Chapter 51: If it weren't for the benevolent emperor, he wouldn't be able to deal with his women...
"Grandfather." As soon as Niu Hulu Yanlan opened her mouth, tears began to fall like a thread that had broken.
Seeing this, Su Moer quickly took out a handkerchief and wiped Nianhulu Yanlan's tears, saying, "You're going to be the Empress Dowager soon, so you shouldn't be so tearful. It's okay in front of the Grand Empress Dowager, but if other Empresses catch you, you'll lose your dignity as the future Empress!"
"Madam Su..." After Su Moer said this, Niu Hulu Yanlan suddenly laughed.
"Isn't it better if you smile?" Empress Xiaozhuang picked up her teacup and sipped. "Yanlan, being an empress is different from being a concubine. An empress stands by the emperor's side and is the mother of the country. Those beauties in the harem, once they enter the palace, are all the emperor's women, meant to carry on the royal family. You should be more open-minded."
Niuhulu Yanlan had been holding back her anger for a long time, and now, she burst into tears in front of Empress Xiaozhuang, ready to pour out all her grievances: "Grandma, it's not that Yanlan is not broad-minded. Just now, you saw Zifu's behavior..."
"Zi Fu is Xuanye's cousin!" Empress Xiaozhuang gestured for Su Moer to serve tea to Nianhulu Yanlan. "With this relationship, the relationship between her and the emperor is bound to be very different from yours. You have done all the duties of an empress, and Zi Fu is not unreasonable."
"But..." Niu Hulu Yanlan hesitated. She wanted to talk about Xiu Yu, but she didn't know how to say it.
Xiaozhuang was so astute that she knew exactly what was going on in Nianhulu Yanlan's mind without even having to think about it. "I'm afraid the one you really care about isn't Zifu, but the princess from the Guoluo family."
Niuhulu Yanlan steeled her resolve, rose, and knelt, saying, "Grandfather, since you say I am to be the mother of the nation, I will now venture to offer my advice. I believe that Guo Luoluo is a true slut, bringing disaster upon the emperor. She is truly unfit to remain in the harem. For the sake of the Emperor, I earnestly request that you personally issue an imperial decree to expel her from the palace!"
At that time, Empress Xiaozhuang was taking a sip of tea. When she heard her say that, she almost choked. Su Moer quickly stepped forward and gently massaged Empress Xiaozhuang's back.
Seeing this, Niuhulu Yanlan also stood up to help Xiaozhuang calm down.
After a while, Xiaozhuang finally recovered. She looked at Niuhulu Yanlan and asked, "Yanlan, am I a fool in your eyes?"
Niu Hulu Yanlan replied: "The old ancestor has a clear mind and a sharp vision, so he is naturally not confused."
"Since you know I'm not confused, you should also understand that I know that Guo Luoluo is now able to accompany the emperor. If she really is a vixen as you say, I would not let Xuanye keep her." Xiaozhuang was too lazy to see Nianhulu Yanlan crying in front of her, so she simply told her clearly: "Yanlan, you have to get rid of your inner demons yourself. If you always doubt yourself, be careful not to destroy yourself."
After Empress Xiaozhuang said this, Nianhulu Yanlan naturally could not continue speaking. She knelt down in dismay and left the Cining Palace.
"Princess, didn't you say something too harsh today?" After Nianhulu Yanlan left for a while, Su Moer started to discuss with Xiaozhuang.
Xiaozhuang sighed, "She really values Xuanye too much. Actually, it's not her fault. But then again, if a woman who is about to become the queen can't tolerate the favor of other concubines in the harem, how can she sit on the throne for long? I am also giving her a warning for her own good."
"I naturally understand what you mean," Su Moer sighed. "It's a pity that few of the ladies in the harem are as insightful as you. When they encounter problems and feel unhappy, the first person they think of is you."
"Ultimately, it's all Xuanye's fault." Xuanye was actually quite unhappy: "If he hadn't been unable to deal with those women, would I have to step in and solve the problem?"
"You are the Emperor's Madam, after all." Su Moer saw that the topic had turned to Xuanye, so she quickly tried to smooth things over: "No matter how old the Emperor is, he is still a child in front of you."
Empress Xiaozhuang glared at Su Moer and said, "You, just protect him! I just can't figure it out. In the previous dynasty, he used the balancing act very well. Why can't he handle the same thing in the harem?"
Su Moer smiled and said, "Don't say that the emperor can't handle it. Even you, don't you like Princess Yu more?"
Xiaozhuang glared at Su Moer. Of course, she couldn't say "yes", but deep down, she preferred Xiu Yu, who had nothing to do and could even cook for her, to Yan Lan. This was also human nature.
However, as the ancestor, as the first person in the palace, Xiaozhuang still said: "They are all the same."
"Yes! They are all the same!" Su Moer knew her own princess too well. When her own princess became stubborn, she was really stubborn. But you must never go against her and just go along with her.
Then Xiaozhuang continued, "It seems that the matter of Yanlan and the others moving to the palace should be put on the agenda as soon as possible. Those who need to be settled should be settled, and everyone should return to their respective positions. Everything should be put out in the open, so that Xuanye can also maintain balance."
Su Moer smiled and said, "Gege, if you say that, I'm going to feel sorry for the emperor again. He finally found someone he likes, and this 'balance'..."
"Su Moer, he's the emperor!" Empress Xiaozhuang emphasized the word 'emperor'. "Who among those concubines in his harem doesn't have ties to the previous dynasty? Just letting him do whatever he wants won't work. I know you've watched him grow up and can't bear to see him suffer even the slightest injustice, but don't be too protective of him."
Su Moer said, "You are the one who truly protects the Emperor! I, a servant, am at best a supporting role."
"Forget it!" Empress Xiaozhuang waved her hand. "Let him do whatever he wants. He's not a child anymore. He doesn't need me to plan everything for him anymore."
Su Moer said, "When the Emperor has no problems, you can just tend to your flowers. If the Emperor does have any problems, you will still come forward."
Xiaozhuang snorted, but really couldn't refute it.
There is never an impenetrable wall in the harem. While Xuanye was still reviewing memorials in the Qianqing Palace, news of what happened in the Cining Palace spread to him.
After all, Xuanye was an emperor who had experienced many ups and downs. He calmly reviewed the memorial in his hand and then said, "Liang Jiugong, what were you mumbling about just now? What happened to Mama?"
Liang Jiugong pondered for a moment and said, "Master, when the concubines in the harem went to pay their respects to the old ancestor today, they said that something unpleasant had happened. But the old ancestor is a nobody, so he had already dealt with it."
"Unhappy?" Xuanye raised his eyelids and glanced at Liang Jiugong: "Is it Yanlan?"
Liang Jiugong smiled and didn't say yes nor no. As a servant, he really shouldn't say anything bad about his master.
Xuanye smiled and said, "There's also my cousin. Yanlan likes to beat around the bush, while my cousin is more straightforward. If the two of them were to clash, I'm afraid my cousin would have the upper hand."
"Master is a wise judge." Liang Jiugong complimented Xuanye and added, "I also heard that the old ancestor seemed unhappy today."
"Oh?" Xuanye was a little confused. "The Queen Mother has always been kind to my cousins and treated them as juniors, never taking their words to heart. I really can't guess who said something to upset her. It shouldn't be my cousins?"
Liang Jiugong didn't dare to respond to this question. As a servant, he had to keep his tail between his legs and it would not be good to offend anyone.
"Look at you, such a coward! After all, I am your master. You are telling the truth, not lying." Xuanye lectured Liang Jiugong, but did not really embarrass him: "Forget it! I can guess without you saying anything. It must be Yanlan who said something unpleasant again, and implicated me." He did not expect Liang Jiugong to give him a correct answer. He stood up and prepared to go to Chengqian Palace. After hesitating for a moment, he finally stopped at the gate of Qianqing Palace: "Go and prepare gifts for the ladies in each palace. Say it is my thanks for the gifts they gave me for my birthday."
"Yes." Liang Jiugong bowed and answered, but he was thinking in his heart that his master was soft-hearted towards the concubines in the harem and would settle things peacefully if possible. Is this what they call 'a day of marriage is a hundred days of grace'?
When Xiaozhuang heard about Xuanye's gift-giving to the various palaces, she was watering her flowers in the greenhouse. She handed the watering can to a servant beside her and, with Su Moer's help, she returned to the warm room.
Su Moer wanted to laugh all the way but had to hold it back, which was so uncomfortable.
It was Empress Xiaozhuang who first scolded her grandson: "Tell me about this Xuanye, is he so soft-hearted? Does he think that by giving a few gifts, others will think that the emperor is so kind and should be grateful and restrained?"
Su Moer finally smiled: "Didn't the princess say that our emperor is kind and merciful? This is his greatest strength."
"It's his greatest strength, but also his greatest weakness!" Empress Xiaozhuang sighed, "Being too lenient can also lead to trouble."
Su Moer said, "I do think that the ladies in the harem will still be grateful to the emperor. At least you can have some peace and quiet here for a while."
"I don't know whether it's Xuanye's credit or mine." Xiaozhuang sighed, "Forget it. I'll be tolerant of him internally. As long as he's not indecisive externally, there's no need for me to say anything to him."
Liang Jiugong was a capable man. Having been in the palace for many years, he was well aware of the preferences of the various palace mistresses, and the gifts he arranged were all to the liking of the empresses. Once Xuanye's "soft" policy was implemented in the various palaces, Empress Xiaozhuang's ears were indeed quiet for a while.
By the Dragon Boat Festival, Niuhulu Yanlan had moved from Chengqian Palace to Kunning Palace, Tongjia Zifu moved into Chengqian Palace, and Xiuyu also received an imperial edict on the same day to move to Yiku Palace.
After all, it was a palace where he had lived for quite some time, and now that he was about to leave, Xiu Yu was still reluctant to do so.
"Master, please take a look to see if there is anything left behind." Xiao Tao was very curious about the Yikun Palace, so she quickly packed her bag with quick hands and feet.
Xiu Yu looked around and actually said, "If you leave something behind, can't you come back and get it?"
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