Chapter 146 The Emperor is also a human being
Xuanye was a very opinionated emperor, clear-eyed about everything, including the water in his hand. He wasn't too sure which side he favored, and how much he favored. As for Yinzhi, while he was undoubtedly the eldest son of the Qing Dynasty, Xuanye always viewed him as a tool of the Qing dynasty. Originally, he hoped Yinreng would sit on the throne, with Yinzhi supporting him, becoming a true general and a crown prince, each fulfilling their proper roles. However, fate, after all, does not always go as one wishes.
Yinzhi was indeed a skilled horseman, but despite being Mingzhu's nephew, his intelligence was far inferior to Mingzhu's. Of course, from a genetic perspective, Xuanye could only blame Concubine Hui for her poor genes. After all, his and Xiuyu's children were all very intelligent, and quite capable.
If a family has only one child, that child is generally treated like a treasure and loved. Unfortunately, in the Forbidden City, there are simply too many children. This directly leads to the fact that Xuanye, the father, has no shortage of children to inherit the throne, nor is there a shortage of children to become generals and fight on the battlefield.
Furthermore, the achievements of the Southern Suburbs were too numerous and too good. To whomever Xuanye wished to award the military merit was bestowed. If the man who had received the fruit was confused and still felt that he was the most outstanding, the most outstanding, the chosen one, then naturally he would not be able to receive a second fruit.
Thinking of this, Xuanye stopped turning the red pen with his hand. He had sent Yinreng away, and now Yinzhi could not stay either. He felt more or less regretful.
Yinzhi had already been on the rise when he suddenly received an imperial edict condemning several of his most egregious offenses, both before and after his military achievements. This effectively brought him down from the clouds to earth. The ministers of the previous dynasty were stunned, each wondering why the emperor, after his recent military achievements, had suppressed him without rewarding him. In a flash, the once bustling mansion of the eldest prince was deserted.
Xuanye, gazing out the window at the Changchun Garden while copying Wang Xizhi's calligraphy, had never felt so at ease. He had treated Yinzhi like a chicken, butchering him for his remaining sons and, of course, for the ministers of the previous dynasty. His swift action startled the court and the harem, leaving them momentarily stunned. That period of inaction was his greatest joy.
Xiu Yu was looking at the drawings that had just been sent by Nanjiao. In fact, all her apprentices had already learned it and there was no need for her, the master, to help. However, these drawings were still very useful to kill time when they were bored.
After copying a piece of calligraphy, Xuanye excitedly showed it to Xiuyu. "How is it? Is it somewhat similar?"
Xiu Yu put down the blueprint in his hand and looked at Xuanye's calligraphy carefully: "The flying dragon and phoenix style is probably not copied, it must be your own style."
Xuanye laughed out loud: "As expected of you, Yu'er."
Xiu Yu Yanran.
The moment the laughter stopped, the study suddenly became quiet. It really was quiet. Xiu Yu knew that Xuanye was not as calm as he appeared on the surface.
Sure enough, Xuanye slowly sat down opposite Xiu Yu, placed the calligraphy on the small table, clasped his hands together, and had no expression on his face.
Xiu Yu stood up, walked to Xuanye, and put her arms around him.
Xuanye leaned against Xiuyu gently, burying his head in her arms. "Yu'er, the peace I've had these days was bought by me at the cost of Yinzhi's future. Am I really not a good father?"
Xiu Yu gently stroked the back of Xuan Ye's head. "You said that you are both the father of the princes and the emperor of the Qing Dynasty. Is there bound to be a conflict..." Xiu Yu didn't actually have a clear answer to this question. Why was it that, faced with imperial power, the royal family's children inevitably fought each other, brothers slaughtering each other? Only the royal family, only the royal family, fought so fiercely.
"So, I'm not a good father." Xuanye defined himself this way. "I'm not a good father, but I still want to be a good father. People are really strange, aren't they?"
Xiu Yu didn't know what to say, she could only gently stroke the back of Xuanye's head to comfort him.
"In fact, when Yinreng left, I knew..." Xuanye continued, "In the future, perhaps in the near future, my children will inevitably face a bloody storm. At that time, perhaps it will not just be like Yinzhi's current situation, but with no future. At that time, it will truly be like a father is not a father, and a son is not a son."
Xiu Yu's heart tightened, it turned out that Xuanye had indeed thought of this a long time ago.
"But, this is the only way." Xuanye sighed, "Yinreng is a good crown prince, but God did not let him inherit the throne. I obeyed God's will and allowed Yinreng to live the life he wanted, but I knew that my life would be difficult in the future. Yu'er, I can get through it, I can definitely do it, right?" He raised his head and looked at Xiu Yu, the person he trusted most in the world now.
Xiu Yu had believed that emperors were resolute. But seeing Xuanye now, so helpless... her heart ached. "I will," she said softly, her words firm. "You are the Son of Heaven's chosen emperor. Everything is a test for you, including the selection of your successor."
"Yes, I am the Son of Heaven's chosen Emperor." Xuanye gradually calmed down. The invincible, decisive Emperor of the past returned, and his gaze became resolute again. "I must trust myself and every decision I make. Once I make a decision, there is absolutely no room for regret, and I will not be allowed to regret it." Xiu Yu felt relieved. "That's right. In fact, each of your decisions may only appear to be your own. In retrospect, there is probably only one way things can go. The second one is actually not feasible, and it may be worse than the final one."
Xuanye nodded slowly. "You're right. Every decision may seem like one of many options at the moment, but looking back, there may really be only one path to take. Or, in other words, only by choosing that path can we give the best explanation for the future."
"So..." Xiu Yu gently held Xuanye's hand: "Since it's decided, since it's already been done, don't regret it. What happens in the future is a matter of the future. After all, there will always be a way forward."
Xiu Yu's words were like a reassurance to Xuanye. From then on, whenever he made a decision, even when reviewing the situation, he would not think about what would have happened in the first place. After all, there is no such thing as "what if" in this world.
Of course, life in Changchun Garden was much more comfortable than living in the Forbidden City, after all, there were fewer rules. Furthermore, living in Changchun Garden effectively avoided seeing Xuanye's other concubines, effectively avoiding their sour remarks about "staying overnight." She admittedly wasn't a generous person, and she simply couldn't bring herself to push her man towards someone else.
Xuanye and Xiuyu's life was not entirely free. The battle against the Dzungars involved transporting artillery and men, and the treasury was drained of money. In the Forbidden City, if Xuanye wanted to recruit Xiuyu's expert assistance, he would have to avoid the imperial court and the imperial harem. In Changchun Garden, however, the situation was different. Xiuyu, the military advisor, was practically a bystander, and the two would not be separated unless there was something extremely special going on.
This time when looking at the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Household Department, in addition to Xuanye and Xiu Yu, there was another helper, the ninth prince Yinzhen.
"Father, has no one ever told you that you spend money like water?" After reading the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue, Yinzhen frowned tightly.
Xuanye tapped Yin'er's forehead with the handle of his fan: "I asked you to look at the accounts so that you can learn from your mother, not to tell your father stories!"
Yinzhen shrugged his shoulders, then scratched his head and looked at Xiuyu: "Mother, can't our silver be confiscated? Father's money is a bottomless pit."
Xiu Yu was amused by her ninth son's expression. "Money is earned to be spent. The money in the national treasury is taken from the people and used for the people. The money my mother earns is also taken from the people and will eventually be used for the people. It seems that there is nothing wrong with it."
Of course, Yin'er was joking. He wasn't a stingy guy; on the contrary, he was actually quite generous. "Then..." he asked tentatively, "Mother, how about we open up our source of income?" As he said this, Yin'er's eyes gleamed with anticipation that he might be able to make a difference.
Xiu Yu finally saw what his son was thinking and sat down, folding his arms. "Tell me, what weird ideas have you come up with while studying outside these days?"
"That's not a crooked idea," Yinzhen said seriously. "Didn't Father spend such a large sum of money to fill this hole? Mother, it's not impossible for you to do so, but it would be better for you to use the money of the ministers of the previous dynasty. From what I've seen and heard outside these days, the amount of money in the homes of some ministers may not be commensurate with their official positions. It would be a pity not to collect some of it and use it."
Yinzhen's words were actually from the perspective of filling the national treasury. However, to Xuanye, it certainly didn't sound like that. He had known the saying "When the water is too clear, there will be no fish" since he was a child. In fact, this is the same as the principle of preparing food before the troops move. Therefore, he turned a blind eye to the fact that the ministers of the previous dynasty accepted money. However, Yinzhen's suggestion at this moment was a wake-up call for him. It is true that "when the water is too clear, there will be no fish", but if it is too muddy, the fish will not survive.
Xuanye looked at Yinzhen with admiration in his eyes, and then turned to Xiuyu and said, "You are right. What Laojiu learned in your shops is probably hard to come by in the Forbidden City."
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