Chapter 177 My Fun is About to Begin
Wuya was startled and quickly composed herself, responding solemnly.
"I will never forget the teachings of the Steward. The Empress's kindness is like giving me a second life. I will repay her kindness with all my heart and will never do anything rebellious."
"Just remember what you said today."
Seeing that she looked respectful and genuine, Li Guiping softened his tone.
"Tomorrow is the day of the Imperial Concubine's Reflection, and all the concubines in the six palaces will go to Kunning Palace to pay their respects to Her Majesty. Her Majesty loves to watch a good show. As a newly promoted concubine, you must perform well tomorrow and not disappoint her."
He deliberately emphasized the word "performance".
Uya understood immediately and nodded.
"Yes, Uya understands."
"Alright, we should go back and inform the princess that the emperor has something urgent to attend to and has already set off for the Qianqing Palace."
Li Guiping twitched the corner of his mouth, imagining Tongjia's expression upon hearing the news, and then said.
"Just wait patiently. The imperial decree will likely arrive soon. The Imperial Household Department will take you to Yonghe Palace to make arrangements."
After saying that, Li Guiping said no more.
He turned and walked quickly toward the dining hall.
When Li Guiping returned to the dining hall, Tongjia was indeed already waiting there, looking rather impatient.
Seeing that only he had returned, she frowned and asked.
"Li Guiping, where is the Emperor? Didn't he say he needed to change his clothes? Why is he taking so long?"
Li Guiping quickly bowed, his face displaying just the right amount of embarrassment and respect.
"Your Highness, His Majesty... His Majesty has just finished changing his clothes when Chief Steward Liang hurriedly reported that there are urgent matters of state that require His Majesty's immediate attention. His Majesty instructed me to tell Your Highness that he will not be able to have dinner with you and that you should eat on your own without waiting for him."
Upon hearing this, the expectant smile on Tongjia's face froze instantly, replaced by deep disappointment and unease.
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end she could only wave her hand weakly, her voice low.
"I understand. You may leave."
"Yes, sir."
Li Guiping respectfully withdrew.
As he turned around, a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth. He was just about to report this good news to the Empress.
When the Empress finds out, she will surely remember his contribution.
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The dining hall of Kunning Palace was brightly lit.
The aroma of the dishes filled the air.
Jiang Nan was having dinner with her son Erhe, enjoying a rare moment of warmth during the day.
Erhe's little mouth was stuffed full.
While chewing diligently, he excitedly shared with his mother, the Empress Dowager, the interesting things that happened in the Imperial Study that day.
"Your Majesty, today the teacher taught me some new sentences from the Thousand Character Classic, and I have memorized them all. The teacher even praised me for memorizing them quickly!"
Erhe tilted his little face up, his eyes sparkling, full of a desire for praise.
Jiang Nan picked up a piece of his favorite steamed fish belly with his chopsticks.
She carefully removed the thorns and placed the item on the small plate in front of him, her eyes gentle.
"Our Erhe is really smart. His studies are demanding, and learning takes a lot of effort, so you should eat more."
She loved listening to her son ramble on about these trivial matters related to his studies. At that moment, she wasn't an empress, but just an ordinary mother.
Erhe swallowed the food in his mouth, then suddenly seemed to remember something important and put down his spoon.
He leaned closer to Jiang Nan mysteriously and whispered.
“Your Majesty, after class today, all the other students and their companions left, but the teacher… the teacher suddenly called me aside and whispered a few words to me.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan paused slightly in her chopsticks, her smile remaining warm and her tone casual and natural.
"Oh? What were you whispering that you couldn't let others hear?"
A sense of vigilance quietly rose in his heart.
The tutors of the royal children are extremely strict about rules, and it is taboo for them to have private conversations with the princes.
Erhe was unaware of his mother's subtle change and, still feeling a bit excited about being treated specially, whispered.
"The teacher first praised my recent great progress in my studies, saying that I am the most intelligent child he has ever seen, and that he is proud to be my teacher."
He paused, mimicking the gentleman's tone, with a solemnity that seemed out of place for his age.
"The master also said... that I am the eldest son of the Emperor, of noble birth and with great talent, and that in the future... I will surely have a great future, and perhaps... perhaps I will even be able to rule the Qing Dynasty!"
Jiang Nan raised an eyebrow slightly, inwardly sneering.
Is she trying to bewitch her son?
She'd seen this kind of tactic countless times in her previous life before she started working as a food delivery driver.
They use grand promises and rosy scenarios to brainwash young people, making them willingly work like slaves.
I never imagined that after traveling back to the Qing Dynasty, I would be able to relive those times through my son.
She remained calm and continued serving food to her son, her tone as gentle as ever.
"Oh? What else did he say?"
She wanted to hear what this so-called gentleman was up to.
Erkh thought for a moment, then said again.
"The teacher also said that people's hearts are complicated, and apart from Father Emperor and Mother Emperor, he is the only one who truly cares about me. He told me to be careful of others and not to trust them easily. He also said that if I have any questions about my studies in the future, I can always go to him for answers."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan instantly understood.
Wow, that's brilliant! Absolutely brilliant.
First, use flattery to build rapport, then establish a dedicated channel of dependence.
This is a crash course for infants, combining emotional manipulation and workplace management skills.
This is no whispered conversation; it's blatant political investment and emotional blackmail!
It seems this gentleman is not very knowledgeable, but he is quite adept at speculative research.
This was a gamble made in advance, taking advantage of Erhe's status as the eldest son of the emperor and the current situation of Emperor Kangxi's limited offspring.
He wanted to play the role of the emperor's tutor, cultivating Erhe's dependence and trust in him from a young age, paving the way for the future.
She felt nothing, and even felt a little like applauding the brave man who dared to set his sights on her son.
Jiang Nan put down her chopsticks, her gaze calm yet reassuring, and looked at Erhe with a patient and gentle tone.
“Irkh, the sir praises you because you have indeed done well and deserve praise. But you must learn to discern certain things.”
Erkh listened intently with his clear, large eyes wide open.
"When you go to the study, your primary purpose is to learn knowledge, understand principles, and strengthen your body. You should respect the teacher who teaches you knowledge."
Her expression was serious, and her words were guiding.
"But you must remember that a person's future is not determined by a few words from others, but by what they have learned, what they have done, and what they have learned."
"As for things outside of knowledge, such as which gentleman privately praises how promising you will be in the future, or tells you who to be wary of and who to be close to, just treat all these nonsense as a passing breeze, let them go in one ear and out the other, don't take them to heart, and don't bother to think about them."
Erhe blinked his big eyes, somewhat puzzled.
"But... Empress Dowager, the teacher praised me and said he was good to me. Isn't he a good person?"
Jiang Nan looked at her son's innocent and confused eyes and sighed inwardly.
It is premature to directly analyze the dark side of human nature and political opportunism with a seven-year-old child.
It can also make a son feel insecure, and may even backfire.
It seems this problem can't be solved by blocking it from the children.
She reached out and gently patted her son's head, adopting a relaxed tone.
"Of course, your teacher wants what's best for you, that's why he's teaching you. Your mother is just telling you to do what you're supposed to do and learn what you're supposed to learn. As for the rest, your father and mother will take care of it. Hurry up and eat, the food's getting cold."
Erhe nodded as if he understood, though he didn't quite understand why his mother didn't want him to care about the teacher's kind words.
But he always listened to his mother, so he obediently picked up his spoon and continued eating.
Watching her son bury his head in his food again.
Jiang Nan remained gentle on the surface, but in her heart she had already sentenced the man she had never met to death.
It seems she'll have to go to the Imperial Study tomorrow to observe and learn.
Perfect timing, she's so bored she's practically rusting, going out to have some fun is a good idea.
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