Chapter 16: Upon receiving the first blessings, the emperor neglects his morning court!

These words.

On the surface, it was about caring for the Crown Prince's health and advising him to take care of himself, but in reality, every word was laced with hidden sarcasm.

It also subtly implies that he is unworthy of his position and has failed the emperor's grace.

The Third Prince spoke.

This also instantly brought Crown Prince Xiao Qingxuan to his senses.

Now in the imperial court.

The only one who could rival him, the Crown Prince, was his third elder brother.

And he has the ability to do so.

Xiao Qinglan is the current Third Prince.

His maternal grandfather held the power of 200,000 troops, but he did not fully control them, as another general loyal to the emperor shared the power.

Unlike the Crown Prince's maternal grandfather, who held the power of 300,000 troops firmly in his hands.

The third prince's mother was Consort Yan, who was the most favored concubine in the palace.

The harem of the Dayong Dynasty.

It has always been a place rife with undercurrents.

Within the vermilion palace walls, the palace lanterns, lit and extinguished every night, witnessed the rise and fall of countless concubines.

The favor bestowed upon Consort Yan.

It was no longer at the point where the beauties of the six palaces paled in comparison, but had reached a point where both the imperial court and the harem were astonished.

In his daily records, the historian wrote with almost trembling strokes: "In the third month of the seventh year of Dayong, the emperor stayed in Yaohua Palace for twenty-two days, and spent the remaining nine days. He spent five days alone in Yangxin Hall, three days summoning his concubines, and only two days in Kunning Palace."

That month.

In addition to the Empress receiving the usual favor on the first and fifteenth of the month.

The remaining three days were to be shared equally among the other concubines, with favors as meager as morning dew.

The palace servants whispered among themselves that Consort Yan had a hundred ways to keep the Emperor from leaving.

She might change into a light and soft gauze dress and dance a captivating "bending waist dance" under the moonlight. With her flowing sleeves and captivating eyes, she could silence all things.

Sometimes she would bring out a pipa, gently strum it, and sing songs that were not of highbrow quality.

Instead, it carries the soft, gentle folk tunes of Jiangnan, singing the most poignant tales of longing.

Or perhaps.

She did nothing but dismiss those around her and spent time alone with the emperor like an ordinary couple.

This is a unique favor bestowed upon him in the entire harem!

What people talk about most is that when Consort Yan first received the Emperor's favor, the Emperor neglected his morning court.

The details of that night have been embellished by palace secrets into an incredibly sensual and legendary tale.

But the truth is often hidden in those deliberately obscured details.

When Lady Yan first entered the palace, although she was born into a noble family, she was not the most outstanding among the many beauties in the harem.

She knew that family background and appearance alone were not enough to leave the deepest impression on the emperor's heart.

That night.

She abandoned all the reserve and rules expected of a noblewoman, choosing instead an almost adventurous "authenticity".

Unlike other concubines who were nervous or deliberately ingratiating when they first served the emperor, she did not show any of the same nervousness or obsequiousness.

Consort Yan used the same lowly skill that was considered a "skinny horse" technique on the Emperor.

"Skinny horses" were playthings cultivated by Yangzhou salt merchants to bribe powerful and influential people.

They were trained to master various skills to please men, from playing musical instruments and singing to skin care.

From seductive arts to bedroom secrets, though she displayed the utmost beauty, she was despised by respectable families.

So, how did Consort Yan learn this skill?

It seems that her mother specially bought her from Yangzhou, the most beautiful courtesan, to teach her these seductive skills.

Skinny girls are naturally attractive to men.

Moreover, Consort Yan was born into a prestigious family and was proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

It can be said that all the characteristics of women in the imperial harem can be found in her.

She could write powerful and vigorous Yan style calligraphy in front of the emperor, fully demonstrating the spirit of a scholar-official.

Turn around.

Yet she could perform a captivating dance that would make even the headmistress blush and her heart race, the golden bells on her ankles jingling as she swayed her waist.

She could discuss history with the emperor, yet her insights were extraordinary.

It can also be done in bed.

Do you know how to use soft, warm lips?

It pushed the emperor's sensory experience to its extreme.

She knew how to use the most precious herbs and flower petals to care for her body, keeping her skin smooth and fragrant like jade all year round.

It can also be used to create unique blends of incense that can both calm the nerves and enhance the mood.

Such a woman would gain a man's favor no matter where she is, even if she weren't in the imperial harem.

That's why she was so favored.

Only then could the Third Prince, who was of average talent and even had serious personality flaws, have the capital to compete with the Crown Prince!

The Third Prince's father-in-law was a first-rank official, the Minister of Revenue.

Moreover, he also has a younger brother, the Eighth Prince, who shares the same mother.

The two are compared below.

The crown prince has the military power of 300,000 troops under his maternal grandfather, the empress in the harem, and the Grand Tutor of the first rank in the court.

The third prince's maternal grandfather had the power of 200,000 troops, the imperial concubine Yan, and his father-in-law, the Minister of Revenue, a first-rank official, in the imperial court.

Their strengths are truly evenly matched.

On the surface, Crown Prince Xiao Qingxuan is slightly superior, but the two princes will definitely stick together.

When the time comes, the Eighth Prince will choose a principal wife and two concubines, which will allow him to gather a considerable amount of power!

The Crown Prince was the only one to defeat the Third Prince.

That is because he himself is outstanding enough, excelling in both literary and military arts.

Moreover, as the legitimate son of the Empress, he naturally had a group of royalists and reformers on his side.

The Third Prince has a powerful backing.

However, he himself was not ambitious enough, lacking both literary and military skills. Relying on his maternal grandfather's influence and the favor of the imperial concubine, he acted arrogantly and recklessly, resorting to any means to achieve his goals.

Therefore.

Aside from our own people.

Few of the royalists and reformers in the court were willing to side with him!

This is why outsiders often assume that the Third Prince and the Crown Prince are far too different.

In fact, the emperor was well-versed in the strategy of checks and balances.

The Third Prince and Consort Yan were used by the Emperor to counterbalance the Empress and the Crown Prince.

The two sides are roughly equal in strength!

Xiao Qingxuan's thoughts were instantly pulled back to his "previous life".

At that time, whenever he received news that there was going to be a war on the frontier, he would worry terribly about his maternal grandfather.

Therefore, he strongly advocated in the imperial court to quickly allocate grain and fodder, and a huge amount of grain and fodder—one million dan!

Other ministers objected.

He quoted extensively from classical texts and spoke eloquently, saying, "An army marches on its stomach."

Regarding the Ministry of Revenue's report of a grain shortage.

He even proposed using the national treasury's strategic grain reserves to ensure the safety of the border regions.

There were also dissenting voices at the time.

The Eastern Mausoleum Dynasty's mobilization of 200,000 troops on the frontier may be a tactic to intimidate, and should be observed with caution.

Even if grain needs to be allocated, it should be done in batches.

How could one million dan of grain be transferred away all at once?

It practically emptied the entire dynasty's granaries.

But how could he listen to that at that time?

He was determined to secure provisions for his grandfather, just in case.

Perhaps it was divine intervention that helped him.

That same day, the imperial court received another urgent military report: "Your Majesty, news has come from the border that the Eastern Mausoleum is transporting grain."

Two hundred thousand troops were assembled, along with supplies being transported.

Not only Crown Prince Xiao Qingxuan, but also the Emperor and his ministers believed that this battle was inevitable.

As he wished, all the grain stored in the national treasury was eventually transported to the frontier.

But fate played a cruel joke.

After flexing its muscles on the border for a month, the 200,000-strong army of the Dongling Dynasty quietly withdrew due to a sudden change within Dongling territory.

The anticipated war did not break out.

However, a devastating flood, the worst in decades, swept through several provinces of the Dayong Dynasty, leaving famine-stricken people everywhere and reports of cannibalism.

The nation's largest granaries were almost emptied to support the frontier regions.

The price of grain on the market has increased several times, and many refugees have even come to the capital to cause trouble.

In a short time.

The government and the public were in uproar, and complaints were widespread.

All the blame was directed at Crown Prince Xiao Qingxuan, who had initially championed the allocation of grain.

At that time, the crown prince was criticized by the court officials: "He is ambitious and fond of achievements, and his virtue does not match his position!"

At that time, the Crown Prince had just become engaged to Liu Yu, the eldest granddaughter of the Prime Minister. He was not only the target of the princes' joint attack, but even the Emperor was wary of him.

"...If His Highness the Crown Prince hadn't insisted on transporting grain to the border regions where there was no war, how could we be facing a situation where there is no grain to provide disaster relief?"

"...The Crown Prince's actions may seem patriotic, but they are actually detrimental to the country! They have damaged His Majesty's benevolence and caused the people to be displaced!"

One of the claims is that the crown prince emptied the national treasury of grain.

Not only was he ordered to suppress the disaster victims, but he was also required to pay out of his own pocket to buy food for them.

That disaster nearly emptied his and the entire Crown Prince faction's coffers.

Even though he contributed his time and effort.

In the end, they still didn't get the desired result.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so passive in the subsequent battle for the throne, needing to rely on the Qian family's wealth and proactively compromise with them.

He will definitely not suffer the same loss he made in his previous life in this one!

Xiao Qingxuan spoke up first: "Since the war hasn't started yet, the grain in the national treasury cannot be touched!"

These words shocked the entire hall!

Who doesn't know that the Crown Prince has a close relationship with his maternal grandfather, and that the Crown Prince has always defended his maternal grandfather?

She had previously taken the initiative to deliver food and weapons to her maternal grandfather.

So why is he now slapping his maternal grandfather in the face?

The political climate in the imperial court became instantly delicate due to the Crown Prince's unexpected reversal.

While the ministers remained silent.

Another urgent military report came from the frontier.

The same intelligence report as in the previous life: "Your Majesty, the Dongling Dynasty is transporting grain to the border."

final.

It was the Emperor who made the final decision: to use the national granary to provide 500,000 dan of grain to the border regions.

Xiao Qingxuan was very satisfied with this result.

The 500,000 dan of grain that were transported to the frontier was thanks to my grandfather's help!

The national treasury still had 500,000 dan of grain left, enough for disaster relief.

The Qian family mansion.

Listening to the Rain Pavilion.

As Qian Yueshu looked at the account book, she thought about her previous life.

What's the most profitable thing for her at this time?

Oh, right.

We must store up grain!

Soon after, a major flood struck the south, causing grain prices to multiply several times over.

She will save more in this lifetime.

Half of it was used to make money, and the other half was used to do charity for the Crown Prince at the original price.

After all, in her previous life, Xiao Qingxuan always blamed her for being selfish and not caring about the people.

But what he didn't know was...

She was just a little woman.

Just take care of your own family; why sacrifice yourself for thousands?

There's one more thing Xiao Qingxuan doesn't know.

If she doesn't have money, how can she do charity?

However, in order to win the prince's heart, she can pretend to be more kind in this life.

In any case, the money comes from the sheep.

Just as she was lost in thought.

A series of slightly hurried footsteps approached from afar, interrupting her thoughts.

"Second Miss, Second Miss!" It was Chun Tao, her head maid.

Qian Yueshu frowned subconsciously and looked up.

"What's the rush?" Qian Yueshu's voice was calm.

Chun Tao quickly walked forward, curtsied, and presented a very elaborately made visiting card with both hands.

The postcard was printed on the finest Chengxintang paper, with the "Liu" emblem faintly visible in the center, exuding an understated luxury and power.

Chun Tao lowered her voice slightly, "It's...it's an invitation from the Prime Minister's residence."

Qian Yueshu's heart sank suddenly, as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.