Chapter 80: Brothers and sisters respect each other

Jingren Palace.

Although Yixiu was no longer effectively confined to the Buddhist hall to copy scriptures every day, she still did not have control over the harem. Apart from receiving the daily greetings and morning and evening visits from the concubines, she had no say in anything else.

Early that morning, Yixiu sat in front of the mirror and let Jianqiu pick a fresh flower in full bloom and put it in her hair. She lazily asked, "Whose concubine did the Emperor choose last night?"

Seeing Jianqiu hesitate and remain silent with her head down, Yixiu chuckled indifferently, "Is it Consort Xian again? Or did she go to see Consort Wan?"

Jianqiu pursed her lips, raised her hand to gently straighten the gold hairpin that was diagonally inserted into the Empress's hair ornament, and said softly, "No, His Majesty stayed at the Hall of Mental Cultivation last night with the Fifth Prince."

Yi Xiu's face stiffened, her breath caught in her throat, and her eyes darkened without her speaking.

Jianqiu knew that the Empress couldn't help but think of the First Prince whenever she heard about the Emperor and the Fifth Prince, so she quickly added, "The Fifth Prince is still young and clingy. I think it won't be long before the Emperor gets tired of him."

"Tired?" Yixiu smiled sarcastically—"The Fifth Prince has been clinging to the Emperor for more than just a day or two, it's been like this for years. Do you really think the Emperor himself doesn't enjoy it?"

Jianqiu pursed her lips. Anyone who served in the palace knew how much the Fifth Prince, Prince Rui, was favored by the Emperor.

She thought for a moment, then leaned down and whispered to the Empress, “Your Majesty, the Emperor values ​​offspring now. Even Consort Jing, who is raising the Third Prince, has received some favors. Why don’t we bring the Fourth Prince back? Given his situation, he will surely be devoted to Your Majesty. Then, if he is registered under Your Majesty’s name, he will be the legitimate heir. How could he possibly be inferior to the Fifth Prince?”

Yixiu shook her head in annoyance when she heard her mention the Fourth Prince. Every time she went to the Yuanmingyuan, the Fourth Prince would persistently come to pay his respects. If this method were feasible, how could she not be tempted? "What does it matter in the Emperor's eyes whether he is the eldest son or not? Look at the Third Prince, he is so much older than the Fifth Prince, and he was once the only prince raised in the palace by the Emperor. Does he have any advantage over the Fifth Prince in any way? He's just a little taller."

Following Yixiu's words, Jianqiu lowered her head in thought and remained silent. Yixiu fidgeted with her fingers, pondering for a moment—"Consort Fucha's face is like that now, she's useless. Since the Emperor doesn't come to Jingren Palace, we need someone who can speak on our behalf. Among the new concubines in the harem..."

Her gaze suddenly shifted—"Consort Rou. She seems quiet and unassuming, but she's quite shrewd... It's a pity I couldn't catch her red-handed last time, otherwise I would have already put her under my control."

“If Your Majesty could give Rou Chang another chance, she would still follow Your Majesty’s lead without question,” Jianqiu chimed in.

Hearing the growing laughter and chatter outside, and knowing that almost all the people waiting to pay their respects had arrived, Yi Xiu sighed and stood up in annoyance. Looking at the indistinct figures outside through the door, she said leisurely, "Just after suppressing Nian Shilan, an even more troublesome Lü Yingfeng has emerged. I will never let her threaten my position."

——

Hongzhao had no idea that taking a nap in the Hall of Mental Cultivation would cause such a stir among the Empress. He was currently sitting in the Imperial Study, staring blankly at the empty panel in front of him.

"Seventh task - Please achieve the 'Stunning' achievement."

The unique, glowing font belonging to the system was so bright it hurt his eyes, and a line of smaller text below it further attracted his attention.

"Mission Rewards: 1x Fake Death Pill, 1x Childlessness Pill, 20% increase in all physical attributes, 1000 points. Penalty for failure: One smallpox infection."

“...”

The rewards were quite generous, but this was the first time Hongzhao had seen a penalty option in the system's missions. Although he had been given a hint when he first transmigrated, it had never appeared in the past five years, and he had almost forgotten that it even existed.

"It seems this task is absolutely necessary."

He was lost in thought when he suddenly heard his name called in class—"Fifth Prince, please explain the meaning of this sentence?"

Hongzhao blinked and came to his senses. He met the teacher's reproachful gaze, then glanced at the worried looks from the Fucha brothers beside him and the pages of the book with annotations turned to the side. Hongzhao chuckled and stood up calmly.

Yinzhen was about to go to the Imperial Study after court when he overheard this sentence. Judging from the teacher's tone, it sounded like Hongzhao had made some mistake. He raised his eyebrows, which was unusual for him, and stopped in his tracks at the door, no longer moving forward.

Hongzhao was confidently flipping through the "chat history" in his mind. Although he hadn't heard it, he was confident that he wouldn't be unable to answer it with this cheating device. However, when he actually found the content that the gentleman had just said, his expression changed slightly.

With the system's timely reminder that "walls have ears," Hongzhao's dark eyes grew even more serious.

In a short while, he regained his usual confident demeanor, answering questions fluently, and stared at his teacher with wide, earnest eyes. "Sir, you just said, 'Only by being a good brother and sister can one teach the people of the country,' and I wholeheartedly agree."

At first, Yinzhen did not know what the topic the teacher was asking was, but when he heard Hongzhao's words, his eyes, which had been watching the show with a smile, suddenly darkened, and his sharp and cold gaze was cast at the teacher at the head of the table, revealing his murderous intent.

The people in the room remained oblivious, and Hongzhao continued to answer calmly—"I am reminded of the chapter 'The Hereditary House of Wu Taibo' in the Records of the Grand Historian. Taibo Zhongyong tattooed his body and cut his hair to show that he was unfit for the throne, so that his third brother could succeed him smoothly. Jizha also declined the throne three times. Taibo and Yanling Jizi were even willing to give up the world, and they are worthy of being models for all ages."

Filial piety and brotherly love were the emperor's most sensitive and untouchable weakness. Hongzhao stared intently at the barely perceptible smile that curled at the corner of the emperor's mouth, his nerves taut, and continued speaking.

"It is precisely because these brothers all understand the principle of brotherly love and respect that they have created a timeless tale. If there is only one loving and gentle elder brother, or only one humble and obedient younger brother, then they will only be bullied. Take my third brother and me for example. My third brother takes care of me and is willing to take me with him in everything he does. I am also respectful to my third brother and think of him when there are good things. This is because both of us have good intentions, which is why we don't cause Father Emperor any trouble."

After saying that, he turned his gaze to the Third Prince Hongshi, who was looking at him with admiration. When Hongshi saw his younger brother looking at him, he stood up excitedly and said, "Yes! I will take care of Fifth Brother, and Fifth Brother will teach me to read. We will definitely not let Father Emperor worry about us."

The man frowned, and seeing that he hadn't gotten the answer he wanted, he was about to ask again when he saw a bright yellow figure walking heavily into the room.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

"Greetings, Your Majesty!" His legs trembled, and he knelt down abruptly. Who would have thought that the Emperor would just walk in like this! No one even announced his arrival!

Yinzhen calmly scanned everyone in the room, lingering on the schoolteacher for a long time before stepping forward to Hongzhao's side. Upon seeing a pair of jet-black boots embroidered with dragon patterns, Hongzhao raised his head somewhat improperly and gave his father, the Emperor, a mischievous smile at his ambiguous expression.

Seeing his carefree attitude, Yinzhen almost lost his temper. He reached out and tapped his forehead, then bent down and picked him up from the ground, holding him in his arms. He then walked to the side and said to the trembling Hongshi, "Get up, don't kneel."

Hongshi stood up, and Yinzhen noticed that the child had indeed grown quite a bit taller. He freed one hand to pat his shoulder, and under Hongshi's excited, slightly flushed face, he turned around and walked straight out of the study.

"Since you can't teach, you don't need to teach anymore." He coldly uttered these words before leaving, glancing at Su Peisheng, who was waiting for instructions.

Considering the child in his arms, he was unwilling to speak too bluntly, but Su Peisheng, having served the emperor for many years, would surely understand his meaning.

Anyone who dares to plot against a prince and speak disrespectfully will be treated as a blessing even if they die with a whole body.