Chapter 211: Help Me Up
Chapter 211: Help Me Up
Fang Jifan read the letters one by one.
The thoughts of the schoolchildren were very strange.
Their creativity far exceeded Fang Jifan’s expectations.
Some asked for Candied Hawthorn Fruits.
Some worried about not being able to find a wife in the future.
Some hoped the government would arrest their parents and lock them up for ten or twenty years.
There were also those who dreamed about the future. Some wanted to become a Grand General, some wanted to be a proper Miner, and some… wanted to marry a Princess…
How outrageous, Fang Jifan tried hard to find the name of this rival in love. But it was another “XOO.”
Never mind. I’ll check the handwriting later. I’m sure I can find out who it is.
He took a deep breath and pulled out another letter.
Emperor Hongzhi listened very attentively. He still lay limply against the soft cushions, not moving at all.
But Fang Jifan noticed that his eyes were gradually regaining some life.
Fang Jifan felt quite pleased. He cleared his throat and continued, “Benefactor Fang said the Emperor is sick…”
Hmm, the sentences were coherent, and there were no “OOXX” symbols. Fang Jifan nodded inwardly. This little one was quite good. Aside from me, Fang Jifan, he was the best among the children.
“My dad said Benefactor Fang is our great benefactor. A great benefactor wouldn’t lie, right?”
Fang Jifan felt his eyes grow hot with tears. Reading this part, he cheered inside. So ashamed, so ashamed. Although I, Fang Jifan, do not like to lie and am honest and reliable, this is still too much praise. After all, I’m not used to being complimented.
“But I still think Benefactor Fang is lying. How could the Emperor get sick? He gets to eat lots and lots of meat every day… He eats thirty pigs, five cows, and a hundred chickens every day. My mom said if you eat more steamed buns, you won’t get sick. The Emperor eats so much, he definitely won’t get sick, right?”
“I heard from my dad that the Emperor has thousands of beauties around him, playing with him. The Emperor is happy every day. How could he get sick…”
“…”
Emperor Hongzhi’s face immediately fell.
What nonsense is this?
When did I ever eat so many pigs and so many chickens? Am I a glutton?
I already dismissed so many Palace Maids. What does he mean by “so many beauties playing around me”? This is slander…
Emperor Hongzhi glared at Fang Jifan. Fang Jifan was about to continue reading, but Emperor Hongzhi’s body trembled slightly. He struggled to speak, “Stop. That’s enough. Help… help me up…”
The words “help me up” made Fang Jifan’s eyes light up.
So Fang Jifan quickly helped the humiliated Emperor Hongzhi sit up a bit. Then, somehow, Emperor Hongzhi found the strength. In a swift motion, he snatched the letter from Fang Jifan’s hand. He hunched over, bowing his head to read it carefully.
The handwriting in the letter was very childish, full of wrong characters, but…
“This is slandering me…” Emperor Hongzhi said, both angry and amused. “No one else has seen these letters, right?”
It seemed that even when depressed, Emperor Hongzhi still cared about his last shred of dignity.
Fang Jifan said, “Besides your servant, no one else has seen them.”
Emperor Hongzhi finally let out a sigh of relief. He suddenly looked up at the silk curtain in front of the bed, dazed for a moment. “Am I… a foolish ruler?”
“No!” Fang Jifan said resolutely.
Emperor Hongzhi suddenly asked strangely, “Then what am I? These past days, I’ve been thinking, what exactly am I?”
Fang Jifan replied without hesitation, “Your Majesty is the Emperor.”
But Emperor Hongzhi sighed.
Seizing the opportunity, Fang Jifan suddenly put on a stern face. “Your Majesty, after reading these letters, what are your thoughts?”
“…”
“Even if Your Majesty doesn’t say, your servant is willing to guess a little. They… are just children. They haven’t reached the age to understand the dangers of human hearts or the hardships of life. The path of their future lies in their own hands, but it also lies in Your Majesty’s hands.”
“There are countless Wang Sans in The World, and countless Little Wang Sans. Your Majesty, the Wang Sans are already like this. Will Your Majesty still sit here, refusing to eat or drink, thinking about those unimportant questions? Your Majesty, these Little Wang Sans still hold hope for their future.”
“Their future rests upon Your Majesty. Perhaps Your Majesty cannot give them brilliant careers, nor can you give them fine clothes and delicious food. But with Your Majesty’s diligent governance, you can let them have an extra bowl of rice tomorrow, an extra piece of clothing the day after. This… is enough.”
Emperor Hongzhi’s gaze froze. Then he suddenly stared intently at Fang Jifan.
Fang Jifan was actually gambling. He was betting that Emperor Hongzhi was a man of sentiment.
In history, Emperor Hongzhi was very diligent in governance. Thus, later generations had two interpretations.
One said Emperor Hongzhi acted out of the need to maintain rule. The other said Emperor Hongzhi had great sentiment, a man who truly cared for the people.
Both views had their own arguments.
But Fang Jifan believed that both were true for Emperor Hongzhi.
He genuinely loved the people from the bottom of his heart.
Since he wanted to cure this heart-sickness, he must use the people to cure it!
At this moment, Fang Jifan continued, “Twenty years from now, these schoolchildren might be like Wang San from before, wandering homeless, dressed in rags, starving, harboring hatred towards the imperial court. Twenty years from now, these schoolchildren might also be like the current Wang San, living stable lives. Though not rich or noble, they have clothes to wear, food to eat, and a place to shelter from the wind and rain. They would be like common folk in peaceful times, selling their labor. Though insignificant, their work could support their families.”
“What they become twenty years from now actually depends on Your Majesty’s single thought. If Your Majesty continues like today, having no appetite for food, then they will starve in the future. If Your Majesty today remembers your original intent, eats and drinks as usual, and brings great order to The World, then they will have the chance to eat their fill. Nothing in The World can be achieved overnight…”
Hearing this, Emperor Hongzhi shifted his gaze away. He ignored Fang Jifan anymore and instead picked up the letters one by one, reading them again.
“…”
The prepared speech in Fang Jifan’s mind suddenly became useless. He had originally prepared a long discourse, but now… it was a bit awkward.
Emperor Hongzhi, however, became focused. He read every word in the letters seriously. Sometimes… he couldn’t help but smile. Sometimes he frowned slightly.
Just like when he read memorials.
As if he were handling important matters of state.
When he saw one sentence in a letter – “The Emperor must be a good Emperor and not be lazy…”
He suddenly felt a sting in his nose.
Throughout history, probably no one dared to say such suicidal words to an emperor’s face.
But these words… inexplicably warmed his heart a little.
Children’s words… naturally have a healing power.
An adult, the more experienced and knowledgeable they become, the more they see the true intentions of various people, the more guarded they become, and the harder it is for them to be moved by others.
But some words full of childlike innocence can easily stir deep emotions.
Emperor Hongzhi took a deep breath. His eyes were already red. He stared for a long time at the sentence on the letter, “must be a good Emperor.” The crooked strokes were like sweet rain, warming his heart a little.
“What is this person’s name?” Emperor Hongzhi pointed at the letter.
Fang Jifan leaned in. Seeing the signature said “OXX,” he instinctively said, “Circle Cross Cross.”
“This child…” Emperor Hongzhi suddenly laughed, tears welling in his eyes. “Haha, he can write all the other characters, but he can’t write his own name?”
“And this Xu Jie, why does he always bully others? He has already beaten up three children his age.” Emperor Hongzhi’s mood was rarely this light. Perhaps from the moment he ascended the throne, he had always been tense. Now he finally let out a long sigh of relief. He actually patiently smoothed out each letter, carefully tidying them up.
Then, he looked up at Fang Jifan and said, “What did you want to say earlier?”
“…” Fang Jifan was momentarily stunned. “Your servant wanted to say that Your Majesty is the one who sustains…”
Emperor Hongzhi waved his hand. “No need to spout all that nonsense. Principles… I understand more than you. Your so-called advice, even a minor Hanlin Academician could say it ten thousand times better than you.”
He stretched out his hand and exhaled. “Come… help me get out of bed.”
Fang Jifan was overjoyed. The stifled anger in Emperor Hongzhi’s heart… was finally relieved.
But… His Majesty is in such a state… Would he be able to handle being helped up?
Emperor Hongzhi gave him a cold glare. “If you don’t help me up, how can I eat?”
Seeing Fang Jifan still hesitating, Emperor Hongzhi simply supported himself on the bed and got up. Trembling slightly, he stepped into his boots and stood on the floor. Suddenly, he seemed much more energetic.
Only then did Emperor Hongzhi speak again. “You are right. There are many Wang Sans in The World. I have already failed one group of Wang Sans. I cannot fail them again. Did I make mistakes? My governance certainly had flaws. But what does it matter? It’s not too late to mend the fold after the sheep are lost. These schoolchildren are really interesting. It’s rare that they wrote so many letters. They are just a bit too audacious. My household affairs… are they any of their business?”
Fang Jifan broke out in a sweat of shame.
Emperor Hongzhi clasped his hands behind his back. Though still physically weak, his spirit had finally improved. He slowly walked around the screen, saying, “I suffered a lot when I was young. So I thought, my son, Houzhao, must not repeat my mistakes. I want him to be carefree. Similarly, the Wang Sans suffered a lot. But the parents of the Wang Sans’ children certainly don’t want them to end up like themselves, right? I can’t bear to let them be like Wang San either. In the past, I always wanted to be a Sage Monarch, a wise ruler. I wanted Peace and Prosperity, a clear and peaceful world. Actually, these are just empty reputations, of no real benefit. Rather than always thinking about how to be a Sage Monarch, it’s better to be down-to-earth and be a not-bad Son of Heaven. That is enough. You… why are you still standing there? Nothing to say? Weren’t you very talkative just now? Come, come. I’ll sit here. I’ll listen to you speak.”