Chapter 1320: Chapter 1298: Leaving Beijing
Empress: ...
She couldn’t help but reach out, pinch the flesh on his waist, and twist it. The Emperor quickly explained, "I didn’t give everything to Sanlang. He loves calligraphy and painting, so I gave him some scrolls and decorations. Changyu is old enough now and will soon need furniture for her marriage. I’ve already designated two fine sets for her. Mingda is in poor health, so I’ve set aside the Long Crane painting and some precious medicinal materials for her..."
It just so happens that with one glance, he realized the things he had already allocated matched what was listed in the memorial.
These items are hard to liquidate and extremely valuable, primarily kept in the storeroom for rewards.
Some less valuable items will later be gifted to subjects—cups, jade, and the like. But truly precious pieces like paintings, furniture, and ornaments are typically kept for personal use.
The Emperor himself couldn’t use so much, and since he spoiled his children, naturally, he planned to give them the items.
The Prince of Yizhou was favored in the past. The Empress Dowager often sent him things, even persuading the Emperor to do so, resulting in the inner storeroom housing many valuable items.
Of course, the collection wasn’t limited to those. There were rare silks, furs, and even an entire tiger skin.
A considerable amount had already been distributed, from the Crown Prince to the youngest princess who could barely run and jump. When it came to his own children, he had always been particularly generous.
Recently, the Empress fell ill, and many princes and princesses came to visit her. Whoever happened to cross paths with the Emperor during their stay received gifts.
Only the more valuable and larger items were reserved for his favored children.
Since the Empress Dowager was still ill, the Emperor feared upsetting her by reminding her of the past, so the things intended for Changyu and others hadn’t been openly moved. As for the Third Prince’s items, they were quietly transferred...
The Empress, looking at the memorial in her hand, asked, "Have the items all been given away?"
The Emperor coughed lightly and said, "Promises made to the children must be kept. How can I go back on my word as their father?"
The Empress frowned and replied, "Mother has already made compromises. Director Xiao even advised against upsetting her—why must you continue this way?"
The Emperor grumbled, "I didn’t expect Mother to ask for such an extensive dowry—and even draft a list!"
A niece, after all. A handful of items from the private storehouses would suffice for her dowry.
But since the Empress Dowager reminisced about old times, the Emperor couldn’t help but feel some regret when he thought about how, among the brothers, only Five still had a pair of daughters left.
The Emperor pleaded with his gaze aimed at the Empress.
The Empress gently set down the memorial and sighed, "Fine, I’ll go discuss it with Mother. We’ll exchange some things. Have someone send me the list of items from the private storehouses, and I’ll pick suitable replacements."
The Emperor hesitated, his reluctance evident. "Those are all excellent items. Changyu and Mingda will need them for their marriages."
The Empress replied, "They’re not in a hurry. Even Changyu has another year or two before it’s time."
"But money and grain can be replenished; these treasures were accumulated over time and can’t be bought with money," the Emperor lamented, now preferring to send gold and silver for his niece’s dowry.
The Empress gave him a sharp look and said, "Why don’t you take a closer look at Zhou Man’s memorial?"
She handed the thick memorial to the Emperor and remarked, "I’ve gone through most of it and think it’s genuinely well-written. If the Taoyi Institute is established according to its proposal, it will benefit countless people."
The Emperor, hearing her words, unfolded the memorial and asked, "Last night, I skimmed through the latter part—does it suggest building medical institutes across various regions?"
The Empress nodded, "It’s not something that can be accomplished overnight, but the Taoyi Institute concept isn’t entirely unprecedented. In the early days of the previous dynasty, medical institutes served an educational function too, though this role was gradually neglected later."
The Emperor remained silent but read the memorial more intently, even as worry gnawed at him. "If that’s the case, my private treasury certainly won’t suffice. If we take funds from the national treasury, do you think the Ministry of Revenue will approve?"
The Empress replied, "Would it hurt for Your Majesty to try?"
After pondering for a moment, the Emperor said, "Then I’ll take a look first."
The Empress chuckled faintly. Whether the Ministry of Revenue agreed or not made little difference—it was merely a question of whether the Emperor truly wished to act. Once he decided to go forward, obstacles would surely disappear.
He had always been this way, procrastinating on tasks he didn’t wish to pursue, yet rushing those he did as if he wished them completed within a matter of days.
The memorial was highly detailed. The more the Emperor read, the more familiar the concept of the Taoyi Institute seemed to him, and the more it pained him. "This is completely modeled after the Imperial Academy!"
The Empress simply smiled without replying. That wasn’t news, after all; they’d already realized it last night.
As he read, the Emperor grumbled, "When Zhou Man returns, I’m certainly going to have a talk with her!"
The Empress laughed and advised, "Read the memorial to its end first."
Despite his grumbling, the Emperor read with increasing seriousness and even began forming ideas.
Meanwhile, Manbao and the others who had already departed from the capital had completely set aside concerns over the memorial. At dawn, they packed their belongings and started their journey back home.
Of course, not everyone returned. Some remained behind to handle affairs in Changqing Alley, including Aunt Rong, who stayed in the capital.
The Xiang family didn’t leave either. Xiang Mingxue’s legs didn’t require acupuncture anymore, but he still needed rehabilitation and couldn’t endure extensive travel, so he decided to stay in the capital.
Those staying behind—like Zhou Liulang, Zhou Lijun, and Zhou Lichong—came to see them off. Yin Huo and other classmates who knew their departure date also arrived, forming a large crowd.
A truly large crowd—not only their own classmates but also students from other classes in the Imperial Academy and the Highest Institute. There were over 20 or 30 people. Manbao stood aside and almost couldn’t recognize them all.
Shopkeeper Zheng also came to bid farewell to Manbao, gifting her a variety of emergency medications for illnesses like colds, fevers, and coughs.
Although Manbao had packed her own supplies, she accepted them, given the size of their group.
The farewells took nearly half an hour. Bai Shan used every ounce of energy to part from the crowd, pulling Bai Erlang onto the carriage.
Once the carriage had driven some distance, Bai Shan began complaining to Bai Erlang, "It’s all because you wrote that biography. Otherwise, so many people wouldn’t have come to see us off—and talked so much!"
Bai Erlang retorted, "That biography wasn’t solely mine. How can you blame it all on me?"
Bai Shan replied, "But only your name is on it."
Bai Erlang quipped, "Then give back the money we earned from the bookstore!"
Bai Shan fell silent. Sitting between them, Manbao spoke to mediate, "Alright, alright. We’ve already set out, haven’t we? Just half an hour’s delay—it’s not like our teacher said anything."
Only then did the two stop arguing.
Winter roads were difficult to traverse. Out of concern for the carriage slipping, they slowed down, which made the ride more bumpy.
After sitting in the carriage for a short while, the three couldn’t stand it any longer and opted to ride their horses instead. They had brought their favored steeds with them this time. Though it was cold, the pace was leisurely, and the steady rhythm of the horses trotting forward felt pleasant.
When they grew tired of riding, they returned to the carriage to rest. Mr. Zhuang observed their boundless energy and couldn’t help but smile and shake his head.