89 089

"The prince's headache was caused by excessive worry."

"Tell me, what's the point of having a princess serve as an official?"

After leaving Taiji Hall, Prince Yong looked around and walked to his old acquaintance Lu Zan and started muttering.

In fact, Lu Zan was also a founding general, but he had an old man named Lu Guangzu who had more military achievements above him. When outsiders mentioned the Lu family, the first person they praised was the old Duke.

In terms of age, Lü Zan was only one year older than Prince Yong. Prince Yong, who was once disliked by Emperor Xingwu and Deng Chong for being too young to play with, should have been closer to Lü Zan. However, Lü Zan was more well-read and more cultured than Lü Guangzu. Apart from matters related to the war, Prince Yong and Lü Zan had no common ground, so he later became closer to Deng Chong.

Deng Chong is still recuperating in Yunzhou. Among the high-ranking military officers in the capital, Prince Yong is a stranger to Zhang Jie, and he is not familiar with Hou Wanzhong, the commander of the Southern Camp who was promoted from Liangzhou. Fan Zhong and Xue Ye are too loyal to say anything wrong about the emperor. After all this, Prince Yong can only "have a heart-to-heart talk" with Lu Zan.

Prince Yong was a loudmouth, and his supposedly quiet muttering wasn't actually that quiet. So, as soon as he opened his mouth, Lü Zan's expression changed. He quickly glanced around at Fan Zhong, Zhang Jie, Yan Xizheng, Yang Zhimin, and the others who were not far away. Lü Zan immediately said with a laugh, his voice slightly higher than Prince Yong's, "I think Princess Qingyang's words make sense. Besides, a tiger father will have a dog son. Our emperor is a dragon descended from heaven, and his daughter shouldn't be treated like an ordinary woman."

What a joke! Who dares to question what the emperor has decided?

Prince Yong is the emperor's younger brother and Princess Qingyang's uncle. It might be okay for him to nag a few times, but does Lu Zan want his life to be too long?

Upon hearing this, Prince Yong guessed that Lü Zan was a coward. He snorted, walked around the two generals, and went to find Yan Xizheng and Nie Ao, who were walking side by side. He said to Nie Ao with some disdain, "You're not a very capable Imperial Censor. A little girl shut you down with just a few words. Could it be that you haven't read as many books as she has?"

Nie Ao opposed the little princess's entry into the court, but the little princess was very talented and usually treated him politely. Nie Ao admired the little princess very much in his heart, and was very uncomfortable with the rude and vulgar King Yong.

"I am the Imperial Censor appointed by the Emperor. If Your Highness continues to be rude, please do not blame me for acting impartially and reporting Your Highness for his impropriety."

After saying that, Nie Luo turned away.

Prince Yong: “…”

Yan Xizheng pretended not to hear and walked on silently. Yang Zhimin looked at Prince Yong and smiled to smooth things over, "Lord Nie always criticizes the matter, not the person. Your Highness need not take it to heart. As for the princess's admission to the court, the Emperor has already made a decision. If Your Highness still has reasons to object, you can go directly to the Emperor and make your objection. The Emperor is magnanimous and will not blame Your Highness whether he accepts his advice or not."

Prince Yong: "I do have a point, but I can't express it. This is for you scholars to speak out, especially you. If you don't persuade me, Qingyang will come to your Ministry of Personnel to cause trouble in a few days!"

Yang Zhimin: "It's the Ministry of Personnel of the imperial court. I am simply honored to be the Minister and do my best to help the emperor."

Prince Yong glared at him and said, "Stop talking nonsense to me. Are you going or not?"

Yang Zhimin: "Well, the Ministry of Personnel still has a lot of official business waiting for me, please excuse me and go ahead."

Suddenly, a loud laugh came from the side: "If Your Highness wants to persuade someone, go and do it yourself. Why are you always goading others? Forget it, they are busy. I'll go with Your Highness!"

Prince Yong's eyes lit up, and he turned to Fan Zhong and asked, "Are you also against this?"

Fan Zhong: "Why would I object? I don't understand the politics of the imperial court. I only know that I am responsible for defending the imperial city for the emperor. But I want to hear how the prince intends to persuade the emperor."

Prince Yong: “…”

Because no one in the court supported him, Prince Yong became even more angry. After leaving the palace, he did not go to the North Camp to do his afternoon duty, but went straight back to the palace.

Qin Liang was in the North Camp. There were only Deng and the Crown Princess Zhu Lianqing, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, in the mansion. When Deng heard that her husband had returned, she left her daughter-in-law and went to see her husband.

Prince Yong immediately took his wife with him and complained to his elder brother and niece.

Deng thought it was ridiculous. "The Emperor has spoiled Qingyang too much. He let her run around when she was little, and now she's almost coming of age, and if he doesn't quickly find her a prince consort so she can marry and have children, what's the point of her becoming an official? Does she understand?"

Prince Yong: "That's right, being able to read and write is nothing. In officialdom, one has to deal with people, drink and fight with each other. A little girl like her can't do anything."

Deng Shi was not as angry as her husband. After thinking it over for a while, she was actually quite happy. She patted her husband's arm and said, "Don't worry. After all, this matter has nothing to do with us. Let's wait and see. Yongkang has been competitive since she was a child. When she heard that Qingyang was going to be an official, she would definitely ask the emperor for one. If the emperor approves, the officialdom will be in chaos, and the ministers will have a reason to send both princesses back. If the emperor disapproves, there will be chaos between them, father and daughter, sisters. Then the prince will have a headache being caught in the middle."

The little princess becoming an official would not be a problem for their family, but if the prince and his sister really fought with the little princess who was favored by the emperor, it would be of great benefit to their family.

.

There was no need for Deng to gossip. As the more than 200 new scholars who had attended the banquet in Taiji Hall left the palace, the two major events of Princess Qingyang taking the top spot in the palace examination and the emperor's approval of Princess Qingyang's entry into the Ministry of Personnel quickly spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital.

On the morning of the 23rd, Yongkang heard the news from the manager in charge of procurement. She sent someone to investigate further and confirmed that the news was true. The eldest princess spent a day thinking about which department she should go to. After making preparations, Yongkang set off by car the next afternoon.

In the past, she would enter the palace under the pretext of paying her respects to the Imperial Concubine. The Imperial Concubine would send someone to deliver her badge to the gatekeepers for inspection, and the guards would let her in.

Yongkang wanted to see the emperor today, so he simply asked the imperial guards to ask the emperor for permission.

The afternoon was indeed a time when Emperor Xingwu had more free time. The spring weather was bright and sunny. After lunch, Emperor Xingwu asked the Imperial Concubine and the Beautiful Concubine to take a walk around the Imperial Garden to admire the crabapples and peonies and look at the newly green locust trees and willows. After the walk, the emperor and the concubines moved to the waterside pavilion. The actors from the Yichun Pavilion, dressed in their theatrical costumes, had already been waiting there and started singing while the emperor and the concubines were drinking tea and resting.

Emperor Xingwu leaned back in a rattan chair, listening with his eyes closed.

When he was young, his family was poor and he had no conditions to enjoy himself. When he was in his prime, he planned to conquer and rule the world. Only when he got older did he begin to covet the leisurely life where he didn't have to worry about anything.

"What's the matter?" The imperial concubine asked softly. Emperor Xingwu opened his eyes and saw He Yuanjing walking in from outside.

Seeing that the emperor had woken up, He Yuanjing bowed and said, "The eldest princess requests an audience."

Emperor Xingwu nodded and watched He Yuanjing walk away. He glanced at Concubine Li casually.

Concubine Li already looked uneasy. Her daughter had just been allowed to enter the court, and the eldest princess must have come to the palace for this matter.

The imperial concubine patted Li Fei's hand soothingly.

When Yongkang followed the palace servant who led the way over, the second scene at the waterside pavilion had just begun. Yongkang saw that her father had his eyes closed and was tapping the chair lightly with his fingers beside him. She tactfully sat opposite the second concubine and listened to the show without speaking rashly.

About a quarter of an hour later, the actors finished singing and knelt down to wait for orders.

Emperor Xingwu rewarded them as usual and told them to leave. Concubine Li also wanted to leave, but the emperor did not give her a chance to do so. He directly asked the eldest princess, "You used to go directly to Chongyuan Palace to see Zheng Ge'er. Why did you come here today? What's going on?"

Yongkang glanced at the two concubines sitting across from him, especially Concubine Li, and said with a smile, "Yes, there is something going on. There's a lot of talk outside the palace right now. It's said that the emperor has given an official position to my sister. Father, can you give me one too? I also want to share your worries. Although I'm not as knowledgeable as my sister, I'm older and have more experience than her, so I'm more suitable for dealing with officials."

Emperor Xingwu took two sips of tea in succession. When he was about to put down the tea bowl, Yongkang rushed to help his father.

Emperor Xingwu leaned back in his rattan chair, as if intrigued by his eldest daughter's words, and looked at her carefully.

Time flies, he grows old, his youngest daughter grows from a baby into a graceful young lady, and his eldest daughter grows from a graceful young lady into a 29-year-old woman.

Because his eldest daughter spent the shortest time with him, out of this debt, Emperor Xingwu tolerated many of her faults, but she should not have been so ignorant of herself.

Emperor Xingwu maintained a lazy leaning posture, his expression calm, and said as if he had heard something funny: "Why does the court use the imperial examination to select talents? Because the court needs officials with knowledge. If I only look for age and experience, then I can directly issue an order to each state and county to select the oldest people to serve as officials. Why bother with the imperial examination?"

The irony was too blunt, especially in front of the two concubines, with a nearby attendant sitting with his head bowed. Yongkang's face flushed, then paled. But after this overwhelming feeling of shame, Yongkang's chest burned with rage. He stiffened his neck and stared at his father, who sat in the rattan chair. "How can those ignorant old men compare to me? I'm your father's daughter. I interact with him, the crown prince, the royal family, and the ministers. In terms of knowledge and understanding of court affairs, I surpass those bookish Jinshi!"

The imperial concubine looked at her nose and her nose at her heart, and Concubine Li was frightened by the eldest princess's aura.

Emperor Xingwu had once praised his eldest daughter's courage in front of the Crown Prince. This time, his daughter became stubborn and the more he listened, the angrier he became. He stared at his daughter and asked, "Is that so? Which ministers have you been in contact with? What court affairs are you familiar with? Come, tell me everything."

Yongkang: "...Anyway, I understand everything my sister understands. Don't try to be partial, father."

Emperor Xingwu laughed in anger. "Am I partial? Chongwen Pavilion is right in the Eastern Palace. I wanted you to go there when Lin'er was first taught, but you didn't want to go! Normally, when I reward you with silks and satins, I give you more because you're older than Lin'er. Even the various allowances given to married princesses by previous emperors were lower than those given to princes. I give you the same as your second and third brothers. And you still accuse me of partiality?"

Yongkang: "But my sister has lived in the palace for fifteen years, and I have only lived here for three years when my father casually gave me a marriage! Since my father married me to the Fu family, why did he also take away the Fu family's title and embarrass me? Father..."

A shadow flashed before his eyes, and with a scream from Concubine Li, Yongkang instinctively raised his arms to cover his face.

But the expected slap didn't come. Yongkang looked from under her arm at her father, who simply raised his right hand and glared at her angrily. Eye to eye, Emperor Xingwu took a deep breath, turned away, and pointed outside the palace, saying, "Get lost! I don't have a selfish, unfilial, foolish daughter like you."

Not only did he not get the official position but he was also scolded. Yongkang held back his tears and ran away without looking back.

The Imperial Concubine and the Beautiful Concubine both stood up the moment Emperor Xingwu was about to hit their daughter. Seeing Yongkang leave sadly, the Imperial Concubine said anxiously, "I will go and persuade Yongkang. She, she is just ignorant..."

Knowing that Emperor Xingwu would not listen to anything, the imperial concubine stopped talking and ran to chase Yongkang.

Emperor Xingwu looked at Concubine Li, the only one still by his side, with lingering anger towards his eldest daughter in his eyes.

Concubine Li's face was paler than Yongkang's after being scolded, and she said tremblingly: "Or, Lin'er, don't go..."

Emperor Xingwu: "Shut up!"

Even if he really favors Lin'er, it is Lin'er who deserves this favoritism. As Lin'er said, she got the top spot in the palace examination by studying hard for twelve years. The eldest daughter's mind is all on gold, silver and jewelry. Why should she compete with Lin'er in everything?

.

Yongkang did not leave the palace, but cried all the way to Chongyuan Palace. Ignoring the imperial concubine's persuasion, he cried and made a fuss, demanding to see the prince.

Lu Wenrong had no choice but to send someone to call back her husband who had just returned to work in the Secretariat.

Qin Hong hurried to the vicinity of Chongyuan Palace and saw the imperial concubine standing outside. He heard the palace maids around the imperial concubine say that the imperial concubine was actually driven out by her sister. Qin Hong was so ashamed that he felt embarrassed.

The imperial concubine sighed, "It's okay. You, you should go and persuade Yongkang. As long as she changes her mind and doesn't ask the emperor for an official position again, your father will be angry for a while at most. Then you two can go and apologize together and comfort him, and he will be fine."

After explaining it clearly, the imperial concubine left with her people.

Qin Hong also wanted to go back to Chongyuan Palace, but as soon as he walked outside the palace gate and heard his sister crying from inside, Qin Hong's legs felt like they were filled with lead and he could not move an inch.

But he had no way out, because the person inside was his sister, the sister who had protected him since he was a child.

Qin Hong walked in with his head lowered.

Seeing Lu Wenrong standing under the eaves, looking at him worriedly, Qin Hongqiang forced a smile and asked his wife to leave first, and he went to see his sister himself.

After the siblings met, Yongkang cried and poured out her grievances to her brother. Qin Hong sat on the chair at first, but eventually slipped off and sat on the ground. No matter how his sister scolded him for being useless and not helping her, Qin Hong just covered his head with his hands. His sister's official position was given by their father, and if their father didn't want to give it to his sister, it was useless for him to speak up, so how could he help?

Yongkang had cried enough and scolded enough. Seeing his brother's cowardly appearance and thinking of his father's dominance, Yongkang knew that he could not get what he wanted and left in disappointment.

Lu Wenrong hurried in to comfort her husband.

Jiuhua Palace is not far from Chongyuan Palace, but after a break, Qingyang went to the martial arts hall to take martial arts lessons. When she came back and heard about this from Qinfang, Yongkang had already left the palace.

"Just pretend you don't know." Qingyang said lightly, and then went to take a shower.

If the elder sister came to ask her how to get the emperor's permission to serve as an official in the court, Qingyang could advise her to first hire a famous teacher in the mansion to study the classics and history books diligently.

If the elder sister doesn't come, it would be like showing off if Qingyang takes the initiative to give instructions.

The imperial concubine and the eldest brother must have been persuaded if they needed to. If their words don't work, there is no point in Qingyang saying more.

Furthermore, this matter involved her, and Qingyang couldn't even guarantee that her elder sister wouldn't vent her anger on her.

After bathing and changing, Qingyang was sitting in the courtyard, reading a book while drying his hair. Jie Yu came over and said solemnly, "Your Highness, Chongyuan Palace just sent for the imperial physician. It seems that the prince has a severe headache."

When Qingyang heard this, he didn't even bother to comb his hair and hurried towards Chongyuan Palace.

She arrived first, and soon Emperor Xingwu and the two concubines came. They gathered together to watch the imperial physician give acupuncture to Qin Hong, who was sweating from the pain.

The acupuncture was effective, and the imperial physician signaled the emperor to go out and talk.

When they got outside, Emperor Xingwu asked nervously, "What exactly is wrong with the prince?"

The imperial physician said respectfully, "I suspect the Crown Prince's headache is caused by excessive worrying. As long as the Crown Prince calms his mind, the disease will be cured."

Emperor Xingwu was silent.

The imperial physician still had to prepare tranquilizers, so he took his leave. Emperor Xingwu stood alone for a while, then sent someone to call out the second concubine and the youngest daughter, asking them to return to the palace to have a good rest, and then arranged for someone to call the eldest daughter into the palace.

Yongkang originally wanted to disobey the order, but when she heard that her brother was ill, she hurried over. Later, she learned that it was because of her request for an official position that her brother was in trouble. Yongkang cried and held her brother's hand, promising that she never wanted to be an official again and only asked her brother to get better soon.

In order to let the prince have a good rest, Emperor Xingwu did not let his eldest daughter stay in the house for long.

Yongkang wiped his tears and walked out of the inner room. Seeing his father waiting outside with a gloomy face, Yongkang lowered his head in embarrassment.

Emperor Xingwu coldly warned his eldest daughter: "If you do this again, you will never set foot in the palace again in your life."

Yongkang was still unwilling to accept it, but she couldn't resist her father, and her brother was sick again, so she had no choice but to accept it.

After a night, the prince, who had taken the tranquilizing soup and had a good sleep, recovered as before, which finally made all the royal family members inside and outside the palace breathe a sigh of relief.

【Author’s words】

Here I come, 100 red envelopes, see you tonight~