The next day, Xia Jinghong was reviewing memorials in the imperial study when Xiao Dezi ran over and whispered something to Eunuch Huang. Eunuch Huang’s expression changed dramatically.
"What’s happened now?" Xia Jinghong asked.
"Your Majesty, the princes and Young Master Guaizai—they’re digging up the imperial garden," Eunuch Huang replied.
Xia Jinghong waved his hand dismissively. "What’s the big deal? Let them be. I’ve noticed those boys seem more cheerful and lively lately. The Grand Tutor says their studies haven’t suffered. So let them do as they please."
Eunuch Huang said no more.
The next day, when Xia Jinghong had some free time and wanted to enjoy the flowers in the imperial garden. When he arrived, he found the garden completely wrecked. He froze, unable to catch his breath, his face full of shock and disbelief. He raised a trembling hand and asked in a shaky voice:
"What happened to my imperial garden?"
He had missed only one day.
The garden was pockmarked with holes everywhere, as if a plague of rats had swept through, or wild dogs had dug it up—completely unrecognizable. Several peony bushes had been dug around and were now leaning crookedly.
In the distance, a dozen eunuchs were busy "filling holes."
Eunuch Huang replied, "Your Majesty, this humble servant reported this to you yesterday. It was the eldest prince and the others digging."
Xia Jinghong choked up, his head throbbing faintly. "What are they doing? Starting a rebellion? Huh?"
"Your Majesty, you’re exaggerating. This—"
Before Eunuch Huang could finish, the sound of children laughing and playing came from afar. The elderly eunuch in charge of the imperial garden nearly fell to his knees at the sight of them arriving in a group.
They were fully equipped with tools: each child carried a small hoe and a birdcage. The little chicks inside were still cheeping.
Xia Jinghong watched as they entered the garden and started digging without a word—skillful and efficient. A small path without bricks had its soil trampled hard. The fourth prince crouched on the path and started digging. Guaizai frowned and called out, "Lao Si, there are no worms there. They’re in places like this! Come here!" He pointed to a flower bed.
[老四 (lǎo sì) means "Old Fourth" or "Fourth Elder," a casual or familial way to address the fourth-born child or the fourth in a sequence.]
The flower bed contained plants that the palace attendants watered and loosened daily with careful attention, so the soil was rich and fertile.
The fourth prince nodded, pushed aside some flowers, and began digging.
In the span of a single stunned moment for Xia Jinghong, the little ones had already dug more than a dozen holes.
Their destructive power was jaw-dropping.
"Aiya," the fourth prince exclaimed, pulling out an earthworm as thick as a chopstick—big and fat. He looked at Guaizai with admiration. "Guaizai, you’re so amazing! You were exactly right."
Guaizai puffed out his chest. "Of course! Guaizai has the most experience digging for worms."
Xia Jinghong quickly shouted for them to stop.
He suppressed his anger and called them over.
"What are you digging for worms for?"
What for? To feed the chickens, of course.
Why feed the chickens? To eat them. If you want to eat chicken, the imperial kitchen has some.
Imperial kitchen chicken isn’t fragrant. Chickens that grow up eating worms taste fragrant. Wild chickens on the mountain eat worms to grow, so wild chickens are delicious.
Xia Jinghong’s head really hurt now.
The elderly eunuch in charge of the imperial garden rushed over and knelt down, begging forgiveness. Eunuch Huang, who had some friendship with the man, reminded Xia Jinghong that this matter had been reported and that he himself had said to let them be... so he couldn’t blame anyone else.
Xia Jinghong’s gaze fell on the eldest prince. The other children were still young and could be excused for not knowing better, but the eldest prince was nearly ten years old! How could he join in their nonsense?
The eldest prince hadn’t dared at first either. After all, he was the legitimate son born to the empress—the orthodox heir. Unless something unexpected happened, he would most likely be the one to succeed Xia Jinghong as the next emperor. But when Guaizai saw him hesitating in the imperial garden, afraid of punishment, Guaizai scratched his head and looked at him:
"You’re the eldest prince. The imperial palace is your home. Your father is the emperor, the most awesome person in Da Xia. Your mother is the empress—of noble status. You can strut anywhere. What are you afraid of? Being afraid in your own home wouldn’t be right~ Father said that we’re just being self-reliant. As long as we don’t harm others or do something utterly heinous, there’s no need to be afraid."
That made a lot of sense!
So the eldest prince did it.
When the elderly eunuch tried to stop him, the eldest prince gave him a glare that was quite imposing. The eunuch broke out in a cold sweat and instantly dared not say a word. He sent someone to report it. The young eunuch returned and said the emperor had told them to let the children be. So the eunuch stopped interfering.
The children were "considerate" enough not to pull up the flowers before digging.
Xia Jinghong turned to the chief culprit: "Guaizai!"
Guaizai smiled at him, his eyebrows and eyes curved, looking extremely well-behaved—utterly unaware that he had done anything wrong. "Uncle, what does Guaizai do for you?"
Xia Jinghong asked, "Is digging for worms fun?"
"Fun! There are so many worms in the imperial garden. There aren’t any at home," Guaizai said.
Xia Jinghong raised an eyebrow. "You’ve dug at home too?"
"Mm-hmm!" Guaizai nodded.
Xia Jinghong was astonished. "You didn’t get hit?" That couldn’t be right! He considered himself far more patient and magnanimous than the average person, but even his hand itched to hit right now. Fang Zichen was nowhere near as good as him!
Guaizai’s voice dropped. "I got hit. Father said our yard is small, so I can’t dig there. But the imperial garden is huge, with lots of worms inside. Uncle is the most generous—he has many big yards and won’t mind. He’ll let Guaizai dig."
Xia Jinghong: "......"
After hearing this, Xia Jinghong’s fists clenched.
What a clever move to send the problem to someone else!
Fang Zichen is completely shameless.
"Uncle, Guaizai digs worms to feed the chickens. When the chickens grow big, Guaizai will give you a drumstick, okay?"
"Father, your son will give you some too."
"Father, your son as well."
The princes vied with each other, seeming filial. Xia Jinghong’s anger mostly faded. He scolded them a few words and let them go.
That’s it?
Father isn’t so scary after all, is he?
The princes immediately became bolder and less fearful of their father's authority.
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