Li Lao Er smiled amiably and replied, "What's there to see in a leisurely nobleman like me! This world belongs to the Emperor, so of course I should listen to the Emperor. Whatever the Emperor says, I will do!"
The official was taken aback, then, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, pressed on, "Does Your Excellency not intend to submit a memorial requesting the establishment of a crown prince?"
"Our Li family isn't a powerful clan, and we know nothing about these things at court. Brother, you'd better not ask me." Li Lao Er waved his hand, looking indifferent. "Everyone's submitting memorials, so I'll just follow suit. Let's see how it goes!"
The official, having exhausted all other avenues and guessing he wouldn't get any information, simply parted ways.
But he gave up, while others did not.
After all, the Li family was too favored by the emperor. Even if Li the Second didn't know the inside story, there was still Princess Kang Le living in the palace.
Moreover, Princess Kangle is not much older than the Second Prince. What if the Emperor intends to leave Princess Kangle to the Second Prince as a concubine?
The Li family dotes on Princess Kangle so much, how could they not have any plans?
So, along the way out of the palace, many people stopped Li Lao Er to try and establish a rapport, exchanging pleasantries incessantly.
Li Lao Er was polite when necessary and pretended to be stupid when necessary, slippery and cunning, leaving no one with any benefit.
Once they left the palace, Li Lao Er got into his carriage and disappeared without a trace.
Some people didn't want to give up and chased after him to the Hundred Flowers Garden.
As a result, the main gate of the Hundred Flowers Garden was tightly closed, with only a small side gate open.
Someone sent the servant in to inquire, but the servant's trousers were covered in mud.
Old Cao came out apologetically and replied, "Sir, our garden was robbed last night, and two beautiful potted plants were stolen. This old servant is re-counting them and preparing to report to the authorities!"
After those words were spoken, no one dared to suggest entering the room anymore.
If someone loses something and you insist on going in, it's never a good idea if they try to pin it on you.
In this way, the plan to find out what Li Lao Er was thinking was doomed to fail.
So, each family gathered in the back garden pavilion with three or five friends or relatives to discuss the matter.
Even in the marketplace, teahouses, and restaurants, there are plenty of idle people who like to pontificate and talk nonsense.
Some say that although the emperor is in good health and not very old, the sooner a crown prince is established, the more stable the foundation of the Tianwu dynasty will be.
However, some people say that it is not advisable for the emperor to establish a crown prince too early, and that he should wait a little longer.
Even if we can't produce a few more princes, we can wait until the northern expedition is successful and Tianwu is unified before discussing this matter.
Many people wanted to curry favor with the Second Prince. By standing up and offering their support now, they could gain his favor and reap many benefits in the future.
However, they were also afraid of offending the emperor and causing him to dislike them...
Ultimately, everyone wants to reap the benefits without taking any risks...
Some people also went to the Liu family, wanting to discuss it with Old Master Liu.
As a result, a few days ago, Old Master Liu announced that he was ill and even brought his two grandsons back from the academy.
Not to mention entertaining guests, the Liu family doesn't even open their gates, refusing any contact with anyone.
They couldn't very well break down the door, so they had no choice but to leave disappointed.
In the Liu family courtyard, Old Master Liu, along with Liu Zhiheng, Li Lao Er, and Mr. Wen, were all wearing T-shirts, munching on golden nuts and fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans.
Liu Zhiheng complained, "These golden fruits are delicious, but they're not satisfying enough. If there were a jade melon, I could slice it a few times, hold it, and take big bites—that would be so much more enjoyable!"
"Even food can't shut you up!" Old Master Liu chuckled and scolded his son. "You're just benefiting from my good fortune. Everyone in the whole country is asking around about such precious things. Not even the emperor has ever had the chance to eat them, let alone ordinary people!"
Liu Zhiheng chuckled, not angry at being scolded by his father, and quietly picked up another golden fruit...
Li Lao Er laughed and replied, "The golden fruit ripens a few days earlier than the jade melon, so there's no need to rush. In another three to five days, the jade melons will be ready for harvest. We can enjoy them to our hearts' content then!"
Grandpa Liu replied, "Zhimin and Xiujie probably learned their shamelessness from their father. They were sent to Broken Gold Beach for a day, and they actually used my illness as an excuse to swindle so many golden fruits from the old village chief!"
Mr. Wen chuckled and said, "That's because the old village chief was thinking of you. He was worried that you were sick and had no taste in your mouth, so he specially went to the melon field to pick a few early-ripening golden melons to bring back for you to whet your appetite. The two children certainly couldn't refuse, so they brought them back."
"Don't blame the child, old man. When the weather gets cold in autumn, bring the old village chief two jars of good wine. He'll be overjoyed."
"That's good. I actually have quite a few good wines stored in my cellar. Not to mention two jars, ten jars would be fine too." Old Master Liu laughed heartily, clearly pleased that the old village chief remembered him.
Just then, another servant ran in to report.
Liu Zhiheng sneered and said, "These people are truly despicable. They want to curry favor with the Second Prince, but they insist on dragging our family into it! If we get involved with them, there's no guarantee of any benefit. In case of trouble, our family will probably be the scapegoat."
"Forget it, just ignore them."
Grandpa Liu shook his head and sighed, "It's hard to reason with a damned devil. We've done everything we could. Whatever their fate may be, they deserve it."
After saying that, he instructed the old servant, "Prepare wine and food. It's rare to have some leisure time, so let's have a good drink today."
The old servant left with a smile, and soon the banquet was served.
The four chatted and laughed, ate and drank, and enjoyed a rare half-day of leisure.
After a day of commotion throughout the new capital, the next day some impatient people, afraid of missing out on a chance to rise to prominence, quickly submitted their memorials.
The second prince was praised to the skies, as if he were the most outstanding future emperor in history.
Others were unwilling to fall behind, and seeing someone take the lead, they rushed forward in droves.
So, you praised, I praised, everyone praised.
In the end, there were even indications that the second prince would immediately ascend the throne...
Inside Zhilan Palace, the Third Princess was furious, running around on the ground with her skirts up.
"These damned bastards, where do they put Father Emperor? In their eagerness to curry favor with the Second Prince, they've completely forgotten who the Emperor is! If I were Father Emperor, I would crush them all to death!"
Jia Yin never expected that the usually cunning civil and military officials would go to such lengths to curry favor with the future emperor.
Don't they know the principle that one cannot sleep peacefully next to another's bed?
Even if this person is your own son, you still won't feel comfortable.
The authority of an emperor must never be violated!
She thought for a moment, but couldn't say much more, so she changed the subject, "Will the Imperial Concubine's summer banquet begin tomorrow?"
The third princess plopped down on a stone bench and replied, "Let it open then, I'm not going! I don't want to see her smug face! So many people are fawning over her son now, she's probably overjoyed."
Just as Jiayin was about to speak, Shuiling came in from outside, holding a letter in both hands.
"Princess, the Jia family has sent in a letter."
Jiayin was puzzled, and the Third Princess also peeked over, forgetting her earlier anger.
Jiayin quickly opened the envelope, glanced at it, and couldn't help but smile wryly. "It seems we really have to go and see the Imperial Concubine's summer banquet. Baozhu has received an invitation and will be accompanied by Madam Jia."
The Third Princess rolled her eyes and said angrily, "The Imperial Concubine is really afraid that no one will see her smugness. She even sent out invitations to a small family like the Jia family."
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