Chapter Thirty
For some reason, under the old imperial physician's surprised and suspicious gaze, a hint of shyness slowly rose in Jia Luo's heart, and she moved her body, which was buried in the crown prince's arms, wanting to get down.
Seeing that Jialuo was blushing, Yinreng glanced at the old physician, who immediately understood and lowered his head.
Your Highness the Crown Prince...
I really didn't expect His Highness the Crown Prince to be such a clingy person? Hugging and kissing his Crown Princess in public.
Yinreng: This is my Crown Princess's room, it's not a public place.
However, the arm that was holding Jialuo's waist lost its strength, and Jialuo quickly got off Yinreng's lap, trying her best to put on a serious and dignified expression.
"Take the Crown Princess's pulse. Crown Princess, your appetite is not good." Yinreng did not directly say 'see if she is pregnant'. Firstly, he did not want to expose his abilities in front of others, and secondly, the Crown Princess was shy. If he made a fuss before it was confirmed, it might not sound good if word got out.
The imperial physician invited the Crown Princess to sit down, extended his hand, and then placed a thin silk handkerchief on her wrist.
Although neither the Crown Prince nor the Crown Princess made any demands, as a man, he understood, he understood.
Neither Yinreng nor Jialuo paid attention to this action, because they were both a little nervous. Yinreng hoped to get good news from the imperial physician, while Jialuo didn't know whether she was pregnant or not.
She was simply awaiting the imperial physician's judgment; in any case, whether she was pregnant or not, it wouldn't change according to her own will.
After a while, seeing that the imperial physician still had a serious face, the people around couldn't help but want to speak, but were immediately stopped by another person with quick eyes and hands.
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess are both here. You, a mere servant, interrupting? Do you want to be scolded? What if you disturb the imperial physician's diagnosis?
Finally, the imperial physician lowered his hand, and everyone waited expectantly. He slowly said, "The Crown Princess has suffered from heatstroke..."
I got heatstroke...
heat……
Summer heat?
"She's suffering from heatstroke, but isn't she pregnant?" Before the imperial physician could finish speaking, Jialuo, who had just received the diagnosis, couldn't help but ask.
She's already mentally prepared herself; if she's pregnant, she'll have to take good care of the baby.
Now, the imperial physician tells her that they have misunderstood; she is not pregnant, but has just suffered from heatstroke.
The nannies and maids in the main courtyard all turned their gazes toward the imperial physician, their hopes dashed and their spirits dampened.
"Your Highness, your pulse doesn't seem to be a slippery pulse." The imperial physician now understood why he had been looking at him with such bright, expectant eyes at the beginning.
He was right, why is it that the Crown Princess has a poor appetite and feels unwell, yet she doesn't look worried at all?
“No wonder I still feel a little dizzy…” Jialuo nodded. That’s right. She also said that she had just finished her period not long ago. It was only because the nanny said that some women also have their period when they are pregnant that she overlooked this matter.
"Did she suffer from heatstroke? Is it serious?" Although the Crown Prince was disappointed, he still thought the Crown Princess's health was the most important thing. If she didn't have it, then so be it. It had only been a month since their wedding, so there was no rush.
The eldest son only became pregnant almost a year after his marriage to his wife.
No one expected the Crown Prince to care so much about the Crown Princess. They thought that since the Crown Princess hadn't gotten pregnant, the Crown Prince would be angry with her because his efforts had come to nothing.
"It's alright. Let me prescribe some medicine to cool you down. Just be careful not to go out for too much exercise." The imperial physician said bluntly, worried that Jia Luo might not have understood him.
Speaking in classical Chinese is something you do in front of the emperor and his princes, since most of the concubines in the harem don't understand it, so you have to explain things clearly.
"Exercise?" Yinreng looked at Jialuo in confusion, wondering what the Crown Princess was doing in the middle of summer.
Upon hearing the Crown Prince's question, Jialuo's expression became quite serious. "Isn't this just for physical exercise? Good health is the most important thing."
Am I supposed to say I feel like I've gained weight and need to lose weight? Look at all that fat around my waist...
"Don't do it again next time. Nobody does what you do, exercising to the point of getting heatstroke." The prince subtly glanced at her waist. Where was she fat? Wasn't it just right?
When the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were talking, no one else could get a word in edgewise, not even the old imperial physician, who would at most prescribe some medicine and then leave.
Jialuo was annoyed that she had to take medicine. The Chinese medicine was black after being boiled, and it smelled very bitter. She couldn't stand it even before drinking it.
"Drink it obediently. Didn't you say you were dizzy?" The Crown Prince sat beside her, seeing Jia Luo's strong resistance, and knowing that she couldn't refuse the medicine, he instructed her with a stern face.
When the Crown Prince put on a stern face, Jia Luo actually became a little timid.
His imposing presence was indeed intimidating. If it were someone else, Jialuo would think Yinreng looked cool, but now…
Regarding her own words, Jialuo said that she wasn't afraid; she was simply speaking from the heart.
Jialuo forced herself to drink it down in one gulp, and Xiaoqing quickly offered her some jujubes to mask the bitterness. She ate three of them in a row.
That evening, while the chubby little cutie was still worrying about whether she could fit into her pretty clothes because of her big waist, the prince specially sent her a beautiful set of clothes.
The clothes were made of light gauze and had exquisite patterns, similar to Hanfu, but also like pajamas. When the delicate and beautiful Jialuo wore them, they added a touch of vibrancy.
At this moment, only she and Yinreng remained in the room. Looking at the beautiful dress, Jialuo even touched it; the material was quite nice.
She happily twirled around in front of Yinreng, looking beautiful and charming in the soft candlelight, her radiant smile overflowing, "Your Highness, do I look good?"
With a stretch of his long arm, Yinreng pulled Jialuo into his embrace. The thin, light gauze felt cool and refreshing, making it perfect for summer.
Yinreng did not answer her question. The gentle light in his eyes was like a jar of honey, immersing Jialuo in it, while also carrying a hint of heat.
Jialuo was a little embarrassed by the heat. Wearing this beautiful dress, His Highness the Crown Prince then demonstrated to her what it meant to be unable to put down a [censored].
Scattered clothes hung on her body, and a soft voice reached her ears, "My Crown Princess, there's no need for you to lose weight, you've just grown a bit more..."
He demonstrated to Jialuo how much he loved her, and it took him most of the night to finally calm the storm down.
When Yinreng learned that Jialuo was not pregnant, he was not without disappointment. He felt that he had not sown enough seeds in this field, and that none of them had sprouted.
If one day isn't enough, try two. If two days aren't enough, try three...
So, in the days that followed, the kitchen staff worked very hard, preparing medicinal soups and broths that nourished yin and replenished yang every day.
When the princesses in the backyard learned of this, they cursed the Crown Princess in their hearts for being so lowly, shameless, and clinging to His Highness the Crown Prince.
What kind of wife would be so unvirtuous as to advise her husband to treat everyone equally?
The Crown Princess is so jealous; I wonder if the Emperor would keep her if he found out.
Princess Lin Jia would go to pay her respects to the Crown Princess every few days, but unfortunately, she was not always able to be summoned by the Crown Princess.
The other princesses in the backyard were full of sarcasm. What was the point of trying so hard to please the Crown Princess? The Crown Princess still didn't even give her a second glance.
In fact, Jialuo was exhausted and couldn't get up at all, but she didn't want to make people wait for her in the courtyard of the reception room all morning.
Well... the main thing is that Jialuo also feels tired and wants to stay in bed, and she always feels that Lin Jiagege just wants to mess with her.
She'd rather stay in bed and rest than attend social events; they're too annoying.
The manor at the Summer Palace has been transformed into a large courtyard house, where Emperor Kangxi spent the summer this year.
Although he had left the capital, he still kept track of everything that happened there.
It was learned that at the beginning, the Crown Prince worked hard to learn how to handle government affairs, and some less important memorials were also handed over to the Crown Prince for processing.
He then learned that Suo'etu had actually sent women to the Crown Prince, including traitors, and flew into a rage, shouting, "That old scoundrel Suo'etu is truly senile! He sent them up without properly investigating his subordinates! Is he trying to murder the Crown Prince?"
Moreover, they even dared to send women to Bao Cheng?
He now has to check on the meals at Yuqing Palace from time to time and send Baocheng some nourishing things over there. As for women, he doesn't plan to let Baocheng linger in the harem anymore.
First, give me my eldest grandson.
In Kangxi's view, the Crown Prince stayed overnight in the main courtyard because of his words, "I want to hold a grandson, so give me a legitimate eldest grandson as soon as possible." Although it also implied that he was competing with Baoqing, this just proved that Baocheng was still very obedient and respectful to him.
Soetu is truly foolish. How could he allow such a foolish lackey to climb to such a high position? Doesn't that make him look foolish too?
An order was immediately issued to remove Suo'etu from his post and send him into seclusion for a year of self-reflection.
Furthermore, Consort Hui and Consort De were confined to their quarters for a year and made to copy the Diamond Sutra one hundred times!
They've got some nerve, daring to let Yuqing Palace plant secret agents. If Bao Cheng hadn't purged Yuqing Palace, they wouldn't have found out.
Adding to the previous rumors about the Crown Prince, and their inaction—they are so incompetent in managing the harem, it would be better to find someone else to take charge.
If it weren't for the fact that Baoqing, the fourth prince, and the fourteenth prince were the only third or fourth-rank servants who were sweeping and watering flowers and hadn't caused any trouble, they would definitely have been demoted.
For Emperor Kangxi, this punishment was too lenient; he had wronged the emperor by protecting him.
However, when this order was conveyed to the inner palace, Consort Hui and Consort De were almost furious. Why was the Emperor confining them for more than a year?
Consort De, in particular, was filled with resentment and anger. The Emperor was targeting her. In less than two months, the Fourth Prince would be getting married. The Emperor was deliberately confining himself to his quarters, probably for the sake of that wretched woman in Chengqian Palace.
Tongjia clan!
Consort De sat in Yonghe Palace, her heart filled with hatred. How come that wretched woman hadn't died yet? She had been sick for years, and the imperial physicians always said that her body was failing. But she had been sick for so many years and was still alive. What a bunch of quack doctors!
Consort Hui was somewhat annoyed that the Emperor was making a mountain out of a molehill. Who hadn't planted spies before?
She hadn't done anything wrong, yet she was punished like this. How embarrassing for her in the harem!
However, no matter how resentful they were, they could not defy the emperor's orders. In addition to being confined to their quarters, they were also forced to copy scriptures, which was a severe and shameful punishment for them, who had given birth to imperial princes and were high-ranking concubines.
At the end of July, the Imperial Noble Consort suddenly fell seriously ill and vomited blood. Emperor Kangxi was still at the Summer Palace, but the weather was no longer so hot, and he began to prepare for returning to the capital.
When news of Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia vomiting blood spread, the person most worried was not Emperor Kangxi, but Princess Guarjia, who was about to marry the Fourth Prince.
At the Guarjia residence, Shi Bingwen nearly died from a cold on his way back to the capital. Fortunately, he had a doctor with him, and they also encountered bandits. In the end, it was the guards sent by Guarjia who came to their rescue.
Mid-August was the wedding day of the Fourth Prince and Qing Shuang, and the Guarjia Mansion was busy preparing for the wedding.
Princess Guarjia was also full of anticipation, as she was about to embark on another journey, and she believed that she would live a better life on that journey than in her previous life.
She had longed for the position of Empress for so many years, diligently managing the harem and Yuqing Palace, never making things difficult for or harming the children of the princesses in the harem.
The Emperor once said that she had the demeanor of a Crown Princess and was destined to be the future mother of the nation.
But what happened next?
The crown prince was deposed twice and imprisoned in Xian'an Palace. As a high-ranking, noble, and elegant prince, he spent his life striving to emulate that position and restraining his behavior, yet he was still insulted and looked down upon by a group of snobbish lackeys.
These will forever remain just memories buried in the dust of time.
As the sun rose, Princess Guarjia's face was filled with a smile of anticipation for the future. She had already sewn her wedding dress herself, a symbol of her future happiness, which she would create with her own hands.
"Princess, Princess, something terrible has happened! News has come from the palace that the Imperial Noble Consort is seriously ill!" Shuanghua, the maidservant beside Princess Guarjia, rushed over to report this. This was truly bad news.
Princess Guarjia frowned slightly. "Seriously ill? What happened? Is it very serious?"
With the wedding approaching, both her father and mother were in good health, and she thought everything would go smoothly...
"I heard that the Emperor has returned to the capital, and the news says that the Imperial Noble Consort vomited blood." Shuanghua was also worried about this, as the Imperial Noble Consort had been bedridden for a long time.
However, he had been sickly for a long time. At first, he was terrified, but later he got used to it. He would only pray to the Bodhisattva to protect the Imperial Noble Consort when he thought about it.
"Is it that serious?" Immediately, Princess Guarjia got up to find her father and mother. The Imperial Noble Consort's condition was very dangerous, and her life had to be saved until after August 16th.
The Tong family quickly sent their illegitimate daughter into the palace, ostensibly to serve their elder sister when she was ill, but everyone could see through their true intentions.
Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia had just received a letter from home saying that they were preparing to send her half-sister to the palace, and the letter also asked her to pave the way for her half-sister. She was so angry that she vomited blood.
As a result, they sent her to the palace shortly after she lay down in the hospital bed.
"Sister, why are you so careless about your health? Has the imperial physician prescribed any medicine?" The gentle and charming half-sister asked with concern, almost as if she was about to feed her medicine.
The Imperial Noble Consort had a cold face, but she knew that once the Tong family sent their half-sister to the palace, they wouldn't send her away so easily.
But she didn't want to see her.
"Granny, settle her in the side hall first." The Imperial Noble Consort looked at the nanny beside her, not wanting to pay attention to her half-sister.
Her entry into the palace in the future is a matter for the future; for now, she is the Imperial Noble Consort.
The Tong family has always dreamed of recreating their former glory. They were overjoyed by the benefits of being the mother family of the emperor and wanted to have another emperor born into their Tong family.
She didn't understand before, but she did later. She was in love with her cousin and wanted to have a "love child" with him. In her cousin's eyes, this was a sign of the Tong family's ambition.
She adopted Yinzhen, but could not register him under her imperial register.
"Sister, don't you need your younger sister to take care of you? Let me talk to you then." The Imperial Noble Consort's half-sister was not actually very close to her. When she entered the palace, her half-sister was only a few years old.
"No need." The Imperial Noble Consort said coldly. The nanny was afraid that the Imperial Noble Consort would get so angry that she would vomit blood again, so she quickly told the maid to take Princess Tongjia away.
Although the nanny understood the Tong family's anxiety, this way of eating was simply too unsightly, showing no regard for the feelings of their Imperial Noble Consort.
Aren't they afraid that the Imperial Noble Consort will secretly sabotage them?
After returning to the capital, the Emperor met the Crown Prince and officials who came to greet him outside the palace. He then took the Crown Prince to the Qianqing Palace to discuss recent political affairs and the Crown Prince's learning experiences.
After I had almost finished my work, I went to Chengqian Palace to visit the Imperial Noble Consort.
Seeing that his cousin had lost even more weight and her face had turned pale, with an air of illness over her, Kangxi felt a little uneasy.
"Cousin, I'm back. Why did your condition suddenly worsen? You were perfectly fine before," Kangxi said, holding the Imperial Noble Consort's hand with concern.
Emperor Kangxi was not without feelings for the Imperial Noble Consort; it's just that his heart was too big, encompassing the entire Qing Dynasty and the three thousand beauties in his harem.
Unlike the Imperial Noble Consort, her heart was very small, so small that it only contained him, her child who died young, and... Yinzhen.
"Cousin." The Imperial Noble Consort called out, but couldn't help coughing twice, feeling very weak. Just then, the nanny brought up the medicine.
Emperor Kangxi tenderly fed the Imperial Noble Consort medicine and summoned the imperial physicians. He was determined to cure the Imperial Noble Consort no matter what, and he was willing to use any kind of medicine.
The imperial physician also looked helpless. Birth, aging, sickness and death are the natural course of life. The Imperial Noble Consort is already terminally ill. Before, she was only kept alive by precious medicines.
Three imperial physicians accompanied him, so at least they would have someone to discuss things with and keep the emperor company when he was furious.
After visiting the Imperial Noble Consort, Kangxi did not stay overnight. As for the Tong family sending another concubine's daughter to the palace, he had long forgotten about it, and the Imperial Noble Consort would not remind him at this time.
The next day, Consort Guarjia and Princess Guarjia came to pay their respects, bringing precious medicinal herbs. One purpose was to check on the Imperial Noble Consort's condition and see if her life could be saved.
Naturally, his face was full of worry and concern.
However, before long, the Imperial Noble Consort was exhausted, and they quickly took their leave, fearing that their disturbance would worsen her condition.
As for the Fourth Prince, they didn't see him.
The Fourth Prince was also worried about the Imperial Noble Consort's condition, and he would run to Chengqian Palace every day after school. As for his birth mother, Consort De, who was under house arrest, he rarely set foot in Yonghe Palace.
No, it should be said that he also paid his respects on the first and fifteenth of each month without missing a single one.
In the heart of Consort De, who was under house arrest, the Fourth Prince Yinzhen was already the son of that wretched woman, Lady Tongjia. She was an ingrate; she shouldn't have given birth to this son in the first place.
He also cursed Tongjia to die quickly, and added that Guarjia was also deserving of death because she only paid her respects to the Imperial Noble Consort but never came to pay her respects to her.
I heard they even sent a lavish gift to Chengqian Palace—precious medicinal herbs. Ha, they don't want Tongjia to die, are they?
Her inability to leave does not mean she cannot take action.
Time passed slowly, and the Imperial Noble Consort's condition did not improve, but it did not deteriorate rapidly either. She was kept alive with medicine, and soon, the grand wedding day of August 16th arrived.
Although the Imperial Noble Consort was ill, it did not affect the wedding dates of the princes, which may have been due to the idea of bringing good luck to the emperor.
It wasn't as grand as the Crown Prince's wedding, but it was still quite lively.
Princess Guarjia finally got her wish and sat in the bridal sedan chair to marry the Fourth Prince, with the sound of congratulations outside adding to her joy.
The Fourth Prince, Yinzhen, is getting married today, but because he is still worried about his mother's health, Yinzhen's expression is not very joyful, which makes the brothers accompanying him laugh at him.
"Fourth brother, today is your wedding day, don't be like this, with such a sour face, people will think you don't like your bride."
"Of course! The fourth prince always has a stern face. I remember when I married my wife, he was all smiles."
"Yes, you just laughed like an idiot, all smiles, without any of the dignity of royalty."
"Second brother, are you determined to make things difficult for me today?"
As they talked, the eldest prince and the crown prince started bickering again, forcing the others who were about to make fun of the fourth prince to reluctantly pull the eldest prince and the crown prince apart.
"Elder brother, Crown Prince, today is Fourth Brother's wedding. Please stop arguing. If the guests see this, they'll think that our royal demeanor is all about being noisy."
Fifth Prince Yinqi was pulled in to help fend off the drinking, since he wasn't married yet and there would come a day when he would start yelling at the two of them.
Since you're arguing about royal demeanor, I'll use that as an excuse to shut you up.
Yinreng and Yinti exchanged a cold snort, but did not continue arguing. Instead, they advised the fourth prince to cheer up and not frighten the Guarjia clan.
After being scolded for a few moments, Yinzhen managed to soften his expression and proceeded to greet the bride. The bride, with her red veil covering her face, stepped into the Fourth Prince's residence.
When the Crown Prince got married, important officials and members of the imperial family all came. When the Fourth Prince got married, he didn't have such a big reception. Those who could come could come, and those who couldn't send a representative.
However, it was still quite lively.
The Grand Consort, Lady Irgen Gioro, and the Crown Princess, Jialuo, were in the women's quarters. There were no other sisters-in-law there, and the two were quite unfamiliar with each other at first. When they went to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager at Cining Palace, they didn't talk to each other much.
Jialuo looked at the First Princess's four-month pregnant belly, which was slightly protruding, and remembered the Crown Prince's recent talk about planting a seed to take root and sprout. She asked worriedly, "Sister-in-law, is it hard being pregnant?"
When the Crown Princess took the initiative to speak to her, the First Princess Consort was taken aback at first, then a loving maternal smile appeared on her face as she gently touched her belly. "How could it be tiring?"
She felt only a sense of anticipation and happiness, and besides, having children was something women were supposed to do, so why talk about whether it was hard or not.
Then, he looked up and smiled at Jialuo, reassuring her, "Your Highness, it's only been less than half a year since you married the Crown Prince, there's no rush."
Don't worry, the Crown Princess is anxious about this. She only conceived almost a year after marrying the First Prince.
Jialuo: Um, I wasn't worried. I just felt that it would be awkward for two people to be together without talking, so I chatted casually.
Jialu smiled gently. She wasn't a socialite, so she really didn't know what to say, only to eat.
Grand Consort: Crown Princess...do you have a rather good appetite?
On the other side, in the bridal chamber, the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince were the most enthusiastic. They even made a scene in the bridal chamber of their eldest brother and the Crown Prince. So what if the Fourth Prince had a cold face? He wasn't afraid at all.
The eleventh prince was forced to go, the fifth prince had to keep an eye on the ninth prince and the eleventh prince, while the third prince felt that since he and the fourth prince were so close, it would be inappropriate not to have some fun.
The Thirteenth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince were also eager to go, thinking it would be a lot of fun like last time.
The Eighth Prince always got close to the Ninth and Tenth Princes and never refused them. The Seventh Prince and the Twelfth Prince followed the crowd.
Seeing that all the other brothers had left, the eldest prince and the crown prince could not leave, lest their father, the emperor, find out and say that they did not respect their brothers and were not respectful enough to their brothers.
So, just like Jialuona before her, when Princess Guarjia lifted her red veil, she saw all the princes.
Princess Guarjia was quite familiar with the princes, but when she saw the Crown Prince, her expression faltered slightly.
[What's His Highness the Crown Prince doing here? That makes sense, it's the Fourth Prince's wedding today, I almost thought I was still in Yuqing Palace...]
She glanced at him casually before fixing her gaze on the Fourth Prince. Unable to feign a blush, she lowered her eyes after just one look.
Candlelight can indeed soften a person's expression and movements.
Everyone thought that the Fourth Prince's wife was shy, but to the Fourteenth Prince's disappointment, not every wife was as beautiful as the Crown Princess.
He even thought that when he grew up, he could marry a beautiful wife.
Only the Crown Prince was slightly taken aback. What did he mean by thinking he was in Yuqing Palace?
Why call him first?
Yinreng didn't want to be too narcissistic, but the first thing Guarjia Gege said in her heart was that she was 'concerned' about him being here, and she even mentioned Yuqing Palace, which even the fourth prince didn't seem to notice.
hiss……
Could it be that Princess Guarjia secretly harbored feelings for him all along, thinking she could become his crown princess during the imperial election?
At this moment, Yinreng had already forgotten that back in the Qianqing Palace, Princess Guarjia was still thinking to herself that he was a scumbag who favored his concubine over his wife.
So, the next day, when the Fourth Prince came to see his brothers with his fourth wife, Lady Guarjia, the Crown Prince pretended to have a serious and aloof expression.
Your Highness: I suspect that Lady Guarjia secretly harbors feelings for him. If the Fourth Prince finds out, wouldn't it cause a fratricidal conflict?
Her aloof and cold beauty... the fourth prince is so good, Guarjia clan really has no taste. The fourth prince is sincere, hardworking, and eager to learn...
When he felt sorry for the fourth prince, he wondered, "Wait a minute, I didn't do anything wrong. The one who's in the wrong is the Guarjia clan, isn't it?"
So he deliberately kept a straight face to avoid any other ideas from the Guarjia clan.
Although Gu Gu is exceptionally outstanding, compared to other women, His Highness still prefers his Crown Princess, who is fiery, passionate, and straightforward, and whose heart can only hold him.
To others, the Crown Prince's actions and demeanor suggested that he was about to put on his Crown Prince persona again.
This is really disrespectful to the fourth prince, but judging from his cold and aloof response to the fourth prince's wife, he is quite gentle towards the fourth prince.
But then he couldn't help but wonder, did the Crown Prince dislike the Fourth Prince's wife? Why was he going so far as to do this?
Jialuo and the First Princess were both present, and she treated the Fourth Princess, Guarjia, with a relatively gentle attitude. They hadn't really interacted much when they were still princesses.
However, now that they were sisters-in-law, she still showed her friendliness in front of the many princes, smiling quite gently and kindly.
Fourth Consort Guarjia didn't care about the First Consort's attitude; she simply focused her attention on the Crown Prince.
His pretentious manner was evident; having spent decades with the Crown Prince, how could Lady Guarjia not see through it?
However, just thinking about him like this reminds me of my life when I was imprisoned in Xian'an Palace, a life as dark and lonely as ever, and the decadent and haggard Crown Prince after being imprisoned.
A cold laugh escaped his lips as he lowered his head, concealing the ambition in his eyes.
[Trying to act like a prince? You'll only be carefree for about twenty years. When your father deposes you, who knows if you'll still have that kind of pride then.]
[Speaking of which, next year, when the Emperor personally leads his first campaign against Galdan, he falls seriously ill en route, yet the Crown Prince shows no concern whatsoever. This leaves a thorn in the Emperor's side and is the first charge against him for deposing the Crown Prince.]
[That's true. If one's elderly father is sick, wouldn't the son be the first to visit his ailing father? Instead, would he make sure he looks presentable before going to see him?]
[It would be strange if the Crown Prince wasn't deposed; he's not even as good as the Third Prince.]
If the crown prince isn't deposed, how will anyone else have a chance to rise to power?
(End of this chapter)
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