Chapter 227 Balance

When Prince Cheng became famous, all the civil and military officials thought that he would start a fight with the Fourth Prince as soon as he returned from Qingzhou. Looking at the current situation, it is still unknown who will win.

But what people didn't expect was that after returning from Qingzhou, Prince Cheng became even more humble and low-key, and was even indifferent to the rumors that were circulating in the outside world.

Apart from the missions assigned by the emperor, Prince Cheng seemed to be indifferent to other matters.

In comparison, Su Fengzhang, who gradually took control of the Ministry of Revenue, and Prince Xi, who thrived in the Ministry of War, were more rumored. The former had countless ways to make thousands of gold a day, and even the emperor praised him frequently, which gradually enriched the originally empty national treasury, while the latter was an iron-blooded warrior, and people couldn't help but sigh that he was worthy of being a descendant of the He family.

With the assistance of Su Fengzhang and Prince Xi, Prince Cheng was not aggressive when facing the Fourth Prince, and was even tolerant. This was really unexpected.

Just like in the court just now, the civil and military officials were arguing endlessly about the position of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel which had just been vacant. The emperor just pondered and said nothing, but the fourth prince repeatedly recommended him.

The emperor glanced around the hall with a gloomy expression, and finally asked, "Prince Cheng, do you have anyone to recommend?"

After saying this, the Fourth Prince looked at Prince Cheng with a bad face. If it weren't for Minister Xu who kept persuading him, he would probably have revealed Prince Cheng's true identity.

Prince Cheng seemed oblivious to their expressions and stepped forward. "Your Majesty, the position of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel is a matter of grave importance. I dare not make the decision on my own, and I have no one to recommend."

The emperor narrowed his eyes. The Fourth Prince had already spoken, "Father, since my fifth brother is incapable of doing anything, please don't force him. Why not consider your son's suggestion?"

The emperor sneered and said, "Forget it, we will discuss this matter later."

After saying this, he stood up and left.

The Fourth Prince's face darkened. The Emperor's actions truly did not give him the slightest bit of face. However, he quickly regained his composure and walked over to Prince Cheng with a smile, "Fifth Brother, thank you for giving Fourth Brother face."

Prince Cheng looked at him with a half-smile and said, "I really don't have anyone to recommend. But Fourth Brother, our father hasn't been in good health recently, so please don't get angry with him."

The Fourth Prince said with a bitter face, "Fifth brother, you know me well. I, your fourth brother, have always been a filial son. But now, the Emperor holds a grudge against me for impeaching the deposed Crown Prince and is constantly finding fault with me. Life is simply unbearable."

If he hadn't said it with a hint of pride, it would have been more realistic.

Since he wanted to sing, Prince Cheng was very happy to cooperate. He smiled and said, "I naturally understand your difficulties, Fourth Brother. Please remember my kindness. No matter what, I will support you."

After Prince Cheng said this, he turned and walked towards Su Fengzhang. The two of them chatted and laughed as they left.

The Fourth Prince, who was left behind, chuckled and said to Minister Xu who had followed him, "It seems the Fifth Prince is really just trying to protect himself and has no other motives. Otherwise, he wouldn't have yielded so much."

Minister Xu sighed and said, "Fourth Prince, we don't need to be so hasty in placing people here. This is too obvious, and it's only natural that His Majesty will be displeased."

The Fourth Prince sneered, "If I don't do it, will Father favor me again?"

This is an unsolvable problem. Minister Xu sighed and said nothing more.

The Fourth Prince said, "If this happens a few more times, Father will be able to see clearly who is the sole heir. Does he think supporting the Fifth Prince will be of any use?"

"Humph, a woman is a woman after all. No matter how much power she holds, all she wants is to be intimate with Su Fengzhang."

However, Minister Xu felt that Prince Cheng was not that kind of person, at least not as weak as the Fourth Prince thought. After all, this man had personally led troops in battles and had pretended to be a prince in the deep palace for many years without being discovered.

Minister Xu frowned and asked again, "I heard that the Ninth Prince is ill again. Is it the Imperial Concubine..."

The Fourth Prince shook his head and said, "I haven't had time to mention this to Mother yet. I think the child was born weak. That's a good thing, as it saves us the trouble."

Minister Xu felt that the timing was too coincidental and frowned as he asked, "Is the Ninth Prince truly ill or faking it?"

The Fourth Prince said, "It's true. Mother went to see him herself. She said his cheeks were red from the fever and he cried like a kitten. If it weren't for the skilled doctors at the Imperial Hospital, he would have died long ago."

Minister Xu was relieved after hearing this and said with a smile, "In that case, congratulations to the Fourth Prince."

The Fourth Prince also smiled complacently. The Fifth and Ninth Princes were not capable enough, and his father had no other choice. He had plenty of patience to wait, as his father's body could not hold on for much longer.

On the other side, the emperor obviously also knew the meaning behind the Fourth Prince's posture, and returned to the harem angrily.

After thinking about it halfway, the emperor turned and went to the queen's palace. As soon as he stepped into the door, he heard the crying of a child.

The emperor couldn't help but frown, and before he even entered the door, he shouted: "Why is the Ninth Prince crying again? How do you take care of the child, Queen? Is this how you take care of the Ninth Prince?"

The Queen quickly stood up and bowed, then sighed and explained, "Your Majesty, the Ninth Prince is unwell. The imperial physician said he needs an acupuncture injection, but the child is afraid of the pain, so he's crying."

Concubine Yu was also there, and she quickly stood up and said, "Your Majesty, please don't blame the Empress. The Empress has been unable to sleep for three days and three nights taking care of Xiaojiu. She cares about the Ninth Prince even more than I do."

The emperor then realized that the empress looked haggard and Concubine Yu's eyes were also dark blue. It was obvious that these two had not rested because of taking care of the Ninth Prince. He sighed and said, "I have wronged the empress."

"How is the ninth prince? Is he feeling better?" the emperor asked again.

The Empress, however, showed no signs of indignation at being wrongly accused. She whispered, "He's feeling better than yesterday, but he still needs to take medicine and get acupuncture. It's a pity that he has to endure this hardship at such a young age."

The emperor looked at the ninth prince's wrinkled face and sighed, "Yes, it's a good thing that you took care of me."

Concubine Yu said with great discernment, "Your Majesty, the imperial physician's acupuncture is taking too long. Why don't you accompany Your Majesty to sit next door? I will take care of you here."

The emperor originally wanted to stay and look after the child, but the queen said, "Your Majesty, why don't we go next door? Otherwise, it would be inconvenient for the imperial physician to perform his duties if the three of us were to watch over the child together."

The emperor thought so too. If the three of them stared at the imperial physician, his hands would probably tremble, so he was persuaded to go to the next room.

The empress waited for the emperor to sit down, and after he sighed in relief, she softly asked, "Your Majesty, you seem unwell today. What troubles have you encountered recently?"

The emperor sighed again, patted the back of her hand and said, "The crown prince is useless, but the fourth prince is becoming even more miserable."

A hint of sarcasm flashed in the Queen's eyes, but she said, "Your Majesty has often praised the Fourth Prince for his intelligence and ability, and for having the spirit of the late Emperor. I believe that even if he has temporarily taken the wrong path, he can correct it."

The emperor sighed again and said, "It seemed fine before, but it's not the case now. Perhaps he thinks he's the next emperor for sure, and has become even more negligent towards me."

The emperor had said this to the prince before. The queen sneered in her eyes, but her words were gentler: "Your Majesty, I have something to say but I'm not sure if I should say it."

"Say whatever you want to say," said the emperor.

The Queen then said, "The Crown Prince has been deposed, and the Fifth Prince is... Now, apart from the Fourth Prince, who else can take on the position of Crown Prince? Your Majesty, even for the sake of the Great Zhou, must give him more guidance and make sure his virtue is worthy of the position."

The emperor frowned and said angrily, "What do you mean, Queen? No one else is worthy of the position of Crown Prince except him. I have more than one son."

The Queen quickly said, "Your Majesty... That's not what I meant. It's just that Xiaojiu is weak, and Concubine Yu and I worry day and night, fearing that he won't grow up."

"Alas, it's all my fault for being incompetent. If the Second and Third Princes were still alive, it would have been great. Even if the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Princes were still alive, it would have been great too."

After saying this, the emperor's face became even uglier. He was obviously not completely ignorant of the truth about the premature deaths of his harem's offspring.

At this point, the emperor did not blame himself first, but the women in the harem, and even took his anger out on others.

Finally, he sighed and said, "I don't blame you, it's fate."

"The fourth brother also relies on this, which is why he is so unscrupulous."

The Queen also sighed and said, "Your Majesty wants the Fifth Prince to compete with the Fourth Prince, but I'm afraid it won't work."

"Why? In terms of talent, the fifth child is much more capable than the fourth. If it weren't for her... I would really want to make her the crown prince."

The Queen said, "Your Majesty, if you had this in mind, you shouldn't have told the Fourth Prince that the Fifth Prince was actually the Fifth Princess. How could the Fourth Prince really regard the Fifth Prince as his rival now that he knows this?"

The emperor's face froze and he felt a little embarrassed for a moment. Why did he tell the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince the secret of the Fifth Prince at the same time? Wasn't it because he wanted to balance their relationship?

But who knew that the crown prince would be deposed one day, and the fifth prince, who was supposed to be useful, became a waste. The fourth prince obviously did not take him seriously and used tricks against him, the emperor.

The Queen didn't seem to notice the Emperor's embarrassed expression and continued, "The Fourth Prince probably doesn't care about the Fifth Prince and Xiaojiu. However, there is one person who can make him sleepless and uneasy."

The emperor frowned and subconsciously said, "Crown Prince?"

The Queen quickly explained, "Your Majesty, that is not what I meant. I just made a mistake."

The emperor pondered for a moment, then quickly stood up and left.

As soon as the emperor left, the empress hurried to the next room. As soon as she entered, she saw Concubine Yu holding the child and coaxing him. She walked over and saw that the Ninth Prince's face was rosy and shiny, and he didn't look sick at all. "Is Xiaojiu okay?"

Concubine Yu smiled and said, "With the imperial physician here, Xiaojiu will be fine."

The Queen was relieved at this moment: "That's good. I'm afraid Xiaojiu will have to get sick from time to time in the future. It's hard to prevent her from getting sick."