"Eunuch Liu, we brothers smell like hot pot. It would be indecent to go to see the emperor like this." King Huai wiped his mouth and said, "Can you let us go back to the yard and change into clean clothes?"
"Your Majesty has seen all the naughty behaviors of your highnesses when they were young. There is no need to pay attention to these." Liu Zhongbao smiled and saluted: "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. What was he looking at?
The four brothers stood up, watched the powerful eunuch carry Yun Yanze onto the sedan chair, and followed him out obediently.
"I should not have eaten hot pot today." Prince Chen sighed, "I've been eating it for three days in a row. I'm tired of it."
The other three princes turned to look at him. Could they say something useful at this time?
Entering the Taiyang Palace, King Huai looked around. The number of the imperial guards was the same as usual, neither increasing nor decreasing, and the palace servants serving them also looked normal. He touched the jade pendant on his waist, took a deep breath, and was the first to step towards the main hall door.
"Are all here?" Emperor Longfeng glanced at his five sons, then lowered his head and continued writing and drawing on paper. King Huai put his hands behind his back and secretly poked King Chen.
As the most favored son, it's time for you to step forward.
Prince Chen took two steps to the side. No matter how favored a son is, he has to know how to read his father's face.
Did he look stupid for coming forward at a time like this?
There was a dead silence in the palace, and the princes dared not even breathe.
After about two incense sticks of time, Emperor Longfeng finally spoke again: "Do you know why I called you here today? Boss, tell me."
King Huai was feeling very nervous and shook his head pretending to be calm.
Was it that the spy he planted in Prince Qi's Palace was discovered by his father? Or did the private insults against Concubine Su and Yun Duqing reach the ears of the emperor?
Accidentally broke the gift from the Emperor?
Befriending certain officials in private?
Accepting gifts from people below you?
Arranged a sixth-rank position for the princess's cousin?
"Second brother, what about you?"
Prince An quickly shook his head.
Emperor Longfeng looked at Prince Jing, but before he could ask, Prince Jing shook his head vigorously.
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, so there is no need for me to repeat myself."
The four brothers all turned to look at Prince Chen. Judging from his tone, 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!" King Huai's face changed drastically and he knelt on the ground with a plop. When the other princes heard what Emperor Longfeng said, they all turned pale with fright and knelt on the ground, not daring to look up.
"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, while Prince Chen was not hurt at all.
"You keep counselors and spies!" Emperor Longfeng sneered, "If you had used your skills during 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 keep a counselor, keep him in your own house. Why, are you afraid that I don't know?" Emperor Longfeng picked up the scroll and banged it on King Huai's head twice: "You have the ability to accept the tribute from others, but don't you know how to do it cleanly?"
King 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 the King of 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 the games played by my brothers back then!" Looking at his sons kneeling on the ground, Emperor Longfeng became angrier and angrier. He kicked Prince Huai, who rolled over and 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 could cost you your life. As a prince, it's not wrong to be ambitious. What's wrong is to have ambition without brains." Emperor Longfeng had no expression on his face, but it was scarier than being angry: "I blame myself for being too good to you. I've raised you into a bunch of idiots."
"You should be thankful that I am your father." Emperor Longfeng sat down 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.
King Huai picked up a memorial beside him with shaking hands. He glanced at it for a few seconds and then dared not read on. "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 the tea and drank two sips, then turned around and started scolding Prince Chen: "How are you managing 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 I was summoned to the palace by you before I could do so." Prince Chen patted Emperor Longfeng's back: "You can't blame me for this, right? I never expected that my brothers would plant spies in my house."
King Huai, with his forehead resting on the ground, cursed 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 King of Qi covered his chest with his hands. The wound had split open and his inner clothes were sticky to the wound. He felt extremely 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 and taught you 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 said after a moment of silence: "Pass on my order."
"Prince Huai and Prince Qi were disrespectful in front of the emperor, angering him..."
"I beg you to show me mercy, 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 Prince Qi: "Fourth Brother, what about you?"
"Your son...also knows that I am wrong." The King of Qi bowed his head.
wrong?
His biggest mistake was that he was too outstanding. He stole the limelight from Yun Duqing and became a thorn in his father's side.
Listening to King Huai's plea, King Qi sneered in his heart. If the eldest son was wrong, he should blame himself for occupying the position of the eldest son and becoming an obstacle for Yun Duqing to inherit the throne.
In the eyes of my father, probably no one except Yun Duqing 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 after kowtow and he almost stumbled to the ground, he reached out and helped him up: "Brother, be careful."
King 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, I will fine him one year's salary and he cannot leave the palace without an imperial decree for six months." Emperor Longfeng glanced at Prince Chen's hand supporting Prince Huai, closed his eyes, and turned to look at Prince Qi: "Prince Qi... strip him of his princely title and demote him to a county prince, fine him one year's salary and he cannot leave the palace without an imperial decree."
"Come here, after half an incense stick, take King Huai and King Qi away and give them fifteen lashes of the cane."
The King of Qi knelt on the ground and swayed: "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 a big mistake. All of you will be fined for half a year. Stay in the palace and don't go anywhere."
"Father." Prince Chen said softly, gently reminding him, "There is only one and a half months left until 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."
King 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 the other princes and princesses were crowded in the small courtyard of Zhangliu Palace, but Yun Duqing got a palace when he got married?
King Huai felt very sad, but he dared not say it. Not only did he not dare to say it, he also had to compliment his father's advice: "Father is right, my fifth brother's marriage is a big deal, and it is not as good as the palace outside the palace."
"This..." Prince Chen was a little hesitant. 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?" Imperial Concubine Su sighed, "Why are you doing this? I have never been particular about empty formalities. Please 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... what this is for?"
"Zhangpin, I remember that Princess Roude was your daughter?" Concubine Su curled her knuckles and gently stroked her chin. "How can I know the whereabouts of His Majesty? If Zhangpin is 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 expression changed: "I dare not."
"Since you don't dare, how can I dare?" Concubine Su leaned back lazily: "You don't have to worry too much. His 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 do something wrong, he will still consider the father-son relationship."
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 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 Taiyang Palace that His Highness has been fined for half a year." A Mingyue Palace maid walked in: "The Taiyang Palace maid 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 gloating.
It turns out that the one who was punished was King Chen.
"Also, Prince Huai, Prince An, Prince Jing, and Prince Qi were all severely punished..."
Were they all punished?
Prince of Qi?
Prince?
The concubines' gloating smiles froze on their faces and their complexions turned pale.
What exactly happened?
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