When the Emperor heard this, he looked up at Prince Yizhou, who was smiling broadly. He did not seem old and frail; instead, his complexion was rosy, seemingly better off than him.
But he still nodded.
The Empress Dowager then sighed, "Half of that child's fief has been stripped away, his life has been tough. You're his elder brother, yet you fail to show sympathy for him."
The Emperor's brow twitched. When had half been stripped away? It was clearly less than a third.
A look of sympathy appeared on the Emperor's face as he said to the Empress Dowager, "Mother, please wait a bit longer. The Jinwei Canal incident just occurred not long ago, and taxes have only just been reinstated this year. I've heard that the resettlement of the disaster victims in Yizhou hasn't gone well, and there are many complaints from the ministers. It would be hard to restore it now; let's wait another two years."
