CH 7.2

Erotic art also had to depend on the technological explosion of the twenty-first century. Any type of category was there.

After turning over the spring paintings, Meng Huan was slightly bored from waiting, constantly picking at his hands.

Like a lonely rich young woman waiting for her husband to come home……

This kind of spring painting was a bit crude. Afraid Lin Bozhou could not understand the details and would mess up, Meng Huan looked around for a brush, wanting to draw a complete tutorial picture…..

But the moment the brush fell on the paper, Meng Huan scribbled it away.

What a shame.

How could you actively draw a tutorial for someone?

All right, Meng Huan could only continue to wait.

In ancient times, there were no lights and no light pollution. The darkness was pure black, and nothing could be seen, so people of ancient times went to bed earlier than modern people.

Probably for this reason, Meng Huan’s biological clock was advanced and he now began to feel sleepy.

“Hmm?!”

After a long time, the voices in the front room finally stopped.

“It’s late at night,” Lin Bozhou said. “Everyone can go back and rest.”

The people saluted.

Lin Bozhou said, “A few days ago, His Majesty gave a batch of good Sichuan brocade. This prince will ask his servants to cut some garments for everyone so that you can warm yourselves when the weather turns cold.”

The advisors and Qingke had no other job but to give Lin Bozhou ideas and make him happy for a living. The more luxurious Lin Bozhou lived, the better their lives would be.

Sichuan brocade was one of the three famous brocades, full of color blocks and good style, making the people wearing it appear rich and noble. The embodiment of honor was no more than clothing, food, housing, and transportation, and they were the most significant tokens of appreciation from Lin Bozhou to them.

The people cupped their hands happily. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Everyone dispersed. Meng Huan’s heartbeat suddenly intensified, and he stood up and waited for Lin Bozhou to come over.

Lin Bozhou asked again, “What time is it?”

“Zishi*.” Shan Xing looked at the hourglass.

*Zishi: 11 pm – 1 am (in the system of two-hour subdivisions used in ancient times.)

“Grind the ink.” Lin Bozhou said, dropping his eyes. “Send a letter to the Governor of Zhejiang.”

“Your Highness is still not resting?”

“I’ll sleep after writing this letter.”

Great Zhong had 13 provinces with vast areas, and the court affairs were piled like a mountain. Meanwhile, Lin Bozhou was doubtful and didn’t trust others, attending to everything personally. He would do everything alone and sometimes read hundreds of account books daily when busy.

Staying up late and working overtime was the norm, so he was unaware it was already late.

Lightly tapping his forehead, Lin Bozhou remembered something and looked sideways at the bed behind the screen.

From his position, he could not see Meng Huan’s movement.

“Is Madam asleep?”

Shan Xing: “I’m afraid so.”

Lin Bozhou hummed in reply. “Then let him sleep. You should also go down. You have things to do tomorrow.”

Meng Huan. “…………”

After waiting for so long, he only got a sentence and that was to let him sleep. He couldn’t tell if it was speechlessness or an outrageous mood that arose.

It was like waiting and queueing nervously for half a day for the test, and when it was his turn, someone said, “No need to take the test anymore.”

Meng Huan directly had a black question mark on his face.

…… As expected, is he still uninterested in me? Despicable. Meng Huan’s mood was so complicated that he punched the screen, creating a snap sound.

In the middle of the night, in an empty hall, the servants were sleeping against the door. Lin Bozhou dipped the brush in ink and moved his wrist, writing on the snow-white paper.

There was a snap.

When Lin Bozhou heard the sound, he saw Meng Huan standing behind the screen, looking at him with a complicated expression.

Lin Bozhou stopped writing. “Why are you not sleeping?”

“……”

Since he was discovered, Meng Huan took small steps to his side. “Your Highness, it will be dawn if you don’t sleep.”

Lin Bozhou was writing a confidential document. Seeing Meng Huan sit familiarly beside him, he narrowed his eyes and momentarily didn’t know whether he should tell him to retreat.

But the first thing that Meng Huan did was pick up a snack from Lin Bozhou’s table. “Can I eat?”

“Yes.”

Meng Huan took a bite of the snack. “Bean paste filling? Forget it. It’s not too bad.”

He quickly finished inhaling the piece like a glutton. He picked up another piece and handed it to Lin Bozhou. “Does Your Highness want to eat?”

“No.”

“Oh.” Meng Huan stuffed it into his mouth.

“……”

Lin Bozhou dropped his eyes, gripped his brush tightly, and felt the air was silent.

Meng Huan bit into the snack, unintentionally looked down, and saw the ink-brush, upright, and elegant handwriting on the table. He ended up staring fixedly at it.

—This was a letter from Lin Bozhou to the Governor of Zhejiang Province, asking him to allocate food to the Huanghuai regions. Nowadays, the court has fierce party disputes. Without his authorization, even if the top gave instructions, the people underneath would find a way to pass the buck.

Of course, many people would also simultaneously block his orders, so it would be better if fewer people saw the confidential letter to allocate grain before it was officially announced.

Meng Huan stared for too long.

The letter should have been read in its entirety by him.

The emotions in Lin Bozhou’s eyes gradually deepened.

Biting into the cake, Meng Huan finally spoke in awe. “This handwriting is so beautiful.”

Lin Bozhou: “?”

Meng Huan’s eyes shone brightly. “Is it written by Your Highness?”

It’s too strong, isn’t it? It’s too strong! Worthy of being taught by the crown prince’s teacher.

The people who supported Lin Bozhou’s father came from the Zhanshi Institue*. These crown prince’s teachers were among the top Confucian scholars the Imperial Hanlin Academy selected, each one was once a top scorer in the palace examination.

After Crown Prince Lin Luan was abolished from his position, the crown prince’s teachers were ostracized by the new crown prince and the emperor. They had to follow Lin Luan to the vassal state of Kuzhou. When Lin Bozhou was born, they worked hard to train him, using all their life’s learning, only hoping that Lin Bozhou would make something of himself.

So Lin Bozhou’s writing skills were quite profound. At the age of more than twenty years old, he could proudly brag about his writing with those scholars from the cabinet.

*Zhanshi Institute: one of the central institutions of the Ming and Qing dynasties, mainly engaged in the internal services of the emperor or prince.

It was better to see once than to hear a hundred times. Meng Huan stroked the handwriting on the white paper and said from the bottom of his heart, “Husband, you are also too awesome.”

“……”

Lin Bozhou closed his eyes and was silent.

Silence again.