"Eunuch Liu, we brothers smell like hot pot. It would be indecent for us to go to see the emperor like this." Prince Huai wiped his mouth and said, "Can you let us go back to the yard to change into clean clothes?"
"Your Majesty has seen all the naughty behaviors of your Highnesses when they were young. There is no need to dwell on them." Liu Zhongbao smiled and bowed: "Your Majesty, please."
Prince Huai turned to look at Prince Chen and said, "Father has always doted on my fifth brother. Why didn't my fifth brother know something in advance?"
Prince Chen shook his head silently, wondering what he was going to do.
The four brothers stood up, watched the powerful eunuch lift Yun Yanze onto the sedan chair, and followed him out obediently.
"I should have known I shouldn't have eaten the hot pot today." Prince Chen sighed, "I've been eating it for three days straight, and I'm tired of it."
The other three princes turned to look at him. Could you say something useful at this time?
After entering Taiyang Palace, Prince Huai looked around. The number of guards was the same as usual, neither increasing nor decreasing, and the servants also looked normal. He touched the jade pendant on his waist, took a deep breath, and took the lead to step into the main hall door.
"Are they all here?" Emperor Longfeng glanced at his five sons, lowered his head and continued to write and draw on the paper. Prince Huai put his hands behind his back and secretly poked Prince Chen.
As the most favored son, it's time for you to step up.
Prince Chen took two steps to the side. No matter how favored a son is, he has to read his father's expression.
Does he look stupid enough to come forward at a time like this?
There was a dead silence in the palace, and the princes dared not even make a sound.
After about two incense sticks of time, Emperor Longfeng finally spoke again: "Do you know why I asked you to come here today? Boss, tell me."
Prince Huai's heart was in turmoil, and he shook his head to try to calm himself.
Was it that the spy he had planted in Prince Qi's mansion was discovered by his father? Or did his private scolding of Concubine Su Guifei and Yun Duqing reach his father's ears?
Did you accidentally break the gift?
Privately befriending certain officials?
Accepting gifts from people below you?
A sixth-rank vacancy was secured for the princess's cousin?
"Second brother, what about you?"
Prince An shook his head quickly.
Emperor Longfeng looked at Prince Jing, but before he could ask, Prince Jing shook his head violently.
The King of Qi leaned back in his chair, covered his chest and coughed softly, his face pale.
"Father, please don't look at me." Prince Chen said shamelessly, "You know all the things I do every day. There is no need for me to repeat myself."
The four brothers all turned their heads to look at Prince Chen. From the tone of his voice, he seemed quite proud.
"It seems that you know nothing about your own affairs." Emperor Longfeng put down his pen and said in a deep voice: "I am not dead yet, so I don't need you to worry about this position every day!"
"Father!" Prince Huai's face changed drastically, and he knelt on the ground with a plop. The other princes, hearing what Emperor Longfeng said, were all frightened and turned pale, kneeling on the ground and not daring to raise their heads.
"Look for yourselves." Emperor Longfeng threw several thick memorials at his sons. It was not known whether it was a coincidence or not, but all the memorials were thrown at the four elder brothers, and Prince Chen was not in any trouble at all.
"Raising conspirators and placing spies!" Emperor Longfeng sneered: "If you had used these tactics in the Xiande era, you would have been thrown into prison long ago, and you wouldn't even understand how you got there."
"If you want to raise a scholar, you should raise him in your own house. Why, are you afraid that I don't know?" Emperor Longfeng picked up the scroll and banged it on Prince Huai's head twice: "You have the ability to accept the tribute from others, but don't you know how to do things properly?"
Prince Huai shrank his head and dared not speak.
"And you, you have been both civil and military since childhood, but you turned a blind eye to what the Zheng family did." Emperor Longfeng pointed at Prince Qi, "Do you know how your sixth uncle died?"
"He was killed by his brainless maternal family." Emperor Longfeng sneered: "He was exiled to Youzhou, and died suddenly on the way, just a few days away."
"What you are doing now are all left over from my brothers back then!" Looking at his sons kneeling on the ground, Emperor Longfeng became more and more angry. He kicked Prince Huai, who rolled over and happened to hit the wound on Prince Qi's body. Prince Qi groaned.
"In the capital, if you don't have the ability to keep a secret, don't do anything that will cost you your head. As a prince, it's not wrong to be ambitious, but it's wrong to have ambition without brains." Emperor Longfeng had no expression on his face, but his expression was scarier than when he was angry: "It's my fault for being too good to you. I raised you to be a bunch of idiots."
"You should be thankful that I am your father." Emperor Longfeng sat on the steps and pointed at the memorials scattered on the ground: "Pick them all up and have a look."
The princes dared not move.
"Show me!" Emperor Longfeng's chest heaved violently.
Prince Huai picked up a memorial with shaking hands, glanced at it for a few seconds and then dared not read any further: "Father, I know my crime! Please forgive me, I will never do it again."
Prince Chen walked around the table, poured a cup of tea and brought it to Emperor Longfeng: "Father, calm down."
"And you, there were two spies planted in the palace, but you didn't notice it." Emperor Longfeng took two sips of tea, turned around and started to scold Prince Chen: "How can you manage the palace?"
"Two?" Prince Chen was puzzled: "Not three?"
"It's not that I didn't know they were spies. I was planning to find out who sent them, but you summoned me to the palace before I could do so." Prince Chen patted Emperor Longfeng on the back: "You can't blame me for this, right? I never expected that my brothers would plant spies in my house."
Prince Huai, with his forehead touching the ground, was cursing in his heart, how could you not know?
"I know all the things you did." Emperor Longfeng said expressionlessly, "If you dare to do it again in the future, I am not afraid of being branded as a murderer."
The prince of Qi covered his chest with his hands. The wound was torn open, and his underwear was sticky to the wound, which was very uncomfortable. He looked up at his mysterious father and bowed his head respectfully.
Father, how much do you know?
"Since I ascended the throne, I have invited famous officials to be your teachers, so that you can learn the arts of literature and martial arts, but you have learned these unpresentable methods."
"I am so disappointed in you."
Emperor Longfeng stood up from the steps and spoke after a moment of silence: "Pass on my order."
"Prince Huai and Prince Qi lost their manners in front of the emperor, angering him..."
"I beg you to have mercy on me, father." Prince Huai knelt before Emperor Longfeng and said, "I know I was wrong."
"If you know you're wrong, correct it." Emperor Longfeng looked at King Qi: "Fourth Brother, what about you?"
"I, your son, also know that I am wrong." King Qi bowed his head.
mistaken?
His biggest mistake was that he was too outstanding and stole the limelight from Yun Duqing, which made him a thorn in the side of his father.
Listening to Prince Huai's plea, Prince Qi sneered in his heart, thinking that if he was the eldest son, he should blame himself for taking the position of the eldest son and becoming an obstacle to Yun Duqing's succession to the throne.
In the eyes of my father, except Yun Duqing, no one is his child.
Even if he hit his head at this moment, his father would not miss the good opportunity to pave the way for Yun Duqing.
When Prince Chen saw Prince Huai’s forehead swell up from kowtowing and he almost stumbled and fell to the ground, he reached out and helped him up: “Big brother, be careful.”
Prince Huai secretly groaned in his heart, what was the point of kowtowing? From the tone of his father's voice, it was clear that he was going to deprive him of his throne!
"Since Prince Huai has a good attitude in admitting his guilt, his salary will be deducted for one year, and he cannot leave the palace without an imperial decree for six months." Emperor Longfeng glanced at Prince Chen who was supporting Prince Huai's hand, closed his eyes, and turned to look at Prince Qi: "Prince Qi... stripped of his title of prince, demoted to a county prince, deducted from his salary for one year, and cannot leave the palace without an imperial decree."
"Come here, after half an incense stick, take Prince Huai and Prince Qi away and give them fifteen lashes of the cane."
The King of Qi knelt on the ground and shook his body: "Your son... obeys your command."
"As for you..."
Prince An and Prince Jing kowtowed together, not even having the courage to raise their heads.
Emperor Longfeng glanced at Prince Chen and said, "You three have made serious mistakes. All of you will be fined for six months. Stay in the palace and don't go anywhere."
"Father." Prince Chen said softly, tactfully, "There is only one and a half months left before my son's wedding."
It's not appropriate to not let him leave the palace, right?
"Then you can get married in the palace." Emperor Longfeng said unhappily, "There are many empty palaces in the palace, which can accommodate you two young couples."
Prince Huai, who had just been feeling lucky to have escaped a disaster, suddenly felt jealous. His father actually allowed his adult son with a title to get married in the palace?
Isn't that a treatment exclusive to the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace?
All other princes and princesses were crowded into the small courtyard of Zhangliu Palace, but Yun Duqing got a palace just for his marriage?
Prince Huai felt very sad, but he dared not say it. Not only did he not dare to say it, he also complimented his father's suggestion: "Father is right, my fifth brother's marriage is a big deal, and life outside the palace is not as good as inside the palace."
"This..." Prince Chen hesitated. If the wedding ceremony was held in the palace, many guests would not be able to attend the banquet, and it would not be lively enough.
Seeing that Yun Duqing still looked unhappy, the other princes wanted to curse him. Why would he be unhappy about such a good thing?
Being favored is a big deal, but does that mean you can be fearless?
At this moment, Mingyue Palace is much more lively than usual.
The biological mothers of all the princes and princesses sat in the Mingyue Palace under the pretext of paying their respects. Even Concubine Xu, who lived in seclusion, came with a slightly pale face.
"Did you all make an appointment today to come and pay your respects to me?" Concubine Su sighed, "Why are you all doing this? I have never been particular about formalities. Don't do this again in the future."
After the concubines exchanged a few pleasantries, someone finally couldn't help but talk about the princes and princesses: "Your Majesty, I heard that His Majesty summoned all the princes and princesses to the Taiyang Palace and did not allow outsiders to approach. Your Majesty, do you know why?"
"Zhangpin, I remember that Princess Roude is your daughter?" Concubine Su curled her knuckles and gently rubbed her chin. "How can I know your Majesty's whereabouts? If you are curious, why don't you go to Taiyang Palace and ask in person? I will have someone prepare the sedan chair for you."
Zhang Concubine's face changed: "I dare not."
"Since you don't dare, do I dare?" Concubine Su leaned back lazily: "You don't have to worry too much. Your Majesty is the father of the prince and princess. What father would harm his own children?"
Concubine Su spoke to them from the bottom of her heart: "Your Majesty is a benevolent and wise ruler. Even if the princes have done something wrong, he will still consider the relationship between father and son."
Concubines: "..."
Who would believe such nonsense? We are all concubines in the harem. What's the point of telling such lies?
When the late emperor was alive, how many of his sons and daughters were betrayed by him?
There are no fathers and sons in the royal family, only rulers and subjects.
"Your Highness, there is news from the Taiyang Palace that His Highness has been fined for half a year." A Mingyue Palace lady walked in: "The lady from the Taiyang Palace also said that in the future, Your Highness, you are not allowed to send anything to His Highness without His Majesty's order."
When the other concubines heard this, they immediately smiled gently, as if they were taking pleasure in the misfortune of others.
It turns out that the one who was punished was Prince Chen.
"Also, Prince Huai, Prince An, Prince Jing, and Prince Qi were all severely punished..."
Were they all punished?
Prince Qi?
Prince?
The concubines' gloating smiles froze on their faces and their complexions turned pale.
What happened?
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