Now that the Empress Dowager has died, for the sake of the royal family's reputation, a simple funeral must be held, and a place must be found for her burial.
The empress was half-dead, clinging to her last breath, and would curse incessantly at anyone she saw.
Even if the emperor himself went there, he wouldn't see any kind of friendly response.
The Imperial Concubine was banished to the Cold Palace, the Second Prince fell ill, and the imperial physicians were stationed in the entire courtyard.
After counting and counting, only in Zhilan Palace can he finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Thinking this way, he found Jiayin even more pleasing to the eye.
If this girl hadn't entered the palace and been keeping an eye on the Third Princess all day, the Third Princess would probably still be unruly and willful, constantly causing headaches.
In such a vast palace, it would be difficult for him to find a place of peace...
Jiayin was peeling shrimp when she was surprised to see the Emperor put a piece of food on her plate.
Then, seeing the emperor's kind face, they understood a bit more.
"My dear Fu Niu'er, do you have any wishes? I will grant you one!"
The emperor had drunk a few cups of wine and was extremely sentimental at the moment.
Moreover, he couldn't bring himself to scheme against a girl he had watched grow up since childhood.
Therefore, he meant what he said sincerely.
Jiayin's mind raced for a moment, then she smiled sweetly.
"Uncle, I have so many wishes, I really can't pick the one I long for the most right now."
"I'll keep this 'Wish Fulfillment' token for now, and I'll exchange it with my Uncle Emperor when I've decided what I want."
"Haha, what a clever little girl!" The Emperor laughed upon hearing this, but did not refuse. "Alright, think it over before you speak."
After saying this, he looked at the Crown Prince and instructed him, "Remember this for me. If I forget, you must keep your promise for me."
"Yes, Father, I've got it." The Crown Prince smiled and agreed, then reached out to serve food to the Third Princess and Jiayin.
The third princess naturally protested, "Why doesn't Father ask me if I have any wishes?"
"You, all you want is to eat, drink, and have fun!" The Emperor patted his daughter and smiled helplessly. "As for me, my wish now is to marry you off as soon as possible! Let others worry about it, I'll just watch the show!"
"Father is biased!" the third princess cried out, making everyone laugh.
A simple home-cooked meal was enjoyed by the four family members, young and old.
After dinner, we ate some jade melon together, enjoying a rare moment of harmony and joy.
But the situation was completely different for every household outside the palace at this time.
I wonder how many people gathered together to carefully reflect on the many changes that have occurred today.
There's just too much information to process; you can't understand it at all without reflecting on it. It's about what they went through and what they're going to do next.
Several officials sat together, but no one picked up their teacups for a long time.
They were all from the same clan and related by marriage, and hadn't been together for a long time due to recent unfavorable circumstances.
Now that the storm has passed and the place is in ruins, opportunities abound. They can no longer afford to worry about the aftermath and must hold urgent consultations.
"Our emperor has been suppressed by the Empress Dowager for half his life, but who would have thought he would do something so big behind the scenes! No wonder he doesn't have many children, yet he's never been in a hurry. It turns out he's keeping such a big son outside!"
An official tried his best to lower his voice, but his surprise was still evident.
“Yes,” a middle-aged official sighed in agreement, “We all underestimated the Emperor, thinking that he was suppressed by the Empress Dowager and could only barely stabilize the court with the support of the Marquis of Xinting.”
"Now it seems that the emperor's scheming is far beyond our comprehension. More than a decade ago, even before the capital was moved, the emperor had already begun his plans."
"Those who rushed up early to curry favor with the Imperial Concubine and the Second Prince are really in trouble now!" someone gloated. "Who would have thought that the favored Imperial Concubine and the Second Prince were just a decoy!"
"The imperial family is the most ruthless of all. One moment they're spoiling their children to the point of being lawless, and the next they're sent to the cold palace. It's truly..."
"Now that the eldest prince has returned to the palace, he will immediately be made crown prince. I'm afraid the first thing he'll do is take action against those people, since they were so obsequious to the second prince before."
"Not necessarily. I don't think the Crown Prince is a narrow-minded person. Perhaps he will even do favors for these people. After all, stabilizing the court is the most important thing right now."
"Then what do we do?"
"What else can we do? Just do our job, do more and talk less, and see how things develop in the future."
After much discussion, everyone came to the same conclusion: "Live it up!"
Some people were unwilling to give up and whispered, "After the crown prince is appointed, the next step is to select consorts. We can't just stand by and watch. We should send our daughters to try. If they catch the eye of the emperor and the crown prince, our family will have a better chance."
After a long silence, no one was willing to give up this opportunity.
So, aside from trying to stay put, they all decided to go home and have their daughter prepare properly.
Not only should her clothes and jewelry be of the finest quality, but she should also be instructed not to make a fuss about entering the palace.
During the last summer banquet, the Imperial Concubine had the intention of selecting a consort for the Second Prince. However, those girls were blind and dared to bully Princess Kang Le, who then slapped them so hard they became infamous in the new capital...
Princess Kang Le?!
When someone thought of this name, they suddenly felt a chill and quickly said...
"Oh no, Princess Kang Le is still in the palace!"
Everyone around was stunned.
"What happened to Princess Kang Le in the palace? Hasn't she always lived there?"
The man grew anxious and waved his hand, replying, "Princess Kangle is the Emperor's favorite; he practically watched her grow up. The Crown Prince... the Crown Prince was once Princess Kangle's steward; could the two of them develop feelings for each other over time?"
"The Li family has always been rude and hostile to those who come to propose marriage, and they often chase people away with their dogs. Is it... is it just waiting for the Crown Prince to choose a consort?"
"Is the plan to make Princess Kangle...the Crown Princess?"
It was as if countless bolts of lightning had struck everyone, leaving them utterly stunned and helpless.
"No wonder, no wonder! No wonder whenever anyone mentions the princess's marriage, the Li family says that the princess is still too young, and even says that they should wait until the northern expedition is over and the Marquis and General Li return before discussing it."
"The Li family has truly been waiting for this day!"
"Cunning! The Li family is too cunning!"
"That's right, they get all the good things. Now they've even planned to get the position of Crown Princess."
"I knew it. The Crown Prince is such a powerful figure. He has been in the Li family for many years. Even if he is hidden very well, it is impossible that no one would notice the slightest clue."
"The Li family must have known all along and was secretly trying to bring the Crown Prince and the Princess together!"
For a moment, everyone thought they had guessed the truth, and they were so angry that their eyes turned red, wishing they could curse the Li family a thousand times over...
Meanwhile, in Zhilan Palace, the Emperor was also feeling tired and decided to return to his study.
Jiayin called out to Shuiling, presented her with two baskets of golden fruits, and said with a smile, "Uncle Emperor, His Highness the Crown Prince has returned, and someone is helping you manage the affairs of state. Princess also has a loving brother. I'll be going home tomorrow!"
"We can't leave the Broken Gold Beach unattended. My medicinal herb fields are about to be harvested again, and I need to quickly make a batch of wound medicine to send to Jiangbei along with the third batch of military rations."
The emperor hadn't thought much of it at first, but when he glanced at the crown prince, he suddenly understood a bit more.
At that moment, he felt a mix of emotions he couldn't quite describe.
The little girl is trying to avoid suspicion!
Two chapters today! Thanks to my money-devouring beast for being so helpful, allowing me to finish writing sooner!
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