Chapter 19: Is the Second Prince the Empress Dowager's biological son?
[The Empress Dowager was the champion and MVP of the previous palace intrigue. If she were to make her move again, wouldn't the harem be a scene of poisoning and death every day? I really want to see it!]
"The Emperor has arrived!"
When the Emperor entered, he saw that everyone had their heads down, which meant that Ji Yingying had said something shocking again.
"What did they say?"
"Your Majesty, today Lord Ji praised your harem~" and then couldn't continue.
"Speak!" the Emperor whispered to him, wanting to know what Ji Yingying had said this time.
"They say your harem is poisoned today and people die tomorrow; they want to see palace intrigue."
The Emperor: ...I'll be driven to my death by this kid sooner or later.
"Ministers, if you have matters to report, please speak now; otherwise, the court may adjourn."
No sooner had the eunuch finished speaking than someone stepped forward and said, "Father, I have a matter to report."
[This is... the Second Prince! I hadn't seen him before. Turns out he went to the ancestral temple to accompany the Empress Dowager. This is really hard to judge! This Second Prince isn't even the Imperial Noble Consort's child. No wonder I found it strange when I saw the Imperial Noble Consort before. She gave birth to a princess, the Third Princess according to the birth order. How did he become the Second Prince?]
[Host, you're actually refusing to gossip about something this juicy?]
【No, it's just that I didn't have time. The Emperor came and took me away. How could I have time to eat melons? So, should we eat melons about the Imperial Noble Consort or the Second Prince? I think the Second Prince's melons are bigger. Shall we eat the Second Prince's melons?】
【Okay~】
[Hehe, let's get to the gossip. Let me see... Ah... it turns out the Second Prince is the Empress Dowager's biological son. Back then, the Imperial Noble Consort gave birth to a daughter, but the Empress Dowager's people switched her with the Second Prince. This Second Prince knew from a young age that he wasn't the Imperial Noble Consort's child, so he manipulated her from childhood to help him seize the throne. That's why the Imperial Noble Consort targeted the Crown Prince.]
However, the Imperial Noble Consort was kind-hearted and didn't dare to harm the Crown Prince too severely. She had reached her position, and even if the Crown Prince ascended the throne, she wouldn't do anything. She just felt sorry for the child. However, she probably didn't know that the Second Prince had already poisoned her, and her health had been deteriorating in recent years.
[As for the Second Prince's frequent visits to the family temple each year, it was to show filial piety to the Empress Dowager and his father, and incidentally, to consolidate his power and expand his influence. After all, no one had expected that the Second Prince's father was actually a monk at the family temple.]
【Oh my, the monks inside are really rolling in money! If the Emperor were to confiscate their temples, they wouldn't have to wear tattered underwear every day. They might even reward me with several thousand taels of silver. I'm still poor. I donated five thousand taels for the sake of the people, and even now, thinking about it makes my heart ache!】
[Huh? They even keep a private army behind the ancestral temple? Good heavens, this second prince knows he's not the emperor's son and is afraid of being found out, so he actually wants to rebel. No wonder the crown prince is still going to die. Poor crown princess, how did you end up with such a husband? Being schemed against every day. The most pitiful one is the emperor. He escaped being hung from the city wall but couldn't escape being thrown into a mass grave. In the end, it was the empress who collected his body. Poor empress, those two empress sisters probably dug up the emperor's grave in their past lives.]
Otherwise, why would both sisters have died for the Emperor?
[No, it's better for the Crown Prince to succeed to the throne. After all, the Crown Prince is benevolent. If the Second Prince were to take the throne, the world would be in chaos, and the people would suffer. If a spoiled brat were to emerge, what would become of the Ning family's century-old foundation?]
【Pah! What century-old foundation? That belongs to someone else, not my family. Forget it, I'll take my parents, older brothers, and the rest of the family far away and wait until the world is at peace before I come out again. Anyway, I'm a lazy bum.】
【Yes, I'll take advantage of the chaos and lead them into the mountains to hide, then we'll make a living by farming. I used to have a heart set on farming, and I watched a lot of farming videos in my past life. Although I've never farmed, I've seen it all!】
Hehe~ The great river flows eastward, and the stars in the sky point to the Big Dipper~
Why did he suddenly start singing? As soon as he started, Ji Yingying felt something was wrong. Didn't the Second Prince say he wanted to submit a memorial to the throne?
Where are they?
Ji Yingying looked up, but the person was no longer in the main hall.
As early as when Ji Yingying said that the Second Prince was the Empress Dowager's biological son, the Emperor had his secret guards take control of her and sent people to the family temple to invite the Empress Dowager and the monks over.
At the same time, Rong Yi's family temple was confiscated!
"Your subject has something to report." Someone stepped forward, diverting Ji Yingying's attention.
"Um!"
"I must report that the Second Prince is not of royal blood."
[Holy crap... what's wrong with this minister? They actually found out? Wow, is there really an Imperial City Guard?]
"You damned fool..." The emperor was so angry that he threw the memorial in his hand away, looking like he was about to die of anger.
There are too many perverts in this Tianyou Dynasty. I need to ask my father to find me some guards to protect me. After all, I'm very beautiful, so I don't want to be bullied by these perverts.
There are too many perverts in this Tianyou Dynasty. I need to ask my father to find me some guards to protect me. After all, I'm very beautiful, and I don't want to be bullied by these perverts. It would be a huge loss if I did.
The Second Prince was actually... This thought made me feel nauseous and want to vomit. Thinking about having dinner with the Second Prince before, I suddenly lost my appetite!
"I believe the second son is not my biological son. I have found out that the second son is the Empress Dowager's biological son, and I have already sent someone to invite the Empress Dowager."
Looks like we're in for some gossip about the Empress Dowager today. She was the MVP of last year's palace intrigue, after all. I thought she'd help the women of her family in the competition, but it turns out she's helping herself! The Second Prince ascended the throne, and she's still the Empress Dowager. What a pity, she's already fifty years old. I wonder how much longer she has to live?
"Stop talking!" The Emperor was furious. Today, the royal family had lost face. Did he not care about his reputation?
[Huh? Who should I tell to stay quiet? I didn't hear anyone speak just now.]
I told you not to say it!
None of the ministers dared to utter a sound, as everyone was afraid to see the Emperor Taizu. However, some people were genuinely happy to have such a juicy piece of gossip.
However, some people are afraid, because in front of this little tyrant, everyone else's melons are a disgrace, or even a loss of life.
Next, they discussed the issues of the military region and provisions, as the national treasury was running low on funds due to the floods.
Even the emperor is troubled!
As for Ji Yingying, she was secretly cracking sunflower seeds. Apple had bought them from someone else and asked the kitchen to roast them with five-spice powder. They smelled so good!
The ministers were frantic about the grain supplies—she hid in a corner, cracking melon seeds, enjoying the delicious aroma.
[Sigh~ I thought it was something serious. They just raided the temple, and this year's food supply is solved right away, with even surplus for the New Year. After all, the corn harvest is in three months, and then the dried corn can be ground into flour, which is also good for wheat flour!]
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