仪元殿金碧辉煌，无一不彰显着精致与大气，淡淡的龙涎香，夹杂着清越的竹香，幽幽传来，让人情不自禁地心神安定。
高大的御案之前，四个小萝卜头排排站，稚嫩的小脸努力的摆出严肃的表情，可惜并未达到预料的效果，只让人觉得好笑。
These four children are all princes left behind by Helan Wuyou, while the two princesses are still fast asleep in their swaddling clothes! Although she has transmigrated into Helan Wuyou's body, Wuyou's essential soul is still female, which means that these six children are her only remaining offspring.
In his past life, Helan Wuyou doted on Chu Baiwei, causing this woman to ruin all his children. Looking across the entire harem, only Chu Baiwei truly loved him, leaving only his children behind—a testament to this woman's ruthlessness.
She must not let that situation happen again in this life. She must raise these six children, find them a good home, and ensure the continuation of this country.
The eldest prince, Helan Ji, is eight years old this year; the second prince, Helan Xiang, is seven; the third prince, Helan Ru, is five; and the fourth prince, Helan Yi, is five. They were all born to low-ranking concubines and were not highly regarded. It was the first time that the eldest daughters of the imperial family had been summoned by their father in a sedan chair.
The four children looked timidly at Wuyou, their shoulders hunched, not daring to utter a word. Indeed, Helan Wuyou was far too unfamiliar to them; they only met him on formal occasions, which involuntarily instilled in them a sense of awe towards him.
"I'm here to test your studies. Don't be nervous, just perform at your usual level." Wuyou looked at the four cautious little kids below, feeling somewhat helpless, but he couldn't change his tone too quickly. His tone was stiff but with a hint of gentleness.
Children are most sensitive to emotions and can sense Wuyou's kindness towards them and the gentleness hidden beneath his seriousness. Their defenses are lowered a little, but they still dare not be careless.
From childhood, they received education based on the principles of Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher. Their mother, being of lowly status, taught them to be respectful and obedient, which inevitably fostered a cautious and timid personality in these children.
The eunuchs had already set up four tables and chairs below. The children obediently held their brushes and wrote steadily on them, making Wuyou sigh at the hardships that children faced in this era.
Half an hour later, Wuyou had gained a certain understanding of the children's knowledge and was quite satisfied with the result. He then comforted the children and immediately issued an imperial decree after they left.
The Imperial Household Department was ordered to clean and prepare Yunyi Palace for use as a residence for the princes. All princes aged three and above were to be moved from their mothers' palaces to Yunyi Palace, where they would be personally instructed by tutors. The princes' mothers were permitted to visit them but were not allowed to stay for extended periods.
This is the only person left who can inherit the throne, so he must raise him with great care. Raising him under the care of a woman might negatively influence the child.
It wasn't that Wuyou underestimated women, after all, he himself was a woman. It was just that the mothers of the four princes were all low-ranking concubines. Even if they were high-ranking concubines, their knowledge, refinement, and learning could not compare to those of professionals.
Therefore, Wuyou followed the Qing Dynasty's system and brought the princes to a designated place for education. In the Qing Dynasty, this was not only for education but also to prevent the mother and son from becoming too close, to the point that the empress dowager would interfere in politics, like a hen crowing at dawn.
Wuyou, on the other hand, had no such concerns. After all, he believed that the child she had carefully raised would not be easily schemed against or controlled by others. If that were the case, he would not be worthy of becoming the heir to the country.
During this period, Wuyou began to promote some new talents, placing them in seemingly insignificant but actually crucial positions. Zhou Changqing and others disdained these ants and did not pay much attention to them. A large net began to slowly unfold.
Wuyou had always focused his efforts on the previous dynasty, secretly deploying his own people to find incriminating evidence against Zhou Changqing and others, slowly bringing the court under his control. The lights in Yiyuan Palace never went out until the third watch of the night, truly living up to the saying "rising earlier than the rooster and sleeping later than the dog." After all, Helan Wuyou had indeed left behind quite a mess, and he wouldn't feel at ease unless he had everything under his control.
Even an iron man couldn't withstand such high-intensity work, and Wu You inevitably caught a cold and became bedridden.
A faint, rich aroma of traditional Chinese medicine permeated the Yiyuan Hall. Amidst the bright yellow curtains, a slightly slender figure appeared, indistinct and unclear.
"Cough cough..." A soft cough came, indicating the owner's weakness.
Wuyou lay flat on the dragon bed, his right hand lightly covering his forehead, and couldn't help but smile bitterly. He was indeed too engrossed in it. It was his first time being emperor, so it was inevitable that he would be a little more enthusiastic. Thinking back to when he was the emperor, nothing could arouse his interest. Now he was more vibrant. He liked this life very much and hoped it could continue.
The Empress, dressed in a beige palace gown, walked gracefully, her steps carrying a medicinal fragrance. She sat down beside Wuyou's bed, her delicate brows furrowed, her eyes filled with worry.
The Emperor is the ruler of the country, and his illness is a serious matter. As the Empress, she should naturally care for him. Moreover, the Emperor has been quite kind to her recently, granting her the honors befitting an Empress and giving her a beautiful and lovely daughter.
Both for public and private reasons, she should do her best to take care of the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, please get up and drink some medicine! This is a prescription carefully prepared for you by the imperial physician. You will get better after drinking it for a while." He took the medicine bowl, turned it up and down with a spoon, gently blew on it to cool it down, and tenderly handed it to Wuyou's lips.
Worry-free narrowed its eyes, somewhat helplessly. It wasn't mentally challenged; it couldn't possibly be unable to take its medicine. The Empress's cautious manner was almost comparable to coaxing a little princess.
Reaching out to block the Empress's arm, Wuyou slowly moved, his lips slightly hoarse, yet his voice became all the more magnetic and pleasant. "I can take the medicine myself, Empress, you don't need to worry so much. You just need to take good care of the little princess and the harem."
As he spoke, Wuyou propped himself up against the headboard, picked up the bowl of medicine, and drank it all in one gulp. He was a highly skilled physician. Having dealt with medicine for many years, he was quite accustomed to its bitter taste and even somewhat liked it. After all, in those few decades, these were the only medicinal herbs he frequently dealt with.
After Wuyou finished drinking her medicine, Xiazi took a handkerchief and wiped the medicine from the corner of her mouth. Not hearing any movement from the Empress, she turned her head in confusion.
The empress's narrow phoenix eyes shimmered with light, as if pearls would fall with each blink, revealing a deep sense of grievance.
"Does Your Majesty find me unworthy?"
"What makes you say that?" Wuyou couldn't help but wonder; the Empress's behavior was very strange.
"Your Majesty..." The Empress wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and was about to speak when the eunuch guarding the door came to report.
"Your Majesty, Consort Chu requests an audience."
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