How can I bow my head and serve the powerful officials?

Glancing at the two guards at the gate of the East Palace, Xie Chengze stepped forward and asked, "Has your prince returned from court?"

He did not ask whether Emperor Jian had come, because even if he had, he probably did not come through the main gate, or he had ordered the guards not to reveal the fact that he had been there.

"Second Prince." As if they were very surprised that the Second Prince would appear here, the two East Palace guards looked at each other and then made way. "The Crown Prince has not returned to the palace yet, but His Royal Highness has instructed that if you come, you don't need to inform us and can go directly to the East Palace."

"Okay." Xie Chengze didn't notice anything unusual and stepped directly into the East Palace.

After he walked away, the guards at the gate of the East Palace couldn't help but look at each other again, "Didn't the Second Prince say that he would never come to the East Palace again?"

"That was many years ago. I guess you've forgotten it long ago."

"I don't think so... If he really forgot, why didn't he come for so many years? Besides, you and I have seen how angry the Second Prince was at that time."

"Ah, that's right. After that, the Crown Prince often reminded us that if the Second Prince came to the East Palace, we must not stop him... It's been four or five years now."

"Isn't it..."

Xie Chengze had no idea what the two East Palace guards were secretly saying behind his back.

With no one to lead the way, he wandered around on his own for a while, intending to let Emperor Jian relax his vigilance. When Emperor Jian thought he was well hidden, he would make a "surprise inspection".

It was Xie Chengze's first time to the East Palace and he found it very strange. However, as he walked around, he found that it was very simple and plain, completely different from Chenghuan Palace.

Except for a few pavilions dotted around the lake, most of the places were dark and cold gatehouses. As the sky grew darker, no one lit any lights. Occasionally, a retainer would pass by in a hurry. When they saw him, they would be slightly surprised and then bow. After that, there was no trace of human life. Not even a decent palace maid could be found. It was like a desolate and dead place.

Xie Chengze soon became bored with the stroll and was about to ask someone where the study was when an old butler hurried over from a distance and bowed respectfully to Xie Chengze, saying, "Your Highness, the prince has not returned to the palace yet. Please move to the East Palace first."

What to do in the bedroom?

Xie Chengze was puzzled and shook his head to refuse, "No, I want to go to the East Palace study."

The old housekeeper was slightly startled. The East Palace study was a place of great importance, and it was not allowed for others to enter easily. However...

The old butler bowed again and raised his hand to signal, "Your Highness, please follow me."

Xie Chengze followed the old housekeeper and asked as they walked, "Why is the Eastern Palace so desolate? There isn't even a palace maid or guard. Is Jian'an so poor? We can't even afford to hire a palace maid?"

Old housekeeper:?

"Your Highness, the East Palace has always been like this, and the palace maids are all in the back hall serving the retainers." As if a little surprised that Xie Chengze would ask such a question, the old butler looked at him in confusion, and then said with relief, "Your Highness must have not been here for a long time, and you were young at the time and didn't remember anything, so it's normal for you to forget."

Has it always been like this? Xie Chengze touched his chin, "I am indeed a little vague about what happened in my childhood, can you tell me in detail?"

"If Your Highness wants to know, why not ask the Crown Prince? It is not appropriate for me to ask in my capacity as an old servant." As if he was afraid of something, the old butler's expression changed slightly, and then returned to normal. He stopped in front of a gate and said, "Your Highness, we have arrived at the study."

Xie Chengze looked up and saw the words "Shuge" written on the door plaque. The lights in the pavilion were bright. He couldn't help but show an expression of "as expected". He pushed open the study door with both hands and shouted, "Father! You really made me look so hard!"

In order to avoid him, he even wanted to trick him into going to the East Palace? Fortunately, he was smart and knew that he must be in the study!

However, there was no response from the room. Xie Chengze turned his head in confusion and found that the study was empty and there was not a single memorial on the desk.

"Father? Father! Don't hide, I saw you!" Xie Chengze walked around the study room, but he didn't find a single person. He couldn't help but slap his head hard, "Oh no! I fell into a trap!"

It’s to sway the tiger away from the mountain!

Emperor Jian must have deliberately let the eunuch carry the memorial past the Imperial Study to mislead him into sending the memorial to the Eastern Palace. In fact, he was hiding in the Imperial Study, just waiting for him to arrive at the Eastern Palace first. He never expected that the memorial would return to the Imperial Study halfway!

"Damn dad, you've put all your heart and soul on me!" Xie Chengze couldn't help but curse, "If you had used all your money on government affairs, the treasury wouldn't be so poor that it can't even support me!"

The old butler following behind him lowered his head silently, wishing he didn't have these ears.

In this world, among all the living people, probably only the Second Prince dares to scold the Emperor and not be punished.

As for the dead, there was also Concubine Hua.

Xie Chengze finally returned to Chenghuan Palace, cursing. In the imperial study, Emperor Jian, who was reviewing memorials, sneezed and said to Eunuch Zhao with a smile, "That kid must have gone to the Eastern Palace and found nothing. He is cursing at me now!"

Eunuch Zhao smiled helplessly.

His Majesty is still holding a grudge against the Second Prince for walking him around last time, and now that he has "retaliated", he is naturally happy.

I think the relationship between fathers and sons in ordinary society is just like this.

-

The next morning, Xie Chengze finally got out of bed, washed up and prepared to go to court, when Eunuch Zhao arrived late with a mini imperial edict.

There was a note written on it in a flamboyant style: "Get enough sleep before going to the Ministry of Works."

Xie Chengze was so angry that he threw the mini imperial edict to the ground: "You did it on purpose! I'm already up!"

Do you understand how hard it is to get up in winter?

Eunuch Zhao picked up the mini imperial edict as usual, brushed off the non-existent dust on it, and put it back into Xie Chengze's hand, "Your Highness, please keep it well."

Xie Chengze casually stuffed it under his pillow and inquired, "Did the Crown Prince, Minister Shen, General Lin, and Doctor Han go to court today?"

Eunuch Zhao: "Your Majesty has allowed them to deploy officials and troops sent abroad."

Xie Chengze nodded and went out.

When he arrived at the Ministry of Works, the officials of the Ministry were waiting at the door to greet him. It was obvious that Emperor Jian had already notified him of his coming. Xie Chengze wrapped his outer coat tightly and walked in under the enthusiastic gazes of everyone.

The top of the kang was chiseled open yesterday, and the smoke produced by the burning firewood flowed to the end of the kang through the flue inside the kang. Gu Lao was standing nearby, covering the end of the kang with a layer of stone slabs to test the temperature, in order to measure the appropriate stacking height of the honeycomb stones.

Seeing Xie Chengze coming, Gu Lao's face, which was somewhat blackened by smoke, twitched a few times, and then he smiled in a prim and awkward way, "Second Prince."

Then he continued to study the kang with his head down and grunting.

There was too much smoke in the room, and Xie Chengze felt uncomfortable smelling it. He couldn't help but cover his nose and cough, "Cough, cough, cough."

He coughed like a puppy with asthma, and the sound was pitiful and forbearing. Gu Lao felt annoyed and could not help but look up and said speechlessly, "Second Prince, why are you showing off? If you can't stand it, just go out first!"

"Gu Lao~ You feel sorry for me again~" Xie Chengze acted like a masochist while running out of the workshop in small steps under Gu Lao's murderous gaze.

After taking a few breaths of the fresh winter breeze, I felt alive again.

After a while, Gu Lao came out and said, "All the problems have been solved. We summoned all the craftsmen from the capital to the palace yesterday. Today we will teach them how to make a kang."

Xie Chengze nodded, glanced around the room, and asked humbly, "Old Master, I just saw that there doesn't seem to be a fire door at the fire outlet of our stove."

Gu Lao glanced at him and said, "Yes, but I didn't do it for the sake of convenience."

"Oh, oh, oh." Xie Chengze continued to ask tentatively, "Then can we add a fire hole to our kang and put it outside the house?"

"What's the point of putting it outside?" Gu Lao frowned, and even felt that such a stupid question shouldn't be asked. "It's just the right time to heat up the kang while cooking, how much easier? If you put it outside, you have to go outside in the cold wind to add firewood, why bother?"

Xie Chengze touched his nose and muttered softly, "I'm afraid of carbon monoxide poisoning."

"What poisoning?" Gu Lao asked doubtfully. He had never heard of oxygen or carbon, and what did burning a fire have to do with poisoning?