Qing'e Palace and its rear hall.
Huan Yue slept soundly, then got up to look at the spring scenery.
Di Baose sat outside, watching her, with indescribable feelings.
Sunny thought there was nothing to say; the Emperor had come to invite the Empress, and was even politely waiting for her to wake up. Di Baose's jealousy was useless.
Before going to meet the emperor, Huan Yue had to change his clothes.
Zichen Palace.
He was now sitting with the Crown Prince and his son, drinking tea.
The important matters have been dealt with enough; there's no need to stay angry or hold a grudge. There are plenty of people to take care of things.
Today I want to talk to Erlang.
Xie Zhou knelt before his father, the emperor.
The modern magnanimous man said, "Get up and speak."
"Thank you, Father Emperor." Xie Zhou stood up, still behaving politely.
The eunuch went out with his young attendant and the historian. There's no need to write down every word the sage and the future sage exchange.
The historian also received a salary, so he took advantage of the beautiful spring weather to enjoy the spring breeze outside the door and have some tea.
Inside the hall, Xie Zhou recounted the affairs of the Pei and Chang families.
Looking at his son, he exclaimed, "Phoenix Girl?"
Xie Zhou said, "He probably hit his head."
Haha! I'm laughing now! Maybe she'll become the Phoenix Girl after we've fallen for her! I've heard of Pei Huanyue before, but he's never been this interesting.
Xie Zhou said, "It hasn't been investigated yet."
Jin Dian nodded: "Continue your investigation. But won't the Pei family control the Chang family?"
Xie Zhou looked at his father, the emperor.
Today, they remain silent with a smile.
Xie Zhou admitted, "Your subject is too inexperienced."
He sighed, "You're still too kind. Look at your wife, how decisive she is!"
Xie Zhou wanted to say, "I can be quite ruthless in the future." But would the Pei family's control over the Chang family be effective?
The question on everyone's mind is: "How does your wife plan to settle that man?"
Xie Zhou said awkwardly, "From what Di Baose said, it seems she's being promoted in the Eastern Palace."
Jin Dian laughed and said, "Isn't that quite virtuous?"
Xie Zhou couldn't say anything. His wife was too virtuous; she simply wouldn't let him touch her.
As for the Crown Prince, as long as he doesn't cause trouble, the father can't interfere too much. As for the Crown Prince's legitimate son, there's no rush.
Those who want to cause trouble are not the eldest son of the Crown Prince. It's good that the Pei family was able to get back on their feet.
An empress or crown princess must be both shrewd and compassionate.
Many people are ruthless, but that's not called cunning. There are also those who are soft-hearted, but that's not kindness.
Methods are a facade, and so is kindness.
Huan Yue followed the palace official in, and the emperor's eyes were fixed on her as if he wanted to see through her soul.
Huan Yue knelt on the ground, trying to pretend to be sick by holding his head, as if she had died of illness.
"Get up." This is still a polite way of speaking.
Huan Yue got up, hesitating whether to continue pretending to be sick, even though her face was rosy and she ate three large bowls of food in one meal, she really was sick.
Today, his face was expressionless, and his voice betrayed no emotion: "Why did you say that?"
Huan Yue knew what he was asking, so he looked into the emperor's eyes and said very seriously, "Times change, and sages do not cling to things but adapt to the times. There are many ways to consolidate imperial power, and we must keep searching for the most suitable one. The principle that he who wins the hearts of the people wins the world should not change, although the hearts of the people may change. A completely rigid model will be broken sooner or later."
The emperor asked softly, "Don't you think the court is constantly changing?"
Huan Yue replied, "Is it just a change in form but not substance, or are you trying a bigger change? I don't know much about that, but I feel there are many shortcomings. For example, in ancient times there were many schools of thought, but now Confucianism is the only one respected. It's like eating meat every day, even if there are 108 ways to cook it, with some side dishes. Or it's like having a whole garden full of peonies, even if you cultivate hundreds of varieties. Do you really think that peonies are enough? Isn't it beautiful when all kinds of flowers are blooming?"
I'm listening attentively now.
Huan Yue continued, "The world is complete; you can't cook everything with one dish. Some people like sweet, some like salty; some like rice, some like noodles. To fully unleash potential, you have to satisfy them. Although it will affect the interests of some people, their interests do not represent the royal family or the common people. If we don't change today or tomorrow, we will suffer sooner or later. Scholars, perhaps they can still live well by changing sides."
Today, the question is: "Any other ideas?"
Huan Yue boldly spoke up: "Is the so-called world really the world? Do you know how big this world really is? There's the Wunu Kingdom nearby, and the Ouxiwa Kingdom far away. What about even more distant countries? Could there be powerful nations that might one day attack us? A person without foresight will have immediate worries. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle. Therefore, we need to be more open-minded. Let's take a good look at how big the world is, stand higher, and be tolerant."
Today, the question is asked: "How big do you think the world is?"
Huan Yue said, "I don't know. However, just as the sun is round and the moon is round, perhaps the ground beneath our feet is also round, like sesame seeds stuck to a big watermelon. If we want to know more, we all need to work hard."
Xie Zhou nodded: "Confucianism is indeed insufficient."
Huan Yue said, "There's nothing wrong with respecting Confucianism. Just like liking peonies, we shouldn't deny the existence of plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums; they all have their value."
He nodded in agreement.
Huan Yue is so pitiful.
The eunuch entered.
Looking at the Pei family now, one sees them as delicate flowers.
The eunuch reported, "The Cao family of the Pei household killed Pei Su."
Huan Yue was extremely surprised: "A rabbit will bite when cornered?"
The eunuch thought the description was brilliant: "Li Shi ordered Cao Shi to die, and the Empress went back to attend the funeral."
Xie Zhou understood: "As long as Qing'e goes back for the funeral, it doesn't matter whether it's her grandfather or grandmother who died."
Huan Yue said, "The Li family is really more difficult to deal with than Pei Su."
The eunuch thought to himself, "They're all souls: The Pei family discovered that Chang Ziyu was missing, so they took all five members of the Chang family with them."
Huan Yue asked, "Aren't they afraid I'll kill them all if I see them?"
The eunuch dared not utter a sound and withdrew.
Huan Yue looked at the sage; he was wearing a dragon robe and, in the sunlight, he did indeed resemble a sage.
In certain positions, they are indeed different from ordinary people.
If he were like that, he would have been eaten by those people long ago.
Xie Zhou sighed, "The Li family is truly ruthless. Is Qing'e going to the funeral?"
Huan Yue asked, "Shouldn't I be copying the 'Rules for Women' in the Qing'e Palace?"
He nodded: "Go back and copy it carefully."
Huan Yue thanked the emperor. There was no point in sending her to cause trouble at the Pei family; the Pei family itself was of no interest to him.
The current leader said, "Erlang will escort his wife back."
Before leaving, Huan Yue murmured, "Your Majesty is diligent and conscientious, but you must also balance work and rest. Your health is your own responsibility. I still need Your Majesty's support."
The father-in-law kept his head down.
Xie Zhou dragged his wife away, implying that he was impotent, right?
Looking at the young couple, he shook his head.
He also went to Taiye Pond to admire the flowers.
The father-in-law followed. He felt that being a sage was hard work, but others' advice was ineffective.
Lady Pei should be treated with great respect from now on; she managed to embarrass the King of Wu with just a few words.
As a result, Lady Pei only needed to copy the "Rules for Women" when she returned home.
I didn't say it many times; it all depended on her mood.
Huan Yue emerged from Anli Gate and boarded a carriage.
Xie Zhou walked beside her, heading east.
Huan Yue was sitting at about the same height as him in the car; this was quite a sight.
The setting sun cast their shadows.
The palace maids and eunuchs should all step aside; after all, Her Highness wouldn't lay a hand on His Highness outside.
Xie Zhou looked at his wife, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.
Huan Yue held his head, in pain.
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