Demoness, where are you Fleeing to?
Chapter 973 - 803: Youlong Really Isn’t My Child?

Chapter 973: Chapter 803: Youlong Really Isn’t My Child?

Forbidden City, deep within the palace, Yu Hongshang glared at Li Xuan, brimming with anger, "It’s one thing not to let Youlong practice martial arts, his bones are not yet set, and indeed it is not time for martial rituals. But why won’t you let Youlong read and learn the rites?"

Li Xuan, unconcerned, held the little emperor and amused him with a paper crane, making the little emperor Yu Youlong laugh heartily.

At this time, it was already the thirteenth of August in the Second Year, Weixin Era, plus the previous year of Jingtai, this was approaching the third year since Yu Youlong’s ascension to the throne.

The little emperor was also close to three years old, but perhaps due to some congenital deficiencies, his physique was smaller than that of normal children.

Fortunately, his body was still robust, plump and fair.

"How old is he? What books should he read? What rites should he learn?"

As Li Xuan played with the little emperor, he scoffed, "He is an emperor; cultivating his temperament is the most important thing. Do you want him to get up early and stay up late like the common scholars, studying the four books and five classics?"

Even to the common scholars and to the officials of the Court, the majority of the content in the four books and five classics is useless.

A few years later, once his foundation in the Court is stable and he is ready, he will exclude the vast majority of the content of the four books and five classics from the content of the civil service exams.

The scholars of the world should be reading his "Explore and Rectify Things," "National Policy," and his most recent writings "Physics," "Mathematics," "Dialectics," and "Law Ritual."

The first few were written from his recollection of elementary and middle school content, while the latter were formulated on the basis of Xunzi with his personal additions, revisions, and improvements.

Compared to the Great Sage, Li Xuan preferred Xunzi’s "exalting rites and valuing the noble leads to kingship; emphasizing law and loving the people leads to hegemony," the unity of kingship and hegemony through exalting the rites and law.

There’s also the laws of nature and heaven, the constancy of heavenly commands, and controlling destiny and using it.

Xunzi believed that everything in heaven and earth follows its immutable laws, devoid of rationality, volition, or the heart of good and evil or likes and dislikes. What people should do is to control destiny and use it.

However, Li Xuan also knew that Xunzi’s ideas were not liked by emperors and scholars.

At this time, Confucianism was already corrupted beyond reform, and the Great Sage and past sages, just like imposing mountains, were obstacles ahead.

Even if he forced his power, it would only be effective for a short duration.

Once in the future he no longer acted as regent minister, those rotting scholars he suppressed would certainly do all they could to overturn all his decrees and scholarship completely.

The only way for the scholars of the Jin Dynasty to thoroughly abandon the dregs of Confucianism was for a new Saint to emerge.

Yu Hongshang was unaware of the thoughts swirling in Li Xuan’s mind. Her face stern, she asked, "How can he understand principles and cultivate his temperament without reading? How will he recognize hierarchy without learning the rites?"

"How can one not understand principles and cultivate temperament without reading? Simply by us setting an example, leading by example, and teaching through words and actions."

Li Xuan looked at Yu Hongshang, "At this age, he is still naive, and teaching him now is both tiring and will make him resentful. Educating through play is the right approach now. Where are those toys I had sent over? For now, let him play with them. Once he wants to recognize characters, he will learn them easily. As for rites—"

Li Xuan’s tone was full of sarcasm, "That’s not something an emperor should learn. What he needs to learn is how to make his subjects and the common people observe and understand the rites, not to learn the rites and think that the people of the world will also respect and observe them like him."

The so-called ’rites’ promoted by Confucianism are just a set of social orders. They believe that if everyone follows this social order, the world would achieve a peaceful and prosperous age.

But if there is not enough ’benefit’ to guide it, how can it make the common people or the scholars willingly comply?

If the scholars do not derive benefit, gain recognition, and exploit the common folk using these laws, will they abide by them without overstepping?

If the common people are not fed, they will proclaim why should princes and generals be born among them.

And his scholarship, his reforms, if they can’t show the people the ’benefit,’ will also fail to endure.

"You!"

Yu Hongshang was furious. Just as she was about to argue, she saw Li Xuan pick up Yu Youlong and observe him closely, "This little fellow resembles me, don’t you think? Look at his brows and eyes. Hongshang, are you sure he isn’t my son?"

Yu Hongshang’s retort suddenly choked back into her stomach, and feeling guilty, her gaze diverted out the window, no longer daring to speak.

Li Xuan glanced sideways at Yu Hongshang, his heart filled with silent scorn.

Did the Jingtai and this girl and her father really think he was foolish? Couldn’t they see anything at all?

But Li Xuan had no fixation on lineage and surnames; he believed as long as the child lived well, that was better than anything.

Li Xuan had no evidence for now, so he couldn’t be bothered to expose them.

"It’s settled then! It would be different if I weren’t Taishi, but since I’ve taken on the role, the responsibility of educating the emperor primarily rests with me."

His tone was calm, yet undeniable.

Yu Hongshang felt partly guilty and partly convinced by Li Xuan’s logic, "I don’t mind teaching him reading later, but this way, I’m afraid the scholars from the Hanlin Academy and the Imperial Censors will have opinions."

"Let them come and find me!"

Li Xuan, unconcerned, slightly waved his sleeve, then thoughtfully added, "But letting Youlong go on like this isn’t good either. Those little eunuchs accompanying him, indulging him, and spoiling him won’t foster a good temperament in him.

"Let’s do this, it just happens that my elder brother’s child is also two years old now. You pick about a dozen children from noble and ministerial families from the Court, to join the palace under the pretext of studying with the emperor. They can play together in the palace during the day, watched over by a divided form I will personally craft; at night, they’ll be sent back."

—That is, effectively setting up a daycare, and since he can’t find a suitable preschool teacher for the time being, Li Xuan needs to craft another form to watch over them personally.

Li Xuan thought to himself that he was indeed willing to make sacrifices for this son.

But this was also inevitable. He knew Yu Hongshang treasured Yu Youlong like the apple of her eye.

Yu Youlong was indeed in a dangerous situation, constantly at risk of assassination.

Yu Hongshang would never let him out of the palace under any circumstances.

Li Xuan himself couldn’t be at ease, so he had to take matters into his own hands.

Luckily, when he achieved the Zhongzi Golden Body and ascended to the heavenly level, his Primordial Spirit had undergone a qualitative change due to the stimulation of "electromagnetic pulse" and "Unity of Heaven and Man." It was not only ten times stronger than before he reached the heavenly level but had also become more condensed.

Now, Li Xuan could create eight or nine divided forms without worrying about their "alienation," which occurs when a divided spirit develops its own consciousness and becomes different from the original.

He had placed a divided form with both Xue Yunrou and Luo Yan, so he could not favor one over the other at Yu Hongshang’s front.

However, in the long term, it was still necessary to find a few reliable teachers for Yu Youlong.

Upon hearing this, Yu Hongshang’s eyebrows slightly lifted, her eyes showing delight, "That would be for the best."

She thought no tutorial from any Hanlin Academy teacher could compare with Youlong’s father accompanying him personally.

Moreover, she remembered how Prince Yi, Yu Jianshen, nearly died at the hands of the Wujing Boshi from the Hanlin Academy.

And thus, in the future, Youlong would also have people at his command—

"Let’s settle it this way then."

Li Xuan had already stood up, but as he thought to return Yu Youlong to Hongshang,

the child was clinging to his hand, absolutely refusing to let go.

Li Xuan thought for a moment, then chuckled, "Well then, it must be boring for this child to stay with you every day. Today, your Father Shang will take you out for a walk."

With that said, he lifted the child straight onto his own neck.

Yu Youlong’s perspective suddenly rose, and he couldn’t contain his joy, patting Li Xuan’s head with his small hands.

At the mention of "Father Shang," Yu Hongshang’s heart skipped a beat.

But she soon stood up, "It’s almost dark now, where do you plan to take him?"

Yu Hongshang had no concerns about Li Xuan, knowing that after Li Xuan stepped into the heavenly level, he was truly one of the grand masters of the age, on par with Shaofu Yu Jie.

Yet, with it now being dark, she was puzzled as to where Li Xuan planned to take the little emperor.

"To my Heavenly Court!" Li Xuan waved his hand, "Yurou has already finished refining the Kunpeng Warship, I’ll take him to see the Western scenes."

Yu Hongshang then eased her worries, a slight smile appearing on her lips.

At this point, she had already learned about Li Xuan’s plan to create a Heavenly Court, and her feelings about it were quite mixed.

Shock, surprise, joy, concern, and even a little resentment that Li Xuan had kept this secret from her.

However, Li Xuan’s Heavenly Court of Xuanhuang was indeed safer than inside the Forbidden City.

Yu Hongshang actually quite liked seeing the two of them together.

As Li Xuan carried the little emperor out of the Wenhua Palace, he happened to see Shaofu Yu Jie, Minister of Revenue Quan Dingtian, Minister of Personnel He Wenyuan, and Regent Minister Wang Wen and other officials entering together.

The moment they saw Li Xuan and the little emperor, their expressions instantly darkened.

Regent Minister Wang Wen immediately reprimanded, "Prince Fenyang, put His Majesty down at once, this is not the courtesy of a subject!"

"How is this not the courtesy of a subject when the sovereign is above the subject?"

Li Xuan first laughed heartily, then turned serious, "I am the Father Shang appointed by the late emperor, and today I am performing the duty of educating the emperor. If Elder Wang has any objections, he may discuss them with me in a few days."

He bowed to the officials with clasped hands, then carried away the equally giggling little emperor.

Wang Wen couldn’t help but stagger back, his long beard fluttering.

Minister of Personnel He Wenyuan, however, watched the fading figures of the two, deep in thought.

He wondered, why did the emperor’s features increasingly resemble those of Prince Fenyang?

Although filled with doubts, he had no choice but to suppress these thoughts.

But behind them, a puzzled Yuanwai from the Ministry of Personnel couldn’t help asking, "Esteemed ministers, don’t you find that the emperor’s facial features somewhat resemble those of Prince Fenyang?"

The present ministers then couldn’t help regarding this man with a sidelong glance, their eyes filled with a chilling intent.

Regent Minister Wang Wen’s expression was especially sinister, "Nonsense! Where is the Lishi? Someone drag him down and hand him over to the Xiuyiwei!"

What did it matter if the emperor’s appearance resembled that of Prince Fenyang?

The current emperor was the heir of the Jingtai Emperor, bearing the responsibility for the safety of the entire realm, absolutely unshakeable.

Wang Wen, who had received great favor from the late emperor, and although he followed Prince Xiang afterwards, was not only not punished by the Jingtai Emperor, but on his deathbed, the late emperor entrusted him with a crucial task—how could he allow any slight questioning of the emperor’s lineage now?