Rong Fei is not honored

Chapter 707 Against Passive Coping

"Yinzuo" is just right, isn't it? The moment this name appears, all of Chengrui's formidable advantages become utterly insignificant.

The character 祚 means fortune, good luck, and blessings. It can also refer to the imperial throne.

What Ji Nai needs to think about now is why Kangxi chose this name, whether it has to be Wuya's child, and if it doesn't have to be, should she take a gamble and use this child to crush Wuya, or prevent Wuya from having any chance to turn the tables?

Of course, this is not the most urgent matter; the most important thing right now is the unknown natural disaster.

"What exactly is your father thinking?"

"what?"

"Don't pretend you don't know that your mother was summoned to Cining Palace today."

"Mother has been wronged."

"No, that's not true. It's just that Cining Palace couldn't help but take action today, not to mention the other palaces."

"They dare not cause any trouble." Otherwise, they would suffer before the natural disaster even arrives.

Ji Nai looked at Cheng Rui as if he didn't recognize him.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Mother?" Cheng Rui smiled, still as gentle as ever, just like he remembered.

"After all, with a sword hanging over their heads, it's inevitable that people will be terrified. But your 'I dare not' is too light and too heartless."

Cheng Rui was taken aback, then said apologetically, "It was my mistake. I was only thinking about the consequences and forgot that this is only human nature."

What are the consequences?

"Father hasn't made a decision yet, so the news is being kept from him. Even the ministers who knew about the impending earthquake did nothing."

The son thought that their families were completely unaware and still in danger, but the masters in the palace... would make the court even more chaotic. It would also cause resentment in some people's hearts.

"Wouldn't doing this cause me trouble?"

Cheng Rui comforted her, "It's just that Zhongcui Palace is like this, the commotion is not big, it's alright."

Ji Nai didn't understand; she genuinely couldn't comprehend why she was so conflicted. Since a disaster was known to occur in the future, why not prepare in advance to avoid greater casualties? Even if some people still tragically perish in the end, wouldn't that mean they had tried their best?

Can turning a blind eye really cover up the truth? Or will all those who know the truth forget it after the disaster strikes and become innocent victims to carry out post-disaster rescue?

"Never mind, I'll just move back."

"Mother..." Chengrui was filled with remorse. He should have known better than to say so much. What if something happened because his mother moved back with his younger siblings?

Ji Nai raised his hand to stop Cheng Rui's persuasion and explained, "It's because your mother didn't think things through. Originally, we moved out with your younger siblings to avoid accidents, but it's not about scarcity but about inequality. If Zhongcui Palace is the only one that has this, then the eventual peace will actually be a bad thing."

Cheng Rui found himself unable to refute the fact that those in the harem were the most sensitive to danger. At such a crucial moment, they dared not cause trouble, but that did not mean they had no ideas.

However, they kept this thought to themselves and watched what others did.

After their mother moved out, it wasn't that they didn't want to follow suit, but they were afraid of being held accountable. Now, however, the Empress Dowager is handling it leniently.

If Ama turns a blind eye, such an attitude is tantamount to tacit approval. Will they then take action? Not necessarily.

Before the decree is issued, those without confidence dare not act, and those with confidence are unwilling to act rashly, easily giving others a handle to use against them. If it weren't for their current lack of interest, Mother's actions today would have already been used against them.

But when they encounter misfortune, will they regret being too cautious? No, they will only transfer all their resentment onto their mother, resenting her for being so lucky. They might even complain that their mother didn't step forward to "remind" them to stay outside.

The reason why Ama was so conflicted was precisely because he was worried that it would be "thankless work." Natural disasters are unpredictable, and after suffering, people can only hope that the court will provide disaster relief.

But if their monarch and court foresee the arrival of natural disasters, yet people still perish in them, and still cannot protect all their property and possessions, will they feel dissatisfied because the perfect outcome has not been achieved, and speculate that the court has not done its best?

It should be noted that the Revolt of the Three Feudatories has not been completely quelled yet. What if those rebels use this incident to create chaos and incite unrest among the people near the capital?

However, whenever a natural disaster occurs, Ama cannot avoid being slandered and labeled as "a ruler without virtue, punished by heaven."

But no matter what others might do, in Chengrui's heart, the safety of his mother and younger siblings always came first. He took a different approach and said:

"Mother, please don't move yet, otherwise Father won't let me off easily if he finds out. Besides, what will happen to those who intend to follow suit if you move back now?"

Ji Nai said dejectedly, "This won't work, that won't work, I really don't know what to do now."

“You don’t know what to do, but your father does,” Yinfu said.

Ji Nai and Cheng Rui both looked down at Yin Fu, who was standing close to their mother. The former suddenly realized and said, "Yes, if there's any trouble, just leave it to your father. Cheng Rui, you pass on Mother's message, okay? Anyway, I'm not going to worry about anything."

Cheng Rui stared at Yin Fu for a long time before finally asking, "Actually, Mother doesn't approve of Father's passive approach, does she?"

Looking at his eldest son, who looked quite respectable, Ji Nai sighed and said, "Does it matter what I think?"

Cheng Rui smiled and said, "But I think that Mother's wishes can greatly influence Father."

Ji Nai hurriedly covered Cheng Rui's mouth, "Little ancestor! How can you say such things? You wish your Empress Dowager would keep an eye on your mother, don't you?"

Chengrui pulled his mother's hand away and said helplessly, "The palace servants have all left. Only my mother and I could hear what we were saying. Does Mother really think her son is that stupid, not even looking around when he speaks?"

"Anyway, you'd better not say that."

Seeing his mother clutching her chest, looking quite frightened, Chengrui chuckled and said, "Grandmother isn't an omniscient god or Buddha, why are you so afraid?"

Ji Nai couldn't help but roll her eyes. Let alone her, just ask Emperor Kangxi and see if he would dare to underestimate the Empress Dowager, who only has a few years left to live.

"Mother hasn't answered her son yet."

“What’s there to say? You all think too much, always hoping to maximize your own interests. But your mother thinks very simply: saving people is just saving people. If we can save them, why shouldn’t we?”

Of course, Mother isn't saying your father and those ministers are wrong; after all, they're in those positions, so they're bound to consider things more comprehensively.

"What if we only save those who are useful?" Cheng Rui asked tentatively.