One person's wisdom was limited. Zi Shou needed to learn from those who came after him.
Among emperors who had earned a notorious reputation through their antics without losing their realms, Zhu Houzhao ranked near the top.
Zhu Houzhao loved freedom. Whenever he had a spare moment, he changed into ordinary clothes and slipped out of Beijing on horseback with a few attendants, heading straight for the frontier. Once he escaped through Juyong Pass, he would shout, "Freedom!"
He slipped out of the capital at the drop of a hat! What minister would consider a fellow like that a wise ruler?
If all the tricks played by Ming Dynasty emperors amounted to ten bushels, Zhu Houzhao alone accounted for eight.
This fellow made an excellent model. Besides his love of freedom, there was his construction of the Leopard House, and the time he hung lanterns, set the palace on fire, and told his ministers, "What a splendid display of fireworks!" All were well worth learning from.
All right, Zi Shou decided to taste freedom for himself first.
He had been in this world for over a year. He had ridden the Golden Dragon, a fake Phoenix, and a fox, but he had yet to experience the thrill of galloping on horseback.
Spending every day in Chaoge, lounging in the palace, he was practically growing mold.
A computer or phone would have made it tolerable, but the problem was that he had neither. Aside from the primitive method of advancing human society, entertainment was scarce.
Tonight, then!
Zi Shou decided that tonight he would enjoy freedom without the officials keeping him on a leash.
That night, Zi Shou woke Long Ji and had Yin Pobai muster the troops, then slipped away from the royal procession with the Royal Guards and Imperial