The imperial family is ill.
Such news should not normally have spread, but since the Dou family had an aunt who was a concubine, Madam Dou would visit her every now and then and would always manage to get some information from her.
She also brought along some undercover maids, who were spies planted in the Dou family by other aristocratic families, and successfully leaked the information.
This way, even if the matter is investigated thoroughly in the future, the Dou family can extricate themselves from the situation without being dragged into it.
Suddenly, a storm was brewing in Fengjing.
First, the students made a fuss, demanding that the Fang family restore the fairness and justice of the imperial examination and that Fang Yuan hand over his third-place ranking.
Then the emperor fell ill. I heard that he was just feeling a little anxious and palpitations, but who would believe it?
No one can feel at ease until they get a definite answer.
So, all the princes and concubines began to try every means to find out.
The long banquet was already prepared to instigate and create momentum, and through word of mouth, turn the initial anxiety into a deep-seated ailment, thus accelerating the struggle for imperial power.
But before he could make a move, news spread from the Qianqing Palace that the emperor would suspend court for three days.
As everyone knows, a healthy person who doesn't get sick for many years will find it difficult to recover once they do.
The emperor was forty years old, which was not young. He had been diligent in his duties and worried about the state for many years, and his hair had long since turned white. So it seemed reasonable that he suddenly collapsed at this moment.
Even Chang Yan was filled with doubt and uncertainty. "Could he really be sick? But he seemed quite healthy the last time I saw him..."
Not to mention the others.
The eldest prince visited the palace frequently, each time bringing a large amount of medicine and tonics, demonstrating his filial piety to the fullest extent.
The second prince was taciturn, but he went to great lengths to search for ginseng and lingzhi among the common people, all to express his filial piety.
Needless to say, the fourth prince even postponed the time for leaving the palace to establish his own residence, and went in and out of the Imperial Hospital every day, begging the imperial physicians to do their best to treat him.
Judging by behavior alone, it is truly difficult to tell who is hiding behind the scenes.
Then we can only start with the Fang family.
The hidden spies were observing closely, and all the unfamiliar faces were carefully watched, trying to find out which prince's residence or aristocratic family's mansion they would eventually return to.
The results were indeed observed, but among them were people from the Second Prince's residence and people from the Fourth Prince's maternal grandfather's family, making it difficult to distinguish the real from the fake.
Could it be that the Fang family is playing both sides, resorting to any means to curry favor with the emperor?
Chang Yan shook his head and rejected this, saying, "Consort Ju lives deep in the palace. Only if the eldest prince is not smart enough can the Fang family resort to tricks. The prince hiding behind the scenes would never tolerate the Fang family having ulterior motives, and the Fang family would not be so foolish."
Even in marriages between prominent families, everyone must be on the same vine and never dare to be fickle or try to curry favor with others.
An unstable stance, seemingly a win-win bet, is actually tantamount to losing the trust of both parties.
In the end, you get nothing good out of it.
Therefore, the person behind it could only be the taciturn Second Prince, or the lame Fourth Prince.
According to the investigation by the Imperial Guard, the Second Prince's mother was an unknown palace maid who became bedridden after giving birth and passed away a few years later. From then on, the Second Prince grew up with many difficulties.
The hardships of a child without a father's love or a mother's protection are unimaginable. It is said that even a lowly eunuch in the palace dared to kick him, not to mention the eldest prince's constant bossing and taunting.
This situation only improved after he left the palace and established his own household. Because of his diligence, simplicity and competence, the second prince finally gained his father's appreciation and was given some administrative power. At his father's request, his wet nurse was taken to live with him in her old age, and life finally got back on track.
When it comes to motives for seizing power, the second prince seems to have plenty of options—his past tragedies and misfortunes all stemmed from the loss of power.
He yearned for rights, for strength, and for justice for his mother.
Looking at the fourth prince, his birth mother was a high-ranking concubine, and his maternal grandfather was also a powerful family in Fengjing. However, he was caught up in the struggle for power in the harem and was maliciously murdered. The originally healthy child suffered a difficult childbirth and injured his ankle in the womb, becoming lame from then on.
Even the Crown Princess, that gentle and beautiful woman, lost the chance to become a mother again because of this.
Unfortunately, the culprit, Consort Ju, remains as noble as ever, and even the eldest prince has become a hot candidate for the crown prince position. Not only will the crown prince and his mother not have the chance to avenge their past grievances, but they may also have to make a living under the control of Consort Ju and her son—and the fourth prince's motives for seizing power are just as plentiful.
To be precise, how could one have a healthy, happy, and joyful life while living deep within the palace?
If there really is one, it could only be the eldest prince, Zhu Changhong.
Fate is unfortunate. The mother of the second prince died of a long illness, and the mother of the fourth prince lost her ability to have children. However, the mother of the first prince has been favored for twenty years and still dominates the harem.
Fate was also on our side; it was still unknown whether the second or fourth prince was hiding behind the scenes, but the eldest prince was undeniably utterly incompetent.
Past hardships allow one to grow calmly, and sufficient sorrow enables one to remain composed.
Sometimes I don't know whether to be grateful for the bitter past or to prefer to stay in a sweet bask and be a naive and innocent fool.
But if given the choice, Chang Yan would still prefer the present.
Use your intellect to calculate everything, look at everyone with a discerning eye, guess what others cannot guess, and grasp what others cannot grasp.
The feeling of having everything in your hands is indeed quite nice.
The boy stretched out his right hand, his five fingers together and gently clenched, as if he were holding everything in his grasp.
"Oh, Your Highness!" The guard exclaimed anxiously. "Stop being so mysterious. Things have already come to this point. We still haven't found the person behind this. How are we supposed to tell Consort Ju what's going on, or just sit back and watch the show?"
The morale of the students in Fengjing has reached its peak. If we don't take advantage of it, their morale will eventually collapse.
The emperor will only stay in court for three days. After that, he will appear in public, and the rumors of his illness will be dispelled.
Then all your efforts will have been in vain.
"Don't rush," Changyan said in a deep voice. "Don't you think the Emperor's illness this time is too much of a coincidence? Rather than saying that the change in the pulse was caused by Fourth Brother's massage, it's more accurate to say that Father Emperor is playing along with the rumors."
Since ancient times, emperors have been suspicious. Does the imperial family not have any suspicions?
Doesn't he want to know if his sons have ever coveted his throne?
"But Your Highness clearly also suspects that the imperial family is truly ill." The guard was speechless.
“Even pulse can be altered; how much of what in this world is true?” Changyan looked out the window. “Instead of speculating endlessly, it’s better to test the waters.”
He has more faith in his own judgment.
"How does Your Highness intend to test him?" the guard asked in a low voice.
Let's make the suggestion.
The Emperor suddenly fell ill, but his sons were all still single, without a wife or concubine, let alone grandchildren who could call the Emperor "Grandfather."
Humans place great importance on reproduction, and even an emperor can be a kind and benevolent elder.
The following day, at the suggestion of the Fifth Prince, some people in the court proposed that the princes should be married to consorts, so as to continue the imperial lineage and dispel the emperor's illness.
This is what is commonly known as "chong xi" (冲喜).
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