lcionline Chapter 21 The Legend of Zhen Huan (20)
Chapter 21 The Legend of Zhen Huan (20)
The Empress's death led to a period of rather simple living for both the imperial court and the harem. However, in May, news came that Emperor Yongzheng was going to the Yuanmingyuan Garden to escape the summer heat, which completely broke the somber atmosphere.
"Host, why did you bestow such posthumous honors upon this empress?" The system was puzzled. Didn't all the previous ones just ruin people's reputations and then kill them? Why was its host giving such great honors after death?
"There wasn't really any major conflict of interest between us. At most, she tried to harm me when I first entered the palace, but I fought back against her. Unanara Yixiu is a very clever woman. She was in a terrible state before Emperor Yongzheng came to power. Moreover, she allowed me to barely enjoy the pleasures of palace intrigue. Giving her posthumous honors is quite good. I hope she won't be born into an imperial family in her next life!"
"I was saying that every time Yongzheng wanted to punish the Empress, you wouldn't let him. So you were enjoying the palace intrigue!" Duobao never expected this reason.
"Actually, there weren't many palace intrigues. It was mainly because there were few people in Yongzheng's harem, and not many of them were smart!" Wangyou smiled and instructed the palace maids and eunuchs to quickly pack their things for the Yuanmingyuan.
After having many children, Emperor Yongzheng became a complete workaholic. He not only worked hard himself, but also dragged his brothers and court officials into it. In short, no one should be idle.
The Yuanmingyuan Garden: A Natural Painting!
She lay comfortably on the recliner with her three little ones, basking in the sun, while her mouth kept moving as she earnestly told them stories.
But the stories she tells are outrageous. You might think she can tell Journey to the West, and she can, but she tells a dark version of Journey to the West.
"Your Majesty, what you're saying is too scary! The princes and princesses will be frightened!" Bai Zhi said, her face pale.
“What’s so scary? I was talking to them about human nature, and look how happy they are listening!” Wangyou got up and teased the three children, who smiled innocently.
"You seem to be having a good time, but I'm swamped with work!" Yongzheng had been eavesdropping for a while, and apart from that one story, he was quite envious of the others. However, he couldn't say that Wangyou's stories were meaningless; at least they provided him with a lot of ideas.
"Yinzhen, you're here. If you're not busy, how can I be so leisurely!" Wangyou knew that Yongzheng was a little jealous, and she was still smilingly provoking him.
"Let's make some refreshing tea!"
"Yes!"
"Your Majesty, please sit down. You must be feeling very hot from the journey!"
"Thankfully, you're staying here quite comfortably!"
"Natural comfort, picturesque scenery—who wouldn't love it!"
"I'm glad you like it. If you miss your mother in a couple of days, you can ask her to come and visit!"
"Okay, you should get some rest too. Don't keep working until midnight. Your health is the most important thing!"
"I know, and didn't you also instruct Su Peisheng to remind me constantly?"
"If I don't remind you, you'll be working yourself to the bone when you get busy. The thought of Hongyan having to live like you in the future makes my heart ache!" Wangyou said very seriously.
"Jiaojiao!" Yongzheng pulled Wangyou into his arms. "I will leave a prosperous era for our Hongyan!"
"I know you will leave behind a glorious era, but I hope even more that you can stay healthy and stay with me and the children!" Wangyou said this earnestly. After all, it's not easy to find an emperor with such a strong sense of ambition, and he treats her very well.
"I understand!" The two hugged quietly for a while, then had some afternoon tea, while Yongzheng was reading a book.
Wangyou glanced at the cover, then at Yongzheng's face, which had been furrowed for a long time, and couldn't help but go over to see what was troubling him so much.
"What are you looking at? Why is your face all scrunched up?" Wangyou asked curiously as she squeezed in.
Yongzheng reached out to steady the person and then pulled him into his arms. "I've discovered that Western arithmetic is truly amazing. I've been studying it for a long time and still can't understand it!"
Yongzheng wanted to understand everything about the West, but this was very difficult from the start. Ferdinand Verbiest had been stealing Qing technology and culture and had already been killed. Now he could only hope that the people he sent out would be more effective.
Wangyou took the book from Yongzheng's hand and started reading. She saw that it was very simple, just a geometry problem and a physics problem. It wasn't difficult at all!
However, Wangyou quickly remembered what dynasty she lived in, and that after Yongzheng's death she had never left the Forbidden City, so this culture was still very unfamiliar to her.
“It’s not difficult, Your Majesty, let me teach you!” Wangyou picked up her brush and began to explain the solutions to the two questions to Yongzheng. Fortunately, Yinzhen had learned some of the concepts when he was in the Imperial Study, so he had a basic understanding and understood them after Wangyou explained them once.
"How does Jiaojiao know all this?" Yongzheng asked in surprise.
"It's probably because I read a lot of books when I was little. I learned it by reading a lot!" What Wangyou said was true. She really did learn it by reading a lot of books.
"Jiaojiao is very talented. From now on, you will be my teacher!" Yongzheng was no longer enthusiastic about being the teacher, because he found that Wangyou could explain things much more clearly than Nan Huairen.
When Wangyou saw Yongzheng's thirst for knowledge, she thought to herself, "Oh no!"
Sure enough, whenever he had time, Yongzheng would go to the Natural Painting Museum, and each time he would bring different questions, showing his thirst for knowledge!
Wangyou said, "My lazy days are over. I have to deal with all sorts of questions from Yinzhen every day. He's practically turned into a walking encyclopedia of questions!"
If Yongzheng's enthusiasm for learning were seen by her mentor from her previous life, he would surely impart all his knowledge to her, while also taking the opportunity to put her down.
Although Wangyou's leisurely days were gone, he gained a lot from lecturing to Yongzheng. Yongzheng, in turn, learned from Wangyou and then invited his brothers in the capital to study with him. It was a bittersweet experience.
Among them, Ninth Prince Yintang had the best talent in languages, while Prince Dun was surprisingly talented in mechanics. So, after the messengers sent by Yongzheng brought back news, Yongzheng sent the two of them to sea to study.
After returning to the Forbidden City, the imperial edict for her investiture as empress was issued the following day, and Wangyou officially became Yongzheng's second empress, residing in the Kunning Palace.
It turns out that Emperor Yongzheng had already ordered the Kunning Palace to be renovated after the move to the Yuanmingyuan.
Under the iron-fisted rule of Emperor Yongzheng, the government was efficient and the entire Qing Dynasty was thriving.
The manufacture of steam engines, trains, and railway tracks propelled the Qing Dynasty into a new era.
In March of the twenty-second year of Yongzheng's reign, the already very old Yongzheng felt that he was about to pass away.
By this time, the Qing Dynasty had already become the world's strongest nation. After all, with its national treasury and strength improved, Yinzhen immediately dispatched Prince Zhi and the Grand General to fight, striking fear into the hearts of enemy nations.
As for the surrounding island nations, they have long been part of the Qing Dynasty's territory. If they're not happy about it, fine, they'll just die!
As for distant empires like the British Empire, they all became colonies of the Qing Dynasty. He fulfilled the vow he made upon his rebirth and was a successful emperor.
"Jiaojiao, I can no longer stay with you. You must take good care of yourself!" Looking into Wangyou's clear eyes, which had remained unchanged for more than twenty years, he wanted to ask something, but in the end, he gave up.
What's the point of asking? They've been together for a lifetime.
Wangyou accompanied Yongzheng to the end of his life, and Hongyan successfully succeeded to the throne, changing the era name to Qianyuan, and is historically known as Emperor Qianyuan.
Hongyan perfectly inherited his father's ideals and also perfectly accepted the ideas instilled in him by his mother. He was ruthless in using his brothers.
Not only that, he didn't even spare the younger generations born to his uncles and elders. Anyone who got married or passed the test was brought to court.
Moreover, Emperor Yongzheng left Hongyan with a substantial national treasury, so Hongyan vigorously promoted education and encouraged women to go out and participate in the imperial examinations and serve as officials in the court, as long as they were capable.
As for those who object, a beating will make them behave.
In this life, Wangyou lived to the age of sixty and passed away peacefully in the Yuanmingyuan Garden!