She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 302 - 301 Mindset

Chapter 302: Chapter 301 Mindset

Hearing the Emperor’s question, both men quickly responded, and Han Yanyan replied, "With such beauty, it is no wonder His Highness Prince Yu likes it."

The Emperor glanced at them and smiled as he asked, "How about it? Was I not wrong? This garden is indeed exquisite and elegant, is it not?"

Yu Shijie nodded vigorously, praising, "This garden may seem delicate and bustling, but it achieves tranquility amidst the noise, further highlighting its elegance and leisureliness. His Highness Prince Yu’s garden is indeed something to look forward to; no wonder His Highness was eager to see this garden completed."

Han Yanyan added, "Nowadays, everyone who builds gardens emphasizes opulence and complexity, grandeur and luxury. Yet, the scenery depicted in this drawing completely embodies the concept of following the way of nature, which is rare."

The Emperor laughed and said, "I’m afraid once this garden is built, that boy will have something to say again. It’s not easy to build such a beautiful garden, he will surely want to enjoy and reside in it for some time, and then use it as an excuse to continue staying away from the capital. Coming up with so many things, he probably just dislikes the many restrictions of the capital city, preferring the freedom outside."

Yu Shijie smiled and said, "Sixth Master has a carefree nature and is impatient with many social obligations; it’s common for him to have such thoughts."

The Emperor looked at the large landscape painting and asked Han Yanyan, "I’ve heard that there’s been a lot of talk about that ’railway’ thing recently. It seems that it was also brought up by a minor official from Jinrong Residence?"

Han Yanyan replied with a smile, "Indeed, it came from a minor official in His Highness Prince Yu’s service. I was also curious about how such a minor official would take notice of construction tools, but after seeing His Highness’s courtyard, I understood. That ’railway’ was probably used by the construction workshop working on His Highness’s project—the official found it astonishing and thus spoke of it to his colleagues."

The Emperor nodded and said, "Whether in civilian construction or court-mandated construction, the use of new construction tools is a good thing. After hearing the rumors about that ’railway,’ I also made detailed inquiries. If it can be widely applied in the construction industry, it could save a lot of labor and time, and is worth promoting."

Within a few days, the news of His Highness Prince Yu’s garden construction at Prince Yu’s Other Mansion in Yuyuan Prefecture had spread. His Majesty the Emperor was also generous, and since several of his close subjects wanted to see what sort of profound conception the garden had, the Emperor simply had the garden drawings hung up, placed in the hall next to the Imperial Study Room used for discussions. Any official who wished to view them could do so without having to inquire among themselves, as if it was something very profound.

Those skilled in painting even replicated the beauty of the courtyard in their own artwork, and as a result, Prince Yu’s garden and his profound conceptions were widely praised by many.

Most people said that Prince Yu indeed had the free-spirited nature of an idle cloud or wild crane to create such a garden with that atmosphere. His Highness was unrestrained by nature, which was why he was impatient with the bustle of the capital, enjoying his escapades in the remote lands of Yuyuan Prefecture.

Seventh Prince, Prince Fu, Jinyi also looked at this landscape painting. In Prince Fu’s view, the garden was indeed beautiful, but it lacked spirit—full of concealments and circuitous paths, it showed a pettiness of taste with no place for bold and expansive gestures, not quite top-tier.

Jinyi mocked Sixth Brother’s garden in his royal residence’s study room, and his advisors joked, "There’s an old saying that a person’s preferences reveal the scope of their actions and nature. Seventh Master thinks this garden lacks spirit simply because Seventh Master himself is spirited and broad-minded, hence his dislike for the garden. For those who only seek personal comfort without any grand ambitions, this garden is indeed very nice, a good place for relaxation."

Prince Fu scoffed, "Obstacles fill the view, with no place offering a clear and thorough perspective. How could that settle one’s mind?"

The advisors laughed, "It all depends on the individual’s character. Isn’t it rumored that His Highness Prince Yu has a carefree nature, which is why he likes such a leisurely and gracefully winding scenery? Perhaps it is true."

Prince Fu smiled, did not pursue that line of conversation, and changed the subject.

When Prince Yu was in the capital, Prince Fu used to be quite at ease about him. After all, Prince Yu’s Royal Mother was of a low status, and Prince Yu himself was not dedicated to governmental affairs—he was not a hot candidate for the throne. But since Prince Yu left the capital, Prince Fu had started to feel uneasy. A prince out of sight, no matter how harmless, was still a great variable.

While this courtyard painting was an excuse for Prince Yu not to return to the capital, if the garden truly revealed Prince Yu’s mindset without his realizing, should Prince Fu ease the surveillance in Qingyuan County and focus his efforts on more important matters?

"The new-style cheese that Wan Yan brought back, did our residence manage to buy some?" Prince Fu asked.

"We bought some. The price is outrageously high for this ingredient, and it’s not sold in bulk, but rather in small chunks measuring half a foot in length and three inches in width. I had the young ones give it a try, and they all said it tastes bad," the advisor replied.