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Chapter 125.1
Jin Wang Dotes on His Concubine Ch 125 Pt. 1
Translated by gingercat
Edited by gingercat
Yaoniang yawned. With one hand cupping her chin, she watched Jin Wang eat breakfast.
“You should go back to sleep.” Jin Wang said this for the third time while holding his bowl of porridge.
“Indeed, Your Highness. You should go back to sleep, there’s still this old servant.”
Yaoniang perked up a bit and asked curiously, “When His Highness goes to report for duty, can you go too?”
“This— “
To be honest, Jin Wang and Fucheng haven’t discussed this matter yet.
Fucheng has followed Jin Wang for decades, so it didn’t make sense for it to change now. But Jin Wang wasn’t supposed to bring any servants along when going to the government office. If every official brought along a servant when going to work, the building couldn’t possibly fit them all inside.
“He’s not going.” Jin Wang said concisely.
Yaoniang gave Fucheng a look, seeming to express, ‘Look at you, aren’t you also staying home like me?’. Fucheng felt a little anxious, but some matters weren’t appropriate to bring up in front of Yaoniang, so he didn’t speak.
“His Majesty is quite strict.” After saying this, Yaoniang hurriedly reiterated, “That was meant as a compliment. What I mean is that His Majesty is enlightened, self-disciplined, and has an upright moral character…”
Jin Wang nodded to express that he understood. Otherwise, who knows how long she’d go on trying to explain herself. Then he motioned at her to continue.
Yaoniang went on to say, “You’re clearly a prince, yet he wants you to be a small official. You were even sent that pamphlet, with rules like you must arrive on time and you can’t be absent for no reason. Not only that, you aren’t even allowed to take a carriage or ride a horse there. You can only use a sedan or walk. But the problem is there are also regulations on the sedan, and you can’t use one that oversteps your authority. Look at these dimensions! Your Highness, you’re tall. I calculated the size of this sedan and found that you definitely won’t be comfortable sitting inside of it…”
Yaoniang continued to speak nonstop. To be honest, it was also because she was worried. Ever since she finished reading through the booklet yesterday, she had been distressed.
It wasn’t anything else but this feeling that Jin Wang was being wronged.
Jin Wang was born as the noble son of heavens. When has he ever experienced such ill-treatment before? But this wasn’t even the main point. The main point was that with so many restrictions, she was afraid that Jin Wang wouldn’t be able to bear it.
Yaoniang was also aware by now that Jin Wang and her wouldn’t be returning to Jinzhou anytime soon in the future. With them staying in the capital, they would be under the eyes of His Majesty. After so many years of having nearly unrestricted power, to now being suddenly restrained by others, it would definitely feel discomforting. Plus, Jin Wang’s temperament was a bit unusual, so if he were to start quarrelling with his Father Emperor…
Yaoniang started to feel a headache just thinking about it.
Jin Wang laughed despite himself and thought of telling her that this booklet was something that all officials had. It wasn’t like Emperor Hongjing sent it to him deliberately to make sure he’d follow everything written on it. But then he remembered Yaoniang’s words about Emperor Hongjing, enlightened, self-disciplined, and having an upright moral character…
Although his father had many problems as a father, he was actually a good emperor. He wasn’t extravagant in his spendings nor did he appoint good-for-nothings in his court. As someone strict and impartial, he was diligent in government affairs. He could also recognize people for their abilities and assign them work suitable for their skill sets.
In the beginning, Jin Wang had believed Emperor Hongjing arranged for the few of them to enter the Six Ministries in such low positions with the intention to suppress them. Perhaps, he even wanted to sow discord and provoke them to fight each other. But now he realized there could be an additional layer to it.
Besides him, Xiaobao was also deep in thought.
He had slept with his parents last night, so he also woke him up early this morning when Jin Wang got up. After Jin Wang went out for his morning exercise, Yaoniang climbed out of bed to tidy and wash up. Xiaobao followed suit.
At this moment, he was sitting on a high chair specially designed for him, eating porridge from the bowl in front of him.
Although Yaoniang didn’t have much of an appetite, he was starving. He was still a growing child. While Yaoniang was chattering endlessly to Jin Wang, Xiaobao started pondering, deep in thought.
Xiaobao, who soon came up with something, looked at his simple-minded mother with a touch of surprise in his eyes.
Did simple-minded people look at problems more simply? Or was it a mere coincidence?
Xiaobao thought it more likely to be the latter.
Soon Jin Wang finished his breakfast and rose to leave. Feeling a tad anxious, Yaoniang followed him to the door and handed him a blue bag. She then told him that inside were some pastries and heat-relieving medications.
These things were meticulously prepared by Yaoniang after consulting with Hong Si and the others. She took into consideration that Jin Wang wouldn’t have any servants around him and that he’d be staying there for the entire day. It was highly unlikely that there’d be ice provided and she wasn’t sure whether any food would be served at noon. With what she packed, even if he became hot and hungry later, at least he’d have something to help tide him over.
Yaoniang treated this as if Jin Wang was going there to suffer and endure torment. Although she had praised Emperor Hongjing to be an impartial, wise and brilliant ruler, she still thought in her heart that as a father, wasn’t he being too harsh on his sons?
Xiaobao stood by Yaoniang’s legs and looked at Jin Wang with a hint of sympathy in his eyes. “Father, do well at work and come back soon.”
At his current age, these words were the only words that were appropriate for him to say. To be honest, what Xiaobao wished to say was that those who achieve great things don’t keep records of minor trivialities. The more suffering they endured now, the sweeter the taste of victory in the future.
He didn’t dare to say all this though, lest he be captured by others and burned at the stake.
“Indeed. Come back when you can. Xiaobao, Erbao and I are all waiting for you to come home.”
Uh, what did they all think he was going to do? It wasn’t as if he was going to war!
After thinking for a few breaths of time, Jin Wang stopped wondering and only nodded his head before leaving.
Once they were outside the courtyard, as Fucheng got a horse ready, he said, “Your Highness, don’t listen to Mistress Su. Let this old servant follow you. The carriage is also prepared. This old servant doesn’t believe that there would be people who care about how you get to the office.”
Dressed in his azure official robes, Jin Wang appeared slim and graceful with an elegant composure.
He shook his head. “Listen to your Mistress Su.”