Chapter 329 Teaching the Wife
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Mingzhu couldn’t help but burst into laughter when she saw Cao Jinran’s embarrassed appearance, and Yuwen Chu couldn’t help but suppress a smile as well. He raised his hand and said, “Get up and speak. I just happened to pass by here, reminiscing about the late emperor, so I came down to take a look.”
Cao Jinran hurriedly tried to please, saying, “It’s the season when fish are fat and crabs are plump. Wild ducks and rabbits are also delicious.” Then he noticed a group of children nearby and immediately turned fierce and shouted, “You little brats, what are you doing here? You don’t even know how to greet respectfully when you see a nobleman. Get out of here, or I’ll beat you!”
The group of children scattered with laughter, some even dared to make faces at him, showing no fear. Cao Jinran turned back to Yuwen Chu with a flattering smile, saying, “These rural children haven’t seen much of the world, so please forgive them for not knowing proper etiquette. In our estate, there’s a chef who cooks wild game excellently, as well as freshly caught wild duck eggs, freshly caught fish and crabs, and sweet lotus roots and water chestnuts…”
Yuwen Chu smiled and said, “There’s no need for food, and it’s not good to make a fuss. Just prepare a few fresh items and send them to the carriage. I still want to go over there to take a look. You can leave now.”
Cao Jinran wiped away some sweat and said, “Yes, yes, yes, I’ll wait here. If Your Highness has any orders, just call out, and I’ll come running to obey.”
“Here.” Yuwen Chu took out a handkerchief and tossed it to Cao Jinran, gesturing for Mingzhu to continue walking forward with him.
Cao Jinran held up the handkerchief gratefully, almost moved to tears. “Your Highness is truly kind.”
That was quite sycophantic. Once Cao Jinran and the others couldn’t hear their conversation anymore, Mingzhu asked Yuwen Chu, “Why are you so good to him? He’s so harsh to those children and eats so extravagantly…”
Yuwen Chu chuckled and said, “As the saying goes, seeing is believing, but sometimes what you see isn’t necessarily true. Cao Jinran isn’t as obsequious as he appears. Speaking of being overweight, wasn’t Rong Ming also extremely fat? But you and I both know that he has his reasons.”
Mentioning Rong Ming made Mingzhu feel a heavy weight in her chest. She didn’t know the current state of the Great Empress Dowager’s illness.
Yuwen Chu knew she was feeling uneasy, so he took her hand and led her forward. “Look, there’s a heron over there. It’s rare to see one so big. Let’s go take a look.”
Mingzhu followed him reluctantly. “Is there also another reason for Cao Jinran?”
Yuwen Chu replied, “Cao Jinran is not a bad person. On the contrary, he’s a bit foolish but genuinely kind. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been sent here. You should know that he used to be the chief eunuch under the late emperor, Dong Feng’s disciple, and considered a senior brother to He Zhengtu. Everyone else rose to become the chief steward of the palace, but he ended up here as an estate manager. Even this position would have been taken from him if not for the protection of his senior brothers. He’s really not a bad person. You see how he acts tough with those children, but it’s actually for their own good. Children need discipline. If they accidentally offend someone like us, what will happen to them? Besides, do you see anyone who genuinely dislikes him or is afraid of him?”
Mingzhu looked back and saw Cao Jinran squatting on the embankment, chatting and laughing with the farmers covered in mud. They surrounded him, looking genuinely happy.
Well, she understood what Yuwen Chu wanted to tell her. Don’t judge a book by its cover, and don’t make judgments based on superficial impressions of people. She was prone to making this mistake, such as with Yuwen You, Jiang Shanshan, and even Yuwen Chu himself. She thought they were a certain way, but it turned out they weren’t.
Several peasant women dragged baskets of lotus roots out of the mud and quickly knelt down to apologize when they saw the two of them. Yuwen Chu calmly said, “No need to be formal. Get up and speak.”
Mingzhu walked over to look at the lotus roots in the baskets and asked seriously, “These lotus roots look very good. Did you have a good harvest this year?” Didn’t Yuwen Chu think she was lazy and ignorant? Then she will learn.
One bold peasant woman hurriedly said, “Your Highness, indeed. At the beginning of the year, there was a drought, and the weather was erratic. The hot spring water also decreased, and then the lotus roots got sick. We thought this year’s harvest would be ruined. Thanks to Estate Manager Cao’s resourcefulness and compassion, he found a solution. Otherwise, if we couldn’t meet the palace’s quota, it would have been a matter of life and death.”
The other peasant women also praised Cao Jinran, saying, “That’s right, Estate Manager Cao is a really good person. Although he has a bad temper, he has a kind heart and is willing to find solutions. Since he came here, we’ve been living better days.”
Yuwen Chu calmly said, “Since Estate Manager Cao is good, you should take good care of him. It’s not easy for him to be alone here.”
The peasant women bowed and withdrew, returning to their work. Mingzhu whispered, “I understand what you mean, Your Highness. In the future, I’ll listen more, think more, and observe more when encountering people and matters. I won’t make judgments hastily.”
Yuwen Chu smiled, “We’ll see. Understanding people and situations isn’t easy. In a high position, every word and action, every like and dislike, can have immeasurable effects on ordinary people. Whether it’s dealing with people or matters, don’t make hasty judgments. Otherwise, a casual remark could cost someone their life.”
What he wanted to do was not simple. It might take many years of effort, experiencing unimaginable dangers along the way. Even if he succeeded in the future, with the changing of the new and old, there would still be a long period of unrest in the court and the palace. Being the ruler of the harem wasn’t easy. Mingzhu needed more than just courage and decisiveness; she needed keen observation and insight.
“I understand,” Mingzhu said sincerely, slipping her hand into his sleeve and finding his fingertips, gradually intertwining her fingers with his. Yuwen Chu smiled and held her hand tightly, gently shaking it.
The sunlight reflected off the rippling water, and the waterfowl leisurely searched for food. Mingzhu watched with joy and curiosity. “How did the late emperor come up with the idea of building an estate here? It’s not a small project to divert hot spring water to grow lotus roots for use in the palace.”
Yuwen Chu said, “Because Consort Zhou loves fresh lotus roots.”
Mingzhu didn’t want to dwell too much on Yuwen You’s mother. Consort Zhou, she had seen her before, indeed a rare beauty, charming and delicate, very good at dressing up and maintaining her appearance. It seemed like she wouldn’t age, and when she was alive, no one in the harem could rival her. If she hadn’t died early, who knows what the situation would be like now? Perhaps the throne might have changed hands.
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