Chapter 414: Chapter 230: When Red Flags Fill the World, Our Steeds Shall Trample...
The Emperor would be even less inclined to execute someone as useful to the Court as Lu Yuan.
The Emperor and Lu Yuan waited in the pavilion for a long time, but there was still no sign of the eunuchs bringing the car Lu Yuan had mentioned.
The Emperor grew impatient, his rear sore from sitting. He stood up and said, "Come, accompany Us. Let’s see what this bunch of servants is up to. How dare they dawdle and try to fool Us."
The moment the Emperor rose, Lu Yuan was already on his feet.
A nearby Maid lifted the cloth curtain and draped a fur-lined cape over the Emperor’s shoulders.
The Emperor rubbed his hands together. Gazing at the desolate scenery of the Imperial Garden, he was suddenly inspired to recite a poem: "When a hundred flowers bloom, I do not. But if I were to bloom, all would be struck with terror. I will wage war against the western wind, my body clad in golden armor."
The imperial aura Emperor Gu Yuanzhang revealed at that moment made even Lu Yuan feel an inexplicable pressure. It wasn’t something he deliberately unleashed, but an air the Emperor naturally possessed.
’Truly worthy of the Emperor who founded the Divine Ling Empire starting with nothing but a begging bowl. He has the ambition to rule the world, and his Dragon Dao Fortune is incredibly abundant. Even I have no choice but to bow my head before him.’
The Emperor turned to Lu Yuan and asked, "What do you think of the poem I just improvised? Can you compose poetry yourself?"
’Well, well. The Emperor’s cultural refinement has certainly improved by leaps and bounds. He can even improvise poetry now.’
Lu Yuan felt a sense of helplessness. ’I went through nine years of compulsory education! Compared to the people here, I know everything from astronomy to geography. My knowledge is comprehensive.’
’Unfortunately, composing poetry wasn’t part of the curriculum.’
Lu Yuan first praised the Emperor’s poem, then admitted that composing poetry was not his strong suit.
The Emperor said, "No matter. Just try. Let me see if Lord Lu is truly worthy of being a Fourth Grade Prefect."
The Emperor had appointed Lu Yuan as a Prefect, a civil post, which was essentially an appointment that played to Lu Yuan’s weaknesses.
If he’d been given a random post in the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Industry, or even the Imperial Hospital, he could have handled it with ease. In the worst-case scenario, he still had *Shennong* and knew how to crossbreed plants.
Lu Yuan swallowed hard. ’He really knows how to put a person on the spot,’ he thought. ’What on earth should I say?’
’Raising my head, I gaze at the bright moon; lowering my head, I think of my homeland.’
’Boundless grasses over the plain, every year they wither and grow.’
’Hoeing grain at sunrise, my sweat drips to the soil below.’
...
Most of the verses that came to his mind were the simplest ones he’d learned in kindergarten. They were all good poems, but they utterly lacked the imposing presence of the one the Emperor had just recited.
Lu Yuan wracked his brain, but the only other thing he could remember wasn’t a masterpiece from a famous poet, but a bit of doggerel he was fond of.
Lu Yuan recited, "At the foot of Mount Fuji, we’ll raise the Han banner; beneath the cherry trees, we’ll drink with foreign beauties. When our red flags cover all the world, we’ll trample Tokyo on horseback to view the blossoms."
After hearing it, Emperor Gu Yuanzhang praised him, "Such spirit! But where are this Mount Fuji and Tokyo? How is it that I have never heard of them?"
Lu Yuan replied, "Your servant once read a book that described Mount Fuji as a tall mountain across the Eastern Sea. To the northeast of this mountain lies a city called Tokyo. The people there are said to have an inherently vicious and aggressive nature, and they constantly harass the surrounding nations."
"Oh, that sounds rather similar to the Little Wa Country—that is, East Japan—which is a vassal state of our Empire. I am also aware that they have a Red Fortune Mountain. Our ancestors once journeyed east across the sea to gather medicinal herbs there," the Emperor said.
Listening to Lu Yuan’s poem, the Emperor couldn’t help but see him in a new, more favorable light. ’A young man of only twenty already has his sights set on foreign lands. With ambition like that, if he is loyal to me, he will be well worth promoting.’
Although this wasn’t the modern era, as a transmigrator, Lu Yuan would gladly seize any chance to avenge the national grudges of his past life.
The Great Ming Dynasty was called the Divine Ling Empire, the Emperor’s surname was Gu instead of Zhu, and Mount Fuji was called Red Fortune Mountain.
In so many ways it was unlike the Ming Dynasty, and yet, in so many ways, it was exactly the same.
Lu Yuan ambled along behind the Emperor, all the way to the great plaza before the palace in the Imperial Capital. This was not the Training Ground from a few days prior.
"Look! That bunch of servants is over there!" The Emperor shielded his eyes with his right hand and peered into the distance.
Lu Yuan followed the Emperor’s gaze. A group of eunuchs was there, using seven or eight thick wooden logs to carry the car he had driven over.
The eunuchs didn’t know how to drive it, so why weren’t they pushing it? The reason, it turned out, was that Lu Yuan had engaged the handbrake, making it impossible to move.
So, the eunuchs had no choice but to find thick logs and inch the vehicle forward bit by bit.
"I’m getting old, and my eyes are starting to fail me. I can’t see clearly from here. Come! Help me over there. Let’s see what those servants are doing!" For the first time, Emperor Gu Yuanzhang grabbed Lu Yuan’s wrist, his grip like an elder leading a child by the hand.
Lu Yuan looked down at his right wrist, held fast by the Emperor, and felt a little overwhelmed. ’Is this still the high and mighty Emperor?’
The few Maids trailing behind them exchanged a glance before lowering their heads and following with small, quick steps.
The Emperor didn’t release Lu Yuan’s hand until he was right in front of the eunuchs. "What are you doing!" he barked. "Why are you so slow!"
Several eunuchs wiped the sweat from their brows, their faces etched with exhaustion and a sense of grievance.
The Chief Eunuch in charge of the group approached the Emperor. "Your Majesty," he said, "Lord Lu’s vehicle is simply too cumbersome. We can barely move it."
As the Emperor’s personal attendant for many years, this Chief Eunuch was the only one who dared to step forward and report the situation directly.
The Emperor turned to Lu Yuan. "You came here in this contraption? And it’s faster than a horse?"
Standing to one side, Lu Yuan bowed with his hands clasped. "Yes, Your Majesty. This vehicle requires Spirit Stones for power. It drives all four wheels, and on a flat, official road, it is indeed much faster than a horse."
The Emperor’s interest was piqued. "Show me, then. Show me how fast this thing can go. And you lot," he shouted at the eunuchs, "get those wretched logs out of the way!"
The Emperor’s words were directed at the eunuchs, who seemed completely clueless, still leaving the seven or eight thick logs under the vehicle.
Hearing this, the Chief Eunuch turned and personally helped the group of Little Eunuchs remove the logs.
Once the eunuchs had cleared the area, Lu Yuan asked, "Your Majesty, would you care to ride with me?"
"I was thinking the very same thing!"
Following Lu Yuan’s directions, the Emperor got into the passenger seat.
Then, Lu Yuan got into the driver’s seat.
"Oh?" the Emperor murmured from his seat, a questioning note in his voice, but he said nothing more.
Seated in the driver’s seat, Lu Yuan took the initiative to explain, "Your Majesty, this vehicle is just my personal transport, so it’s a bit cramped. Please, try it out and get a feel for it. If you like it, I plan to extend the vehicle and add two more seats in the back. Then it could carry two more people."
If he wasn’t mistaken, the Emperor felt that Lu Yuan was sitting on equal footing with him. Lu Yuan had spoken up proactively to dispel the Emperor’s suspicion and avoid being accused of gross disrespect.
Lu Yuan lightly pressed the accelerator, and the car began to move slowly across the vast plaza.
The Emperor found it miraculous. The vehicle moved without any person or animal pulling it, powered by nothing more than Spirit Stones.
"Can it go any faster?" the Emperor asked. At its current speed, it was still much slower than a galloping horse.
Lu Yuan replied, "Hold on tight. I’m about to speed up."
How could an emperor who had conquered the world on horseback possibly be frightened by a little speed?
Lu Yuan drove the Emperor around the plaza, lap after lap.
At first, a few eunuchs and Maids tried to keep up by running behind them. Soon, however, they couldn’t catch up even when sprinting at full tilt, so they gave up and gathered in a group, panting for breath.
News of Lu Yuan driving the Emperor in circles around the plaza quickly reached the inner court and the Eastern Palace.
Empress Ma arrived at the plaza with Gu Ziye in tow. Not long after, Crown Prince Gu Biao also appeared.
Crown Prince Gu Biao trotted to the Empress’s side. "Imperial Mother," he said, "I heard that Imperial Father and Lord Lu are driving in the plaza, so I came to have a look."
Gu Ziye took in the scene at the plaza and her brother’s words, then jumped for joy. "Mother, look! That’s Yuan~! What do you think? Isn’t he amazing?"
Empress Ma gazed into the distance, a fond, knowing smile on her face.
"Yue’Er, mind your manners! You must address her as Imperial Mother!" Crown Prince Gu Biao said, grabbing hold of his boisterous sister. "You’re eighteen years old, yet you still act so undignified."
"Brother, there are no outsiders here. Why be so formal!" Gu Ziye said with a pout.
Empress Ma said dotingly, "Biao’er, let Yue’Er have her fun. I haven’t seen her this happy in a long time."
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