diskusbooks Chapter 148: Female Dominant Prodigal Son 31
Chapter 148: Female Dominant Prodigal Son 31
After the eldest princess got married, the emperor issued an edict to make her the Grand Concubine, Qin Xifeng served as the Grand Tutor of the Grand Concubine, and Lin Ruan served as the Grand Guardian of the Grand Concubine, both of whom were of the first rank.
The entire imperial court was shaken by the news. Qin Xifeng, despite being nearly seventy years old, was several years older than Feng Ruyue. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the emperor, seeing Qin Xifeng was losing ground in her struggle with Feng Ruyue, was offering her the title of Grand Tutor as a boost.
The important thing is that Lin Ruan, who is not even at the age of 50, has already become a first-rank official in the court. Although he is only a first-rank official, the speed of his promotion is rare in the world.
And what was the role of Taiji Taibao? They were responsible for Taiji's moral education, ensuring she maintained good character! Ultimately, she, Lin Ruan, was the emperor's true confidant!
After Qin Xifeng was appointed Grand Tutor, she felt like she had been given a shot of chicken blood, a second spring of life overnight. The game between her and Feng Ruyue escalated from a surging undercurrent to a fierce confrontation in the open, with one person being promoted or demoted every day.
For Qin Xifeng, the position of Grand Tutor was not only a recognition of her past achievements but also a crucial bargaining chip, giving her an advantage in her competition with Feng Ruyue. Although Feng Ruyue was the Prime Minister, Qin Xifeng's position as Grand Tutor gave her considerable influence on certain matters, especially regarding royal education and ethical norms, where Qin Xifeng's voice was unmatched.
Meanwhile, taking advantage of Qin Xifeng's resurgence, the emperor would occasionally intervene, with one person taking the stage and the other taking the stage, making every morning court session bustling with activity. The Censorate, in particular, was constantly exceeding its KPIs, with evidence of different individuals being brought before its eyes daily.
The relationship between Qin Xifeng and the Emperor is delicate and complex. On the one hand, Qin Xifeng is grateful for the Emperor's support and unquestionably pledges his loyalty until his death. On the other hand, as he grows older and his position becomes more secure, no one can predict whether Qin Xifeng will harbor deeper concerns. Especially as Feng Ruyue presses forward, Qin Xifeng is forced to resort to more drastic measures to protect himself, exacerbating the potential conflict between him and the Emperor. While the Emperor may temporarily use Qin Xifeng to balance Feng Ruyue, he must also be wary of whether Qin Xifeng will seize the opportunity to expand his influence and become another Feng Ruyue.
After all, although Qin Xifeng is old, it is not uncommon for the Fengwu Kingdom to have an eighty-year-old Prime Minister.
Lin Ruan, on the other hand, was particularly restrained. After all, she was still young. As you can see from the Three Kingdoms story, Sima Yi's ultimate victory was simply a matter of living long enough. If she wanted, she could survive until Feng Ruyue, Qin Xifeng, and the Emperor all died of old age.
Therefore, she always kept a low profile, reported for duty on time every day, and when educating Taiji, she not only taught her various prepared knowledge, but also taught one chapter of the "Book of Filial Piety" every time, explaining it carefully, breaking it down, and repeating it over and over again.
Today's final lesson once again focused on the "Book of Filial Piety." Lin Ruan picked up the book and slowly opened it, the words gleaming softly in the sunlight. Clearing her throat, she began in a gentle yet powerful voice: "The Book of Filial Piety is the teachings of the sages, the foundation for self-cultivation, family harmony, state governance, and world peace. Today, we will focus on the meaning of 'filial piety and brotherly love,' which is not only a family virtue but also the foundation of social order and political ideals..."
Lin Ruan's narration is profound and insightful. She not only explains the meaning of each word, but also integrates them into vivid historical allusions. Even so, the boring scriptures remain boring and do not become fresh.
Lin Ruan emphasized, "Being filial to one's parents and respecting one's elders are fundamental obligations for children. Extending this to governing a country, it manifests as caring and loving the people, and being fair and benevolent toward officials. Only in this way can we build a harmonious and orderly society and lay the foundation for long-term national stability."
"And what about the Taiji?" True to her name, she sat at her desk, listening intently, occasionally looking down to take notes, occasionally looking up with a puzzled glance, as if this book were some newly learned masterpiece of a great scholar. Lin Ruan glanced at the recorder beside her, pausing at the right moment to answer questions or further elaborate on a point.
The system is evaluated as "The Birth of an Actor."
In addition to the "Book of Filial Piety" which must be studied every time, Lin Ruan also teaches Taiji various miscellaneous subjects such as poetry, astronomy, geography, history and humanities, aiming to broaden Taiji's horizons.
After all, she also wanted Taiji to see her true strength as the Taibao, and she couldn't just be perfunctory towards her as the old emperor's confidant.
Alas, being a subject is so difficult.
But no matter how the courses change, she will insist on instilling a core concept - "survive".
Of course, Lin Ruan is not stupid, so she can't say it so bluntly.
After explaining various anecdotes, Lin Ruan would often say to Taiji, "Your Highness, true strength lies not in how many outstanding achievements one has achieved in a short period of time, but in whether one can maintain one's own position and principles over the long term."
He wanted to cram his thoughts into Taiji's head: Your Highness, you should live a peaceful life. Don't seek to achieve great things, just live in peace and stability. Remember, only when you are alive can you have infinite possibilities; only when you are safe can you truly realize your ambitions.
After all, only when Taiji came to power could Lin Ruan safely become the Prime Minister. The current Prime Minister would not allow another young and strong Prime Minister to take power.
Perhaps Lin Ruan, a simple, unassuming figure in the court, particularly endeared her to the emperor, or perhaps the emperor simply had a good memory and remembered the jokes Zeng Ling and Lin Ruan had shared. When Lin Wangshu turned eighteen, the emperor personally arranged for her marriage, marrying one of his own sons. The prince's fiefdom was also given to Lin Wangshu as a dowry, and she was granted the title of Earl of Cheng'en.
Lin Ruan thought this was a good thing. After all, the eldest son had been taking exams for many years, the third son was already a scholar, and she was still a scholar. Although Cheng Enbo could not participate in court affairs, he had enough food and clothing, so this was also good.
Lin Run rarely interfered with these three children. No matter whether the eldest son failed the exams repeatedly, the third son became a scholar at a young age, or the second son felt sleepy when he saw books, Lin Run didn't care at all and didn't take out the spiritual spring water to help them "enlighten".
The five sons of the great writer Su Shi were neither good at literature nor martial arts, and only one, Su Xiaomei, gained some fame. She was only three, so isn't it normal that her success rate was low?
She doesn't need these three children to support her in her old age, nor does she need them to bring honor to the family. As long as they don't commit crimes and implicate her, nothing else matters.
Haven't you seen that even someone as gentle as Jiang Wenhui would always get so angry because of her daughter, not to mention Lu Zhao, whose family would almost have a fight every day. Lin Ruan once again received a message from a friend because his daughter broke an appointment, and poured herself a cup of tea out of loneliness.
I have to say that the tea given by the emperor is delicious.