Qian Shengyan: ? ? ?
No, why was this the first thing her son said after he was born?
Qian Shengyan quickly put her arm around her daughter with one arm and her youngest son with the other, and first corrected Hongshan's words: "You can't just listen to one side of the story. Your sister says that Fourth Brother is bad, but that's her current thought. Whether you think Fourth Brother is bad or not, you have to use your own eyes to see. Has Fourth Brother not been good to you usually, Hongshan? The little bow in your room was found for you by your Fourth Brother."
Upon hearing this, Hongshan's delicate brows relaxed, and he nodded: "Fourth Brother, okay!"
Qian Shengyan: ...
Folgochun burst into tears: "Mother! But Fourth Brother is really bad! He actually sided with Consort Hua! I'm so angry! I'm never going to play with him again!"
Qian Shengyan's heart skipped a beat. Without thinking, she first scolded Fuerguochun: "Fuerguochun! What are you saying! Consort Hua is your stepmother. How can you mention her so casually?"
“Mother…” Ferguchun’s eyebrows were red from crying. She looked timidly at Qian Shengyan, sniffling, “But, but…”
"No buts. You're all grown up now. If you continue to be so unruly, your mother will really have to discipline you!" Qian Shengyan was genuinely angry, and her voice rose a little, but after she finished speaking, she frowned.
She glanced at the chubby boy who seemed frightened, then at Folgochun, who had stopped crying halfway through. After thinking for a moment, she decided to calm him down first and said, "Alright, alright. I can roughly guess what your fourth brother is talking about. The General is returning to the capital recently, so avoiding his sharp edge isn't a bad thing... By the way, the new imperial chef made a crystal pastry with chrysanthemums inside. Would Folgochun like some?"
With red eyes, Folgochun smiled again: "I want to eat!"
Seeing his sister happy, Hongshan also smiled, but he didn't say anything and just followed Foerguochun to eat pastries.
Qian Shengyan stood behind, looking at her two children, and slowly, her smile faded.
Qingxue knew what she was thinking and gently advised, "Master, the princess is still young. You can teach her slowly."
Qian Shengyan paused for a moment, then lowered her head and chuckled, "That sounds familiar."
But it was just like what she had advised the emperor about the Third Prince.
Although Yinzhen sometimes said that Fuerguochun was too lively, Qian Shengyan didn't take it to heart. She genuinely thought that Fuerguochun was young and that it wouldn't be bad to have a lively person in the Forbidden City, so she didn't restrain her much.
But now it seems that we have no choice but to impose restrictions.
Taking advantage of the excitement surrounding Nian Gengyao's return to the capital, and since Yinzhen had no time to visit the inner palace, Qian Shengyan simply closed the gates of Yongshou Palace and spoke at length with Fuerguochun about the relationship between the Emperor, the inner palace, and the court.
"Mother, Father Emperor has summoned Consort Hua to the Hall of Mental Cultivation again," Ferguchun whispered.
During this period, Folgochun received theoretical knowledge from his mother while also being impacted by his father's direct actions.
For a full half month, her imperial father either stayed in the Hall of Mental Cultivation or the Chengqian Palace. Every day he saw either Nian Gengyao or Consort Hua, not to mention Prince Fu Hui, who was almost always by the emperor's side. Moreover, it is said that the gifts Fu Hui received from Nian Gengyao could fill an entire room.
In the past two weeks, Fuerguochun had only seen her father, the Emperor, once. She was extremely aggrieved and cried out for her father, but Yinzhen just waved his hand at her, said "Take good care of your mother," and left.
He used to say she was his most beloved little princess! Even a slight pout from her would get him comforting her, let alone tears. Now, all he offers is this perfunctory reply!
For Folgochun, who had always lived in a utopia, everything had changed.
Fortunately, Qian Shengyan tried to comfort her, and Hongli would occasionally come over and tease her a bit, so Foerguochun gradually understood.
She gradually realized that her father liked her not because she was so good or cute, but because she was her mother's daughter.
The Emperor's affection for his mother might not be because she was so good or beautiful, but simply because the Emperor wanted to dote on her.
The Emperor's favor is like the wind blowing through the world; it can come and go, and it won't stay because of one's expectations.
Folgour cried several times, but gradually calmed down.
Qian Shengyan felt heartbroken and helpless watching her daughter's changes. She wanted Ferguchun to always be happy and innocent, but people always grow up and leave their side. And the ultimate goal of raising a child is to help her become an independent person, isn't it?
Qian Shengyan couldn't guarantee that her daughter could remain innocent forever, so perhaps it would be better for her, the mother, to reveal the truth of life.
Seeing that Fuerguochun had been depressed for several days and had even become dissatisfied with Yinzhen, Qian Shengyan simply summoned her again and began to talk about the first deposition of the crown prince during the Kangxi era, then about the struggle for the throne among the nine princes, and then about the past two years: "The emperor has been on the throne for less than two years, but he still dares not let his guard down, nor does he dare to make any big moves. He still has to keep him in check. Don't you see now? Prince Yi is still standing there, and Prince Hongxi has to be on guard..."
"With internal troubles unresolved and external threats still present, we must first pacify the internal before we can deal with external threats. At this time, if your father doesn't try to quell the Qinghai rebellion, what else can he do?" Qian Shengyan practically laid out her explanation to Ferguchun. "The emperor is still the emperor. He can't personally lead troops into battle. Nowadays, there is a shortage of capable generals in the court. If the emperor doesn't use General Nian, does he intend to bring your fourteenth uncle out of Jingling again?"
“If that’s the case… Father Emperor must be having a hard time…” Folgochun said, resting his chin on his hand, somewhat puzzled. “But isn’t the Emperor the ruler of the world? This world belongs to Father Emperor, so why does he still have so many difficulties?”
“It is precisely because he is now the ruler of the world that he is increasingly constrained,” Qian Shengyan said with a smile.
Since Folgochun didn't understand, Qian Shengyan explained, "However, what's now holding the Emperor back is the people, the masses, and the Qing Dynasty. The Emperor has to consider more factors when making decisions."
"I don't quite understand what Mother is saying yet," said Folgochun, but his face showed a thoughtful expression, clearly indicating that he was still somewhat moved.
Qian Shengyan breathed a sigh of relief: "Fortunately, the imperial sons-in-law of this dynasty generally don't hold any heavy responsibilities. Your mother only hopes that you will find someone you truly love..."
"No, Mother, I want to marry someone who can help Fourth Brother!" Folgochun suddenly said.
Qian Shengyan: ?
Wait a minute, how could her one-on-one tutoring be such a failure?
Just then, a soft laugh sounded from outside the door. Hongli lifted the curtain and came in, glancing at Folgochun first: "Save your breath, do you think I need your help? Am I that useless?"
After speaking, he looked at Qian Shengyan, his eyes changing slightly: "Your subject only knew that Mother was extraordinary, but I never expected..."
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