Chapter 217 Public Opinion
Fu Mingyi looked at Xiao Qing calmly, "Does Your Majesty still intend to choose only Chu Lianzhou?"
Xiao Qing didn't speak.
"Your Majesty has arbitrarily changed the location and method of selecting concubines, and now this has happened. If Your Majesty insists on your original idea, I'm afraid you will have a hard time explaining it to the Prime Minister and to the people of the world."
Xiao Qing disliked the situation where whatever she did might affect the entire world.
She felt somewhat guilty towards Wang Yu, but at the same time, she also felt irritated.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..." Wang Xiang was still wailing outside.
Fu Mingyi didn't pressure her; he just sat there quietly, waiting for her to make a decision.
Xiao Qing was still unwilling to give up.
"Why must I choose her to enter the palace just because she's injured?"
"The key issue isn't entirely about her injury."
"Your Majesty, you've made it too obvious this time."
What's the meaning?
Seeing her expression, Fu Mingyi added, "If it weren't for the necessity of insisting, Wang Yu would definitely be chosen. Today, His Majesty didn't want to choose consorts, so he arranged the location outdoors in the cold, and then eliminated half of the candidates without hesitation in a simple and brutal way."
Fu Mingyi slowly said, "Even Princess Xiao Fu, who doesn't often come to the palace, could see that His Majesty didn't want to choose a concubine, and His Majesty clearly stated that he liked Chu Lianzhou. Anyone with a brain knows what His Majesty means."
"Moreover, Wang Yu is a woman who is single-mindedly focused on entering the palace. How could she not take some action to change His Majesty's mind?"
"But what good does this do, besides making her suffer?"
Fu Mingyi smiled and said, "It's very useful."
"What do you mean?"
Wang Xiang was still kneeling outside, howling.
"Firstly, I can stay in the palace to recuperate, which gives me many more opportunities."
Xiao Qing nodded; she could imagine that.
"Secondly, if Your Majesty's previous actions were to become public, many people would be able to guess Your Majesty's intentions as well. In that case, you would inevitably face a barrage of criticism, and Your Majesty's good reputation for kindness and benevolence, which you have built up over the years, would be ruined in an instant."
Xiao Qing was stunned.
“Inaction and behavioral deviation are not the same, Your Majesty. The Prime Minister will not sit idly by. If Your Majesty insists, it will be necessary to spend more energy and resources to deal with this matter. This is not conducive to Your Majesty’s personal rule.”
Xiao Qing said with annoyance, "So, even as an emperor, I'm not free to choose my own concubines?"
Fu Mingyi remained silent for a while.
"Your Majesty, you have never been an individual."
Fu Mingyi's attitude was very clear.
Being willful comes at a price. And Xiao Qing might not be able to bear that price.
Wang Xiang was still outside loudly requesting an audience.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"
Fu Mingyi walked to the window. "Your Majesty, what would the Prime Minister think if he saw Your Majesty and I in the same room at this critical juncture?"
Xiao Qing was stunned.
"The palace was heavily guarded, and so many eyes were watching. At the time, Fu Lanzhu was playing the pipa and Wang Yu was dancing. How did she fall? Was it accidental, or was it intentional?"
"Of course it was unintentional."
"Seeing is believing."
"Many people saw it at the time..."
...
Finally, Xiao Qing opened the door and let Wang Xiang in.
As soon as Wang Xiang entered the hall, the first person he saw was indeed Fu Mingyi.
He composed himself.
"Your Majesty, my daughter is truly pitiful. I wish I could take her back to my residence immediately, but the imperial physician says she cannot be moved. I am so sorry for my daughter..."
Wang Xiang finished speaking with a choked voice, and as soon as he finished, tears welled up in Wang Yu's eyes.
"My poor daughter..."
Xiao Qing simply couldn't listen anymore.
She waited until Wang Xiang's mood had calmed down a bit before saying, "Prime Minister, I am very sorry about your daughter's situation. She is currently injured and it is naturally inconvenient for her to move around. Therefore, let her stay in the palace to recuperate."
"But Your Majesty, my daughter was selected to enter the palace, and now she's in this state... This old minister... This old minister..."
Fu Mingyi just watched quietly without saying a word.
Xiao Qing said, "Prime Minister, please rest assured, I will handle this properly."
The two kept repeating the same few sentences, and in the end, Wang Xiang left the palace with snot and tears streaming down his face.
Fu Mingyi wanted to say something, but he swallowed the words back.
Xiao Qing has not yet assumed power, so there is still a chance to learn from her mistakes. But once she takes power, the burden on her shoulders will be so heavy that it could almost bend her back.
Some truths are useless if others say them; you can only truly experience them for yourself.
Seeing that Xiao Qingren was somewhat unwilling and irritable, he took his leave first.
He left Chengde Palace, intending to go straight back to his residence, but Xiao Yan was waiting for him on the road. Upon seeing him arrive, Xiao Yan smiled and said, "Grand Tutor."
Fu Mingyi walked over and said, "Your subject greets Your Highness."
Xiao Yan waved his hand, leaned closer, and whispered, "I just saw the Prime Minister hurry past, lost in thought, and didn't even notice my presence."
Fu Mingyi said, "Your Highness is joking. However, the Prime Minister's daughter was injured today, and the Prime Minister came to visit her. It is normal that he was in a hurry. Your Highness is kind-hearted, please do not take it to heart."
Xiao Yan sighed, "Even I didn't expect it to turn out this way. I was the first to notice Miss Wang's unusual behavior and rushed over to deal with it in time."
Fu Mingyi smiled and said, "Your Highness's affection for his elder brother is truly commendable."
Xiao Yan smiled and said, "These are all the teachings the Grand Tutor has given me. I'm not very bright, but I've memorized all these principles."
Fu Mingyi looked at the sky.
"Your Highness, it's getting late, and I must leave the palace now. Your Highness has to go to the Imperial Academy tomorrow, so you should return to Chengguang Palace as soon as possible."
Xiao Yan had rarely encountered the Grand Tutor in recent days, so naturally he didn't want to leave.
Fu Mingyi then said, "Your Highness, I have something I wish to entrust to you."
Xiao Yan blinked. "The Grand Tutor is my teacher. Ever since I returned from the North, the Grand Tutor has always been very caring towards me, and that has never changed."
He paused, then said, “Today, Grand Tutor, let alone the matters entrusted to me, whatever instructions you may have, I will do my best to fulfill them.”
Fu Mingyi bowed deeply, "Your Highness Yan is too kind to this humble subject."
Xiao Yan simply smiled and waved his hand.
"I am unable to enter the palace recently, but with such a thing happening to Miss Wang, there will surely be some rumors in the palace."
Xiao Yan smiled. "Does the Grand Tutor mean to prevent rumors from spreading in the palace?"
Fu Mingyi shook his head. "My idea is that if this is true, Your Highness should find a way to let His Majesty see it."
Xiao Yan thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "I understand."
He then asked, "Grand Tutor, is it enough that His Majesty only needs to see it?"
Fu Mingyi smiled.
"When His Majesty sees this, he will think of it. If Prince Yan can do this, he will be doing His Majesty and me a great favor."
Xiao Yan smiled and said, "Sir, you have a profound understanding of things. There must be a reason for doing this. I will remember it. Please rest assured, sir."
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