lcionline Chapter 105 Honghong became a child who died young.
Chapter 105 Honghong became a child who died young.
As soon as Wu Xiaosi entered the room, she slumped into a chair in a very casual posture, but the unintentional charm she exuded was so captivating that even her reflection in the bronze mirror couldn't take her eyes off her.
She grabbed a pastry from the table, took a bite, and her mouth moved like a grinder, mumbling indistinctly as she ate:
"Brother Zhinu, don't you think our little boy, Tuanzi Honghong, is exceptionally promising? Look at him, how outstanding he is! He's practically my life's medal! Back when he was born, my status skyrocketed, I was so proud!"
Emperor Gaozong, who was engrossed in flipping through memorials, twitched at the corner of his mouth as he listened. He glanced at her and casually replied, "Hmm, Honghong is quite promising. He's smart and sensible, and loves to study. He's truly destined to be the crown prince! Last time he was talking to me about the Book of Changes and the Eight Trigrams. He went on and on, and I was almost dumbfounded."
Wu Xiaosi, beaming with pride as if she were the one being praised, nodded while munching on a pastry: "Oh, of course! She's our precious little one! But speaking of which..."
She suddenly paused, then began to sigh with great emotion, "Sigh! You know, this child, born in 652, only lived to be 23... Oh dear, died so young, what a waste, what a waste!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Gaozong nearly threw his pen away: "Hey Wu Xiaosi, have you been eating too much salty and sweet food and your brain is all messed up? Our Honghong is perfectly fine right now! Don't curse your own child here!"
Wu Xiaosi was stunned by the retort, and the next second she slammed the pastries on the table:
“Brother Zhinu, I’m just lamenting the impermanence of life! But speaking of Honghong, I suddenly remembered the events of the first year of Longshuo. How old was he back then?”
Around ten years old? He actually managed to get those old scholars like Xu Jingzong and Shangguan Yi to work together on a huge book-editing project, and even produced "Yaoshan Yucai"!
Just listen to that name! It screams princely elegance!
Emperor Gaozong couldn't help but laugh and put down the memorial in his hand.
"That's true. I was so happy that I rewarded him with 30,000 bolts of silk."
The little guy is really clever; the articles he picked were not only well-written but also practical, showing considerable wisdom.
Wu Xiaosi leaned closer, propped her head up with her hand, blinked, and looked on with a gossipy expression:
"Look at him, didn't I tell you our Honghong is something special? Brother Zhinu, let me tell you, in a future parallel universe, could our little dumpling be able to directly accelerate the progress of civilization? Who knows!"
Emperor Gaozong was amused and reached out to poke her forehead.
"Stop being so sarcastic! You're getting a little carried away by motherhood. There's a limit to how much you can spoil your child."
Don't forget that kids also have a rebellious adolescence; after that, they won't be independent adults anymore.
Don't praise them so much that they're embarrassed to grow up.
Wu Xiaosi tossed his hair, his nostrils pointing skyward:
"Hmph, don't you understand? This is called teaching through praise and encouragement in parenting!"
"Brother Zhinu, if you ask me, you should learn from me. I could praise Honghong for three months straight without getting out of breath!"
Emperor Gaozong (suddenly looks up and sighs, throwing down the memorial in his hand, nearly hitting his own instep):
"Oh, don't even mention it! In 668, the first year of the Zongzhang era, our Honghong did something that shocked everyone."
He actually thought of posthumously granting official titles to the two sages, Yan Hui and Zeng Shen!
This quick thinking is truly admirable. What is meant by "cultural prince"? This is the "cultural prince"!
What were the posthumous titles? One was Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, and the other was Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince.
Can an ordinary child even imagine such a height?!
Wu Xiaosi (who was eating snacks with her legs crossed, almost choked after hearing this, quickly took a sip of tea to calm herself down, then squinted and covered her chest with a smug look):
"Of course! Then why are you sighing? Don't you know whose child this is? My little dumpling!"
He inherited my traits: keen insight, a clear understanding of things, and a strong artistic flair in everything he does!
Emperor Gaozong (giving her a slightly amused glare, picking up the memorial from the ground, and shaking his head with a smile):
"Come on! With your eagerness to steal credit, you don't even leave me a shred of room to maneuver."
However, when he was the crown prince, this child was indeed kind and virtuous, which is just like me. He can put himself in other people's shoes and think about them.
Do you remember how insightful his suggestions for reforming military law were?
Wu Xiaosi (pushed the plate of snacks aside, sat up straight, her eyes gleaming as if she were staring at a delicious dish).
Wu Xiaosi (with a "smack," pushed the plate of pastries aside, her movements swift and decisive, as if she were about to do something big. She sat up straight, her eyes shining, her face full of excitement, even the tea stains on her face exuding confidence):
What? Military law? Tell me quickly! I love hearing stories like this about "my son"!
He's our one and only precious little dumpling!
This time, I'll protect him. No one—not even the Ox-Head and Horse-Face demons, not even the Black and White Impermanence—will dare to lay a finger on him!
Emperor Gaozong (his lips twitched, he raised his hand to rub his temples, his eyes filled with complex emotions towards his wife):
Listen to this! Nothing's even happened yet, and you're already calling me "meatball" so smoothly? What, does Honghong taste better when stewed?
Wu Xiaosi (slams both hands on the table, her tone as excited as if she were holding a press conference for her own mother):
Hey, Your Majesty, you don't understand! This is Honghong's most valuable possession in the whole family.
Let alone stewing it to make it flavorful, it wouldn't be too much to enshrine it as a ghost emperor!
Is it easy to raise a boy these days? I have to keep a close eye on him!
Emperor Gaozong (with a helpless expression and a complicated look in his eyes, finally nodding resignedly):
"Alright, alright, whatever you say. Our Honghong is the 'meatball delicacy,' and I'm just here to serve the dish. Are you satisfied now?"
"But you're keeping such a close eye on him, if Honghong really does die before he turns 23, don't blame me!"