At most, it's just a small venting of emotions, and at most, it's just causing a little trouble. It really can't affect the overall situation, which naturally means that we should just accept many things.

For the civil and military officials, they all knew that these things were beyond their control, so they could only accept them. For many women members of the imperial family, this was a time for them to weep and complain.

Many important court affairs were relatively distant to them, and they didn't seem to need to be particularly sensitive to them.

From the perspective of these imperial clan women, Beiping Prefecture was a harsh and cold place, nowhere near as prosperous as Jiangnan. Moreover, although the imperial clan had a special status, Yingtian Prefecture was still a secondary capital, so it was not unacceptable for the imperial clan to settle there.

If they were to cry and make a scene, they might just change the emperor's mind. Even if they were alienated by the emperor, it wouldn't matter much, since these members of the imperial family all knew their status. They didn't expect to have a greater say in the court, and they had no future in officialdom, so naturally they didn't care.

As long as they live their own lives well, that's enough for them; everything else is indeed superfluous.

As long as they don't cause too much trouble, it doesn't matter if the imperial family members are alienated by the emperor, as the emperor doesn't have much he can do about it.

So this meant that Empress Xu Miaoqing was quite busy. Many female members of the imperial family couldn't see Zhu Yunying, so they could only cry and complain to Empress Xu Miaoqing.

To be more realistic, it wouldn't be appropriate for princes and the like to cause trouble in front of Zhu Yunying. Let their wives and daughters cry and make a scene; that way, they wouldn't have to worry about losing face or being impeached by censors.

Thinking about it this way, it would be more appropriate for the women to cry and make a scene at this time. If they could actually stay in Yingtian Prefecture because of this, they would have made a huge profit, which would be the ultimate pursuit for some members of the imperial family.

Even though Xu Miaoqing was extremely troubled at this moment, she did indeed need to handle these matters properly. This was also the Empress's responsibility; appeasing these female members of the imperial family was what the Empress should do.

These matters naturally didn't require Zhu Yunying's concern. Empress Xu Miaoqing was able to handle them well; her position as Empress Dowager was not merely for show. Even though some of the female members of the imperial family were elders by seniority, many things couldn't be decided solely based on seniority.

Ultimately, it all comes down to national policy. So a little fuss is acceptable, but if things escalate into serious trouble, it will definitely backfire. Even if some of the women in the imperial family are short-sighted or even shrewish, they all know their limits.

Xu Miaoqing's life as a young wife hasn't been easy these past few years. In the early years when Emperor Zhu was on the throne, the harem was mostly filled with his concubines. Therefore, Xu Miaoqing often had to restrain herself and was not easy to manage.

Furthermore, there is the issue of seniority, which definitely needs to be considered. Zhu Yunying is the third generation of the Zhu family, with a large number of uncles and aunts ahead of him, all of whom are elders. This naturally means that some attention still needs to be paid to this.

Now that Zhu Yunying is gone, the palace is naturally dominated by Zhu Yunying and Xu Miaoqing.

At this time, it is perfectly legitimate to do something, and one can be more resolute in handling matters.

Lian Qiongqiong was also very happy to see Zhu Yunying. As for Zhu Ruyi, she was even happier to see Zhu Yunying.

"Father, quite a few people went to Mother's side to complain today," Zhu Ruyi said while serving tea and water to Zhu Yunying. "Only the little princess and the third aunt are helping out; the second aunt sits there like a clay statue, not saying a word."

Zhu Yunying was not surprised at all and said, "Your little princess has always been feisty since she was a child, and she has always listened to your father. Your third aunt and your third uncle are the same. Although they don't have their own ideas, they are obedient. Your second uncle and your second aunt are the same. They consider themselves to be well-read and reasonable. They speak the same way about everything, big or small."

"That's what Mother said too, or rather, that Third Uncle is closer." Zhu Ruyi immediately launched into a long explanation, "Second Uncle and Second Aunt are not close."

Lian Qiongqiong couldn't say anything. Zhu Yunwen was, after all, the emperor's younger brother, and there was a difference between him and Prince Xu, Zhu Yunwen. Sometimes, even if Zhu Yunwen wanted to get close to the emperor, he actually didn't dare to, and couldn't, get close to him.

Prince Xu, Zhu Yunwen, has had to be careful these past few years; he certainly needs to be mindful of certain things. As for Prince Wu, Zhu Yunwen, even if he's acting recklessly, he still enjoys the emperor's tolerance, something Prince Xu, Zhu Yunwen, certainly doesn't receive.

As for how Zhu Ruyi addressed Xu Miaoqing, he always called her "Empress Mother." Regardless of who was the father of Zhu Yunying's children, their nominal mother could only be Xu Miaoqing, and this was beyond doubt.

Zhu Yunying, holding Zhu Ruyi, said, "You should spend more time with your little princess and the others these days. They're going to Beiping Prefecture soon. With everyone going to Beiping Prefecture, we'll have fewer places to visit each other."

Zhu Ruyi seemed unconcerned and said, "My aunt also told my brother that the Princess's residence and the Prince of Wu's residence are right next to the Imperial City of Beiping. In a few days, we will also go to Beiping, and it will be just like it is now."

Hearing Zhu Ruyi say this, Zhu Yunying couldn't help but laugh, as if it really was true.

It might be a little hard to accept now, but the reality is that it's not actually that complicated.

Of course, this might just be how children think. They don't need to consider such complicated things right now because many things are quite simple. Children's world is indeed simpler, and they don't need to overthink things.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!