Chapter 149: Fame and Slander
Xiu Yu had been in the Qing Dynasty for so many years, and had already accumulated a substantial fortune. However, she herself didn't care for money, which directly led to the children in the Yikun Palace also not liking money. Only the Ninth Prince cared about making money. As a result, the Yikun Palace generally believed that after making a fortune, the money should be spent; there was no point in keeping it.
As a result, during Xuanye's reign, Xiu Yu's name spread throughout the country, not only because of Concubine Yi's craftsmanship, but mainly because of the lavish money she had invested in building the temple. Although Xuanye appeared unhappy about this, he still felt that Xiu Yu had done the right thing.
"Back then, I thought I had only married a beloved girl into the palace, but I didn't expect that this beloved girl was so capable. Now, in the hearts of the people, your status is far higher than mine." Xuanye chatted with Xiu Yu while drinking tea.
Xiu Yu sat across from Xuan Ye, gently waving the round fan in his right hand. "After all, all the money Yu'er earns is used to benefit the people. If your people are safe, the court will naturally be safe too. Isn't that the truth?"
Xuanye nodded in agreement. "That's quite true. The people are safe, and the court is at peace." He sighed softly, "The court is at peace... I hope there aren't any undercurrents."
Xiu Yu paused waving her fan. She knew exactly what Xuanye was referring to. After a moment's thought, she said, "Your Majesty, everything depends on fate."
Xuanye looked at Xiuyu and smiled, "It's true that with so many temples built, the way we talk has changed."
"This has nothing to do with whether or not to build a temple." Xiu Yu raised his head slightly, his eyelids drooping slightly, and continued, "It's just that, Your Majesty, you feel that what happened to us is difficult to change no matter how hard we try. Even if those things lead to some bad consequences, even if you and I were given another chance, the choice would still not change. Therefore, all we can do is accept it and do our best in the present moment."
Xuanye thought about what Xiu Yu said, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly: "Yes, even if I were given another chance, everything would probably happen again, and the current situation would not change."
"So," Xiu Yu spread her hands. "Since it's going to be like this anyway, just accept it. We should face everything that happens with a peaceful mindset. It will eventually pass, and there will be an inevitable outcome that we can accept."
"Yes, right." Although Xuanye said this, his brows were still slightly furrowed. "There will be an ending that I can accept. I can't help but accept that ending."
Xuanye was the emperor, after all. As both emperor and father, he had to put the empire above all else. While his sons were close relatives, they were also, in a sense, tools for governing the empire. As a member of the royal family, he had no choice but to accept this status.
"Yu'er, do you think that the fifth and ninth brothers would feel that being my sons is not a good thing?" Thinking of this, Xuanye finally had such a question in his mind. He felt that he was a good emperor, but as a father, perhaps he was incompetent.
Xiu Yu waved her fan again, smiling sweetly, "I don't know what the other princes are thinking. But as for the Fifth and Ninth Princes..." She hesitated for a moment, then looked into Xuanye's eyes and said, "In their hearts, your status as father ranks before that of the Emperor."
Hearing Xiu Yu say this, Xuan Ye finally revealed a genuine smile: "I am very happy that Lao Jiu and the others think so."
Although Yinzhen had obtained Xuanye's permission to live outside the palace, he still had to enter the palace or go to Changchun Garden to pay his respects to Xuanye and Xiu Yu every once in a while. Of course, he could not avoid being tested by Xuanye to see if he had made any progress during his time outside.
On this day, when Yinzhen appeared in front of Xiuyu, he was injured again. It was not like last time, when he only had a minor injury on his arm, but this time his face was also injured.
While applying ointment to Yinzhen, Xiu Yu asked angrily, "Are you helping the poor and needy again? Which of the Eight Banners kids beat you up this time?"
Yinzhen hissed softly and forced a smile at Xiuyu: "This time, my son's skills are not good enough. Mother is right. My son still needs to practice his skills."
Xiu Yu clearly felt that Yinzhen was avoiding her questions. Since he was ‘avoiding’ her, there must be a reason. She picked up a wet handkerchief and wiped Yinzhen’s face. As he wiped his face, she said, “Do you feel that you have grown up? There are some things you can stop telling your mother?”
Yinzhen avoided Xiuyu's gaze, tugged at the wound, and hissed again, saying, "Fighting isn't very glorious after all, so there's nothing much to tell you."
"You felt so honored last time." Xiu Yu looked at Yinzhen with interest. "Why?" As he asked this question, a rather unreliable thought occurred to him: "It can't be for Mother, right?"
After all, he was still a child, so Yinzhen could say, "Mother, you haven't heard about it, have you?"
"What did I hear?" Xiu Yu thought her son was a little funny: "He is still young and can't stand being cheated!" As she said that, Xiu Yu touched the back of Yin'er's head.
Yinzhen was a little embarrassed: "Mother..."
"Go ahead." Xiu Yu sat down next to Yinzhen, "Did you hear someone say something about Mother?"
Yinzhen looked into his mother's eyes and said, "Mother, has Father ever praised you for being smart?"
Xiu Yu tapped Yin'er's forehead and said, "Don't be so slick, just speak!"
Yin'er's playful expression darkened immediately as he said, "They say you built so many temples just to gain a good reputation among the people and pave the way for your sons."
Hearing this, Xiu Yu laughed instead of getting angry. "You're going to fight someone just because of this? How immature!"
"Mother, they can criticize me, but they can't talk about you behind your back! Besides, this is pure slander and false accusation!" Yinzhen said, his teeth itching with anger.
Xiu Yu nodded as if in agreement, but she said, "It is indeed slander, but who in this world has not been slandered? Yinzhen, can you make your brothers and sisters like you?"
Yinzhen shook his head.
Xiu Yu continued, "So, my mother is a human, not a deity. Some people like her, and some don't. If we get angry at people who hate us, like you, and then come back with a bad reputation, wouldn't that be worth it? It's better to like those who like you, so that you can live a happy life."
Yinzhen pondered Xiuyu's words. Although he still didn't quite understand, he felt that what his mother said was indeed reasonable. "Then..."
"Then don't come back with a scar!" Xiu Yu glared at Yin'er with a distressed look: "Mother doesn't need you to protect her like this. It's more important to protect yourself."
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