The game of officers and soldiers catching thieves tests people's analysis, judgment, sophistry and intelligence.
Jiang Changning discovered that several girls were eloquent, had excellent analytical skills, and their judgment was very accurate.
Then he quietly asked Emperor Xuanzhi, "Your Majesty, Miss Fang San, Miss Meng Er, Miss Zhang Wu, and Miss Lu Da all look pretty good. What do you think?"
"Not bad." Emperor Xuanzhi glanced at the girls critically.
"Do you know why I think they are good?" Jiang Changning asked with a smile.
"I guess they are quite smart." Emperor Xuanzhi said with a smile.
"As the saying goes: A clever mother gives birth to a clever child. I don't want my grandson to be a fool who doesn't want to eat meat in the future."
"Let them play games, just for this?"
"When the royal family selects a daughter-in-law, family background is not important, but moral character is important. But if she is too stupid, it will be difficult for her to be a mother-in-law. Even if I have the patience to teach my daughter-in-law like I teach my daughter, I may not be able to teach a stupid one to be smart. So why not pick a smart one in advance?"
"You make sense."
The couple talked in low voices as the girls played the third round of their game. In the first two rounds, the soldiers won once and the thieves won once.
Seeing that the girls were having great interest in the game, the boys also gathered around.
It is inconvenient for men and women to sit side by side and play together, so Jiang Changning thought of a new game for the teenagers: catching mice.
Jiang Changning simply explained the rules, "Everyone says together, catch mice, catch mice. The first person asks, how many did you catch? The second person answers how many did you catch. The third person can say whether he caught any or not."
"When someone says they have caught one, the people following behind him have to stand up according to the number the second person says. That's how many people have to stand up, and if they stand up in the wrong position, they will be punished."
"If the third person says he didn't catch any, then everyone will have to repeat the first step, catching mice, catching mice. The fourth person will ask how many they caught, and the fifth person will answer how many they caught, and so on. Do you understand?"
The boys said in unison: "Understood."
They started playing, and after watching for a while, Emperor Xuanzhi figured out the trick and asked with a smile, "How did you come up with this game? Although it's simple, it's also interesting and fun."
Jiang Changning smiled and said, "When you have nothing to do, you have to find something fun to pass the time."
"After the prince gets married and has children, I will take you out to travel around the country." Emperor Xuanzhi promised.
"Okay." Jiang Changning responded with a smile.
At the beginning of the third hour, the emperor and empress were about to return to the city, and everyone else followed them back to the city.
After that, Xiao Yuer still went out of the palace from time to time to play with Xia Xueer, and gradually became familiar with Xia Jingran. According to the report of the palace maid, the two were very much in love.
Emperor Xuanzhi sent people to keep an eye on Xia Jingran, while Jiang Changning asked people to inquire about his personality and character.
At the horse racing meeting, she also asked people to find out in detail about the girls that Jiang Changning had taken a fancy to.
Just when Jiang Changning was busy selecting a daughter-in-law and examining a son-in-law, news came that the prince had been assassinated.
Emperor Xuanzhi issued a gag order, and Jiang Changning, who was in the harem, did not know about this. Xiao Yuer went out of the palace and learned about this, and hurried back to the palace, "Mother, everyone outside is saying that something happened to the crown prince."
"What's wrong with your prince brother?" Jiang Changning slid the scissors in his hand and cut off a blooming flower.
"They said that the prince was assassinated and was seriously injured and unconscious." Xiao Yuer said.
Jiang Changning's face changed drastically and he stood up and ran out.
"Mother, where are you going?" Xiao Yuer asked anxiously.
Jiang Changning turned a deaf ear to him. She ran all the way to the outside of the imperial study and rushed in without caring about etiquette.
Emperor Xuanzhi was discussing matters with his ministers. When he saw Jiang Changning coming in breathlessly, he stood up and walked over to support her. "Don't worry, Queen. If you have something to say, please speak slowly."
"Your Majesty, how is the crown prince? Is he seriously injured?" There were tears in Jiang Changning's eyes.
“Really?”
"A king should never joke, and a husband should never joke." Emperor Xuanzhi held her hand, only to feel it was cold.
Jiang Changning looked at him and said, "I believe in your majesty."
"We'll discuss this matter tomorrow. All of you leave." Emperor Xuanzhi sent away several ministers and helped Jiang Changning into the inner hall.
Xiao Yuer followed Jiang Changning to the imperial study, but she was unable to enter as Chang Youzhong stopped her. "Princess, His Majesty is accompanying the Queen, so you can rest assured."
A few days later, the prince returned to the capital. He first reported to Emperor Xuanzhi what he had seen and heard in the southeastern prefectures and counties: "Thousands of miles of barren land with no crops, starving people everywhere, and people eating each other."
Speaking of corrupt officials, he was heartbroken, "They take salaries from the court but do nothing for the people."
"People are displaced, but they are reselling food from granaries at high prices for their own benefit."
"The official guarding the warehouse embezzled the grain and colluded with his superiors to exchange old grain for new grain."
Emperor Xuanzhi frowned, and after the crown prince finished telling the whole story, he asked, "They didn't do anything except corruption?"
"That's not the case. They also go out early and come back late, running around everywhere, settling the victims and distributing porridge and medicine." The prince said fairly.
"That said, they still have their merits."
The prince thought for a moment and said, "Although the flaws do not outweigh the merits, I think the main culprit should be executed to serve as a warning to others."
Emperor Xuanzhi smiled slightly, "Only eliminate the main culprit?"
"I also wanted to charge them all with corruption, put them in jail, and punish them according to the law, but I remember what my mother once said, 'If the water is too clear, there will be no fish.' If all these officials are arrested, there will be no one to work."
The smile on Emperor Xuanzhi's lips deepened a little, "You have done a good job in disaster relief. You have worked hard. Go see your mother. She has been thinking about you."
"Yes, I'll take my leave." The prince bowed respectfully and walked out.
Jiang Changning knew that the prince had returned, so he had been waiting eagerly in Qiyuan Palace. When he saw the familiar figure appear at the palace gate, he shouted, "Xiaoming, my son."
"Mother, your son is back." The prince took a few quick steps and came in front of Jiang Changning, ready to kneel down and salute.
Jiang Changning held him and said, "He has lost weight. My son has lost weight."
"My son is unfilial and has caused my mother to worry," said the prince.
"They said you were assassinated. Where are you injured? Let mother take a look." Jiang Changning pulled his collar with trembling hands.
"Your Majesty, please go into the palace and take a look." Xiulan reminded carefully.
Jiang Changning tugged at the prince's sleeve and said, "Let's go into the palace."
The prince was injured on his left shoulder, which was bandaged tightly. Jiang Changning couldn't see how big the wound was, and asked with distressed eyes: "Did you bleed a lot?"
"My son had a doctor by his side, and the bleeding stopped immediately. There wasn't much bleeding."
"My mother has had some blood-boosting medicinal food cooked. Would you like to have some?"
"Okay." The prince responded obediently.
After the prince finished eating the medicinal food, Jiang Changning asked him in detail about his experience along the way, and, "Did you catch the assassin?"
"They've been caught, they're a few refugees." The prince was afraid that Jiang Changning would worry, so he didn't tell him the inside story.
(End of this chapter)