"Your Highness, I was wrong!"
Marquis Dingbei knelt down without hesitation and readily admitted his mistake.
"I was just passing by when I took a dislike to this little fox and kicked it, which angered it. I shouldn't have provoked it without cause; I am guilty. I beg Your Highness to punish me; I will sincerely accept the punishment!"
The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly, "Didn't Marquis Dingbei just say that the beast was being disrespectful? How come he admitted his mistake so quickly? Anyone who didn't know better would probably think that I, His Highness, used my power to intimidate the Marquis."
"No, no, Your Highness, it's all my fault. I was narrow-minded and took my anger out on the little fox." Marquis Dingbei gritted his teeth secretly, but his expression was humble. "I am willing to kneel here for an hour to reflect on my mistakes."
The crown prince stroked the little fox, not wanting to kill it completely, and replied, "Very well, since the Marquis feels bad about it, then kneel for a while. It's well-ventilated here, and a cool place."
After saying that, he picked up the little fox and headed towards the Imperial Study.
Eunuch Feng glared at Marquis Dingbei, then waved his hand and led the eunuchs to follow.
In the blink of an eye, only the kneeling Marquis of Dingbei remained on the once noisy passageway.
He quietly loosened his clenched fist, his eyes filled with hatred.
I originally thought that even if he was a lackey, he would be a useful lackey to the royal family.
I only realized today that he's not even as good as a lackey!
A useless little fox actually managed to force this marquis to kneel on the roadside!
Occasionally, when court officials requested an audience with the emperor and passed by here, they would be startled to suddenly see the Marquis of Dingbei being forced to kneel as punishment.
They couldn't very well ask the Marquis of Dingbei directly, so they could only inquire indirectly from the eunuchs and palace maids.
The eunuchs and palace maids gave surprisingly consistent answers.
The Marquis of Dingbei offended His Highness the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince did not mind. However, the Marquis of Dingbei voluntarily knelt down as punishment...
Those who heard this couldn't help but frown, secretly cursing the Marquis of Dingbei for being such a master of flattery.
To attract the crown prince's attention and demonstrate his respect and loyalty, he really went to any lengths.
A dignified marquis, he actually went so far as to punish someone by making them kneel!
Marquis Dingbei had originally planned to gain some sympathy, but he never expected that he would not only fail to achieve his goal, but also be ridiculed.
Of course, that's a story for another time.
His Highness the Crown Prince carried the little fox all the way to the Imperial Study, and everyone who saw him couldn't help but take a second look.
The crown prince was tall and slender, with thick eyebrows and large eyes. He was handsome and noble, and he liked to wear a black embroidered dragon robe. But at this moment, he was holding a little white fox. The stark contrast created an indescribable sense of beauty and harmony.
Even the emperor was stunned when he looked up and saw his son like this.
When he saw the little fox in his son's arms, he laughed and said, "Why is the Crown Prince carrying three? Didn't this little fox leave the palace with Jiayin?"
The Crown Prince bowed, then casually sat down at the desk and said with a smile, "It is said that when the Princess left the palace, she left the little fox with the Third Princess to keep her company. But the little guy was running around everywhere, and just now he was kicked by the Marquis of Dingbei, so he ran around in a huff. I happened to pass by and saw it, so I picked it up."
The Emperor frowned and replied, "The Marquis of Dingbei? Why would a mere marquis bother with a fox?"
The prince took a peach from the fruit plate and gave it to the little fox, casually replying, "The way someone treats a fox depends on its master! He's not arguing with the fox; he probably just doesn't like the Li family!"
"Hmph!" The Emperor sneered, "Ungrateful wretch! He's alive because he presented evidence of the Empress Dowager's crimes, but that evidence was found by the Li family. The Li family didn't say a word, yet he's already trying to smash the bowl after he's had his fill!"
The Crown Prince pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the peach juice from the little fox's mouth and praised, "Father, Marquis Dingbei is truly a hero among men, able to bend and stretch. Just now, seeing that I was angry, he actually took the initiative to kneel on the path as punishment, not afraid of losing face."
Sure enough, the emperor became even angrier and cursed, "What do you call being able to bend and stretch? It's all for show, to force us, father and son, to do favors."
“Otherwise, others will say that my father and I are heartless and ungrateful. After all, he was meritorious for exposing the Empress Dowager’s crimes. If we treat this ‘meritorious official’ harshly, it will chill everyone’s hearts.”
After saying this, he instructed Steward Yi, "Go and see, reward Marquis Dingbei with a precious sword and a fine horse, and let him return to his residence."
Chief Steward Yi immediately smiled and replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this old servant will make sure the distribution of the rewards is grand and lively, so that everyone knows how much you value the Marquis of Dingbei."
The Emperor waved his hand, laughing and scolding, "You old servant are the smartest. Go on."
Steward Yi quickly withdrew, but as he left, he couldn't help but steal a glance at the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince was bowing his head, looking humble and eager to learn, listening attentively as the Emperor explained the Marquis of Dingbei's despicable intentions.
Does the Crown Prince really not know?
I don't think so...
But he knew, yet he had to pretend not to know; otherwise, how could the emperor openly reward the Marquis of Dingbei while secretly feeling disgusted and resentful?
From now on, even if the Marquis of Dingbei is "favored" by the Emperor, he will no longer need to worry.
The Crown Prince has completely dashed any hope that the Marquis of Dingbei could hold significant power!
Manager Yi lowered his head even further, only daring to straighten up after he had descended the steps.
This future emperor is probably even more cunning than the current emperor.
Fortunately, given his years of hard work serving the emperor, once the emperor passed away, he was able to request permission to leave the palace and retire, no longer needing to get involved in these power struggles.
only……
When Eunuch Feng came in from outside, he was met with Steward Yi looking at him with a face full of sympathy, and he was really confused.
He tentatively asked, "Steward, I just came from Zhilan Palace and have already informed the princess that the little fox is in the Imperial Study. Is there anything else you wish to instruct me on?"
Steward Yi waved his hand and instructed, "I'm going to run errands. You take good care of the masters. I'll be back soon."
Eunuch Feng quickly agreed, and Steward Yi left.
Eunuch Feng rolled his eyes, but couldn't come up with a solution no matter how hard he tried. So he obediently stood at the door, waiting for his masters to give him instructions.
Inside the house, after the little fox had eaten its fill of peaches, it found a corner of the table, curled up, and took a nap.
The Emperor took out a list and pushed it to the Crown Prince.
"Look, these are your future concubines."
The prince was following the little fox's big tail when he heard this, and his subordinates paused, but still opened the list.
As a result, all I saw were daughters of certain ministers and granddaughters of certain dukes...
He remained silent for a long while before asking, "Father, I haven't chosen a consort yet. What is this list...?"
"Silly boy!" the Emperor laughed indifferently. "Selecting concubines is just a pretext. In the future, you will be the ruler of the country. How can you choose your concubines so casually?"
"These are all pre-selected candidates, which will help you take over the government in the future. Even if you don't like them, you should still treat them with courtesy."
"As for choosing concubines, pick women of low social standing, choose two that you find pleasing to the eye, and that will be enough to amuse you on a daily basis."
Perhaps not hearing the Crown Prince's response, the Emperor frowned and reprimanded him, "Even if you were a son from an ordinary family, you should still marry someone of equal social standing, let alone the Crown Prince! Your marriage is a matter of state, and you cannot act willfully!"
A complex emotion flashed in the prince's eyes, and his subordinate easily released the little fox's tail...
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