bayedsolid Chapter 247 Heart Chapter
Chapter 247 Heart Chapter
Shen Lian had developed a habit of eating very quickly during his military training. Today's meal consisted of twelve dishes, which was already quite lavish.
Before entering the palace, he instructed that his family's diet could not be like Empress Dowager Cixi's, with 108 dishes at every meal, as that would be a pure waste.
As for meals, Shen Lian felt that four or five dishes per meal was already quite good. He thought that one person's appetite was only so big, so how much could one person eat?
Of course, he wouldn't live like Emperor Chongzhen, eating only cabbage and tofu every day, or even having his imperial robes patched. He wasn't short of money, so why should he treat himself so harshly?
Shen Lian quickly finished two bowls of rice and took a sip of tea. Seeing him put down his chopsticks, everyone else quickly stopped eating.
"Hey! Keep eating, why are you looking at me! Everyone relax, even though we're in the palace, we're still the same as before! Eat, eat more, the imperial chef's food is so delicious, don't waste it!" Shen Lian hurriedly urged.
"Xiaoqian, you need to change the rules of this harem. Making everyone so polite and formal is ridiculous! There's no family atmosphere at all."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Nie Xiaoqian rose and curtsied.
"Oh dear! Look at you, look at you! Just sit down and talk. We're husband and wife, and this is the inner palace, why are you being so formal!" Shen Lian was speechless.
"But these are all royal rules. We—"
"What kind of bullshit rules are these? Aren't they just rules set up by the Qing Dynasty? There's not much good stuff from the Qing Dynasty. What do those barbarians from the mountains know? I'm going to abolish them all. This is our country now, so we'll set our own rules." Shen Lian waved his hand, interrupting Nie Xiaoqian.
Nie Xiaoqian dared not object and could only nod in agreement!
"Have you all chosen your accommodations?" After dinner, there was still some time. Shen Lian took his family for a stroll in the garden outside Kunning Palace.
"Your Majesty, I would like to live in Chuxiu Palace," Xiao Yue'er nodded.
“Your Majesty, I choose Zhongcui Palace,” Zhao Ruyi quickly added.
"Okay! I'm glad you like it. Just tell Li Lianying to take care of anything you need!" Shen Lian nodded. His family was small, and there were plenty of empty palaces in the harem, so Shen Lian simply let them choose for themselves.
"Xiaoman, Ze'er, what about you? Have you both chosen your places to stay?" Shen Lian turned to ask his two eldest children.
"Father, I'm a little scared. I still want to live with Mother!" Shen Xiaoman was still a child under five years old and didn't dare to live alone in this unfamiliar environment.
"Father, I want to live with Mother too!" Shen Junze said, glancing furtively at his mother. He did want to live alone, but Nie Xiaoqian clearly didn't want him to leave her side.
"The children are still young, so don't be too strict with them. Just let them be happy every day. The most important thing for them now is to grow up healthy. Nothing else matters, understand?"
Shen Lian looked at Shen Junze, who was acting like a little adult and was quite serious, and then spoke to the three women.
"Yes!" the three women quickly agreed.
"Hmm! There are too few things to play with in the palace. I'll instruct the Imperial Workshop to build a children's playground for the kids another day," Shen Lian said, looking around.
"Great! Thank you, Father!" Shen Xiaoman clapped her hands happily first.
"You little rascal, you're the older sister! You'll have to take good care of your younger brothers and sisters from now on!" Shen Lian patted his daughter's head affectionately.
"But it's so hard! Father! All the little ones do is cry!" Shen Xiaoman frowned, her pretty little face contorted in distress.
"Hahaha," Shen Lian couldn't help but burst into laughter. He picked up his daughter and kissed her.
"Your little brother and his siblings are still young! They won't cry when they grow up! You were the same way when you were little, haha!"
"Okay! As long as they don't cry, I'll play with them every day from now on!"
Seeing the close bond between the father and daughter, Nie Xiaoqian and Zhao Ruyi felt a pang of jealousy. After all, they had only given birth to sons!
"It's almost time! You guys have fun, I need to go to work!" Shen Lian took out his pocket watch and looked at it.
"Respectfully seeing off Your Majesty!" The three women knelt down and bowed deeply.
"Alright! Alright!" Shen Lian waved his hand and walked towards Qianqing Palace.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" Dozens of officials knelt and bowed as Shen Lian sat down on the throne.
"Rise, all of you! Please take a seat!" Shen Lian nodded.
During the Han and Tang dynasties, officials would sit and discuss matters with the emperor. Starting in the Song dynasty, ministers could only stand during court sessions. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, emperors treated officials increasingly worse; officials not only had to stand before the emperor, but they were also required to kneel frequently when presenting their reports.
Shen Lian dislikes people kneeling and is preparing to restore the court etiquette of the Han and Tang dynasties.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The officials bowed and returned to their seats.
The emperor's lavish treatment of his officials deeply moved them. This was especially true for the older officials like Wang Kaiyun, who endured long hours of standing in court, a truly unbearable ordeal.
"Governors and governors, I've come to see you all today to share my thoughts with you!" Shen Lian said without mincing words, staring at the dozen or so former Qing Dynasty governors and governors below.
"Looking back over three thousand years of history, from the Qin and Han dynasties onward, there have been dozens of dynasties. Why has not a single dynasty escaped the fate of destruction?" Shen Lian spoke eloquently, and the officials below all perked up and listened attentively.
"This is all caused by the rule of the family! Treating the world as the world of one family and one clan. Treating officials as servants and the common people as worthless grass! How can such a dynasty not perish!" Shen Lian's words were deafening, and none of the officials below dared to utter a sound.
"In my view, the world should belong to all people, not just one family or one clan. Although not everyone can be equal, everyone has the right to survive and the right to pursue a better life."
"The imperial court is responsible for managing the country, ensuring everyone's life is better, and maintaining order. If it fails to do so and fails to satisfy the people, then the court deserves to be overthrown."
"And what is the emperor? I believe the emperor should not be the master of the country, but rather a supervisor. He should supervise the court and the officials, so that they can better serve the country and the people."
"The reason I raised an army to overthrow the Qing Dynasty was not for my personal desires. Rather, it was because this corrupt Qing Dynasty was no longer fit to lead the country! If the Qing Dynasty were to continue to rule, China would be dragged into an abyss."
"To be honest, being an emperor is really not easy! I've only been in the palace for a few days, and I already feel uncomfortable all over! If I had a choice, I would rather be a carefree prince!" Shen Lian shook his head with a wry smile.
"But history has placed this heavy burden on my shoulders, and I have no choice but to take it on. I also believe that no one is more suitable than me to lead the Chinese nation and my 400 million compatriots to a more glorious tomorrow."