Chapter Sixteen: The Model of the Prodigal Son's Return

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  Tomorrow is a rest day, Zhangsun Wuji has a one-day holiday, but it takes a lot of time to go back and forth from the suburbs, let alone this time with his wife, visiting their son who is studying agriculture in the suburbs, so they will have to stay overnight, so he needs to ask for another day off.

  Just as the morning court session was about to end, Zhangsun Wuji stepped forward and bowed his head, saying: "Your Majesty, I would like to request a one-day leave of absence to visit my son at our estate. Since one day is not enough, I also wish to request another day's leave."

  Li Er and all the officials who were preparing for the morning court stopped and curiously looked at Zhangsun Wuji.

  Cheng Yaojin smiled and said, "No wonder it's been quiet in Chang'an City, no one is fighting or quarreling. It turns out your son isn't in Chang'an City!"

  "Ah, yes, Assistant Brother, no wonder you haven't been seen redeeming people with money for so long..." Another tall and dark figure, Wu Dalang, put one hand on Cheng Yaojin's shoulder, looking like a good brother.

  "Farmhouse? Have you had enough of Chang'an's beauties and fallen for a country girl?" Another minister who was on good terms with Li Xian raised an eyebrow.

  Li Er, who was originally prepared to descend the next morning, rarely saw his courtiers joking around, and with a renewed interest, he sat back down on the dragon throne, watching with relish as the officials below him engaged in a war of words, one of his few pleasures.

  Cheng Yaojin made a lewd face, nodded and echoed: "Huh, what's wrong with the farm girl? She has a strong butt, one move can give Auxiliary Machine Brother two golden grandsons. We should go back and think carefully about what gift to give to Auxiliary Machine Brother's grandson!"

  Zhang Sun was so angry that his whole body was shaking with rage, Ah, the perils of making friends indiscriminately!

  Uncle Li Jing, with his majestic whiskers, saw that everyone was being a bit excessive and interrupted: "Gentlemen, don't talk nonsense. Children are bound to make mistakes. As the saying goes, 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder.' If young master Chun and his cousin have taken a liking to village girls, it's also a beautiful story. What's with all this coarse talk?"

  Chang Sun Wuji was so angry that he almost jumped up, originally not thinking of showing off, but these friends were too much to bear. He took out a poem from his pocket and said: "My son used to be reckless, but since the locust disaster saw the people displaced and grain unharvested, I wrote 'Du Nong' this poem some time ago. A few days ago, my son also made a good 'Tian Jia', and personally planted rice with the old farmers. Even if it wasn't successful, my son has already reformed and turned over a new leaf. From now on, if you brothers still say that my son is not good enough, I, Chang Sun Wuji, won't let it pass!"

  Li Er sat on the dragon chair, watching the group of officials below him argue and quarrel with a rather wicked gaze. However, as he saw his brother-in-law getting angry, he couldn't continue to watch the commotion and spoke out to stop them: "All of you, my dear officials, don't quarrel. My brother-in-law has already said it, a prodigal son will return home with gold that cannot be exchanged. As parents, which one of us doesn't hope for our own sons to become successful? Cheng Ai Qing, your five sons are what kind of people, I know all about them. Last time they even injured Chong Er; Wei Chi Ai Qing, those two foolish twin sons of yours aren't good birds either..."

  Everyone listened to Li Er's endless criticism of the ministers' sons who were not making a good impression, and they all despised him in their hearts: "Our family's son is not making a good impression, but your several sons are even worse! Last time, it was even rumored that Crown Prince Li Chengqian had stolen the palace maid's underwear..."

  After a while, seeing that no one was speaking below, Li Er saw the paper in Zhangsun Wuji's hand and remembered that this was a poem written by Changsun. To give his uncle some face, he said: "Uncle, since Chong'er has written good poetry, let's all take a look together."

  Chang Sun Wuji presented the poem in his hand, and Li Er opened it to take a look. Originally with an expression of watching a good show, after reading the poem, he looked melancholy and sighed: "Chonger is a good second son, a prodigal son returns!"

  Cheng Yaojin, who was picking his ear with his little finger, heard this and thought he had misheard. He took a few big strides up several steps, ran to Li Er's side, and before he could even wipe away the earwax on his little finger, he snatched the paper from Li Er's hand. After taking a look, his face froze, and he muttered: "Zhangsun Zhong is indeed a high talent!"

  At the thought of those useless sons at home, several of them rushed to Zhangsun Wuji's side and said: "Younger brother, teach me how to educate my children, I'm deeply grateful!"

  Cheng Yaojin thought to himself: if Changsun Chong, that scoundrel, can change for the better, it's unreasonable that his five brave and martial sons are always a bunch of rascals!

  Wei Chi Gong knew that Cheng Yaojin rarely showed deference to others, so the poem on the paper must be a thought-provoking and extraordinary masterpiece.

  Wei Gong also ran to Li Er's side to take a look, roughly made out a few large characters, and with great difficulty recognized the words on it. It was actually the first time he could understand such poetic sentences so easily, and they were thought-provoking. He asked, "Your Majesty, why not let me recite them for all the ministers?"

  Li Er's eyes were red-rimmed, and he nodded. As the ruler of a country, it was his shame that the people under him had no rice to cook, and their bellies were empty.

  "Nan Shan once planted beans, and the scattered pods fell in the wind and rain. With empty hands, a bundle of firewood was all he had to fill the cauldron." Yu Zong's voice was rich and full-bodied, though not loud, but it carried great weight, and the various ministers on the imperial court were shaken by it. The recent locust plague had left the civil and military officials in a state of anxiety, unable to rest or eat well.

  Changsun's poem vividly illustrates the hardships and hopelessness of the common people's lives.

  The crowd no longer had a playful heart, and one by one they fell silent.

  Li Er's mood was not good, and he forced himself to say: "Uncle, I grant you a day off, and you don't have to attend court tomorrow." He waved his hand, indicating the end of the court session, stood up, and walked out with a lean figure.

  Changsun Wuji felt proud and elated, but with the common people having no food to eat, he was also not happy in his heart.

  Cheng Yaojin followed behind Changsun Wujie and said: "Xie Xian younger brother, you haven't told me how to make my son, the prodigal son, turn back yet?"

  Not just Cheng Yaojin, but every family in the village wants to know how the prodigal son of the Zhang family has turned over a new leaf.

  Zhang Sun Wuji's face suddenly turned red with anger and he said, "Humph, you ask me? Do you think I'd tell you?"

  "Hehe, no need to be polite, I just saw the suffering of the common people and had a sympathetic heart, so I washed my heart and changed my ways." Zhangsun Wuji smiled and said, then quickly left. Today he finished handling the official business in his hands, and tomorrow he can rest easy.

  Wei Zhongjian saw Changsun Wujie leave and whispered in Cheng Yaojin's ear: "Do you believe it?"

  Cheng Yaojin didn't care where he was, spat on the pillar with dragon patterns beside him and said: "Believe that old fox? What a joke!"

  "Let's follow Zhang Sun's fox tomorrow and take a look!" Cheng Yaojin was so angry for the sake of his several sons at home that he jumped with rage all day, beating them once or twice a day, but those little rascals wouldn't listen to him, almost driving him mad.

  Wei Chong nodded and said: "Meet at the city gate tomorrow morning!"

  Cheng Yaojin and Wei Tuo's words, when heard by others, were very attractive. If the old demon Cheng regarded it so highly, there must be something good about it. Anyway, I had nothing to do tomorrow, so I would follow them the next day to see what was going on.

  Li Er returned to Empress Changsun's palace with a gloomy face, sat down on the chair and remained silent.

  "Why is Your Majesty unhappy?" asked Empress Changsun.

  Li Er held in his hand a poem written by Zhangsun Wuji and showed it to Empress Zhangsun.

  Empress Changsun was quite talented and emotional, the emperor read these poems and felt uncomfortable in his heart, it's normal that the common people can't eat enough food, it's the emperor's fault for being a king.

  "Who did this?" Empress Changsun asked softly.

  Li Er forced a bitter smile and said: "It was your nephew, Zhangsun Chong, who did it."

  "Chong Er?" Empress Zhangsun exclaimed, "He wrote 'Lament for the Peasants' before, and now he's written another poem, 'Farmhouse', with such simple yet profound words. Has Chong Er really changed his ways?"

  Li Er did not believe Zhangsun Chong, but he believed his elder cousin Zhangsun Wuji. He nodded and said: "I heard that Chong is now in the village learning to plant fields with some farmers."

  "Planting fields?" Empress Changsun exclaimed, was she talking about her nephew?

  Li nodded and said, "Indeed, I also want to follow tomorrow to take a look. What kind of life can make a prodigal son turn back and suddenly realize his mistakes? I enjoy luxury in the palace, but my people have no food or clothing. I want to go see them."