Since their conversation with Wanji last time, the girls have all been somewhat moved, and they can't help but look forward to the day when female officials are appointed in the imperial court.
It just so happened that Hongyan came to borrow books that day, and Hutu couldn't help but tell him about it.
"I never imagined that Wanji's thoughts would be so similar to my mother's and mine. She seems to be the kind of modern woman my mother talked about."
Hongyan nodded in agreement: "Indeed excellent. Lord Ortai serves Father in the court, so his daughter is naturally no less capable. Such vision and magnanimity are truly admirable."
Hutuli said with a grin, "I heard my mother say that every reform will encounter resistance. If the resistance is only on my side, that would be great. I hope there will be no more obstacles in the future."
Hongyan frowned: "Sister, don't be too optimistic. Although those with ulterior motives in the palace have been investigated and dealt with, the management of those around you needs to be strengthened. People say that those with selfish motives are fickle. She may be loyal to someone else today, but not tomorrow. After what happened last time, it turns out that the people around you weren't discerning enough."
Hutuli pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then said, "You're right."
After entering the palace, in addition to the palace maids and nannies around her, her mother trained four more and sent them over. The Imperial Household Department also brought in more than ten palace servants. These forces were mixed together. Previously, she was impatient to use any methods of managing subordinates and directly used her status as a princess to suppress them. She would use whoever she liked, promote whoever she liked, and send away whoever she didn't like.
However, this also has its drawbacks. Although she established her supreme authority, which even the nanny could not shake in the slightest, she could not personally supervise everything, nor did she have the energy or spirit to do so. In the end, she still had to delegate some authority to her subordinates.
However, it is important to strike the right balance.
Meanwhile, Changning had already discussed with Consort Mao that ten days later, Yierha would leave the palace with Hutuli, and the official story would be that they were going to visit relatives at the Fucha residence.
Then, Fashan was sent to Fucha Prefecture to meet Yierha.
Hutuli and Hongyan had been talking about it several times, wanting to go and congratulate Duoxihui, so his wedding with Li Suitan was set for the end of the year.
That evening, when Yinzhen was with the children, Changning brought up the matter.
Hutuli exclaimed excitedly, "Great! Mother, don't worry, I'll definitely make sure my sister has a good time!"
Changning, still worried, instructed, "The point isn't to have fun. Once you get to the Fucha residence, give the two of them some space, especially you. Hutu, don't show yourself in front of Fashan or anything, to avoid causing unnecessary trouble."
Hutu pouted: "Okay!"
After instructing her daughter, Changning then instructed her son, "Hongyan, when you go out in a couple of days, remember to bring a congratulatory gift. Alin is your lucky charm, and Duoxihui has always been on good terms with you, so it would be best to give him a token of your affection."
Hongyan nodded obediently.
Hongzhao looked at Changning with longing eyes: "Mother, I want to go too! I also want to congratulate my cousin Duoxihui, and I want to see my eldest sister's future husband."
Changning flicked him on the forehead: "What are you going to do? Try to cause trouble? You go to the study and behave yourself."
Hongzhao pouted, clearly unwilling.
Hongchen also insisted on going, but Hongmin suppressed him.
Now Hongmin is Hongchen's nemesis, and Hongyang has to obey him and doesn't dare to mess around with Hongchen.
Changning looked at the children with a smile, casually asking about their recent situations. Yinzhen smiled without saying a word, enjoying the leisurely time with his children.
"Mother, what is a gentle haven?" Hongchen blinked his big eyes and suddenly asked.
The entire Chengqian Palace fell silent instantly.
Changning asked incredulously, "Hongchen, what did you say?"
Hongchen felt that after he asked the question, his older brothers and sisters looked at him blankly, and his father's expression was also a little bad, which startled him. However, he couldn't suppress his curiosity, so he braced himself and asked the question again.
“What is the ‘gentle haven’? It’s like Hongqing said that this book is not worth reading and is not interesting at all. I said that we should go play with a slingshot instead. He said that playing with a slingshot is also boring. We should immerse ourselves in the gentle haven instead.”
After saying that, Hongchen looked very confused: "Then I asked him what a gentle haven was, and he didn't say anything, he just kept laughing."
Hongyan frowned, but with his father and mother present, he couldn't say anything.
Yinzhen's anger was quite evident, and Changning was also somewhat displeased: "Why is Hongqing causing trouble again? Hongchen is so young, why is he saying such things out of the blue?"
Yinzhen snorted coldly: "If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too. The third prince is always indulging in romantic escapades, so naturally Hongqing will be influenced by what he sees and hears."
It seems that Yinzhen was really furious, and he didn't even care about speaking ill of his elders in front of the children. The contempt on his face couldn't be more obvious.
Changning took Hongchen's hand and explained to him briefly: "The pleasures of the world are for adults with weak wills. Our Hongchen is still young and at the age when he should be studying. He's also very smart and different from those other people, so of course he can't indulge in them, right?"
Upon hearing his mother's words, Hongchen immediately understood and puffed out his chest, saying, "Don't worry, Mother! Hongchen is the smartest and will never be as weak-willed as Hongqing. They're all fools!"
Changning smiled and gave a thumbs up.
Hutuli utterly loathed Hongqing and her family: "That Hongqing is so annoying, the older she gets, the more annoying she becomes!"
Yinzhen frowned and asked Hongzhao, "What has Hongqing been doing in the Imperial Study these days?"
Hongzhao also disliked him: "Father, he teases cats and dogs all day long. Every time my lamb leg comes over, I have to walk around him, otherwise he will deliberately scare me if he sees me."
He's always arguing with this person or getting into a fight with that person, and he often deliberately causes trouble. Everyone in the Imperial Study is getting fed up with him.
Hongzhao didn't want to complain either. It was disgraceful to talk badly about someone behind their back and tell his father, and it also made him seem childish.
But this wasn't a complaint; it was a truthful answer to his father's words. Besides, he wasn't wrong. Hongqing had been becoming increasingly unruly and undisciplined lately, as if... as if it were on purpose.
Yinzhen nodded, his expression unreadable: "Alright, Father understands. You all go back and rest; we have to get up early tomorrow."
The children all went home obediently.
Yinzhen's eyes flickered, and he instructed Su Peisheng: "Go and issue an imperial decree that Hongqing should return to his residence to reflect on his actions, and that he need not go to the Imperial Study anymore."
Changning didn't understand: "Hong Qingming is clearly trying to leave the palace, that's why he's deliberately causing trouble. Aren't you going to do something about it?"
Yinzhen sneered, "Does this little monkey think he can fly? I'd like to see what he's up to."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
