian frowned and his expression gradually turned grim.

Until the palace maid beside her hurriedly picked up her hair and stood aside with her head down.

Then Li Chengqian adjusted his collar with both hands and his expression improved.

Half a month ago, the prince fell seriously ill. Since then, no one knows what happened to him. The prince is very particular about cleanliness. He must boil water before drinking it, wash himself before going to bed, go to the toilet in the morning, and even wash his hands before meals.

Even though the palace maids were used to being summoned and dismissed at will, it was difficult to cope with the Crown Prince's obsession with cleanliness.

Only the maid Ning'er worked hard without any complaints.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince gives people a feeling of being out of touch with the world. This is probably what the most noble young man in the Tang Dynasty should be like.

Ning'er, who serves the prince, is also very beautiful. She is half a head taller than the current prince.

In the eyes of other palace maids, this female official in charge of the Eastern Palace had a cold and aloof temperament that made her difficult to approach.

It seems to complement His Highness.

Li Chengqian washed his hands and face and finished washing under the watchful eyes of several palace maids.

The old monk still didn't stop chanting.

The language used by the Indian monks when chanting scriptures is very unpleasant to the ear.

Ning'er, who was seventeen years older than the prince and three years old, brought a bowl of millet porridge.

Seeing the prince finish the porridge in one breath, she smiled and asked, "How does your highness think it tastes?"

Li Chengqian put down the empty bowl and said, "Not bad."

Hearing this, Ning'er looked satisfied and quickly left with the empty bowl.

His Highness noticed some water stains on the table, and another palace maid ran over quickly and wiped away the water stains on the table.

Li Chengqian smiled again, took a deep breath, and slowly stood up.

Fourteen-year-old Li Chengqian had a clean complexion, as clean as a piece of white jade. Perhaps because of his poor health since childhood, his fair cheeks were bloodless.

The palace maids would often peek at him because His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was very handsome.

As soon as Li Chengqian sat down, a palace maid brought a heater and placed it aside. On the heater, she placed a ceramic pot. After the water boiled, His Highness was ready to drink.

There's no way. I spent most of my time in bed in my previous life. My immunity is very poor due to the illness. I am also very strict about my daily hygiene and have developed a mysophobia.

At least this body is more comfortable now. Cherish this opportunity which no one will believe if I tell others about it.

"I am cured."

The voice of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was heard.

The Indian monk Bopo, who was over 60 years old, stopped chanting, opened his eyes and looked slowly.

The prince was sitting at the table, reading a book with his chin supported by one hand. Next to him was a small clay stove with a pottery pot on it.

"Your Highness has just recovered from a serious illness. This old monk congratulates the Khan of Heaven and the Tang Dynasty." He bent his body, with many age spots on his face, and spoke in an old voice.

The emperor tried all kinds of medical treatments for his sick son, but he didn't realize that it is easier to invite someone in than to send him away.

Bo Po bowed and said, "There is one thing I don't understand." The Guanzhong dialect spoken by this Indian monk sounded strange and awkward.

Li Chengqian was silent for a while, holding the tea bowl, blowing the tea, and said, "You go."

"I just noticed that the bowl of millet porridge tasted bad, so why did you drink it?"

"You also know that this porridge doesn't taste good?"

"I don't sleep much, so when I woke up, they also brought me a bowl of soup, which was hard to swallow."

Li Chengqian continued, "Well, I've never eaten such unpalatable porridge."

Hearing this, Ning'er looked at His Highness in confusion.

Popo continued: "Since you are dissatisfied, why don't you say it?"

Li Chengqian looked calm, took a sip of tea, and said slowly, "When I was drinking the porridge, I noticed that Ning'er's eyes were filled with fear and hope. She was probably afraid that I would find it unpalatable, and if I left more than half a bowl, she would be disappointed and feel guilty."

"So I made up my mind to swallow it down, almost like drinking water. Only after doing so did I realize how bad it tasted and how hard it was to swallow."

Ning'er had lowered her head, placed her hands in front of her stomach, waiting to be dealt with.

Other palace maids also thought: This is probably Ning'er's last hour in the East Palace.

The prince's words continued...

"It tastes like rice grains with bran in them. When you swallow it, there's still some bran left in your throat. Hmm..."

After another pause, Li Chengqian continued, "If I were to describe the feeling, it was like swallowing a bowl of sand. But I don't want to complain, because Ning'er has to get up before dawn in this cold winter to prepare meals and clothes. Her hands will be frozen red. This is a hard job."

"The porridge of the millions of ordinary people in this world may be more bitter than what I drink."

Having said this, Ning'er raised her eyes again and looked at the prince quietly.

Even the other two palace maids remained silent, and the unintentional smile on the prince's face when he spoke made them feel warm.

His Highness is a very sensible child and everyone inside and outside the palace likes him.

Li Chengqian took a sip of water and put down the bowl. "So I felt uncomfortable in my stomach after drinking it, and now I want to take a walk."

There was a smile on Ning'er's face. She felt that this honesty and gentleness were worth it.

There was still some years of mud in Popo's fingernails. He sat in front of His Highness and observed the fourteen-year-old boy.

What the prince said just now was enough to make Ning'er risk her life for him. Was he trying to win people's hearts?

If he said this on purpose.

Thinking about it carefully, the cunningness of this young man makes one feel cold in the spine.

Bo Po sighed, "You Tang people are always like this."

Li Chengqian asked: "What's wrong with us Tang people? Or are you missing the Sui people? What's the difference between Tang people and Sui people?"

When asked this question, Bo Po remained silent and didn't know how to answer. Your Highness's question was so tricky.

Li Chengqian continued, "How did you persuade Xuanzang to travel west to India?"

Another tricky question.

Bo Po did not answer, but said: "Since Your Highness has recovered, I will go back now."

Li Chengqian held the scroll in his hand, his face calm and composed, and said, "Ning'er!"

She walked forward quickly, with a smile on her face, and said, "The servant is here."

"Send some of the bean sprouts grown alone to the monk."

"Here."

Bo Po turned around and said, "I live in Shengguang Temple. If Your Highness has any questions about my hometown, you can come to the temple to talk."

Li Chengqian stood up and said goodbye, sighing secretly. When people feel insecure, they always need one or two confidants to avoid being plotted against and used as "fat men".

Popo walked out of the hall and took off the coarse cloth shoe covers on his feet.

Although the prince recovered from his serious illness, he was left with a strange habit: his cleanliness was so outrageous that he had to wear shoe covers when entering the palace.

Popo sighed and whispered, "May your highness be in good health."

In a corner of the side hall of the East Palace, there is a small house.

Popo was waiting outside the house, his monk robe rustling in the cold wind.

Ning'er's voice came from inside the house. She said, "Your Highness said that when these soybeans sprout, his illness will be cured. Now that the soybeans have sprouted, the prince has indeed recovered."

In addition to bean sprouts, there are also onions, garlic and ginger in the house.

These are His Highness' favorite foods.

Ning'er picked some and put them in the basin, then handed them to the old monk with both hands and bowed, saying, "Thank you for praying for His Highness."

Popo took the bean sprouts and nodded, "Take good care of His Highness."

Ning Er said: "Yeah."

It was a rare day that the snow stopped. Li Chengqian put on his woolen cloak to keep warm and walked out of the palace step by step under the watchful eyes of the palace maids.

In fact, the East Palace is very desolate. It has not been repaired since the Wude period. There are still several dilapidated houses, floor tiles broken by weeds, and moss in the shade all year round.

Note: Po Po was an Indian monk who came to the Tang Dynasty between the end of the Sui Dynasty and the beginning of the Tang Dynasty.

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(End of this chapter)