Chapter 46: Grandfather's Grace, Grandson thanks the Royal Madam for her grace! ...
"Grandson believes that it is the Empress Dowager who has treated these flowers and plants so well that they will know how to repay her kindness." After entering the warm room, Xuanye first complimented Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and then bowed: "Grandson greets the Empress Dowager. May the Empress Dowager be blessed."
"Hey!" Xiaozhuang and Su Moer exchanged a glance, then said to Xuanye, "Xuanye, you came early today? Did you encounter any difficulties during the court session that you need Mama's help to solve?"
Xuanye stepped forward to support Xiaozhuang, and together they walked into the inner room. "The Imperial Madam has long praised my grandson for his talent in governing the country. I've been emperor for so long, so no matter how difficult the problem, I can handle it myself. There's no need for Madam to intervene."
"Look at him!" Xiaozhuang pointed her right index finger at Xuanye and said to Su Moer, "Does he look like a lunatic right now?"
"The Emperor is no idiot." Su Moer had watched Xuanye grow up, and could be considered his mentor. Naturally, she was protective of him. "Our Emperor, you see, has a lot of ambition and confidence in his abilities."
Xiaozhuang said casually, "You don't have to protect him. Don't you remember how he knelt before me and said, 'I don't want to be the emperor of the Qing Dynasty'?"
That was when Wu Sangui launched his rebellion. Xuanye's miscalculation nearly cost the Qing Dynasty its throne. It was probably the most embarrassing thing he had ever done. Hearing Madam mention it again, Xuanye felt a little embarrassed. "Madam, didn't you say that people always have to endure setbacks to grow up? Please forget about your grandson's scandal!"
Empress Xiaozhuang snorted, "You, once the wound heals, you forget the pain!"
"My grandson has learned from his mistakes and is constantly reminding himself not to become arrogant." Xuanye helped Xiaozhuang sit on the couch, then said with a playful smile, "The Empress Dowager is always thinking about teaching her grandson. What day is today? Does the Empress Dowager remember?"
Xiaozhuang gently poked Xuanye's forehead, then asked him to sit across from her. She said, "I thought you had a change of heart, coming to pay your respects to Mama right after the court session ended this morning. Turns out you had other plans!" After she finished speaking to Xuanye, she turned to Su Moer and said, "Our emperor has many tricks up his sleeve. You don't have to protect him all the time. Give him a few slaps from time to time, and that's the best way to make sure you're taking care of him."
Su Moer smiled and said, "Princess is right. I will remember this."
In front of Empress Xiaozhuang, Xuanye naturally acted like a child. Seeing that Mama never got to the point, he simply acted like a spoiled child and said, "Mama, you haven't really forgotten what day it is today, have you?"
Xiaozhuang stopped teasing her grandson and said with a smile, "Today, March 18th, is your birthday, grandson. Mama naturally remembers it."
This time Xuanye was really happy: "Since Mama remembers it, then I guess there is no need for me to ask Mama for a birthday gift. You must have already prepared it for me."
Seeing Xuanye acting like a spoiled child, Xiaozhuang couldn't help but want to tease this grandson who had been the emperor for many years and still treated her like a child: "Ma Ma, the most abundant thing here is flowers. From south to north, there is no shortage of all kinds. Xuanye, which one you like, feel free to take it. Ma Ma will allow you to do anything."
Xuanye's head was covered with three black lines, and his smile was not so natural: "Then let Mama pick a basin for grandson. The one Mama picks will naturally be the most suitable for grandson."
"Look at how reluctant you are." Empress Xiaozhuang gestured for Su Moer to bring over the scroll from the Treasure Pavilion. She unfolded it herself, but without showing Xuanye the contents, she simply said, "Ma Ma really didn't prepare any expensive gifts for you this year. But I think you'll like this gift, Xuanye."
Xuanye asked curiously, "Madam, didn't you prepare an ancient painting for your grandson?"
Xiaozhuang said, "If you want the ancient painting, your former ministers would have done whatever it took to get it to you. Why bother asking Mama to deliver it to you?" She looked at the scroll and added, "Xuanye, you're imitating Emperor Wu of Han and keeping a concubine in a golden house. Mama shouldn't have interfered, but this isn't a long-term solution. Now, all eyes in the harem are on your Xiu Yu. Have you ever thought about where to place her?"
Xuanye had never expected that on his birthday, the Empress Dowager would actually discuss Xiu Yu with him. "Right now, Yu'er hasn't been given a title yet. I think it's best for her to stay by my side."
Xiaozhuang stopped playing dumb with Xuanye and handed him the scroll, saying, "I've picked a place for your Xiuyu, the Yikun Palace. Do you think it's a good place?"
Xuanye looked at the three characters "Yikun Palace" written on the scroll, and for a moment he was at a loss for words. Ever since he met Xiuyu, he had been racking his brains over her title. He had indeed considered which of the six palaces should be her head, and the phrase "Yikun Palace" had even crossed his mind more than once. Unexpectedly, this time, the Empress Dowager had made the decision for him.
Empress Xiaozhuang continued, "Yanlan is going to live in Kunning Palace. Xiuyu, since you're willing to give in and give her a concubine position, Mama is happy to do her a favor. As for Yikun Palace, where Concubine Zheng lived before, is it to your liking?"
The Yikun Palace was the only one of the six eastern and western palaces, besides the Kunning Palace, to have the word "Kun" in its name. Even if one's rank was not high enough to be considered a empress, the emperor's favor was evident.
Xuanye slowly rolled up the scroll, looked at Xiaozhuang, and said with a smile, "Didn't Mama say that 'favor without honor' is the long-term path?"
"That's what I think." Empress Xiaozhuang picked up the teacup, took a sip, and then continued, "But you, what did you do when you returned to the palace from the southern suburbs? Yan Lan came to greet you with good intentions, but what did you do? You wished you could tell the world how much you loved Xiu Yu!"
"Madam, you are here again." Xuanye knew that his training as an emperor was far from enough, but in front of Xiaozhuang, he still tried his best to show his excellent side, hoping to get praise from the imperial madam.
Empress Xiaozhuang, of course, would not make things difficult for her grandson if she could, so she simply said, "Since you've already done what you did, there's no need to be afraid. In fact, according to Xiuyu's maternal family status, it would be in accordance with ancestral rules to have her start as a palace maid. But if I bring this up, my grandson, you will surely come to this Cining Palace every day to disturb my peace."
Xuanye said with a playful smile, "My grandson used to come to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager every day."
Empress Xiaozhuang snorted, "Let's go to the Yikun Palace! Mama made this decision for you. It's also your birthday present this year. Are you happy?"
Xuanye immediately stood up and bowed, saying, "Grandson thanks the Queen Mother for her grace!"
He knew full well that the Empress Dowager must have been deeply fond of Yu'er, which was why she had taken such great pains and resolved to place her in the Yikun Palace. While the Forbidden City was majestic and imposing, matters of the imperial court and harem rarely remained secret. He would undoubtedly have decreed Yu'er's placement in the Yikun Palace, making her the head of the imperial family. However, the truth that this idea came from the Grand Empress Dowager would eventually spread, and her support for Yu'er would become self-evident.
"You, when will you really grow up!" Xiaozhuang couldn't help complaining, "Why do you have to learn something else..." What she wanted to say was 'I have to learn from your father', but Fulin was a thorn in Xiaozhuang's heart, and her heart would ache even if his name was just mentioned.
At Su Moer's suggestion, Xuanye smiled and said, "My grandson will always be a child in front of the Royal Madam. I still have a lot to learn from her."
Su Moer nodded secretly to Xuanye, and Xuanye naturally gave Su Moer a naughty smile in return.
How could this little gesture of the "master and disciple" pair escape Xiaozhuang's eyes? However, she naturally knew their good intentions and understood them. "Xuanye, I think Xiuyu has already congratulated you on your birthday this morning?"
Xuanye was confused and nodded, "She prepared a gift for her grandson."
"Since you've already accepted her gift, and now you've excitedly come to the Cining Palace to ask your father for a gift, you should accept gifts from others as well," Empress Xiaozhuang coaxed. "Perhaps you understand what Mama means?"
This wasn't even a hint; it was almost an explicit statement. Xuanye knew there was no such thing as a free lunch. He smiled and said, "Madam, do you think it's better for me to accept Yanlan's gift first, or my cousin's gift first?"
"You can go and collect whoever you want, just kneel down and pay your respects." Xiaozhuang acted as if she was too lazy to talk to Xuanye anymore. Xuanye said angrily: "My grandson still wants to have dinner with Mama, and then..."
"What did you say just now?" Xiaozhuang's face darkened completely this time: "You are the emperor, not an ordinary child who can make jokes!"
Xuanye put down the scroll in his hand and said resignedly, "Then my grandson will be reviewing memorials in the Qing Palace this time. Ask Yanlan to have lunch with him at noon, and then go visit my cousin in the evening."
Xiaozhuang said "hmm" and waved her hand to let Xuanye go.
Su Moer looked at Xuanye's back and couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty seems quite pitiful to me."
"He keeps pushing his limits, and you're still backing him up!" Empress Xiaozhuang stood up again, preparing to pick up her flowers. "If I don't keep him under control, who knows what ridiculous things he'll do."
Su Moer smiled and said, "Princess, you actually dote on the Emperor. You just have a hard mouth but a soft heart."
"Balance was more effective in the previous dynasty, but this harem..." Xiaozhuang sighed, "It's always been difficult to maintain balance. Actually, it's not Xuanye's fault. Seeing Yanlan gives me a headache."
Su Moer handed the scissors to Xiaozhuang and said, "You still like Yu Gege more."
While pruning the flowers, Empress Xiaozhuang said, "We are not from an ordinary family! I admit that Xiu Yu is a good person, but I can't just close my eyes and not look at Yan Lan and the others. Before entering the palace, each of them was a daughter of a wealthy family, but once they entered the harem..." She didn't say anything else, just shook her head.
Su Moer smiled and said, "Gege is right. Before you married Emperor Taizong, you were also a treasure on our Khorchin grassland."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
