In the main hall, after finishing his meeting with the ministers, Mo Beichen left the Grand Tutor and Han Yixuan alone, and the group went to the Imperial Study to discuss matters.
Mo Beichen looked at the Grand Tutor, who was over fifty years old, standing below, and instructed the person next to him, "Go and bring a chair over for the Grand Tutor."
The Grand Tutor quickly expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Mo Beichen sat up straight and praised, "Grand Tutor, you have done very well this time. Grand Tutor, please just name your reward!"
Upon hearing this, the Grand Tutor raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "This old minister thanks Your Majesty in advance, but this old minister is already one foot in the grave. Wealth, fame, and power are all external things. You can't take them with you when you're born, and you can't take them with you when you die. They're useless if you want them. This old minister has no other desires. Please, Your Majesty, rescind your order."
Mo Beichen disagreed, saying, "No, that won't do. The Grand Tutor has devoted half his life to the Tianmo Kingdom. He should be given what he deserves."
The Grand Tutor knelt down and said earnestly, "Your Majesty, this old minister truly has no other requests. I appreciate Your Majesty's kind words today, but..."
At this point, the Grand Tutor lowered his head, his expression somewhat troubled.
Upon seeing this, Mo Beichen personally stood up, went over to help the Grand Tutor up, and assured him, "If the Grand Tutor encounters any difficulties, please speak up immediately. I will do everything I can to help."
The Grand Tutor looked up at Mo Beichen gratefully before saying, "Your Majesty is wise. This old minister only has one daughter, who married the Minister of Revenue, Shang Shang... Alas, I never imagined that I, a white-haired man, would bury my black-haired one. My poor daughter, who died young, is left alone and helpless. She suffers endless ostracism from the new wife in the Minister's mansion. Now that I have her backing, she is doing alright. But after I die, I don't know what will happen to her. This old minister shamelessly begs Your Majesty today to save my poor granddaughter."
As they were talking, while Mo Beichen returned to his seat, the Grand Tutor got up and knelt down to kowtow to Mo Beichen.
Mo Beichen looked at this scene with some difficulty, not knowing what to do for a moment.
"Grand Tutor, please get up first and take care of your health. We can talk about it slowly." As she spoke, she winked at Han Yixuan, signaling him to help the Grand Tutor up.
While helping the Grand Tutor up, Han Yixuan comforted him, "Grand Tutor, please get up. His Majesty will naturally find a way. I remember your granddaughter is already past the age of marriage, isn't she? Why hasn't she found a suitable husband yet?"
Han Yixuan originally intended to comfort the Grand Tutor, but unexpectedly touched on the Grand Tutor's sore spot, causing the Grand Tutor to burst into tears on the spot.
"...My poor, unfortunate granddaughter is already sixteen years old, yet she is constantly harassed by that heartless man's new stepmother. She says that my granddaughter is occupying the position of the legitimate daughter for no reason. I can help her out on the surface, but it is ultimately a matter of the inner quarters of the household, and as an outsider, I cannot interfere too much. It's a pity that my wife passed away early, otherwise my granddaughter would not have to suffer like this."
I really have no other choice this time. Just as Lord Han said, that bride doesn't want my granddaughter to get married before her daughter, fearing that my granddaughter will overshadow her daughter. She knows that many colleagues will attend my granddaughter's wedding out of respect for this old minister. Alas, what a miserable life..."
Han Yixuan suddenly asked, "In what year did that illegitimate daughter come of age?"
The Grand Tutor's tone was somewhat angry, "She will be of marriageable age next year. Her mother has high standards and will definitely pick her carefully. The earliest she can get married is probably the year after next. By then, my granddaughter's good years will have been wasted. It's pitiful. Even if it costs me my official robes, I want to get a chance for my granddaughter."
Han Yixuan and Mo Beichen exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of caution in each other's eyes.
I'm sixteen this year, and eighteen the year after. I might not even be able to get married right away. By then, I'll already be considered an old maid.
Without a loving mother or a father on her side, and although she had a highly respected maternal grandfather, he couldn't say much to her. How could she possibly marry into a good family? No wonder the Grand Tutor was so anxious that he shed tears.
At this moment, Mo Beichen finally understood why the Grand Tutor, whom even his brother couldn't persuade, was willing to come out of seclusion to help him stabilize the court at his invitation. He guessed that it was also to find a good marriage for his granddaughter.
Han Yixuan said angrily, "This is too much. Everyone knows how he got that new bride. I never expected that Lord Shang would be so clueless, making his legitimate daughter suffer so much. He is truly unworthy of being a father."
Seeing that someone was speaking up for him, the Grand Tutor looked even more distressed. "That mother and daughter have a good reputation, but my granddaughter's reputation is not so good. When she was little, I often used the excuse of tutoring her to invite her to stay at my residence for extended periods..."
Your Majesty, please investigate thoroughly! My granddaughter is intelligent and quick-witted. She is skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, needlework, and embroidery; I hired the most renowned masters in the entire capital to teach her. Even her martial arts are on par with men. How could such a sensible and well-behaved person bully her half-sister? Isn't this blatant lying?
Han Yixuan sneered, "Heh, it's obvious without even thinking that the mother and daughter are bullying the legitimate daughter and ruining her reputation because they rely on the Lord's favor. What kind of people are they?"
After saying that, he continued, "The Emperor has repeatedly emphasized that one should not favor concubines over wives, nor mistreat children, regardless of whether they are legitimate or illegitimate. These people are too despicable. As the old saying goes, the most poisonous thing is a woman's heart. It is indeed so. Why do women have to make things difficult for each other?"
As soon as Han Yixuan finished speaking, he felt a strong, icy gaze. Following the gaze, he saw that Mo Beichen's eyes were like knives piercing him.
Han Yixuan was taken aback. What did he say wrong?
Han Yixuan quickly reviewed what he had just said in his mind and suddenly remembered that Mo Beichen was a doting husband.
Oh, he misspoke in his last sentence.
Ignoring the presence of the Grand Tutor, Han Yixuan hurriedly added, "Oh, of course, a model woman like our Empress is very rare. If all women in the world were like the Empress, how wonderful that would be!"
The Grand Tutor followed Han Yixuan's words and said, "Yes, at first, I heard that when His Majesty was still in the Regent's Palace, he doted on his princess. At the time, I didn't understand it. Now that I think about it, I was narrow-minded. The Empress is indeed a model for women all over the world. If that new mother had even a fraction of the Empress's qualities, I wouldn't have lost face in front of the Emperor like this."
Mo Beichen raised an eyebrow slightly, and Han Yixuan felt the temperature around him rise rapidly. He silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Whew, thank goodness, the Grand Tutor was very helpful.
In the future, out of respect for the Grand Tutor, if he can help that poor little thing, he should lend a hand.
Mo Beichen sat back in his chair and asked with concern, "Grand Tutor, how do you hope I can help you?"
Upon hearing the Emperor's words, the Grand Tutor spoke with gratitude, "This old minister knows that Your Majesty and the Empress are deeply in love. Since Your Majesty has abolished the imperial concubine selection system, this old minister cannot take advantage of Your Majesty's grace and push his luck..."
Therefore, this old minister humbly requests Your Majesty to issue an edict to bestow a marriage upon my granddaughter, helping her escape this predicament.
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