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A half-smile isn't a very proper expression; even the most dignified face takes on a hint of mischief when it's done. Shujia was now using this expression on Hongdan, and Hongdan swallowed, pretending to be relaxed and at ease.

Hearing his mother ask him, "How come you have time to talk to me?" Hongdan answered earnestly, "My son is slow and dull. I just entered the Eastern Palace a few days ago, and things were not going well. Now that I have finally gotten the hang of things, how can I not serve my mother more?"

At this hour, your younger brothers and sisters are all doing their homework. Isn't it too obvious that you're doing this?

As a crown prince on the verge of adulthood, Hongdan's life was "full." By "full," he meant that if he slowed down even a little, he'd have endless work to do, forcing him to work overtime—and no one paid him for it. He wasn't married yet, nor was he acting as regent, so he had to attend classes. His father had high hopes for him, so he had to listen to government affairs. He also had his own staff, with whom he had to keep in touch daily.

Even so, he actually silently followed the saying "Time is like water in a sponge, as long as you squeeze it, there will always be some", and took time out to spend more time with his mother.

Yinreng's most deceptive move towards his son was to apply all his own past experiences to Hongdan, offering him the same high salary and generous care. He also learned from his own financial difficulties and gave his son pocket money. You say this isn't deceptive to his son? What about the workload and schedule?

Yinreng's mother died young (very young!), and after she was weaned, his wet nurses and nannies gradually disappeared from his sight, leaving him with few older women in his life. When Xiaozhuang was still alive, including the Empress Dowager, there were only two female elders he needed to see. He didn't have to pay his respects to them daily; he could just accompany Kangxi on his visits from time to time.

Of course, even the princes of the Qing Dynasty didn't get to see their mothers every day. But Yinreng was spared this formality. When others went to see their mothers, he was either studying hard, working hard, or trying to beat someone up (= =! It's understandable that he was in a bad mood and had privileges).

When Hongdan arrived, he was severely mistreated. When Kangxi was alive, he lived with him and saw less of his mother. Now that he was able to make his own decisions, he was overwhelmed by work. Every time he paid his respects, he had to squeeze in time by compromising on other tasks.

Now, his future wife was at stake. Even if he was calm, he had to show up and get the news, right? Although he had already chosen Hesheli, he still wanted to know his parents' opinion: he couldn't make the final decision on this matter. Besides, it was a well-known unspoken rule that the palace would see each other beforehand. Perhaps he could meet her by chance? Even if it wasn't a chance encounter, he was sure his mother would arrange for him to see her once or twice, so he would have to please her even more.

Shujia understood her son's feelings clearly. They'd all been there together, so what was there to not understand? Yin smiled and said, "It seems my son has really grown up and can do things, huh?"

Hong Dan smiled innocently, "It's my father who thinks highly of my son. The teachers taught well, and the Zhanshi Mansion was willing to put in the effort." He even shook Shujia's arm and said, "In the final analysis, it's my mother who gave birth to a good son~"

A child with a mother is like a treasure. How easy it is for him to act coquettishly with his mother!

"You know you're my son? You're still playing tricks on me even though you know that!"

"Son, isn't this Caiyiyuyi?"

The mother and son spoke fluently, which made the palace maids and eunuchs laugh.

Shujia finally relented: "If you behave well, I'll be happy."

Hongdan stood up, bowed deeply, and said with a certain operatic talent: "As ordered by the emperor."

Shujia chuckled, about to say something, but suddenly shut her mouth. She had originally planned to have He Yi's wife bring their daughter over before the Qianqiu Festival, as a sign of greeting. Then she'd let her son take a sneak peek and decide if they liked it or not.

Hongdan's wife selection was also full of twists and turns. Three years ago, during the grand selection process, countless people put their heart and soul into it. Unfortunately, an accident occurred, followed by the death of the previous emperor and the ascension of the new emperor. So many important events, but this one was completely overshadowed! This made Shujia feel quite sorry for her son.

She was also willing to let her son see it before getting married.

Just as she was about to tell her son to make time for it someday, she caught sight of Hongdan's companions. Shujia chose Hongdan's companions, some chosen by Shujia, others by Yinreng (he was imitating his father again). They were all reliable, and that very word "reliability" was the problem: each one had a straight face, like a door god, which reminded Shujia of her own negligence.

When we were young, our parents always wanted us to play with the kids who were good at studying. This was human nature, to encourage and motivate them, and it was the right thing to do. However, if you have never been exposed to the dark side, once you enter society, whether you can withstand it is another matter.

This was Shujia's current worry. Her son was going to be cunning and scheming, not a moral role model to inspire China. Furthermore, her son was getting married, and as a mother, no matter how reluctant she was, she couldn't interfere too much in his household affairs. If his daughter-in-law let him down, it would be a disaster. The appearance of those around Hongdan was comparable to that of a control group.

Shujia felt that she needed to have a good talk with Yinreng, so she suppressed her intention to let Hongdan peek, asked him a few more questions about his daily life, and then let him go.

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Yinreng's reform plan had not yet been launched, and his miserable life had not yet reached its peak. When he heard his wife say that they wanted to discuss their son's education, he immediately said that other things could be put aside and held a serious meeting with his wife to discuss the issue.

After hearing Shujia's concerns, Yinreng was also a little stunned. He really hadn't considered this point. He just wanted to prevent bad people from teaching his son bad things.

Only when you raise a child do you understand the kindness of your parents. When you raise your own child and place high hopes on him, Yinreng finally realizes how disgusting some of his actions and thoughts were to his father. He has a deep understanding of his rebellious behavior in his youth, and naturally uses it in educating his son.

The officials he selected for Hongdan were all "upright and strict" and had to be over 30 years old. What worried him most were the eunuchs and the concubines around Hongdan. Well, compared with his own youth, this worry was indeed justified.

So, Hahazhuzi and the guards picked strong men, like a moving iron tower, under the pretext of protecting the crown prince. Since there was a qualification system for eunuchs, if they were decent looking, they had to be older. The first batch of young eunuchs who followed Hongdan were now in their thirties, with wrinkles on their faces, not to mention veterans like Guo Chaoyong.

With the Eastern Palace's upgrade, many eunuchs and maids followed their former masters to move to the Qianqing Palace, Kunning Palace, or to the Maofei, Qianpin, and others. This left Hongdan with a lack of staff. Yinreng didn't offer any young eunuchs as replacements, but instead transferred Lü Yougong over, asking him and Guo Chaoyong to search the palace for a reliable eunuch with regular features and a common look to serve as Hongdan's assistant.

That's not all. Even after work, the old man constantly brainwashed his son: Don't surround yourself with good-looking people, because that makes you look frivolous. Just be good-looking. And if they tell you something fun, ignore them; it's completely boring. How many of the things you loved as a kid do you still like now? Even if you like them now, wait two months and look back, will you still like them?

Things you've already played with are really boring. Let me tell you, no matter how delicious something is, if you eat it one meal at a time, you'll end up wanting to vomit. That's how it is...

Thinking darkly about this father: Maybe he took too many cold showers, cough cough, you all understand.

After the initial surprise, Yinreng quickly recovered: "Don't think too much, my son is not that kind of child! I am just taking precautions. After getting married, he will naturally grow up. Don't you think He Yi's daughter is good?"

He is a believer in the saying "everything will become more sensible after getting married". Anyway, his life became much smoother after he got married.

"But we have to be on guard," this matter really depends on a person's character, "give him a few straight-faced servants."

This wasn't too much trouble. "You have to be of good character! Being suspicious is not like you. If you can't trust others, you should at least trust your own son."

"No matter how much older he gets, he's still a child in my eyes. How can I not worry about him? When he was learning to walk, you were always running around him, afraid he'd fall."

"Forget it, I can't convince you, so just worry about it." Well, go back and continue giving your son the ideological education lesson.

Shujia used another method.

Hongdan went to Kunning Palace frequently, and finally his mother asked his father to give him half an hour of "family bonding time" every day, mainly to his mother and sisters.

Wu Yunzhu is at a stage where she asks all sorts of bizarre questions, from "Why don't hens have combs?" to "Why aren't eggs black?" and so on. Hongdan has always been tired of dealing with her, and today, seeing his sister start to talk again, he was even more confused.

When Wu Yunzhu asked, "Why can't the king indulge in beauty?", Hongdan was so moved that he almost cried. He knew how to answer this question. As soon as he opened his mouth, his sister continued to ask, "Does the emperor have to like ugly people?" and looked at her brother with sympathy.

Hongdan: "..." Who taught this girl this? !

Shujia had been watching coldly, and now she asked Wu Yunzhu with a smile: "If you like someone, will you treat him well?"

Wu Yunzhu nodded.

"Will you give him what he wants? Will you give him your precious things?"

Wu Yunzhu thought for a moment and said, "I won't give my father, mother, brothers and sisters away."

Hongdan couldn't help laughing.

Shujia glanced at him and then said to her daughter gently, "Think about it, what does a king have? What is his most precious thing?"

Wu Yunzhu murmured, "The country? Who would give it away as a gift? How foolish!"

"Yes!" Hongdan almost jumped up. "Li Xian was going to give the country to Wei Xuanzhen! And that Emperor Ai of Han was going to give the world to Dong Xian!" He began to think divergently.

"Not only are you giving gifts openly, but you're also not allowed to do it covertly. If you like someone, you'll give him wealth and honor, and promote his relatives to higher positions. You were born as masters, and the same principle applies to your subordinates." Shujia slowly cited the example of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Yang Guozhong held over forty positions. Was it all due to his true abilities?

"Then I... will get close to good people in the future." Wu Yunzhu said her plan.

"An Lushan was also a good man in the eyes of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Yes, he was a good man before the rebellion." He touched his daughter's head kindly.

Hongdan's mind was a bit confused. He understood the whole thing, but no one had put it all together and explained it to him so clearly. The teachers weren't so direct in their teachings; his father was more inclined to teach from a direct perspective.

I could hear my mother's voice admonishing my sister again: "If you really like someone, don't let them get too high. 'Riding a tiger and unable to get off' is not a good situation."

Shujia sighed secretly.

At this time, the aristocratic families that are not related to the emperor by blood within five generations are almost extinct.

This refers to blood ties, not kinship. When Nurhaci first rose to power, he not only married women from various families in Mongolia and Manchuria, but also married off his own daughters, nieces, and granddaughters wholesale, mostly to capable assistants. These assistants, having served the emperor well, often became prominent families today. Crown Princesses, wives of princes, and wives of the various princes were often chosen from these families.

It’s a disaster for future generations!

In other words, Hesheli is more suitable, and Shujia chose her because she and Hongdan are not closely related. The two girls of the Guargiya clan are not bad, but Fei Yingdong married the daughter of Chu Ying, and his grandson married the daughter of Huang Taiji (this generation is confusing), so the relationship is a bit close.

The names Yinreng had listed were all those he thought were suitable. He had already decided on the general direction, and the main reference for the following opinions was Shujia, and perhaps Hongdan. It could be said that now that Shujia had chosen Hesheli, then Hesheli would almost certainly be the Crown Princess.

But before she could make the announcement, she had things to do.

The young lady from the Hesheli clan was only thirteen years old this year, and honestly, she had good character. If she were an ordinary daughter-in-law, she would be enough. But when applying for the position of Crown Princess, it was no longer the standard of a "virtuous wife and good mother." She had to have a broad perspective.

But this was the most difficult thing to test. Shujia could only assess her from the side glances and the whispers of many people. A thirteen-year-old girl, still raised in seclusion, was quite articulate. He Yizhi, while not from a small family, wasn't particularly outstanding.

It's like gambling. You can speculate on the other person's hand based on the quality of your own, and then choose to bet or not. Unless you cheat, you can only "guess" and can never guarantee absolute success.

Shujia had a secret: to deal with a woman, you must first control the man. This applies to both her husband and her son. She wasn't instigating her son to treat his wife badly, but she was also giving him a heads-up. If he made a mistake, Hongdan would be aware of the situation and avoid any negative impact on his political career.

At the same time, the son plays a crucial role in the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, so he needs to be clear-headed. Hesheli might not be unfilial, a grave sin she likely wouldn't commit. However, it's hard to say whether the new and old generations of maternal relatives will truly "cohere like one family." Their interactions also depend on how the emperor manages them.

Mothers-in-law are just that petty, and they can't change. Ordinary mothers-in-law might be fine, but in the royal family, they're called the Supreme, which means they're "extreme" and have no room for retreat. If your daughter-in-law's family doesn't get along with yours, even if you die, your whole family will be ruined.

It is better to deal with the villain first and the gentleman later than to end up with a mess.

Shujia suddenly understood why so many Empress Dowagers and Grand Empress Dowagers always preferred marrying their nieces and nephews to the Emperor. She completely understood! Her words weren't just directed at her future daughter-in-law; they also touched on her own family.

As the saying goes, "When water is full, it overflows; when the moon waxes, it wanes." I only hope that if my wife's family is capable, they will be promoted; if not, they will be set aside for honor. But I absolutely must not let her, due to the in-laws' prestige, be elevated to a position that is inappropriate for her abilities and reputation. That would not only delay her husband and son's affairs, but also bring disaster to her family. If there are capable people in my wife's family, we should let them go, without waiting for someone to drive them away and embarrass her. Um, I have to tell my brothers about this.

The mother and son were both lost in thought when someone from the Palace of Heavenly Purity came with a message: "The Emperor wants the Crown Prince to come over."

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When Hongdan arrived at the Palace of Heavenly Purity, he just smelled a hint of tension in the air as his left foot stepped over the threshold of the East Side Hall.

Yinreng was already fuming! Earlier, Galin and Zhang Boxing had been fighting, each claiming to be right. They had sent agents, but a month had passed without a clear-cut settlement. Qi Shiwu had been implicated, and Tuoheqi had been implicated as well. These two cases, unfolding simultaneously, had brought to the fore another major issue: the Manchu-Han conflict.

This was a serious matter, and Yinreng was furious: "Mu Helun can't even handle such a small matter! And Kuixu, what are you busy with?" Mu Helun was sent south to deal with the brawl between the governor and the governor-general, while Kuixu was brought in to try the Qi Shiwu case. Neither of them could easily come to a conclusion, and they were in a state of distress.

"How many Fidelity gifts are there, and how long will it take to be in mourning?"

Hongdan was stunned for a moment, then said, "It will be next year." Shi Wenbing died later than Kangxi.

Shi Wenzhuo was still in the court, and his two sons, Shi Litu and Shi Liha, had also entered the government. However, Shi Wenzhuo, in Yinreng's words, was "not prime minister-level", and at best he could only be a governor-general. His sons were still young and could not be used for major tasks for the time being.

Yinreng was silent for a while, then he pulled out Qi Shiwu's case and threw it to Hongdan: "What do you think?"

Hong Dan thought for a moment and said something completely unrelated: "It's a pity to send Zhao Shenqiao, such a talented person, to the Censorate."

The next day, Mr. Zhao received a transfer notice: he would be appointed Minister of Works. His position would be taken by Kuixu.

The author has something to say:

I have been thinking about a question recently: Why do I always want to update earlier, but it always takes me until after 11 o'clock to finish coding?

When I was at work, I imagined torturing the Second Emperor, and my heart was beating with pain...