Therefore, he could only ask Zhao Yan about what the world outside was truly like. He had realized long ago that gaining power meant losing a portion of one's freedom. Compared to supreme power, this fraction of freedom was nothing, but at his age, it was inevitable to still feel curious about the outside world.
What was an everyday sight for Zhao Yan had become a distant luxury for the Crown Prince. Thinking it over, Zhao Yan found that there wasn't much he could actually tell; to him, most things were entirely ordinary. Yet the Crown Prince looked at him with such intense anticipation that if he failed to make his stories sound exciting, it would feel as though he were letting the boy down.
Having spent so many years in the Capital, Zhao Yan found that only special festivals left a deeper impression on him. He focused on describing the lively atmosphere of the New Year—families hanging couplets, setting off firecrackers, staying up late, and eating dumplings—as well as the festive joy of the Lantern Festival, complete with admiring lanterns, guessing lantern riddles, and dragon dances. The Crown Prince listened with extraordinary concentration.
Chapter 697