"Why hasn't Your Majesty returned yet?"
"Mom, you don't know, he's very busy and often doesn't come home on time."
Xu Yunqing curled his lips. "If you ask me... it's more comfortable to be a small landlord in Linjiang."
"That's right. I also feel comfortable being a small landlord. If he were still that small landlord, I'm afraid I don't know how many poems he would have written. But now that he's become emperor... No, since he entered officialdom, his poetry and writing have become less and less."
Dong Shulan also followed Xu Yunqing's words and expressed her gratitude.
Su Su chuckled, "If I were you, if he were still that small landlord, his Kung Fu would have probably reached the first-rate realm. Mom, you probably don't know, he's been in the third-rate realm for five years, haha, and he's still third-rate now."
"Ah...so sometimes I think, no matter how a person lives, whether they're extremely wealthy, powerful, or even the emperor, they still have to live their entire lives. Why bother with all that hard work? Hey, hey, hey, wives, how about...I encourage him to just give up being the emperor and let's go back to Linjiang?"
Fu Xiaoguan happened to hear this. He stepped into the inner hall and laughed, "Mom, you don't have to encourage them. If you can convince my father to become the emperor, I can take you to Linjiang tomorrow."
Nangong Piaoxue stuck out her tongue, and Sima Che sighed, "I want you to go to Linjiang, too, but you're the key to the happiness of the people right now. Can you really just leave?"
Xu Yunqing was obviously joking. She also understood that Fu Xiaoguan could not abandon Daxia because Daxia really needed him.
"Alright, alright. I was just saying this casually. There's no difference between being a small landlord in Linjiang and being a big landlord in Daxia. You're still young anyway, so it'll just be a little tiring... Let's eat!"
The Chinese New Year is approaching and the children are on leave from school, but there are three tables set up in the dining room of Ci'an Hall.
Ten wives, nine children, plus Fu Xiaoguan and Xu Yunqing, that makes twenty-one people.
Xu Yunqing was filled with joy because four more of her daughters-in-law had bulging bellies, including Nangong Piaoxue.
"Son, I think this kingdom is certainly important, but no matter how big it is, it is made up of families. So for the kingdom to prosper, this family must also prosper... What I mean is, there's no such thing as too many children; the more the better. So, you must practice the Nine Yang Heart Sutra diligently!"
"Don't just focus on other people's homes and forget your own!"
What else could Fu Xiaoguan say?
He felt that having so many children was enough now, but these days there was little entertainment and no measures in place, so it was possible to get pregnant by accident.
"Son knows, don't worry, they and I are still young and can have many children."
"Hahaha..." Xu Yunqing laughed happily, "You must be hungry. Come on, let's eat first."
"Mom likes this kind of lively atmosphere, it's so nice."
Fu Xiaoguan also likes the hustle and bustle. It would be even better if his father were still alive.
It’s a pity that the father really died.
He was already on the verge of death, and had also been hit by a punch from Fan Wuxiang. If it weren't for the cicada clothes, he would have died in the White Horse Temple.
Xu Yunqing did not mention Wu Changfeng, and Fu Xiaoguan also avoided the topic and talked about the interesting things that happened in Daxia.
"In Pengyun County, Yueshan North Road, there's a county magistrate named Ge Huaicai. I selected him as a Jinshi in the autumn imperial examination last year, and he took up his post this June."
"This Ge Huaicai probably feels his talent is being neglected. In October of this year, he submitted a memorial reporting a strange sight in Pengyun County—a dragon tumbling in the sky, auspicious multicolored clouds appearing, and the dragon even poked out its massive, glittering golden head and nodded three times in the direction of Guanyun City..."
Xu Yunqing, Dong Shulan and the others were all surprised when they heard this.
Xu Yunqing put down his chopsticks and looked at Fu Xiaoguan. "This is an auspicious sign! The dragon nodded three times... I'm afraid it was a kowtow. Doesn't this mean that you, the emperor, have the approval of heaven?"
"My son has done so much good for the people of Daxia. He deserves the recognition of Heaven. This man must be rewarded handsomely!"
Dong Shulan and the others also thought it was reasonable, but Fu Xiaoguan shook his head, "Mother, there are no dragons in the sky. He's just lying! He just wants your son to pay more attention to him, and it would be best if I could promote him to the position of prefect."
Xu Yunqing was startled. "Then what did you do to that official whose name was, what was his name?"
"His name is Ge Huaicai. I didn't do anything to him. I just told the Ministry of Personnel to kick him out at the beginning of next year."
Xu Yunqing's face turned serious, "No, son..."
She said meaningfully, "Is it really that important that a dragon kowtowed? What's important is that he saw it! And he even submitted a memorial! This is an auspicious sign, and a great merit from you, my son!"
"Son, when Daxia is unified, what unites us is the hearts of the people. What do the people admire and revere the most?"
Xu Yunqing pointed upwards and said, "It's this day!"
"The so-called unfathomable power of heaven and the divine right of kings are all related to heaven and gods. The people believe in this, so why not use this opportunity to deepen their faith?"
Fu Xiaoguan understood that his mother was trying to fool the people.
But he was well aware of the drawbacks of such a thing. Once this precedent was set, he was afraid that all kinds of auspicious signs would be reported from all over Daxia.
Why?
Because the emperor likes it!
Those officials will rack their brains to figure out how to make this auspicious sign come true. They will forget the essence of being an official and will go astray.
Not only did he harm the people under his rule, but he also harmed the country of Daxia.
But he couldn't openly argue with Xu Yunqing, so he quickly picked up a braised lion's head and placed it in Xu Yunqing's bowl, saying with a smile, "Okay, okay, I'll listen to you. I'll let him continue to be an official next year. Is that okay?"
Xu Yunqing smiled, "But remember to give him a promotion!"
"Okay, son, I'll remember that."
"By the way, it's almost Chinese New Year, don't you plan to invite some important officials to have a gathering in the palace?"
"I'm too lazy to bother. I finally have a break. Wouldn't it be nice if I could spend more time with Mom?"
"You're such a chatterbox," Xu Yunqing gave Fu Xiaoguan a cold look, but his heart was filled with sweetness. "After all, you're not that small landlord in Linjiang anymore. You don't have to worry about me. I'm very happy to have them and my grandchildren by my side. Just do what you need to do... By the way, is there any news on that matter?"
That matter refers to the matter about Su Changsheng.
"I met with Tuoba Feng today to discuss the agreement. Someone from Tianji Pavilion also went there, but no news has come back yet."
"In any case, you should be more careful. Susu said Su Rou also lives in Guanyun City. It's not convenient for her to be alone with a child. There are many empty palaces in this palace. Why not bring her and the child in? After all, she is my mother's niece. It's not good to leave her out in the cold."
"Oh, there's another woman named Meili Xuehong, a former elder of Jianlin, who also came to Guanyun City looking for Gao Yuanyuan. Mother wants to bring her in too, so it'll be more lively. What do you think?"
Fu Xiaoguan looked at his mother and understood her intention - his mother didn't know what the attitudes of his eldest brother Su Jue and second brother Gao Yuanyuan were, so she wanted to keep the hostages.
"The son is at the disposal of his mother."
"Okay then, Susu, Xinyan, you two go and bring them and the child to the palace tomorrow."
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