Su Yushan didn't know Lejuer's true thoughts either; she could only guess based on her intuition.
“At yesterday’s banquet, I noticed that Nalejur was quiet and cautious. I guess he thought that he was a guest and shouldn’t cause trouble here, so he swallowed his anger and didn’t make a fuss.”
Rong Yu couldn't understand, "It was Yongying who started this, why is he putting up with it? If it were me, I wouldn't be able to swallow this insult!"
“My dear daughter, you must know that in this vast world, everyone has a different personality. There are those like you who speak out for justice, and there are those who are cautious and overthinking.”
I know you mean well, but whether or not to pursue this matter is Lejur's decision; he can make that choice himself, and you shouldn't be angry about it.
Her mother's comfort made Rong Yu feel a little better, but the thought of Leju'er's cold attitude still made her uncomfortable.
“If he gets into trouble again, I won’t help him! Otherwise, people will gossip and I’ll look like a fool.”
Gently stroking her daughter's braids, Su Yushan coaxed her with a smile, "Kindness is innate, and it shouldn't be abandoned because of other people's attitudes. If you encounter something like this in the future, you should still help, and you don't need to care about other people's opinions."
To cheer her daughter up, Su Yushan asked her what she wanted to eat, saying she would cook for her herself at noon.
At the mention of food, Rong Yu immediately perked up, "Hmm... I want to eat tomato fish!"
Tomatoes were in season, and Su Yushan nodded in agreement, then instructed the palace servants to prepare the ingredients.
With something to look forward to, Rong Yu completely forgot her worries and happily ran out, saying she wanted to go horseback riding.
She didn't practice much in the palace, but she has to practice more here so that she can go to the hunting grounds and gallop freely on the grasslands in the autumn!
Around noon, Yongzhang returned from class. Back in the palace, they all ate lunch in the Imperial Study and couldn't go home. At the Summer Palace, the rules weren't so strict, and the princes were all allowed to go home and have lunch with their mothers.
As soon as Yongzhang returned home, his mother summoned him. Su Yushan questioned him seriously.
"Why were you mocking Lejur with Yongying that morning?"
Yongzhang was worried that his sister would complain to their mother, and sure enough, that's what happened when he returned.
His mother already knew, so Yongzhang dared not lie. "I saw that my sister didn't want to get engaged to the Mongol prince, so I stood up for her and ridiculed him."
Su Yushan knew that the third brother always protected his sister, but that shouldn't be a reason for her to bully others.
Even if Rong Yu is unwilling to be engaged to him, she will not deliberately mock him. This is a matter of character, not a matter of like or dislike.
In reality, Yongzhang had just casually mentioned it to Yongying, and Yongying immediately led him over to cause trouble for Lejur.
Yongzhang had tried to persuade Yongying not to go, but Yongying was fearless and even laughed at him for being a coward.
Unwilling to be mocked by his cousin, Yongzhang followed, only to be caught red-handed by his sister.
"Your subject only said one sentence and did not mention the engagement."
How could her son hold such views? Su Yushan felt the problem was serious and needed to be corrected as soon as possible.
"You think one sentence doesn't matter? As long as you've mocked someone, one sentence or a hundred sentences make no difference. As the saying goes, every inch has its advantages and every foot its disadvantages. It's normal for Mongolians not to speak Chinese."
Everyone has self-esteem. Do you realize how hurtful a casual remark can be? If you were a guest in someone's home and they belittled you like that, how would you feel?
Seeing his mother's anger, Yongzhang was terrified and quickly admitted his mistake.
"Your son knows he was wrong. From now on, he will be careful with his words and actions and will never laugh at others again. Mother, please don't be angry with your son, okay?"
In Yu Shan's view, this matter was no small thing and could not be easily let go.
“You need to apologize to Lejur. If he accepts your apology, I will not pursue the matter further.”
The fault lay with him this time, and Yongzhang was willing to apologize, but there was something he still wanted to say.
"After school this afternoon, I will go and apologize to him. Please do not tell Father Emperor about this, Mother. I do not want Yongying to be scolded by Father Emperor because of me."
If she told them, given Hongli's personality, he would definitely punish them. But if she didn't tell them, she worried that her son would take it for granted and not take it seriously, and would repeat the offense in the future.
Just as Su Yushan was in a dilemma, she suddenly heard a stern shout from outside.
"Is there anything you're hiding from me that you dare not tell me?"
Upon hearing this sound, Yongzhang was startled and thought to himself, "This is bad! Why did Father Emperor have to come at this time?"
Yongzhang looked back and saw that at the same time his father entered, Rongyu followed him in. It seemed that his father and sister had taken a boat to the island together.
The Emperor entered with a sullen face, probably because his sister had already told him about it.
Thinking of this, Yongzhang dared not lie and truthfully recounted what had happened that day.
Upon hearing this, Hongli's expression darkened, and he raised his voice to rebuke:
"If I hadn't happened to overhear, you certainly wouldn't have confessed honestly. Not only did you not repent for your wrongdoing, but you also tried to cover it up! All the benevolence and morality I taught you have been thrown to the back of your mind and completely forgotten! Yongzhang, you have disappointed me greatly!"
His father's stern rebuke filled Yongzhang with shame, and tears instantly welled up in his eyes, streaming down his cheeks.
"Your subject knows he was wrong, but he was worried that Yongying would be punished, so he wanted to keep it a secret for now."
His son's words reminded Hongli of Yonghuang and Yonglian.
I recall that Yonghuang said something similar last year, but Yonghuang was at fault then, so Yonglian wasn't blamed. Therefore, Hongli didn't punish Yonglian. This time, however, both Yongzhang and Yongying were at fault.
"You think keeping it from him is for his own good? You're aiding and abetting a wicked person! A true brother should point out his mistakes directly. If you let him do evil and he gets even worse, you'll only be harming him!"
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