Wei Shiqing smiled, "Your son was busy these past few days and didn't pay much attention. However, when that Yu Yonghuai went to report to the Ministry of War, your son happened to be there on business and saw him from afar..."
Empress Nie immediately asked excitedly, "How does that Young General Yu look?"
Wei Shiqing recalled, "He looked quite good. Tall and straight, a bit taller than your son, and very heroic in appearance. Although sturdy, he wasn't rough and burly..."
Empress Nie couldn't help but picture Yu Yonghuai's appearance as Wei Shiqing described him, and she couldn't help but get lost in thought, "He sounds like a good young man... A Yan was always quiet before leaving the palace, I don't know how they get along. Will A Yan scare the Young General Yu away?"
Wei Shiqing remembered his younger brother leaving the palace, the small figure silently climbing into the carriage driven by Qin Gongfeng, and finally, leaning against the carriage window, with red eyes and a hoarse voice, telling him not to see him off.
Wei Shiqing's heart felt like a heavy stone soaked in water, slowly seeping out yellow water, bitterness slowly spreading. He silently decided to have the Ministry of Works people prioritize the renovation of Yu Yonghuai's residence. Although his Emperor Father said that exceeding the regulations was not a problem, it was better to avoid such things if possible.
Empress Nie suddenly remembered something, her eyes lit up, "That's right, you said that the Yu family members followed the Young General Yu from the countryside to the Capital City for his appointment. Surely, the inner residence must be lacking someone who knows the ins and outs of the Capital City's inner courtyards?"
Empress Nie had only just begun, and Wei Shiqing had already guessed what Empress Nie intended to do.
Wei Shiqing shook his head, "Mother Empress, giving a larger residence could be considered a reward for military merit. If you were to send someone over, I fear that within a day, all the dignitaries in the Capital City would know that something is amiss with the Yu family. I don't think Second Brother would want to see that."
Empress Nie was suddenly a little disappointed.
A Yan was the son she and Emperor Jiazheng owed the most, the most, the most. She also wanted to do something for A Yan.
Wei Shiqing couldn't bear to see the obvious disappointment on his mother's face. He thought for a moment and gently suggested, "Mother Empress, once the Young General Yu receives his reward, he will likely petition for an Imperial Decree of Rank for his mother or grandmother. At that time, please remind Father Emperor to instruct his subordinates not to obstruct the Imperial Decree of Rank for the Yu family's womenfolk... This way, when you summon the inner and outer court ladies to the palace for an audience, you can naturally meet the Yu family womenfolk. At that time, you can appropriately show your affection for the Yu family womenfolk, and that will be enough."
Empress Nie's face showed a look of pleasant surprise, "That's right, A Qing's mind works so fast."
As they were talking, a figure in red darted in, running very fast as if someone were chasing him, "Mother Empress! Your son heard that Crown Prince Brother is here?"
Empress Nie only heard the voice and showed a look of a slight headache.
Wei Shiqing chuckled, "A You, you are almost twelve years old, can't you be more composed?"
The dashing young boy in red stopped, and met Wei Shiqing's gaze with a bright smile, "Eldest Brother! Didn't you say you'd have time in a couple of days to take me out of the palace to go horseback riding?"
Empress Nie said with a headache, "A You, come here, I was just looking for you."
Upon seeing Empress Nie's expression, Wei Shiyou felt something was wrong and was about to slip away, but Wei Shiqing grabbed him by the collar of his clothes and tossed him into Empress Nie's arms.
Empress Nie twisted Wei Shiyou's ear, "Consort Bai came to complain yesterday, saying you scared your Sixth Brother by saying a snake was crawling into his trouser leg, scaring him into jumping into the pond. Is that true?"
Wei Shiyou coughed, his eyes darting around, "Mother Empress, you also said that Sixth Brother jumped into the pond himself..."
"Wei Shiyou!" Empress Nie called Wei Shiyou by his full name with a stern face.
Perhaps all children, upon hearing their parents call them by their full name, would be startled.
Only then did Wei Shiyou become obedient, "Who told Sixth Brother to say that Second Brother is a jinx..."
Empress Nie and Wei Shiqing's previously helpless expressions instantly changed upon hearing this.
Wei Shiyou was still dejectedly complaining, completely unaware that his loving mother and gentle elder brother's expressions had turned very grim, "...Sixth Brother too, he dared to say that about Second Brother, and I didn't hit him or scold him, I just scared him a little, which was already very good! He himself got scared and jumped into the pond, is that my fault?"
Empress Nie reached out and placed her hand on Wei Shiyou's shoulder, "A You, you should have just beaten your Sixth Brother!"
The young boy in red let out a "Ah" and looked up blankly.
"Your Second Brother is for the Great Xia..." Empress Nie couldn't bear to say more and changed the subject, "...When your Second Brother left the palace, your Sixth Brother wasn't even born yet, how could he know anything! Someone must have been gossiping to your Sixth Brother. Consort Bai is negligent in her management, and she still has the nerve to complain to me!"
Wei Shiqing let out a cold laugh, "Speaking of which, not long ago Father Emperor received a secret letter from the retired Grand Scholar Liu, and subsequently reprimanded the maternal clan of Consort Bai, the Lin Yang Marquis Manor. At this time, Consort Bai still dares to act like this, who gave her the courage!"
Empress Nie remembered something, a hint of frost on her face, and instructed Wei Shiqing, "Do not interfere in the affairs of the palace concubines. Leave this matter to me. You go and handle the matter of Young General Yu."
Wei Shiqing's lips moved, and finally, he bowed, "Yes, Mother Empress, your son understands."
Before Wei Shiqing left, out of brotherly affection, he still took his younger brother away.
—Their Mother Empress was clearly about to find trouble with someone, and if this foolish younger brother stayed here, he might get caught in the crossfire.
The two sons left the side hall, and the sunlight slanted into the window, casting half of Empress Nie's face in shadow.
Empress Nie's voice was steady and calm as she called over the head palace maid, Mochun.
"Go, summon Consort Bai, and make her kneel before the gate of my palace to reflect on her mistakes."
Mochun took the order and left.
Consort Bai, until she was kneeling on the cold stone slabs outside the Kunning Palace, still couldn't figure out what mistake she had made.
Could it be because she had complained to the Empress about the Third Prince bullying her Ah Sheng?!
The Empress is going too far, too far!
Consort Bai felt extremely wronged. In the evening, when Emperor Jiazheng finished his official duties and came to have dinner with Empress Nie, she fainted on the stone slabs.
Emperor Jiazheng learned from the palace servants that Consort Bai was being punished by the Empress to kneel there, and was somewhat surprised, "The Empress has always been good-natured. For Consort Bai to have angered the Empress to this extent, she must have committed some grave mistake!"
Emperor Jiazheng flicked his sleeve, "Send Consort Bai back to her palace to rest well for the night, and she can continue kneeling before the Empress's palace tomorrow!"
Consort Bai's personal palace maids were dumbfounded.
Meanwhile, outside the palace, at the Yu family's residence, they received an urgent message sent by Lao Mao's subordinate, stating that Old Master Liu had fainted from anger caused by the Liu family's eldest master, and was begging Da Xi Si Po and Xing Xing to come and save him!
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