Chapter 38: The Heavens are Obstructed and the Government and the Country Are in Chaos
Ah Zhu curled his lips and thought to himself: It's better than you signing a military order to find someone, but then going to Hexianlou to gamble and get drunk...
"Why are you still here?" Lu Qian glared at Azhu.
Ah Zhu was stunned for a moment before he remembered to urge Jingzhao Prefecture to find someone, "I'll go and urge them right away!"
…
At the same time, there was chaos in the Duke of Jin's mansion.
The old lady's condition suddenly worsened, and the Duke of Jin hurried into the palace to ask for the imperial physician. It was not until the evening that the old lady's condition stabilized, but she still did not wake up.
To show her filial piety, Song Lingyi stayed by the old lady's bedside until Wang came to persuade her, and then she returned to Zhilan Garden to rest.
The incident happened suddenly, and the Duke of Jin has sent a message to the palace, asking him to stay at home to take care of the matter. The Duke's Mansion will not attend the Emperor's birthday banquet tonight.
The moon is bright and the stars are sparse tonight, and Zhilan Garden is quiet.
The dim light from the main house casts its shadow on the courtyard. A girl in pink sits on a soft couch behind a carved window, leaning on the windowsill with one hand and looking out, her brows calm.
The courtyard was filled with crabapple trees, but unfortunately, the flowering season had passed, leaving only a single tree with green leaves. The maids told me that when Song's mother was still in her boudoir, she loved the crabapple tree the most. These trees were purchased from other places by the old Duke at great expense.
Today, I showed filial piety to my grandmother by her bedside. Although the old lady was sick and confused, she kept repeating Mother Song's maiden name, which shows how much she loves Mother Song.
In the past, she didn't understand people who would give up everything for love, but now this person is her 'real mother'... She really feels a different feeling in her heart.
Is Song's mother wrong?
A lady from a wealthy family who has had everything since childhood is really foolish and naive to risk everything for love.
Despite his low official position, Song's father treated his mother with the same loving care that he had for her for ten years. He couldn't bear the pain of childbirth, so, after having a daughter, he never let her conceive again. He also devoted all his love to his only daughter.
If you obey your parents' orders, the man you marry may not be as good as Song's father.
Is Song's mother right?
For a man, she hurt her beloved parents and left Kyoto, where she had lived for over a decade. When she was about to die, she still had to ask her parents to take care of the aftermath.
"Alas~"
In the silence, only a light sigh could be heard.
The girl looked up at the moon, and suddenly the face of the bandit leader flashed through her mind. She was so scared that she almost choked on her own saliva.
…
The emperor's birthday banquet is being held in the palace today. All ministers above the third rank and their families can attend.
The music in the main hall was melodious, and the colorful skirts of the dancers in the music troupe were fluttering.
Emperor Xuanyuan, who had been absent from court for many days due to illness, finally made his appearance. However, unlike usual palace banquets, the atmosphere tonight was noticeably less lively. The ministers in the room were all preoccupied with their own thoughts and expressions.
The banquet was almost half over. Looking at the graceful and seductive dancers in the audience, the emperor was so excited that he drank two more glasses of wine, and his pale face turned red.
Several important officials saw this and were filled with indignation.
As the tribute ceremony was over, the second prince took the initiative to raise his glass and signaled all the ministers to toast the emperor together.
The important officials headed by Prime Minister Zhang looked solemn and were reluctant to bring the wine glasses on the table.
"What does this mean, Master Zhang?"
The Second Prince narrowed his dark eyes, gently placed the cup on the table, and said in a deep and cold voice, "Today is Father's birthday. Are you not toasting to celebrate with me? Are you dissatisfied with Father?"
"No!"
Prime Minister Zhang stood up suddenly and glared at the Second Prince.
"Your Majesty is still seriously ill and shouldn't drink. Second Prince should be dissuading you from drinking, rather than repeatedly encouraging you to indulge in alcohol!"
The hall suddenly became quiet.
Emperor Xuanyuan coughed heavily a few times and cast his gaze towards Prime Minister Zhang. "My condition has stabilized. Thanks to Second Brother, I have been able to recuperate peacefully during this period. I just drank a few too many glasses of wine, so please don't blame me."
Prime Minister Zhang took a deep breath, walked to the dais, and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty! His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has pacified the pirates in Danyang County. Since you are not feeling well, it is time to summon His Royal Highness back to the capital!"
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the heir apparent and possesses exceptional abilities. He will surely be able to help you resolve your problems."
Emperor Xuanyuan took a sip of wine but remained silent. He knew the Crown Prince's abilities, but he wasn't close to him and, like the Empress, wouldn't go along with his wishes. The Huo family held a large military force, and if the Crown Prince were allowed to handle state affairs, the kingdom would likely change hands.
Thinking of this, Emperor Xuanyuan raised his hand to support his forehead and said: "Tonight is my birthday banquet, so we won't talk about government affairs. Let's discuss this matter later."
"His Majesty!"
Prime Minister Zhang was obviously unwilling to give up.
Since His Majesty claimed illness and withdrew from court, they've visited the palace, but nine times out of ten, they've been met with nowhere to turn. If we don't mention it tonight, it's hard to say when His Royal Highness will return. If we delay any further, the Second Prince and his faction will surely seize the opportunity to ascend to the throne. By then, there'll be no turning back!
"The pirates have been pacified, and His Royal Highness has made an indelible contribution. If you delay summoning His Royal Highness back to the capital, I'm afraid it will chill the hearts of the meritorious officials!"
Several other important officials could no longer sit still and stood up, saying, "Your Majesty, please issue an order to summon His Royal Highness the Crown Prince back to the capital!"
The prince's party followed suit and made a request:
"Your Majesty, please issue an order to summon His Royal Highness the Crown Prince back to the capital!"
Emperor Xuanyuan's expression grew colder, and he placed the cup in his hand heavily on the table. Although he was angry at these ministers for not obeying him, he still had some rationality.
The Huo family was eyeing the situation covetously from the north, and most of the officials in the court were the prince's followers. Furthermore, the prince had just made military achievements. Acting on his own at this time would clearly be disadvantageous to him.
"In that case, then—"
"Father!" The second prince, who had been holding back silently, suddenly stood up.
Having come to this point, he absolutely could not let his father issue an order to summon Xiao Mingyi back to the capital, even if it was just a verbal order.
"The Emperor is in poor health, and Master Zhang wants my fifth brother to return to the capital. His intentions are clear as day!"
"I am solely concerned for Your Majesty's benefit! Government affairs cannot continue to pile up unattended. His Royal Highness, as the crown prince, is capable and capable. What's wrong with having him return to help Your Majesty with his worries?"
Xiao Du sneered, "Fifth brother can help father share his worries, so why can't I?"
Prime Minister Zhang's face flushed crimson, and he dropped the pretense. He pointed at the Second Prince and cursed, "Since His Majesty fell ill, how many visiting signs have ever made it back to the Purple Palace? Reinforcements from Danyang County haven't been sent yet, and the disaster in the east is being ignored. There's even news that several surrounding towns have wanted posters of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
"He has obscured the hearing of the heavens and brought chaos to the government and the people. His crimes are simply unforgivable!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole hall fell into deathly silence.
After a while, the ministers of the Second Prince's party stood up to refute and argued loudly with the ministers headed by Prime Minister Zhang, all of them were so anxious that their faces turned red.
Bang--
Emperor Xuanyuan on the high platform angrily slammed the table. He was so excited that he coughed incessantly and finally recovered.
"I'm not dead yet, why are you making such a fuss in the hall? How disgraceful!"
After being scolded by Prime Minister Zhang, Emperor Xuanyuan was furious and finally became wary of the second prince.
He loved Concubine Shu and naturally wanted to give them the best of everything in the world, but the decision to make the Crown Prince the heir was inevitable and he couldn't easily change it. Therefore, over the years, he had been doing his best to make amends for Concubine Shu and her son.
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