Upon hearing this, Su Yushan was startled, her smile froze, and she immediately stood up and hurried to the tent to ask, "What's wrong with Yongzhang? What happened to him?"
The young eunuch was unaware of the whole story, only knowing that Xiao Yingzi had stolen some beef and was caught by the patrolling guards.
When the guards asked about the origin of the beef jerky, Xiao Yingzi said that the Third Prince had given it to him and told him to throw it away. However, Xiao Yingzi thought it would be a waste to throw away such good beef jerky, so he secretly hid it and found a secluded place to eat it secretly.
But before he could finish eating, he was caught red-handed!
Unable to withstand the interrogation, Xiao Yingzi had no choice but to tell the truth.
The emperor was summoning his ministers to discuss the floods in Jiangnan when a guard informed the Empress Dowager of the situation.
Upon hearing the news, the Empress Dowager was furious and ordered the Third Prince to be brought in for questioning.
Upon learning that Yongzhang had been taken to the Empress Dowager, Su Yushan secretly lamented that something was wrong. Rong Yu was also extremely nervous, thinking to herself how could her brother be so foolish? It would have been fine if he hadn't eaten, but he had just let someone throw it away, and even found such an unreliable eunuch.
However, this whole affair was ultimately caused by her. If she hadn't brought the beef jerky, Yongzhang wouldn't have been in trouble. Rong Yu was angry, but she still felt a little guilty. She anxiously said to her mother:
“Mother, I caused this mess. I have to go save my brother and explain things to Grandmother.”
Both children are her flesh and blood, and Su Yushan couldn't bear to let them be punished, but someone had to take responsibility for this.
After a moment's thought, Su Yushan, without bothering to change her clothes, took her daughter to find the Empress Dowager, secretly instructing her daughter along the way.
"If the Empress Dowager asks later, just say that the beef jerky was given to you by me."
Rong Yu immediately shook his head, "That won't do. I caused this trouble myself, so I have to take responsibility for it. I can't push it onto Mother."
"It's alright. I'll tell the Empress Dowager that I'm pregnant and want to eat beef jerky, which is why I had someone go and find it. For the sake of the child in my womb, the Empress Dowager will at most scold me a few times, but won't punish me severely."
If her daughter had made a serious mistake, Su Yushan would never cover it up. But in Su Yushan’s view, eating beef was not a mistake. The rules set by the ancestors were unreasonable. She herself had been tempted by it, so how could her daughter be?
Therefore, she decided to protect her daughter this time. Su Yushan repeatedly told her daughter not to tell the truth, otherwise both she and her brother would be punished.
But Rong Yu always felt that this shouldn't be the case. Everyone could see that the Empress Dowager didn't like her mother and was just waiting to find fault with her!
If the mother were to take the blame, the Empress Dowager would surely find ways to punish her, which would make her crime even greater.
Considering the consequences, Rong Yu outwardly agreed, but inwardly she had other plans.
The mother and daughter walked quickly, with Chang Yue supporting her mistress and repeatedly reminding her to be careful.
Upon arriving at the Empress Dowager's yurt, Su Yushan immediately spotted Yongzhang kneeling on the ground.
Suppressing her anxiety, Su Yushan curtsied to the Empress Dowager.
Upon spotting her, the Empress Dowager angrily scolded, "You've come at the right time! Look at what your son has done! He actually dared to violate palace rules and steal beef!"
Rong Yu was about to explain when Yong Zhang interrupted her.
Worried that his sister might let something slip, Yongzhang spoke first, "Grandmother, it was indeed wrong of me to steal the beef. Mother and my sister were unaware of it, so please don't blame Mother."
She was the one who gave him the beef, but he didn't tell the Empress Dowager the truth and took the blame himself!
Seeing this, Rong Yu felt even more guilty, but then her mother stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, there is actually more to this matter than meets the eye..."
Her mother was probably going to lie for her; she couldn't let her brother and mother take the blame for her, she had to tell the truth!
Having made up her mind, Rong Yu didn't hesitate any longer and said first, "Grandmother, my brother didn't tell the truth. Actually, the beef jerky was a gift from me to my brother."
The Empress Dowager, however, did not believe it and felt that something was amiss. "You two siblings have conflicting accounts. Confess honestly and do not lie. Who gave it to you? If you continue to conceal the truth, you will both be severely punished!"
As she said this, the Empress Dowager's gaze swept across Su Yushan's face, as if she were expecting something.
In the Empress Dowager's view, punishing children is meaningless, but if it is Su Yushan's idea, then she has a reason to send them back to the palace!
In fact, Su Yushan did intend to take responsibility. As a mother, she couldn't just stand by and watch her child be punished.
"Your Majesty, actually..."
Just as Su Yushan was about to speak, someone at the tent entrance reported that the little prince had arrived.
Lejur? What is he doing here all of a sudden? Rong Yu blinked her deer-like eyes in confusion and looked back in surprise. She saw Lejur walk in with his fists clenched at his shoulders and bow to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager was always very courteous to the Mongol princes, and specially ordered someone to offer Lejur a seat. Lejur did not sit down, but instead took the opportunity to explain his purpose.
"The beef jerky is a gift from me, a present for the princess."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager was greatly disappointed. "Is this really what you gave to the princess?"
Su Yushan didn't expect that Lejuer would come to smooth things over for Rong Yu at this moment.
Yu Shan originally intended to admit to the matter. If she said that she wanted to eat beef, the Empress Dowager would definitely reprimand her. But Lejur was different.
Beef is allowed in Mongolia, and since it was a gift from the young prince to Rong Yu, the Empress Dowager had no right to pursue the matter.
Su Yushan seized the opportunity to plead for her daughter.
“Your Majesty, the young prince is unaware of the rules here, which is why he sent Rong Yu beef. Rong Yu did not eat it and instead gave the dried beef to me to handle. She did not violate any palace rules, and I beg Your Majesty to understand.”
Only Rong Yu knew that the truth was not like that. She had asked Lezhuer for the beef herself, but Lezhuer had helped her cover it up.
She didn't know what to do and looked at her mother with a troubled expression.
Su Yushan lowered her eyes to meet her gaze, squeezed her palm, and gestured for her not to say anything more and to just do as Lejur said.
With Lejur's explanation, the Empress Dowager had no reason to blame him, only reminding him not to give away beef jerky so easily in the future.
Lejur agreed, and the Empress Dowager sent people to confiscate the beef jerky and return it to Lejur, thus ending the matter.
When Hongli returned in the evening and heard about the incident, he specifically instructed Yushan, "If something similar happens next time, don't try to take the blame yourself; just push it onto me."
Yu Shan felt that this was not fair. "I can't just push all the trouble onto you every time I encounter it!"
Hongli, however, thought it was only natural, saying, "I'm your man, so I should solve your problems. Why are you being so polite with me?"
Hongli feigned displeasure, and Su Yushan took the initiative to hug him, coaxing him with kind words for a few moments, before sighing:
"I was already planning to take the blame for my daughter today, but I didn't expect Lejur to come here suddenly. I wonder where he heard the news from."
Hongli's gaze shifted slightly, and he pondered, "Lejuer is quite responsible. He didn't expose Rong Yu and even helped her out of a predicament. He has good character."
His words made Yu Shan feel a little flustered. "You seem to have a very good impression of Lejur?"
Hongli was secretly observing Lejuer, and she knew it. Judging from his tone, he seemed quite satisfied with the child. Could it be that he really intended to arrange a marriage between the two children?
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