Chapter 100: Empress Xiaozhuang’s instructions: I am deeply reluctant to leave and I am deeply worried…

Xiu Yu poured some milk tea into the glass cup beside Xiaozhuang and said with a smile, "When you're in front of the emperor's concubines, you naturally have to act like an ancestor. When you're alone with Nanny Su and Yu'er, the situation will naturally be different."

"Why aren't you Xuanye's concubine anymore?" Xiaozhuang teased. "Being an ancestor is indeed respected, but it's also very tiring! As for me, I just want to be an old lady watering flowers and playing with birds. Do you like this old lady, Yu'er?"

"The old ancestor must have been a lovely girl when she was young. Yu'er likes her." Xiu Yu sat opposite Xiaozhuang and imagined what she looked like when she was young from her current appearance.

Empress Xiaozhuang asked Su Moer, "Is what Yu'er said true? Was your princess a lovely girl when she was young?"

Su Moer smiled and said, "My princess is cute, smart, clever, and beautiful!"

"Come on!" Xiaozhuang herself couldn't stand it any longer: "In front of the children, aren't you afraid that they will laugh at you?"

"What I said is the truth! Besides, Princess Yu is not an outsider, so of course she won't laugh at you." Su Moer was actually not used to calling Xiu Yu Concubine Yi, and she still felt that calling her Princess Yu was more intimate. Xiu Yu also thought so, so the two of them hit it off.

Xiu Yu naturally had to praise Su Moer and said, "Yuer thought that what Madam said was the truth."

Xiaozhuang smiled and shook her head. She picked up the glass cup and took a sip of milk tea. "Master Su Mo'er is doing a great job! Yu'er has inherited your true teachings. This milk tea has the flavor of the Khorchin grasslands. Yu'er, you and Xuanye went to Xiling. I'm sure Xuanye told you some things."

Xiu Yu hadn't expected the ancestor to mention her trip to Xiling, but she had nothing to hide from him: "The Emperor took Yu'er to pay homage to the late Emperor."

"He took you there to show off!" Xiaozhuang knew her grandson's temper very well.

Xiu Yu thought about what Xuanye said in front of Shunzhi's tablet, and agreed with Xiaozhuang's statement in her heart, but she couldn't show it.

Xiaozhuang continued, "My son was a failure. Fortunately, under my guidance, my grandson has turned out well. At least, as the emperor of the Qing Dynasty, my grandson is competent."

Xiu Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Actually, Yu'er thinks that the late emperor was also a good emperor. It's just that his fate was a bit unfortunate."

This was the first time that Xiaozhuang discussed her son with Xuanye's concubines. She was surprised by Xiuyu's evaluation of Shunzhi: "The late emperor issued an edict of self-criticism."

"Perhaps at that time, the edict had to be issued." Xiu Yu was not afraid of being blamed by her ancestors, and expressed her inner thoughts directly: "In fact, the unity of Manchus and Han is the foundation of long-term stability of the country. Whoever has ability should be given priority, rather than giving priority to Manchus or Han officials, in order to govern the world." After saying this, Xiu Yu lowered her eyelids. After all, the harem was not allowed to interfere in politics. This was a rule left by the ancestors, and she actually had to abide by it.

Xiaozhuang frowned as she looked at her grandson's concubine. She had always known that Xiu Yu was different from the other concubines beside Xuanye, but this difference was indeed too big.

"No wonder my grandson wants to stay with you." Xiaozhuang finally sighed: "The situation now is different from the beginning of the Qing Dynasty's entry into the Pass. When Fulin came to power, the Qing Dynasty had only been in the Pass for a very short time. In such a short period of time, promoting the unity of Manchus and Han, emphasizing Han officials and neglecting Manchu officials would have caused great dissatisfaction among Manchu officials. If Fulin could live longer..."

"Those policies might not have been impossible to implement," Xiu Yu said on behalf of Empress Xiaozhuang. "But the late emperor died young, and the emperor was still young at the time, needing the assistance of Manchu ministers. The late emperor cannot help but blame himself."

"Yes." Xiaozhuang felt that Xiuyu had spoken directly to her heart. "Fulin is indeed a good emperor." She was stunned for a moment, and after a long while, she smiled and said, "Forget it, let's not talk about this. What happened in the past is over. I think if Fulin could see the country under Xuanye's rule, he would be happy and feel that he had entrusted his trust to the wrong person."

Xiu Yu nodded.

"Yu'er..." Xiaozhuang stared at Xiuyu's sparkling eyes and said, "Xuanye was a pitiful child. When he was young, he didn't get the love and care of his father. When he grew up, his biological mother passed away. He was actually very miserable."

"Yu'er knows."

"So..." Xiaozhuang smiled and said, "I hope you can stay by his side forever. Although it's a rule passed down by our ancestors that the harem shouldn't interfere in government affairs, this rule has probably only been on the surface for thousands of years. You can be by Xuanye's side, so you can accompany him all the time, and if he makes any mistakes, you can also advise him."

"Grandfather." Xiu Yu did not expect that Xiaozhuang would give her such an explanation.

Xiaozhuang held Xiu Yude's hand and said, "I know you are a good child. Although Zi Fu is now the Imperial Noble Consort in the harem, the relationship between her and Xuanye is only that of cousin. I believe you are aware of this."

Xiu Yu nodded.

"So, the person who is closest to Xuanye is actually only you." Xiaozhuang looked into Xiu Yu's eyes steadily.

Xiu Yu lowered her eyelids and whispered, "In this harem, there are also Concubine Hui, Concubine De, and Concubine Rong... It's true, I'm not the only one."

Xiaozhuang looked at Xiu Yu with a hint of amusement in her eyes. "I thought Concubine Yi was a woman of modesty and didn't care about Xuanye's other concubines. Now it seems that you are also the kind of girl who cares. The fact that you care proves that you care about Xuanye, which is very good."

Xiu Yu blushed and didn't know what to say for a moment.

"At least in my opinion, the concubines beside Xuanye can be described as 'obedient', but you alone may not obey the emperor, but you understand him best and can help him the most. Am I right?"

Xiu Yu hesitated for a moment before saying, "Grandfather, no one can predict the future. But I can assure you that as long as the emperor needs me, I will stand by his side."

"Okay, it's great to be able to make such a promise." Xiaozhuang closed her eyes and said, "I'm a little tired. Yu'er, you should go back to Yikun Palace. I'll take a rest."

Xiu Yu glanced at Su Moer, and seeing that Nanny Su also signaled her to leave, she stood up, bowed, and walked out of the Cining Palace.

In fact, Xiaozhuang was not very tired. She asked Su Moer to help her into the warm room, and then leaned against the head of the bed, but asked Su Moer to sit beside her.

Su Moer laughed and said, "You just drove Yu Gege away like this. How will she explain to the Emperor when she returns?"

"There are some things I want to tell you, but it wouldn't be good if she heard them." Xiaozhuang pondered for a moment before speaking, "Yu'er is of the same generation as Xuanye, and even younger than him. There are some things that we, as elders, can say, but as a peer, she probably can't say them because of her status as an imperial concubine."

After all, Su Moer had followed Xiaozhuang for many years. As soon as Xiaozhuang said this, she was probably able to guess what the old ancestor meant.

"Are you talking about the throne?"

This time, Xiaozhuang was a little curious: "Not bad, smart and clever!"

"I am old enough to say this."

Xiaozhuang continued, "Since the founding of the Qing Dynasty, the succession of the throne has never been smooth. As for Xuanye, although he appointed Yinreng as the crown prince early on, I'm afraid he did it too early. Furthermore, Yinreng has an uncle like Soetu, and I can't predict what his future will be like. If he succeeds, that's great, but if he doesn't, there will inevitably be a struggle among the emperor's other sons, and even bloodshed."

"Princess..." Su Moer frowned: "You said this..."

"I know my own body very well." Xiaozhuang's eyes were calm: "Maybe I can hold on for another year or two? It won't be too long... But as long as you don't get stuck in a dead end, are willing to accompany the emperor, and are willing to continue to be the emperor's teacher, you can see the children under the emperor's knees grow up. At that time, when Xuanye may be the most vulnerable, you have to help him get through it!" Xiaozhuang said, holding Su Moer's hand tightly.

Su Moer's eyes were red. She sniffed and said with a smile: "Princess, you are talking nonsense. If the princess really passes away one day... then this servant..."

"Promise me." Xiaozhuang stared at Su Moer's eyes with burning eyes.

Su Moer hesitated to reply. After a while, she said, "I am the princess's servant. Wherever the princess goes, I will go. This is the oath I made to Changshengtian."

"Don't you want to listen to your princess anymore?" Empress Xiaozhuang displayed her masterly demeanor. "You do what I say. Isn't it always like this?"

"But this time, I won't listen to you." When Su Moer became stubborn, even ten cows couldn't pull her back.

Xiaozhuang shook her head and said, "You! The person your princess cares about most in this world is only Xuanye. I am entrusting the one I care about most to you. Please agree to it without hesitation, isn't it?"

"The Emperor is the most important person in the Princess' heart, but the Princess is the most important person in the servant's heart."

"I know everything." Xiaozhuang rolled her eyes at Su Moer. "I understand your emotions when you say this now. I just hope that when that day comes, you will remember my words. You are Xuanye's mentor and have the responsibility to support him on his journey."

***

Returning to the Yikun Palace, Xiu Yu knew that Empress Xiaozhuang hadn't sent her away for the reasons she'd claimed. Perhaps she was going to say something to Su Moer that she couldn't hear. Sitting in her study, she read, lost in thought, reflecting on Empress Xiaozhuang's life, which could almost be described as "tumultuous," with a mixture of envy and heartache. Putting herself in her own shoes, Xiu Yu wondered if she were Xuanye, and if her grandmother, who had accompanied her through the most difficult of times, were to pass away, she would likely be unable to make it for a long, long time.

It is said that what is said will come true. That night, Xuanye was awakened from his sleep by a young eunuch from the Cining Palace, who said that the ancestor had a sudden emergency.