Many people saw this scene and gathered along the roadside, whispering among themselves as speculation flew.
"What's going on? With so many people, could His Majesty have bestowed something upon some minister?"
"But that's far too many gifts. And they look like calligraphy and paintings—I've never heard of His Majesty rewarding a minister with so many works at once."
"Strange! This truly is a strange affair!"
Because the commotion was so great, word soon reached the ears of the princes and high-ranking officials in the Capital City.
Prince Shu's Residence
While Eunuch Zhao and his party were still on the way, Prince Shu had already sent people to investigate everything. As a son, he quickly understood the Emperor's intentions.
Smiling, he said to the advisers seated below, "My Imperial Father is truly wise and farsighted—cunning. Marquis of Dai has always used the Thousand Blessings Painting as an excuse to associate with officials. Now that he has been awarded over a hundred calligraphy pieces and paintings, no matter what, the groundwork has been laid."
"Marquis of Dai has no excuse left now. I wonder how he will act?"
"What Your Highness says is true. Unless he truly stays obediently at home, then no matter how he acts, he will never escape the charge of hypocrisy." One adviser smiled and took up the thread. "But if Marquis of Dai truly has no ambition and is devoted wholeheartedly to filial piety... well, I certainly don't believe it."
They had paid close attention to Marquis of Dai's journey thus far. Judging by his previous actions, not a single one of them was something an honest man could have accomplished.
Prince Shu's brows and eyes were said to resemble the Emperor's when he was young, and for that reason he was greatly favored. At this