The Crown Prince, under house arrest in the Eastern Palace, did not become despondent or degenerate; on the contrary, he was more diligent than ever before. Every day, he would start reading at dawn and continue throughout the day. In addition to reading during the day, he would copy Buddhist scriptures at night, transcribing them for the late Empress, the deceased former Emperor, the late Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and for Great Zhou.
The suggestion for the Crown Prince to read and copy Buddhist scriptures came from the Xie Family Patriarch. The patriarch was worried that the Crown Prince might react rashly and lose the Emperor's favor while being confined in the Eastern Palace. Thus, he provided this advice to keep the Crown Prince occupied, so his attention would be diverted away from the house arrest.
