Chapter 160 Causes a Misunderstanding
Tao Tao nodded: "She contacted me. Her Majesty the Empress asked me to plead with the Emperor on your behalf because of the life she saved."
Qi Heng frowned immediately, her face showing worry. She hurriedly said, "Don't go. This will harm you. The Emperor has already bestowed upon you the title of County Princess. If you really do this, it will be an act of taking advantage of his kindness."
"His Majesty will not only be suspicious of you, but may even punish you."
Although he didn't fully understand his father, he had some understanding of his temperament and personality. Any misstep would arouse his father's suspicion.
If she really does what her mother says, her father will not let her off.
"But...didn't you say that we are friends? When a friend is in trouble, isn't it only right to do what we can for our friend?"
She tilted her head to look at him, her gaze sincere, her soft, white face full of innocence.
"Besides, I have already seen His Majesty. He was indeed very angry, but fortunately he did not punish me in the end. I am still lucky."
When he heard that she had actually gone to see the emperor, his expression changed drastically, his eyes filled with tension and panic, and his heart leaped into his throat. But he quickly learned that she was alright, and his heart slowly calmed down.
He felt guilty when he realized that it was because his mother had coerced him.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault. I shouldn't have dragged you into this."
Tao Tao quickly shook her head, and in her haste, she placed her soft little hand on his hand that was gripping the railing.
Qi Heng felt the touch on the back of her hand, her pupils dilated, and she looked down in surprise. Before she could calm her trembling heart, she heard her gentle words again.
"It's okay, you didn't do anything wrong. You're such a good person, I'm willing to take risks for you."
Would you be willing to... take risks for him?
His heart skipped a beat. These words were too easy to misunderstand, and he couldn't help but start to overthink.
"I'm going back now. Take good care of yourself."
The moment she pulled her hand away, the temperature on the back of her hand also cooled down.
Qi Heng paused for a moment, then nodded and said softly, "Okay."
Tao Tao took out something wrapped in oil paper from her sleeve, handed it to him, and said with a smile, "Here, take this. I'm really leaving now. Goodbye."
He gripped the object in his hand tightly, his gaze fixed on her retreating figure in the distance, a look of longing and reluctance on his face that he himself was unaware of.
Only after that beautiful figure had completely disappeared from his sight did he turn his gaze away and look down at the brownish-yellow oil paper in his hand.
He opened it and saw that it was pear syrup candy. Seeing this, his thoughts unconsciously returned to that pleasant night.
That was one of the few times he was truly happy; he realized that someone actually cared...
Once outside the dungeon, Tao Tao's smile vanished instantly. "Back to the Tao family," she said, before getting into the carriage.
...
The Imperial Preceptor's Residence.
"Who is that woman? How could she have you so infatuated with her?"
"You don't seem like the type to be obsessed with women, which makes me curious about what kind of beauty that woman must be to make you say such things."
Wu Xuzi reclined casually in the armchair, looking at the indifferent man opposite him with a mocking smile.
"His Majesty the Medicine Master was very pleased today, so you can prepare more."
"How could I not like it? The stimulation upon stimulation is so intense, it's like my soul is flying to heaven."
Seeing that he changed the subject, Wuxuzi didn't press the matter further. He then added, "However, this medicine is much more potent than the previous ones. If you don't want him to die sooner, you'd better be careful."
"Moreover, I heard about the banquet that night. The old emperor is becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the crown prince. Furthermore, during the morning court session, many of the crown prince's supporters pleaded for him, unaware that the more the ministers pleaded, the more resentful the emperor became."
"The crown prince is in his prime, and many ministers in the court support him. It should be the time for him to assume personal rule, but the emperor not only doesn't give him the opportunity, but also throws him to the Dali Temple to handle old cases."
"If I'm not mistaken, it's probably the emperor's old ministers who are jumping around slandering the crown prince. And the day after the emperor threw the crown prince into the dungeon, he enfeoffed the third prince, Qi Huan, as the Prince of Chang. You don't seem to have any objections to this?"
At this moment, Duan Gan reacted, raising his eyes to give him a faint glance.
"Those old ministers couldn't get any benefits from Qi Heng, and in order to protect their own interests, they naturally racked their brains to kick him when things went wrong."
"The emperor's health is not as good as before, and he has been pursuing the elixir of immortality. Isn't this a sign of his fear of losing power? Under these circumstances, the advisors of the Eastern Palace and the commoner families are frequently interacting, and the crown prince has performed poorly in the case of the regicide."
"The ministers who support the crown prince are still pleading for him. Given the emperor's suspicious nature, it's hard not to suspect that the crown prince is eager to take his place."
"The Third Prince Qi Huan performed exceptionally well in the Autumn Hunt and won the Emperor's favor. As a mere subject, even if I could suppress the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince's faction would still feel that I posed no threat. At this point, the Emperor believed that a son was needed to emerge and contend with the Crown Prince."
Even if the Crown Prince is mild-mannered and has no interest in the throne, the Empress and his subordinates will still force him to fight for it. After all, the ministers under the Crown Prince want a better future and cannot let him continue to live a life of ease.
Upon hearing this, Wuxuzi was immediately puzzled. He stroked his chin and asked in bewilderment, "Why is the emperor so afraid of the crown prince ruling in his own right? This is the crown prince he personally appointed. It shouldn't be like this."
Duan Gan is in a good mood today and doesn't mind saying a few more words.
"There may have been a father-son bond between them, but many things change in an instant with time. No feelings are eternal, especially as the emperor's health weakens and he becomes even more reluctant to relinquish his power. The once strong and healthy crown prince can turn into an enemy vying for power in the blink of an eye."
“The Crown Prince is the future heir apparent. Those old ministers did not oppose the Crown Prince from the beginning. In order to protect their power, the old ministers had been on good terms with the Crown Prince. However, it is a great taboo for the Crown Prince to associate with the old ministers. If the Emperor knew about this, he would definitely be suspicious.”
“The Crown Prince is not a fool, so he naturally shut them out. Some people thought that since the Crown Prince disdained to associate with them, why not let someone else take the place? But then I appeared in front of them, so they quieted down a bit.”
"Now that I'm sitting back and watching the tigers fight, without interfering in anything, do you think they might want to replace me?"
After listening to Duan Gan's words, he suddenly realized, "The emperor's favorite son now is his youngest son Qi Xi, but Qi Xi is too young, so they plan to support the third prince Qi Huan to ascend the throne."
"Qi Huan has ascended the throne. The first thing he'll do is try to win you over, as the emperor's favorite. How many invitations has he sent you?"
Duan Gan looked at him with a half-smile: "You want it?"
He immediately shook his head: "I don't want to, it's so annoying. If I didn't owe you a favor, I would still be freely setting up a stall on the street right now."
"I knew a really interesting girl back then, I wonder how she is now."
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