The Emperor's Beloved: My Ancestor is the Crown Prince?

Chapter 45 Seeds and Intentions

Two days have passed since the last carefully prepared "ability test." Grandpa Li Minghua packed up the carefully selected agricultural policy encyclopedia, pushed it to the center of the desk, and tapped it with his knuckles.

"The information is complete, and the drawings are clear enough." The old man took off his reading glasses and rubbed his nose. "I also asked an old friend at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences to get some samples of the seeds. He said they were the closest to the ancient variety and were indeed high-yielding and resilient, and they've been processed."

Li Qingge was carefully wrapping the last few high-energy compressed biscuits in mulberry paper when she heard this and looked up: "Grandpa, where's the letter? The last part... about 'the way of the crown prince,' should we reconsider it? I'm afraid that if I'm too straightforward, it might make the crown prince suspicious."

Li Minghua pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "No need to change it. Just leave it as it is, write it under the title 'Random Thoughts on Reading Miscellaneous Histories of Overseas Regions.' Let it be concise and to the point. If he's a reasonable person, he'll understand; if he won't listen, no matter how tactfully we try to persuade him, it won't make a difference. This letter carries not only agricultural policies and seeds, but also our heartfelt sentiments."

The grandfather and granddaughter's gazes simultaneously turned to the living room. Little Qingyi was sitting on the carpet, intently grooming a teddy bear dressed in a miniature "Officer Judy" costume, muttering something to herself.

Li Qingge walked over and squatted down next to her younger sister: "Yiyi, are you ready? This time, the gift we're going to give is a little more than the one we tested last time. It's a 'treasure' that can really help Crown Prince Brother a lot."

Xiao Qingyi put down the teddy bear and looked at her brother with bright eyes: "Ready! Yiyi is strong!" She even raised her little arms and made a gesture to show off her muscles, although her arms were thin and white with only a little bit of flesh like steamed buns.

Li Qingge was amused by her, but his heart softened. He took out the items he had finally decided to send one by one: a sturdy bag made of gray cloth (containing about one and a half pounds of glistening rice, two small packets of precious seeds, and a few pieces of compressed dry food), several thick books, and that crucial reply letter.

"Yiyi, you don't need to carry them on your back or in your hands." Li Qingge pointed to the three items placed side by side on the carpet. "Just like we practiced before, sit next to them, close your eyes, and think: 'I need to bring all of these to the Crown Prince's study.' Concentrate on your thoughts. If you feel a bit dizzy or particularly tired, stop, okay?"

Xiao Qingyi nodded, touched the cloth bag with her little hand, then touched the thick booklet, and her little face became serious: "Yiyi understands. Remember to take them with you."

Li Minghua walked over, gathered the things together, and patted his granddaughter's head: "Sweetie, do what you can. It's okay if we can't get it over there, we'll think of another way."

Little Qingyi puffed out her little chest, looking confident. She stood by the table, closed her eyes, and rested her small hand lightly on the pile of things. She muttered softly, "A letter for Crown Prince... Mimi... Shushu..."

Li Qingge and her grandfather held their breath, staring intently without blinking.

At first, there was no movement. After a few seconds, Xiao Qingyi's brows furrowed slightly, and a tiny bead of sweat appeared on the tip of her nose. Then, the edges of the pile of things she was holding began to blur, as if she were looking at something through a layer of steam.

Then, the blurriness spread, affecting Xiao Qingyi herself, as if a watercolor painting had been blurred by water, its outlines becoming softer and more transparent. The cloth bag, booklet, and letter on the table also faded and became indistinct.

It lasted about five or six seconds? Maybe longer. Finally, the blurry image flickered, then burst like a soap bubble and vanished completely.

The desk was completely empty.

The room was so quiet that you could hear the faint hum of the air conditioner blowing air.

— Tang Dynasty

Li Chengqian hadn't slept soundly at all; his mind was a jumbled mess, and he woke up before dawn. Unable to shake off the unease in his heart, he simply got up and went to his study.

The study was dimly lit, with only the faint glow of a small candle flickering precariously. He reached for the door, about to push it open and turn on the lamp, when his hand suddenly stopped.

Not right.

There seems to be breathing inside? Very light, very even, like... the soft breathing of a sleeping child.

Li Chengqian's heart leaped into his throat. He gently pushed open a crack in the door and peered inside in the dim light.

This sight almost made him choke.

Beneath his large rosewood desk, in the innermost space, curled up a small, pale pink shadow. It was none other than Xiao Qingyi. She lay there on her side, her head resting on her arm, fast asleep, her small chest rising and falling gently. Her dress stood out conspicuously in the dim light.

That's not all. Right next to her, in the center of the desk, a pile of things appeared out of nowhere! A dusty, unfamiliar cloth bag, a thick booklet with several books underneath, and a letter, all sitting there quietly.

Li Chengqian stood at the door, stunned for several moments.

How did she get in?

This thing... really arrived? It just... came all the way here?

He composed himself and listened intently to the outside corridor. The palace guards on duty made no sound, probably still half asleep. Only then did he tiptoe inside, closing the door behind him but not locking it completely, lest he make a sound.

He first squatted down next to Xiao Qingyi. The little one's face was rosy from sleeping, and her forehead was a little damp with sweat, sticking to her head. He reached out and very gently checked her breath, then touched her little hand; it was warm, and he felt relieved. She looked tired; it must have taken a lot of effort to "bring" so many things over.

He then turned his gaze to the pile of things on the ground. His heart pounded in his chest, much faster than usual. He reached out and picked up the letter first. The four characters "Respectfully replied by Qingge" on the envelope made his fingers pause slightly.

He opened the letter and, by the flickering candlelight, eagerly began to read. Qingge's reply was direct and without much preamble. She first expressed the "shock" she felt upon receiving the letter, and then got to the point. What was in the bag? Rice was a common food in later generations; the seeds were somewhat special and worth trying to plant; the hard, dry food was for sustenance; and the thick booklet explained how to grow and store grains properly… each point was clearly written.

Upon seeing the phrases "crystal-clear glutinous rice, a common food in later generations" and "a small amount of exotic rice, which can be secretly tested in the fields," Li Chengqian subconsciously looked at the gray cloth bag. He untied the rope, reached inside, felt the small bag of rice, and took it out.

As he opened the bag, he saw it in the increasingly bright daylight. The rice grains were pure white, glistening, long and uniform, as if they had been molded from the same piece, dazzlingly clean. He pinched a few grains and rubbed them between his fingers; they were slippery. He brought them close to his nose and smelled only a faint, delicate aroma of rice.

What kind of fine rice hadn't he seen in his palace? Yet this small handful before him left him somewhat mesmerized. This was... what people a thousand years from now would normally eat?

He glanced again at the two small packets of seeds, the oil paper wrappings bearing simple drawings of seedlings and the words "drought-resistant" and "water-loving." There were also several pieces of "cake" that looked like they could break your teeth. Finally, he picked up the thick booklet. As soon as he opened it, he was captivated by the densely packed illustrations and text. It talked about composting, building cellars, how to manage the work and food of disaster victims, how to prevent disease… Many of the methods were unheard of, yet the illustrations and explanations seemed plausible.

He was so engrossed in reading that he was jolted awake by the first rooster crow in the distance outside the window, realizing he hadn't finished reading the letter. He quickly flipped to the end.

"...Furthermore, Qingge once read some overseas histories and came across a story about a distant country where the crown prince was young and wise, yet surrounded by treacherous officials who tempted him with extravagance or led him astray. The crown prince initially failed to see this and nearly fell into dire straits. Fortunately, he was of noble character and later realized his mistake, befriending virtuous officials and distancing himself from petty men, widely accepting advice, and especially emphasizing understanding the people's suffering, taking their well-being as his own responsibility. Ultimately, he was able to solidify his position, inherit the throne, and usher in a golden age. Whenever Qingge reads this, he closes the book and ponders deeply, feeling that for a ruler and crown prince, upholding integrity, discerning people, and being sincere towards the people are truly the unshakeable foundation for generations to come. These heartfelt words may be presumptuous, but they are born of blood ties, and my emotions are difficult to suppress. I hope you will forgive me."

This passage transforms a warning into "reflections on reading history," and turns concerns about Li Chengqian's future fate into an emphasis on the universal virtues of "a ruler and a crown prince," demonstrating considerable effort.

Li Chengqian stared at these lines of text for a long time.

"Surrounded by treacherous officials"... "Guided to extremes"...

Several faces flashed through his mind for no apparent reason, along with some sycophantic words he had heard before, and some inappropriate thoughts that occasionally popped into his head... The vague unease in his heart that he was reluctant to think about deeply seemed to be lightly touched by these few words of "miscellaneous overseas history".

This was more than just a reply. It was like... across an intangible thousand years, someone reached out a hand, not only offering some emergency food and remedies, but also gently pinching his arm to remind him: the road is slippery, watch your step.

Li Chengqian sat on the ground, motionless for a long time. The morning light grew brighter, squeezing in through the window and shining directly on the spread-out grains of rice, making each one glisten. He silently gathered the rice grains back into the cloth bag and tied it up. He then carefully gathered the seeds, dry rations, booklets, and letters, one by one.

Just then, she heard a rustling sound at her feet. Little Qingyi stirred, groggily opened her eyes, saw him, and mumbled, "Crown Prince Brother..."

"Hmm, you're awake?" Li Chengqian's voice softened unconsciously. "Why are you sleeping here? Are you cold?"

Xiao Qingyi rubbed her eyes, sat up, looked at the things in his hands, and a relieved smile appeared on her little face: "Yiyi brought the things... Brother said it can help Crown Prince Brother..." As she spoke, she yawned slightly, obviously not having had enough sleep yet.

"You've been a great help." Li Chengqian gently patted her back. The heaviness in his heart caused by political affairs and the future was somewhat diluted by the child's pure sleepiness and the relief of completing the task. "Are you exhausted? I'll have someone take you to the warm pavilion to sleep for a while, okay? I reckon Sister Sizi will be waking up soon."

"Hmm..." Xiao Qingyi nodded and naturally stretched out her little hand for him to hold.

Li Chengqian pulled her up, walked to the door, and quietly summoned a trusted eunuch, instructing him to quietly take Xiao Qingyi to the warm pavilion and settle her in, without making a sound. Watching the small bundle of pink being led away, he turned and returned to his study.

After closing the door, he walked to the bookshelf and skillfully moved aside a few rarely used books, revealing a hidden compartment behind them. He carefully placed the heavy "gift" from a thousand years in the future, along with the lamp he couldn't bear to give to his father and the self-moving massager, together.

After locking the secret compartment, he sat back down at his desk. Daylight had already broken, and he could clearly hear the sounds of palace servants sweeping and moving about outside. He spread out a new sheet of paper for submitting memorials, picked up his brush, and dipped it in ink.

The pen tip hovered over the paper, then paused.

The anxiety about the disaster in Henan was still there in my mind, but it didn't seem so chaotic and helpless anymore. The practical methods mentioned in Qingge's letter, the diagrams in that thick booklet, and the cool, smooth touch of that handful of future rice grains still lingering in my palm... all mixed together, forming an indescribable sense of confidence that slowly welled up from the bottom of my heart.

He took a breath, exerted force with his wrist, and made the first stroke.

What to write first, what to write later, how to deal with those penny-pinching old guys in the Ministry of Revenue, how to get the people in the Ministry of Works to actually dig the canals for the work-for-relief program... one by one, these ideas gradually took shape under the pen.

As Li Chengqian wrote, his brows, which had been furrowed unconsciously, relaxed a little on their own.

The candle on the desk finally went out with a "poof," leaving behind a wisp of smoke. The room was filled with the bright morning light.