Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Something happened to Empress Liang Yuan!
Today, strange things happened frequently when the prince was out of the palace. First, the string of the Hetian jade pendant worn around his waist broke inexplicably, and the jade pendant fell to the ground and broke into pieces.
Then the wheels of the carriage suddenly broke down and it could not move. The prince had no choice but to ride a horse.
The prince usually rode a horse when he went out, but Liang Yuan said that it was almost summer and the sun was very strong, so she asked him to take a carriage to the palace. The prince had no choice but to do as she said.
Now that the emperor's body was not in good condition, he had changed his court session from every two days to every five days. However, while the emperor's pressure was reduced, all military secrets fell entirely on the Crown Prince, who was acting as regent. Although he did not have to attend the morning court, he still had to go to Xuanguang Hall every day to handle memorials and meet with ministers.
As soon as the prince arrived at Xuanguang Hall, several respected old ministers were already gathered in the outer hall, holding memorials in their hands. They must have encountered something difficult to decide, so they came in person to ask the prince for his instructions.
Li Cheng dismounted, straightened his appearance slightly, pursed his thin lips, looked serious, and strode into the hall with a breeze.
The Minister of Revenue stepped forward first and asked, "Your Highness, the Nanyue area has suffered from drought this year, and crops cannot be grown normally. More and more refugees are fleeing in all directions. I am afraid that if we leave it alone, it will lead to civil unrest."
Li Cheng had already known about this matter in advance, and he also ordered the relevant officials to transfer official grain from other places and transport it to Nanyue to alleviate the urgent needs of the hungry people.
However, because most parts of the country suffered from drought, floods and locust plagues last year, not much grain was stored. Now, transporting thousands of stones of grain and distributing it to millions of victims is like a drop in the bucket.
Li Cheng sat on the official hat chair, looking at the memorial in his hand, his delicate eyebrows gradually furrowed.
The Crown Prince asked: "How is the state treasury turnover this year?"
The Minister of Revenue looked embarrassed and said hesitantly, "The national treasury is already stretched thin. If we want to appease the victims, we have to allocate at least two million. But the national affairs are in a mess right now. If we really allocate all the two million, I'm afraid we won't be able to pay several months' salary to all the officials in the capital."
The old minister stood for a long time, adjusted his body slightly, and continued to report tremblingly: "Besides, a few days ago, one million taels were allocated from the treasury to repair a villa for His Royal Highness the Virtuous Prince. Even if the salaries of the Beijing officials are in arrears for a few months, I am afraid it will be difficult to pay them back."
I should mention here that the Xian Wang, who had originally been stripped of his title and demoted to a commoner, was relegated to a position of rank because the Director of the Imperial Observatory declared that the Daoxian Wang was an auspicious sign from the Jade Palace, destined to awaken the people and overcome adversity, thus stabilizing the nation's foundation. He should not be relegated to the rank of commoner, but rather his noble status as a prince of the Great Jin should be restored.
Otherwise, if the gods in heaven are angry and the emperor of heaven is angered, great disasters will be brought upon the people, putting them in dire straits.
I don't know whether the officials believed it or not, but the emperor did. Not only did he restore the status of the virtuous king as the second prince, but in order to make up for his previous misunderstanding of the virtuous king, he specially approved the Ministry of Works to rebuild a larger mansion for the virtuous king. This one million was the memorial that the emperor had just approved not long ago.
The emperor dotes on his youngest son and wishes to rebuild his palace for him, and all officials dare not disobey. However, if the one million taels were simply allocated, what would happen to the famine in South Vietnam this year?
The Minister of Revenue dared not disobey the emperor, but he also did not want to let the South Vietnamese people suffer, which would lead to a commotion and civil unrest. Furthermore, if the one million taels were allocated, the treasury would be completely empty. What would happen to the livelihoods of millions of people then?
The Xianwang Mansion could be built later, but the famine victims of Nanyue could not wait any longer! The Minister of Revenue had no choice but to seek help from the Crown Prince, asking him to make the decision.
"Renovate a villa for the virtuous king? Who gave this order? Why have I never heard of it?" The prince threw the memorial in his hand on the rosewood table with a cold face and asked unexpectedly.
"This, this was proposed and approved by the emperor himself. I have the imperial edict here." The Minister of Revenue thought that the prince did not understand the matter and was about to present the imperial edict.
However, he did not expect that the prince would not even look at it. He shook his sleeves and stood up from the official chair with an expressionless face: "Now I exercise the power of regent, and all imperial edicts, big and small, must pass through my hands. If they are not approved by me personally, then these imperial edicts are fake."
"But, it has His Majesty's personal seal..."
Li Cheng: "My father is seriously ill and often unconscious. The eunuchs around him are bound to do evil. Who knows whether this decree is the will of the emperor or the will of the eunuchs?"
"Your Highness, this..."
"Alright! The Emperor has never issued such an edict. Minister Wang, you have been in the position of Minister for many years, serving as his minister and advisor for many years. Don't you know what kind of person the Emperor is?"
"Cancel the expenditure on building a separate residence for the virtuous king, and make up the two million taels of silver needed by the disaster victims in South Vietnam. As for the salaries, the officials of the third rank and above will be delayed for half a year. As for all the expenses in the palace, we must save as much as possible and we must raise the money."
After the prince gave his instructions, he stood with his hands behind his back in front of the golden beast incense burner. Curls of green smoke drifted past him, making the crown prince look even taller and more slender, with picturesque eyebrows and eyes, and a graceful and elegant demeanor.
He said worriedly: "Today, a great disaster has befallen our Jin Dynasty. The state affairs are difficult and the people are living in dire straits. Only if I and all of you work together can we successfully overcome the difficulties."
He added: "This year has seen so much suffering and hardship for the people. As the crown prince, I should set an example. I have decided: the hundred-day banquet for the emperor's eldest grandson in a month will be kept simple, and the money saved will be allocated to the people of Nanyue."
The Minister of Revenue was shocked: "Your Highness, the birth of the emperor's eldest grandson is good news for the Great Jin Dynasty and the continuation of the Great Jin Dynasty. The eldest grandson's bloodline is precious and there is no reason for him to be wronged."
Li Cheng: "My dear minister, there is no need to persuade me any further. I have made up my mind. I wonder if it is possible to raise two million taels of silver?"
Minister Wang said with shame: "Of course I can."
"That's good. My dear minister, you should know that there are more than one or two people in the court and the country who are eyeing this silver. The country's pests are hard to get rid of. My dear minister, you must promise me that every penny of this silver will be delivered to the victims."
Minister Wang knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly: "I will not fail Your Highness's mission! Even if it costs my life, I will not let the people of Nanyue go hungry!"
The Crown Prince looked at him dimly, a hint of deep meaning hidden in his eyes. Minister Wang was immediately shocked. Could it be that His Highness suspected that he would embezzle the stolen money, hence his expression?
But if His Highness had doubts, why did he entrust him with this important task? Could it be that the Crown Prince's eyes held a deeper meaning?
The eldest grandson, yes, His Highness ordered that the hundred-day banquet for the eldest grandson be kept simple, even at the expense of his own eldest son for the sake of the people of the Great Jin. The Crown Prince, as the heir apparent, has already done so much, so is there any need for the virtuous king to build a separate courtyard?
There's really no need for that.
The prince's action was to tell himself who was the real helmsman of the Jin Dynasty and whose orders he should obey as an old minister.
Before, Minister Wang would have sworn to follow His Majesty to the bitter end. But now His Majesty is aging and has even made some foolish decisions. He now favors the Virtuous Prince, even considering using government funds meant for the people to build a separate residence for him. He has completely disregarded the lives of millions of people.
He could understand the emperor's deep love for his son. However, the people of the world looked upon him as their father, their ruler. He was the father of all the people, and yet he, without a thought for the people, had allocated all the money to his own son. By doing so, the emperor would surely lose his trust in the people.
However, the Crown Prince, who is now the father of the Emperor's eldest grandson, is willing to save money on the Emperor's eldest grandson's hundred-day banquet to help the people in the disaster get through their difficult times.
How could they both be fathers, yet act so differently? As a minister, Minister Wang couldn't interfere with the emperor. But the emperor was aging, and the crown prince had long held the power of regent. In other words, sooner or later, the world would belong to the crown prince.
Why would he disobey the Crown Prince over such a trivial matter, and instead blindly obey His Majesty? It would be better to sell the Crown Prince now. When he ascends the throne in the future, he can still cherish the old friendship between the monarch and his subjects. Besides, His Majesty's actions were unpopular to begin with.
Minister Wang thought it over carefully in his mind and finally decided to listen to the prince.
After Minister Wang left, the remaining ministers presented memorials, most of which concerned matters concerning the imperial treasury. The Crown Prince had already expressed his stance, and the other officials were terrified, fearing their reports would displease the Crown Prince. They simply reported casually, not daring to elaborate, and after receiving the Crown Prince's approval, they slipped away.
After sending those ministers away, almost two hours had passed.
The prince was troubled by what had just happened. He felt his blood boiling, his temples throbbing, and he felt a little unwell.
Li Fu served the Crown Prince hot tea and counseled him, "Your Highness has been busy for so long, why not take a break before continuing with government affairs?"
The prince shook his head, trying to suppress the inexplicable panic rising in his heart. "State affairs are so difficult, how can I rest in peace?" After taking a few sips of hot tea, he continued to hunch over his desk, processing the remaining memorials. But the red brush in his hand hesitated, and the prince covered his heart, feeling a sense of unease.
But where does this inexplicable feeling of unease come from?
He frowned, looking a little flustered. After a moment of hesitation, he put aside the red brush he had been holding back, raised his head and asked Li Fu, "Liang Yuan and the princess went out to enjoy the flowers. Have they returned yet?"
Li Fu had been serving the Crown Prince for a long time and was not very familiar with the affairs of the Eastern Palace. He replied respectfully, "I don't know either. How about sending a guard back to ask?"
Li Cheng nodded. This inexplicable feeling of palpitations made him feel a little worried. Could it be that something bad had happened to Liang Yuan, or was the little grandson of the emperor sick and crying again?
Was the series of uneasiness in his body now a reminder to himself? But Liang Yuan had followed Luo Hua out. Although he had not sent the Azure Dragon Guards to follow, Luo Hua was accompanied by a group of guards.
If anything unexpected happened, the guards would definitely rush forward to protect them first. Li Cheng rested his slender fingertips on his forehead and slowly breathed a sigh of relief.
He must have been overthinking it. Perhaps too many unexpected things had happened while he was out today, making him wary of such talk of ghosts and gods.
Li Cheng tried to hide the panic in his heart. The uneasy feeling tore at him. Suddenly, an idea popped up in his mind: if he sent secret guards to follow her when she went out, he could ensure that nothing would go wrong.
Originally, he wanted to ask a few Qinglong Guards to protect him in secret, but Liang Hanzhang said that he was just going out with the princess and there was no need to make a big fuss.
If you don’t know, you might think that there is some conflict between the prince and the princess.
But Li Cheng wanted to say that this was not a major military campaign. He had only sent a few secret guards to follow him, and he hadn't shown his face, so how could it be considered a major military campaign? The prince felt that this could not go on. The husband's authority was weak. In such a major matter, he actually listened to a woman's words.
This can't happen again, the prince thought. As the crown prince, he had to establish some authority in front of Liang Yuan, so that his wife wouldn't dare disobey him. However, this authority couldn't be so excessive that Liang Yuan would alienate him.
How can we strike a balance between the two?
Li Cheng couldn't figure it out, nor did he want to think about it further. In fact, the way he and Liang Yuan got along now was also relaxed and happy. He didn't want to upset this balance. If the husband's authority was weak, then so be it. In the future, when such personal safety issues arose, he would simply give Liang Yuan a few more reminders.
The prince would sometimes frown, sometimes relax, and sometimes mutter to himself, leaving Li Fu, who was waiting beside him, completely bewildered. However, the old steward was clearly used to it.
The prince could remain calm and dignified in other serious matters, but when it came to matters concerning Empress Liang Yuan, he became like a young boy who had never experienced love between a man and a woman. He would think about all sorts of things and worry about this and that, fearing that he had displeased Empress Liang Yuan in any way.
Li Fu really wanted to remind his highness that he was the crown prince, the heir apparent second only to the emperor. Apart from the emperor who was above him, who else was he afraid of?
But now, facing such a young lady, he began to worry about gains and losses.
It is indeed the land of beauties and the grave of heroes. Even a virtuous man like the prince cannot escape this eternal truth.
Meanwhile, the prince was lost in thought when he suddenly heard a crisp, shattering sound. Following the sound, he looked down and saw an exquisite box lying on the ground. Hastily opening it, he discovered that the mutton-fat jade bracelet he had carefully prepared for Liang Yuan had been shattered.
This jade bracelet was a gift Li Cheng had been preparing for many days, thinking of giving it to Zhou Er on her 100th day, as a surprise for the woman. Let her know that even though he was preoccupied with the child, he had never forgotten her.
This is not only Zhou'er's wedding day, but also her mother's auspicious day. This jade bracelet is not an ordinary jade bracelet. The double phoenix pattern on it is carefully selected by him, and it contains a little bit of his selfish motives.
Although the imperial decree for her promotion was firmly withheld by the emperor, he would certainly present her with the best things once he ascended to the throne, allowing her to no longer shy away from the luxuries that only the empress was entitled to possess, and for their child to become a legitimate heir, perhaps even a crown prince.
However, the carefully prepared gift was shattered like this, turning into pieces all over the floor. Li Cheng couldn't help but feel annoyed: when he received it from the eunuch today, he should have placed it on the treasure pavilion over there, where it would not be broken.
Unfortunately, there is no medicine for regret. The debris scattered on the ground seemed to indicate something.
Li Cheng's breath hitched. All the misfortunes today seemed like a sign from heaven. Could it be, could it be...?
Reason told him that this speculation was completely impossible. But Li Cheng thought of the dispute with the emperor and empress a few days ago. They could not tolerate Liang Yuan and kept asking him to order the killing.
This is his beloved, how could he possibly kill her?!
At that time, he had a quarrel with the emperor and the empress. When he turned around, he noticed the empress's meaningful glance.
Could it be that the Queen really couldn't tolerate Liang Yuan and was going to get rid of her? But he knew Luo Hua's character well, and he would never do anything to help the evildoer.
But, what if the Emperor and Empress even hid this from Luo Hua?
The prince's hands and feet instantly turned cold.
He didn't bother to feel sorry for himself. He stood up straight and ordered Li Fu, "Go prepare the horses. I need to go back to the East Palace!"
"Also, if Liang Yuan hasn't returned yet, have Xia Chang go to the eastern suburbs to look for her. Hurry!"
Li Fu didn't understand what was going on, but seeing the prince's frightened and horrified face, he didn't bother to ask questions and just took the order to prepare.
Back at the East Palace, it was almost evening. Li Fu randomly grabbed a servant and asked, and it turned out that Liang Yuan hadn't returned. It had been several hours since noon. Could it be that something had really happened to Empress Liang Yuan?
Li Fu didn't dare to think too much, and prayed in his heart that Liang Yuan was safe and sound. When the prince heard the servant's report, his face turned pale with fear, and his legs couldn't even stand. Li Fu barely supported him to prevent him from collapsing to the ground.
The Crown Prince was panicked and terrified. Normally a man who kept his emotions to himself, he lost his composure today. He paused for a moment, then suddenly gave a stern command: "Order all Azure Dragon Guards to find Liang Yuan before nightfall!"
The guards took the order and left.
The prince finished his instructions and prepared to stride out, jump on his horse, and head for the eastern suburbs. But the wet nurse came running out to report, her voice still trembling: "Your Highness, the little prince has suddenly run a high fever and keeps crying. If we can't reduce the little prince's fever in time, I'm afraid..."
The nurse didn't dare continue, but everyone present understood what she left unfinished. A storm brewed in the prince's eyes, ready to ignite into a hurricane and sweep him to the ground. His face was pale, but the corners of his eyes were red.
After listening to the report, he looked down at the wet nurse coldly, and his voice seemed to come from the top of Cangshan Mountain, with a biting chill: "The young prince is ill, why don't you quickly find the imperial physician?"
The voice was cold and emotionless, without the slightest fluctuation. However, Li Fu, who had served the prince for many years, knew that this expression was a sign of the prince's rage.
As expected, the prince threw the horsewhip in his hand hard towards the wet nurse. There was a rustling sound, and the next moment, the bluestone slab on the ground less than an inch next to the wet nurse suddenly turned into gravel.
The nurse was so frightened that she screamed and covered her head. Her heart was half dead, her face pale as ashes, and she looked at the prince in front of her in horror. She had never thought the prince was so scary before. Given the force of the whip, if he missed even slightly, her life would be over.
The other servants hurriedly took the token of the Prince's Mansion and went out to invite the chief imperial physician of the Imperial Hospital.
The prince was worried that something had happened to Liang Yuan outside, but when he heard that the little prince had been crying because of a high fever, he was worried and repeatedly sent messages to the Qinglong Guards to find Liang Yuan and bring her back safely.
He could only comfort himself that Liang Yuan hadn't been home for a long time and was just staying out with Luo Hua. If he left Zhou Er behind and ran away, how would he explain it to Liang Yuan when she asked about it later?
This child has been suffering from major and minor illnesses since birth. If this one is not handled properly, Li Cheng doesn't dare to think about it too much.
He could only pray that it was his own petty mindset. Although the Emperor and Empress disliked Liang Yuan, she was, after all, the mother of his eldest grandson. For Zhou Er's sake, they wouldn't secretly harm Liang Yuan.
When he reached the wing where the little prince was placed, Li Cheng indeed heard a burst of weak crying, which was endless and hoarse, but there was no sign of it stopping.
He walked in quickly and saw the child in the nurse's arms. His cheeks were red, his hair was wet, his white jade-like face was wrinkled, and his mouth was pouting. Just looking at him, he knew how uncomfortable he was at the moment. The two blushes on his face were not sure if they were caused by the high fever or by crying.
There was also a royal physician in the prince's mansion, but his medical skills were not the most sophisticated. Li Cheng was worried, so he asked someone to invite the imperial physician from the palace.
Normally, because the young grandson was in poor health, the chief physician of the Imperial Hospital would often come to the Eastern Palace to take charge. However, it happened that he was on duty today and was not in the Eastern Palace at the moment.
An old doctor here was carefully taking the pulse of the little prince, trying hard to ignore the prince's selective look, and his hands were shaking slightly as he took the pulse.
After a moment, he bent down and reported to the prince: "Your Highness, the little prince has a high fever caused by a sudden convulsion. In my humble opinion, acupuncture can be used to dredge several acupoints on the little prince's body to dissipate the high fever."
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