Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 398 Untitled
ps: The title is wrong, it should be chapter 400

"Lin Shu, the court is full of famous ministers and generals who have followed your majesty in the rebellion and have made many contributions. When the court meeting starts the day after tomorrow, you must not be as radical as you were today."

After a quick lunch in the inn, Tang Jingsong reminded again and again before leaving.

"Junior understands."

He Ziyuan bowed in response, and his expression returned to normal.

"After arriving at the residence tonight, you two will take a rest for the night. Tomorrow morning, write a policy paper and I will hand it over to His Majesty so that His Majesty can have an understanding of your abilities in advance."

"No need to wait until tomorrow. When we return to Mr. Tang's residence at noon, Ji Fu and I can start writing the policy paper."

"In recent days, we have been resting while traveling. Brother Lin Shu and I are in high spirits. We can take advantage of this opportunity when our thoughts are clear to write down the draft in our minds. If we delay for a day, some content may be omitted in the policy paper we write, which would be bad."

"Okay, as you wish."

…………

In the back garden of the Chang'an Imperial Palace, a one-year-old child, supported by a middle-aged man, was learning to walk crookedly among the flowers.

"Good girl, slow down a bit, take your right foot first, then your left foot."

Li Mingyuan supported the girl in front of him with both hands and gave instructions in a very professional manner.

"Your Majesty, Xin'er has just turned one year old, how can she understand your instructions?"

Queen Wu Lingxuan stood aside, looking at Li Mingyuan's serious expression and smiled sweetly.

"Haha, I forgot."

Li Mingyuan smiled, staring at his daughter who was moving her arms around, and said happily, "Good girl, Xin'er, when you grow up, you must learn from your mother and be a pretty and lovely little lady, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Little Xiner waved her little arms, tilted her neck and spoke to Li Mingyuan in wonderful, clear and sweet words.

"Haha, my dear daughter agreed."

Li Mingyuan picked up his little daughter. Feeling Xiao Xin'er's unwillingness, he took a few slow steps and carefully handed his daughter to Queen Wu Lingxuan, instructing her, "The girl is young and weak. We need to arrange for a few more people to watch over her."

"Your Majesty, rest assured. Xin'er's diet, rest, and physical examinations are all supervised by special people. Xin'er will not be exposed to dangerous things."

While Empress Wu Lingxuan was talking to Li Mingyuan, she teased the little girl in her arms: "Little Princess Xin'er, tell your father quickly, is what your mother said right?"

"ma, ma"

The little girl buried her head in Wu Lingxuan's neck and made a crisp sound from her mouth.

"Xiao Xin'er can call me mom now." Li Mingyuan was deeply touched when he heard his daughter speak for the first time.

"A month ago, Xin'er was able to say simple words like mom, dad, and brother. However, your Majesty has been busy with state affairs recently and has rarely visited Weiyang Palace. Xin'er has had little contact with your Majesty and is a little shy, so she rarely calls him father or dad."

Wu Lingxuan said with resentment.

"I have neglected you and your son. After I finish dealing with the affairs of the court, I will take time to spend more time with you three."

Matters concerning the government and the overall development of the country occupied a large amount of Li Mingyuan's time. On the other hand, after 1882, Ying'er, Xiaolan and a white woman who were officially married into the palace also occupied the rest of his time.

"There are five concubines in the harem. Your Majesty usually goes to other palaces to rest. I can't say anything, but I heard recently that Your Majesty often lingers in the Xianfei's residence in Chunhua Palace of Changle Palace. I am worried that some gossip will spread outside and damage Your Majesty's reputation."

"Xuan'er, I know what you are worried about."

Li Mingyuan held the queen in his arms and explained, "I have heard some rumors in the palace and the court. The ministers are worried that the prince born by Concubine Xian will threaten the status of the second prince. After all, Concubine Xian is a white Western woman, and the child she gave birth to is not of pure Chinese descent. If he is made the crown prince, it will be unfair to Jingliang and will also attract criticism from the people, which will affect the reputation of the royal family among the people."

Li Mingyuan lowered his head, looked directly at Empress Wu Lingxuan, and said in a gentle tone: "Xuan'er, do you think what I said is right?"

"Your Majesty is wise. Nothing I think or think can escape your eyes."

Wu Lingxuan felt guilty that Li Mingyuan had seen through her thoughts. She looked up at him, then lowered her head again.

"The long-term development and stability of the country and the inheritance of the royal family are the top priorities. Although Concubine Xian is favored, I know what is important and what is not. If she gives birth to a prince, I will give her child the same love as other princes and princesses in the harem. However, no matter how much I favor Concubine Xian, I will not make her child the crown prince. This point will never change."

"Your Majesty, isn't this unfair to Concubine Xian?"

When she first married into the palace, Wu Lingxuan was an innocent and kind little girl. After living in the palace for nearly nine years and giving birth to the emperor's son Li Jingliang and Princess Le'an Li Xiner, her temperament became much more stable, but her pure and kind nature remained unchanged. When she heard how Li Mingyuan would treat Concubine Xian's future children, Wu Lingxuan still felt a little reluctant, even though it was the promise she hoped to get.

"Born in an imperial family, there is no such thing as absolute fairness. I just hope that Concubine Xian can understand my painstaking efforts and not harbor resentment."

"I am sorry to have caused Your Majesty trouble. Please punish me."

"If the matter of Concubine Xian is explained clearly as soon as possible, the ministers will be relieved sooner. No one is wrong in this matter. I can only blame myself for relaxing my requirements a few years ago and not refusing those six women to enter the palace. Otherwise, there would not be today's problem."

"Your Majesty is the ruler of a country. It is your Majesty's responsibility to expand the royal family. The three women entering the palace were allowed by me. Your Majesty does not need to blame yourself."

After spending a long time with Li Mingyuan, Wu Lingxuan's understanding of her husband has become deeper than before. In the court, Li Mingyuan is a wise and sage-like monarch, but in the backyard of the imperial palace, a few times of indulgence made Wu Lingxuan gradually understand that Li Mingyuan is also an ordinary person with flesh and blood. He likes young and beautiful women like other men, and sometimes reveals his youthful innocence like a willful child. The only difference is that Li Mingyuan has higher requirements for himself and knows how to control his desires. When getting along with the women in the harem, he will put down his emperor's airs, get along with them like an ordinary couple, say some considerate words of love, and do some small actions to care for others. All these things deeply moved Wu Lingxuan. Therefore, five years ago, Wu Lingxuan used the power of the queen to take the initiative to select suitable women from the people to enter the palace and make efforts to reproduce the royal offspring.

Wu Lingxuan's actions won Li Mingyuan's gratitude, and at the same time established an image of being sensible and broad-minded in the outer court. Therefore, although Wu Lingxuan gave birth to a prince later than Concubine Zhang Baoyi, the status of the second prince Li Jingliang was more stable than that of the eldest son Li Jing'an, and he was regarded by many ministers outside the court as the first line of succession to the royal family.

Faced with the discussions outside the court about the candidate for the crown prince, Wu Lingxuan had never taken the initiative to fight for her son, so she and many concubines in the harem had personally experienced that although Emperor Li Mingyuan was nearly 37 years old, his body was no different from nine years ago. At the age of 37, he could still participate in the -kilometer long-distance cross-country race every few days like the young guards. Moreover, Li Mingyuan, who was generally more than ten years older than the concubines in the harem, did not look old at all when standing with them.

Her husband was a special person. Since the secret uprising in 1868, the legendary events that happened to him were difficult to understand in a reasonable way. The mystery shrouding Li Mingyuan increased the confidence of concubines in the harem such as Wu Lingxuan. They believed more than the ministers outside the court that Li Mingyuan's physical condition would not be a problem for a long time in the future. They also believed that the issue of establishing the country's crown prince could be discussed ten or even twenty years later.

(End of this chapter)