"Your Highness...Your Highness is not aware of this."
"Are you unaware, or are you just being so obsessed with your love for the deceased prince that you're deliberately ignoring him? When the late emperor doted on the late crown prince, he treated us brothers like pawns, allowing him to bully and abuse us. Have you forgotten all this?"
Xie Yunxiu retorted, "No, I have always told my subordinates to treat Hong'er well. I have never thought of mistreating Hong'er."
"Your attitude determines the attitude of your servants. If you, as the father, don't set an example yourself, how do you expect your subordinates to treat Hong'er? They will only try to please you. Knowing that you like the illegitimate son, you will please Shen. Who will care about a legitimate son who has fallen from favor?"
Xu Jing sighed and personally helped Xie Yunxiu to his feet. "You're easily misled by beauty. When Shen was furious and violent, you avoided her. If she grows ambitious and sets her sights on your throne, will Cao and Hong'er still be able to survive?"
Xie Yunxiu was scolded so hard that he couldn't even lift his head. He knew that what his brother said was right. He should have dealt with Jiaojiao along with the other beauties, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
"Okay, don't be sad." Xu Jing patted his shoulder and said, "If Ling Xiao really finds out about treason, I will not let her go. But if it's just a small matter, I'll leave it to you to handle."
The surprise came so quickly that Xie Yunxiu was overjoyed. He excitedly wanted to bow and express his gratitude, but Xu Jing quickly stopped him, saying, "When you return, you must treat Cao well, understand? Even if you don't love her, you must give her the respect of a princess. The power of stewardship must also fall to Cao. If Shen offends her, you cannot shield her, understand?"
"I understand. When I return, I will definitely sit down and have a good talk with Cao and hand over the housekeeping power to her."
"Ninth brother, come here." Xie Yunxiu followed Xu Jing into the inner house. Xu Jing pointed to the Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains in the center and said, "Where would you like to be your fiefdom?"
Xie Yunxiu had already thought about it. "Hongzhou is close to the capital. If Your Majesty misses me, I can return in time. If I do anything wrong, Your Majesty can correct it in time."
Hongzhou, located in Henan Province, is a good location in the Central Plains. The terrain is relatively flat, making it a good base for revolutionary development and a good place for experimentation. The cultural scene is also quite good, with many scholars and writers hailing from this area. If Xie Yunxiu manages the area well, he could attract a lot of talent.
"Okay, Hongzhou is now handed over to you. I will grant you a hereditary title, so please don't let me down. Let Empress Min go with you to your fiefdom. Once the storm is over, I will select a few officials to help you build Hongzhou."
Xie Yunxiu bowed his head. "Your Majesty, I have shown great kindness. Even though I would sacrifice my life, I have no way to repay you. If you can use me, I will do my utmost to fulfill your grace."
Xu Jing said, "Hong'er, please stay in the capital to accompany me."
"What's this, my brother?" Xie Yunxiu was shocked. Was he planning to hold Hong'er as a hostage?
"Since you don't like Hong'er, it's much better for him to stay in the capital than in Prince Zhuang's mansion. I will send someone to keep a close eye on his studies and take good care of him for you."
"Your Majesty, Hong'er is my eldest son."
"You still know he's the eldest legitimate son?" Xu Jing snorted coldly, "If you really cared about him, why would you allow a bastard to climb over him?"
"I know my mistake. I will take care of the affairs of the inner house when I return."
"Forget it. Since you don't want to give up Hong'er, I won't force you. If you and Cao have a second son, bring him to me. I'll raise him for you."
You can’t give birth yourself.
Xie Yunxiu said with a smile, "Your Majesty, you are joking. In the future, you will marry a queen and have a large harem. There are plenty of royal wives who will bear you children. How can you be interested in this ugly little thing from my humble family?"
"I will not marry a woman as my queen." Xu Jing whispered in his ear: "I plan to marry Zhou Siheng as my queen."
"What?" Xie Yunxiu felt like he was struck by lightning, and his whole body was burnt on the outside and tender on the inside.
"Brother Emperor, are you kidding me?"
Xu Jing said with a half-smile: "What do you think?"
"Why would you fall for him? Are you blind, my Royal Brother?" Seeing his face darken instantly, Xie Yunxiu quickly covered her mouth and muttered something. "If my Royal Brother likes him, just take him as your male concubine. Why give him the position of Queen?"
"Then who do you think is suitable to be my queen?"
"Anyone can do it, but he can't." Xie Yunxiu wasn't targeting Zhou Siheng. It was just that this guy was a little confused.
She had previously risked her life for Lin Wanru, even disowning him as her cousin. If such a heartless person became queen, she would surely overturn the harem.
"Royal brother, the queen is the role model for the country. You can't make him queen out of selfishness. Even if you like him, you can make him a concubine, but don't let him destroy your harem."
Xie Yunxiu added, "If you prefer male favorites, I'll find you a few ready-made ones. They're guaranteed to be well-behaved and obedient, and of exceptional appearance. Then you can pamper them privately, and those old-fashioned people like Prime Minister Lan won't say anything. But if you violate the moral code and marry them as your queen, wouldn't that shake the very foundations of the nation? Wouldn't Prime Minister Lan and the others be so enraged they'd throw themselves headfirst into a pillar?"
That's true.
Throughout the past five thousand years, it was normal for emperors to have male favorites, but only one emperor established a male empress. Even if he did, he would be criticized to death.
At this moment, Xu Jing should be thankful that Zhou Siheng is a civil servant. If he had military power, he would have been torn to pieces by the ministers.
Xie Yunxiu's plan was to marry a queen to conceal his true intentions, and then bring Zhou Siheng into the harem. As long as the heir was there, the ministers would not say anything.
However, this obviously went against Xu Jing's original intention.
He didn't want to marry a tool as his queen, as that would be unfair to both the queen and Zhou Siheng.
Otherwise, don’t make promises easily. Once you make a promise, you must keep it.
"Okay, you can leave now."
"Royal brother, you need to think twice about this." Xie Yunxiu was still worried and whispered, "What on earth do you like about him? You know his temper, as stinky and hard as a stone in a pit. You can't let yourself down!"
Xu Jing was so angry that he laughed. "He is your cousin after all. Be careful with your words."
"That's right. Not gentle, not considerate, and stubborn. Besides having a smart brain, what else does he have?"
Xu Jing smiled and said, "He has a soft temper and tends to be stubborn. He's humble, polite, and refined. And he's not like you, a womanizer or drunkard."
"Alright, alright. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I understand that. If you really like him, you'll have to work hard on convincing the old-fashioned Prime Minister Lan and the others, and you'll also have to talk to the Queen Mother."
Xu Jing understood all the concerns Xie Yunxiu mentioned.
As an emperor, you cannot act arbitrarily. You must think carefully before making any decision.
He has to make all the necessary preparations to win the heart of the beautiful girl.
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