Chapter 7 Mother-Daughter Love
Since the conversation between the master and the disciple, Liu Yongcheng has become more and more concerned about Zhu Yuhuan's teaching, and Zhu Yuhuan naturally works harder.
She didn't feel it was hard, but Hu Shanxiang felt very distressed. Her daughter was just a child, and after practicing every day, her legs and feet were swollen like four small carrots. Even if she really wanted to get closer to the generals, she didn't have to work so hard.
Seeing Hu Shanxiang silently shedding tears while applying medicine to her, Zhu Yuhuan, who was lying on the bed, had no choice but to comfort Hu Shanxiang: "Mother, only what you learn is your own. Although my great-grandfather can give me fine clothes and delicious food, he can also take it all away. Only what you hold in your hands is real."
Hu Shanxiang quickly covered her mouth. Seeing that there was no one outside the room, she said, "Don't talk nonsense. The emperor loves you the most." After she finished speaking, she saw that Zhu Yuhuan looked calm, and then she realized something. She said in surprise, "Huanhuan, you..."
Zhu Yuhuan spoke frankly, "Grandpa is the ruler of the world. As long as he wants to know, there is nothing he can't know. Grandpa and Daddy both know this, so they let Grandpa and I act like spoiled brats, knowing that I can't say anything outrageous and can even please Grandpa."
Hu Shanxiang felt even more distressed when she saw that a little girl like her could understand all this. She reached out and hugged her daughter, whispering, "You and your father are exactly alike."
Although Zhu Zhanji was both civil and military, and was even praised by Xie Jin as a "good saintly grandson", he was not the same kind of person as his grandfather Zhu Di. Although Zhu Zhanji obeyed the repeated northern expeditions, he did not support them in his heart. He grew up in Yingtian and preferred peace. He was afraid that the world would not be able to maintain long-term stability if there were continuous wars.
But even the favored Crown Prince could only feign submission when confronting the Emperor. Others might not be able to see the Crown Prince's patience, but as his bedmate and the Crown Prince's Consort personally appointed by the Emperor, how could Hu Shanxiang not know?
The Crown Prince cannot hate the Emperor, and the grandson cannot hate his grandfather, but it doesn't matter to an "outsider" like her.
Zhu Zhanji only used Hu Shanxiang as a tool to prove her "obedience" to Zhu Di. Giving birth to two daughters in succession was Hu Shanxiang's "guilt" and a legitimate reason for Zhu Zhanji to ignore Hu Shanxiang.
Precisely because she knew all this clearly, Hu Shanxiang would rather her daughter not be spoiled at all, at least not have to go against her own conscience since childhood, forcing herself to have two faces in front of and behind people, with only a heart full of conspiracies and tricks, and end up with an ending of "being abandoned after it has served its purpose" in the future.
Zhu Yuhuan leaned in Hu Shanxiang's arms and whispered, "Mother, it's time for my aunt to leave the palace. She has worked hard for the Hu family for so many years. It's time for her to be retiring at home."
Hu Shanxiang put the medicine jar aside and asked calmly, "Didn't you ask your aunt to do you a 'small favor' earlier? Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?"
Zhu Yuhuan said confidently, "It's because of asking my aunt for help that I feel that it's not easy for her to be in the palace. No matter what she does, someone is watching her. It's better for her to leave the palace early so that she won't be worried about her every day."
Hu Shanxiang was slightly stunned and looked at the candlelight in the distance without saying a word.
Zhu Yuhuan didn't understand why Zhu Zhanji was so distant from Hu Shanxiang before, but after Zhu Di said that, Zhu Yuhuan vaguely guessed it.
Hu Shanxiang's elder sister Hu Shanwei had served as a female official in the Ming Dynasty's imperial palace since the Hongwu period. She was promoted to the rank of Shang Gong, the head of the six Shang female officials. Needless to say, her connections over the years are beyond words. Just looking at Zhu Di personally intervening and appointing Hu Shanxiang as the Crown Prince's Consort, we know that Hu Shanwei and Zhu Di had some connection. The news leaked from the East Palace might also be related to Hu Shanwei.
It is true that Zhu Di was the emperor, but he could not be the emperor forever. If the emperor was replaced in the future, the sisters Hu Shanwei and Hu Shanxiang would probably not have a good end. However, Hu Shanwei was caught between the emperor and the Eastern Palace, and whatever she did would be wrong. She was ultimately helpless.
History says that Empress Hu was deposed without any fault, but Zhu Yuhuan at this moment vaguely sensed the real reason for Hu Shanxiang's dethronement - collusion between the inside and the outside. Which emperor could accept this? Not dealing with it now is simply because the time has not come yet.
Hu Shanxiang stared at her daughter for a long time, then reached out and scratched her nose. She smiled and said, "Don't let your imagination run wild. Your aunt is now in charge of the Six Shangs, and the Crown Princess is in charge of the inner court on behalf of the Queen. Concubine Hu is in such high esteem, how could she resign so easily? The Crown Princess wouldn't allow it."
Before Zhu Yuhuan could say anything else, Hu Shanxiang patted her leg, which had been medicated, and said, "Well, you practice every day, yet you still have the energy to ask questions here. Next time, I won't help you apply the medicine. Let the palace maids around you do it."
Zhu Yuhuan's face was already swollen, and after being slapped like that, he couldn't help but cry out "ouch!", which made Hu Shanxiang laugh softly with her hands covering her lips. Her eyes, which were usually as calm as water, were particularly touching when they smiled. Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but be stunned and looked at his own mother eagerly.
Hu Shanxiang looked at her daughter's dazed look and asked with amusement, "Why are you dazed? You're not moving at all."
Zhu Yuhuan lay on the bed, supporting his chin with one hand, and said, "When Mom smiles, she looks like the fairy in Dad's painting. Why don't you smile more in front of Dad?"
Hu Shanxiang lowered her eyes, a small shadow cast by her eyelashes on her fair face under the light. She whispered, "The person in your father's paintings was never me. Even if I smiled, it would only be an ugly imitation."
Zhu Yuhuan blinked and said, "But if you don't smile, how can you tell if the person in the painting is my mother?"
Hu Shanxiang didn't answer, but simply reached out and tapped her forehead, half helpless, half amused, and said, "Well, it's so late, go back and get some rest."
Zhu Yuhuan deliberately rolled over on the bed and said, "I want to sleep with my mother."
Hu Shanxiang was stunned. She hadn't expected her daughter to say this. She asked, "Don't you have to go to martial arts practice as usual tomorrow? Why do you want to sleep with me? What if you delay your practice?"
Zhu Yuhuan hugged the quilt on the bed and said coquettishly: "Mother never sleeps with me and Tongtong. I finally met her to apply medicine for me. Let me stay with her today."
Hu Shanxiang was at her wit's end and could only say, "It's fine to sleep together, but you can't let it interfere with your own business. Got it?"
Zhu Yuhuan stretched out his voice and said obediently: "Yes——"
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