Who Cares

22

Chapter 22 Talented Woman

After Ye Zhen walked slowly into the palace, she was helped by Emperor Sheng Yuan before she could salute, and said warmly, “It’s a cold day, why you don’t stay in Ganquan Palace but come out instead? Be careful of catching cold.”

Ye Zhen waved her hand and was about to say a few words, but suddenly coughed, and her pale cheeks were stained with a layer of crimson, which looked really pitiful. Emperor Sheng Yuan hurriedly pulled her onto the couch and ordered Baifu to add another brazier. After coughing for a long time, Ye Zhen finally regained her breath, saw the box placed at his feet, and smiled, “Your Majesty, are you reading a book? The candlelight is dim at night, which is not good for your eyes. Why don’t this concubine help you read a few paragraphs.”

“Aren’t you afraid the candle light will hurt Zhen’s eyes, so are you not afraid of hurting your eyes? Besides, you’ve been coughing for a while, you should protect your throat.” Emperor Sheng Yuan took the cloak from Baifu’s hand, draped it over Ye Zhen’s shoulders, and put a heater into her arms.

Under the meticulous care of this person, Ye Zhen’s heart was as sweet as honey, and her voice became softer, “Your Majesty has been reviewing memorials all day, and his eyes are very tired. This concubine is lying down everyday, and it seems like a crippled person, so she should study and keep her mind active. Your majesty, don’t worry, if this concubines’s throat is uncomfortable, she will stop.”

Emperor Sheng Yuan felt sorry for her frail body and worried about her, felt it would be helpful to find something for her to do. So he handed over the ‘Bamboo Annals’ in his hand, “Well, just read these two pages. If you feel depressed and unhappy on weekdays, you can call your mother into the palace to talk, don’t just lie down and thinking about nothing.”

“Thank you Your Majesty for your compassion.” Ye Zhen smiled extremely sweetly. After receiving the book, she looked at it and said in surprise, “What kind of book is this? I have never heard of it before.”

“A history book, seems relatively obscure.” If Guan Suyi didn’t mention it, Emperor Sheng Yuan didn’t know that there was such a history book. If he wanted to study history, the Central Plains scholars around him would only recommend ‘Classic of History’ or ‘Records of Grand Historian’, as if these two books were the orthodox books.

“Why doesn’t Your Majesty read ‘Classic of History’?” Ye Zhen only mentioned it casually, and soon opened the pages of the book to read, “Yao’s last year, his virtue decline, and he was imprisoned by Shun…” After reading only a short paragraph, she shook her head and laughed, “Your Majesty, it’s no wonder that this history book is so obscure, it actually distorted history.”

“How do you know it distorted history? Who can tell the real history was?” Emperor Sheng Yuan asked in a deep voice.

“This is the first time that this concubine has seen such a comment in a history book. In the ancient times, resources were scarce and life was difficult. From the common people to the chief, they all had to slash and burn and drink blood to survive. What’s more, the chief also needs to set an example and take the lead, life was even more difficult. The harvested food and the prey were evenly distributed according to the population, and no one would have more or less. Therefore, the world only knows what is collectively owned, and not private, and so the system of renunciation came into being. The ‘Records of Grand Historian: The Chronicle of The Five Emperors’ stated: ‘The world’s virtuous virtue all began with Emperor Yu.’ This shows that in the ancient times, there were fewer disputes and practiced virtuous governance, and such a well-know thing through the ages was slandered into such an unbearable appearance, it’s really annoying and hateful.” Ye Zhen put down the book and sighed, “Your Majesty, the writing of historians are different from ordinary scholars. If there is a slight error or omission, they will kill the glorious years and the cognition of our ancestors for the future generations.”