Before Dingxiang could finish speaking, Yuan Shen interrupted her.
"Are you talking about Meng Liang's family?"
Dingxiang nodded: "It's him! Your Majesty, my mother said that such a person is unreliable and not suitable to be a palace guard."
Yuan Shen smiled as he recalled Aunt Ding's warm-hearted manner.
“Your mother is absolutely right, he is no longer with the Imperial Guard.”
At this point, Yuan Shen paused, pondered for a moment, and then muttered to himself.
"However, I originally thought Meng Liang had no interest in Fang Hua, but I didn't expect..."
He had initially thought that since Meng Liang had saved the eldest princess, he should at least do her a favor. After all, the eldest princess herself had caused this trouble, and Meng Liang was an innocent victim.
Unexpectedly, the Meng family actually harbored thoughts of currying favor with them...
Yuan Shen sneered inwardly.
If that's the case, then so be it!
Yuan Shen was worried that marrying someone as foolish and short-sighted as Fanghua would bring misfortune to the other family. But now, there's no need to worry. The two of them are willing to give and receive; it's none of anyone else's business.
With a quick shift in his thoughts, Yuan Shen's gaze returned to normal.
Inside the main hall, Yuan Shen played with the two children, while Song Xibai went to the front hall to hand over matters to the others before immediately returning.
"The weather's nice today, how about we go for a walk?"
She walked into the inner room with a smile on her face.
Yuan Shen looked up and saw the bright sunlight falling on her, adding a faint golden glow to her purple palace dress.
He stared blankly for a few seconds.
When he came to his senses, Song Xibai was already standing in front of him.
"What's wrong? Why are you standing there so still? Are you going out or not?"
Yuan Shen grabbed her hand and hugged her.
Where do you want to go?
"Can we leave the palace? I've seen those places in the Imperial Garden countless times; they're really nothing new. It's spring now, the peach and apricot blossoms should be in bloom. How about we go to Longevity Hill?"
Song Xibai still remembers when he went to Wanshou Mountain last year, the peach and plum blossoms on the mountain were blooming exceptionally brightly.
"Going to Longevity Hill might be too late. How about we visit Bao'en Temple instead?"
Bao'en Temple is the largest temple in Beijing, with flourishing incense offerings and a constant stream of visitors, making it a very bustling place.
Song Xibai had visited Bao'en Temple when he was at home.
How should I put it?
It gave her a feeling of being in another world.
It felt like stepping back into a famous tourist attraction in modern times, where people were everywhere, and all you could see were the backs of their heads.
"Forget it, Bao'en Temple will definitely be packed with people at this time. His Majesty is of high status, and it wouldn't be good if he were recognized. If they clear the area, it would be even more troublesome."
Song Xibai shook her head, her eyes suddenly lighting up.
"How about we go to Wan'an Temple? Come to think of it, I've never been to Wan'an Temple before!"
Wan'an Temple is located in the city, in the east of the city, surrounded by the mansions of dukes and princes, making it difficult for ordinary people to enter.
Yuan Shen smiled and agreed, and immediately had someone make the arrangements.
Since they were traveling incognito, it wasn't good to bring too many people. After thinking for a moment, Song Xibai only called Wei Hong and Pan Chun, and also asked Wen Niang and Jin Nai Niang to pack some of the children's things to accompany them.
This was the second time the two children had gone out.
Song Xibai enthusiastically picked out things, and half an hour later, she followed Yuan Shen out of the palace gate and onto the carriage.
The carriage moved slowly eastward along the palace wall, passing through several main streets, and finally stopped in front of an ancient temple.
Song Xibai helped Yuan Shen down from the carriage.
As soon as she landed, a gentle breeze brushed against her face, ruffling Song Xibai's hair.
She raised her hand to brush her hair back, and just then, a few pink petals drifted by in the wind and landed right in her palm.
Song Xibai's eyes lit up slightly.
"Are these cherry blossoms?"
Although cherry blossoms and peach blossoms look very similar, you can still see some differences.
Yuan Shen took Zhao Jing, who was waving her arms and crying out, from the wet nurse and said at the same time.
"The cherry trees in this temple are over 500 years old."
Song Xibai tiptoed, trying to peek inside.
"Can mountain cherry blossoms really last that long?"
I thought only trees like ginkgo could live for hundreds or thousands of years!
While the two were chatting, the abbot of the temple had already received the news and hurriedly came out with his men to greet them.
"This humble monk pays his respects to the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine."
This abbot was somewhat unexpected for Song Xibai.
This was a fair-skinned, chubby middle-aged man who had no hair or beard, and a smile on his face that made him look like Maitreya Buddha.
Song Xibai blinked, politely put her hands together, and chanted a Buddhist prayer.
Yuan Shen, with a cold and dignified demeanor, waved his hand and gave the order.
"All of you, step back!"
In the end, only Master Fangjian stayed behind to lead the way and act as their guide.
Although Wan'an Temple is not as famous as Bao'en Temple now, Bao'en Temple is far superior in terms of its long history.
As Song Xibai and his entourage entered the temple, Master Fangjian began to speak eloquently.
This wall was built in which dynasty and when was it rebuilt; that pavilion was once inhabited by a famous person; and the couplets on the pillars were written by a great master.
Song Xibai listened intently, as did the others following behind him.
After they paid their respects to the Buddha statue, Master Fangjian led them to the back.
As soon as he turned the corner, Song Xibai saw an incredibly thick old tree.
The tree had numerous branches that stretched in all directions, with countless pink flowers blooming on the branches, like a pink cloud, dreamlike and enchanting.
Song Xibai heard the gasps of surprise from the crowd behind her.
The scenery is indeed breathtaking.
The group strolled around under the tree, and Song Xibai even had lunch moved to the tree.
After lunch, the two children yawned, and Song Xibai asked the wet nurse to take them away to rest, so she and Yuan Shen could enjoy some time alone together.
Yuan Shen waved for the others to step back and began to speak in a low voice about the Meng family.
Song Xibai was stunned.
"The Meng family has gone too far! What does Your Majesty intend to do?"
Yuan Shen stroked the newly grown stubble on his chin, and after pondering for a while, he finally spoke of his plans.
"I plan to disperse the Imperial Guards, initially dividing them into four guards, and then expanding them later. The current Imperial Guards are too numerous, a mixed bag, and of varying quality, making them difficult to trust. I will relocate those less capable individuals to one place and transfer them away from the palace."
Although Chen Si did a decent job as commander, he alone could not guarantee that the entire Imperial Guard would not encounter problems.
Song Xibai didn't understand why he suddenly said that, and after thinking about it, she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"You plan to let that guard surnamed Meng lead that ragtag guard?"
Yuan Shen nodded.
"Those old scholars in the court won't approve of reforming the Imperial Guards, so we need to feign one move while secretly making another. On the surface, we'll hand over the Imperial Guards to Meng Liang, but in reality, we'll distribute our trusted confidants to the other guards. By having him act as the scapegoat, we can save a lot of trouble."
"Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"
Song Xibai couldn't help but mutter to himself.
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