169. Turning the other cheek: the left cheek is "right," the right cheek is "unforgiving."
As they continued on their way, they suddenly saw Qu Zijin leading the young prince and princess from another path.
Qu Zijin's usually gentle face was now full of anger. The little prince and princess, like the little dumpling and their second brother, followed behind in a daze.
"Grand Tutor Qu," Xie Wenling stepped forward to greet him without any surprise, but still asked with feigned surprise, "Where are you going?"
Qu Zijin was genuinely surprised to see them.
He sighed, "Where else can we go? We should pay our respects to His Majesty and tell him about what happened at the banquet today. Those princes' sons were outrageous! They dared to be disrespectful to the princes and princesses and even bullied the county princess. If they are not disciplined, they will surely become a disaster in the future!"
The little boy's eyes lit up: "Grand Tutor, we're going to talk about this too! Brother Xie said we can't let those wicked princes get away with it like this!"
The young prince also agreed with the Grand Tutor's point: "Wei Zhenhua and the others went too far just now. I must make Father Emperor teach them a lesson!"
The little princess nodded in agreement: "Yes! We need to make them apologize to us!"
Upon hearing this, Qu Zijin's expression softened slightly, and he cupped his hands towards Xie Wenling, saying, "Does Lord Xie also think this matter should be reported to His Majesty?"
“Of course,” Xie Wenling said, “Princes and princesses are of noble status, how can they be disrespected at will? Moreover, those princes are bullying the weak. If they are not punished today, they will become more and more unscrupulous in the future, which will damage the dignity of the royal family.”
Qu Zijin nodded: "What Lord Xie said is very true. Then let's go together so that we can explain things more clearly."
As the group approached the Imperial Study, the eunuch on duty, seeing the six people arrive in a grand procession, quickly stepped forward and bowed: "Greetings, Grand Tutor Qu, Lord Xie, Your Highness, Princess, County Princess, and Young Master Jin. May I ask if you have come with important business?"
Qu Zijin said in a deep voice, "Please inform His Majesty that we have an important matter to report, concerning the banquet for the Crown Prince in the palace today."
The eunuch dared not delay and immediately turned and entered the imperial study.
Not long after, they heard a message from inside telling them to come in.
The crowd filed in, and the air inside the Imperial Study was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. Wei Xiuming was sitting at his desk reviewing memorials.
Seeing them enter, he put down his vermilion brush, glanced at everyone, and finally fixed his gaze on the four little ones, asking in a gentle tone, "Did you have a good time at the banquet today? Why did you come with Grand Tutor Qu and Lord Xie?"
The young prince stepped forward and said, "Father, the banquet today was not very pleasant. Some of the princes were bullying people, saying that Xiaoyue and Chaoyun shouldn't be at the banquet."
The little princess also stepped forward to complain: "Father, they also said that girls should stay at home embroidering and reading 'Admonitions for Women' and shouldn't play with boys. That's too much!"
Wei Xiuming's face gradually darkened. He had been busy reviewing memorials and hadn't had time to send word about the banquet.
He looked at Qu Zijin and Xie Wenling: "Is this true?"
Qu Zijin bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, this is indeed the case. At today's banquet, the Prince of Xiang's heir, Wei Zhenhua, instigated trouble and spoke disrespectfully of the princess and the county princess. Fortunately, the Prince of Zhennan's heir, Dou Shichen, intervened and temporarily calmed the matter down. However, the words and actions of those heirs were indeed inappropriate and damaged the royal family's reputation."
Xie Wenling added, "Your Majesty, I just heard Princess Fukang and Young Master Jin explain this matter in detail. Those princes not only disrespected the princess and the county princess, but also bullied others by using their gender. If they are not strictly disciplined, they may encourage such a trend in the future, making the princes of the vassal states even more unscrupulous."
Wei Xiuming was silent for a moment, then tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, his gaze falling on the young prince: "My son, how did you deal with it back then?"
The little prince puffed out his chest and said earnestly, "Father, I stood in front of Xiaoyue and Chaoyun and told them that I had invited them, and if they didn't want to, they could leave on their own. Later, Dou Shichen also helped us teach them a lesson and drove away those bad princes."
Upon hearing this, Wei Xiuming's lips curled up slightly, revealing a hint of satisfaction: "Good, well done. You've shown yourself to be a man, knowing how to protect those around you and uphold your principles."
He then looked at Xie Wenling: "Minister Xie, what do you think should be done about this?"
Xie Wenling said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the Prince of Xiang and others who instigated the trouble should be punished. This will not only make them realize their mistakes, but also serve as a warning to other princes."
Qu Zijin echoed, "Lord Xie is absolutely right. Punishment is not the goal; the key is to make these princes understand that regardless of their status, they should all know how to respect others and not gang up to bully them. Especially in the palace, they must abide by the rules and know etiquette."
Wei Xiuming nodded and pondered for a moment before saying, "Alright, let's do it your way. Issue my decree: Prince Xiang's heir, Wei Zhenhua, has stirred up trouble in the palace and shown disrespect to the princess and the county princess. He is hereby punished with a month of confinement and copying the palace rules one hundred times. The other heirs who followed suit are each punished with copying the palace rules fifty times and being confined to their quarters for half a month."
Qu Zijin nodded, thinking this approach was quite good.
However, Xie Wenling spoke up: "Your Majesty, the princes are so presumptuous, they must have their fathers backing them up. If Your Majesty only punishes the princes, it may not have a deterrent effect. On the contrary, it may make them resentful and even more outrageous in the future."
Wei Xiuming was not surprised by his statement: "Then what does my subject mean?"
"If the Crown Prince is at fault, does that mean the Prince behind him is without fault as well? As the ancients said, 'If a child is not taught, it is the father's fault.' This is a principle that even a three-year-old understands. They cannot possibly not understand it."
Xie Wenling, with "I'm in the right" written on his left cheek and "I won't let it go" on his right, continued: "I urge Your Majesty to punish the prince behind him, so that they will understand that the Crown Prince's every word and action affects their own interests. Only in this way can they be made to be cautious in their words and deeds and dare not act rashly, so as to uphold the majesty of the imperial family."
It has to be said that his words struck a chord with Wei Xiuming.
But he still pretended to hesitate for a moment, feigning difficulty, to express his tolerance and kindness: "Isn't this inappropriate?"
Qu Zijin felt that it was indeed making a mountain out of a molehill, and seeing the emperor hesitate, he immediately spoke up: "Your Majesty, I also think..."
“Then let’s do as Minister Xie says,” Wei Xiuming said quickly, pretending not to have heard Qu Zijin’s words.
The eunuch, quick-witted as ever, immediately stepped forward and replied, "This servant obeys the decree."
Qu Zijin, the only one who lacked tact, paused for a moment, then silently shut up.
Okay...
Although it went a little too far, it's still within a reasonable range, so this approach is fine.
The four little ones, who had no such concerns, smiled happily upon hearing Wei Xiuming's decision.
The little dumpling whispered, "That's great! Those bad princes have learned their lesson!"
Xie Wenling, as if training a dog, saw that the matter had been resolved satisfactorily and he had achieved the result he wanted. He immediately stepped forward and praised the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty handled the matter well. You not only punished the erring princes but also appeased the people. I admire you. I believe that after this incident, those princes will be able to restrain their behavior and dare not act recklessly again. Your Majesty is wise."
Wei Xiuming waved his hand and laughed, "Alright, let's leave it at that."
He then turned his gaze to Xie Wenling and said casually, "Minister Xie, please stay a moment. I have a few words to say to you. The rest of you may return."
The little dumpling nodded obediently and was about to walk out.
The little princess pouted and ran to Wei Xiuming's side, tugging at his sleeve and pleading, "Father is always so busy. I haven't played with Father in so long. I want to stay a little longer and don't want to go back now."
Wei Xiuming was amused by her, reached out and patted her head, and said in a conciliatory tone, "Alright, alright, then you two go to the side hall and wait. We'll have the palace servants bring you some snacks and toys. Your father will come and keep you company when he's done with his work, okay?"
"Yay!" the little princess cheered, skipping and hopping as she followed the palace servants toward the side hall.
The little dumpling, the little prince, and the second brother quickly followed.
As soon as the four children entered the side hall, they smelled the aroma of osmanthus cake. The palace servants smiled and served them snacks and toys. The children immediately sat together, forgetting the seriousness of the imperial study.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
