0p0 Chapter 869 Intentionally Stepping Down?
Chapter 869 Intentionally Stepping Down?
Xu's wishes were not fulfilled, but she did not show too much disappointment.
After all, marriage is still a long way off. No matter what, she is Sun Ruomei's nominal stepmother. She can't just not give her any face at all, can she? If it weren't for Sun Ruomei being adopted into the Minister's mansion, then perhaps, it would be their branch of the family that would produce a princess consort.
Madam Xu had clearly forgotten that even a daughter of the Minister's family was not a match for the Prince Ming's heir. If she were their daughter, she would probably only be qualified to be a concubine.
Mu Xin Nuan naturally didn't care about these trivial matters. However, after seeing Sun Ruo Mei that day, she felt even more strongly that since Sun Ruo Xiang was not in the capital, she should take better care of Sun Ruo Mei.
Seeing that Madam Sun's condition had improved significantly in recent days brought him great comfort.
Although Duanmu Chen will probably never be able to return to the capital in this lifetime, Sun Ruoxiang still has a chance.
Even if they can no longer be reused, at least they can get a leisurely job, and life won't be too difficult.
Mu Xin Nuan and Duanmu Chu Ze are now hoping that they can have another child soon, so that their Zong Hua will no longer be lonely.
The Emperor returned to Kunning Palace and saw the Empress accompanying Duanmu Zonghua in practicing calligraphy. Despite his young age, he held the brush quite skillfully.
Seeing such a heartwarming scene, the Emperor felt a pang of pain in his heart.
Back then, wasn't he also teaching Duanmu Chen step by step in the same way?
He shook his head, banishing the grandson from his mind.
"Grandfather!"
The emperor's lips curled into a smile. "Hmm, good child, let me see what you wrote today?"
"Grandfather, look!" Duanmu Zonghua showed the Emperor the words in his hand. There was only one word on the huge piece of paper, and its appearance was really not flattering.
However, for a child this small, it's not bad.
"Good, well written. Come here, let Grandpa give you a hug and see if you've gained any weight?"
Duanmu Zonghua raised both arms, and the Emperor pulled him into his embrace.
He frowned. "How come it's not heavy at all, but rather light?"
The Emperor's question was quite alarming; the palace servants responsible for attending to Xiao Zonghua's daily needs immediately knelt down.
"Your Majesty, the young master's diet and daily life are normal, and there is nothing wrong with him."
"Oh?"
The Empress smiled and said, "Quickly put him down. You only noticed that he doesn't seem heavy, but didn't you see that he's grown taller? The clothes he wore at the beginning of winter are already too small."
The Emperor's expression softened. "Hmm, come, let me see, have you grown taller?"
The palace servants below breathed a sigh of relief, finally getting through this ordeal.
"Alright, you two take the young master outside to play first," the Empress instructed after the grandmother and grandson had played for a while.
"Is there something you need?" The Emperor leaned back on the cushion, his weariness barely concealed.
"Your Majesty, why have you been working so hard these days? Please take care of your health."
Seeing the Empress's concerned expression, the Emperor smiled and said, "It's nothing. Actually, I won't be busy for many more days."
These words are truly frightening.
The Empress felt a jolt and sat up abruptly. "Your Majesty?"
"Don't be afraid! I've been busy these past few days, trying to finish up some things. I'm feeling a bit tired. The Crown Prince is capable and quick to get up to speed. In a few days, I plan to abdicate and become the Retired Emperor, to spend time with you and our little grandson. That's not quite it."
The Empress's eyes lit up. "Your Majesty?"
Throughout history, which emperor would willingly relinquish the power they have acquired? Even when passing the throne to their son, it would only be done when the emperor himself wanted to.
It seems that after experiencing so much, His Majesty has indeed come to terms with things.
"Don't tell the fourth prince about this yet. I've already made arrangements to catch him off guard. That kid has been very cunning lately, pushing a lot of government affairs onto me and the second prince. He's clever enough to shirk his responsibilities."
The Empress smiled and said, "Seeing that the brothers can finally get along peacefully, I am relieved."
"Well, the fourth brother isn't a heartless person when it comes to his family. After all, they're his own brothers, so it's not that he'd go that far. Besides, we can see him now actively cultivating some new ministers, so it seems he doesn't intend to burden himself alone in the future."
"Your Majesty, if you can truly let go of all this, then enjoying the company of your grandchildren would be a wonderful thing."
"Yes, I only hope that the Crown Princess can give birth to another son for the fourth prince. After all, we are the royal family, and it would be proper for us to have more sons."
The Empress chuckled, "But the fourth prince's thoughts are quite different from yours. He only wants a daughter."
"A daughter? Hmph! With only one son, isn't that too meager?"
"Look at you, you've gotten angry again after just a few words. How can he possibly decide whether a child is a boy or a girl? She's due in a little over a month. I need to go over there more often."
"Yes, you must tell the fourth brother not to keep thinking about moving out. What kind of behavior is that?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Mu Xin Nuan had no time to attend to the Sun family's affairs and would not interfere. However, since Sun Ruo Mei was going to marry into the royal family, and as the Crown Princess, she was also an elder, it was perfectly proper for her to send a few governesses over.
On this day, Madam Xu came to the Minister's residence again, partly to bring some cash and jewelry for Sun Ruomei to use for her dowry, and partly to bring up the old matter again.
Of course, Madam Xu wasn't stupid. She had someone pack a package and deliberately walk slowly so that the people of the capital could see just how generous she, as a stepmother, was!
She was hoping to use this opportunity to enhance her reputation as a second wife, but unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.
Everyone in Beijing knew what kind of family Sun Ruomei's birth mother came from.
As luck would have it, they ran into Sun Ruomei's uncle on the way, and thus, their hopes of gaining a good reputation were dashed.
“This is part of my sister’s dowry back then, and this is the list. There are also some properties and estates that I haven’t sorted out the accounts for yet. I’ll transfer those properties over later.”
Mrs. Sun nodded; after all, they were family, so she didn't say anything more.
Instead, Sun Ruomei's aunt smiled and said, "The accounts really need to be sorted out. Over the years, the profits from those businesses have been substantial. Although our family isn't short of money, there's no reason for us to let outsiders benefit from it."
That's exactly what they mean by "managing"!
Xu felt her cheeks burning. After all, she came from a good family, so why would she covet that money?
Although, she has indeed embezzled quite a lot over the years!