As an official from outside the capital, Xu Huizu was not supposed to visit the inner palace, even if he came to the palace. But there was nothing he could do, since he was the Empress's elder brother and the Crown Prince's uncle, so it was normal for him to be summoned to the inner palace by the Empress's imperial decree.
Xu Huizu is very well-behaved. Although he hasn't seen his younger sister for a long time, he still maintains the proper manners.
"Uncle!" Little Zhu, who was lying on the tatami mat, was overjoyed and immediately sat up when he saw Xu Huizu.
Although he was excited, Xu Huizu quickly knelt down and said, "Your subject Xu Huizu greets Your Highness the Crown Prince, may the Crown Prince live a long life! Greetings to Your Highness the Empress, may the Empress live a long life!"
Xu Miaoqing had gotten used to it. Ever since she married into the imperial family, the distinction between ruler and subject had been established. Not to mention that he was now her elder brother, if her father were still alive, he would still have to pay his respects to her when necessary.
Little Zhu pouted, but still said at his mother's prompting, "Rise, Uncle!"
Xu Huizu had a lot of unspoken difficulties, but he felt that his guess might be somewhat correct. The Crown Prince seemed to be spoiled too much, so His Majesty intentionally wanted to let the Crown Prince cultivate his reputation at this time, allowing him to come into contact with certain people and things.
But Xu Huizu also knew that this Crown Prince, sprawled on the couch, was not someone that could be easily disciplined. Not even the Empress could, and even some things within the palace were not secrets. For example, the Emperor Emeritus's exclusive favor towards His Majesty was no secret. And now, this little man before him was being spoiled beyond measure by the Emperor Emeritus.
Patting Little Zhu's bottom, Xu Miaoqing said, "Brother, don't blame Yin'er. The other day, the Duke of Liang took the Crown Prince riding a horse."
His little bottom was sore from being bounced around so much; Little Zhu had skipped class. Well, it wasn't exactly skipping class, it was a day off. But this time, the Crown Prince didn't run to the Emperor Emeritus to whine; instead, he came to his mother for comfort.
Xu Huizu immediately replied respectfully, "Your subject dares not!"
There would definitely be no complaints, and he certainly wouldn't dare to have any. This was absolutely Xu Huizu's truest thought, and that was indeed how he expressed it.
Xu Miaoqing was helpless. She could occasionally catch up with her second and third brothers. But she couldn't talk to her eldest brother. She knew her eldest brother's personality; he was too respectful. He was extremely strict about rules and always adhered to the duties of a subject.
Little Zhu, having been instructed again, said, "Uncle, Mom embroidered a cloak for you, and Uncle has one too."
Feeling slightly touched, Xu Huizu still expressed his gratitude like a robot, saying, "Your subject thanks you!"
“Brother, His Majesty has decreed that you go to the Wenhua Hall after court these next few days. In the morning, you will teach the Crown Prince military strategy. It doesn’t need to be too in-depth, but you need to let the Crown Prince understand the military affairs of the nation.” Xu Miaoqing also spoke up, saying to Xu Huizu, “In the afternoon, you will take the Crown Prince on horseback to inspect the palace defenses and practice the imperial guards.”
Xu Huizu naturally accepted the order immediately. He did indeed act as if he was just following orders and simply carrying them out, without intending to express any thoughts or opinions.
Xu Miaoqing was somewhat helpless at this moment, but for the sake of her son, she had no choice but to say, "His Majesty intends to send Yin'er out of the city to welcome the royal army. I hope that my elder brother will take good care of him at that time."
Xu Huizu's eyes lit up. He had actually anticipated being hastily summoned back to Yingtian Prefecture. However, now that Xu Miaoqing had stated it directly, he didn't need to ponder it further. At this moment, he could simply accept the order more resolutely.
Seeing that her elder brother was still just following orders, Xu Miaoqing said again, "His Majesty said some time ago that there are many important matters in the court. Elder brother, you also need to restrain the nobles in recent days, and the name of the Prince of Zhongshan should also be brought out."
Xu Huizu suddenly looked up, his sharp eyes fixed on Xu Miaoqing. "Your Highness, does His Majesty truly have such an edict?"
Although Xu Miaoqing was somewhat displeased, she still understood the bigger picture and said, "Brother, do you think I would dare to forge an imperial edict?"
Xu Huizu immediately lowered his head and hurriedly said, "Your subject dares not, Your subject has overstepped his bounds!"
Xu Miaoqing's feelings at this moment were somewhat complicated. When she was young, her father was often away leading troops. Her mother actually did not discipline Xu Miaoqing much, and most of her upbringing was handled by her older brother.
To be honest, Xu Miaoqing still felt a little afraid of her older brother. She knew that he was a cautious person with very strict rules.
But now, she was only slightly unhappy, and her older brother immediately apologized.
Xu Miaoqing did not believe that this was due to her ability. She knew very well that it was because of her status. She knew that her elder brother respected His Majesty the Emperor and imperial power, and she was just benefiting from it.
After calming herself down, Xu Miaoqing adopted the air of an empress, saying, "There are some things His Majesty cannot issue decrees about. Elder brother, you should keep a close eye on the movements of the nobles these days. The nobles share the fate of the country, so they must not do anything that would displease His Majesty, and even more so, they must not obstruct His Majesty's grand military and national plans!"
Xu Huizu immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute, his spirits high and full of enthusiasm, "Your subject obeys the decree, and will certainly not fail Your Majesty's will!"
That's about it. Xu Huizu knows what he should do next. As the eldest son of the Prince of Zhongshan, it's more appropriate for him to handle the movements of the noble families. Even if some of those who were Xu Da's peers are still alive, Xu Huizu is undoubtedly the number one noble.
As the leading figure of the aristocratic group, he had to make his stance clear: the aristocratic group he represented could not become an obstacle to His Majesty's implementation of the new policies, and they had to stand with His Majesty through thick and thin.
Even if some forces emerge that hinder His Majesty's new policies, these noble groups should immediately transform into sharp weapons to cut down all obstacles in His Majesty's path. This is the stance that the noble groups should take.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
