Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Li Jinxiu: “…
Li Jinxiu: "I feel I am not yet capable of establishing myself. If I were to marry now, I would be putting my wife at risk."
Emperor Jingren sneered, "Is it because you're worried about ruining other ladies' lives, or is there some other reason? You know it yourself."
He choked for a while and suddenly started coughing again.
Li Yu glared at Li Jinxiu, but the usually docile Li Jinxiu now knelt with a steely determination. Li Yu's heart was inevitably filled with anxiety, fearing he might speak out of turn. She kept her composure, a look of concern on Emperor Jingren's face.
"Father, I will give Jinxiu a good lecture when I return, and then discuss Li Jinxiu's marriage with Mother. Please don't worry too much about such trivial matters, and don't let your health be damaged! I will be heartbroken."
After a heart-wrenching coughing fit, Emperor Jingren's previously barely-there spirit was instantly sapped. His face revealed a weariness as he said, "If you were half as smart as your sister, I... could save myself a lot of worry."
Li Jinxiu knelt on the ground, head bowed, body trembling slightly. Hearing Emperor Jingren's words, a wave of bitterness welled up in his heart.
Li Yufeng said, "Huh?"
Her eyes seemed to fall inadvertently on the half-reviewed memorial.
"Huazhou is experiencing a flood," she said, her tone tinged with sadness. "The autumn rains have been exceptionally frequent this year, and even the Wei River has swelled."
Emperor Jingren's attention was indeed diverted.
He put down the porcelain bowl in his hand, sighed deeply, and said with a look of worry on his face, "It's not just Huazhou. Many rivers and canals have been flooded repeatedly, and the autumn crops along the rivers have been flooded. The people's hard work for a year has been wasted. Now their livelihood is difficult. I am worried that they may not be able to have a peaceful New Year this year."
Li Yu said, "The Li Dynasty has been blessed with great fortune. We have been able to weather many hardships in the past. Why should we be afraid of a mere flood?"
Having said that, Emperor Jingren raised his eyes and looked at his son who was kneeling below him. "Sanlang, what are your thoughts on this flood?"
Li Jinxiu pondered for a moment and said, "I believe there are three urgent matters."
"First, quickly dispatch food and fodder for disaster relief. The people of Huazhou and the surrounding disaster-stricken areas are short of food and clothing. We must quickly dispatch food from nearby granaries to prevent widespread starvation."
Emperor Jingren nodded slightly, motioning him to continue.
Li Jinxiu paused, then continued, "Second, resettlement of refugees."
"Third, regulate the river. Once the disaster situation eases, we should immediately organize manpower to dredge the river to ensure that the river can flow normally in the future."
He answered even more succinctly.
Emperor Jingren asked, "Do you know what Erlang said?"
Li Jinxiu: "My son is dull and I dare not speculate."
Emperor Jingren said, "What you two said is not much different. However, Erlang is more thoughtful and focused on the overall situation. I think he has a deeper understanding of the 'Strategies of Statecraft'." He laughed meaningfully. "I never thought that the Grand Tutor would turn you all into bookworms. Talking about war on paper is not easy."
He sighed, "Disasters have been frequent recently, and I've fallen ill. I'm worried that the country will be unstable."
Li Jinxiu prostrated himself and said, "My father, the Holy One is in good health. Our dynasty is blessed with great fortune. Heaven has mercy on us and will surely protect us from this disaster."
Emperor Jingren suddenly looked at Li Yu and said, "Wanyi, what about you?"
Li Yu was surprised to be suddenly called by Emperor Jingren. He said, "I think that instead of praying for the so-called mercy of heaven, it is better to rely on others and oneself and seek truth from facts."
"The flooding of the Wei River happened suddenly, which is a bit strange." She hesitated, "The autumn rain has been continuous, and the water level is high. Logically, the water level should rise from top to bottom. With dams in place, the Chishui River should be more prone to embankment breaches and flooding than the Wei River. But..." The fact is that the mouth of the Chishui River is peaceful, and it was the water that first submerged the Wei River in the south.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingren burst into laughter. "Wanyi hit the nail on the head!" He praised her repeatedly and asked Li Jinxiu, "Did you know that your sister is actually more right than both of you?"
Li Jinxiu still said the same thing: "I am stupid, but I beg you to guide me."
Emperor Jingren looked at his third son, who was of average talent, and the joy in his eyes faded a little. "The Wei River embankment could not withstand the impact of the water and collapsed first, causing the flood."
He stared at Li Jinxiu gravely and said, "I remember that the renovation of the Wei River embankment was originally entrusted to the emperor's uncle."
The uncle-in-law mentioned by Emperor Jingren is the Minister of Works and the younger brother of the current Empress.
The queen came from a distinguished family, the Qinghe Cui clan. However, her younger brother was a lazy and idle fool who didn't care about the world. He relied entirely on his sister, the queen, to get the position of vice minister in the Ministry of Works.
This man was a timid and hesitant person, and all he cared about was living a life of ease and comfort. However, the empress could not stand his unrestrained and unsuccessful appearance, so she forced him to work in the Ministry of Works.
His personality destined him to be unable to accomplish great things, so after the dam repair was completed, he went out to survey various places under the pretext of going out, but in fact he was traveling and enjoying the mountains and rivers.
Before leaving, he declared to his sister: "I don't want to bow before carriages and horses. I wish to die among the mountains and rivers!"
The queen was so angry that she fell seriously ill.
When Li Jinxiu mentioned his uncle, he was a little dazed for a moment.
He suddenly said, "Although my uncle's talents are mediocre, he will never be perfunctory when entrusted with important tasks. There must be a misunderstanding regarding the dam repair! I beg you, Father, to see clearly!"
Emperor Jingren said, "Why are you so nervous? I didn't say anything. Perhaps the dam has been neglected for a long time and has collapsed on its own."
However, everyone knows that once the levees are seriously repaired, it will not be easy to prevent floods within ten years.
He said, "Erlang has gone to take charge of disaster relief and the people's safety. Since it was your elder sister who pointed out the problem with the levee, I will give you full authority to repair it. I hope there won't be another flood next year."
He seemed to have turned the page, and with a wave of his hand, he drew a conclusion.
"I am tired, you should leave now."
When Li Jinxiu and Li Yu walked out of the palace, Li Jinxiu subconsciously looked back at Emperor Jingren, who looked exhausted.
But seeing the charcoal fire burning fiercely in the hall, Emperor Jingren could no longer conceal his fatigue. He held his forehead and sighed, waving to the side.
The eunuch naturally took out a small box, opened it, and inside lay a round black pill. Emperor Jingren took a look at the pill and said, "Only one left," and immediately swallowed it with water.
The eunuch said, "I have sent someone to ask, and the Taoist priest said that refining the elixir takes time, and the next batch may not be available for half a month."
After taking the pill, Emperor Jingren asked the eunuch, "What do you think happened? The most obedient Dalang used his magic to kill the late queen. My three remaining sons are less interested in government affairs than the other, yet they are all infatuated with love. On the contrary, Princess Wanyi is more intelligent than them all."
"Second and fourth lang are fine, at least they're married. But third lang is already so old, but he's still not getting married because of a maid. How can I not worry about him?"
The eunuch said, "As the saying goes, children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. Why are you all so worried?"
"It would be great if it were just as you said. It's a pity that when I was their age, Dalang and Erlang had already learned to walk, but now I don't even have a grandson. Is this retribution? Because back then I—"
"Everyone is worrying too much!" The eunuch hurriedly interrupted what Emperor Jingren was about to say. He secretly wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Your Highnesses, your blessings are determined by heaven and cannot be forced. Everyone's blessings are still to come!"
Emperor Jingren shook his head, said no more, and picked up the memorial again to review it.
Seeing that Emperor Jingren said no more, the eunuch was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, his clothes already soaked with cold sweat without him realizing it.
.
After the siblings returned to their own palaces, Li Yu could no longer suppress her anger. She called Li Jinxiu to her side, angrily saying, "Father scolded you today, but you kept talking back. All my mother's daily admonitions have gone to waste!"
Li Jinxiu remained silent. She continued, "If I hadn't brought the soup with me in time, would you have argued with Father again about that maidservant?"
Li Yu: "Ajin, it's time for you to grow up."
Li Jinxiu, who had been silent for a long time, asked, "Sister, what does growing up mean to you?"
He raised his eyes, his gaze burning. "He allowed his wife to be embarrassed by the Queen Mother, while his husband, A-di, did nothing and just followed the Queen Mother's instructions?"
"Or will you accept Father's reprimand today, shift the blame onto your uncle, and give an answer that will satisfy Father?"
Li Yu was so stunned by his gaze that he didn't dare to look him in the eye for a moment.
"There are problems with the dam, but it's definitely not my uncle's doing. I know he's not that kind of person. If it were you, would you follow my father's lead and put the blame on him?"
Tears welled up in Li Yu's eyes. She said, "If not, you will be the one to take the blame! Now that the responsibility of repairing the dam has been assigned to you, and you have publicly angered the emperor, who knows how he will punish you secretly."
She gritted her teeth and said, "Now the emperor has ordered you and the crown prince to deal with the flood problem together. Who knows if the crown prince will misunderstand—" misunderstand that the emperor has other intentions.
Li Jinxiu looked at the gloomy rain and said, "We can't be too aggressive, nor can we be too reserved and dull. We also have to satisfy Father."
"Sister," he said, his face showing fatigue, but his mouth was full of treasonous words, "It would be so great if Sister were a man."
As soon as he finished speaking, a loud slap followed. Li Yu widened his eyes, as if surprised why his brother would say such a thing.
Li Jinxiu seemed oblivious to the pain. "Sister always says that I'm too kindhearted, indecisive, and easily exploited. Father and Mother often say the same, but that's just my nature. Only sister can satisfy Father and Mother. My talent will never match that of sister. I don't like to compete for any position, but Mother forces me to perform, to compete, and to fight."
"Every time my mother says, 'If I had half the understanding of my elder sister, I wouldn't have to worry so much,' I always think, 'I wish my elder sister were my older brother.'"
"With my elder sister fighting the crown prince for the throne, I can live under her protection, live the life I want, protect the people I want to protect, and my mother can also fulfill her wish and become her queen mother."
He opened his mouth one after another, and the words he said made Li Yu dizzy. She felt distressed and angry. In the end, thousands of words gathered into a tear that flowed from the corner of her eye.
She said, "Someone come."
With his eyes suddenly widened, Li Jinxiu clearly saw that his elder sister's secret guards quietly and neatly killed the servants around him and disposed of the bodies.
Not long after, a group of new servants came in and replaced the original positions.
Li Yu's eyes showed reluctance and self-blame, but no regret. She said, "Li Jinxiu, your words and actions today are another lesson for you. Be careful with your words and actions."
"You will pay for what you said. Perhaps it will cost someone else's life, or something else entirely. If such outrageous words of yours were to get out, not only you, but also me and Mother, would be implicated."
Before leaving, Li Yu said, "In the palace, human life is worthless. Anyone can lose their life because of your words or actions. Including the maidservant you want to protect the most."
"You'd better take care of yourself." Her figure gradually blurred in the rain.
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