Chapter 86 086 The Imperial Censor Xiao, who dared to refuse even the Emperor. ...
Emperor Xianping was quite imposing when he put on a stern face. The second prince dared not cry or make a fuss anymore, and the second princess, who was sitting next to her father, also obediently remained still.
The hall was deathly silent. Emperor Xianping glanced casually at Xiao Yu's wife, recognized her roughly, and then looked away. As for Consort Li's cousin-in-law standing on the other side, Emperor Xianping had never heard of her and had no interest in her. He only glanced at the boy she brought into the palace, who was about four or five years old. When he met his gaze, the boy shrank back and hid in his mother's arms. He was unremarkable.
After briefly observing the other people, Emperor Xianping finally looked at the person he truly wanted to see on this trip—Xiao Jiaman'er, whose nickname he remembered from birth.
Hongge'er was standing next to his mother. When the emperor looked at him, he looked back at him.
The boy's striking resemblance to Xiao Yu immediately made Emperor Xianping feel more at ease with him. He beckoned to the little fellow and said, "Come here, let me take a good look at you."
Upon hearing this, Hongge looked at the Second Prince warily.
The second prince, who had just been reprimanded by his father, couldn't bear to see other children receiving his father's smile, and glared fiercely at Hong-ge'er.
Hongge'er immediately shook his head at Emperor Xianping: "I'll just stand here. If I stand here, Your Majesty can still see me."
Emperor Xianping: "...Why are you unwilling to come to my side?"
Consort Li wanted to interject, but she was silenced by a single look from Emperor Xianping after she uttered "Your Majesty."
Hong Ge'er answered truthfully: "Just now, Consort Li tried to hug me, but the Second Prince pushed me, causing me to fall."
Luo Fu stood behind her son, silently keeping her eyes down. Even the Emperor forbade Consort Li to speak; as a noblewoman who was getting so close to the Emperor for the first time, she shouldn't presume to cover for the Second Prince, especially since she had no intention of helping him at all.
Emperor Xianping ordered his second son to apologize to Hongge'er.
The second prince dared not contradict his father, and angrily apologized to Hongge.
Hong Ge'er said in a serious tone, "Second Prince, you were wrong to push me. I was also wrong to be late and keep you waiting. Now we're even. Would you still like to play with me, Second Prince?"
Only Luo Fu, who was familiar with Xiao Yu, and Emperor Xianping could hear it clearly. Hong Ge'er's tone of reasoning was exactly the same as Xiao Yu's, only it was too childish.
Emperor Xianping glanced at Luo Fu subconsciously, and Luo Fu returned an awkward smile.
The second prince had no desire to play with Hong-ge'er, who had caused him to be punished by his father, and turned his head away, ignoring him.
Hong Ge'er was not disappointed and continued to observe Emperor Xianping, his big, dark eyes taking in the emperor from head to toe.
Emperor Xianping abandoned his own son, whom he found particularly irritating today, and beckoned Hongge'er to come to him, saying with a smile, "Few people dare to look me up like that. Aren't you afraid of me?"
Hongge'er: "Why should I be afraid of the Emperor? Will the Emperor push me too?"
Emperor Xianping: "...I will not push you, but didn't your father tell you that if you accidentally offend the Emperor, he might punish you."
Hongge'er: "I am very polite and will not offend the Emperor. My father also said that everyone makes mistakes, and we should give others a chance to correct them."
Emperor Xianping patiently inquired, "Is that so? Did someone make a mistake, and that's why he's telling you this?"
Hongge nodded, his eyes reddening as he recalled, "Grandfather killed my favorite butterfly. I cried, but he kept laughing at me. I was very angry and didn't want to eat with Grandfather anymore. That's when my father told me this story."
Emperor Xianping bit his lip just in time to avoid being amused by Hongge'er's adorable appearance: "So, after he said that, you immediately forgave your grandfather?"
Hongge shook his head, his eyes sparkling, and said, "Father called Grandfather over and made him apologize to me. After Grandfather apologized, he carried me to Wanhetang, and I forgave him."
Emperor Xianping looked at Luo Fu in surprise: "Lord Xiao listens to Xiao Yu's advice so much?"
Luo Fu suppressed a laugh and said, "Neither of them, father and son, would give in to the other, but as long as Xiao Yu can persuade my mother-in-law, my father-in-law will have no choice but to listen."
Emperor Xianping: "..." Father and son are indeed of the same ilk in their fear of their wives.
Afterwards, Emperor Xianping briefly tested Hongge'er's level of enlightenment. Hearing that Hongge'er could fluently recite most of the "Essentials for Elementary Education," Emperor Xianping secretly glanced at the Second Prince, who was lingering beside Consort Li.
"Who is the gentleman in the mansion?" Emperor Xianping asked Luo Fu.
Seeing that the new emperor seemed quite approachable, Luo Fu made a small joke: "Thanks to Your Majesty, Man'er is fortunate enough to have the Crown Prince's tutor personally tutor him."
Emperor Xianping, who rarely heard anyone make witty remarks to him, was taken aback before realizing who the Crown Prince's tutor Luo Fu was referring to was. He then laughed, finally understanding why the Empress and his sister both liked Lady Xiao Yu.
Busy with official duties, Emperor Xianping left after testing Hongge'er's knowledge.
Consort Li once again became the most honored person in the palace. She ordered the wet nurse to take away her two children. Consort Li, feeling listless, introduced Luo Fu to her cousin-in-law, Dou Shi, hoping that through the close relationship between Luo Fu and her cousin-in-law, Xiao Yu could form a good relationship with his uncle.
Consort Li had certainly heard of Xiao Yu's reputation for being fearless and upright in the face of powerful figures, but she had also heard of his protection and affection for Luo Fu. Since Luo Fu had won the Emperor's favor with her beauty, she believed that Luo Fu's influence would also allow Xiao Yu to say a few good words for his uncle in front of the Emperor, or at least not say anything unpleasant.
As soon as Dou made her gesture of goodwill, Luo Fu understood Consort Li's intention in summoning her to the palace. Sure enough, that night she whispered in Xiao Yu's ear, "Has that Lord Chen done something shameful? Is he afraid of being impeached by you in the future, so he's trying to win you over through Consort Li in advance?"
Xiao Yu recalled Chen Ruliang, whom he had met at the court assembly. Chen Ruliang was so honest and cautious that no high-ranking official dared to look him in the eye. Whether he was truly honest or a treacherous villain, Xiao Yu should not have taken the risk of trying to win him over. He guessed, "It was probably Consort Li who made the idea. She thought that the Emperor valued me and was afraid that I would follow Zuo Fan's example and oppose Minister Chen's entry into the Secretariat."
Speaking of Emperor Xianping, Luo Fu said with relief, "The Second Prince was disrespectful to the Empress, so the Emperor ordered all princes and princesses to restore the rule of paying their respects to each other morning and evening. The Second Prince pushed Man'er, and the Emperor also made him apologize to Man'er. He seems quite wise. I was worried before that he would favor Consort Li and neglect the Empress."
Since his wife was in a good mood, Xiao Yu didn't dampen her spirits. Even the most infamous tyrants in history had their moments of brilliance. Judging whether an emperor was wise or not couldn't be based on a single instance, a year, or even ten years of his life's words and deeds; it had to be based on his entire life's actions. For example, Xiao Yu could unhesitatingly praise the late emperor as a wise ruler, but the current emperor was in his prime, with a long reign ahead of him; praising or criticizing him was premature.
"Is Man'er hurt?" Xiao Yu was more concerned about her child.
Luo Fu: "Fortunately, the person was sitting on the ground and didn't hit their head."
If she actually kowtows, Luo Fu might not be able to suppress her anger in that instant.
Xiao Yu said nothing. He couldn't possibly impeach a three-year-old prince for such a trivial matter; that would be an abuse of the power of the censor.
The following day, Xiao Yu spent the entire morning teaching the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace.
The Crown Prince is eleven years old. He is intelligent, studious, and respectful of his teachers. Xiao Yu likes this kind of student. If it were his three nephews, Xiao Yu might have asked the Emperor to let him resign from his position as Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, and he wouldn't teach him no matter how much salary he was offered.
After a class ended, during the break, Xiao Yu took the Crown Prince to the courtyard to bask in the sun and relax their eyes by gazing into the distance.
The prince looked at the handsome, bamboo-like gentleman beside him, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Sir, there is something I don't understand."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu lowered his head to look at the young man: "What is it?"
Crown Prince: "...Yesterday evening, I heard my father mention that the teacher advised Marquis Xiao to apologize to Man'er. I don't understand why Marquis Xiao would kill the butterfly that Man'er likes."
What a cruel grandfather it must be to treat his three-year-old grandson like that!
Xiao Yu: "...The butterfly was flying among the flowers, and Man'er liked it very much. My father wanted to catch the butterfly to coax Man'er, but he did not control his strength well and accidentally caused a tragedy."
The prince was speechless and blushed with embarrassment at having asked his learned teacher such a foolish question.
After the two classes ended, Xiao Yu returned to his duty room in the East Palace to tidy up his desk. He was about to go to the Imperial Censorate's dining hall for lunch when Emperor Xianping suddenly sent an eunuch to invite him.
Xiao Yu then went to the Qianyuan Hall.
Emperor Xianping had already prepared the feast and said with a smile, "Yesterday, the Second Prince was disrespectful to your wife and son. Today, I apologize to Yuanzhi on his behalf."
Xiao Yu cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty is too kind. I dare not accept such praise."
It was just a joke. Emperor Xianping asked him to sit down and, while slowly eating, inquired about the Crown Prince's studies. As he expected, the Crown Prince was as studious as ever and did not require his attention. Emperor Xianping then praised Hongge'er again: "Yuanzhi has taught Man'er so well at the age of three. He is intelligent and knows how to behave properly. I admire you and am also very pleased that I have chosen such a good teacher for the Crown Prince."
Xiao Yuqian said, "Your Majesty flatters me. Man'er is doing well because he has a desire to learn. I just guided him accordingly. Similarly, the Crown Prince's exceptional talent is due to his innate intelligence. I dare not take credit for it. For example, my three nephews. When I was young and ignorant, I tried to teach them for my two elder brothers, but I was so annoyed by the three naughty children that I gave up after only three lessons."
Emperor Xianping felt a pang of sadness. The Crown Prince had learned well and was well-mannered. He had thought that half the credit belonged to him, the father who had devoted a lot of effort to his upbringing. This year, when the Second Prince reached the age where he could receive basic education, Emperor Xianping would personally teach him when he had time. However, the Second Prince could not recite his lessons well and his character also showed problems. Emperor Xianping then realized that teaching children was not as simple as he had thought.
"To be honest, Yuanzhi, I prefer Man'er's manners to his intelligence. After the New Year, the Second Prince will be entering the Imperial Academy. I intend to have Man'er accompany him in his studies. What do you think, Yuanzhi?"
It's infuriating that he gave the Second Prince the nickname "Xia" in the hopes of winning the hearts of the people of the Central Plains through benevolent governance. However, the Second Prince's arrogant and rude nature was just like that of a barbarian who had never learned etiquette. On the contrary, Hong Ge'er, whose nickname was "Man," had already shown the demeanor of a gentleman at a young age.
Facing Emperor Xianping's expectant gaze, Xiao Yu rose from his seat and said, "Forgive my frankness, but I dare not allow Man'er to enter the palace to be a tutor to any prince."
Emperor Xianping slowly put down his wine cup: "Are you afraid that the princes will bully Man'er? Don't worry, since I like Man'er, I will not let him suffer any grievances in the palace."
Xiao Yu: "No, I am afraid that one day I will be punished for my words and Man'er will be expelled from the palace. Rather than leaving the palace sooner or later, it is better to let him study at home from the beginning and be an ordinary son of a marquis."
Emperor Xianping narrowed his eyes slightly, and the smile on his face completely disappeared: "Punished for speaking out... Are you already prepared to offer your advice to me, or are you certain that I will make a mistake in the future and will not tolerate your honest but unpleasant words?"
He never even considered asking Xiao Yu about promoting Chen Ruliang, because Xiao Yu was definitely not the kind of person he wanted to hear.
Emperor Xianping knew that Chen Ruliang's political achievements were insufficient, but the Left Chancellor's prestige in the court was too great. Even the emperor had to listen to the Left Chancellor about when to establish the crown prince and who to appoint as the top scholar. Emperor Xianping had to promote a senior minister who was willing to serve him completely. Xiao Yu was indeed talented, but he was too upright and not the kind of person who could help him take power from the Left Chancellor.
Xiao Yu smiled bitterly and said, "At this moment, I have no advice to offer, nor can I be certain that Your Majesty will make a mistake in the future, much less can I guarantee that I myself will not make a mistake and offend Your Majesty. I have already been imprisoned in the Dali Temple twice, and my parents, my brother, and my wife are all prepared for the possibility that I may be imprisoned in the Dali Temple for the third time at any time. How can I feel at ease sending Man'er to the palace to accompany her studies?"
Seeing that he had no intention of opposing Chen Ruliang, Emperor Xianping felt much better and said in a gentler tone, "Fine, if you are unwilling, I will not force you. Sit down."
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Author's note: Our Imperial Censor Xiao is someone who can endure hardship but will never suffer injustice or be mistreated!
Haha, 100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow~
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