I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 140 The Crying Prince of Lu! Ten-year-old children are the easiest to bully.
March 22nd, early morning.

Shen Nian arrived at the South Three Study Rooms inside the Donghua Gate, the place where Prince Lu lectured.

The young Wanli Emperor has already agreed.

For the next three days, Shen Nian took charge of all of Prince Lu's studies.

Three days later, Shen Nian will draft a brand new daily lecture plan for Prince Lu.

In the front hall of the study, on the desk of the Prince of Lu.

A copy of "The Great Learning" and a copy of "The Book of Documents" were placed to the side.

In the middle, there was a plate of fruit pies, a plate of dried pears, a plate of dried dates, and a plate of dried fruits mixed with hazelnuts, chestnuts, and walnuts.

The current Prince of Lu loves to eat snacks.

He would only order the snacks on the table to be removed if Empress Dowager Li, Emperor Wanli (the young Wanli Emperor), or Zhang Juzheng came to visit.

He ignored everyone else; and no one dared to reprimand him.

At this time.

A young eunuch, about fifteen or sixteen years old, quickly approached Shen Nian.

"Editor Shen, my name is Shunzi. I am a personal eunuch serving Prince Lu. You taught me in the Inner Study. Prince Lu will probably arrive in about fifteen minutes. Please rest in the side hall for a while and have a cup of tea!"

Shen Nian nodded.

Shen Nian was then led to a side hall.

Two young eunuchs served Shen Nian hot tea and presented him with two plates of snacks.

Upon smelling it from afar, Shen Nian knew that this tea was the Imperial Mao Feng, which was described as having a shape resembling a sparrow's tongue and a color like ivory.

This treatment was even better than that given during daily lectures at the Wenhua Hall.

"Shunzi, this...this is a bit too much!"

Shunzi smiled and said, "Other lecturers do not receive this treatment. This was specially instructed by His Highness Prince Lu, who greatly admires Editor Shen."

Shen Nian smiled faintly.

The young Wanli Emperor had a very good relationship with the Prince of Lu, and often told the Prince of Lu about Shen Nian's various deeds and his performance during lectures.

Therefore, Prince Lu knew Shen Nian and had a good impression of him; otherwise, he would not have specifically named Shen Nian to teach him.

Soon, a quarter of an hour had passed.

The Prince of Lu has not yet arrived.

According to royal etiquette, the current Prince of Lu has already made a mistake.

Shen Nian is now able to impeach him.

However, the mistake was too minor, and Empress Dowager Li and Emperor Wanli would most likely not punish him.

Nearly half an hour later, the Prince of Lu finally arrived.

Shen Nian strode to the front hall and stood before the Prince of Lu.

The ten-year-old Prince Lu resembled the young Wanli Emperor by about 70%, but was slightly chubby, giving him a robust and chubby appearance.

"Shen Nian, compiler of the Hanlin Academy, pays his respects to Your Highness Prince Lu!" Shen Nian said, bowing.

“Editor Shen, no need for formalities! The Empress Dowager and my brother often praise you, Editor Shen, saying that you are a great lecturer. I admire you very much. I know that you will be in charge of the daily lectures for the next three days. From now on, I will listen to you completely,” Prince Lu said with a smile.

The Prince of Lu's voice was still somewhat immature, but it already had the air of a royal prince.

Although he is willful, he has a sweet tongue.

Especially when facing Empress Dowager Li and the young Wanli Emperor.

A member of the royal family.

From a young age, he was adept at reading people's expressions and knew who he could offend and who he couldn't, who he could bully and who he couldn't.

They even know exactly when they can be willful and when they can't, and they've got the balance just right.

If yesterday's tutor for the Prince of Lu was Shen Nian.

Even if Prince Lu made a serious "mistake," he wouldn't have smashed the inkstone on Shen Nian's head.

Although Shen Nian's official rank was not as high as Chen Jingbang's, he was valued by Chen Jingbang far more.

If Shen Nian is hurt, regardless of Shen Nian's temper, the young Wanli Emperor will not let the Prince of Lu off easily.

Prince Lu was quite perceptive.

Shen Nian bowed slightly and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Your Highness. Next, I will talk to Your Highness about the Great Learning from the Four Books. Today I will only talk about two words: self-cultivation."

Then, Shen Nian began his lecture.

Prince Lu sat behind his desk, while Shen Nian stood opposite him.

Unlike the young Wanli Emperor, who sat upright and formally.

Prince Lu tilted his head back, clasped his hands together, and sat with dried fruit and pies on the table, looking just like the common people in a teahouse listening to a storyteller.

Shen Nian didn't care about these details and immediately began to tell the story at her own pace.

Shen Nian talked about self-cultivation, but did not explain the concept of self-cultivation.

Instead, he directly told the story of Wen Yanbo, a famous prime minister of the Northern Song Dynasty, who once practiced self-cultivation by counting beans.

Wen Yanbo was quite unruly in his youth.

To improve himself, he would put a black bean into the porcelain jar when he did something wrong, and a red bean into the jar when he did something right. Finally, he would compare the number of red beans and black beans to practice self-discipline and self-cultivation.

Shen Nian spoke in a very humorous way and constantly interacted with Prince Lu, letting him know what was wrong and what was good.

Prince Lu knew that Shen Nian was targeting him.

However, because Shen Nian's teaching style was humorous and lacked the pedantic air of a scholar, the Prince of Lu was very interested.

He did not eat a single snack while Shen Nian was lecturing.

A ten-year-old child cannot yet hide their emotions; their happiness and unhappiness are all written on their face.

About half an hour later, Shen Nian finished explaining the two words "self-cultivation".

The Prince of Lu listened with great interest, and his fondness for Shen Nian grew even stronger.

Followed by.

Shen Nian then asked Prince Lu to write a large character.

The Prince of Lu was taught by selected officials in charge of writing characters. Although he was only ten years old, his writing was not bad.

However, after writing less than ten words, the Prince of Lu lost his patience.

He would stop writing from time to time, occasionally stuff a piece of pastry into his mouth, dawdle and purse his lips. It took him half an hour to finish writing a single large character.

And this large character.

Only the first dozen or so words are legible; the rest are noticeably worse.

It's obvious they're not taking it seriously.

After finishing writing, Prince Lu handed it to Shen Nian somewhat embarrassed.

He felt that he would most likely be punished by having to rewrite it, but he just couldn't control himself.

As I wrote, I grew tired of it.

After reviewing it, Shen Nian said, "Not bad. Today's reading and calligraphy lessons are now over!"

"Your Highness, Prince Lu, I will now take you to do what you enjoy!"

"Huh? What is it?" Prince Lu asked, somewhat bewildered.

Shen Nian smiled and said, "Just follow my arrangements; this is also part of the course."

……

After a while.

A carriage exited from the Donghua Gate, proceeded east to the North Gate, and soon arrived at the Elephant House located in the northeast corner of the Forbidden City.

After dismounting from his carriage, Prince Lu was taken aback when he saw the elephant house.

I was here last time.

He was then impeached by the lecturer and then severely reprimanded by Empress Dowager Li.

Although he still wanted to go, he didn't dare to come here because he had just made a mistake.

Shen Nian said earnestly, "Your Highness, physical exercise is also very important while you are studying."

"Next, I have decided to take Your Highness to ride elephants at the Elephant House, then have a meal with the official chefs at the North Kitchen, then ride horses at the Grassland Field, and then participate in the porcelain making at the Mingqi Factory... After that, we will take a carriage ride around outside Zhengyang Gate. That will conclude the lessons I have prepared for Your Highness today."

Prince Lu looked at Shen Nian with disbelief.

Shen Nian said that everything he wanted to do was wrong.

Although the ten-year-old Prince Lu was willful, he was not lawless.

It's understandable if he does these things every now and then, but if he does so many wrong things every day, even if Empress Dowager Li loves him very much, she will still punish him.

He looked at Shen Nian.

"Editor Shen, after I...after I finish all these things, should I find a porcelain jar and put a handful of black beans in it?"

He listened attentively to everything Shen Nian said today.

Shen Nian smiled and shook her head.

"Your Highness, rest assured, these are all courses I arranged for you to determine your preferences. I will bear all the consequences and guarantee that Your Highness will not be punished in the slightest!" "Really?"

Shen Nian nodded and said, "Your Highness's studies will be rearranged according to your preferences. His Majesty has agreed that I will have full authority over these three days. Your Highness will definitely not be punished."

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Lu became excited.

"To the elephant stable, to the elephant stable, I want to ride the elephant with the longest nose!"

Lu Wang rushed off towards the elephant house, followed closely by two young eunuchs.

Next.

Then came the moment of pleasure for the troubled young Prince Lu.

He spent half an hour fussing around in the elephant house, and then together with Shen Nian, they headed to the North Kitchen and had lunch among the cooks of the officials of the Inner Transport Warehouse.

Afterwards, Prince Lu went to Licaolanchang to ride a horse.

The Prince of Lu, who has completely unleashed his true self.

Like a young calf, it is fully releasing its energy.

Then, under Shen Nian's guidance, they went to the porcelain factory and made several oddly shaped porcelain pieces.

Finally, the two went to the outside of Zhengyang Gate.

Watch acrobatics, eat snacks, and listen to storytellers.

They did not return to the palace until dusk.

This is the life that Prince Lu has always dreamed of.

Shen Nian kept telling Prince Lu that at his age, he should be happy, carefree, and at ease.

The Prince of Lu believed this without a doubt.

He will not need to participate in politics or take the imperial examinations in the future, so he will not need to study desperately.

Why not enjoy life while you can?

Prince Lu regretted not having met Shen Nian sooner; otherwise, his daily life might have been like this long ago.

……

The next morning, everything was the same as usual.

Shen Nian lectured for an hour, then had the Prince of Lu write a large character, and then took the Prince of Lu to do what he wanted to do.

For example, strolling through the streets incognito, enjoying the pleasures of flowers, birds, fish, and insects, etc.

In the afternoon, Prince Lu no longer practiced chess, studied, or painted, but went to the woods in the military training ground to shoot rabbits and ate communal meals with the Imperial Guards.

All of these were new experiences that Prince Lu had never had before.

Day three.

Shen Nian completely obeyed the wishes of the Prince of Lu, and went to the imperial prison, the charcoal factory in the west of the city, and several temples.

……

These three days.

Prince Lu felt as if he were living on clouds, and he no longer even slept in.

Every day is fulfilling and joyful.

The experiences of the Prince of Lu over these three days.

The young Wanli Emperor knew, Zhang Juzheng knew, and the Japanese lecturers all knew; they all knew what Shen Nian was going to do next.

……

The third day, at dusk.

After strolling around Chessboard Street, Shen Nian and Prince Lu returned to their study.

Subsequently.

Shen Nian presented a brand-new list of assignments to Prince Lu.

After reading it, the Prince of Lu was overjoyed.

The new curriculum list includes a one-hour daily lecture in the morning, a calligraphy exercise, and half an hour in the afternoon for either painting, chess, or music practice. The rest of the time can be decided by the Prince of Lu himself.

“Mr. Shen is truly knowledgeable about this matter,” Prince Lu said, patting his chest. “Grand Secretary Zhang may not agree to this list of assignments, but I am confident that I can persuade the Empress Dowager and my elder brother!”

Prince Lu's confidence stemmed from the doting affection he received from Empress Dowager Li and the young Wanli Emperor.

This also stemmed from the fact that, in his eyes, Empress Dowager Li and the young Wanli Emperor were the closest and dearest people to him, and that they would grant him any request.

Upon hearing this, Shen Nian took out another document from his pocket.

Prince Lu looked puzzled, opened the package, and frowned.

This is also a list of the lessons for Prince Lu.

However, this list places extremely high demands on Prince Lu, with a workload even greater than the one Zhang Juzheng had previously prepared for him.

at the same time.

He was also required to attend morning classes on time, not to eat snacks during lectures, and to copy characters three times if he made a mistake due to lack of concentration.

The only advantage is that he has one free day each month to do things he likes, but he must get the lecturer's permission.

Prince Lu pursed his lips and looked at Shen Nian.

"Editor Shen, what is the meaning of this?"

Shen Nian said earnestly, "I have prepared two lists of assignments. Your Highness may choose one."

“I will definitely choose the first one!” Prince Lu replied without hesitation.

Shen Nian slowed down.

“Your Highness, the first list of assignments does indeed suit your current preferences, but it has one flaw. If Your Highness can accept it, then choose the first one.”

"What defect?" Prince Lu asked, puzzled.

Shen Nian's expression was serious. He first bowed deeply to the Prince of Lu.

If someone makes this gesture, then what follows will almost certainly be offensive remarks.

"If Your Highness follows the first assignment list, it will not have any impact on the Ming Dynasty. In fact, it will make Your Highness happy. If Your Highness is happy, the Empress Dowager and His Majesty will naturally be happy as well."

"However, the royal family has its own rules. If Your Highness does not study diligently and does not observe royal etiquette, and does not study like you did in the first lesson plan, a group of censors will soon impeach Your Highness."

"Oh, this!" Prince Lu waved his hand and said with a smile, "I am not afraid of their impeachment at all, and my mother and brother will not punish me."

Although the Prince of Lu was ten years old, he was very clear about his position.

In the future, he will be unable to participate in politics or the imperial examinations, and will only be able to live as a leisurely and wealthy prince.

This is also the main reason why he was uninterested in his studies and quite willful.

He was unwilling to learn something that was useless and boring. He had no expectations for himself, so he naturally didn't care about what others expected of him.

It's not necessarily a good thing for a prince to be ambitious and dedicated to his studies or politics.

Shen Nian smiled slightly.

"I also think so. However, if this continues, Your Highness's reputation will inevitably suffer. It is true that Your Highness wants to be a leisurely prince, but if you are too lazy and displease the officials, it will probably take at most three years for Your Highness to reach the age of marriage. I'm afraid that all the officials will ask Your Highness to leave the capital and take up your fiefdom."

"If Your Highness is willing to leave the capital and take up your fiefdom ahead of schedule, then let's choose the first assignment list!"

"Three years from now, I...I...will have to leave the capital to take up my fief? I...I...will not leave the capital...I absolutely will not leave the capital!"

These words were spoken with a sob in their voice.

Prince Lu's tears fell instantly.

Leaving the capital to take up his fiefdom was the Lu Prince's Achilles' heel.

Once enfeoffed, it was as if they were being kept in captivity, unable to leave their fiefdom and unable to enter the court without an imperial edict.

This is something that Prince Lu cannot accept at the moment.

The two people he was closest to and most important in the world were Empress Dowager Li and the young Wanli Emperor.

He didn't want to leave them.

However, if he continues to act willfully...

Despite the unanimous request of the officials, and especially given that Zhang Juzheng disliked him, even Empress Dowager Li and the young Wanli Emperor could not keep him in the Forbidden City.

If he is obedient and always abides by etiquette, according to the common practice of the Ming Dynasty, he can stay for several more years.

At this moment, Prince Lu gradually understood Shen Nian's meaning.

He may not be outstanding, but he cannot be ignorant.

Otherwise, all the civil officials would have immediately submitted a memorial requesting him to leave the capital after his marriage.

Princes who disregard rules and etiquette are not allowed to indulge in unrestrained revelry in the capital.

this moment.

Shen Nian felt that the three-day course had been a success.

Next, Prince Lu may not excel in his studies, but he will definitely be sensible and respectful of etiquette.

Because he has a weakness.

There are reasons why we have to abide by etiquette and rules.

(End of this chapter)